It’s time again to answer more Fibromyalgia and chronic illness questions. Today’s answer is in relation to fatigue, energy, and supplements. Do you wish there were pills to take to give you the energy you need without the crash and burn? I can’t promise that, but I can provide some interesting clues to this burning question.
What is it about fatigue that bothers you the most?
Fibromyalgia Answers – Fatigue and Supplements
Several weeks ago, I asked you – the Rebuilding Wellness community – to ask me your burning questions when it comes to your health, fibromyalgia, or chronic illness. Or, anything else.
And, as always – you came through!
I’ve had many juicy questions arrive on my Facebook page, in my email inbox, and via comments on my blog.
Here’s a link to my original blog post and feel free to ask your question in any of these ways.
So, today’s question comes from Liz I. She asks,
“My main problem is fatigue.
Anything help with that, supplement-wise?”
That’s an awesome question, Liz. So, let’s dive in …
And, as usual, you’re going to get an answer that goes far beneath the obvious surface question of supplementation.
#Fibromyalgia Answers – #Fatigue, #Energy, and Supplements Click To TweetFirst, let’s explore the underlying “causes” or contributors to energy depletion.
What’s Fuels Fatigue?
Answer these questions before searching for jumping to the supplement lists below.
BODY QUESTIONS:
Is your body fatigue due to a constant struggle with –
- Nutritional Deficiencies. (Do you often consume nutrient-deficient or empty-calorie foods such as processed, packaged, microwaveable, snack foods?)
- Pathogens and Gut Dysfunction. (Parasites, protozoa, worms and other dysfunctions including leaky gut, SIBO, dysbiosis, etc.)
- Infections. (Bacterial, viral, fungal, including tick-related infections.)
- Food sensitivities. (Do you often consume foods that cause your body to work extra hard? Typical offending foods include dairy, wheat/gluten, caffeine, corn, nightshades, some nuts, fake oils/fats, sugar, artificial sweeteners, MSG, eggs, packaged foods, preservatives, etc. These can cause an inflammatory reaction which increases )
- Toxin Load. (Ingested toxins such as alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes/vaping, food chemical additives, etc. And, other toxins such as heavy metals and chemicals from dental amalgams, vaccines, tap water, and more.)
- Healthy Fat Deficiency. (Not getting enough – or a healthy balance of – healthy fats in your diet can create a micronutrient imbalance that’s hard to overcome. Consume adequate quantities of fats from avocado, salmon, olive oil, coconut, nuts, and seeds [flax, chia], etc.) AVOID FAKE FATS.
- Insufficient Sleep. When sleep is in short supply and is un-restorative, interrupted, or poor quality, the body’s ability to heal and repair is compromised.
All of these challenges – especially when the exposure is often/consistent – tend to compromise the day-to-day function of the body. They each have the potential to significantly increase and/or add to the already existing fatigue factor. Are you impacted by more than one of the above? Uh oh. Getting a leg up on the fatigue battle may feel like it’s three steps forward and two back.
What Brain Patterns Fuel Fatigue?
Brain patterns that you may not consider can have a great impact on the body’s energy resources. Any emotions that stir up unsettled feelings can trigger the stress response and our hormones respond accordingly.
Do any of the following challenges affect you often?
- Negative thoughts
- Worries (any repeating, unresolved thoughts about family, money, relationships, jobs, health, living arrangements, etc.)
- Anxieties (amped up worries about the future)
- Sadness/Apathy (amped up worries about the past)
- Fears (worst-case, or what-if scenarios that seem to have no solution)
- Work pressures (workload, responsibilities, peer challenges, boss challenges, etc.
- Poor sleep (notice how the above issues contribute to poor sleep, therefore it’s something that needs to be addressed in multiple ways)
Notice how the above concerns often show up as looping thoughts or looping emotions. (There are several practices that can stop looping thoughts in their tracks, but this extended conversation goes beyond the scope of this post. If you’d like to know more, contact me via email or leave a comment below.)
Supplements for Fatigue and Energy
Now that you know what can get in the way of your body’s ability to sustain adequate energy, here are a few ways you can boost your energy and reduce fatigue.
Keep in mind that the very definition of supplements is that they are to be used to supplement your already healthy regimen. They can be used to ADD TO an already healthy, whole, nutrient-dense diet. They can be added to a regiment that includes regular body movement. They’re not to replace healthy foods or healthy ways to detox the body through movement.
We can’t “out supplement” significant challenges like those listed above.
With that in mind, here’s a list of supplements and nutrients to consider. As always, choose products that provide the highest quality, highest sourcing, and highest purity standards that fit within your budget. My preference is Metagenics products and I’m always happy to discuss how you obtain these high-quality products through my own online store. Simply reply to my email or contact me on my site.
Vitamins/Minerals/Nutrients:
- Magnesium
- Vitamin D
- CoQ10
- B complex vitamins (especially B5/B6)
- Vitamin B12 (in some cases)
- Melatonin (to help achieve higher quality sleep)
- Iron (IF tests show that you’re deficient)
Be sure to get adequate nutritional deficiency testing from a trusted health professional before adding any of these supplements to you current protocol
Herbs, etc.:
- Ashwagandha
- Beetroot powder
- Tyrosine (found in food sources such as spirulina, spinach, beef, chicken, fish, turkey, avocado, eggs [if you’re not reactive to them], lentils, seeds, and bananas.)
- Rhodiola Rosea
There’s your list and I hope you find it a good start to help you on your healing journey.
Fatigue Supplements to Skip
Just say no to caffeine and fake energy enhancements found in energy drinks, power shots, and sodas. Say no to sugar in any form. Artificial boosts have the potential for far-worse and long-lasting side-effects over the supposed benefits of a short-term energy gain.
Is there anything else you can do to help with fatigue?
There are several simple practices that can come to the energy rescue. Practices such as yoga, tai chi, prayer, meditation, Tapping, visualization, deep breathing, gratitude, journaling, laughter, and acupuncture can all prove beneficial. They can each have profound and lasting positive effects on your body’s ability to generate and sustain higher levels of energy.
What’s your favorite supplement? And what’s your favorite practice?
Share your experiences below!
And, don’t miss out on answers we’ve previously covered in this series. Take a look at these other important Q&A posts here:
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