Enhance Your Health

Health Tip of the Week: Fatigue and Low Energy

Being tired and exhausted is one of the most common complaints in society today. To address fatigue and low energy, you need to improve mitochondrial energy production.

Mitochondria are miniature organs within your body’s cells. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cells. Mitochondria use the energy we consume from food and oxygen to provide our cells with energy to function and live.

In high school biology, we were taught that mitochondria were automatic energy generators for our cells. Now science has learned that they are an essential part of metabolism. Mitochondria’s ability to manufacture energy declines 10% with each decade of life. A senior citizen may have 50 -75% less mitochondria function than a younger person.

In addition, Mitochondria function decreases with stress, anxiety, inflammation, sleep deprivation, environmental toxins and poor nutrition.

The most common causes of mitochondrial deficiency are eating too much omega 6 fats. Omega 6 fats are found in corn, soybeans and meats. Avoiding vegetable oils ( corn, soy, canola, sunflower, safflower), daily consumption of red meats, dark meat chicken and turkey will help your mitochondria perform at an optimal level.

Exercise on a daily basis also improves mitochondria function as well as periods fasting. Intermittent fasting 2-3 days a week will jump start your metabolism which improves how the mitochondria work. An intermittent fast is not eating for a period of 14-16 hours (which is each easy if you include the hours when you are sleeping).

Lastly, Light deficiency affects mitochondria function and is another common cause for fatigue. Sun exposure not only begins vitamin D production in the body, but also helps energy levels.

Melatonin is a hormone in the body that helps with our sleep cycle and sleep rhythm. 95% of melatonin in the body is produced by mitochondria when exposed to sunlight.

Melatonin is a strong anti-inflammatory. This allows sunlight to focus in on cell damage caused by oxidative stress right where it's needed the most, inside the cells.

Melatonin via sunlight is absolutely vital for protecting your mitochondria and protecting them from damage as you age. According to experts,  swallowing melatonin is useless for this, as oral melatonin supplementation, while effective for a good night’s sleep, cannot reach the mitochondria inside the cells. Only sunlight can do this.

Red and infrared light directly stimulate energy production in the mitochondria. These light wavelengths also instruct the mitochondria to grow bigger and stronger.

Healthy, timed, non-burning sun exposure (without sun block) is crucial for healthy mitochondria and energy levels.

If you absolutely abhor being out in the sun or you have a job that prevents you from acquiring the light waves that your body needs, there are artificial lights that provide the light wavelengths needed to help with mitochondria production and improving sleep while fighting fatigue. I use the Theralight Halo Bright Light Therapy Lamp. It sits on my desk and when I am writing these articles, paying the bills, checking email or just surfing the web, the light is on providing me with the light wavelengths need to help my mitochondria function.

In addition, if you suffer from anxiety or depression, light therapy has been shown to be a very helpful adjunct therapy. FYI, the Theralight Halo Bright Light is available online for $69.99.

Chiropractic Thought for the Week

The nervous system, via neural impulses from the brain through the spinal cord and spinal nerves to the body’s cells, tissues and organs, controls every function in the body, including body chemistry. Body chemistry refers to all processes in the body, including cell production.

That being said, my discussion of mitochondria health and fatigue levels must include the chiropractic effect on improving neural impulse flow which then positively affects body chemistry, including mitochondria cellular health and fatigue in the body.

Spinal adjustments on a regular basis improve neural impulse flow and in turn function in the body.

Chiropractic Pregnancy / Prenatal Care

Here are the top 5 prenatal vitamins women need in their diet for a healthy pregnancy.

  • Folic acid
  • Iron
  • Calcium
  • Vitamin D3
  • Omega 3 fats that include DHA are essential for your unborn child’s health

Find a good prenatal multi-vitamin that has these nutrients included. A separate folic acid, D3 and omega 3 fats supplements in addition to the multivitamin should be taken daily during pregnancy.

 

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