Your Nutritional Health and Fatigue

Doctors have reported that about 50% of their adult patients suffer from fatigue. They complain that they wake up tired or they begin to wear down by midday and feel exhausted by evening. Usually there is no underlying illness causing the fatigue. 

There are, however, documented nutritional causes of fatigue -- such as food allergies/sensitivities and numerous other nutritional deficiencies usually caused by poor diet. Even marginal deficiencies of certain nutrients will eventually cause fatigue. Ultimately, nutritional deficiencies and/or stress (especially emotional stress) can lead to exhausted adrenal glands, resulting in extreme fatigue. A wide range of nutrients is required for the adrenals to function properly. Fortunately, they respond well to a combination of improved diet (to replace missing nutrients), stress modification and (if required) specific nutritional supplementation. 

However, not all nutritional deficiencies are due to poor diet -- some people enjoy a healthy diet but do not absorb their dietary nutrients effectively, for various reasons -- poor digestion being a common one (for more information please see the "low digestive enzymes" link). Nutrient malabsorption notwithstanding, vitamin, mineral and enzyme imbalances together with other nutritional deficiencies accumulate in our bodies over a long period of time and are usually the result of many years of abuses such as eating too many refined foods, fats, sugars, etc. and consuming too few fresh foods and too little fiber. 

Restoring nutritional balance is a very individual problem. Because we are each biochemically unique, our needs for specific nutrients vary greatly. Also, as we age our body chemistry changes and requires that  we take a very different approach to nutrition in our middle and later years. Nutritional analysis, such as my symptomatology questionnaire provides, is an important first step in determining the status of your nutritional health and beginning a customized program to correct your unique nutritional deficiencies. 

Diet should be the prime focus of any changes you make. As well, there are vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements and concentrated superfoods that can help you regain your nutritional strength. But they must be the right ones for you -- the ones that your body needs. Please note that I do not sell foods, vitamins or any other nutritional products -- I provide nutritional analysis and counseling. My recommendations usually include specific foods, vitamins and nutritional supplements that are available from your local suppliers.