Fatigue
Fatigue can be described as a general sense of weariness and a feeling of being 'worn out' which may be temporary or more long term. It can be caused by insufficient oxygen levels in the blood, numerous illnesses and infections, build up of mucous or congestion, physical over exertion, emotional distress, intense mental activity, poor diet and overeating, depression, some medications, sleep disorders and adrenal 'burn out' to name but a few. Try to find the reason for the fatigue if it becomes more long term as the underlying cause needs to be addressed. However there is a lot you can do with diet and herbs to improve the overall vitality and energy levels in the body. Limit stimulants such as coffee, cola, sugar etc as these will push an already compromised body and lead to further depletion and mind/body fatigue. Eat regularly, don't skip meals, eat in a calm environment and try not to overeat at each meal. Give your body time to digest and extract the nutrition from your meals without overburdening it with large, complex meals. Try to avoid snacking on simple sugar rich foods as these give a sharp blood sugar spike followed by a blood sugar low, which eqauls weariness. Keep your diet simple. Base your meals around fresh, organic fruit, vegetables, (especially green leaves) grains, seeds, nuts. Breakfast could consist of a homemade muesli containing whole grains, dried fruits, seeds or nuts. Lunch could be a wholemeal bread sandwich containing salad, cheese, meat or fish for example with a piece of fruit. Evening meal might be meat or fish with vegetables or homemade soup or bake. Fresh juices such as carrot, celery or apple will give an instant yet safe boost to energy and nutrient levels. Good herbal tonics include gentian, american ginseng, hawthorn berries, yellow dock root, ginkgo and cayenne. You could try equal parts of the tinctures (except cayenne) 3 times daily in a little water or juice with a few drops of cayenne tincture added to each dose. Prickly ash bark can be added to the above formula in cases of chronic fatique to increase circulation to the brain, muscles and nerves. A daily tea made from equal parts of oatstraw, nettle, alfalfa and gotu kola will provide many useful nutrients and improve vitality and nutrient availability. Dandelion root and leaves can help the body recover more quickly from fatigue. Elecampagne root is favoured by experienced herbalists for treating chronic fatigue syndrome. Siberian ginseng, rhodiola root and ashwagandha are effective adaptogens which help the body cope with the effects of stress, use a teaspoon of the mixed or single tinctures 3 times daily. Reishi mushroom is a well respected medicinal mushroom useful in the treatment of fatigue and many other diseases where lack of vitality is an issue, take 3 capsules of the dried powder daily for a few months to get its full effects. Lemon balm can be helpful in cases of post-viral fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome.General characteristics
General characteristics
Diet and lifestyle
Diet and lifestyle
Useful herbs
Useful herbs
Natural healing
Natural healing
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