Why Am I So Tired? – Part I

In this two-part series, I am going to share the 7 main reasons why you are feeling so tired right now and provide you with information to help you tackle these issues so that you can start getting your body and your mind ready to fight fatigue. This week, I am going to share the top physical reasons why you may be feeling so tired right now and next week I’ll conclude the series by sharing with you the top mental blocks that are contributing to your fatigue.

The pressure of everyday life is starting to get to you. You feel tired all day, tired before bed, and tired the next morning. As time goes on, you’re feeling more and more fatigued. But does your fatigue have a physical cause?

Here are the top physical reasons why your fatigue isn’t getting any better, no matter what you’ve been doing.

You’re Eating the Wrong Foods

Oftentimes, people tend to eat for reasons other than fueling their bodies, focusing on things like calories, macros, or a certain way of eating, like keto, intermittent fasting, paleo, or vegan, for example. The problem is, we don’t know if those foods are actually healthy for you.

And it’s a little bit of a guessing game, because there’s no shortage of information about diets and nutrition out there. People will Google everything and look at all the information to try to find the best diet, not realizing that if they have other underlying conditions, symptoms, or medications they are taking, a particular way of eating could be causing things to get worse. And when they don’t get the results they want for their fatigue, weight loss, or other issues, then they quit doing anything altogether.

You’re Not Drinking Enough Water

If you’re not drinking enough water, you’re going to be more fatigued. But what if you’re also running yourself ragged and consuming a ton of caffeinated beverages? You may wind up drinking more of the things that are actually dehydrating and not compensating with enough water.

A good starting point is to take your weight in pounds by half and drink that in ounces daily. So, if you weigh, for example, 100 pounds, then you should drink 50 ounces of water. You may need to up your intake even more based on other factors like your exercise routine, the climate where you live, and the number of caffeinated drinks you’re drinking throughout the day.

Your Exercise Routine Is Working Against You

As humans, we are meant to move and not be sedentary. Some people make the mistake of thinking if they exercise more, they’ll build up endorphins, lose weight, and have more energy. However, in reality, certain kinds of exercises could actually be making your fatigue worse.

For example, if you’re doing CrossFit regularly, this is very hard on your body and causes more inflammation, more oxidative stress, and greater nutrient and hydration demands — going back to reasons #1 and #2 about proper nutrition and water intake, along with about being reactive versus proactive. Not to knock CrossFit and the like, but if you’ve had ongoing fatigue for many years, then this is probably not the workout for you.

Instead, I recommend moving your body in a way that’s more restorative and functional. If you’re fatigued, start with just walking every day and adding in some stretches for your body. Get your body moving in the morning and drink a glass of water before you even think about coffee.

You Are Reacting Rather Than Responding

I tell clients all the time: If you actually listen to your body and just get out of its way and let it do what it needs to do, then you’re going to be much better for it. Instead, many people will go into reactive mode — they’ll start Googling symptoms, listening to someone who has similar symptoms, and self-diagnosing the best treatment plan for themselves. Generally, this means loading up on a bunch of supplements or trying a certain diet plan that someone said worked for them.

What I advise instead is to take a proactive approach: Respond to what your body is telling you versus being reactive. That’s the premise of all the programs and services I offer. Using fatigue as an example, we’ll look at the underlying causes of that fatigue. If you’re not sleeping well through the night, why is that happening? We’ll look at the hormones, deficiencies, and nutrients that might be at play to get to the root of issues so you’re not just taking an Advil PM or a sleeping pill as a quick fix to get to sleep.

Don’t forget to check back next week for the conclusion of the 7 main reasons why you are so tired.

If you need more help creating a plan for your specific needs, book a free 30-minute call with me so we can talk through your goals, one step at a time.

Why Am I So Tired? – Part I Read More »

Using Flower Essences for Stress & Anxiety

I swear everybody is dealing with anxiety. It has ramped up like crazy in the last couple of years. There are a lot of issues that people are struggling with. For example, you may feel stressed having to return to the workforce or return to school.

And mental health therapists are crazy busy right now. Therapists have doubled their caseload as people are dealing with the stress of recent times on top of other daily stressors. So I have been looking for all the ways that I can help support people deal with stress and their mental health.

I often talk about utilizing food and nutrition to deal with anxiety. But flower essences are different types of elixirs, spray, and oils that you can use to help with anxiety symptoms.

What are flower essences?

Most people are well-versed in essential oils to some degree. Flower essences are similar. However, they’re considered safer because it’s a topical application. You don’t have to worry about anything burning your skin as it doesn’t need to be mixed with other oils.

They’re natural flowers that have their own unique energy. All the ingredients are completely natural. There’s nothing nasty or toxic. So you don’t have to worry about some of the chemicals I see people using in supplements or essential oils.

I was first blown away by flower essences when I had Katie Hess on my podcast. In episode 73, Katie had me take the quiz on her website, which left me speechless.

It looked at the different flowers you’re drawn to for whatever reason. Katie then puts together different types of essences that would be best for you and what your body seems to need. And I didn’t know how to respond to the products she pulled from me taking the quiz.

How do you use flower essences?

There are many different flower essences that can be used to treat different needs. From the quiz, Katie suggested I try a flower elixir, spray, and anointing oil.

You simply put a few drops of the flower elixir into your water or on your tongue. I put it in my coffee or whatever I like to get its full effect. Whereas the spray, you can mist all over yourself. Then, I apply a few drops of the oil on your wrist like perfume.

How do flower essences help with stress and anxiety?

The whole idea is that flowers in the essences have an energy and frequency that helps people. Using them regularly is going to help calm you from stress. It can help with anxiety. It can help with clarity.

Katie’s flower essences can also help with multitasking and crazy schedules that keep us tired and unfocused. I’ve noticed a huge difference in my ability to focus and stay calm even in the busiest times.

If you have symptoms of stress or anxiety and feel frustrated from things being thrown at you. Flower essences might be one of the things that you can use to help mitigate those concerns.

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What is a Continuous Glucose Monitor and What It Can Tell You

You can read as many textbooks as you want about proper insulin and sugar nutrition. But there’s no better way to learn then to try something for yourself.

And that’s exactly what Tiffany did.

For three months, Tiffany used a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) to see how her food and behavior affected her sugar and insulin levels. She used the dedicated app to tap into the data and see how her levels differed throughout the day, how they reacted to certain foods, and how various activities influenced them, too.

Alongside her Aura ring, she was able to find three pivotal parts of life that had the greatest effect on her hormone levels.

1. Cortisol and stress

The first observation she had was that elevated levels of stress caused her cortisol levels to rise, which in turn elevated her glucose levels as insulin was unable to break down sugar in the body as efficiently.

And as she acknowledges, without the right nutrition and coping mechanisms such as mindfulness to help combat stress:

“Then your glucose becomes higher in your blood. Your insulin doesn’t work as well. And that sets us up for things like pre-diabetes type two diabetes, and chronic disease down the road.”

2. Sleep

We all know how vital sleep is for basic human function. But what Tiffany learned specifically is that insulin sensitivity decreases at night.

So what does that mean for you?

If you’re a late night snacker, your body will break down the sugars a lot slower than it would earlier in the day, and this is especially true during sleep.

And while it might not always disrupt your REM cycle (although she noted she sometimes experienced this when her glucose levels were higher than usual) it means you often wake up with elevated blood glucose levels, which then becomes a negative cycle for dealing with stress.

3. Exercise

It’s not all doom and gloom. The main contributor to mitigating higher glucose levels, (after nutrition of course), was doing exercise. Tiffany found that even if she woke up with elevated glucose levels, after a morning workout, it went straight back down, which proves the success of exercise on helping to break down sugars in the morning.

CGM Experiment conclusion

After three months, Tiffany’s takeaway is clear.

Learn to manage your stress
Avoid eating too late where possible
Exercise is a vital part of glucose management so incorporate it in your daily life

Implementing these three simple steps will help you gain regain control of your hormones so you can thrive.

Rock Bottom Thyroid Treatment

Following years of learning how to allow her thyroid to thrive, Tiffany has written a book called the Rock Bottom Thyroid Treatment. It’s an eight-week program split into three phases that help readers overcome the many obstacles and symptoms they face from their thyroid conditions.

If you want to reach out to Tiffany with any questions on her book or how you can start thriving with your thyroid today, email her at hello@tiffanyflaten.com.

What is a Continuous Glucose Monitor and What It Can Tell You Read More »

Fatigue