Are you constantly tired? Fatigue easily? Have little to no stamina? Do you experience fatigue after eating meals? Require caffeine, nicotine, quick energy drinks like “Monster” and “Rock Star,” and refined sugars just to stay mentally alert and be physically capable?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re part of a growing group of Americans who suffer from daily drowsiness due to “adrenal burnout.” Adrenal Burnout makes life harder by impacting your daily life activities, such as driving a car, work related activities, sex interest, regular sleep pattern disruptions, and can cause you to miss family events and leisure time activities (according to the National Sleep Foundation). Alarmingly, growing numbers of Americans are now being diagnosed as “chronically fatigued!”

Fatigue can be caused by many health related issues; if you have been feeling fatigued on a consistent basis, we suggest that you visit our Functional Medicine practice. We are trained to look at all of your body’s energy producing systems, in order to best ascertain why you have low energy levels. This includes your environment, work, home, and lifestyle, as well as your physical issues.

Many nutrients play a vital role in maintaining your energy levels.

Co-Enzyme Q10, or Ubiquinone
Co-Q10 is responsible for pumping up the mitocondria in your cells. Mitocondria are considered the “powerhouses” of your cells and regulate cellular respiration. Without healthy mitochondrial function, your cells underperform their duties. Co-Q10 is also helpful in liver function as well as maintaining a healthy heart and kidneys, and is known for helping to lower blood pressure.

B-Vitamins
Several B Vitamins are needed to perform chemical reactions in your liver, adrenal glands (the energy organ in your body that produces bursts of energy when needed), brain tissue, nervous system cells, our heart, and many other areas of the body.

Vitamins B1 (Thiamine), B3 (Riboflavin), B6 (Pyroxidine), B12 (Cobalamin), Biotin, and Folic Acid are also critical B Vitamins necessary for carbohydrate and protein metabolism. This is carried out in our liver and other digestive organs. B-Vitamins are also lost in greater amounts, and beverages such as coffee, taken at the same time as Vitamins, can inhibit their absorption. Many Americans have Vitamin B deficiencies, and in many cases their medication may be a contributing factor. Not taking bio-available vitamins also contributes to deficiencies. Often people are surprised to find out that their body is not absorbing what they are taking as supplements.

Enzymes
Many of us have rapidly depleted our digestive enzymes required to break down and utilize our nutrients. According to Nobel Prize Enzymologist Ronald K Schneider, we lose approximately 10% of our digestive enzyme producing capacity per decade, after puberty. For example, if puberty ends in a person at the age of 20, by the time they are 60 years old, they will have 40% less enzyme producing capacity then when they were 20 years old. Enzymes are required to break down and assimilate your nutrients. Without nutrients, our cells have no fuel to carry out their duties. (see our blog on enzymes for more information about this nutrient)

There are many things that “rob” us of our energy:

Insufficient Sleep
Many Americans lack sufficient sleep today. Many Americans cannot sleep soundly through the night! Without sufficient sleep, our body cannot perform the deep healing and recuperation necessary to carry out the next day’s activities. Most commonly, sleep issues boil down to thyroid and adrenal gland issues brought on by inadequate diet and system toxicity. Having too many EMF generating electronics in the bedroom also contributes to quality of sleep issues. EMFs, or Electromagnetic fields, are a part of the invisible light spectrum. Having light waves bathe you while you sleep may contribute to your body’s ability to produce melatonin, which is a major hormone in the body and affects many major functions, including the immune system.

Low grade and hidden infections steal our enery
Many Americans are suffering from low grade infections, many of which can remain “hidden” from traditional lab tests and can slip by undetected. Parasitic Bacteria, fungal infections, Candida Albicans Yeast infection, Lymes, Herpes Simplex I and II, Shingles are several examples of infections that go undetected in the body for a long time. We use functional lab tests, which do a better job of detecting these infections before they fully manifest.

Hypothyroidism
The Thyroid Gland is considered a very important gland when it comes to energy management in the body. When operating normally, our body temperature operates at an ideal range so that we can function in a body in an optimal manner. When our body temperature gets too low, our cell function begins to slow and we can feel tired.

Adrenal Fatigue
Our Adrenal glands produce many hormones and chemicals provide bursts of energy that help us live well despite having stress. Unfortunately, most Americans have “adrenal burnout” because our fast paced lifestyle and inadequate diet are major contributors to adrenal insufficiency. Instead of eating the foods and taking the supplements that continue to build good adrenal health, it is often much easier for people to opt for the ‘band aid’ approach and quick fix, by reaching for poor quality, and high sugar energy drinks in an attempt to ward off fatigue. The real adrenal energy that your body needs is not in an energy drink can or bottle. While these products provide the sensation of a “quick pick up,” they drain our adrenal glands more rapidly. This is because they fail to replace nutrients needed for our adrenals to function healthfully. The best way to detect adrenal insufficiency is with an Adrenal Salivary Index (ASI).

Alcohol
Alcohol robs us of our energy by disrupting normal R.E.M deep sleep patterns. Many people drink alcohol before going to sleep, because it is a depressant which provides a temporary feeling of relaxation. This helps many people fall asleep more easily. Alcohol does not help us maintain the deep sleep patterns necessary to feel energized the next day. Web MD summarized 27 studies showing us how alcohol and quality sleep don’t mix!

Electro Magnetic Frequencies (EMFs)
Besides the EMF issues that can impact our levels of Melatonin production, our bodies are constantly being stressed by being bathed in these man made frequencies, 24/7. Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are both analog and digital. The human body evolved with the Earth’s natural analog frequencies. Man made EMFs first interacted with humans when motors and other electric devices became a part of our quality of life. In the late 1970s the Wertheimer and Leeper study revealed the connection between indoor electrical wiring and health issues; certain wiring configurations were known to create higher levels of EMFs within the home. By the 1980s, Power Lines were also an issue because of their “always on” effect if you lived close to one.

By 2013 we now also have a swathe of digital EMF waveforms that our human, analog body interacts with. Virtually every electronic item we live with and use is emitting EMFs. Dr Robert O. Becker, MD had done much research on the negative bio-effects of EMFs on the human body. These EMFs affect subtle areas of our brain, such as the pineal gland, which can disrupt healthy sleep needed to feel energized the next day.

To learn how you can achieve more restful sleep, contact us today!

References:
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-related-problems/excessive-sleepiness-and-sleep
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20130118/alcohol-sleep