Here are some tips to help you reduce stress and improve your energy levels.
When chronic stress occurs, it can put your body in a fight or flight mode by releasing high levels of cortisol. It can become problematic, resulting in insomnia, anxiety and inability to deal with stress as it triggers the nervous system to be on edge. If high stress occurs for long periods of time, it may fatigue the adrenals, resulting in low energy levels or chronic fatigue. A basic blood test or salivary cortisol test can offer insight into how your adrenal function may be contributing to your fatigue. The adrenal glands are like the source of energy of all other endocrine glands and can affect the function of the thyroid, female or male hormones and pancreas. Stress affects all hormones in the body.
Here are some tips to help you reduce stress and improve your energy levels.
- Check what you are eating. You are what you eat. If you are eating food that is lacking nutrients and vitality, it is no wonder why you may not be feeling well. Eat a clean Mediterranean diet. Eating protein every three to four hours helps balance blood sugars, reduce stress on the body systems and can improve energy levels.
- Take time to breathe. In stressful situations, focusing on your breath can help reduce the stress response. Inhale for a count of eight, exhale for a count of 16. Repeat three to five times.
- Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Sleep is your body’s time to regenerate. Most people require six to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. If you have sleep issues, hormone imbalance or sleep apnea may be the culprit.
- Drink enough water. Many people don’t drink enough water during the day. A good rule of thumb is to drink your body weight in ounces of water daily, more if you are sweating a lot. Water helps the body get rid of toxins that build up in the body systems.
- Add B vitamins once or twice daily with food. Many people are deficient in B vitamins. It is important to take methylated B complex, which are the most complete balanced B vitamins. B vitamins are needed for energy metabolism, neurotransmitters and stress response. B vitamin shots weekly to twice weekly can help improve energy levels and will get right into your system by bypassing the digestive system.
- Move more often than not. Exercise daily, or, at minimum, walk 20 to 30 minutes per day. Movement helps the energy to move in the body systems, releases natural endorphins and makes you feel good.
- Get your lab work done. There are many different things that can contribute to fatigue. A basic blood test for blood count, liver and kidney function, vitamin B and D, full thyroid panel and male/female hormone panels can often check basic imbalances that may contribute to fatigue. The normal aging process often drives hormones to be low,
causing fatigue, weight challenges, low sex drive, low mood and sleep issues. With hormone optimization, hormones are at levels where patients feel their best and it minimizes age-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia and osteoporosis. Seeing a hormone specialist who focuses on hormone optimization will give you the most benefit and chance at improving the root cause of fatigue. - Try regular acupuncture sessions. Acupuncture helps to move energy through the energy channels/meridians in the body and can bring anything out of balance back into flow. It releases natural endorphins that help balance hormones by the hypothalamus-pituitary axis. It helps reduce stress, regulates mood and helps reduce pain and inflammation. Weekly treatments help boost energy and metabolism.
- Seek adrenal support. There are many herbal supplements out there, but one of my favorite herbs is ashwagandha. It balances your cortisol, whether it is high or low. Testing the salivary adrenal stress index is the most accurate measure for cortisol. It will plot your cortisol curve through the day. A normal curve is high in the morning and slowly decreases by bedtime. Some people’s cortisol curves can be flipped, causing insomnia or anxiousness at night. Luckily, these imbalances can be corrected, which will optimize the function of all other endocrine glands. 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.