Are you living with unnecessary fatigue?

You wake up tired. You struggle through the day tired. You go to bed tired. 

Maybe you get an infusion of energy after you exercise or have your coffee. 

But otherwise, you are tired. Tired, tired, tired. 

If you are among the few that don’t live this way, congrats! You are in the minority. 

Most of us are really, really tired. 

Social media will tell you it’s your adrenals. 

Protein experts will tell you that it’s your low protein intake. 

Functional health docs will tell you that you need to detox or it’s your gene mutation. 

So many potential root causes that seem very viable. 

But what if I told you that your fatigue is actually a result of poor metabolic and mitochondrial health? 

When your mitochondria aren’t healthy, your body can literally not make good energy. 

It only gets drained. 

Your metabolic health is deeply ingrained with your mitochondria. 

If the mitochondria aren’t optimized, no matter what you do, you will have poor health. 

Poor health might look like adrenal fatigue, poor sleep, mood disorders, chronic disease, autoimmune conditions, weight loss resistance, and more. 

You might need to detox, yes, but you will get nowhere fast if your mitochondria are broken. 

You might have adrenal fatigue, but drinking adrenal cocktails won’t get you far if your mitochondria are not functioning well. 

If you get sick often or don’t recover well from illness, your mitochondria may be to blame. 

It’s not as dire as it seems, I promise. 

Supporting your mitochondria is simple. 

Here are 8 ways that you can help your mitochondria to fuel your energy instead of deplete it. 

1. Cold Exposure
2. Hydration
3. Fasting 
4. Eating a nutrient dense diet with 30-50g/protein at each meal
5. Movement/Exercise
6. Sleep (quality and quantity)
7. Detoxification
8. Supplements 

Let’s break each of these down:

Cold Exposure

Low temperatures have profound effects on the number of mitochondria in animals by increasing the levels of a protein that is responsible for mitochondrial synthesis. Stepping outside for 20-30 seconds or taking a cold shower will have a similar impact. 

Hydration

Mitochondria use hydrogen atoms from water to make energy. If you are dehydrated, you are limiting the available amount of hydrogen atoms available for the mitochondria. This is why our parents (intuitively) would tell us to make sure we had some water if we were tired. The type of water IS important, and I encourage you to look into distilled or reverse osmosis systems if you do not have one yet. 

Fasting

When you fast from food for at least 16-18 hours, it begins to trigger autophagy, a process where “dirty” or dangerous cells eat themselves and move out of the body. This applies to the mitochondria also (called mitophagy), which allows the dead or damaged mitochondria to exit the body, making room for new healthy mitochondria. 

Nutrient Rich Diet

Avoiding inflammatory foods such as processed foods (refined flours, refined sugars, added chemicals, preservatives, and colorants) will reduce the stress on the mitochondria. Eating nourishing fats such as coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, butter, and avocados, as well as colorful foods will help provide the needed vitamins and minerals necessary for the function of mitochondria within our cells. Organ meats and pastured meats are also essential for optimal mitochondrial function. 

Movement & Exercise

Moving your body literally repairs and heals the existing mitochondria in the body. As you build muscle, your body makes new mitochondria which will help improve energy. Exercise also increases the overall number of mitochondria, which boosts energy. Studies show that this continues well into late adulthood and can positively support the aging process. 

Sleep

Sleep is so much more important than just for feeling rested. While you sleep, your brain and liver are literally clearing house, moving toxins out of the blood stream and organs and getting ready for elimination. When sleep is poor or short in amount, the body’s ability to do this is severely limited. Without high quality sleep, toxins build up and severely impact mitochondrial function. 

Detoxification

As mentioned above, removing the toxic burden on the body is key to supporting mitochondrial health. Due to the incredible burden in today’s world, often additional support for this is needed. 

Supplementation

Botanicals, minerals, specifically fulvic and humic acids, and vitamins not only support mitochondrial energy creation, but enhances the immune system as well. I personally use Beam Minerals and BC-ATP to support my mitochondrial health on a daily basis. 

Other important nutrients for the mitochondria include: ALA, B vitamins, CoQ10, Creatine, Curcumin, D-ribose, Magnesium, and Resveratrol. 

I've created a quick download for you with these and some other tips. You can grab that HERE. 

I'm rooting for you!