There are a variety of reasons that feelings of low energy can arise. There is an intricate system of hormones that allow our body to function normally (or not so normally…). When outside influences change how these hormones work, the result can very often be low energy. There is something is our bodies called the hypothalamic, pituitary, adrenal axis or HPA for short, as well as the hypothalamic, pituitary, thyroid axis or HPT for short. These two circuits involve different parts of the brain as well as either the adrenal glands or the thyroid and are responsible for our energy levels. Things such as infections, poor blood sugar, and chronic stress can fatigue these circuits and lead to feelings of low energy and even weight gain. Read more to learn why you’re low on energy.
If One Goes Up,
Stress hormones are the cause for a lot of functional issues that people experience today. This isn’t necessarily because life is becoming more and more fast paced (although, it is). It’s largely due to how poor lifestyle choices that people make without even realizing it. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is released during periods of low blood sugar. It helps trigger the body’s ability to break down sugar storage so that way it can elevate blood sugar to a more normal level.
This is a necessary process, but is used and abused in most people. Snacking, eating irregularly (straying from 3 quality meals per day), and consumption of processed carbs and sugars can lead to excess production of cortisol. This is accomplished by the HPA axis. Over time, the brain will become insensitive to hormones telling it to produce stress hormones and the body will become depleted of resources to produce them. We call this adrenal fatigue. In this situation, chronic fatigue, depression, and hormonal imbalances set in.
The Other Must Go Down
Now that we’ve established that chronic stress and poor blood sugar regulation lead to over production of cortisol, we can now discuss how this affects the thyroid. When there are elevated levels of stress hormones and inflammation in the body, the thyroid knows. The job of the thyroid is to ensure that the body has the resources it needs to survive. In times of stress, the thyroid goes into survival mode and begins hoarding all of its resources.
This process is a double whammy. When there is high cortisol, the pituitary begins to secrete less thyroid stimulating hormone, which causes the thyroid to produce thyroid hormone. Not only does this happen, but high cortisol also leads to poor conversion of thyroid hormones for use. This leads to a decrease in metabolism. This is beneficial when you get sick, injured, or food is scarce, but usually, it just means weight gain, low energy, poor digestion, etc.
Take Control of the Things You Can Control
To stop this process, you have to make proper lifestyle choices so your body can become more resilient to stress. Control the controllables. Quit drinking caffeine and stay away from high fructose corn syrup and other processed sugars. It’s important to eat three meals a day without snacking between them. Plenty of protein and fats with complex carbs are the way to go for healthy meals. Being healthier can be just a few good decisions away. If you’re low on energy or have questions about your health, book a free consult with me here. If you’re interested in more articles about hormones, click here.