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Fatigue & Energy

"Take care of yourself. You cannot serve from an empty vessel."

Being super busy is over-rated...and often leads to burnout! A life of balance with plenty of rest makes for a far more enjoyable existence :)

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We seem to live in a culture that glorifies being super busy; we often even talk about our lack of sleep with pride, as though feeling stressed, busy and exhausted is an admirable demonstration of our hard work and ambition! Important signals from our bodies to slow down and rest more are ignored, as we instead choose to press on regardless with a 'I'll sleep when I'm dead'-type attitude. It's easy to start believing that feeling constantly exhausted and even burnt out is the norm when this really isn't at all normal, it has just become worryingly common in our society.

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After so long, the idea of waking up in the morning feeling energetic and enthused by the day ahead seems like a past life, and the lack of energy is merely attributed to the passing years or intense work schedules. This is often accompanied by the development of certain habits, such as nightly alcohol, which have very detrimental effects on our health in the long term. The acceptance of this way of life and lack of urgency to adjust damaging lifestyles means that most people aren't prompted to seek help until a health issue becomes severe.

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Adrenal Fatigue/Exhaustion

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A common misconception is that stress is only either psychological or emotional, such as work, financial or relationship stress. However it's important to appreciate, especially when dealing with adrenal fatigue (or 'HPA-axis dysregulation') that anything which taxes the body over a prolonged period of time is a stressor. Long-term illness, chronic inflammation, excessive exercise or ongoing blood sugar dysregulation caused by poor dietary choices can all contribute to the development of cortisol problems (the main stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands) and consequently to a diagnosis of adrenal fatigue/exhaustion.

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Common symptoms of fatigue from a lowered adrenal response include:

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  • Exercise intolerance

  • Increased inflammation of muscles, joints & the digestive system 

  • Depression or anxiety 

  • Food allergies or intolerances

  • Poor concentration & memory

  • Hypervigilance to any perceived risks

  • Feeling ‘tired and wired’ (sleepiness during the day but an inability to sleep at night)​ 

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

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Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is the common name for a group of debilitating medical conditions characterised by persistent fatigue and other specific symptoms that last for a minimum of 6 months for adults and 3 months for children or adolescents. The fatigue experienced is not a result of exertion, is not significantly relieved by rest and is not caused by other medical conditions. The 3 main categories of causes for CFS are hormonal imbalances, viral infection and immune system dysfunction.

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There are 8 official symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, in addition to the central symptom of unrelenting fatigue. These include:

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  • Loss of memory or concentration

  • Sore throat

  • Enlarged lymph nodes in your neck or armpits

  • Unexplained muscle pain

  • Pain that moves from one joint to another without swelling or redness

  • Headache of a new type, pattern or severity

  • Unrefreshing sleep

  • Extreme exhaustion lasting more than 24 hours after physical or mental exercise 

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How Naturopathy can help with Fatigue & Energy:

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Given the multifaceted nature of fatigue with the numerous factors involved, it really is essential to adopt an holistic lifestyle approach to treatment.

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Naturopathy uses a combination of dietary & lifestyle interventions, herbal medicine and nutritional supplementation to support your body and help manage your fatigue, enabling you to feel energised and back in control of your life once more.

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As an holistic form of medicine, Naturopathy addresses all areas of fatigue; we will focus on identifying the drivers of your individual form of fatigue and create a treatment plan that deals with the specific cause(s), as opposed to merely masking the symptoms as conventional medicine often does. Where relevant, we may utilise medical or functional pathology testing to help guide your prescription.

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Since each person's circumstances and health status are different, the treatment protocol provided will be unique to each individual. Some of the common areas that we will assess to help improve your energy levels and manage your fatigue include:

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  • Nutrient deficiencies

  • Food intolerances or sensitivities

  • Poor digestion

  • Hormonal imbalances, including oestrogen dominance & thyroid dysfunction

  • Adrenal fatigue

  • Poor sleep

  • Stress levels or nervous system overload

  • Toxicity in the body, including heavy metal toxicity

  • Liver sluggishness or insufficiency

  • Infections or post-viral fatigue 

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Ready to be bouncing out of bed once more?

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Let’s get started!

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