Why Am I Still Exhausted? How Healing Your Gut Could Finally Give You Your Energy Back
Why Am I Still Exhausted? How Healing Your Gut Could Finally Give You Your Energy Back
This month I have been talking a lot about energy, and specifically about the connection between your gut and how tired you feel. It is a link that most people never make, and one that took me years to understand in my own body. So I want to tell you my story, because I think it might sound familiar.
2018: The Year Everything Changed
By 2018 I was a mess, though I would not have used those words at the time. Daily headaches. Monthly migraines. Menopause completely out of control. A life-threatening anaphylactic allergy to soya, multiple food intolerances, pain in my chest and back, and of course the obvious IBS symptoms, the bloating, the fluctuation between diarrhoea and constipation that had become my normal.
Then I discovered the microbiome. I followed a microbiome healing and feeding plan, and within six weeks almost all of those symptoms had gone or were massively subdued. It felt like a miracle. But there was one thing that did not shift. I was still exhausted. Bone tired. And I told myself that was just part of life.
Two Years Ago: Nearly Giving Up
Two years ago I was seriously considering walking away from my nutrition business. I had the knowledge, I cared deeply about my clients, but I was running on empty. What I did not know then was
that despite my gut being in much better shape, I was still not absorbing nutrients properly. My body was not getting what it needed, and no amount of good intentions was going to fix that.
I nearly retired, but I could not see myself taking up knitting.
Then I met a woman who introduced me to fruit and vegetables in capsule form. I was sceptical, to put it mildly. But within three weeks I had the kind of energy I had watched other people have for years and quietly envied. I could not quite believe it was real.
Two Years On: What I Do Every Day
I still take my fruit and vegetable capsules every day. But over the past two years I have also built a set of daily habits that work with my body rather than against it. These are not complicated. Some of them will sound obvious. But obvious and easy are not the same thing.
Two litres of filtered water a day. Hydration is foundational. Everything works better when you are properly hydrated, including your digestion and your brain.
Fish every day. The omega-3 fatty acids support your gut lining, your brain, and your energy levels.
Minimal alcohol, and only at the weekend. Alcohol disrupts sleep, disrupts the gut, and drains energy. I have not cut it out entirely, but I have given it a boundary.
Managing stress, and this is the big one. Stress is one of the most damaging things you can do to your digestion. The gut-brain axis is real, and when you are chronically stressed your digestive system pays the price. When you get a handle on stress, your digestion improves, your energy improves, and everything starts to feel more manageable.
Sleep. I know. You have heard it before. But knowing you should sleep well and actually doing it are different things. I have a routine: no phone after 6pm, adult colouring and painting in the evenings, dinner by 6pm at the latest, a cool and quiet bedroom. Every element matters.
Honouring my circadian rhythm. My body is up with the larks, at 5:30am, which admittedly is puppy-led these days. I get outside into natural light first thing, no sunglasses, because that light signal is what sets your body clock for the day. I eat at regular times so my body knows what to expect and when. I go to bed and
get up at the same time every day. If you are erratic with your schedule you are effectively putting your body through jet lag on a weekly basis, and you will feel it.
Get the Basics Right First
Once the basics are in place, we can start to look at other possible reasons why you might still be running low on energy. There are many, and as a nutritionist I work through them with my clients all the time. But if the foundations are not there, there is a limit to how much the rest can help. You cannot build on sand.
If you are exhausted and you have a gut that is not behaving itself, please do not assume that is just your lot. It was not mine, and it does not have to be yours.
If you want to explore what is going on for you, I would love to hear from you. You can find me at www.food4healthyguts.com.
Jackie
Nutritionist specialising in gut health
