Absolutely exhausted to utterly energised

Are you tired of being tired ? 

Do you struggle with chronic health issues ? 

How about experiencing seemingly random sensitivities and bloating to food ?  

Well, you’re not alone. Many of us have tried everything from countless diets to arbitrarily spending a fortune on ‘’so called’’ supplements only to end up frustrated and without a result

But I am here to tell you there is hope and you don’t have to except feeling this way 

Check out Sarah’s story 

Over the last year and a half I had simply begun to feel flat. I was tired and exhausted and had many other seemingly random negative reactions to my health. These symptoms all left me feeling constantly drained. I had tried everything, educating myself about hormonal health and gut health. I tried going to bed earlier, waking up later, gym workouts, I excluded many foods from my diet and tried different supplements – basically an amateur process of trial and error. 

So, when I turned to Krystie and Paul for help, I have to confess my expectations were pretty low. I assumed Krystie would make a few tweaks and I would just carry on with my sub-optimal health. 

Right from our initial conversation, my hopes were raised. Krystie’s approach was empathetic and her knowledge gave me some immediate confidence. 

For the first time in months I believe I may get some answers and a path to better health.

After some hormonal and microbiome testing and following Krystie and Paul’s protocols for 3 months my energy began to come back. I wasn’t tired all the time, my bloating had gone, my cycles re-balanced themselves, my skin cleared up and my daily snacking has reduced significantly, and I am now sleeping through the night. 

I really feel like I have found a way to continue improving my health. 

 

Krystie here …. 

So, if you have got this far you might be wondering what we did 

As Sarah mentioned, the first thing we needed to do was to stop guessing and start testing. 

We ran both a DUTCH test and a couple of others so we could get a clear picture 

The DUTCH (dried urine test for comprehensive hormones) looks at sex hormones such as progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and estrogen as well as how they are metabolised. It also tells you about both metabolised and free cortisol (your stress and energy hormones) melatonin (your sleepy hormone) and gives insights into nutrition deficiency, oxidative stress, gut dysbiosis, neuroinflammation and more. 

The picture above just shows a small snapshot of the DUTCH test and of what had been going on. Sarah had been suffering with low levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and her cortisol (energy) was near enough redundant. 

Her many symptoms included… 

  • Tired all the time 
  • Hot flashes
  • Night sweats
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Painful intercourse
  • Recurrent bladder infections (UTI’s)
  • Headaches
  • Brain fog
  • Forgetfulness
  • Poor concentration
  • Mood swings
  • Crying easily
  • Lethargy
  • Insomnia
  • Fatigue
  • Thinning hair
  • PMS symptoms
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Breast tenderness
  • Irregular cycles
  • Spotting between cycles
  • Heavy periods
  • Fluid retention (progesterone is a diuretic)
  • Weight gain
  • Hypothyroidism (progesterone enhances thyroid hormone function; thyroid hormone
  • makes progesterone receptors more sensitive)
  • Headaches/migraines
  • Anxiety (progesterone interacts with GABA receptors; GABA is a calming neurotransmitter)
  • Tired and wired 
  • Sugar cravings
  • Low libido

Once we had the information we needed we then set about with some specific protocols. 

 

Diet 

We focused on an anti-inflammatory diet, removing all processed foods, refined sugar and artificial sweeteners. The emphasis was on real nutrient dense whole foods. We increased carbohydrates particularly later on in the day to help with cortisol lowering and sleep. 

Sarah ate mostly organic food in order to avoid endocrine disrupting chemicals and pesticides.

We added seed cycling  1-2 tbsps of pumpkin and flax seeds daily during the follicular of Sarah’s cycle.  Sunflower and sesame seeds daily during her luteal phase.

Every morning Sarah had an adrenal cocktail. The focus was on vitamin C, B5, sodium and potassium. 

Adrenal “Cocktail” (4 oz fresh orange juice or carrot-celery juice with 1⁄4-1⁄2 tsp cream of tartar and 1⁄4-1⁄2 tsp Himalayan pink salt – taken in the morning if energy is low, in the mid-afternoon if energy levels dip, or before bed if insomnia is an issue)

 

Lifestyle behaviours 

Prioritising sleep was key. Our bodies need 7-9 hours of quality sleep in order to regenerate. In the evening Sarah wore blue-light blocking glasses and reduced EMF’s by turning off the internet and her phone which once served as her alarm was also turned off and taken out of the bedroom. 

Relaxation techniques such as epsom salt baths, massage and acupuncture was all part of her routine 

We then concentrated on removing toxic exposure. The majority of cleaning products and personal care products have chemicals known to be carcinogenic, neurotoxic and endocrine disruptors. 

Dish soap, laundry detergent, fabric softener, furniture polish, synthetic air fresheners, scented candles, deodorants, anti perspirants, plastic cookware containers, teflon pans, plastic drinking bottles were eliminated. 

Side note  – For some people all these changes can be quite dramatic. Many clients do not realise quite how bad these toxic substances are affecting their health and it’s only when you remove them that you really start to see how different your health feels. 

 

Exercise 

When it comes to exercise Sarah previously had been doing lots of high intensity intervals combined with long runs. Even when she was exhausted she would still try and push herself in order to lose those few kg’s. Sarah for the most part, found that even when she was pushing (on a flat battery) nothing really changed. That tummy fat never seemed to disappear. 

We changed her exercise to focus more on strength training. Building muscle and bone and managing the yang of exercises with the yin of gentle movements known as ‘’working in’’ 

Her workouts were still challenging but it was balanced out with the right recovery methods. 

 

Targeted supplements, calming minerals, adaptogenic herbs and more 

Our next step was to look at professional, potent and proven supplements to address both the symptoms and the root causes of Sarah’s challenges

The specific of the supplements used for Sarah is beyond the scope of this article 

That said, we used specific supplements to increase morning cortisol production. Supplements to increase Progesterone, Testosterone and to balance Estrogen levels. We used specific herbs to help promote sleep 

 

 

Sarah’s journey is a testament to the power of the right guidance and a personalised approach to health. Her transformation shows it’s possible to go from exhausted and stuck to regaining vitality and a zest for life. 

If you have been struggling with similar issues and feel like you have tried everything, it might be time to seek expert help. 

If Sarah’s story resonates with you, we invite you to get in touch and explore how we can help you achieve similar results. Our root cause protocols and tailored plans are there to address your unique health needs.