If you can't remember the last time you felt energetic or didn't need caffeine to accomplish everyday tasks, you have reasons to be concerned about the root cause of this pervading feeling of meh.
If this "unexplained" tiredness is not associated with a specific health condition, and you have ruled out other diseases that could have been causing, consider the following:
Note: chronic fatigue syndrome caused by infections, diabetes, cardiovascular issues will not addressed in this post, as they'll need their own separate publication.
⚖️ Doshic imbalances
An aggravated vata dosha and depleted kapha dosha. Vata dosha is movement and catabolic, and kapha dosha is structure and anabolic, so when our catabolism, or breakdown of bodily structures is higher than anabolism, or building of such structures, we experience a faster rate of decay that can be manifested as fatigue.
🔥 Low agni
Agni is the fire that transforms and propels us forward, it regulates everything from our digestion to our metabolism. When our agni is low, our metabolism is low, so we can feel depleted and tired more often.
🩸Anemia
There are a few types of congenital (that you were born with) types of anemia (i.e.: thalassemia, sickle cell) and anemias that are a result of chronic diseases (i.e.: celiac disease), but the most common types are caused by nutritional deficiencies. Iron, folic acid, vitamin B12, and blood nourishing foods are essential to ensure a plentiful blood.
😓 Other symptoms: hair loss, dizzyness, faintness, heart palpitations, decline in focus and cognition, headaches, cold extremities, pale: tongue, nail beds, inside bottom eyelid, skin.
🪫Mitochondrial dysfunction
The mitochondria are tiny organelles inside our cells responsible for the energy production. Aside from, again, congenital diseases, the main causative factor is exposure to toxins. The best thing to do is to avoid those sources of toxins and to promote our body's natural detoxification system by eating as naturally as possible. Coenzyme Q10 is also a great ally in the process.
😓 Other symptoms: muscle weakness, and a significant drop in energy levels, it may affect the nervous system as well.
🔺Adrenal dysfunction
Adrenal glands sit on top of both our kidneys and are responsible for producing adrenaline and cortisol. Now, you may know cortisol to be the "stress hormone" and you're right, but it is also important to regulate our levels of energy throughout the day, sleep-wake cycle, blood pressure, immune function, inflammation, blood sugar and more. The best things you can do is to regulate sleep and manage stress. I know... easier said than done, but there's really no magic pill. (although some personalized herbs can help) and unfortunately our lovely adrenals take quite some time to get "back on their feet." There's an autoimmune disease called Addison's disease that affect the adrenals and it should be diagnosed by an endocrinologist and treated accordingly.
😓 Other symptoms: unexplained weight and muscle loss, digestive issues, body hair loss, anxiety, depression.
🦋 Hypothyroidism
The main function of our thyroid gland is our metabolism. When someone has hypothyroidism it means the thyroid is not working efficiently. It can be caused by an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto, or it can be due to a nutritional deficiency, namely selenium, zinc, iodine. A "lazy" thyroid is also often associated with other systemic issues and poor lifestyle habits that can be transitory if corrected in time. We should not disregard psychological issues that directly affect the thyroid, especially in women.
😓 Other symptoms: weight gain, hair loss, brittle hair and nails, constipation, feeling colder than usual, depression, joint and muscle pain, weakness.
(I will write more about hypothyroidism soon!)
💤 Unrestful sleep
Well, this is a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how often it is overlooked. Whether it's caused by lifestyle, sleep apnea, medication or alcohol, quality sleep is essential! Never underestimate it.
The good news is, the most common causes are treatable with a healthier nutrition and lifestyle. And if you were diagnosed with an autoimmune diseases, it is not a life sentence.
Autoimmune diseases, an ayurverdic perspective (Coming soon!)
To a balanced life!
Namaste,
Grazie Prokopetz, Doctor of Ayurveda
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