Health – Energy crisis

By Eugene Sims

Without doubt the most common complaint that I see in clinic are problems related to a lack of energy. As a generalisation of current society, we seem to be under more stress with regards to time and finances. People don’t tend to have the time to unwind, prepare nutritious meals, exercise and relax. The effects of this type of lifestyle over long periods of time can be quite harmful, especially with respect to our energy. The classic two body systems that are typically affected from this lifestyle are the pancreas and the adrenal glands.

One of the key roles of the pancreas is to produce insulin to help with the metabolism of sugar. This system is often greatly stressed in a culture where an excess of refined sugars and refined carbohydrates (white rice, pasta, bread, cakes etc) are the ‘norm’. This is very typical when we don’t have time (or knowledge) to prepare wholegrain foods. Spiking sugar levels through this way of eating can result in weakening the pancreas and causing low blood-sugars (hypoglycaemia).

The symptoms of this can be sugar cravings, late morning and early afternoon fatigue, dizziness/shaking if missing a meal and the need for stimulants to get going. Anxiety and mood swings are often associated with hypoglycaemia and the trendy term of being ‘hangry’ (angry from hunger) is common. Hypoglycaemia can often be corrected with changes to the diet especially with respect to sugars, stimulants and foods that are broken down into sugars (carbohydrates).

Adrenal fatigue can be another very debilitating problem when it is severe. This occurs when people have functioned for long periods of time running on adrenalin as a regular energy source. The adrenal glands are designed to secrete adrenaline for ‘emergency situations’ and a period of rest and recovery is needed after the event. When people function on adrenalin daily to get them through the day, the effects of this over time can be severe.

While fatigue is an obvious symptom it is typically in the early morning and mid afternoon, often with times of alertness at 6pm and 2am (making for poor sleep!) Other symptoms include frequent respiratory infections, difficulty concentrating, reduced sex drive and irritability. Adrenal fatigue can be assessed with some simple clinical tools and thorough questioning. Adrenal fatigue can be treated effectively but often requires some lifestyle changes to get the best results.

Other causes for low energy can be non-life threatening such as low iron, persistent effects of viral infection, poor thyroid function and food intolerances. But like always, getting a medical health screen is a great place to begin as there can, of course, be some very serious underlying factors causing fatigue in the form of systemic diseases such as cancer.