Understanding Fatigue

Five Causes of Non-Disease Related Fatigue

Poor Sleep Quality

Many people struggle with getting enough sleep. They tend to go to bed too late or may be looking at devices that emit too much light (TV, tablets or cell phones). Try doing a device detox. Download a blue light app that helps to dim the light to lessen circadian rhythm disruption and create a calming bedtime routine. Make sure to sleep in the darkest room possible with minimal light. Sleep apnea is very common. If you find yourself snoring, waking up with a headache or gasping for air, you may have sleep apnea. A sleep study and evaluation by a sleep specialist may help you get the most benefit out of restorative sleep to help enhance energy levels. 

Inactivity

Many people don’t take the time to exercise because of time limitations or stress. Inactivity can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and inflammation. Moderate exercise and body movement three to five times per week for 20 minutes can release natural endorphins, balance your mood and benefit your overall health. The hardest part for some is just getting started. Once you make exercise and regular movement part of your routine, your energy levels can improve.

Hormone Imbalance

Stress, adrenal fatigue, low thyroid, low female and male hormones, low Vitamin D, blood sugar dysfunction and liver congestion can all affect your energy levels. If you are feeling sluggish, get your hormones tested and then optimize your hormones to improve your health and vitality.

Allergies

Food sensitivities and environmental allergies can often take their toll and make you feel sluggish. Food allergy sensitivity testing for IgG and IgE blood serum reactions can show mild, moderate or severe sensitivities to foods that might be contributing to issues with your weight, digestion, skin and energy. 

GI Dysfunction

GI dysfunction includes absorption and digestive issues. If you are eating poorly, have food sensitivities, have a history of consistent antibiotic use or have a buildup of inflammation, dysbiosis of the gut can occur resulting in gut dysfunction and gut flora imbalances. The GI is thought of as the second brain. When the GI is off, you may not only experience GI issues – acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea, gas or bloating – but you can also have brain fog, forgetfulness, fatigue, depression, anxiety and focus issues. Heal the gut, heal the brain. 

Try an Anti-Inflammatory Diet to Help with Fatigue

Eliminate food allergies and sensitivities and correct nutritional imbalances. If you have food sensitivities, you may not have an anaphylactic response, but you may have symptoms of leaky gut that presents with skin issues, digestive issues (loose stools or constipation), fatigue, hormone imbalance, joint and muscle aches, anxiety and depression. Following an anti-inflammatory diet such as the Mediterranean diet, while eliminating fried fatty foods and processed foods and limiting alcohol and preservatives, can reduce inflammation. Eating more of a whole foods diet promotes healing of the gut lining. When followed for three to six months, the body will heal itself and your symptoms may disappear.

Move More

Daily body movement, even if you don’t feel like it, will move stuck energy. Start slowly if you are extremely fatigued. Go for a brisk walk, practice Qigong exercises or go hiking or biking. Here are two quick and easy Qigong exercises you can try: Shake your whole body (shake the body pose) for a couple of minutes to get the Qi moving. You can also rub your hands and fingertips together up and down in a clapping motion to stimulate Qi.

Shift Your Mindset

Saying affirmations, surrounding yourself with like-minded people and setting outcomes can help you feel as if you already have energy. Try this visualization exercise: Close your eyes and visualize yourself sitting under a tree or on a beach. Visualize the sun and its bold strong, fire energy. Allow the sun’s warm rays to shower all over you, energizing you. Do this visualization until you feel more energy.  

Try one of these grounding exercises: Walk barefoot in the grass, sit under a tree or spend some time to connect with nature. Take five to 15 minutes per day to ground. The earth’s energy can help you feel more grounded and connected, easing stress and improving energy levels.

Additional Treatments

Create a Food Journal. Write down everything you eat or drink and track how you feel. You are what you eat! If you feel tired after eating certain foods, think about what you ate and make the connection. People often skip meals or eat the wrong type of food. If you eat a fatty or high carb imbalanced meal, no wonder you feel tired. Focus on eating whole foods with a balance of healthy fats, proteins and good carbs (vegetables, quinoa, brown rice). 

Make Sure You Drink Enough Water. Many people don’t drink enough water and are chronically dehydrated. Drink half your body weight in ounces each day at a minimum; drink more when it is hot out. If you don’t like water, try adding a slice of lemon, cucumber or mint.

Consider Food Sensitivity Testing (Immunoglobulin E and G testing). There are 150-450 different foods, additives, herbs, medications, molds and chemicals that can be tested. 

Have Your Urine Tested. This can find neurotransmitter imbalances, including serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, Gaba, glutamate, epinephrine and amino acids-glycine. This can give you important information about what is causing your altered mood and fatigue. 

Get Hormone Lab Tests Done. Hormones naturally decline with aging. Normal levels are not optimal levels. Have hormone lab tests done as well as the basic testing by a hormone specialist. “Optimal” levels on a blood test are the optimal levels that show the most benefit, which help reduce fatigue and age-related diseases.

Have a Hair Analysis Conducted. This can test the mineral balance in the body systems and how that is affecting your thyroid, pancreas, female hormones, adrenals and metabolism at the cellular level before seeing changes on a blood test.

Schedule Regular Acupuncture Treatments. These can improve energy levels, boost the immune system, reduce stress, regulate hormones and stimulate movement of Qi in the body. 

Consider B Vitamin Shots. These and IV vitamin therapy can be especially beneficial if you have long-COVID.

Try NAD Injections. NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) injections can also help reduce the effects of aging and improve energy metabolism in the body.

If you are feeling fatigued and want to address the root cause of it, take the necessary steps to evaluate the things you can control – your diet, lifestyle and mindset – and seek assistance from naturopathic medicine to treat it naturally. You deserve to look and feel your best. FBN

By Christina Kovalik

Dr. Christina Kovalik NMD, LAc, The Vitality Doctor, is a naturopathic physician and acupuncturist specializing in hormone optimization, optimal health and vitality. She is a new Flagstaff resident, practicing since 2004, and opened her second location in Doney Park in 2020. For more information, visit thevitalitydoctor.com or call 928-863-6086.