By Marty Kernion, Ph.D.
QUESTION: During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays I get exhausted. What can I do to raise my energy levels?
ANSWER: Fatigue is a symptom. To solve the problem, we need to always look at causes. For example:
• Are there any imbalances with hormones, such as thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone?
• Are there problems with circulation, so that not enough oxygen is getting to the brain?
• Is there any emotional issue such as depression that could be rearing its ugly head?
• Could you have a deficiency of iron or vitamin B12 that could be the culprit?
• Could blood sugar be out of balance? Christmas cookies could be the problem. (Please don’t call me the Grinch. Homemade cookies are a major temptation for me!)
• Have you been getting enough sleep? Keeping Christmas simple and recruiting help from the family can make a real difference. And remember, Christmas is not a competition. Ooh. I heard some “ouches” out there.
• Have you put undue stress on the adrenal glands? Our adrenal glands hormones are critical for energy. Caffeine can be a double-edged sword by beating up your adrenals and can keep you from sound sleep also.
• Is your liver on toxic overload? Sluggish liver…sluggish life.
• Has your DIET been a little out of the norm for you? Besides sugar overload, do you rely on fast food more than usual during the holidays?
If your energy sags just during the holiday season, that makes investigative work a little easier! If you’re like most people, you burn the candle at both ends during the holidays. Look for ways to simplify the holidays so that you can focus on the important things, such as quality family time. By reducing stress, you can actually impact each of the areas represented by the above bullet points. For example, when we put added stress on our bodies, we tend to eat fast food that is short on nutrients, not absorb the nutrients we do eat, and put stress on the liver and adrenal glands. Depression is common during the holidays and is a major energy zapper.
We tend to eat more sweets and do more caffeine and alcohol during the holidays, which will result in a high, followed with a slump in energy. This routine will also add to the body’s acidity, which can impact energy, as well as bring on a whole host of other problems.
Be aware of what your triggers are. Are you especially sensitive to one of the areas listed? Be conscious of what that extra Christmas candy does to your energy and mood.
Hot Tip #1: Make sure you get extra nutritional supplements during the holidays to close the nutritional gap and give you more energy.
Hot Tip # 2: Have a wonderful holiday season.
Marty Kernion, Ph.D. is not a medical doctor. She has a doctorate in naturopathy. Naturopathy uses natural, gentle ways to bring our bodies back into balance so that they have the God-given ability to heal themselves. She is a retired professor of herbal medicine and nutrition and has written 39 college level courses in natural approaches to health. She has published two books on natural health. A Freeport local, Marty can be reached by email at askdoctormarty@cox.net to schedule a class or consultation, or for sending in your questions for this column.
