Typical Pattern of Fatigue with Adrenal Fatigue

The adrenal glands are the size of a grape each sitting on top of the kidneys and are responsible for making stress hormones for us to respond to stress.  However, persistent, ongoing stress can drain these glands make them into sultanas.  When the glands are drained and tired, the person often feels tired on waking, and have quite specific tiredness patterns throughout the day.

According to Dr. James Wilson, adrenal fatigue has a typical pattern of fatigue different from other types of fatigue:

On waking, the patient is fatigue because the lack of cortisol and aldosterone from fatigued adrenals creating low blood glucose levels that in turn creates fatigue.  Low aldosterone also causes low blood pressure.  It may take a couple hours to 4 hours to finally wake up.

After lunch, there will be a mid afternoon low around 3 p.m to 4 p.m. and the adrenal fatigue patient will feel better after 6 p.m which will last till 9 p.m..  If the patient stays past 11 p.m., he/she will get a second wind and can keep going till 1 or 2 a.m.  This pattern of fatigue is typically observed in adrenal fatigue patients.

If you suspect you or a family member or friend could be suffering from adrenal fatigue, these many be some of the symptoms:

• Tired for no reason
• Tired even after 8-9 hours of continuous sleep
• Feeling run down and depressed
• Craving salt or sugar
• Difficulty bouncing back from illness
• Depending on coffee to keep going
• Unable to handle stress and constantly feeling overwhelmed
• Decreased sex drive
• Dragging through the day

We can help you and your family/friend.

Conventional medicine only recognises extreme cases of adrenal dysfunction called Addisons disease where patients are put on corticosteroids to sustain them for the rest of their lives.  This is a rare disease with an incidence of about 0.004% of the population.  There are thousands if not tens of thousands who are left unattended and are told that they are “normal” when there is nothing normal about what they feel.

Louise Thompson who published a book this year, “A busy woman’s guide to High Energy Happiness”, struggled with severe adrenal fatigue where at her worst, she was not able to get out of bed and dress herself. I can relate to this, seeing what my late father went through. In the years prior to his cancer diagnosis, he complained of fatigue every day. His doctor put it down to old age.  In Louise’s case, she underwent all the possible tests she could and was told by her doctors that she was “normal”.  In her search for an explanation for her fatigue, she was treated naturopathically for her adrenal fatigue and that turned the corner for her. Her book describes her journey and the physical and thought processes that drain us of energy. It is a hands-on book with numerous exercises about our belief system and challenges us to take energetic actions. I find this book as useful for women as it is for men.  This book is available at our clinic.

All tailored supplements mentioned in the book are available at our clinic. You can have a tailored approach to supplementation, which may include other support for your thyroid, immune, digestive or hormonal systems. 

My advice to you:  Do not confuse what is normal with what is common.  If you are commonly tired, that is not normal. Whilst adrenal fatigue may not be the cause of your fatigue, you could have other reasons why you are fatigue, most of which natural medicines, dietary and lifestyle changes can help tremendously. 

Complications from a Supposedly “Straight Forward” Medical Procedure

I recently took 10 days off and went to Malaysia to see my mum.  My mum had fallen from the stairs a few months back and had a fracture to her lumbar 1 vertebrae.  She was given a procedure of vertebroplasty on her L1 which involved pumping in medical cement, polymethylmethacrylate into her vertebrae.  A leak of the substance into her nervous system caused problems with her speech, control of arms and legs and she had some days of diarrhea. At its worst, she had no control of herself when sitting on a chair and would slip down to the floor.  I’m glad to report that she is in a much better state now.  Before she signed up for the vetebroplasty procedure, I offered her natural bone knitting options for knitting her fracture by building bones using natural calcium and symphytum but she declined my offer.  It was because I mentioned that it would take a good 3 months if not more to help the healing and she wanted "instant cure".  She was promised 6 weeks of being in a brace and then she would be well with the procedure.  However, this did not happen. More than 9 months after the procedure, she still found it painful to sit or sleep for more than 4 hours at a time.  She stopped using the brace after 6 months because it was not helping and creating other skin problems for her.  During my visit, I gave her intensive acupuncture therapy, twice a day, and that helped her pain management and sleep.  I also took her to an Atlas Profilax practitioner. 

At around the same time as my mum’s accident, a client of mine had an accident that fractured 3 of her metatarsals on her foot.  She was in a cast and wanted to expedite her recovery with natural medicines.  I put her on natural calcium and symphytum.  She was in a cast for a few months, but her x-rays showed recovery and she was ultimately taken off the cast.  She subsequently resumed her normal physical activities and went for an overseas holiday.

Moral of the story:  Natural medicines can work as well if not better than invasive medical procedures.  Remember most medical procedures are not cheap.  The vertebropasty procedure costs over $5,000.  So, investigate before you commit.  If some promises are too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true! 

Making Good Food Choices for Christmas

Pavlova, trifles, fudge, mud cakes, Christmas mince tarts, Christmas fruit cakes, wine, and all the other indulgences of the season.  This is a great time of the year to have a well deserved rest and spend quality time with family and friends.  However, there are also lots of temptations, especially at parties.  My take on these foods is to keep a low consumption of them and if you make them yourselves, choose stevia as a sweetener.  Sugar is inflammatory and creates many gastrointestinal problems, blood sugar imbalances and loads your liver.  But a slice of Christmas cake and a mince tart once a year would not hurt.

Ham, turkey, salmon, seafood, lamb leg roast and the colourful look and smell of beautiful fresh salads also mark this season.  Many of these foods, apart from cured meats and their preservatives meet all the requirements of eating for nourishment. 

Plants are great sources of minerals, plant based phytonutrients and soluble and insoluble fibre.  Balancing the protein rich meats that you consume in this season with lots of plant based foods, is important to keep you in balance.  Protein rich meats are acidic, but provide the amino acids for our bodies, and they do taste good!  Plant based foods are alkaline with good sources of minerals absorbed from the soil, chlorophyll (a superb cleanser and oxygenator) and antioxidants (which helps to reverse ageing).  So those multicoloured, beautiful salads and fruit platter will quench your free radicals that cause ageing of cells.

After the parties, make yourself a green smoothie with kale, parsley, granny smith apple and a scoop of Shape Up (yes, you need good pH balanced protein to help with detoxing).

When you view food as nourishment, you make better choices than when you view food as love. But just know that you do not have to be perfect.  How much your body likes your choices depends on the effect after – are you bloated, have reflux and/or flatulence, did you gain a few centimetres on the waist, did you scales have a big jump (large jumps may also be due to water retention, from inappropriate eating), are you unusually hot or experience more pain?  If you do, you body is speaking to you and you should listen.

Spending time with family does not need to centre around unhealthy food, you can make healthier choices – foods that are whole and less processed, high in good oils – olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds, good protein and unrefined carbohydrates. Spend time outdoors, enjoy nature and soak up the sun in the mornings!

Why Detox? Tips for a Proper Healthy Detoxification

Do you have headaches regularly?

Are you often tired or lethargic?

Are you suffering from muscle ache and pains regularly?

Do you suffer from allergies?

Do you feel bloated or suffer from diarrhoea, constipation or other digestive issues regularly?

Do you have poor short-term memory or concentration affecting your ability to function at work?

If you answered “yes” to any of the questions above and are not feeling well, toxicity may be the reason you feel unwell.

Toxins are very common in our busy modern world.  Everything we encounter nowadays is exposed to environmental toxins to a certain degree, which include things like heavy metals, pesticides, chemicals, food additives, drugs and pollutants.  These may be present in the air, water and also food that we consume.  Toxins do not only come from your external environment; toxins can also be generated internally by “bad” bacteria, yeasts and parasites in your digestive system.  These internally generated toxins are then absorbed into your bloodstream, affecting your health and vitality.

Toxins are harmful to our body and your body, naturally, has the mechanisms for eliminating them.  However, if you continue to produce, consume or absorb more toxins than you can easily get rid of, your body’s detoxification pathways can become overwhelmed and start to be less effective.  To avoid this, you need to reduce your exposure to toxins as much as possible and optimise your body’s ability to eliminate toxins everyday, rather than letting them build up.  If you are not feeling 100%, a safe proper healthy detoxification program can help.

Do not take any detoxification program lightly.  A natural detoxification program can be one of the most effective ways to rapidly improve your state of health as it will help clear accumulated toxins out of your body and leave your feeling energetic and healthy.  Detoxification is a serious business and you need to ensure that you are safe and comfortable with the detoxification process.  Everyone is different and the detoxification program needs to be suited to your individual needs.  A standard detoxification package may not be suitable for you and may actually leave you feeling sick and tired.  You should not attempt to do a detox without guidance and support from a qualified healthcare professional.

Our 3R Approach to Detoxification

A safe, proper, healthy and effective detoxification program involves the completion of three stages:

1. Remove – this stage focuses on removing “bad bugs” from your digestive system. 
2. Rejuvenate– this stage is aimed at replacing the “bad bugs” and populating your digestive function with the “good” bugs to facilitate the final stage below, so that wastes or toxins eliminated by your liver and kidneys can be moved out of the body effectively. 
3. Release – this is the final stage and it involves the consumption of natural medicines to support and enhance your body’s (especially your liver and kidneys) capacity to remove waste and toxins.

During your detoxification stages, you need to be eating the right foods for your body in order to maximise the detoxification process, a diet based on your individual requirements.

Here are some tips on how you can make simple dietary changes today to help reduce your level of toxicity:

• always look for fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables;
• avoid packaged and processed foods as much as possible;
• eliminate foods containing artificial colours, flavours , sweeteners, additives and flavour enhancers as well as foods containing hydrogenated fats; and
• always read the ingredients list to ensure that your food does not contain high amounts of saturated fat, salt, gluten and/or sugar.

Also, live the detox lifestyle – exercise, drink plenty of water, avoid recreational drugs and minimise the use of heavy metal and chemical based skin / hair care products, cleaning products and deodorants.  If the label contains many numbers and chemical names that you can’t pronounce, avoid them unless you know what they are, e.g. botanical names for essential oils.

Natural Solutions to deal with Fatigue and boost your Energy

Are you feeling tired all the time?  Do you wake up feeling un-refreshed and fatigued despite getting a full night’s sleep? If you jump straight into bed at the end of the day, have a good night sleep but still have to drag yourself out of bed and struggle through the day, you may be suffering from fatigue.

Most people nowadays have extremely stressful and busy lives.  So, it is normal to feel tiredness some of the time.  This tiredness generally resolves itself after some rest and relaxation.  However, increasingly more and more people are experiencing persistent, unremitting tiredness.  Chronic fatigue is becoming a common presenting compliant of many New Zealanders and Australians.  However, it is often misunderstood and at times even dismissed, particularly if there is no easily identifiable cause.

 There are many reasons for fatigue.  Things that may lead to fatigue include:

• infection
• low iron levels
• digestion issues
• liver issues
• hormonal imbalances
• insomnia
• excess body fat
• inflammation
• toxicity in the body
• stress and adrenal fatigue
• unstable blood sugar level
• mitochondrial dysfunction

As you can see, there can be multiple reasons why you feel tired.  Basically, you can feel fatigued and lack energy when your body systems are not functioning at the optimum levels.

Persistent ongoing stress is a big contributor to fatigue.  Our adrenals are designed to pump out stress hormones for the fight or flight response. The hormone, adrenaline, converts our stored glycogen into sugar for us to run away from the saber tooth tiger.  The muscles have the sugar and the pupils dilate all ready for the run.  Modern day stress usually does not have a physical component, and the sugar made ready for the muscles to use is often not used up.  Persistent high levels of sugar in the blood stream can compromise immunity, increase inflammation, store fats and cause insomnia.

Persistent high level of stress hormones also shuts down proper digestion, which in the long term, affects our absorption of nutrients.  Nutritional deficiencies and a sluggish digestive system from stress and adrenal fatigue can profoundly impact energy production.   

Poor energy production at the cellular level is the key contributing factor for feeling weak and fatigue.  To increase your energy level, you need to ensure that your mitochondria are working at full capacity for optimal energy.  Mitochondria are the “powerhouses” within every cell.  They make energy to keep each cell in your body functioning well.  Mitochondria require certain nutrients to work efficiently.  No matter what else is going on in your body, you will have reduced energy production if the mitochondrial function is impaired.

If you experience fatigue, improving mitochondrial function is the important first step towards improving your energy levels.  Damage to your mitochondria is a primary reason why you feel fatigued.  This damage occurs when bad diets and lifestyle choices stimulate the formation of free radicals.  Free radicals are potentially harmful substances formed in your body that can damage your cells, your mitochondria and your DNA. Here are some common nutrients that can help support your mitochondrial function naturally and give your energy levels a boost:

• Magnesium - an essential mineral that is used in over 300 biochemical processes in your body and is essential for the conversion of sugars, fats and proteins to energy.  Over half of New Zealanders and Australians are magnesium deficient.
• CoEnzyme Q10 – a vitamin like compound that is essential for energy production. CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant that is beneficial in the management of fatigue as it enhances cellular energy production.
• Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids – these nutrients from fish oil or krill oil are vital for the integrity and      stability of every cell in your bodies.  Omega-3 can help lower stress levels and reduce fatigue by stimulating the growth and size of the mitochondria.

The nutrients above can help wipe up these free radicals and help boost your energy levels.  However, these nutrients may not be sufficient and depending on the level of mitochondrial dysfunction, additional nutrients may be required, especially when you have been suffering from fatigue for a long period of time.  In short, if you are tired, make sure you eat a healthy balanced diet and drink plenty of water throughout the day.  The quality and balance of the food you consume will have a significant impact on your energy and vitality.  Engaging in regular exercise is also important to help address some of the underlying issues causing your fatigue.

If you have adrenal fatigue, you need to rebuild your adrenals to support normal body function again.

Natural Medicines for Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Menstrual Problems

Many women treat premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and other menstrual irregularities as a normal part of their life.  In reality, menstruation should not cause any significant interruption to your everyday life.  If you experienced symptoms of PMS, painful, heavy or irregular periods, it means that your reproductive system is not functioning as well as it should be.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is the most common female hormonal imbalance, affecting more than 75% of women at some stage of their lives.  PMS normally occurs in the second half of a woman’s menstrual cycle, between ovulation and the onset of menstruation.  Psychological symptoms of PMS include mood swings, anxiety, irritability, nervous tension, depression, forgetfulness, poor concentration, fatigue or even insomnia.  Physical symptoms can include weight gain from fluid retention, abdominal bloating, headaches, libido issues, constipation and/or diarrhoea.

PMS normally occurs as a result of imbalances in female reproductive hormones, particularly, low levels of progesterone throughout the cycle with elevated oestrogen levels during the second half of the cycle.  It can also be related to “bad” oestrogens and not enough “good” oestrogens.  High levels of another hormone, prolactin may also be involved.

Other menstrual problems may include painful periods, irregular periods or heavy periods.  Painful periods can cause severe abdominal cramping, lower back and upper leg pain, headache, nausea/vomiting or even diarrhoea.  High oestrogen levels or too much of the “bad” oestrogens may be a primary cause of painful periods.  Some women may also experience irregular periods such as amenorrhoea (the absence of a menstrual cycle during a woman’s reproductive years for reasons other than pregnancy or lactation) or oligomenorrhoea (infrequent or very scant menstruation), which may be caused by hormonal imbalances, low body weight, stress and/or over-exercising.  Heavy periods or menorrhagia (a term for excessive and/or prolonged menstrual bleeding) can also be an indication of menstrual problems.

How can you balance your hormone levels?

You can use a range of herbs and nutrients to correct hormonal imbalances.  Vitex agnus castus has been shown to assist in the management of PMS symptoms by reducing high amounts of prolactin and normalising progesterone levels.  Vitex can also help with irregular periods.  The benefits of Vitex can be enhanced by adding herbs such as evodia, ginger, cinnamon and dong quai.  These herbs have a long history of use for managing painful, heavy or irregular periods and PMS symptoms such as headaches, sore breasts, fluid retention and abdominal bloating.

Are mood swings driving you mad? Is stress worsening your menstrual cycle or is your menstrual cycle worsening your stress?  If you know that stress is a contributing factor to your menstrual problems, herbs such as bupleurum and Chinese peony may be used.  Bupleurum can help with emotional instability and mood swings while Chinese peony is commonly used for regulating the menstrual cycle and reducing PMS symptoms.  When used with other PMS herbs such as nutgrass, tree peony, licorice and gardenia, symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, anger and mood swings can be easily managed.

Other natural ingredients which may help to maintain a healthy oestrogen balance include:

• Flaxseed which supports the production of “good” oestrogens, whist reducing the production of “bad” oestrogens;
• Polygonum and Kudzu which contain constituents that can help regulate the effects of oestrogen on the body;
• Turmeric which offers potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity;
• Folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12, which assist the processing of oestrogen in the body.

Apart from herbs, some simple changes to your diet and lifestyle can greatly improve your menstrual cycle:

• consume a diet rich in fibre which includes fruit and vegetables;
• increase the intake of good fats such as those from nuts, seeds and fish;
• drink lots of water (1-2 litres a day);
• keep yourself active with regular exercise;
• stop smoking;
• reduce excess fat;
• limit salt and saturated fat intake; and
• reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption.

PMS and other menstrual irregularities are not a normal part of life.  You don’t have to put up with the discomfort or pain.  Don’t let your monthly menstrual cycle hinder your ability to do your favourite activities and enjoy life!  Herbs and nutrients, with the appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes can let you take charge of your menstrual cycle again.

What does your poo (stool) tell about your health?

This sounds like a “dirty” topic.  But as a naturopath, I always ask about bowel movement and stool consistency.  Your poo tells a lot about your health.

First there is the type of poo.  Watch the video to see what I say about pebbles and watery mush.

If you are constipated, you will find it hard to pass the stool, you may strain or feel some pain.  Always look at your stool, to observe the colour, the texture and the smell.  I’m not saying that it should smell good, but it should not be highly offensive.  It should smell quite “benign”.  Highly offensive, bad odour could indicate that there is a malabsorption disorder.  Rotting food at body temperature not only gives a bad odour, it can also create a lot of gas.  Flatulence or passing of gas is a normal phenomenon, up to 14 times for men and up to 7 times for women. 

Offensive odour of stool can also indicate Celiacs or Crohn’s disease.  These inflammatory conditions in the gastrointestinal tract not only cause bad odour in the poo, the stool can be mushy and watery, and the person may complain of fatigue.

If you have not been eating beetroot or red beets, your poo should not be red.  Red poo other than eating beets or coloured foods, can indicate some form of bleeding in the bowels and needs to be checked out.  If it is higher in the gastrointestinal tract, it may be darker or even black. Never be complacent with red or black stool if you have more than one or two of them.

On the other hand, poo that lacks colour – i.e. white, grey or looks faded can indicate problems in the bile duct, liver, gallbladder or pancreas. 

A normal bowel movement should be at least once a day, brown coloured stool that is well formed like sausage but not hard, and should not have any offensive, bad odour.  After the movement, you should feel that the bowels have been “emptied out” and feel complete.  It should not feel like there is still stuff stuck within.

I sometimes see in clinic patients who have lost the ability to poo normally and are dependent on enemas or colonics to poo.  Whilst this is a relief, it can be a bandaid to a more serious problem.  Adults need 35g of fibre a day.  A lack of fibre is a major cause of constipation.  Rather than relying on stimulants like enemas or laxatives, it is important to make sure that fibre intake is sufficient.  Green Fibre Blend is a combination of soluble and insoluble fibre that can help increase fibre intake if you believe you are lacking fibre in your diet. A blend of soluble and insoluble fibre in Green Fibre Blend acts as a fibre adaptogen, i.e. if you have not eaten enough fibre, it bulks it up, on the other hand if you have loose stool, it helps to bind it.  Fruits and vegetables provide fibre to move the bowels and plant based nutrients (phytonutrients) that has many different benefits to our bodies.

A good probiotic can help to balance the good and bad bacteria in the bowels and can be a big help to constipation or diarrhea.  You should always investigate the real cause of your constipation or diarrhea.  I have to emphasize a good probiotic as there are many different types out there, and some do not have numbers for therapeutic benefits, or some have not been manufactured or handled properly and many of the probiotics are dead.

Emotional stress, busy time lines causing us to ignore the urge to defacate, excessive use of laxatives or dependency on enemas or colonics are common reasons why people can have problems moving their bowels.  Whilst recycling is a great virtue, recycling stored toxins in the bowels should be avoided at all times!

If bowel movements, the lack of or excessively moving your bowels bother you or you often suffer from gut pain or have discoloured stool, you should investigate the causes with your qualified health care professional and deal with the source of the problem, not putting a bandaid over it to mask the situation (the common bandaid used here is often a laxative or enema!)