Do you feel like you never have energy like you used to? If you’re a mom, I think this is a common problem and I can totally relate. As a working mom of 3 little boys, I rode the struggle bus for a long time in terms of chronic fatigue. What I learned in my journey of healing my body & regaining my energy was that exhaustion goes beyond just getting a good night’s sleep. So if you feel like sleep isn’t the issue for you, then read on.
Stress
Stress can do crazy things to your body and when your body is in a constant state of stress it can create fatigue. You may not even realize your body is under stress because it has become your new normal. Re-evaluate your daily routines & figure out ways to decrease stress. Whether it’s planning things ahead to avoid being flustered & scrambling or leaving the house 15 minutes earlier so that you’re not on edge that you’ll be late. Maybe just getting up 30 minutes early to go for a walk, read a book, drink a cup of coffee in silence, plan out your day, fold laundry or meditate. One thing to keep in mind is that chronic stress can lead to disease so this is super important to address now and not let the stress & overwhelm continue to compound. This stress also impacts your digestion. Your body cannot properly digest and absorb food when it is under stress. Taking a few deep breaths before eating and not multitasking while eating a meal can be helpful.
Nutrition
I don’t know about you but when I was given the responsibility of caring for 3 kids under 3, my nutrition was the last thing I thought about. I ate whatever was readily available and usually it wasn’t healthy. I wasn’t putting on weight though so I didn’t think much of it and my unhealthy ways continued for about 2 years until I couldn’t ignore all of my symptoms, one of which being chronic fatigue & brain fog. I learned that I had food intolerances & many of those contributed to my exhaustion. I cleaned up my diet drastically and that alone allowed me to regain the energy I had been longing for. It was like the fog lifted & I was finally living again and not just going through the motions. So, I urge you to evaluate what you’re eating. Even if you deem it a healthy diet, keep a log of how you feel after eating certain foods. Gluten can be a big trigger for fatigue, brain fog and even anxiety. Struggle with cleaning up your diet? I put together a dairy and gluten free recipe guide for you to make it super easy! Start with eliminating sugar, alcohol, caffeine, dairy and gluten and you will be well on your way to regaining energy! Click here to grab the guide after you finish reading this blog post!
Lack of Vitamins & Minerals
This goes in conjunction with nutrition but it’s important to understand that sometimes certain systems in our body need support beyond food. While it’d be great to get everything we needed from food, it just isn’t a reality these days & many of our foods are depleted of nutrients and filled with chemicals because of modern day farming practices. Your adrenal glands are largely responsible for your energy & if your adrenals aren't functioning properly, which they probably aren't, then you need support beyond sleep, stress management & food. A high quality Vitamin B supplement is a great place to start. Your body burns through B vitamins quickly when stressed. It's important to understand too that your gut health may need some help as well. This is especially true if you've been on birth control, you're exposed to toxins on a daily basis through your household products & personal care products or you have overused antibiotics over the years. One thing I started using daily for breakfast to ensure I'm getting all of the vitamins and minerals I need is a Daily Nutritional Support Shake. I just mix it with water and drink it in the morning alongside some nuts and fruit for a balanced breakfast that leaves me feeling energized all morning.
If you feel like you are doing all of the above and you're STILL exhausted all of the time, it's time to dig deeper. As an Integrative Health Practitioner I help women to go beyond the coffee and concealer and start figuring out their root causes. It's important to stop masking symptoms and start asking WHY you even have them in the first place. Sometimes diet, exercise and sleep aren't enough because you have some major toxicities going on that are the key players in how you're feeling. Things like mold, parasites, viruses, bacteria, heavy metals and chemicals are often linked to the symptoms we deal with or the diseases we've been diagnosed with. To learn more about working with me, click here.
In the meantime, I recommend working on your gut health. Jump into the 5 Day Gut Health Challenge to learn practical tips to begin implementing to not only improve your gut health but to alleviate symptoms you're currently dealing with. When I focused on my gut for just 30 days, I felt a serious improvement within two weeks! All of my symptoms were gone and I had so much more energy. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it and I map it all out for you in the challenge!
