Brown Thursday, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and I think Thanksgiving was in there somewhere. Isn’t it amazing that each year this season gets crazier and crazier? Don’t worry, because now the race is on to complete your Christmas shopping and planning.
With all the busyness that women and their families experience, hands down the most common thing I see in my office is women suffering from fatigue. They get 10 hours of sleep per night and wake up still exhausted. Their 15-minute catnap in the afternoon turns into 3 hours before they have to get up, get the kids, and make some dinner; and the cycle continues.
Not only is fatigue dragging them down, but other symptoms like moodiness, loss of libido, and hormone imbalances also creep in, making the holidays less merry. I assure women that these are ALL related and need to be addressed! There is more to the story than “being tired.”
The main relationship between these symptoms is something called adrenal fatigue (which can be a factor in other conditions such as thyroid and progesterone health, as well).
I’d like to share the 3 most common contributors to fatigue (and all the other fun stuff that goes with it) that I observe in my patients.
GLUTEN AND HIGH-SUGAR FOODS
Gluten is a protein found in most wheat and grain products (pasta, cereals, cookies, cakes, etc.). This particle is very hard for the digestive system to break down which leads to things like gas, bloating, and water retention. But the other major problem is that most of these foods are high-sugar foods. The body processes these goodies as sugar, leading to fluctuating blood sugar levels. As these fluctuations continue, you are at high risk for weight gain (insulin resistance), intestinal imbalances, and fatigue from your blood sugar falling too often (leading to hypoglycemia or low levels of blood sugar – hence cravings for more sugar!).
NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES
The second most common contributor plays off the first, and that is vitamin and mineral deficiencies. High-sugar foods and gluten actually block how well you absorb things like calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin C, and vitamins B12 and B6. When you are low on these key nutrients, you can’t fuel the engine that gives you energy. Trying different vitamins or supplements sounds like a good idea, but how do you know which specific ones YOU need, and need more of? You need adequate nutrition to fuel your body’s energy (and to maintain hormone balance, too).
INTESTINAL PROBLEMS
This doesn’t sound exciting, but actually is very common in my office. Your digestive system is the hub of your immune system and is vital for proper absorption. When there is an imbalance of the bacteria from a less-than-optimal diet, usage of medication like birth control, and infections like yeast, this sets up for an environment that promotes a “leaky gut.” Not only does this leave you unable to get all of the important nutrients you need, but this inflammatory process also uses up your “energy vitamins” to help balance it out. Just like having a small hole in your bucket, you will eventually run empty.
I encourage you to visit my website and read more about how fatigue may be contributing to other things like hormone imbalances. Also, take the free quiz to see if your fatigue hormone could be more of a factor in your health than you think.
Meet Guest Blogger Dr. Zachary Watkins
Dr. Zachary Watkins is a 2006 graduate of Northwestern Health Sciences University where he completed his five-year doctorate degree. He is board certified as an internist through American Board of Chiropractic Internists (ABCI), is a board-eligible clinical nutritionist (DACBN) and is a Certified Nutrition Specialist practitioner (CNS).
Along with his board certification and eligibility, he has finished studies in Functional Medicine from Southern California University of Health Sciences and The Institute for Functional Medicine and is DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) certified.
Dr. Watkins’ goal is to help women understand how they can optimize their health with regards to the 4 most common conditions that are seen in his office: intestinal problems, hormone imbalances, fatigue, and fertility. It is his hope to see his patients understand true, optimal health and that the sole responsibility of being well for many years lies upon themselves along with the aided effort and recommendations of a nutritionally-oriented physician.
Connect with Dr. Watkins on the web at www.drzacwatkins.com and www.healthyfertilityandbaby.com.
