Who doesn’t want better, more sustainable energy throughout the day? Most of us are worn out, exhausted and drinking too much caffeine just to try to keep our heads above water. Here’s the thing- every single client I work with naturally improves their energy level; some just a little better, but most improve dramatically.
How can that be? Afterall, your doctor probably told you your “labs looked good and everything’s normal.” You may have even heard that your lack of energy and drive “was just a normal part of aging.” I’ll never forget when one client called my office, literally in tears, because her doctor told her that diet and lifestyle was a waste of money and would not help. This particular lady ended up being a rockstar client and got to walk into her doctor's office a year later after losing 80 lbs. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that one. :)
Part of the problem- conventional labs done through insurance are super basic and they’re only designed to detect problems once there’s major organ dysfunction. Medical aka pathological lab ranges [these are the labs you get during a yearly wellness checkup] are actually a bell curve average of all the sick people that go to hospitals. Yuck!! No thanks!!
The solution- thankfully smarter doctors, researchers and scientists pooled over 10,000 healthy individuals. Healthy people not on drugs or diagnosed with a medical condition. This healthy average became known as the ‘Functional or Optimal Range.’ Don’t worry, I promise I’m getting to the 6 reasons you’re tired all the time. Hang with me for another minute. :)
Here’s an example of just how bad a marker can get and still be “normal” according to most practitioners. The pathological lab range for iron is 27-139 [that’s a huuuge range] compared to the optimal lab range for iron of 85-130. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen someone come in complaining of constant fatigue with their iron level at 50 (ok for the pathological range, but very low for the optimal range). Every single time I see this we support their diet with iron rich foods and often add in a safe iron supplement to boost levels back to optimal. It’s amazing to watch how quickly their energy levels pick back up and sustain through the day.
So, what are the 6 reasons you’re tired all the time? Yes, low iron is one, but there are others. The following are the most common problems I see getting in the way of healthy, sustained energy.
- Too sedentary- just 20 minutes of exercise boosts energy levels.
- Too stressed- chronic stress leads to emotional exhaustion, high cortisol and a weakened immune system.
- Too much sugar- hormone imbalances, insulin spikes and the crash is coming.
- Lack of sleep- all organs benefit most from 7-9 hours of sleep.
- Anemia- the most common blood disorder, low iron= lack of oxygen to all tissues, which is especially detrimental to the brain.
- Underactive thyroid- low thyroid slows all metabolic processes. Must look at ‘free T3’ to properly gauge function.
If you’d like a free phone evaluation to find out if you’re a good candidate, click here.
