A Natural Approach To Regaining Energy And Endurance
With many Americans fighting fatigue on a daily basis, they are now looking to their health care practitioners for advice on how to reclaim their energy.
Managing busy family lives can take a lot out of a person.
Couple that with the fact that many Americans do not exercise enough, have a restful sleep or eat the healthiest of diets, and they are left with a feeling of being tired and sluggish some or even all of the time.
According to Kevin Dobrzynski, DN, author of the book The Hypothyroid Diet, studies suggest that 37.9 to 44 percent of the workforce suffers from fatigue. Further, a lack of energy and endurance can cause other problems as well. “Over 30 percent of adults suffer from severe ongoing fatigue (this study was done in Europe, but historically, these tend to match U.S. data),” said Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, medical director of the National Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers and Chronicity. “Beyond this, over the past decade, the incidence of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FMS) has exploded by 400 to 1,000 percent, afflicting six to 12 million Americans! Meanwhile, 25 percent of Americans suffer with chronic pain and most are fatigued.”
While a temporary lack of energy and endurance can be a result of a restless night of sleep, a constant feeling of fatigue can be a sign of something more serious. “As Americans lead busier lives than ever, far too often the first thing that gets ignored is their health—from the foods they eat to the activities they choose to engage in,” said Shui Yin Lo, PhD, chairman of the board of D & Y Laboratories, maker of Double Helix Water (distributed by the Californiabased Cobalt Distribution Company). “These lifestyle choices could affect the energy flow in the body and each individual’s performance.”
According to Jean-Jacques Dugoua, ND, PhD (Dr.JJ), there are many factors that can cause a lack of energy and endurance including: iron deficiency anemia, nutritional deficiencies, poor diet, poor physical activity, over or under training, obesity, asthma, stress, smoking and poor diet, among others. Additionally, experiencing fatigue has become so much of a “normal thing” for many Americans that it can be dismissed, even by a doctor. “I believe a lot of doctors brush-off complaints like fatigue,” added Dr. Dobrzynski. “Some doctors think it’s ‘normal’ to be tired, but in reality it can be a major symptom of so many different conditions.”
Allergies are another possible cause of fatigue, and studies show that allergy season is getting longer each year. According to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in March 2011, global warming is linked to the lengthening of ragweed (pollen) season— researchers found that ragweed season has become 27 days longer since 1995. “Many people, especially where I live in Tennessee, are having their energy and endurance stolen away by allergies,” explained Amber Lynn Vitse, CN, ayurvedic consultant. “An allergy panel may be necessary.”
False Energy
The constant feeling of fatigue can send someone in search of something to “get them through the day,” often caffeine-loaded energy drinks that offer a “quick fix,” but do nothing in the long run. Dr. Teitelbaum refers to these products as “energy loan sharks” and noted that while both caffeine and sugar used in moderation are okay, the amount some Americans are ingesting each day is unhealthy.“The average American gets 150 pounds of sugar added to their diet each year in food processing, causing fatigue, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and a host of other problems,” he said.“A cup or two of coffee or tea a day are fine. Beyond this, it also acts as an ‘energy loan shark.’ People are looking for real and healthy energy, and are getting tired of [these] drinks and supplements.”
“I believe most Americans lead unhealthy lifestyles and are overworked and overstressed making the need for a quick energy fix obvious,” added Dr. Dobrzynski. “The companies controlling this market have done their homework and are giving consumers what they want, but it’s not what they need. Energy drinks and/or supplements are a billion dollar industry— that’s billion with a ‘B.’ Five Hour Energy controls 90 percent of this market share selling close to a billion dollars on their own.
And while many Americans do rely on these energy products to get through the day, some are realizing that the “crash” they feel when the product wears off isn’t worth it in the long run. “One of the trends we are seeing is a rise in popularity of alternative and bioenergetic medicine emerging onto the market place as a result of people wanting to take back control of their own health and have an active role in their own well-being,” said D & Y’s Dr. Lo. “A big part of this wellbeing includes endurance and energy levels.
Double Helix Water is proud to help these people to perform well and to live a happy and healthy life.” Double Helix Water helps redefine the body’s role in healing by allowing healthy energy to flow freely and naturally, according to the company. It is the result of using electrical pressure that surrounds a single-charged particle to convert ultra-pure water into stable water clusters. These stable water clusters have a very high polar charge and vibrational energy, which helps to release the blockages along the meridian lines.“Many find that increasing their usage of Double Helix Water and applying the Full Force Creams powered by Double Helix Water may help speed up post recovery time and increase stamina, allowing the body to endure longer, harder training and athletic performance,” said Lo.
With the addition of its new cream line—topical creams powered by Double Helix Water—the company offers: Double Helix Water, Full Spectrum Cream enriched with Double Helix Water (Unscented), Full Spectrum Cream enriched with Double Helix Water with Avocado Oil (Unscented), Full Spectrum Cream enriched with Double Helix Water with Rosemary, Full Force Cream powered by Double Helix Water (Unscented), and Full Force Cream powered by Double Helix Water with Eucalyptus.
Positive Changes
Feeling fatigued a majority of the time is no way to live, and discovering the cause of the lack of energy and endurance by getting tested is a good first step to rectifying the situation. “It is important to get laboratory testing in some cases. If you have good health insurance, this may be a good place to start,” said Vitse. “Ferritin, hemoglobin and blood protein, and mineral levels are important. Check vitamin D, thyroid (TSH, free T3, free T4 at a minimum), blood cortisol levels can be useful when combined with a 24-hour salivary panel, and then the usual CBC will show signs of infection or inflammation that may be contributing.”
Making lifestyle changes are important to regaining energy and endurance, but James L. Wilson, DC, ND, PhD, president and chief formulator of the Arizona-based ICA Health, LLC (maker of Dr.Wilson’s Original Formulations), recommended that health care practitioners offer specific instructions instead of generalities. “From my experience, the best natural approaches to treatment include changes in lifestyle and dietary habits, plus the correct dietary supplementation,” he explained.
“Health care practitioners often make general statements about lifestyle and dietary changes that are seldom adhered to by patients.”
In order to regain energy and endurance, sleep habits, diet and exercise patterns may need to be overhauled. “Some great natural approaches (without using supplements) are eating complex carbohydrates and high-fiber foods especially, with breakfast to start the day off right,” said Sayan Sarkar, CEO of InvigorateNOW in New York, recommending that drinking water often (shoot for one cup every 90 minutes), taking a five minute break to walk around for every one hour of sitting, exercising or walking daily, eating five to six small meals a day and snacking on high-protein foods instead of high-sugar foods can also make a big difference.“Of course, proper sleep is also huge.”
When it comes to the diet, Sarkar recommended whole foods including complex, whole grain carbs (brown rice, oats, quinoa, sweet potatoes), lean proteins (organic or grass-fed meats, and wild-caught fish), green vegetables and fruit, while removing processed foods and high sugar foods.
Additionally alcohol and caffeine consumption should be at least reduced significantly or cut out completely.
Vitse noted that taking a moment to breathe could do much more than just help relax a person. “Altered and controlled breathing patterns can help cleanse the body, activate brain chemistry, increase internal fire affecting metabolism, and calm anxieties and depression that affect the ability to start and follow new programs,” she explained.
And according to Dr. JJ, IV therapy is a good way to start replenishing nutrients. “IV (intravenous) nutrient therapy bypasses the gastrointestinal tract and goes directly into the blood where it can be used immediately,” he said. “IV treatments are a catalyst to recovering from fatigue, improving energy and endurance.”
Supplementation
Making the proper lifestyle changes can do wonders for a person’s energy levels. Adding dietary supplements to those changes may just be the one-two punch that someone needs to rid them of fatigue and help them feel “normal” again. “Due to the depleted state of many people in our society, most patients need more than lifestyle and dietary changes,” explained Dr.Wilson. “Most need particular dietary supplements designed to do more than make them feel better for a few weeks. They need targeted products that work deeply to help specific physiological systems function optimally.”
Dr.Wilson’s Original Formulations adrenal fatigue supplement protocol consists of four products: Super Adrenal Stress Formula, which provides the nutrients needed in adrenal hormone production and by the HPA axis. It helps people feel energized, stronger and more balanced within a short period of time, according to the company. Herbal Adrenal Support Formula contains adaptogenic herbs that help balance the HPA axis for enhanced sleep and steady, balanced energy during the day.
According to Dr.Wilson, the Adrenal C Formula is the only vitamin C complex specifically designed to maximally help people under stress and experiencing adrenal fatigue, and the Adrenal Rebuilder contains natural building blocks that optimally support healthy structure and function of the adrenals and HPA axis for enhanced energy, endurance and stress resilience.
According to Sarkar, supplements that naturally enhance energy and endurance are B-vitamin complex (especially B12 and B6), ginseng (Siberian or Panax), green tea, vitamins C, turmeric and CoQ10. Dr.Dobrzynski also recommended sL-carnitine and vitamin D, while Dr. JJ noted the benefits of pycnogenol.
CoQ10 (coenzyme Q10) can help reduce fatigue and is useful for improving athletic performance, may reduce free radical damage in the body and as is beneficial for heart health, as well as supporting nervous system function. In fact, according to a study published in The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2008, researchers studied the effect of a 14-day regimen of CoQ10 supplementation had on the anaerobic and aerobic exercise performance of 22 male and female subjects. Participants were given 200 mg of CoQ10 daily. The researchers discovered that CoQ10 increased the time to exhaustion for both anaerobic and aerobic exercise in all subjects.
According to Sarkar, turmeric (curcumin) is often used in treating CFS and is beneficial for reducing oxidative stress in the body. “Curcumin helps the liver produce bile, which is crucial to move incoming toxins out of the body, before it has a chance to increase inflammation and fatigue both internally (organs and adrenal glands; mental fatigue) and externally (physical fatigue),” he said.
InvigorateNOW is a well-rounded product offering inflammation-reduction, energy and endurance, brain health support, liver health/protection and immune system stimulation in addition to delivering a high antioxidant content. According to Sarkar, the company chose vital endurance/energy ingredients such as a full B-vitamin complex, Siberian ginseng, green tea, turmeric (curcumin), knowing that customers these days have a desire for an energy boost that is done in a natural, herbal-based way.
At the end of the day, health care practitioners must look beyond the simple fact that their patients are tired and sluggish to find out what the root of the problem is. “Think deeper than just trying to address the patient’s lack of endurance and energy. Look at the whole person,” concluded Dr.Wilson. “Do a lifestyle and dietary analysis, and a systems review. Treat the patient as deeply as possible. Use the dietary supplements that also work as deeply as possible.”
Just SHINE
Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, medical director of the national Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers and Chronicity, describes the five key areas that need to be treated for fatigue and pain to resolve, suggesting that in order to optimize energy, one needs to think “SHINE”:
1. Sleep—Until 130 years ago, the average night’s sleep in the U.S. was nine hours. Now it is down to under seven hours a night. I prefer to start with natural therapies. An excellent one (which I developed— “Revitalizing Sleep Formula” by Enzymatic Therapies—100 percent of my royalties for all products I develop are donated to charity) includes theanine, Jamaican dogwood, wild lettuce, valerian, passionflower and hops. Take one to four capsules one hour before bedtime. If the correct ones are used, prescription sleep aids are also appropriate in this setting.
2. Hormonal deficiencies—It is often necessary to treat with natural thyroid, adrenal (e.g. glandulars such as Adrenal Stress End & DHEA), and ovarian and testicular hormones—despite normal blood tests. These hormones have been found to be reasonably safe when used in low doses.
3. Infections—Most importantly fungal/candida infections.
4. Nutritional supplementation— Widespread nutritional deficiencies are common, and require dozens of nutrients. As people are tired of being part of the “Handful Club” (taking handfuls of supplement tablets each day), I developed a product that contains 50 key nutrients in one capsule and one-half to one scoop of powder taken daily (as a good tasting drink). Called the “Energy Revitalization System” by Enzymatic Therapy, it replaces well over 35 supplement tablets with one drink. A new nutrient discovery called ribose is also revolutionizing how CFS/FMS and even heart disease are being treated.
5. Exercise as able—Do not push to where you crash the next day. You will find your ability to walk increases after 10 weeks of being on the other treatments. At that point you can increase your walking by up to a minute each day.
“Using the SHINE protocol gives structure to the many treatments that are needed and helpful, and these are being used by MD, DO, ND, DC, DDS, nutritionists and a host of other specialties,” said Dr. Teitelbaum. “Each then can add their area of special expertise, such as adjustments, detoxification, overall herbal medicine, etc.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Double Helix Water, (800) 270-8650, www.doublehelixwater.com
ICA Health, LLC, (888) ADRENAL, www.icahealth.com
InvigorateNOW, (516) 509-2782, www.invigoratenow.com
Studies suggest that 37.9 to 44 percent of the workforce suffers from fatigue.
Iron deficiency anemia, nutritional deficiencies, poor diet, poor physical activity, over/under training, obesity, asthma, stress, smoking and poor diet are all potential causes of fatigue.
The average American gets 150 pounds of sugar added to their diet each year in food processing.
B-vitamin complex (especially B12 and B6), ginseng (Siberian or Panax), green tea, L-carnitine, vitamins C and D, turmeric, CoQ10, gotu kola and pycnogenol are among the supplements that can enhance energy and endurance naturally.
