Seriously, your fatigue could literally be all in your head.
By this I mean your brain chemistry might be out of balance, causing your fatigue. This was the case with my fatigue.
There are many different brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, but in Part 3 of our 3 part series I will explain the key dietary factor that has the biggest impact on your neurotransmitter levels.
Protein for Brain Health
Part of treating brain chemical imbalances is to make sure you’re eating enough protein in your diet, since protein is the source of the amino acids to make your neurotransmitters. If you aren’t eating enough protein, you won’t have adequate construction materials to make your brain chemicals.
This gets particularly important for those who are vegetarian or vegan, and for those who have a hard time digesting protein. But it really applies to everyone.
How much protein you should be eating depends on your level of activity – the more active you are, the more protein you will need.
To calculate how much protein you require, take your ideal body weight (in pounds), and multiply that by the number that corresponds to your activity level:
Example: Mary weighs 150 pounds and is sedentary. Her daily protein requirement would be:
150 x 0.4 = 60 grams of protein daily.
I recommend you calculate your personal protein requirements. Then, roughly calculate your protein consumption for a week, and see if you’re getting the protein you require. You can easily do an Internet search for a food protein content chart to find many good sources of protein.
If you’re not digesting protein well (you may notice gas, bloating, or indigestion after high-protein meals; a full feeling after eating only a little; or the sensation of food stuck and not moving in your gut), you may consider adding a digestive enzyme supplement with your meals.
Make a promise to yourself starting today:
Stop feeling lousy…rotten…awful…crummy…miserable…terrible…crappy.
Find a good Functional Medicine doctor to help you get to the root cause of your health problems.
Like I always say:
Find the cause.
Fix the cause.
Feel normal again!
Dr. Carri Drzyzga, DC, ND – The Functional Medicine Doc
Find the Cause. Fix the Cause. Feel Normal Again!
