High cortisol gets all the limelight because of its reputation as a stress hormone. But when our cortisol levels fall too low or when they are low at the wrong times of day (i.e. in the morning when we need it to wake up) then it can be just as debilitating. Low cortisol causes us to feel tired, weak and unmotivated.
Fatigue and weakness
Low blood pressure
Blood sugar irregularity
Low mood and irritability
Electrolyte imbalances
Often sick
Basically we can feel in a zombie state because our body needs a certain amount of cortisol to get up and go.
Low cortisol causes
How can we end up with low cortisol? It can happen due to organic problems with organs such as the adrenal glands which produce cortisol or the pituitary gland which sends the signal to stimulate cortisol production. In this case there are dectectable inflammation or damage to the tissues which can be measured with medical tests. Low cortisol causes can also be functional conditions where there is no visible problem with the tissue but it is not functioning as it should be.
There are several causes of low cortisol including:
Addison’s disease (adrenal)
Congenital hyperplasia (adrenal)
Pituitary gland failure e.g. brain injury or tumour
Chronic stress
The first three low cortisol causes are conditions you need to work with a medical professional. Today I will focus on the final one – stress. Low cortisol can occur after a long period of stress (high cortisol) when we reach what is commonly known as the burnout state.
In this case, cortisol levels will be unlikely to fall to levels that your doctor would consider a “medical emergency” but still low enough to affect the way you feel and function in your life.
The mechanism of low cortisol in the burnout state is not fully understood even within functional medicine. One theory is that either the adrenal glands which produce cortisol and other hormones can’t keep up and eventually fail to produce enough. This is known as adrenal fatigue in the alternative health world.
The other theory is that you continue to produce cortisol but after a while our cells become resistant to its effects. You might be left with that “tired but wired” feeling or feel like every minor stressor sends you into a meltdown. Without adequate cortisol to give us that warrior mentality we become much less resilient and more sensitive to stress.
What to do if you have low cortisol
Whatever the cause of low cortisol, it’s not a fun state to be in! If you think you might have low cortisol, you can consider a saliva based test. Forth offer these as postal tests for any of you living in the UK, I like the phrase “test don’t guess” and it can be helpful to have a baseline measurement before implementing any changes. That way you can more easily see what is working and what isn’t.
However there are some helpful lifestyle changes you can make to help raise cortisol naturally. These are generally low risk so you can try them even if you aren’t sure if you have low cortisol. The most important thing to do if you are experiencing low cortisol (besides speaking to your doctor) is to reduce your stress levels as much as possible. You can also support your body with good nutrition and nourishing practices such as restorative yoga and yoga nidra.
For nutrition I recommend the same protocol as for high cortisol to restore the nutrients lost through stress – check out this post for more info. Eating regularly to support blood sugar balance is also especially important when dealing with low cortisol. By this I mean balanced meals and snacks every 3 hours, making sure to combine carbs with fat or protein (or both) every time you eat. Making sure to incorporate adequate electrolytes too and by that I mean don’t be afraid to salt your food!
Some other lifestyle tips for boosting low cortisol:
Dance or zumba to raise energy levels and cortisol
Get enough sunlight especially in the morning hours
Relaxation and gentle yoga before bed to improve sleep
Breathwork practices focusing on the inhale to boost energy
Supplements for low cortisol causes
My favourite 2 supplements for adrenal health are Ashwaganda and Shilajit. Ashwaganda or Indian ginseng is an adapagenic herb which is used in Ayurveda to support the body during times of stress. It may help to reduce anxiety, improve sleep and balance cortisol levels. Shilajit is an amazing natural supplement for remineralising after periods of stress. It contains the full spectrum of natural elements plus fulvic acid which supports delivery of nutrients to the cell.
I really don’t recommend taking a lot of supplements as it can overburden the liver. It’s much better to take one or 2 high quality supplements targeted to your needs. I found a great supplement from a UK company called Nature Provides which includes both Ashwanganda and Shilajit and it’s now my go to. The recommended serving is 2 capsules but 1 gives 500mg of Shilajit which is already enough and means this bottle lasts 3 months.
Another great supplement for low blood pressure related to low cortisol is licorice. This can be taken as licorice tea or in tablet form if you don’t like the taste. These could be very useful for any of you dealing with stress, adrenal fatigue or chronic fatigue but make sure to do your research and check with your doctor before adding any new supplements into your routine. Especially licorice it’s important to make sure you don’t have high blood pressure already before taking this supplement.
Over to you…
If you would like to work with me to balance your hormones and improve your health, contact me to set up a free 15 minute discovery call. I am a nutritionist, yoga teacher and women’s wellness coach. We work together using a combination of modalities to support your individual needs and help you to feel your best.
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I dealt with chronic insomnia and fatigue for several years in my mid-twenties. Just when I should have been at my peak health I felt like everything started to fall apart. I would struggle to sleep through the night (sometimes not at all – eek!). Then I would spend the day in a haze of brain fog and physical exhaustion feeling tired and dizzy. Thankfully I discovered a healing lifestyle and I am now fully recovered!
Healing is never linear and I still feel like my body is still sensitive at times. But overall, I am very happy with my health right now and how dramatically I have been able to increase my energy over the last three years. I no longer am feeling tired and dizzy on a daily basis. I rarely experience sleep issues and I have the energy to follow my passions, work, move my body and have an active social life too.
How a low metabolism can leave you feeling tired and dizzy
Now you’re probably wondering what I did to get here and I have to say it was quite a journey. There wasn’t one simple change that fixed everything but rather a complete lifestyle overhaul. But the element at the centre of all of the changes I made was focusing on energy and metabolic health. Most importantly, I learned that feeling tired and dizzy can be a result of a low metabolic rate.
Like many women who grew up in the 90s, I spent my teenage years dieting and working out trying to stay skinny. On top of that, I was a high achiever. I threw myself wholeheartedly at getting top marks at school and university. The combination of coffee fueled library and gym sessions followed by late nights of with friends drinking eventually led to my body to crash and burn big time.
Even after I left university and settled into a calmer work life, my health didn’t improve. I was still feeling tired and dizzy on a regular basis, although I continued to act like everything was normal. During this time I switched to a high carb vegan diet. I thought that it would help me to heal my body but actually the opposite occurred. Without realising, I continued to spiral down into a metabolic hole.
Eventually I discovered the basic fact: our bodies need A LOT of energy and nutrients to function and thrive. The attitude of deprivation that is so prevalent amongst women (i.e. the idea that we should constantly be fighting our natural appetites and cravings) coupled with the “do it all” mentality is exactly what is causing us to feel fatigued, irritable and miserable. We are asking too much of our bodies and not giving enough in return!
How I stopped feeling tired and dizzy: phase 1
Once I discovered that my body was seriously in need of support, I took the first steps towards restoring my energy balance by:
Eating more and good quality food (I was still mostly vegan at this time)
These steps worked synergistically to increase my energy input (through food and constructive rest) and decrease my energy output (from physical, emotional and mental stresses). This really helped take some of the load off my body. It got me to a point where I was more stable with my energy levels and moods. I stopped feeling tired and dizzy so often and having a total meltdown every month before my period. Best of all, I was able to get enough sleep to make it through the day.
However, I knew I wasn’t where I wanted to be long term. Firstly I had a vision for my health which included being active on a regular basis and spending quality time with friends. I love hiking, dancing and of course yoga. But at this time I was quite limited as to what I could do and without feeling wiped out afterwards. I never stopped these things throughout my healing journey but I wanted to fully enjoy them without feeling limited by my energy levels.
I also felt like my health issues were showing in my physical appearance too and I really hoped that healing would improve this. My skin was dry and I often got minor acne breakouts. My hair had become noticeably thinner and broke more easily. I would get upset when I looked in the mirror because I saw the the fatigue was aging me rapidly, especially around my eyes. Call me vain but I didn’t like it – the eyes are the window to the soul and I felt like mine looked dead!
How I stopped feeling tired and dizzy: phase 2
So once we moved to Greece in October 2020, I decided to take my healing journey to the next step. By this time I had discovered Morley Robbins and the Root Cause Protocol as well as the work of Ray Peat and Broda Barnes on the importance of optimal thyroid function and good metabolic health. They were all speaking about minimising the stress load on the body as well as increasing mineral availability through diet which really made sense to me.
I started to implement some of the supportive practices that were recommended, particularly:
Reintroducing high quality organic dairy
Drinking daily adrenal cocktails (orange juice with salt and potassium)
Adding back coffee but in a supportive way
Eating liver and seafood on a weekly/monthly basis
Reducing refined vegetable oils and processed food
Eliminating all unnecessary supplements
Adding in magnesium supplements (transdermal then oral form)
Focusing on specific breathwork practice to increase CO2
It’s important for me to say here that I wasn’t obsessive about these things. I knew that being too strict would only lead to further stresses so I did my best each day and focused my attention on enjoying life. During the never ending lockdowns I threw myself into hobbies including gardening, learning to play guitar and sewing projects as well as my work supporting women through teaching yoga and nutrition and wellness coaching.
It has been a gradual, continual improvement over the last year and a half. I would say that it was after about 6 months of implementing these things that I really started to feel like my body had healed. Eventually I stopped waking up in the night completely and now get 7-9 hours of sleep per night (unless life gets in the way). Rarely am I feeling tired and dizzy as I was before.
I feel passionate about my work and hobbies plus have energy left over for my friends and family. Finally life looks bright again and I am excited for the future!
Over to you…
If you have any questions or if you would like to work with me to overcome fatigue and improve your health, contact me to set up a free 15 minute discovery call. I am a nutritionist, yoga teacher and women’s wellness coach and we work together using a combination of modalities to support your individual needs. You can read more about my training and qualifications here.
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Over the last couple of days, we have covered two foundational topics for your wellbeing. These were eating nourishing food and moving your body. Today we are talking about the third factor: getting enough rest and good quality sleep!
We all know that a good nights’ sleep can do wonders for our energy and mood. During sleep, both your body and mind undergo a full recharge and reset for the day ahead. Unfortunately, most of us have experienced the horror show that is trying to get through the day on very little sleep. Lack of sleep can affect your energy levels, mood, concentration and cognitive abilities. You can have the best diet and workout regime in the world but if you aren’t getting enough sleep you will likely feel terrible!
How much sleep do I need?
We often hear the magic number of 8 hours per night, but is this correct? In truth, the amount of sleep you need depends on your age as when as your individual make up. Babies and young children need the most sleep, sometimes up to 18 hours per day! Adults over the age of 65 need much less sleep and may get by on 5-6 hours per night.
Most adults need between 7 and 10 hours per night. However, that’s quite a big range and only you know the amount of sleep that is right for you. If you go to bed at a reasonable hour, wake up feeling refreshed and have energy throughout the day, you are probably getting enough sleep.
What if I’m not getting enough sleep?
Sadly, many people are not able to get the amount or quality of sleep that they need to support their physical and mental wellbeing. If you are one of these people, there are several reasons why you might not be getting enough sleep:
You sleep late and have to get up early for work or other activities
Your sleep is disturbed by external factors (including kids or pets)
Internal factors prevent you from falling or staying asleep (insomnia)
If you fall into the first category, I highly recommend that you try to rearrange your life to make space for more sleep. This is particularly important if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of lack of sleep. But even if you feel fine now, consistently missing out on sleep can increase your risk of health issues down the line. If you really want to take your health, wellbeing and energy levels to the next level, I strongly advise you to gradually shift your bedtime earlier by 15 minutes a week until you have time for a minimum of 7 hours sleep per night.
For those of you in the second category and your sleep is disturbed by having young children or a job that requires you to be awake during the night, there is probably not much you can do at this moment in time. In this case, I recommend getting enough good quality rest (more on that later) as well as taking naps wherever possible throughout the day. Adding extra stress and worry about your lack of sleep will only make things worse. Instead, focus on nourishing your self and supporting your energy levels in other ways and trust that your body will catch up on sleep when the opportunity is available.
Finally, for all of the insomniacs out there, I recommend getting really honest with yourself about what is affecting your sleep. Perhaps it is something as simple as not having a comfortable sleeping environment. In that case, ensuring you follow the sleep hygiene checklist below might be enough to have you sleeping like a rock again.
If it is something in particular that is stressing you, whether that is work, family or other personal issues, I highly recommend getting in touch with a professional therapist who can help you to work through your struggles. Sometimes getting things off your chest and having a safe space to discuss your worries is enough to calm down your nervous system and allow you to drift off into a peaceful sleep.
Tips for getting a good nights’ sleep
The following sleep hygiene checklist are the tips I recommend for everyone who want to improve the quality of their sleep. Are there any simple changes you could make to get a better nights sleep?
Ensure your bedroom is quiet, cool and calming
Only use your bed/bedroom for sleep and sex
Avoid caffeine (tea, coffee, dark chocolate) 8-10 hours before bed
Avoid drinking alcohol 4-6 hours before bed
Switch off all electronics 1 hour before bed and put your phone on flight mode
Implement a relaxing and calming evening routine
Create a consistent sleep routine (max 1 hour difference in sleep/wake times)
Avoid heavy meals 3-4 hours before bed (consider a bed time snack if needed)
Keep naps to 1 hour minimum and not after 3pm
Don’t lie in bed awake if you can’t sleep, after 20 minutes get up and leave the room until you feel sleepy enough
Make sure you get enough natural light during the day, especially in the morning hours
Use an eye mask and/or ear plugs if your sleeping environment is bright or noisy
I know for myself that if I eat a big meal too late at night, drink coffee in the afternoon or I have too much screen time in the evening then my sleep will suffer. I also shamelessly take my eye mask and ear plugs wherever I go! As someone who experienced he effects of poor sleep for many years, it’s a subject close to my heart and sleep is a top priority for my wellbeing. I have written several other posts on the topic of improving your sleep for those of you who need more support:
Whether sleep is a major issue for you or you just want to get better quality of sleep to feel even better, the tips in this post will be supportive for you!
If you can’t sleep then at least REST
Rest is also an important factor to improve your wellbeing. If you can’t sleep, then at least focus on getting enough rest. By rest I mean time where you allow your body and mind to relax and unwind. We live in a society full of stimulation and tasks. We “relax” by watching intense TV shows, reading educational books or scrolling through social media. These things might feel like relaxation but we are still being stimulated by artificial light and strong emotions.
It is important to take time to rest during the day to allow your body and your mind to let go of stress and tension that builds up. I recommend at least a 30 minute period of rest each day, either in one block or as separate smaller blocks. During this time you can lie down, focus on your breathing, listen to relaxing music or the sounds around you.. anything that focuses your attention on the present moment. Worrying about the future or ruminating on the past can create mental stress and tension which if not addressed can affect your sleep at night.
Taking the time to check in, notice what is present and let it go throughout the day can help to prevent stresses building up to the point that they over flow. I love guided relaxation tapes and Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep) practices for the ultimate experience of rest. All you need is a comfortable place to lie down, a set of head phones to listen to the recording and maybe an eye mask to completely block out the outside world. For a quick relaxation practice, I love this guided meditation:
Or one of my favourites when I have a bit more time is this one:
If you try them out, let me know what you think in the comments below! I can’t be more grateful to The Mindful Movement for all of the supportive guided meditations they create.
Today’s challenge: Create a calming evening routine
Your challenge for today is to create your own simple evening routine that you can do every night before you sleep to help you to wind down and relax. It takes some discipline to create space for relaxation when there are so many other things you should or could be doing. But once you experience the benefits of a better mood and energy the next morning, it will be a habit you want to create!
Steps for creating an evening routine:
Based on your wake up time and the amount of sleep you need, count backwards to find the latest bedtime for you to get enough sleep
Decide on how long you have available for your evening routine (I recommend at least 30 minutes)
Set an alarm for 15 minutes before and use this time to brush your teeth and get into your pyjamas so that you don’t have to do these after your routine
Pick 1-3 relaxing activities that you enjoy doing to wind down
Some examples:
Reading a good book
Gentle stretching or yoga
Meditation or breathwork
Playing relaxing music
Lighting a candle
Having a cup of herbal tea
Commit to your evening routine every day for a week and reflect on any differences in how you feel in your body, mind and spirit.
Over to you…
If you would like to work with me to balance your hormones and improve your health, contact me to set up a free 15 minute discovery call. I am a nutritionist, yoga teacher and women’s wellness coach. We work together using a combination of modalities to support your individual needs and help you to feel your best.
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Sometimes feeling cold is a natural response to the environment you are living in. But what about if you are feeling cold all of the time, even if you are in a relatively warm climate? Feeling cold all of the time, especially feeling cold in your hands, feet and nose is a sign that your metabolism is not functioning as well as it could be. If you are feeling chilly, chances are you are not feeling your best either. Probably you feel tired, low in stamina and moody. Maybe you have dry skin and hair or slow growing, brittle nails.
Your metabolism is all of the processes that convert the food you eat and the air you breathe into energy. This is the life force, or prana, which fuels your activities in the world. This includes physical activity and growth but also mental processing and creativity. Your metabolism also generates heat in your body, helping your enzymes to function optimally and killing off harmful bacteria. Ideally, you want your basal body temperature, that is your temperature upon waking (before eating, drinking or moving) to be above 36.6°C (97.8°F).
If you are feeling cold all of the time, your basal temperature may be below this ideal. To learn about how to test how well your metabolism is functioning, from the comfort of your own home, check out my previous post. There I describe two simple tests that can indicate if your metabolism is sluggish. If your tests suggest a low metabolism or if you are feeling cold all the time and want to know how you can warm up and boost your energy, keep reading!
Stop feeling cold all of the time – Eat enough calories!
If you are feeling cold all of the time, the first thing you want to check is that you are eating enough calories. Unfortunately, as Western societies, we are obsessed with weight loss and dieting. These days, everywhere you look you see low calorie foods advertised as the way to ultimate health and happiness. It is true that we have a problem with obesity, however the story is not as simple as cut calories and eat less to lose weight. Our bodies are smarter than that!
If you do not eat enough calories over a long period, you are likely to be feeling cold all the time (1). Probably you have heard of “starvation mode” when your body goes into energy saving mode? Another word for this is metabolic adaptation and it means exactly what it says on the tin. It is a functional state in which your metabolic processes are slowed down in order to conserve energy in a perceived famine.
When food is scarce, your body’s number one priority is to survive. It doesn’t care if you feel cold and tired or if your hair isn’t as luscious as it usually be. Neither does it care about reproduction as it deems the current environment unsafe or inadequate to support a family. Therefore, you might also experience a lower libido or a complete loss of interest in sex. All of these can be a sign that you are not eating enough calories.
How many calories should I eat to stop feeling cold all of the time?
But what is enough calories? That really depends on your unique physiology. But I can guarantee that if you are following a 1200 or 1500 calorie diet as a grown woman, you are not eating enough calories. If you are on a low calorie diet and feeling cold all of the time, working towards increasing your calories to an amount which supports a healthy metabolism should be your number one goal.
A good place to start is to use a Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) calculator this this one to estimate your calorie needs. For example, to maintain my current weight, I need a minimum of 1500 calories per day if I am completely sedentary and nearly 2400 calories per day if I exercise to an athletic level. And I am a petite woman (158cm and 54kg). If you are taller or heavier than me, your calorie needs will be even higher than this.
Many women are working out intensely several times per week and trying to get by on less than 2000 calories per day. If this is you, no wonder you are feeling chilly! If you are doing this and still not losing weight (if you are above a healthy weight range for your height) then it is a big red flag that your metabolism needs some support before weight loss will be possible.
Stop feeling cold all of the time – Eat a pro-metabolic diet
Nutrients to improve metabolism and energy
The second part to the nutritional equation to increase your body heat is ensuring you are also eating the right foods. If you are eating enough calories and still feeling cold all of the time, it might be that you are not eating a pro-metabolic diet. A diet which supports your metabolism is nutrient dense and includes vitamins and minerals which act as co-factors in your bodies’ energy generation processes, i.e. your metabolism.
Some of the common nutrient deficiencies that can lead to you feeling cold all of the time include iron and vitamin B12 (2). Lacking in these nutrients, can cause anemia which is a reduction in red blood cells. As red blood cells carry oxygen around your body which is needed to generate energy, anemia can lead to feeling cold all the time. Other nutrient deficiencies which can lead to feeling cold include vitamins A and D, selenium, iodine, zinc and calcium which are all necessary for a healthy thyroid function (3)(4).
Foods that are high in these nutrients include animal products, in particular red meat, eggs and seafood. So perhaps your “healthy” vegan or vegetarian diet could be responsible for you feeling cold all the time. Vegetarian metabolism supporting foods include dairy, coconut, root vegetables and fresh fruit which provide healthy carbohydrates and saturated fats to support your metabolism and energy generation processes.
Foods which can lead to feeling cold all of the time
On the other hand some nutritious foods that can lead to you feeling cold include cruciferous vegetables such as kale, broccoli and cauliflower. These contain compounds called goitregens which can impact your thyroid function when consumed excessively. Similarly, foods high in poly-unsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds and vegetable oils can inhibit energy production (note that hibernating animals eat these foods before going to sleep for the winter).
This is not to say you should avoid these foods altogether, I am not about restriction or extremes here. However, if you are consuming tonnes of these foods or if they make up the majority of your diet, it could explain why you are feeling cold. Consider reading my previous post on foods to support your metabolism and work on adding some of these foods into your daily diet. If you need support with this, I offer 1-2-1 nutrition and holistic health coaching.
Balance your water consumption
My final point on nutrition to keep you feeling toasty and warm is an important one! I won’t go into too much detail here as I have written another post on exactly thing topic. But to summarise, if you are feeling cold all of the time it is possible that your water-food balance is off. I know we are told to drink more water to be healthy and yes some people could definitely benefit from some extra hydration.
However, this obsession with drinking litres and litres of water in a day has gone too far. It is simply common sense that if you are drowning yourself in cold water every day, or even hot water in the form of tea and coffee, it is not going to support a high functioning metabolism. Of course, you don’t want to experience dehydration either. But over consuming water just adds unecessary workload onto your kidneys and your body in general. If you are peeing every hour and your urine is clear, this is a sign you are over-doing t on the water front.
In order to warm up your body, you want to “Eat for Heat”. That is to balance the amount of minerals (salts) you consume in your diet with the amount of water that you drink. A good balance should lead to a warm body, high energy, good sleep and calm mood. An imbalance can lead to feeling chilly, tired, anxious and difficulty sleeping.
Metabolism supporting exercise
Another common mistake people make is believing exercise will increase their metabolism. Ok, this is partly true. But it depends entirely on what type of exercise you do. Chronic cardio such as intense running, swimming or cycling for hours on end will not increase your metabolism. Yes you heard me right. Over-exercise is one of the main reasons for feeling cold all of the time. It causes stress in your body and decreases your basal metabolic rate. Lower metabolism = less heat generated at rest.
Cardio exercise burns calories whilst you are moving therefore can increase the total amount of energy you burn in a day. However, this type of exercise trains your body to do more with less energy i.e. causes metabolic adaptation. This means that you might feel warm and energised during the activity but after wards you can feel tired and cold all of the time. Sound familiar?
Excessive cardio is also a stress on the body. To maximise oxygenation levels in your cells and therefore energy and heat production, you want to minimise stress to within your bodies acceptable range. This does not mean eliminating all physical activity but rather operating within your capabilities and choosing metabolically supporting activities. Generally this would look like low impact cardio such as walking, easy cycling or dancing combined with resistance training to build muscle. This could either be weights but also body weight activities like yoga and pilates (5).
Reduce stress through proper breathing
As I mentioned, exercise can lead to feeling cold by causing stress in the body. When you are chronically stressed, your body becomes tense and stiff. This reduces circulation (blood flow) around your body and can lead to you feeling cold, especially in your hands and feet. Moving and stretching your body can help to relieve some of this tension but why not also focus on reducing your stress? You always want to ask yourself whether what is stressing you is worth losing your wellbeing over and act accordingly.
Another way stress can leave you feeling chilly is by changing the way you breathe. When when we are stressed, we tend to breathe much shallower and also more quickly. Set a timer for 60 seconds and count how many times you breathe (in and out is one cycle of breath). A healthy breathing range is around 10-15 breaths per minute. Anything above this is mild hyperventilation which can be a sign that you are stressed.
Also note which part of your body moves most as your breathe. Ideally you want your belly to rise and fall as your diaphragm moves. Stressed breathing is more likely to expand the top of the chest in the area around your collar bones. Breathing in this way reduces the amount of oxygen which reaches your cells.
As I mentioned earlier, more oxygen means more energy and heat generation. But it is not as simple as just breathing more deeply or quickly to increase your oxygen intake. Actually, deep slow breaths can definitely help to calm down your nervous system and relax your body. This is a good thing! But to get even more benefits from your breath, you can use specific breathwork (pranayama) techniques. These include retaining the breath at specific points in the cycle to expand your breath and life force.
Summary
So there you have it, my top tips on how to feel nice and toasty if you have been feeling cold all of the time. Let me know if you try out any of these tips and if you experience positive results. Remember, try out my home assessment of metabolic function to get an insight into your current state of metabolic health. Check out the other posts linked below for more on the topic of feeling cold and metabolism.
If you would like to work with me to balance your hormones and improve your health, contact me to set up a free 15 minute discovery call. I am a nutritionist, yoga teacher and women’s wellness coach. We work together using a combination of modalities to support your individual needs and help you to feel your best.
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Maybe you are one of the many people that say that they have a slow metabolism. But how can you know for sure? One way is to see if you exhibit some of the signs of a low metabolism. This includes having chronic low energy and feeling cold, particularly in your hands and feet. Another way is to take some simple measurements to make an assessment of your metabolism at home. In this article I will describe two basic tests for metabolism that you can do at home.
The information I share in this article is inspired by the work of researchers such as Broda Barnes and Ray Peat. They were amongst the first scientists to promote this test for metabolism in the health sphere. These guys were way ahead of their time and really were the forerunners of the “pro-metabolic” movement. Since then, many others have shared or built on their theories. I have learned from the ideas of Danny Roddy, Matt Stone, Keith Littlewood and Emma Sgourakis to name a few.
I will link other peer-reviewed sources of information at the bottom of this post. Definitely check those out if you are interested in reading more into the science of this test for metabolism!
Link between slow metabolism and thyroid function
The underpinning theory is that your metabolic rate is driven by your thyroid function. A sluggish thyroid results in a “slow metabolism” otherwise known as hypothyroidism. Conversely, an over-active thyroid means a fast metabolism, aka hyperthyroidism. For optimal health and wellbeing, you want your thyroid to be functioning in the healthy range. This means producing normal amounts of thyroid hormones which are also being used appropriately by your cells.
Dr Denis Wilson, claimed that of every 100 patients with a low body temperature and hypothyroid symptoms, only 5 will show up as having abnormal TSH levels and therefore a diagnosis of hypothyroid. He labelled this condition of low metabolism symptoms with normal thyroid test results as Wilsons Temperature Syndrome. He believed that basal body temperature was a good test for metabolism function, regardless of blood levels of thyroid hormones.
I have to make clear that this is not an accepted diagnosis according to most medical professionals. However, I view it alongside Adrenal Fatigue as a description of a common adaptive state of the body functions which leads to particular symptoms. Perhaps the diagnosis is not accepted but if the treatment works then I don’t see it as a problem.
Interestingly, both slow metabolism and adrenal fatigue are conditions primarily linked to stress! But we won’t go there for today. We will quickly review the common signs and symptoms of a slow metabolism. Then I will introduce you to the two tests for metabolism you can take an home.
Signs and symptoms of low metabolism
To clarify, symptoms are health effects identified by the individual whereas signs can be observed and measured by others. Often experiencing symptoms like fatigue and low energy can be frustrating. This is because you are made to believe by doctors and others that it is all in your head. There are many symptoms related to a low metabolism. Often they go unnoticed because they are subtle or seen as normal.
Broda Barnes in his book Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness, argued that many common symptoms are a result of sub-clinical hypothyroidism. Some of the symptoms associated with a low thyroid function are:
If you are experiencing several of these symptoms on a regular basis, potentially you are dealing with a low metabolism.
Two major signs of a low thyroid function and slow metabolism are low body temperature and low pulse rate. These two signs are consistently associated with the symptoms above. Measuring these two indicators can therefore be a helpful test for metabolism function. Other signs include dry skin, dry hair and slow growing or brittle nails. All of the signs and symptoms are a result of reduced cellular respiration and energy generation.
Now let’s see, is your metabolism low?
Test for metabolism 1: Basal body temperature
Broda Barnes pioneered low basal body temperature as a sign of hypothyroidism, aka a slow metabolism. Therefore, the first of the two test for metabolism is to measure your core body temperature and compare it to the healthy range. Do this upon waking every day for a week and record your results. You can use any thermometer just make sure to warm it up first to avoid skewing your measurements.
A healthy functioning metabolism should result in an oral temperature of 36.6°C or above (armpit temperature is usually approx. 0.3-0.6°C lower). If your temperature is consistently below this, it may be a sign of a low metabolism. Especially if you also have some of the signs of a low metabolism. Remember, this is your temperature upon waking. After eating, drinking and moving your body, your temperature should increase above this minimum.
For females, remember that your basal body temperature can increase by up to 0.5°C following ovulation. It then then decreases again once menstruation begins. This is due to an increase in metabolic rate during the luteal phase of your menstrual cycle. The numbers above refer to your temperature in the first half of your cycle. Make sure you do the test for metabolism before ovulation for an accurate assessment.
As a side note, observing this temperature rise is a good sign that you are ovulating. This is a good sign of a healthy menstrual cycle and fertility!
Test for metabolism 2: Resting pulse rate
The second test you can use to determine whether your metabolism is low is to measure your resting pulse rate. Measuring heart rate is a well established method for determining metabolic rate. A pulse rate of 70-85 beats per minute (bpm) is generally an indicator of a healthy metabolism. The exact number range differs but there is agreement in the pro-metabolic world that a pulse rate of <60bpm is a sign of low metabolism. Especially when combined with low temperature and other signs of low thyroid function.
Although many health professionals state that a pulse rate <60bpm is a sign of fitness, this is not the whole truth. Yes, it is true that athletes have a low pulse rate as a result of their fitness. However, fitness and health do not always go together! A low pulse rate, or bradichardia is a sign of metabolic adaptation. Therefore pulse rate can be useful test for metabolism. That is a modification of the metabolic processes in order to do more with less energy input. This is a useful adaptation in athletes as it allows them to perform at a higher level in sport. But it says nothing about their general health.
For example, many female athletes suffer from the Female Athlete Triad. This is a combination of low energy availability, disrupted menstrual cycles and decreased bone mineral density. Usually this is a stress state caused by too much exercise and not enough energy intake. This can affect any woman who is very active and not fueling correctly, not only professional athletes.
It does get a little complicated as increasing resting heart rate is also associated with increased incidence of metabolic syndrome. According to the NHS, metabolic syndrome is “the medical term for a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension) and obesity“. This test for metabolism is not perfect and the results need to be taken in context of an individuals’ lifestyle. That is why it is important to work with a health professional.
Having a high temperature and pulse rate whilst eating well and being active is different than achieving the same outcome by being sedentary and eating unhealthy food. The best thing to do is keep an eye on your other health markers such as blood pressure, glucose and weight alongside your temperature and pulse to find the lifestyle that works best for you.
What if the test for metabolism shows it is slow?
If you try out these two test for metabolism and think that you do have a slow metabolism, what can you do about it? I shared some simple tips for how to speed up a a slow metabolism in a previous post. In that post I also describe some of the potential causes of a low metabolism so make sure you check it out. You can also try incorporating my top foods to increase your metabolism into your daily diet. For individual support in discovering the best lifestyle to support your body, please reach out.
Over to you…
If you would like to work with me to balance your hormones and improve your health, contact me to set up a free 15 minute discovery call. I am a nutritionist, yoga teacher and women’s wellness coach. We work together using a combination of modalities to support your individual needs and help you to feel your best.
Please like this post and share to support my business
If you liked this post, follow my blog or subscribe by email to receive updates on new content
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Long before COVID19, there was already another epidemic silently over-taking the world. Adrenal fatigue aka burn out or the “21st century stress syndrome” is a condition which probably affects millions of people but often goes undiagnosed or untreated because it is just seen as normal in our busy society. Have you ever felt totally exhausted, overwhelmed and like you just can’t handle the stresses of life? Maybe you have experienced it already. Burn out is a phrase people often use lightly but it can actually be pretty serious and have a huge impact on your life and health.
Adrenal fatigue or burn out is the effect of being too stressed over a long period of time. Our nervous systems are only supposed cope with a certain amount of stress and pressure and usually for only a short duration. Our fight or flight responses are designed to give us a quick burst of stress hormones to help us to get out of a dangerous situation and then to relax and go back to baseline once the danger has passed. These days we are constantly bombarded with stressors, from news alerts direct to our phone to high-pressure jobs which demand us to be switched on and ready to respond for most of the day. Our adrenal glands are constantly pumping out cortisol and adrenalin to help us to cope and survive the day. Combine this with too much caffeine, unhealthy habits and poor self-care and you have a recipe for burn out.
I shared my own experiences with adrenal fatigue and insomnia in a previous post. It really is something that is close to my heart as it had a huge impact on my life. I couldn’t sleep, I was experiencing all sorts of weird physical symptoms and I had nearly constant brain fog. I was able to push through and keep up my job, studies and some form of a social life but everything felt like so much effort. On the outside I probably seemed like I had it altogether but I looked completely exhausted and inside I felt drained. Even fun things became a chore and I just wanted to hide away. Luckily I was able to get myself out of the hole and now I want to help others who are struggling with the same thing as I know it’s such a dark place to be.
How to recognise burn out or adrenal fatigue
Often the symptoms of burn out start gradually. You hit snooze a couple of extra times in the morning, you feel more tired throughout the day and you start to lose interest and motivation for your work or your daily activities. Over time it can gradually get worse to the point where you don’t feel like yourself anymore. Some symptoms to watch out for:
Feeling tired even after a good nights sleep
Not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep (insomnia)
Low energy and lethargy
Loss of interest in work and hobbies
Feeling heavy and achy, especially in your legs
Not wanting to socialise and preferring to be alone
Blood sugar issues, craving sweets and crashing an hour after a high carbohydrate meal
Craving salty foods more than usual
Relying more on coffee and tea to get through the day
Feeling zoned out or “brain fog”
What to do if you have burn out or adrenal fatigue
The most important thing to do first is to identify your stressors. Take some time to reflect on all areas of life including work, family, relationships, hobbies, diet, exercise and creative projects. Make two lists, one of the things that steal your energy and the other of things that boost your energy. Once you have your lists, you can make a plan for how you will decrease the “energy stealers” and how you will increase the “energy boosters” in your life. Some things will be harder than others but start with a few of the low-hanging fruit and notice the impact it has on your overall wellbeing. Then move onto the more challenging things on the list.
Energy stealers
Energy boosters
Working 2 hours overtime a day
Taking a full hour lunch break
Responding to email notifications immediately
5 minutes of deep breathing
Drinking coffee in the afternoon
Drinking more water
Speaking on the phone with X friend
Going to a dance class
Another really important thing is planning and organizing. Being reactive and responsive is one thing that keeps us constantly on alert. Maybe you work in the emergency services where you have to be ready to respond at all times, but if you work in an office job, feeling like you have to react and respond to every phone call or email right away could be contributing to your stress and feelings of burn out. If you can, try turning off your email notifications and setting a couple of windows throughout the day to go in and check your inbox. Use your calendar to block out time windows for specific tasks and try to stay focused. Being interrupted and distracted by multi-tasking uses up a lot of brain power! Keeping a task list with both to-do today and a “later list” can be helpful for prioritizing so that you don’t spend your day fire-fighting small tasks and can actually get something done which helps you to feel accomplished.
Next up is getting true rest and downtime. You might think you are resting and relaxing when you are watching TV or Youtube videos but your brain is still being active and stimulated. If you are suffering from burn out, you want to try to get yourself into a deep relaxation state at least once a day, more if you can. You can do this by lying down and listening to relaxing music or a guided meditation, sitting outside or going for a slow, mindful walk, taking the time to stretch out your body or having a bubble bath. These things might feel difficult, especially if you are in the stressed phase of adrenal fatigue where you are stuck on high alert mode. It might feel challenging to sit and do nothing, you might feel like you are wasting time and you should be doing something productive, you might feel agitated and restless in your body or your thoughts might start to go crazy once you let go of busyness and find stillness. All of these are signs that you need to stick at it!
Let yourself feel the agitation and notice any thoughts and resistance that comes up. Stay with the feelings and wait until the dust settles. If you are feeling physically restless, yoga or moving your body to music can be a great way to release some of that trapped energy and soothe your nervous system enough that you are able to let go and allow yourself to be still and relaxed. You’ll know you are there once you start to feel your body melt and your mind drift. You want to be in that almost-sleep brain state where you aren’t actively thinking or planning and thoughts can drift in and out of your mind. This is such a healing state to be in for anyone with burn out as the parasympathetic nervous system state is engaged and the adrenals are able to rest and recharge.
Taking time to relax a few times throughout the day is like emptying your “stress cup”. Imagine your stress capacity being a glass and every stressor throughout the day adds a drop or a splash of water to the cup. Once the cup is full and starts to overflow, you are going to be experiencing a state of stress or over-whelm. Taking breaks to breath deeply, go outside or just to be with yourself is like emptying out a bit of that water to give you more space in your cup i.e. more capacity to deal with stress. The idea is to keep the level as low as possible, either by reducing the inputs (stressors) or increasing the outputs (relaxing activities). If you can reach the end of the day with your cup half empty then you are on the right path to healing your adrenals and recovering from burn out. Having a solid morning routine including yoga, breathwork and meditation can also be a way to strengthen your nervous system and increase the capacity of your stress-cup over time.
Over to you…
So those are my thoughts on adrenal fatigue and tips on how to recover. Let me know in the comments below your experiences with burn out and how it has affected your life.
If you want to follow along with this Real Health January series, like this post, check out the recommended posts below and follow my blog for daily updates. And please share with anyone you think might be interested!
If you are looking for guidance, support and accountability on you health journey, please contact me for information on the nutrition and holistic health coaching packages I offer. I would love to work together with you to get you feeling your best again.
Long before COVID19, there was already another epidemic silently over-taking the world. Adrenal fatigue aka burn out or the “21st century stress syndrome” is a condition which probably affects millions of people but often goes undiagnosed or untreated because it is just seen as normal in our busy society.
Have you ever felt totally exhausted, overwhelmed and like you just can’t handle the stresses of life? Maybe you have experienced it already. Burn out is a phrase people often use lightly but it can actually be pretty serious and have a huge impact on your life and health.
What is adrenal fatigue?
Adrenal fatigue is the effect of being too stressed over a long period of time. Our nervous systems are only supposed cope with a certain amount of stress and pressure and usually for only a short duration. Our fight or flight responses are designed to give us a quick burst of stress hormones to help us to get out of a dangerous situation and then to relax and go back to baseline once the danger has passed.
Unfortunately, these days we are constantly bombarded with stressors. From news alerts direct to our phone to high-pressure jobs which demand us to be switched on and ready to respond for most of the day. Our adrenal glands are constantly pumping out cortisol and adrenalin to help us to cope and survive the day. Combine this with too much caffeine, unhealthy habits and poor self-care and you have a recipe for adrenal fatigue.
The literal idea of a gland becoming tired is disputed by medicine. I am not here to say whether adrenal fatigue is “real” or not. But the functional state of chronic exhaustion which comes after a long period of stress cannot be denied. And more and more of us are experiencing the symptoms. Whether you call it adrenal fatigue, burn out or any other name doesn’t really matter.
How to recognise burn out or adrenal fatigue
Often the symptoms of burn out start gradually. You hit snooze a couple of extra times in the morning, you feel more tired throughout the day and you start to lose interest and motivation for your work or your daily activities. Over time it can gradually get worse to the point where you don’t feel like yourself anymore.
Some symptoms of adrenal fatigue to watch out for:
Feeling tired even after a good nights sleep
Not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep (insomnia)
Low energy and lethargy
Loss of interest in work and hobbies
Feeling heavy and achy, especially in your legs
Not wanting to socialise and preferring to be alone
Blood sugar issues, craving sweets and crashing an hour after a high carbohydrate meal
Craving salty foods more than usual
Relying more on coffee and tea to get through the day
Feeling zoned out or “brain fog”
The symptoms experienced depend on the stage of adrenal fatigue. Dr Lam, adrenal fatigue expert, writes in detail about this. Stage 1 is the state of chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels. Often this stage can be ignored and pushed through using stimulants such as caffeine, sugar and high fat junk foods which stimulate the nervous system.
During stage 2 you will likely experience increasing fatigue as cortisol levels are no longer able to keep up with the demand. Stimulants may no longer work and increasing levels of will power are needed to make it through the day. You might experience other symptoms such as insomnia or PMS. By stage 3 you feel like the walking dead! This represents total collapse, when you no longer can function normally.
My experience with adrenal fatigue
I shared my own experiences with adrenal fatigue and insomnia in a previous post. It really is something that is close to my heart as it had a huge impact on my life. I couldn’t sleep, I was experiencing all sorts of weird physical symptoms and I had nearly constant brain fog. I was able to push through and keep up my job, studies and some form of a social life but everything felt like so much effort.
On the outside I probably seemed like I had it altogether but I looked completely exhausted and inside I felt drained. Even fun things became a chore and I just wanted to hide away. Looking back I was probably at stage 2 of adrenal fatigue. Luckily I was able to get myself out of the hole and now I want to help others who are struggling with the same thing. I know it’s such a dark place to be and I want to give hope that recovery is possible!
What to do if you have burn out or adrenal fatigue
1. Identify stressors
The most important thing to do first is to identify your stressors. Take some time to reflect on all areas of life including work, family, relationships, hobbies, diet, exercise and creative projects. Make two lists, one of the things that steal your energy and the other of things that boost your energy.
Once you have your lists, you can make a plan for how you will decrease the “energy stealers” and how you will increase the “energy boosters” in your life. Some things will be harder than others but start with a few of the low-hanging fruit and notice the impact it has on your overall wellbeing. Then move onto the more challenging things on the list.
Energy stealers
Energy boosters
Working 2 hours overtime a day
Taking a full hour lunch break
Responding to email notifications immediately
5 minutes of deep breathing
Drinking coffee in the afternoon
Drinking more water
Speaking on the phone with X friend
Going to a dance class
2. Get organised
Another really important thing is planning and organizing. Being reactive and responsive is one thing that keeps us constantly on alert. Maybe you work in the emergency services where you have to be ready to respond at all times, but if you work in an office job, feeling like you have to react and respond to every phone call or email right away could be contributing to your stress and feelings of burn out.
If you can, try turning off your email notifications and setting a couple of windows throughout the day to go in and check your inbox. Use your calendar to block out time windows for specific tasks and try to stay focused. Being interrupted and distracted by multi-tasking uses up a lot of brain power! Keeping a task list with both to-do today and a “later list” can be helpful for prioritizing so that you don’t spend your day fire-fighting small tasks and can actually get something done which helps you to feel accomplished.
3. Rest fully
Next up is getting true rest and downtime. You might think you are resting and relaxing when you are watching TV or Youtube videos but your brain is still being active and stimulated. If you are suffering from burn out, you want to try to get yourself into a deep relaxation state at least once a day, more if you can. You can do this by lying down and listening to relaxing music or a guided meditation, sitting outside or going for a slow, mindful walk, taking the time to stretch out your body or having a bubble bath.
These things might feel difficult, especially if you are in the stressed phase of adrenal fatigue where you are stuck on high alert mode. It might feel challenging to sit and do nothing, you might feel like you are wasting time and you should be doing something productive. You might feel agitated and restless in your body or your thoughts might start to go crazy once you let go of busyness and find stillness. All of these are signs that you need to stick at it!
Let yourself feel the agitation and notice any thoughts and resistance that comes up. Stay with the feelings and wait until the dust settles. If you are feeling physically restless, yoga or moving your body to music can be a great way to release some of that trapped energy and soothe your nervous system enough that you are able to let go and allow yourself to be still and relaxed.
You’ll know you are there once you start to feel your body melt and your mind drift. You want to be in that almost-sleep brain state where you aren’t actively thinking or planning and thoughts can drift in and out of your mind. This is such a healing state to be in for anyone with burn out as the parasympathetic nervous system state is engaged and the adrenals are able to rest and recharge.
4. Let go of stress
Taking time to relax a few times throughout the day is like emptying your “stress cup”. Imagine your stress capacity being a glass and every stressor throughout the day adds a drop or a splash of water to the cup. Once the cup is full and starts to overflow, you are going to be experiencing a state of stress or over-whelm. Taking breaks to breath deeply, go outside or just to be with yourself is like emptying out a bit of that water to give you more space in your cup i.e. more capacity to deal with stress.
The idea is to keep the level as low as possible, either by reducing the inputs (stressors) or increasing the outputs (relaxing activities). If you can reach the end of the day with your cup half empty then you are on the right path to healing your adrenals and recovering from burn out. Having a solid morning routine including yoga, breathwork and meditation can also be a way to strengthen your nervous system and increase the capacity of your stress-cup over time.
Over to you..
Comment: Have you ever experienced adrenal fatigue or burn out? How did it affect you?
Like this post and share to support my business
Follow my blog for more posts on nutrition, yoga and holistic health
I shared a couple of months ago about my experience with insomnia and fatigue and my path to healing. I can honestly say I feel like a new woman and I am grateful every day to feel “normal” again and not like a half-woman-half-zombie like I did for most of the last few years. Since we moved to Greece and I took a break from my full-time job, things have just got better and better. I am sleeping at least 8 hours most nights, waking up feeling energised and motivated to work on my blog, my health coaching and to teach my yoga classes and I finally feel like I can enjoy my hobbies again and conversations with loved ones without feeling like I am just going through the motions.
Today I taught an online yoga class with the theme of “self-awareness” and it really got me thinking about the role of self-awareness in healing from fatigue. As well as a lack of self-awareness as part of the cause of fatigue. Not paying attention to how you are feeling internally, both physically and emotionally, makes it extremely easy to cross your own boundaries. To not know when you are over-doing something or when something is lacking in your life. It’s easy to keep giving and meeting the demands of others or to keep striving towards a goal and not even realise your cup is empty until you totally crash and burn and are simply unable to do all of the things you used to. In my case, crashing and burning didn’t even stop me. I continued trying to keep up with my work and it was my social life and other fun things that suffered instead.
Self-awareness in healing fatigue
Self-awareness can mean lots of things but in the context of healing fatigue I see it as:
Paying attention to your energy levels throughout the day and noticing which activities boost your energy and what depletes you. Getting honest with yourself about any habits that you have which are stealing your energy, maybe excessive use of social media, drinking too much coffee or not going outside all day and seeing if you can gradually let these go. Then consciously including energy building activities such as yoga, deep breathing and meditation into your day.
Tuning into your physical body sensations. Listening to what your body needs whether it’s something as simple as being cold, hungry or thirsty or whether you need a break, to rest or move and stretch your body. Not sitting in front of your computer ignoring all the signs from your body because you are “too busy” or “there’s not enough time” but giving your body what it needs to feel good in the moment and working in partnership with your body rather than against it.
Being aware of your mood and emotions and asking what you need to bring yourself back into balance. Finding ways to express any emotions that come up and release any stuck energy, especially anger or sadness as these emotions can really drain us if we don’t acknowledge and express them. I find dancing or just shaking my body like crazy is a great way to get energy moving and to release stuck emotions stored as tension within the body.
Observing your thoughts and mental state. Noticing any unhelpful thought patterns that send you into a spiral of anxiety, fear or stress. Often we play out the same patterns that come from the same root wound such as a fear of not being good enough or not being liked by others. We tend to over-think things, catastrophise and think of the worst case scenario (including when it comes to any fatigue symptoms we are experiencing!). Becoming aware of our thoughts and questioning whether they are true and helpful is the first step in creating a more healing mental state.
How yoga helps to develop self-awareness
Easy, grounding poses help to cultivate self-awareness and presence
My yoga practice has helped so much with building this self-awareness and eventually being able to get on the path to healing my fatigue after years of drifting around and jumping from one thing to another. Yoga gives us that safe space to shut out the world and turn inwards, to really get quiet and pay attention to what is going on inside. Yoga encourages us to be with our breath and body, to move at our own pace and rest whenever we need to. In yoga we learn not to push and force ourselves into postures but to keep a beginners mind and know that we are gradually moving along the path and we will get there in our own time. Getting on the mat every day (or at least a few times a week) helps us to observe the changes in our body and mind over time. We can notice if we’re feeling more tired or energised, more anxious or calm, if we have any areas of tension or tightness in our body and we can listen and learn what to do to feel better.
How yoga helps with fatigue
Twists and heart openers help to increase circulation and boost energy
Unlike other types of exercise, yoga can actually increase our energy reserves rather than leave us feeling more fatigued. After a class people talk about having that “yoga glow” where you feel blissed out and super chilled. Well this is also a really healing place to be! It puts our body into the parasympathetic nervous system state e.g. rest and digest rather than fight or flight. Certain yoga postures are great for improving circulation, gently stimulating the nervous system and boosting energy levels. When I’m feeling sluggish, some twisting postures, back bends and inversions really help to wake me up and get energy moving in my body again. When you are feeling run down or exhausted, it’s better to go for the more supported postures where you can really relax and let go help to calm the nervous system and build energy reserves (see my yoga for your period sequence for some examples of relaxing postures for when you are feeling fatigued).
Over to you…
I hope this article helps you whether you are struggling with fatigue or if you just want to boost your energy and feel better. Leave a comment below and share your experience or tips if yoga has been helpful on your journey to healing from fatigue.
Like this post and follow my blog for more posts on dealing with fatigue and how to recover and regain your health and life. And please share with anyone you think might be interested
If you are looking for guidance, support and accountability on you health journey, please contact me for information on the nutrition and holistic health coaching packages I offer. I would love to work together with you to get you feeling your best again.
Today’s post is about how to heal chronic fatigue symptoms with yoga and self-awareness. Through my own experience and learning I hope to help any of you dealing with fatigue symptoms to feel better. I shared a couple of months ago about my experience with insomnia and fatigue and my path to healing. I can honestly say I feel like a new woman, grateful every day to feel “normal” again. Finally not a half-woman-half-zombie like I did for most of the last few years.
Since we moved to Greece and I took a break from my full-time job, things have got much better. Finally I am happy to report that most of my fatigue symptoms have now healed. I am sleeping at least 8 hours most nights and waking up feeling energised and motivated. Working on my business and teaching yoga classes feels exciting again. I finally feel like I can enjoy my hobbies again and conversations with loved ones without feeling like I am just going through the motions.
Today I taught an online yoga class with the theme of “self-awareness”. It really got me thinking about the role of self-awareness in healing from fatigue symtpoms. As well as a lack of self-awareness as part of the cause of fatigue. Not paying attention to how you are feeling internally, both physically and emotionally, makes it extremely easy to cross your own boundaries. To not know when you are over-doing something or when something is lacking in your life.
It’s easy to keep giving and meeting the demands of others. Or to keep striving towards a goal and not even realise your cup is empty until you totally crash and burn. When you are simply unable to do all of the things you used to because the fatigue symptoms are so intense. In my case, crashing and burning didn’t even stop me. I continued trying to keep up with my work. Instead it was my social life and other fun things that suffered instead.
Self-awareness in healing fatigue symptoms
Self-awareness can mean lots of things but in the context of healing fatigue symtpoms I see it as:
Paying attention to your energy levels throughout the day and noticing which activities boost your energy and what depletes you. Getting honest with yourself about any habits that you have which are stealing your energy. Maybe excessive use of social media, drinking too much coffee or not going outside all day and seeing if you can gradually let these go. Then consciously including energy building activities such as yoga, deep breathing and meditation into your day.
Tuning into your physical body sensations. Listening to what your body needs whether it’s something as simple as being cold, hungry or thirsty. Or whether you need a break, to rest or move and stretch your body. Not sitting in front of your computer ignoring all the signs from your body because you are “too busy” or “there’s not enough time”. Instead giving your body what it needs to feel good in the moment. Working in partnership with your body rather than against it.
Being aware of your mood and emotions and asking what you need to bring yourself back into balance. Finding ways to express any emotions that come up and release any stuck energy. Especially anger or sadness as these emotions can really drain us if we don’t acknowledge and express them. I find dancing or just shaking my body like crazy is a great way to get energy moving. It helps to release stuck emotions stored as tension within the body.
Observing your thoughts and mental state. Noticing any unhelpful thought patterns that send you into a spiral of anxiety, fear or stress. Often we play out the same patterns that come from the same root wound. For example a fear of not being good enough or not being liked by others. We tend to over-think things, catastrophise and think of the worst case scenario. This includies when it comes to any fatigue symptoms we are experiencing!. Becoming aware of our thoughts and questioning whether they are true and helpful is the first step in creating a more healing mental state.
How yoga helps to develop self-awareness
Easy, grounding poses help to cultivate self-awareness and presence
My yoga practice has helped so much with building this self-awareness. It has allowed me to finally arrived on the path to healing my fatigue symptoms after years of drifting around and jumping from one thing to another. Yoga gives us that safe space to shut out the world and turn inwards. We can get really get quiet and pay attention to what is going on inside. Yoga encourages us to be with our breath and body. To move at our own pace and rest whenever we need to.
In yoga we learn not to push and force ourselves into postures but to keep a beginners mind. We accept that we are gradually moving along the path and we will get there in our own time. Getting on the mat every day (or at least a few times a week) helps us to observe the changes in our body and mind over time. We can notice if we’re feeling more tired or energised, more anxious or calm. It’s clear when fatigue symptoms such as tension or tightness in our body arise. We can also intuitively know what to do to feel better.
How yoga helps with fatigue symptoms
Twists and heart openers help to increase circulation and boost energy
Unlike other types of exercise, yoga can actually increase our energy reserves rather than leave us feeling more fatigued. After a class people talk about having that “yoga glow” where you feel blissed out and super chilled. Well this is also a really healing place to be! It puts our body into the parasympathetic nervous system state e.g. rest and digest rather than fight or flight.
Certain yoga postures are great for improving circulation, gently stimulating the nervous system and boosting energy levels. When I’m feeling sluggish, some twisting postures, back bends and inversions really help to wake me up and get energy moving in my body again. When you are feeling run down or exhausted, it’s better to go for the more supported postures. These allow you to deeply relax and let go help to calm the nervous system and build energy reserves. See my yoga for your period sequence for some examples of relaxing postures for when you are feeling fatigue symptoms.
If you want to join me for online or in person yoga classes, check out my current class schedule. Or I offer private yoga sessions online or in person if you would like more individual support with the practice.
Over to you…
If you would like to work with me to balance your hormones and improve your health, contact me to set up a free 15 minute discovery call. I am a nutritionist, yoga teacher and women’s wellness coach. We work together using a combination of modalities to support your individual needs and help you to feel your best.
Please like this post and share to support my business
If you liked this post, follow my blog or subscribe by email to receive updates on new content
Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily updates and inspiration
Fatigue is such an awkward topic to discuss. It’s one of those conditions that people who haven’t experienced just don’t understand. It isn’t visible so unless you go around complaining about it all of the time, people assume you are fine. Or if you do try to explain to others they think it is the same as just being tired after a bad nights’ sleep. You go to the doctor and if blood tests come back normal, they tell you you’re healthy and act like you are making it up. Maybe fatigue is “all in your head” in a way as often it does have a psychological root but that doesn’t mean the physical symptoms aren’t real and often debilitating.
My experience with fatigue started 5 years ago. In my final year of university, after 4 years of too much stress, caffeine, partying and terrible eating habits, I developed gastritis. This is a painful inflammation of the stomach that would plague me all day but be even worse in the middle of the night when my stomach was fully empty. The pain would be so bad I’d wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to get back to sleep because it was like someone was stabbing me in the belly. The sensation was like the peak of the hunger pangs you get when you are really starving, except it wouldn’t come in waves it would just stay at that intensity. Horrible.
So I started getting only 4-5 hours sleep a night and from 3am I’d be awake trying anything to ease the pain and relax so I could get back to sleep: herbal teas, dry snacks, gentle yoga, guided meditations. This continued for months and at first it was manageable but after a while I started feeling like a total zombie during the day. I went to the doctor and he put me on PPI medication for my gastritis which didn’t help and actually made my fatigue worse because it affects absorption of certain nutrients so I came off it after a few months. I remember being at work during that first year after graduating and nearly falling asleep during meeting on so many occasions. Looking back I probably should have been off sick but it was my first job I was so determined to keep going and find a solution.
Over the next few years I did find things that helped and eventually managed to cure my gastritis fully. I still have a sensitive stomach so I can have a flare up if I drink too much coffee, alcohol or fried food but on the whole I don’t have symptoms. However, my sleep patterns still didn’t improve much even after the gastritis faded. I would still wake up during the early hours and not be able to get back to sleep or if I did sleep through the night I would still feel exhausted the next day. I look back at photos of myself from that time and it’s pretty emotional to remember how I felt. And I struggled to understand how people couldn’t see that I was suffering when it was written all over my face!
It’s crazy for me to think now how I kept going for years like that but I did. I barely had the energy to maintain my social life but I still managed to work, enjoy my relationship and my family. I remember going on trips or days out and enjoying them but feeling like I wasn’t fully present, like I just couldn’t fully immerse myself in the moment. I felt like I was dragging myself through every day doing things because my mind wanted to make the most out of life, even though my body just wanted to lie in bed all day. I couldn’t engage in conversations and being with people often felt draining.
Last September we moved to a new city and I think this is where I hit rock bottom with insomnia and fatigue. I started a new job and I was completing my research project for my nutrition degree alongside. I was so depleted and still couldn’t sleep. It was like my body was on alert mode all of the time. There were a couple of nights where I didn’t get any sleep at all and by the next day I would be feeling so out of it and delirious. You’d think that by the next night I would be so exhausted that my body would make up for it but I’d still have that “wired but tired” feeling. I would pass out at 9pm only to wake up again at 2am. I had so many mini break downs and emotional outbursts. The weekend would come and I would be crying all of Saturday morning. I felt like a 2 year old not able to control my emotions at all.
Fast forward to 2020, this is where the real healing began. I actually think being in lockdown helped a lot as working from home full time meant I could take breaks and naps during the day when I needed to. I also managed to cut out coffee completely for long periods which I had never been able to do before. I was definitely leaning on it as a crutch, especially when I needed to show up for something and wanted to do my best. But being stuck at home with no schedule no social obligations was a blessing in disguise for the first few months. Finally I realised that it was ok to be tired and that instead of fighting my body I would just have to listen to what it was telling me.
I ate really well, building up some nutrient stores that had been depleted through lack of sleep and stress. I went for walks in nature every day and really got back into my yoga practice. I focused again on menstrual cycle awareness and living in tune with my cycle as best as I could. I spent alot of time reading, reflecting and journalling, trying to weed out some of the old mental and emotional patterns which were causing me stress and keeping me stuck. And finally I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I started to get 6-8 hours sleep most nights (even though I was still waking up at 5am it was a big improvement!). I had days were I felt energised and had waves of random happiness that I hadn’t experienced for a long time. I felt my silliness and playful start to come back which I didn’t even know was missing.
Even though I have come so far I still feel like I am on a healing path with this. I don’t feel like my energy levels are as high as they could be and I am still sensitive to stress. But I have learned through all of this how to manage it and to look after myself when I have low days. And I trust that things are only going to continue to improve. Recently I have been really busy at work and preparing to move house and I have felt the fatigue coming on again in the last few days. Actually that is what motivated me to write this, to remind myself how far I have come and that overall things are getting better! I have the energy to pursue my passion for writing again and to help others through my nutrition and health coaching which I’d only dreamed of doing a year ago.
Over to you…
I hope that by sharing my story I can give hope to anyone who is suffering with fatigue for any reason that things can get better! I am so grateful for all of the people who supported me in my life during this time (especially my parents, my nan and my boyfriend) and I want to do what I can to help others in a similar situation. Please leave a comment if you feel like sharing your experience or can relate to any of my story. I think one of the hardest things about insomnia and fatigue is the deep loneliness that you experience when you feel like everyone around you is free whilst you remain trapped in this cage. But that is the beauty of online spaces, you might not know people in “real life” going through similar things but you can find others to relate to and connect with from all over the world which is amazing 🙂
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Moon Life 