What Fatigue Means

Are you tired all the time? Do you get that fatigue feeling? What does fatigue even mean?

Fatigue is the most common symptom that I see in my clients. If they come in with an GI issue, they are also fatigued. Do they come to me wanting to lose weight? They are also fatigued. Do they struggle with depression or anxiety? They also are fatigued. Do they want to clear their skin form eczema in time for summer? They also are probably fatigued. 


Fatigue, exhaustion, tired…it’s all the same. And it means something.


Fatigue is a sure sign of deeper issues. And is often one of the first symptoms people will notice when their body starts to struggle. Don’t ignore your fatigue! 


At it’s very basic level fatigue means that the body isn’t making energy. More specifically, the cell can’t create energy. Your cells are designed to produce energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is an energy-carrying molecule that is found in all living things. Guess what drives the production of ATP? Three molecules that we call fat, carbohydrates, and protein. 

In order to understand fatigue we need to understand how the body is energized, so let's think about your local power plant that creates electricity for your entire city.


Think of ATP as the power going through your body to energize everything, sort of like the electricity that goes through the walls in your house to power all the rooms. This energy in your body does more than help you play soccer with your kids. It give energy to your digestive system to break down the scrambled eggs you had this morning and it energizes your brain to remember to order a Target pick-up for toilet paper. It also gives your cells energy to repair the body when you bump into the counter with your arm or get a cold. ATP even gives the lungs energy to automatically breathe in and out. It IS the currency of energy that gives energy to literally every function of the body.


That energy is generated somewhere, right? Absolutely. Your cell generates ATP in a little part of the cell called the mitochondria. It’s sort of like the power plant in the city you live. But that power plant for your community doesn’t generate power out of thin air. They probably use some sort of fuel. (Hopefully you can see where this is going) They use coal or gas or wind or water or maybe nuclear energy. Your cells take in fuel to create energy too, and that fuel comes from the nutrients  (primarily fat, carbohydrates, and protein) you give your body. 


So what does fatigue mean?


It means that somewhere along the process of the body making energy there was a problem, and the result is lower (or no) production of energy. Imagine if there was no fuel. There would be no energy. What if the power plant shuts down? There would be no energy. Or the workers go on strike? There would be no energy. Or the powerlines that take energy to your house get struck by lightning? There would be no energy. All of those issues would break the flow of energy. The same thing happens with your body. Not giving the cell proper nutrients can prevent it from getting the fuel it needs to create ATP. Problems in the cell (like viruses) can prevent the ATP from getting distributed around the body. The brain, through your fight or flight response, can tell the cells to change priorities. There are also multiple reasons that the mitochondria (the power plant) can shut down or get destroyed. 


Simply put: Fatigue means you have a problem along the energy production line of the body. 


So do you have this problem? If you constantly say “I’m so tired!’ chances are, you do. 


There are three root causes of fatigue that I outline in my
Take Back My Energy Quick Guide. If you want to see which root cause your body deals with most, download the guide to take the assessment, learn about the causes, and create your plan for healing. 


I’ve helped hundreds of clients with their original health complaint AND their fatigue. Don’t go another day without taking back your energy.


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