Your energy crisis

May 2009

Energy, which ever way you look at, it is a hot topic. Be it "green" energy, fossil fuel energy or just energy to get you through the day. Wouldn't it be great if you could plug into a power point and charge up for the day. Especially after a night tossing and turning with hot flushes and sweats.

Fatigue is a constant problem for many women, so much so that they get used to feeling tired all the time. If you have had a bad night from flushing and sweating then the cause of your fatigue is obvious. But what if you sleep through the night, get the regular 7 to 8 hours of sleep and yet you still have to drag yourself through the day.

What else could be making you so tired?

Often menopause comes at a time in a women's life when there are many conflicting emotions and demands. There may be elderly parents who need extra help, time and energy. Or you have returned to the workforce and are working hard to build a career. There are many more stresses that come together at this time in a woman's life.

At the same time your body is trying to cope with changing hormone levels and that in itself is an added stress. When the stress fighting system becomes overloaded, exhaustion sets in.

There are several herbal and nutritional medicines that can help at this level and many women find that a good B complex, multivitamin and herbal tonic helps them to regain some energy. Counselling can be effective to learn ways of dealing with the emotional stresses.

Iron deficiency and aneamia can be another reason for constant fatigue and that possibility should be investigated. There are several reasons for iron deficiency. Vegetarians are more at risk because the iron in vegetables is not so well absorbed. The menstrual period often becomes more frequent or prolonged with heavy bleeding around menopause, and this can cause iron deficiency. Heavy periods may be caused by fibroids or endometriosis, which should be investigated.

The thyroid gland regulates your metabolic rate and it slows down as you age. Mild hypothyroidism rises steadily from 10% before menopause to 20% after menopause.

Common symptoms of slow thyroid function include:

• fluid retention
• yellow skin
• sensitivity to heat or cold
• irregular periods
• very dry skin
• foggy thinking
• fatigue, of course.

Blood tests for thyroid function can confirm this but one of the most sensitive tests can be done at home. This is the basal body temperature test (BBT) and is most useful for detecting sub clinical low thyroid function.

If you experience sudden changes in energy, feeling very tired or sleepy after meals, you may be affected by functional hypoglyceamia or insulin resistance. The combination of changing female hormones and stress related adrenal exhaustion can stimulate the release of the fat and sugar storing hormone, insulin. When your blood sugar regulation is disturbed you feel tired and can't lose weight. Afternoon fatigue, sugar cravings and energy crashes may be early symptoms of insulin resistance. Insulin balance is also a key to balancing your female hormones.

Don't just accept that you are tired and, oh well, it is old age and menopause. You can do something and, yes, you can get back that energy and zest for life that is missing right now. Here is a quick check list to get you started:

• Treat hot flushes and night sweats if you get them.
• Get counseling help to deal with emotional issues.
• Check iron levels.
• Measure your Basal Body Temperature.
• Check for functional hypoglyceamia.

For more information, please contact Elizabeth Blomberg at mind body insight. You can also schedule a consultation online.