Autoimmune Fatigue: How to Boost Your Energy Naturally

In this episode of Limitless Health, I dive into one of the most frustrating symptoms many women with autoimmune conditions experience—chronic fatigue. 

I remember those days when I would sleep 12 hours and still feel like I hadn’t slept at all. If you’re relying on coffee just to get through the day and still feel drained, this episode is for you. We’re going to explore the hidden causes of autoimmune fatigue and how you can start restoring your energy without relying on stimulants.

Key Highlights:

1.The Real Cause of Chronic Fatigue

Breaking down why autoimmune fatigue goes beyond just lack of sleep. It often stems from deeper issues like mitochondrial dysfunction, hormone imbalances, or even environmental toxins that disrupt your body’s natural processes.

2.Everyday Triggers You Might Be Overlooking

Things like mold, heavy metals, and even fragrances could be playing a major role in draining your energy. Learn how making small changes in your environment can help your body function more efficiently.

3.Actionable Tips to Start Regaining Energy Today

From supporting your mitochondria with nutrient-rich foods to reducing your exposure to toxins, we share simple, practical steps you can take right now to feel more energized and improve your overall well-being.

Ready to take control of your autoimmune health?

Sign up for our free upcoming webinar, How to Take Control of Autoimmune Health Naturally, where we’ll dive even deeper into strategies to help you regain energy and improve your health. Reserve your spot here: [https://webinar.alignednaturalhealth.com]

•Follow us on Instagram for more tips and updates: [@alignednaturalhealth]


*** This podcast is for information purposes only. By providing the information contained herein, we are not diagnosing, treating, curing, mitigating, or preventing any disease or medical condition. Before beginning any type of natural regimen, it is advisable to seek the advice of a licensed healthcare professional.  

*** This podcast is for information purposes only. By providing the information contained herein, we are not diagnosing, treating, curing, mitigating, or preventing any disease or medical condition. Before beginning any type of natural regimen, it is advisable to seek the advice of a licensed healthcare professional.

Transcript

Kate McDowell [00:00:00]:
Do you find you constantly feel drained no matter how much sleep you get? I remember the days when I used to sleep 12 hours a night and wake up feeling like I hadn't slept at all. Do you find that even drinking coffee isn't helping you? Fatigue is one of the most common and frustrating symptoms when it comes to autoimmune. But what if I told you there are natural ways to get your energy back? In today's episode, that's what we're gonna talk about, how to fix autoimmune related fatigue and regain your health without relying on stimulants.

Amanda Golightly [00:00:32]:
We believe in growth and continuous learning.

Kate McDowell [00:00:35]:
We believe in educating and sharing knowledge.

Amanda Golightly [00:00:38]:
We believe the body is miraculous and is able to heal with the proper nutrition and support.

Kate McDowell [00:00:43]:
And we believe the right mindset is key to

Amanda Golightly [00:00:45]:
your success. I'm Amanda Golytely.

Kate McDowell [00:00:48]:
And I'm Kate McDowell. And this is limitless health.

Amanda Golightly [00:00:51]:
Live well naturally.

Kate McDowell [00:00:55]:
Chronic exhaustion doesn't just affect your productivity. It impacts every aspect of your life, your mood to your relationships. And if you're tired of feeling tired, we're here to help you understand what's really causing your fatigue and what you can do to start feeling better today. And if you want to take control of your autoimmune health and dive deeper into strategies for regaining energy, we'll be telling you how you can join our free webinar, how to take control of autoimmune health naturally, which is happening soon. Many people think their fatigue is just a result of not getting enough sleep, or maybe it's from working too hard. But for those with autoimmune conditions, fatigue often goes a lot deeper than that. Chronic fatigue is usually a sign that something is off at a cellular level and your body is struggling to keep up with the demands being placed on it. Your cells rely on a balance of nutrients, of hormones and oxygen to produce energy.

Kate McDowell [00:01:50]:
And when that balance is disrupted, whether it's due to things like inflammation or hormone imbalances, or even environmental toxins, your cells can't produce the energy that you need to function properly. So what's an actionable tip you can start with today. So start by taking inventory of how you feel throughout the day. Do you crash in the afternoon or do you wake up feeling just as tired as you went to bed? This can give you clues about what might be causing your fatigue. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells, and when they aren't functioning properly, fatigue is one of the first signs that show up for people. For people with autoimmune conditions, mitochondrial health can be compromised by things like chronic inflammation. And in my opinion, chronic inflammation is one of the biggest drivers of autoimmune and this can come from so many different things in your life, in your diet, in your stress, in your environment and chronic inflammation, toxins and stress are big drivers when it comes to your cells, your mitochondria not being able to function as they should. When your mitochondria aren't working optimally, your cells can't produce enough energy to keep up with the demands of your body.

Kate McDowell [00:03:03]:
And that leads to that rundown feeling that just never seems to go away. That alone is exhausting. And if your cells aren't able to keep up with the energy that they need, it's going to make it very hard for you to function throughout the day. So what is something that you can start doing today that's going to be useful? You can support your mitochondria by eating nutrient rich foods. I used to be someone who would eat multigrain Cheerios for dinner because it was easy. But if you're giving your body something that's poor quality nutrients, it needs good quality nutrients to rebuild and to get the energy that it wants. And so ones that are high in antioxidants like berries, like leafy greens, supplements like CoQ10 and magnesium can also be helpful at boosting mitochondrial function. So if your mitochondrial are functioning optimally, your body's going to have the energy it needs to heal.

Kate McDowell [00:03:57]:
But without the energy in your cells, healing struggles and doesn't do very well. So number 3 is going to be adrenal fatigue and hormone imbalances. These are really big problems when it comes to energy levels. So chronic stress is another major contributor to autoimmune fatigue. And when you're constantly stressed, your adrenal glands are forced to produce stress hormones like cortisol, which over time can lead to adrenal fatigue. This means your body can no longer produce enough cortisol to keep your energy levels stable. And if you're listening to other episodes, cortisol is something that is very stressful on the immune system. The immune system is very sensitive to levels of cortisol.

Kate McDowell [00:04:38]:
So if your stress hormone is constantly driven up, your immune system is going to suffer. It's not going to be properly supported, which makes things harder in terms of functionality as well. And why is this a problem? Adrenal fatigue not only leads to exhaustion, but it can also cause issues with sleep. It can cause mood swings and even waking. Your adrenals are key to maintaining energy levels. So when they're burned out, your whole life suffers. What are actionable tips for this one for adrenal support? So reducing stress is really important here. It's going to be beneficial for energy, but it's going to support your hormone system as well.

Kate McDowell [00:05:16]:
And so again, incorporating relaxing, techniques in your daily routine. So things like meditation or deep breathing exercises. Another thing that's going to drain energy is going to be environmental toxins. So most people don't realize that toxins in their environment can have a direct impact on energy levels. Things like mold. Mold is a really big one and we're talking about autoimmune stuff right now. Mold is one of kind of the top things that we see that make it really hard for the body to function optimally, especially when it comes to autoimmune. Mold and glyphosate, which is Roundup.

Kate McDowell [00:05:53]:
Those are ones that we find very typically show up with people with autoimmune and mold in your system, your body is just not able to function properly and the body can't clear it without proper support. If you're someone I grew up with a father who had lived in basement apartments for a while, if you're someone who ever lived in a basement apartment or you ever lived in residence when you were in college, university, I can pretty much guarantee you that you've had mold exposure at some point in your life. And so if mold has built up in your system, this can definitely zap your energy. Also things like heavy metals can be big. If you have mercury fillings in your teeth, it's considered a heavy metal. And even air fresheners. We have a client who had she was so tired, like her she's a very energetic, she's a high vibe person, and her energy was just so low. And at the time we didn't find the fragrances right away, but over time, she also has had osteoarthritis in her hands.

Kate McDowell [00:06:56]:
And what we ended up finding down the road was that there were Glade plug ins all over her house. And when we removed those things started to get better in all areas for her. So air fresheners are something that can be very hormone disruptive. Think of fragrance as well. Think of your house. Think of all the things that smell. Are they natural or are they chemical? Because if they're chemical, my my recommendation would be swap them out for something that's natural, like an essential oils. These things are going to cause an overload in your detox system and your body, and it's going to drain your body's resources.

Kate McDowell [00:07:29]:
And your body is constantly working to remove toxins. And when it's overloaded, it has to divert energy that would be normally used for daily functioning towards detoxification. So this can leave you feeling drained and fatigued. An actionable tip for this, start reducing your toxic exposure. Switch to non toxic personal care products and cleaning products. Use vinegar instead of bleach for cleaning the bathroom, for cleaning the windows. Get rid of the Windex. Like I spray my mirrors with vinegar and then wipe it with a little bit of paper towel.

Kate McDowell [00:08:01]:
There are so many ways you can bring non toxic products into your house that aren't super expensive. Yes, there are some super expensive versions as well, but just one step at a time as you start to run out of things, look for more natural solutions that you can use. You also may want to get your home tested. If we're talking about mold and you suspect that there's mold, that could be an issue for you. And then we also want to support the body's detox pathways. So this is drinking a lot of water, and this can be things like castor oil packs, can be drinking some warm lemon water in the morning is also helpful for getting your liver to clean things out and function properly. Nutrient deficiencies can also be contributing to your lack of energy and autoimmune fatigue. Many people with autoimmune conditions are deficient in key nutrients that are very essential when it comes to energy production.

Kate McDowell [00:08:58]:
So things like vitamin D, magnesium, B vitamins, all play a crucial role in maintaining energy levels, but inflammation and poor gut health can make it hard for your body to actually absorb and use these nutrients. We also have lots of poor quality versions that are available as well. And I think that's kind of a, not a trap, but it's a slippery slope that people get into because if you're online and someone saying, I mean, I remember when I first, not was first diagnosed, but not long after people were like, oh, you should take vitamin D. Oh, you should take B vitamins. You should take magnesium. I think there was another one, selenium as well. And I didn't know the difference between good quality vitamins and supplements and not good quality ones. And the problem with not good quality ones is they can have other things in there that they don't have to put on the label, but that can actually be making matters worse.

Kate McDowell [00:09:52]:
So make sure you're buying good quality supplements. If that's something that you're looking in and without proper nutrients, your body can't produce the energy it needs to help you feel energized throughout the day. This can make the fatigue worse. And even if you're doing everything else, right. So you want to make sure you're getting your nutrient levels tested. That's something that we can do with frequency testing, muscle testing, to see where the imbalances are and where your body needs support and work with a practitioner to address deficiencies. As I've said on other episodes, your body is always trying to heal itself. And when it's not, or when you're dealing with illness, that's when we need to look at things and say, okay, what's missing or what's getting in the way? And when it comes to what's missing, nutrient deficiencies can be a really big one here.

Kate McDowell [00:10:42]:
We want to make sure that you're adding more nutrient dense foods to your diet. Things like leafy grains, things like fatty fish, seeds. These can also be supportive for your energy levels. And so today we talked about the real reason behind autoimmune fatigue, whether it's mitochondrial dysfunction, adrenal fatigue, environmental toxins, or nutrient deficiencies. But the good news is by addressing these underlying issues, you can start to regain your energy naturally. If you're ready to dive deeper and take control of your energy, I invite you to join the free webinar coming up next week. It's called how to take control of autoimmune health naturally. And in the webinar, we'll dive in even more detail on how you can start regaining your energy and improving your health.

Kate McDowell [00:11:25]:
So click the link in the show notes to reserve your spot today. The link is webinar. Dot aligned natural health dot com and I look forward to seeing you there. Hopefully you got a lot of value from these 4 episodes this week. The point was to bring some kind of commonly asked questions around autoimmune and some things that I experienced in the past as well in terms of frustrations and struggles and things that I found helpful. So hopefully you've got a lot of value out of this. Make sure you save your spot for the webinar. And I look forward to seeing you next week.

Kate McDowell [00:12:00]:
If you know anyone who you think would benefit this from this and would get value from it, please feel free to share, and I will talk to you soon.