“Like the Sun, you can only share the energy you have!”
This quote was taken from a conversation between a physician and a gentleman consulting for “feeling poorly,” in which the patient stated that he has no time for himself, rather is busy providing for his family, working at home and the office. His doctor introduced him to the concept of taking care of himself for the sake of being generous to his family. It was a paradigm shift for him. He saw his duties as sacrificing himself for the good of his family…but what happened was that he was sacrificing his good to everyone, particularly his family.
How is your energy? Do you know what “energetic” feels like? Energy is abundant in this universe…can not be created or destroyed, only moves from one place to another. Are you receiving your fair share of this abundant resource? Do you expect to feel lousy as you get older, just because many people do?
Let’s look at some energy “thieves,” and the symptoms that often accompany each. Each category results in low or suboptimal energy, plus the symptoms listed. Obviously you won’t have every symptom in each category, but these are “common” symptoms.
Remember, we must always follow the “scientific method” when attempting to fix, balance or correct something. There is no “one pill wonder.” If we want to change something: 1.Do something differently 2.Observe your results 3. Change when necessary and 4. Keep trying
Sugar Metabolism:
>Tired after lunch
>Crave sweets or carbs
>Feel jittery or irritable if you miss a meal
>Gain weight on the belly
Sugar metabolism problems resolve with 5 steps:
1. Lower your carbohydrate and sugar intake, while increasing your energy expenditure (exercise)
2. Maximize nutrient intake with vegetables and fruit, and a quality multivitamin. Antioxidants, B Vitamins, Magnesium, Calcium, Chromium, Vanadium, and Zinc are the key players
3. Eat long chain, fluid fats, such as fish or flax oil, and olive oil.
4. Exercise aerobically, using 180 – your age as a starting point for heart rate.
5. De-Stress: Along with rest and relaxation, you can try 2 B vitamins to slow down your nervous system (B5/Pantothenic Acid, and the B vitamin Choline)
Feel the energy surge!!
Thyroid:
>Morning energy is low
>Often accompanied by morning headaches
>Gain weight all over, thick ankles and arms, even on low cal diet
>Hair loss
>Skin cracks
>Constipation
>Muscle cramps
>Feel cold
>Cry for no reason
Thyroid hormones are rather easy to make naturally: Protein + iodine + selenium = thyroid hormones. So add a natural sea salt or kelp to your diet, eat plenty of protein, and supplement selenium. The X factor again is stress. The stress hormone cortisol impairs the thyroid to make thyroxine. Try the de-stress nutrients described above.
Oxygen:
>Heart palpitations
>Shortness of breath (can’t catch your breath while exercising)
>Fingernails ridge or crack
>Lightheadedness
>Food cravings
>Numbness and tingling
Oxygen is carried on red blood cells using iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12. It also uses B6, C, and copper to get the iron into the cell. I have treated a few patients who were taking iron without B6, and energy did not appear until the B6 was added.
Toxicity:
>Poor memory
>Brain fog
>Skin conditions
>Headaches
>Gain weight on the hips, butt and legs
>Arthritis
>Premature aging
>Heart disease
Toxicity is not a “quack” or alternative issue. We all detoxify, or break down the chemicals we make and ingest. The liver does most of the work, so this is really a liver issue. The liver uses protein and antioxidants, plus a few B vitamins and minerals to break down these chemicals. A detoxification program may consist of eating organic, drinking lots of water, and perhaps a product like Metagenics UltraClear Plus. It contains all the nutrients and proteins that are used by the liver for its clean up duties. I tend to stay away from fasting cleanses, because why? NO PROTEIN. That means your body may begin to clean up, but there is insufficient protein to bind the chemicals for removal. So they are mobilized and can’t get out. That means you feel more toxic than ever.
Adrenal Fatigue:
>Dizzy when you stand up quickly
>Eyes sensitive to bright light or sunlight (need sunglasses)
>Knee and ankle problems
>Immune problems: Asthma and allergies
>Gain weight on the upper body, with thin legs
>Tendency toward ulcers
Adrenal fatigue means you are stressed out. Sometimes, the only thing we feel we have control of is our diet (versus job, spouse, kids, money). You can do an awful lot to de-stress with just biochemistry. The chemical stressors include: artificial colors and flavors (including sugars), stimulants such as caffeine, trans- or hydrogenated fats, and sugar or refined flour products. Clean it up and you will de-stress. Other techniques chemically are B5 and Choline (mentioned earlier) that help to make a chemical called acetylcholine. That chemical is very relaxing to the nervous system. Another chemical method is alkalizing. Eating green foods and veggies that are rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium. These alkaline foods also relax the nervous system. Or for a quick fix, use the product Greens First, which is a green food drink that actually tastes good…really it does.
Inflammation:
>Pain
>Headaches
>Tender and sore muscles/joints
>Poor attention/focus
>Allergies
>Swelling
>Heart disease
Inflammation messes up everything. Imagine the same chemicals that produce heat, swelling and pain when you twist an ankle actually circulating through your blood stream, affecting every cell and tissue in your body. That is what is measured by the lab test CRP. If you don’t know your lab score, you could be at risk for stroke, heart attack or dementia, and not even know it.
The basics for treating systemic inflammation include high dose fish oils. That means finding a clean source (mercury issues) and taking 4 to 10 gel caps per day. Again, use a quality multivitamin, because certain B vitamins and minerals are used to process these oils, and turn them into anti-inflammatory chemicals. Also drink ginger tea, and use turmeric spice, and other spices like rosemary. Garlic also can be helpful. Eat plenty of deep colored fruit, like blueberry and raspberry, or pomegranate juice.
Digestion:
>Heartburn
>Bloating
>Gas
>Abdominal pain
>Constipation
>Diarrhea
>Passing undigested food
Digestion is a four step process:
1. Remove infective organisms
Often a stool analysis is needed to know if this step is necessary
Antibiotics only kill bacteria. You can get farther using goldenseal, garlic, oil of oregano, or other natural antimicrobials.
2. Replace digestive enzymes and acids (we need these acids to digest)
You may have to try several digestive aids to get “the right one,” but it will be worthwhile when you hit it right.
3. Repair the gut lining
The gut is repaired with protein, particularly the amino acid glutamine, which can be taken as a supplement, or drink a whey protein shake every day.
4. Re-Innoculate with healthy bacteria
Probiotics such as acidophilus, and bifidobacterium, and many others.
If you suspect or know your energy levels are suboptimal, and fit into one or more of the categories, you now have a couple strategies you can try. Apply the scientific method always. Try something, a change, for 4 weeks and pay attention to the results. That’s it…that is the scientific method. For my patients, I use exam findings and labs as well as how they feel to determine our methods and results, but if you are just a bit tired in the afternoon, you may not want to spend money on a full lab or exam. So try something new and notice the change (or lack of change). The wonderful thing about nutrition is there is no major downside…you won’t die or end up in the hospital trying a new vitamin.
Since energy is abundant, and can not be created or destroyed…where does it go??
As I mentioned, these categories are “energy thieves.” Because of poor or imbalanced function of a particular organ or system, energy is being redirected toward that imbalance. Much like the attention seeking child in a classroom, energy is stolen from the whole class in order to attend to that child.
Or…the problem can stem from the transfer of energy. We transfer energy from plants and animals (our food) into usable energy for us. If we don’t eat energy transferring foods, and opt for energy sapping foods (sugar), again the whole body suffers.
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