Are you sick of being tired all the time? Being busy, poor food choices, poor quality sleep, stress, lack of exercise and forgetting to relax, are all contributing factors that cause fatigue. Unfortunately, fatigue robs you of energy and reduces your quality and enjoyment of life. Did you know that data shows 25% of patients in primary care are suffering from prolonged fatigue?

What is fatigue?

Fatigue is a common problem that is described as having ‘a general lack of energy’. It can be mental, physical or a combination of both. Basically, your body is not functioning as well as it should. Fatigue can significantly interfere with day-to-day activities, impair memory and concentration, cause muscle aches and pains and reduce endurance and stamina. When you are fatigued, you are not producing enough energy at the cellular level!

What causes fatigue?

Events and lifestyle choices can often be the underlying cause of fatigue. Inflammation is one of the biggest drivers of fatigue and is associated with the feeling of ‘brain fog’ that often accompanies fatigue. However often there is more than one cause:

• Blood glucose disturbances
• Dehydration
• Digestion and liver issues
• Drugs and alcohol
• Excess body fat
• Exercise – too much/not enough
• Hormonal disruptions
• Jet lag
• Sleep problems
• Toxicity

What disorders are associated with Fatigue?

While there are many lifestyle drivers as shown in the list above, fatigue can often occur as a result of an underlying illness. You will already be familiar with some of these conditions below although there are many more. In addition there is no specific cause for at least half of the reported fatigue cases.

• Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s
• Anaemia/Pernicious Anaemia
• Anxiety, stress and depression
• Cardiovascular disease
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Digestive disorders including SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and IBD (Inflammatory Bowel disease)
• Hypothyroidism
• Multiple Sclerosis or Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Rheumatoid Arthritis

What can you do to get your energy back and fight fatigue?

Supporting energy production at the cellular level and supporting healthy biological pathways are important steps to regaining your energy. As a starter some basic things you can do to boost your energy production include:

• Eat a healthy, whole food diet
• Avoid processed foods
• Drink plenty of water
• Exercise
• Get good quality sleep
• Breathe
• Enjoy nature
• Have fun

Still need some help?

Whilst supporting your body to get diet and lifestyle habits that will help re-energise your and reduce fatigue, it is also important to identify what is causing the fatigue. Mr Vitamins Naturopath, Janne Ramsay, believes there is connection between gut health, your microbiome, genetic health and energy. Using a simple and effective program Janne helps to identify and address any causes of fatigue, address any nutritional deficiencies, provide dietary and lifestyle recommendations and help you implement strategies to maintain your energy levels.

Discover how your gut impacts your health… every day!

Join Mr Vitamin’s Naturopath Janne Ramsay (the Gut Gal) as she takes you through an informative and fun presentation on the basics of healthy digestion and gut health. Or book an appointment to start your journey to better gut health and vitality or to discuss any other health concerns that you have.

Naturopath Janne Ramsay

Janne Ramsay Naturopath has a special interest in digestive health and specialises in treating people with gut issues. Janne is passionate about the ongoing developments in gut health and the use of probiotics and the role they play in your health. She specialises in identifying the root cause of the problems that her patients are experiencing and then tailors an individual treatment protocol for them. To achieve good health and wellness in 2017 make an appointment with Janne to review your health and learn more about maintaining better wellness and energy… Learn more about Janne here... References Speer L, Mushkbar S. “Doctor, I’m so tired!” Refining your workup for chronic fatigue. J Fam Pract. 2015 Feb;64(2):84-91. Available at http://www.mdedge.com/jfponline/article/96728/doctor-im-so-tired-refining-your-work-chronic-fatigue/page/0/1 Metagenics Clinical. Cellular and Systemic Bioenergetics: effective solutions for clinical fatigue. Feb-April 2017. Health World Limited, Northgate, Queensland. Mayo Clinic. “Fatigue”. Feb 02,, 2016. Available at http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/fatigue/basics/causes/SYM-20050894