Fatigue and tiredness are considered
a normal part of motherhood. However, if you are feeling tired, bloated and
maintaining a healthy body weight seems a thing of the past; it’s time to get
to the cause.
Fatigue can be caused from simple
nutritional deficiencies such as low iron or vitamin B12, or by more complex
causes such as depression. Three major influences to energy levels that are
often overlooked in routine testing are hormonal, digestive and metabolic
disturbances.
Hormonal Disturbances
Healthy hormones are the key to
feeling fantastic and maintaining a healthy body weight as they directly
influence energy metabolism. However, identifying
an underlying imbalance can often prove challenging. This can be due to the
fluctuating nature of many reproductive hormones such as estrogen and
progesterone and also “hormone resistance” within the cells. This means your
body may be producing the right levels, however your uptake is below par,
leaving you ‘hormonally depleted’. This
is often the case with thyroid hormones that are influenced by autoimmune
disorders triggered by pregnancy, surgery, medications or giving up smoking.
Digestive Disturbances
Digestive disturbances such as
irritable bowel syndrome, candida over growths, digestive dysbiosis (toxicity)
or infections such as the Helicobacter pylori bacteria can place further strain
on your energy levels, primarily due to their influence on the adrenals. In
addition, the adrenal and thyroid glands work together, meaning decreased
adrenal function can interfere with thyroid function, leaving you experiencing
symptoms such as weight gain, bloating, fatigue and mood changes.
Metabolic Disturbances
Hormone resistance is a broad term
often associated with thyroid disorders; the major regulator of fat metabolism
and energy production. Although it is a
complicated process, the interaction of the four main hormones produced by your
thyroid gland, (thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3),
thyroxine/levo-thyroxin (T4), and calcitonin) directly influence body fat
storage and conversion especially around the tummy.
Although your thyroid gland secretes
and regulates these hormones, about 80% of the body's T3 is produced outside
the thyroid gland, in the liver, by chemical modification of T4. Hypothyroid
women gain weight and find it difficult to lose weight because (i) their T4 is
not being converted by the liver to the metabolically active form of T3 or (ii)
the converted T3 hormones is not getting to the cellular level of the body -
meaning that they are producing it, but their body can't use it. So you are sentenced
to a life of weight gain, chronic fatigue and feeling plain unwell.
If you are doing everything right
but are still felling unwell and suffering from fatigue and weight gain, there
is definitely something that needs to be addressed. Getting to the cause is not
as easy as just doing routine blood tests. An interconnected approach to the
review of your signs and symptoms encourages a multidimensional treatment
strategy that will make a difference. So explore your options and strive for a
better, healthy life!
Narelle Stegehuis, is a practicing medical herbalist and naturopath
specializing in restorative endocrinology for women, with over 14 year’s
clinical experience. She is an
accomplished writer, editor and technical training advisor for the natural health
industry. A recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award, Narelle
adopts an integrated approach of both medical science and traditional
complementary health care principles. www.massattack.com.au
