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Monday, February 8, 2010
What is Chronic Fatigue? And How Do I Beat It?*
The following information is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose, treat, or prescribe any kind of disease or illness. It is a good idea to seek the professional advice of a qualified health care practitioner (remember Naturopaths are doctors too) before making any major changes in your self health care routine. Be well...
*from my upcoming book "The Memory of Health" (due out this year):
"The truth is, no really knows, or at least there’s no general consensus on it. There are many theories out there however. Some of them include that it’s caused by some kind of virus. Other theories say that it due to “burnout,” is caused by unrelenting stress, or is caused by one initial stressful event like divorce or a car accident that fundamentally alters the way the body functions afterward.
It’s tough, unfortunately for those of us suffering from this illness, since fatigue itself is a marker of most disease states, and therefore it’s hard to pinpoint what this is exactly.
Chronic fatigue is feeling that you have no energy, absolutely zero energy – like you are at zero point energy -- and even below that if it’s possible. It feels like the main switch in your body that gives you energy has been turn off – or shorted out -- and you can’t turn it on again. It’s like your car battery has mostly died, but somehow it still sort of runs, sometimes by a miracle it feels.
CFS is categorized as a non-specific illness, yet there is nothing non-specific about feeling awful most of the time. To me, this is very specific: we don’t feel well. If it's true that fatigue is a marker of most disease states (and it is), then the fact that we have unrelenting fatigue should be a huge red flag to those who treat us, and to those who love us.
So many people deal with fatigue the numbers are overwhelming: something like 50 million people worldwide deal with fatigue in one capacity or another. 3- 4 million people alone in the U.S. are said to have CFS. 5 million people in the U.S. are said to have fibromyalgia.
Fatigue is a big topic. And yet it is still such a mystery. Chronic fatigue has been labeled many things: HPA disorder (hypothalmus-pituitary-adrenal axis), CFIDS – chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome, autonomic dysregulation, neuroanasthenia, and even a “women’s disease,” since two-thirds of all cases seem to be predominantly women of childbearing years.
But the truth is men get this illness as well. It does not discriminate. One man in a study said he became chronically fatigued after going through a stressful divorce. Trauma of some kind seems to be a possible indicator of future, unrelenting fatigue. Many people report getting CFS or even fibromyalgia after going through some kind of majorly stressful life event (job stress, divorce, death, etc.). There is a definitely a pattern to the onset of this illness.
Conditions That Can Cause Fatigue (from Suite 101.com):
· adrenal insufficiency
· anemia
· deficiency of some B complex vitamins
· multiple sclerosis, lupus, autoimmune diseases
· depression
· hypothyroidism
· sleep disorders
· stress/burnout
· cancer
· allergies
· mono
· mitochondrial diseases
· hypoglycemia
· diabetes (both types)
Please note that different illnesses cause different kinds of fatigue. But fatigue is fatigue. The question is, how do you make it go away? Remember, fatigue is a symptom. It is the reminder from your body that something or things (the body works as a whole) in your body are not working as they should.
The Shadow of Fatigue
To feel a constant pull of slight fatigue is beyond frustrating. It marks your day, it’s like a constant reminder that something is not right. You lose your freedom, in some sense. Which is why people who suffer from chronic fatigue are always looking for answers.
I was intrigued to run across a relatively new theory of chronic fatigue syndrome. It believes that, due to a reaction to extreme trauma of some kind, the autonomic nervous system is on high-alert, all the time. The hypothalamus – body’s internal alarm system – is stuck on overdrive, and the hypothalamus controls energy levels.
The hypothalamus controls energy levels, and “transforms emotions into physical response.” Since the hypothalamus is the emotional center of the brain, it is clear we have headed straight into mind body theory. I believe most illnesses are connected both through the mind and body, but in the case of CFS, this theory seems to take center stage.
Severe, extreme, and/or on-going stress can literally override the natural feedback loop of the HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) which responds to stress. In cases of chronic fatigue, the theory is that the hypothalamus cannot calm the body down again as it normally would, because it perceives that the trauma is still occurring, or will occur again, even if this is not the case.
This does sound a lot like post-traumatic stress disorder to me. As coined by Dr. John Eaton, CFS, fibromyalgia, etc. are all energy disorders. Interesting to say the least. According to him, the body communicates through its symptoms. And if the body-mind can be reassured that it’s not under constant threat, then the symptoms can be reversed. He calls this Reverse Therapy. It is also known as Mickel Therapy.
The field of body-mind medicine is pretty new. You may have heard of it as psychoneuroimmunology as well (the study of the emotions, brain, nervous system, and the immune system, all interdependent of one another).
Whatever the cause or causes, I think it’s pretty clear we are in new territory as far as illness goes. The body and mind are inextricably linked. Indeed, they are one and the same. You cannot treat one part of the body without addressing it as a whole. This is where healing comes from.
Fine, But How Do I Beat It?
There is so much that can contribute to chronic fatigue. It is also not usually one thing that helps chronic fatigue go away either, although sometimes you find that magic supplement or diet that does wonders. Usually though it's a combination of the right kind of diet (for you), keeping stress levels very low, and loving yourself above all else that seem to work the best. Supplementation that is suited for your body can also be very helpful.
Here are some of the big guns that support energy:
Honor your emotions
Stay connected to others and yourself (love)
D-Ribose
No sugar
No stimulants (or very little)
No refined foods (sugar and flours)
Raw Foods
Sunlight/Fresh Air
Vitamin D supplementation (if you're not getting enough sunlight)
Magnet Therapy
Moderate Exercise
Spirulina (Nutrex)
Cell Food (for bioavailable oxygen)
Real Vitamin C (Camu-camu; Acerola Berry, etc.)
Wheat Grass
Sprouted Grains, Nuts & Seeds
Acupuncture
Asthaxanthin
Raw Vitamins
Glandular Extracts
Whole Eggs (adrenal hormones are made primarily out of cholesterol)
NADH
Valerian (valerian works as an adaptogen and helps you sleep well)
Potatoes (to produce natural serotonin for great sleep: Potatoes Not Prozac; www.radiantrecovery.com)
Adaptogens (to help the body adjust to non-specific stress):
-Licorice
-Rhodiola
-Ashwaganda
-Siberian Ginseng
-American Ginseng (for women)
-Korean or Chinese Ginseng (for men)
-Maca www.macaroot.com
Unfortunately, there are many causes of fatigue. But there are also a ton of things you can do to support healthy energy levels. My book “The Memory of Health” (coming out this year) will go over all of these subjects in great detail. Fatigue is a symptom, which means there are answers."
I believe there are answers to chronic fatigue. Stay tuned...
be well,http://www.connektwell.com/
The Holistic Coach
www.theholisticoach.com
*excerpt from my book "The Memory of Health" (due out this year); copyright 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Stress & The Holiday Season
The following information is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose, treat, or prescribe any kind of disease or illness. It is a good idea to seek the professional advice of a qualified health care practitioner (remember Naturopaths are doctors too) before making any major changes in your self health care.Winter is upon us. It can be a beautiful time of year but stressful for many as well. Unfortunately stress can be extremely damaging to your body and soul, much more than any of us realize. It is imperative to find ways to stay calm and focused no matter how crazy your life gets, or how crazy your relatives might seem.
Stress is talked about much but understood little, at least by most of us. Our doctors are always telling us to keep our stress levels down, but they rarely say why. Constant stress in your life is not only unnatural (however common it may be), but is a precursor to far more serious ailments, chronic illness, and disease: we’re talking heartburn, upset stomach, chronic fatigue, weight gain, bad skin, adrenal burnout, depression, anxiety, chronic inflammation, heart disease, and even cancer.
There are many factors involved in what makes stress just so damaging to the body. When we get “stressed out” what’s really happening is our fight or flight mechanism is being activated. In short, your adrenals begin pumping out adrenaline in order to give you the short term energy you need to deal with the “emergency” at hand. This is fine for the short term, especially if you are being chased by a saber-tooth tiger, real or imagined.
But a prolonged, on-going stress response to life’s situations is a recipe for disaster. If you get stressed out on the commute to work every day, get anxious every single time you have to talk to your boss, spouse, or neighbor, your adrenals are working overtime. What should be an occasional situation – facing down the saber-tooth-holiday-in-law — is now a chronic, daily, maybe even hourly occurrence. Chronic elevated adrenaline levels can lead to raised cortisol levels in your body, which then leads to fatigue when your cortisol levels “crash” again. This is when most of us reach for coffee, chocolate, sugar, carbs, or all four. And this is where your body begins to break down.
Stimulants unfortunately only make the problem worse. They actually create an energy “debt” in the body because they stimulate the adrenals to produce even more adrenaline. This is artificial energy, since you are asking the adrenals to do something they would not normally do, i.e. produce extra energy you don’t have. So many of us are in “debt” not only monetarily, but energy-wise as well. Just remember, if you take out a loan on your energy, you are going to have to repay it through sleep and good nutrition.
Another source of stress is unresolved emotions, especially anger and regret. Emotions “float” around in our bodies (we have neurotransmitters everywhere in us, not just in our “heads.” Our bodies and minds - read emotions - are intertwined. So if we are harboring rage, hate, anger, or sadness, we are doing unwitting damage to ourselves. These emotions tend to come more around this time of year when many of us spend time with people from our past.
Unfortunately they tend to remind us, consciously or not, of unresolved issues. Counseling can help to clear up these emotions, especially EMDR therapy. Bodywork, physical activity such as yoga, walking, dance or martial arts, even art or music therapy can help to release toxic emotions as well. Our bodies were designed to keep energy (and emotions) flowing. Find what works for you and try to do it regularly.
One of the most promising therapies for clearing out toxic emotion and keeping emotions flowing freely is Mickel Therapy. It teaches you how to express your emotions in a healthy, non-confrontational way. Mickel Therapy believes that our primary emotions (anger, grief, fear, joy, love, and compassion) are actually generated by our bodies. Know those “gut” feelings you have of anger, fear, and of being in love? That is your physical body talking to you. The trick is to be true to your primary emotions and keep expressing them, as tactfully but honestly as possible. Our bodies were designed to keep energy and emotions flowing. Find what works for you and try to do it regularly
Of course the best solution is to not get stressed out in the first place. When you are stuck in traffic, breathe. Breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly. Deep breaths taken from your lower abdomen immediately calm down your sympathetic nervous system. Try it, it works every time. Also, move your focus to what you can focus on without worry, like enjoying the passing scenery or listening to the radio.
Whatever’s causing you stress in your life, nine times out ten it isn’t worth getting all worked up about. Most things have a way of working themselves out, whether or not you are worrying about them. In fact, they tend to work out better if you aren’t worrying. This includes spending the holidays with your partner’s family who, I guarantee, you have absolutely no control over.
be well,
The Holistic Coach
http://www.connektwell.com/
http://www.theholisticoach.com/