The last place we may think of, but the first place to check is your gut! Digestive problems can impact on your entire body resulting in fatigue, allergies, mood disorders, arthritis, acne, dementia, autoimmune disease and much more. So restoring your gut to great health will go a long way to resolving most of the above states of illness.
A range of factors exist:
1. A diet that is high in processed, refined carbohydrates & sugars and low in fibre can cause an overgrowth of yeast in the gut. This damages the membranes of the gut and creates inflammation, compromising both digestion and absorption.
2. Bacterial infections or parasites in the small intestine can become chronic states if left unchecked.
3. Poor enzyme function caused by acid-blocking medication, eg. reflux medication, or even zinc deficiency may lower our enzyme production. Enzymes are required to promote proper digestion in the gut.
4. Overuse of medications like anti-inflammatories, antibiotics and steroids damage the gut lining.
5. Toxins such as pesticides, herbicides, moulds and heavy metals like mercury, also damage the gut.
6. Stress can cause changes in the gut creating greater permeability which leads to leaky gut and an overgrowth of bad gut bacteria.
Have you been diagnosed with a more chronic form of fatigue? For example, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Adrenal Fatigue or Fibromyalgia?
The problem begins in the mitochondria or energy factories that are found in each cell. They are the centres where our metabolism occurs. Large numbers of mitochondria exist in muscle tissue, our organs, heart and brain. In our mitochondria we manufacture our energy from the oxygen we breathe and food we eat. So it stands to reason that if our nutrients are not of high quality then our energy manufacture may be less than adequate. This will dampen down the metabolism and make it work less efficiently.
Mitochondria are easily damaged and when they are, symptoms of fatigue, pain, memory loss and accelerated ageing occurs. Probably the biggest insult we inflict on our mitochondria over time is our highly processed refined diet of too many sugars with little to no nutritional value. This includes alcohol which is loaded with sugar.
In the mitochondria, when food is burned in the presence of oxygen, waste is created called free radical waste. This leads to a chemical reaction called oxidation. So if the diet is low in antioxidants (fresh fruits, vegetables, fibrous plants), we are unable to protect our mitochondria from this damage and this contributes to cellular and tissue damage. In short progressive deterioration occurs throughout the body, leading to chronic inflammation and almost every known disease stems from this oxidative stress.
Try incorporating the following:
Learn to hit the pause button and reset, to rediscover your energy.
At your first appointment your health will be assessed and recommendations made for improvement. This may include setting short-term goals and condition-specific testing.
As an experienced and leading Adelaide naturopath in South Australia, Merridy Casson has a unique functional medicine approach which revolves around identifying the underlying cause of her client’s health concerns or disease.
As an experienced and leading Adelaide naturopath in South Australia, Merridy Casson has a unique functional medicine approach which revolves around identifying the underlying cause of her client’s health concerns or disease.