HELP!! I’m tired!

I need more energy!

We cannot talk about increasing our energy without talking about true health at a cellular level as well as detoxification.

The most common reason our clients visit the DripBar for IV vitamin drip therapy is to improve low energy. It seems we are fast becoming a global population of energy depleted people.

Finding and fixing the underlying cause of low energy is absolutely key:

• Find the cause.
• Fix the cause.
• Feel normal again!
• Stop feeling lousy…rotten…awful…crummy…miserable…terrible…crappy.
• Find a good health coach or functional medicine practitioner to help you get to the root cause of your low energy.

There are three main types of fatigue:

1. General fatigue
2. Muscle fatigue
3. Brain fatigue

The mitochondria are the energy producers or powerhouses of our cells. They are the tiny organelles found inside of every cell in the body. Their job is to make energy in its purest form, ATP. (ATP also produces water in the body). The energy produced in the mitochondria ultimately drives the healing and repair mechanisms of the body. When the mitochondria have a hard time producing energy, our energy levels are low and we feel tired and fatigued.

The cell danger response (CDR) is the evolutionarily conserved metabolic response by the mitochondria that protects cells and hosts from harm. It is triggered by encounters with chemical, physical, or biological threats that exceed the cell’s capacity for homeostasis or balance. In summary, the mitochondria, when exposed to these threats, elicit the CDR instead of producing energy (ATP). This is why we are so tired and sleep so much when we’re ill. Its the CDR of the mitochondria that enables the body to conserve energy by slowing it down and rather directing energy to heal/fight the threat.

Muscle and brain cells can have up to as many as 10 000 mitochondria per cell. This is because the energy demand from these cells is very high.

So what are some of the things that would cause our mitochondria to produce less energy and our bodies to feel fatigued, exhausted and tired (CDR)?

There are many causes of low energy but the three main reasons appear to be:

1. Hormonal imbalances

Adrenal, sex and thyroid hormones all regulate energy levels.

Adrenal burnout or exhaustion is the most common cause of low energy.

Cortisol is the main hormone produced by the adrenal glands during times of stress. Cortisol levels can become depleted from long-tern stress.

DHEA is the other main adrenal hormone and is a predictor of how long the body has been suffering from stress. The lower the DHEA level, the longer you have been a victim of stress.

Looking at cortisol and DHEA together:

In women, cortisol is actually made from progesterone so when you are under stress, every molecule of progesterone gets converted into cortisol. Chronic stress, therefore, has an impact on both cortisol and progesterone.

Similarly, under normal circumstances, DHEA is made into estrogen and testosterone but when the body is under stress, the adrenals are stimulated to produce cortisol rather than DHEA. This reduces DHEA levels and in turn, estrogen and testosterone.

Low estrogen and low testosterone both cause fatigue.

Low progesterone has a direct impact on the thyroid glad, thereby causing fatigue.

Some common causes of hormonal stress or imbalance include:

• Dairy consumption (milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter, cream)
• Processed foods high in refined sugar, hydrogenated fat and salt
• Micronutrient deficiencies
• Endocrine disruptors (phthalates, BPA’s)
• Toxins including glyphosate, mould, heavy metals etc
• Toxins:
  • Change your microbiome
  • Express dysfunctional/disease-causing genes
  • Suppress immunity
  • Affect the endocrine system
  • Block nutrient uptake from the gut as well as at a cellular level
  • Love fat cells and attach to cell membranes/walls

Proper laboratory testing is the key to figuring out if hormonal imbalances are the cause of your low energy:

• The best way to test adrenal hormones (cortisol and DHEA) is with saliva testing.
• Cortisol levels are tested on a 24-hour cycle: they should be highest in the AM, lower in the afternoon, even lower in the evening and lowest at night.
• This requires a series of 4 saliva samples to map out your curve.
• The best way to test sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) is also with saliva testing.
• Like cortisol, the sex hormones are on a cycle, too (particularly estrogen and progesterone), and it is easiest to measure the monthly rhythm by doing a series of saliva samples throughout the month, not just one single blood test one day out of the month.
• Men have estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, too, and can test their sex hormones any day of the month.
• The best way to test thyroid hormones (TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3, TPO antibodies, thyroglobulin antibodies) is with blood testing.

2. Digestive imbalance

A healthy gut (diversity and volume of healthy bacteria plus intact intestinal wall (no leaky gut)) or properly functioning digestive system is the next big contributor to the state of our energy and the potential CDR of the mitochondria.

Undetected infections (Parasites, yeast, funal infections) usually in the stomach or intestines, cause fatigue as they ‘steal’ the nutrients you require for energy to keep themselves alive.

3. Detoxification imbalances may be caused by:

a. Emotional stress (death of a loved one; work stress; financial stress; divorce)

b. Dietary and environmental stress

(food allergies; blood sugar imbalances; skipping meals; caffeine; alcohol), Heavy metals and chemicals stored in the body can contribute to low energy because they damage the mitochondria.

c. Inflammatory stress  (pain or hidden inflammation)

True cellular detox includes:

1. Reducing cellular inflammation by removing the source of the inflammation or cellular damage
2. Dietary
3. Environmental
4. Underlying illness or disease
5. Correct and appropriate supplementation to improve the quality of the cell membrane (phosphatidylcholine and omega 3)
6. Optimizing and supporting all six detox pathways
7. Methylation (toxin neutralizer)

Effective Tools and Techniques to Boost Energy levels

• Optimize gut health
• Energy Boost IV vitamin Drip
• Molecular hydrogen (especially when flying. Use in combination with metallic magnesium)
• Ketone acids
• NAD
• B3 (Niacinamide)
• Time-restricted eating (TRE)
• Fasting (FMD)
• Metabolic flexibility (fat and glucose)
• Blood flow restriction exercising
• Hyperbaric oxygen
• Hormesis
• Coldwater submersion
• Sauna
• Fasting
• Sun exposure
• Breathing techniques

Effective Toxin binders

• Cilantro
• Chlorella
• Fulvic acid
• Pectin
• Activated charcoal
• Ozone
• Bentonite clay
• IV Glutathione (GSH)
• IV Vitamin C

• Glutathione (GSH) is produced by the body but it takes 4 molecules of ATP (energy) to produce 1 molecule of GSH. This process may be compromised if the body is already low in energy. GSH converts free radicals into water. If the free radicals are not converted into water, oxidative stress results. Oxidative stress causes inflammation, illness and disease.
• A deficiency of sulphur, zinc and/or selenium will all contribute to lower levels of GSH as these nutrients are the precursors to GSH.

Individual treatment protocols to restore energy balance may vary, but should always include nutritional supplements (herbs, vitamins, minerals) as well as lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, rest, sleep, stress management), all of which contribute to getting the body back into balance.

Blog post written by Chantal Du Chenne, Gut Health advocate and Lifestyle Coach, and owner/ operator of the DripBar.

BIO: Chantal is a B.Sc.Hons Allied Health with an international diploma in Nutrition and Sports Nutrition. Chantal is a passionate Gut Health advocate & holistic Lifestyle Coach, specialising in the improvement and management of the chronic diseases of lifestyle, the illnesses and diseases associated with dietary excess and their relationship to leaky gut and dysbiosis (imbalance) of the gut microbiome. These conditions include IBS, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, overweight, obesity, acne, eczema, depression, anxiety, auto-immune, hormone imbalance, cognitive decline etc.

Over her 25 year career, Chantal has held various positions within the health and wellness industry – including 10 years as the Executive Head of Vodacom’s corporate wellness & mobile health programs. Chantal is the owner/ founder of the DripBar which offers vitamin and mineral drip therapy in improving micronutrient deficiencies. She is also the founder/owner of a Kombucha brewery which produces the brand of organic green tea ‘booch’ called theFarmacy.

Chantal is a competitive cyclist, a plant strong vegan and mom to two grown up girls.

Get dripped with an IV vitamin drip at the DripBar!

Detox. Energize. Immune boost

At the DripBar, we offer a range of vitamin and mineral IV drips designed to optimize health and well-being. IV nutrient therapy supports the active busy stressful lifestyles that are so common to 21st century living. At the DripBar, our IV vitamin drips have been specifically formulated to include combinations of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and amino acids that boost immunity, improve mitochondrial function & energy levels, increase vitality and facilitate detoxification.

Book a drip today!

This blog post contains information that is not designed to take the place of,
substitute, or replace any form and method of professional or medical advice
and treatment or medicine. All content is the author’s opinion and is not
intended to diagnose and remedy. The facts and figures contained in this
document are presented solely for informational and educational purposes
only.