Chronic Fatigue — Get Your Energy Back!
“Leaky gut” syndrome occurs when the digestive process isn’t working well and poorly metabolized food proteins are able to find their way into your bloodstream. Depending on your sensitivities, this can set off an immune reaction orchestrated by your gut-associated lymph tissue (GALT). Over time, this low-grade inflammation leaves you feeling tired, foggy and achy.
A sensitivity to gluten, the protein found in wheat, is an extremely common cause of fatigue and joint pain in patients at my practice. 
Many people lack the genetic SNP’s (single nucleotide polymorphisms) that allow them to metabolize gluten efficiently, resulting in an inflammatory reaction in the intestines. People with a severe allergy to gluten, or celiac disease, often describe symptoms of diarrhea, joint pain, and fatigue. You may experience a similar effect in your body to a lesser degree — but one which over time wears on the body. Eliminating gluten from the diet is a highly successful antidote to fatigue for many women. Soy, dairy, corn and nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant) are other common food allergens.
Our friendly intestinal flora can also be decimated by parasites, yeast overgrowth, antibiotics, and insufficient fiber (their favorite food). High-sugar diets that include a lot of simple carbs feed unfriendly bacteria, yeast, and inflammation. Clearing the system of offending substances and parasites through an elimination diet or detox, and adding friendly bacteria through probiotic supplements is often a very successful approach.
We suspect that undiagnosed food sensitivities can trigger single or multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) when inflammation in the body gets the upper hand. It is not uncommon for patients who clear a food allergy to suddenly notice other offending substances. It is also common for a woman with a toxic heavy metal build-up to experience serious fatigue and other sensitivities. Again, chronic inflammation is probably at the root. Once you recognize what factors are taxing your immune system so heavily, you can learn to avoid those substances, and you will usually see a huge rebound in energy and mood.
The adrenals and fatigue
In my practice, I find that patients with adrenal fatigue are showing up with increasing regularity, even though many conventional practitioners regard the adrenals with disdain. But don’t be fooled by advice that underplays the importance of your adrenal glands — I see it in my practice almost daily: when your adrenals are zapped, it affects everything.
Your adrenals are small glands that sit like caps atop each kidney. I like to think of them as a kind of primitive emergency power generator, designed to prime your body for action when faced with a physical threat. Also known as the “fight or flight” response, 
this action is triggered by the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary gland, which spurs the adrenals to release cortisol, adrenaline, and cortisone. See our many informative articles on this topic for a more in-depth explanation of adrenal fatigue in our Adrenal Health section.
In our fast-paced, high-stress lives, it is more common for adrenals to get stuck in the “on” position, which is why I recommend an adrenal stress index test to my patients who are experiencing serious fatigue.
This simple saliva test monitors cortisol production throughout the day and into the evening. Normally, cortisol levels are highest in the morning, upon rising, dwindling slowly until they reach the lowest levels at bedtime. Frequently in cases of chronic fatigue, this curve is reversed. High levels of cortisol at night mean you can’t wind down, and your circadian rhythm is awry — along with your production of melatonin. This explains why so many women who are exhausted during the day find they get a second wind at night, or sleep soundly for several hours only to wake up in wee hours of the morning with their minds racing. Reversing this pattern is not difficult once it has been diagnosed. To find out how, read our articles on adrenal health.
And let’s not forget how all of this relates to the bigger picture of hormonal balance. A body under stress will shut down reproductive mechanisms until it feels safe and well-nourished. For younger women, adrenal fatigue may impair fertility and intensify PMS. For women in perimenopause and menopause, drained adrenals exacerbate symptoms of hormonal imbalance, including fatigue.