3 Reasons a Dysfunctional Gut is Making You Tired
Your gut health plays a fundamental role in how your body functions. Let’s dive in to how it can make you tired or energize you!
Poor Nutrient Extraction = Poor Energy Production
If you're not eating a healthy diet to begin with, you'll have a serious nutritional deficit right out of the gate, so this is a crucial area to work on. BUT, if you’re already eating well and your gut still isn’t functioning properly, all those nutrients aren’t going to be put to good use.
There are many stages to digestion that need to be working effectively in order to get energy from our foods. We need adequate levels of stomach acid (HCl), which most people don’t have. We need proper production of digestive enzymes and healthy levels of gut bacteria that help us breakdown our foods also. Additionally, bacterial overgrowths, parasites and candida steal nutrients and zap our energy if they’re out of control. In fact, parasites and SIBO are very common causes of anemia/iron deficiency and B12 deficiency and resulting fatigue.
Things that can help:
Get your foundation right and eat foods that will help heal your gut, instead of harm it. A paleo-style diet is great.
CHEW CHEW CHEW!! Chew your food to a paste to extract all that energy-boosting goodness from your food and help stimulate gastric juices like HCl and enzymes.
Remember that drinking enough pure water is part of "eating right”.
Don't eat while stressed or angry.
You Have Too Much Bad Bacteria
Bad bacteria causes inflammation in the gut, which over time causes leaky gut. Gut inflammation can easily get out of control, spreading throughout the body, which is why “minor” gut symptoms shouldn’t be ignored. Wide-spread inflammation is a major cause of low energy levels. Bad bacteria also depletes nutrients, lowers immunity, affects our mental health and causes cravings. Additionally, it affects our adrenal and thyroid function, which plays a big role in energy and stress response!
Things that can help:
Reduce foods the bad bacteria love - sugar, we're looking at you!
A quality probiotic supplement. I often recommend a soil or spore-based probiotic which is easy on the gut and helps repopulate it with beneficial bacteria.
Consider antimicrobials to help clear unwanted bacteria and other microbes. Probiotics can also help clear bad bacteria. Always work with a practitioner.
A Toxic Gut is Draining
Did you know that the bad bacteria and other pathogenic (disease-causing) microbes in your gut, such as parasites, produce their own toxins that can make you sick and tired? It's their defence mechanism to keep your immune system from attacking them. If you've ever tried a "cleanse" that made you sick, it was likely, in part, those critters spewing out toxins for disturbing their peaceful home. This can even happen from exercise for some people, which can make it difficult to stay active. It’s extremely important that we’re eating a diet that is non-toxic as much as possible to reduce our toxin load, but also working to clear these pathogens.
Toxins affect more than just your gut and energy. They clog up your liver (which also affects energy production), skin, can suppress immune function, contributing to allergies and frequent infections and even affect our brain function.
Things that can help:
Support your drainage pathways, such as the colon, liver and lymphatics, with foods and supplements.
Get your bowels moving better by using magnesium, fibre and decreasing refined carbs and sugar.
Once again, water is your best friend for flushing out toxins.
Eat organic whenever possible.
What’s helped your energy levels? Or what have you tried that hasn’t yet worked? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
Asher Kleiber
Registered Holistic Nutritionist™
