Always Tired? Here Are 10 Signs That Your Fatigue Isn't Normal! Women's Health

Fatigue is a normal and healthy response in anybody who has an active life. It simply is your body telling you that it is time to rest. The problem is when it doesn’t go away despite a good night sleep or even a week’s vacation, or when you don’t have enough energy to do a reasonable day’s activities. It is important for women to realize that raising children and maintaining a home is a full-time job. Social changes over the last generation have led people to forget this simple truth. Here are some signs that your fatigue is not normal, and what they mean:

• Insomnia: If you can’t sleep even though you’re exhausted, this is a sign that you let the fatigue go too far and you may be developing fibromyalgia. This illness is basically like blowing a fuse. Fortunately, it is very treatable by optimizing energy production. Unfortunately, most physicians are clueless about this condition. 
• Exhausted All Day: Most often this comes from poor nutrition, excess sugar and not getting enough sleep. Until 135 years ago when light bulbs were invented, the average night sleep in U.S. was nine hours a night. Take two weeks and cut out the things in your life that you don’t enjoy, and use that time for sleep. You may be shocked at how much better you feel. 
• Pain: This can come from decreased energy overall as well as from increased inflammation. Omega 3 support can help, as can several herbals. I recommend using Vectomega and an herbal mix called Curamin.
• Cold Intolerance and Weight Gain: These strongly suggests an underactive thyroid – even if your thyroid blood tests are normal! Thyroid blood tests have been shown to miss the majority of people who benefit from thyroid hormone. You may need to find a holistic doctor for this. 
• Irritable When Hungry: Do you get “feed me now or I will kill you” moments? This suggests that your adrenal stress handler gland is getting exhausted. This is becoming more and more common with the stress of modern life. This can be helped by increasing salt, decreasing sugar, having frequent small high-protein meals the day and using an exceptional adrenal support formula called Adrenaplex. 
• Fall Asleep During the Day: If you snore at night, or are overweight (shirt collar of 16 1/2 inches or more), especially if you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor to check you for sleep apnea.
• Moving Around While Sleeping: Videotape yourself while sleeping and see if your legs are jumpy during the night. Called restless leg syndrome, this is caused by iron and magnesium deficiency and aggravated by low thyroid and low blood sugar. Take 200 mg of magnesium and a 1 ounce protein snack at bedtime to see if this helps. 
• Sinusitis, Nasal Congestion or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Gas, Bloating, Diarrhea and/or Constipation): This suggests candida overgrowth contributing to your fatigue. Doctors are used to treating vaginal yeast infections which they can see and test for. Unfortunately, there is no regular test available for gut and sinus candida, so doctors make believe it doesn’t exist. 
• Afternoon Energy Drop: It is reasonable for your energy to drop for 30 to 60 minutes after eating, as your body shifts its resources to digesting the meal. Sometimes it seems to get stuck there. A simple trick to shift back to the sympathetic “wide awake” nervous system 45 minutes or so after eating is simply to splash cold water on your face, get up and stretch, rub your ears and/or drink 8-12 ounces of water.
• You’re Unhappy: If you’re doing things you really don’t enjoy, your body will start shutting down your energy until you change directions. The e-book "Three Steps to Happiness" can guide you on how to do this. 

Want a simple way to see what is causing your fatigue? A free Energy Analysis Program 10 minute quiz at Vitality101.com can determine the causes of your fatigue, and tailor a protocol to optimize your energy!