Have you come to accept feeling tired and exhausted as normal? Jackie had.

Her doctor had told her being tired was part of being older and a grandmother and she’d do better if she lost the extra 10kg she was carrying, to reduce her risk of getting diabetes. If only it was that easy? Like clicking your fingers….10kgs be gone.

Exhausted? Craving sugar? Sex drive zero? Gaining kilos around your middle? That was Jackie. It’s a common story.

Jackie walked through my clinic with dark circles under her eyes and edged up the stairs slowly with a sigh. She looked like she was dragging herself through the day with gumboots filled with concrete. I could almost hear her say, does life have to be this hard. She didn’t look well.

Jackie had retired from her teaching job one year ago and was busier than ever with grandparent duties. She loved looking after her grandkids but was so exhausted and it was getting worse. Every night she craved ice cream and had a stash of lollies and chocolates in her bag, just in case she needed a boost. Her sex drive was zero, she could hardly make it to bed most nights, opting for the couch since the bed seemed so far away.

Her waist was expanding every month, the numbers going up, up and up.

Have you come to accept feeling tired and exhausted as normal?

Just like Jackie.

I’ve heard so many excuses and stories as to why people have no energy and feel exhausted.

And I’ve actually banned them all from being uttered in my clinic, like……

“I’m just tired because I’m old”,

“this is what happens when you have kids”,

“it’s a normal part of ageing”,

“this is what happens when you’re menopausal”

I say NO, NO and NO.

There are often good reasons why you’re exhausted and they have nothing to do with being old.

 

Here are 10 reasons why you’re feeling tired and exhausted:

1. Constant pain – it’s depleting mentally and physically. When you reduce your inflammatory markers at the beginning rather than just cleaning up at the end with pain killers and anti-inflammatories it can make a huge difference.
2. Too little or too much iron – a blood test is the only way to work this one out. High iron can show up in menopausal women, since they no longer have periods to lower their stores. On the flip side on average 1 in 5 menstruating women who attend my clinic need an iron infusion.
3. Cell membranes falling apart – Here I run a test in my clinic to look at your cell membrane structure. Leaky cell membranes are easy to fix once you’re aware of them.
4. Low thyroid problems – no energy, weight gain, brain fog, low mood, constipation and feeling cold are all common signs of an underactive thyroid. Even if you’re eating well and exercising regularly you’ll struggle to feel well until you address your thyroid.
5. Autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, coeliac…) – your immune system is attacking your body and draining your energy.
6. Adrenal problems – are commonly from chronic stress, pain, thyroid problems and having no energy, where you’ve had to push just to make it through the day.
7. Food sensitivities or intolerances – Fatigue is a common symptom of food reactions. Worth investigating if you also suffer from bloating, reflux, sinus, constipation or diarrhoea.
8. Gut infection – SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), candida or parasites or even dysbiosis (bad gut flora) from eating junk foods and lots of sugar and carbs can suck all your nutrients.
9. Low in essential minerals and vitamins, like magnesium and zinc.
10. High chemical load – preservatives, colours, pesticides, cleaning products, perfumes….the list goes on, often termed as obesegens. Your body doesn’t know how to process these man-made products so stores them in your fat tissue to protect your brain. The more chemicals you inhale, put on your skin or consume the fatter you will get. Click here to book to find out if you need a detox.

 

Now, very few of these reasons for feeling tired and exhausted have anything to do with getting old.

And remember, if anyone says feeling tired and exhausted is normal, send them my way. I’ll set them straight…

JS XX