The Science Behind Why You're Chronically Tired

This morning, I woke up feeling like a pregnant woman who just ran a marathon -- bloated and exhausted.

While I usually have great energy in the morning, waking up today feeling hung over made me think of what I did differently last night.

Did I eat anything unusual? Did I gorge on ice cream? Pound one too many beers?

The only thing I can think of is that I did eat too many grains. At least for me, eating an excessive amount of grains (anything more than one slice of bread), even if they are sprouted or gluten-free or whole grain or advertised as healthy in 101 ways, puts me out of whack.

Constantly eating the wrong foods causes widespread systemic stress. And even if you are indeed eating for your Metabolic Type and a very healthy eater, having other chronic stress--be it a job you hate, being in a toxic relationship, exercising too much (Triathletes and marathon runners), indulging in drugs and alcohol--causes a physiological phenomena called the "Pregnenelone Steal".

When your body is under stress of any kind, cortisol is released by the adrenal gland (located on top of your kidneys). Cortisol is the stress hormone. If adrenaline prepares the body for fight or flight and has the energy that could be compared to a sprinter, cortisol, by contrast is the long-distance runner, preparing us for sustained stress.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing to have our bodies release a steroidal hormone to help us deal with stress. However, too much of a good thing, is, of course, a bad thing.

Once the body undergoes chronic stress, our adrenal cortexes struggle to make enough cortisol to keep up with stress. As a result, our bodies ingeniously take another hormone called pregnenelone (a precursor to estrogen), essentially preventing it from metabolizing into sex hormones. This is the Pregnenelone Steal.

All major systems of our bodies go out of whack. Too much cortisol can interfere with developing lean muscle . This is one reason why people who have gone through lots of stress often have trouble losing bodyfat and specifically adding muscle.

All long-term sicknesses are either caused or exacerbated by fatigued adrenals. This post could go on and on about how adrenal fatigue affects all systems.

Sparing you a boring lecture, just know that if you've been struggling with energy, you must first eliminate sources of chronic stress. Yes, this is easier said than done. But there are simple lab tests and 100% natural supplements like bio-identical hormones (derived from wild yam extract) that can help push you more towards balanced.

I'd be happy to help you or anyone else you know. I'm a graduate of the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition program that trains holistic health advocates in hormonal balance testing and digestive function. Call Judd at 858.442.6861 to receive your free wellness consultation.