5 Things Zapping Your Energy and Damaging Your Immune System
Fatigue is an issue for millions of people across North America and is very intertwined with our immune system! Here are a few common factors that are likely decreasing your energy and immune function.
Poor Mitochondrial Function
Our mitochondria are the little engines inside each of our cells. They're responsible for generating 90% of our body's energy, which is essential for every single function in the human body. Fatigue occurs when our mitochondria are not operating optimally.
They’re also very susceptible to damage, such as through inflammatory sugar and oils, chemicals from non-organic and processed foods, shallow breathing, lack of exercise, hidden infections, incomplete bowel movements, liver stagnation and more.
Two of the best ways we can support our cellular health is through fasting and exercise! Additionally, eating the right foods, not eating late at night, supporting our liver, sleeping enough, getting our lymph moving, eliminating properly and reducing toxins are other important factors.
Your Gut Isn’t Functioning Well
In our practice, we often see clients who are dealing with digestive symptoms, but digestive issues are not the only sign pointing to gut imbalances. Gut issues can manifest in many different ways, including fatigue, frequent infections, joint pain and headaches, anxiety, PMS, allergies, skin problems and more. Pathogens also release toxins into the blood stream that are like poison to our system, increasing inflammation and bogging down the immune system, leading to fatigue and higher risk of infection. Additionally, they block the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, such as iron and B12, two key nutrients to have checked if your energy is low.
All our clients come in with some level of gut dysbiosis, but with dedication and the right protocol they see amazing results!
Food sensitivities
Food sensitivities are common and can be sneaky, presenting in a variety of ways and even showing up days later! They occur due to leaky gut, strain the immune system and can suppress it overtime, resulting in low energy. We offer Functional Food Sensitivity Testing for 95 different foods in one simple blood test, so we can steer you in the right direction and get your gut and immune system functioning better.
Frequent Exposure to Everyday Toxins
Toxins are everywhere, but that doesn't mean we should give up on reducing our toxin load! Detoxing our internal environment and supporting our detox organs and pathways, such as the liver, colon and lymphatics is essential, as they’re often blocked to some degree in those dealing with fatigue or immune dysfunction. Cleaning up our external environment to avoid re-toxifying is also vital. Switch to natural deodorant, cleaning products and cookware and avoid fragrances and plastic.
Sleeping Less Than 8 Hours
If you're one of the many people who think they can live off of 5-6 hours of sleep per night, let me tell you straight up...You're wrong! It’s very well known that getting less than 7 hours of sleep a night significantly suppresses the immune system, including infection-fighting antibodies and other immune cells. Think of sleep as an essential, restorative practice. It's something that must be prioritized NOW, not later.
A few common factors of insomnia include:
parasite and other infections
adrenal and thyroid dysfunction
gut dysbiosis - leading to poor serotonin and melatonin production.
imbalanced blood sugar
While addressing the root cause of sleep issues, we may recommend supplements like l-theanine, magnesium or melatonin short-term to aid sleep. If you’re looking to prevent infection, sleeping well is non-negotiable!
We go far beyond simply what you eat when helping you address root cause issues of fatigue. Inquire about our Food Sensitivity Testing today!
