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by Jacob E. Teitelbaum, M.D. |
It’s time to discuss the physical factors that can powerfully contribute to
your feeling great. Even though they may seem obvious, it doesn’t hurt
to start with the basics:
 Fresh air and exercise—We sometimes
forget how important these are to our wellbeing.
Research has shown that exercise is as
effective in elevating mood and treating
depression as Prozac. Remember—“No pain,
no gain” is stupid.
Get enough water—dehydration is a
serious and commonly overlooked problem
which can be increased by stress. Take a
moment to notice if your mouth or lips are
dry. Most of you will find that they are. If so,
you are dehydrated and need to drink more
water. Although it is not unusual for those of
us under stress to need a gallon a day, I do not
recommend counting the number of glasses of
water a day that you drink since this can get
old fairly quickly. Simply notice if your mouth
or lips are dry and drink water when they are.
Water tastes good and can be a major energy
booster when you are dragging.
Unfortunately, I do not believe that the
American water supply is in very good shape—
despite governmental claims to the contrary.
Sadly, much bottled water is not necessarily
better than tap water. Water filters can be
pretty iffy as well. The filter that I have found
to be most effective is the one made by Multipure.
Make time for yourself and your loved
ones. Sometimes we take these people for
granted. Spend less time with people whose
company you don’t enjoy and more with those
who it feels good to be with.
One of the most important people for you
to be with is yourself. Hundreds of years ago,
before light bulbs were developed, sleep often
lasted 12 hours a day, beginning when it
became dark. People would usually fall asleep
for a few hours and then wake up for two hours
before going back to sleep. This time was spent
in lovemaking or for being with oneself. It was
a time to explore dreams, feelings and generally
reconnect with one’s self. This self time is very
precious. When it comes to “self-time,” be sure
you “pay yourself first.”
Sleep. To many of you, the idea of 12
hours of sleep a day may seem absurd and
decadent. Even 100 years ago, when we began to become industrialized, the average
American was getting nine hours of sleep a
night. And then light bulbs were developed.
We are now down to six or seven hours of sleep
a night on average and this is not adequate for
most people. In addition, the quality of our
sleep has suffered.
Insomnia and inadequate sleep have
become epidemic. Inadequate sleep then
causes fatigue, “brain fog,” immune suppression
and general irritability. In addition to the
insomnia caused by stress, we are seeing an
increase in sleep disorders such as sleep apnea
and restless leg syndrome (RLS). Natural remedies
can also help many people with RLS and
insomnia in general.
I do recommend that you limit the amount
of sugar you eat. This does not mean giving up
chocolate or treats. It means keeping those
things that give you the most pleasure. Simply
get a small portion of your favorite sweets,
walk away from the serving dish and savor and
enjoy it thoroughly—with no guilt. If you feel
guilty about eating something, you’ll likely
‘inhale’ the whole portion before you ever
really taste it. I would avoid things like sodas,
however, that have large amounts of sugar (~10
teaspoons/12 ounces) and potential toxicity
without much benefit. Natural sweeteners
such as stevia can be substituted and appear to
be quite safe and healthy.
Besides avoiding excess sugar and caffeine,
recognize that it is normally healthier to eat
foods that are less processed and still contain
the original vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
Also remember that eating food which is fun
and leaves you feeling good (from a centered
place) is also a very healthy thing to do. There’s
no one diet that is best for everybody, so listen
to your body—it will tell you what it likes and
doesn’t like. Simply remember to check in with
your body a few hours later so you can tell if
the food really made you feel good or if it was
simply a craving or addiction.
There are over 50 different nutrients that are
critical to your well-being and many of these are
low in the Standard American Diet (appropriately
abbreviated S.A.D.). It frustrated me that
people often needed to take over 20 tablets of
supplements a day to optimize their basic nutritional
status. Because of this, I have developed
an excellent powdered formula which, along
with a single tablet daily, replaces over 25 tablets
of supplements and supplies most of the nutrients
you need for optimum functioning in a
convenient and economical way.
The most critical functions of these
nutrients for energy and pain control
include:
 Fueling your energy system. The B vitamins
make up the backbone of energy production
and transport. In addition, magnesium is
a key player in hundreds of critical reactions in
the body and is markedly suboptimal in most
Western diets. Many other nutrients,
including malic acid (which comes from
apples), folate and several amino acids are also
critical for your energy systems to work well.
Supporting a happy and healthy mind.
“Brain fog” is becoming an increasing problem
in our society. The B vitamins, especially B1 and
B12 are critical for mental clarity. Inositol also
helps promote being calm and can be especially
helpful for those who are anxious. Many amino acids (proteins) are critical for adequate
neurotransmitter levels (e.g., serotonin,
dopamine and epinephrine). Deficiencies of
these amino acids and neurotransmitters, as
well as many vitamins and minerals, can commonly
cause depression. I suspect you’ll be
amazed at how much happier you feel when
you get adequate nutritional support.
Proper tissue repair and function. Being
in chronic pain will not help you feel good.
Any of a number of nutritional deficiencies
will trigger chronic muscle shortening and
pain. Many of you will find that chronic pain
problems go away when you get eight hours of
deep sleep a night and take the nutritional support
needed for your muscles to heal and relax.
The same nutrients may dramatically improve
your hair, nail and skin quality. Treating infections
and hormonal deficiencies is also critical if
one wants to eliminate chronic pain.
Infection and cancer fighting. Many
nutrients are critical for proper immune
function. Chronic low-grade infections are
very common in Americans these days. If you
have a diagnosis of spastic colon or chronic
sinusitis, you probably have a fungal infection
that your doctor does not know how to
look for.
As you can see, adequate nutritional support
is critical to feeling good. Adequate protein
(eggs, beans, rice, nuts and corn are good
sources) and essential fatty acids from fish (at
least three servings a week of tuna, salmon,
herring or sardines, or flaxseed oil, if you are
worried about mercury) are also important.
Dry eyes, mouth and skin often reflect essential
fatty acid deficiency.
Treat hormonal deficiencies. If you’re
tired, achy, have weight gain, and/or cold
intolerance, you probably have an underactive
thyroid gland and can feel better if treated with
natural prescription thyroid (I prefer Armour
thyroid). Fatigue associated with hypoglycemia
(sudden anxiety relieved with eating
chromium 250 mcg/day can help after six
weeks) and low blood pressure often respond
to supporting your adrenal (stress) glands.
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) 1000mg twice a
day, Panax ginseng 100mg twice a day, plus
vitamin C can help your adrenals heal, as can
natural hormone treatments.
If you have hot flashes and decreased
vaginal lubrication, a trial of natural estrogen
and progesterone may be warranted. Low
libido and depression are also common with
testosterone deficiency in both men and
women.
It is important to be aware that many blood
tests will miss most cases of hormonal deficiency.
There’s an old saying—“treat the
patient—not the blood test.”
Tired, achy, have brain fog and can’t
sleep? If so, you probably have a process related
to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and/or
fibromyalgia. These are now very treatable. For
those of you who would like more information
on effective treatment of these syndromes, see
my Web site at www.endfatigue.com. The site
includes a sophisticated computer program
which can analyze your medical history and
blood tests to tailor a treatment program to
your specific case. My book, From Fatigued to
Fantastic, also has much more information on
effective treatment of these problems.
Great sex—This approach can help
increase your libido and get you back in touch
with your natural passion—which is pretty
powerful (that’s why there are so many rules
trying to rein it in). Sex is fun. In addition, a
study by scientists at Scotland’s Royal
Edinburgh Hospital found that an active sex
life contributes to both looking and feeling
young. Researchers studied over 3500 women
and found that those who had sex at least three
times a week appeared 10 years younger than
their actual age. The chief researcher, David
Weeks, feels that this is because sex increases
production of growth hormone. Isn’t science
wonderful?
To summarize, the following physical
factors can help improve mood,
increase energy and decrease pain:
- Get eight hours of sleep a night. Natural remedies can help. An excellent one is the “Fatigued to Fantastic! Revitalizing Sleep Formula.”
- Get plenty of good quality water. If your mouth or lips are dry, you’re dehydrated.
- Eat what makes you feel good. This usually means avoiding sugar and getting food that is not overly processed. The American diet is awful. An excellent once daily nutritional supplement can be very helpful. I recommend the “Fatigued to Fantastic Daily Energy Enfusion Powder and B-complex.”
- Exercise and fresh air. If it makes you feel worse the next day, do not push to pain or exhaustion.
- Have a full and satisfying sex life. Remember. That which makes you feel good
(from a centered place) is usually good for you.
Best wishes on a full and joyful life.
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