PART 1: HOW WE LOSE ENERGY

Fatigue related complaints are 1 of the top 5 reasons people visit physicians!

Sometimes a little recuperation is all you need. Other times, the damage from stress and “burnout” is more serious, and simple menial tasks, like brushing your teeth or holding a hairbrush, become a struggle.

How is Energy Produced in the Body?

1. Foods provide the fuel for your life and the thyroid directs conversion of nutrients from food into complex tissue substances that govern your metabolism. The Krebs cycle then changes these compounds into chemical energy (ATP); ATP is either used immediately for tissue energy or stored as fat for future use.
 
2. Sunshine showers us with energy from healing vitamin D. Standing outside right before a storm brings energy into your body.
 
3.  Lifestyle: from the foods you eat, to the environment you live in, the people you surround yourself with, and your attitude towards life affect emotional, physical and spiritual health—and is the absolute basis for body energy. 

What Zaps your Energy?

Your body requires energy for all of its functions including muscle activity, hormone secretions from the glands, the healthy maintenance of cell membranes and the absorption of the foods you eat in the digestive tract. Without enough energy, all systems begin to crash, inviting depression and a myriad of other ailments. Here are the five most common causes of energy depletion:

• Lack of sleep:  Almost 50% of the U.S. population has sleep-related problems like insomnia.  A new study reports that an astounding 25% of adults feel that sleep and success are mutually exclusive. Lack of sleep drains your energy, reduces immune response, lowers your sex drive, and raises blood pressure. Giving up 90 minutes, of the standard “8 hours”, reduces daytime alertness up to 33%!

• Stress:   Stress depends on how you react to the changes and demands of your life. Chronic stress takes an extra toll on energy, targeting organs like the adrenal glands and taxing their stores to the point of depletion. This exhaustion is revealed in how you look and feel. The more “stressed out” you become, the more vulnerable you are to chronic health problems.

• Adrenal Exhaustion:  The adrenal glands are the most affected by stress, emotional strain, anger or exhaustion. When you’re under pressure, the adrenal medulla secretes adrenaline and norepinephrine to accelerate metabolism, heart rate, respiration and perspiration. These are natural responses vital to survival; they strengthen the body and increase its resistance to stress. But when the adrenals release too few or too many hormones, exhaustion can result.

• Thyroid malfunction:  Because your thyroid gland governs your metabolism, its smooth running is crucial to providing vital energy resources. Since World War II, an above average number of people have developed thyroid problems.  This development may be a result of all the new chemicals and pollutants in our environment. Today hypothyroidism (low thyroid) affects 15 million people, the vast majority of them women.

• Overuse of stimulants like caffeine, sugar, or drugs.  9 out of 10 Americans use caffeine in some form, typically 2 cups of coffee a day.  Caffeine acts as a nervous system stimulant and is notorious for wiping out the adrenal glands leading to lowered energy levels.

• Sugar consumption of the average American is 150 pounds of sugar a year, a whopping 1200% increase from a century ago.  Over-use of either caffeine or sugar results in an increase in blood sugar levels. The excess sugar in the blood causes a flood of insulin (our body’s blood sugar regulator) that removes too much sugar, causing low blood sugar reactions and more fatigue.

The good news is...Your body works most efficiently with natural energizers, which have great advantages over chemically processed stimulants. They don’t exhaust the body, and are supporting rather than depleting. They can be strong or gentle as needed.

PART 2: HOW TO GET ENERGY

Energy is both universal and individual. In Traditional Chinese Medicine energy is “Qi” (pronounced “chee”) or the vital life force within all things. In Ayurveda, it is “Prana.” In the Western world, human energy is often defined in terms of chemical energy (ATP) in the body. Every atom in the universe is powered on energy. Your body is designed to focus energy according to your ever-changing needs and desires. For instance, the more you have to do, the more you get done. Or, when you really need to run away from something, you will have an instant burst of energy.
 
Quick Fix Energy Boosters
 
Natural energizers have great advantages over chemical stimulants. They support rather than deplete. They can be strong or gentle, as needed.
 
• If your energy drops mid-afternoon, take a green drink for energizing nutrients like chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. High chlorophyll superfoods like alfalfa, wheat grass, and spirulina transport more oxygen to the cells for better brain activity and foundation energy.
 
• Try essential oils like peppermint, lemon or rosemary to uplift your spirits and increase your energy. In an experiment conducted by the American Advancement of Science on 13 keypunch operators, adding the scent of lemon at the worksite produced a 54% decrease in errors!
 
• Rainforest herbs like guarana and kola nut encourage unique, deep body energy. I recommend trying a whole herb combination for the inherent protective features of the plant; the whole herb naturally protects against adverse effects caused by any single plant constituent. For instance, using kola nut or guarana by itself may cause a “wired” feeling, but using in combination with other herbs like ginger and suma can increase energy and mental alertness without over stimulation.

• Supplement with “power nutrients” like CoQ10, NADH and Alpha Lipoic Acid. These nutrients increase ATP in the body.

• Take a brisk walk in the fresh air, especially if you work at a sedentary job. A 20-30 minute walk can renew your energy, increase metabolism and relieve stress that may be draining you.

• Too tired to go out? Try taking a shower! I use bathing therapy as a quick way to wake up after a hard day’s work. It works great before social engagements or dinners on evenings you just don’t feel like you’re going to make it. Add an invigorating bath gel to awaken the senses.

 
Renew Long-Term Vitality
 
Adaptogen herbs like Siberian eleuthero, astragalus and schizandra are ideal for people who want long-term energy support without over stimulation. Adaptogens strengthen your body’s resistance to toxic stress reactions that lead to exhaustion.
 
Add to your electrolyte stores. Electrolytes are ionized salts (minerals) found in body fluids and the bloodstream. They are your body’s natural source of electrical energy. But today’s foods are painfully low in the trace minerals that necessary to maintain electrolyte activity in the body. Stress, too, depletes trace mineral stores. Using an electrolyte replacement product is one of the best ways to recharge long-term energy.
 
Fight mental burnout with brainy herbs! Many people, especially people who engage in a lot of intensive mental work, battle with lack of focus and mental exhaustion. Herbal nutrients like ginkgo biloba and gotu kola nourish the brain so you think more clearly and have more mental energy.
 
Relaxation therapy is a key for long-term vitality. Research from the West Oakland Health Center finds that meditation for twenty minutes, twice daily, is as effective as drug therapy to lower high blood pressure.
 
Exercise! Just 30 minutes of exercise 3-4 times a week improves heart and muscle strength, revives sluggish circulation and deepens sleep so you’ll feel better and have more energy. Exercise increases lymph flow, moving toxins out of your body and bringing oxygen into your cells. So little does so much!
 
Revitalize Hormonal Health for Energy
 
I have worked with hundreds of men and women over the years and have developed healing programs to meet specific energy needs of each sex.
 
The Female System
 
Nourish adrenal health to activate energy after menopause when the adrenals and other glands pick up the job of estrogen secretion, which keep a woman energized and healthy. Largely as a result of stressful living and poor eating habits, many women reach their menopausal years with prematurely worn out adrenals. An herbal supplement with amla berry, licorice and Siberian eleuthero can work wonders in these cases!
 
Thyroid problems affect millions of unsuspecting women. Low thyroid can mean sluggishness, weight gain and fatigue for man. Women. Just 2 tablespoons of dried sea vegetables daily is a therapeutic dose to help reactivate thyroid health for stronger metabolism and more body energy.
 
The Male System
 
Men, like women, have hormonal cycles that influence physical and mental performance. Testosterone levels can fluctuate dramatically (between 250 to 1,200 nanograms) at different times in life. Testosterone levels generally start declining around age 40, falling by 10% each decade. This phenomenon, called male andropause, can lead to decreased sex drive, loss of muscle strength, and energy.

• Herbal hormone energizers like panax ginseng, sarsaparilla and saw palmetto nourish the male reproductive system, encourage testosterone balance and help pull an older man out of an energy slump.
• Get early morning sunlight on the genitalia every day possible for hormone stimulating vitamin D.
 
A few simple things to bring energy to your life…

1. Don’t worry. Worries are a storehouse of wasted energy.
2. Cultivate relationships with people who inspire your and make you feel good.
3. Spend time in nature. Getting a little Earth in your soul can reduce stress and lift your spirits.
 
“Healthy Healing” written by Linda Rector Page is available from The Vitamin Trader.