Do you find yourself at Starbucks buying coffee ala “venti” in order to make it through your day? Do you put off going to the gym because you just don’t have the energy to do so? Well, Naturopathic medicine might have the answer for you!!
Fatigue can be a multi-faceted problem. The first common cause is overworked adrenals and/or an underactive thyroid. The good news is that this is easily tested for and can be helped with a variety of things including herbal products. The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and secrete cortisol. Cortisol helps give us energy throughout the day. When we are exposed to stress we can over-secrete cortisol and eventually our adrenals become tired. Thyroid function can also be affected by many different things. For example, fluoride or chlorine in our water supply will compete with iodine at the receptor sites. This could reduce the amount of thyroid hormone that is able to be made. Nutrient deficiencies are another big factor contributing to fatigue. Today’s Standard American Diet (SAD) is deprived of nutrients. Even someone who is eating a healthy organic diet may still not be getting all of the necessary minerals due to the depletion in our soil. We offer a specialized test by Spectracell that will test your levels of 35 different micronutrients. Another important piece is to be sure to do one thing a day that makes you happy! Even if it is just for 5 minutes!! It is so important to make an effort to get your body into a parasympathetic state in order to reduce stress. Being out in nature has an incredible healing property, and the best part is, it is free and readily available to us! So grab a partner and plan to take a walk together outside and enjoy the beauty of Northern California!! – Dr. Kristine Trockels, N.D.