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WhatisOutThereonTheSubjectofOvercoming
FatigueandBoostingEnergyLevels?
Thisyear,mygoalistohelp10,000freethemselvesfromfatigueanddramaticallyincreasetheirenergylevelsandtransformtheirlives.AsIexplainedinthevideo,myoriginalspecialtywasfatloss,notenergylevels.Foroveradecade,Ihaveworkedwithpeopletodramaticallytransformtheirbodies.Ievenwrotea#1bestsellingbookonfatlossthatisnowrequiredreadingmaterialinmanydoctors’officesanddieticians’offices.ButlikeIsaid,Iwasn’talwaysanexpertonenergylevels…whenitcametopeoplestrugglingwithenergylevels,Iwouldjusttellpeoplethetypicalstuffeveryonehasalreadyheardamilliontimesbefore(eatright,exercise,lowerstress,drinklotsofwater,get8hoursofsleep,etc.).Sowhenpeoplecametomelookingforadviceonovercomingfatigueandenhancingenergylevels,Iwantedsomewheretoreferthesepeople.Somegreatproductforenergyenhancementorsomepersonwhowasanexpertonenergylevels…SomeoneIcouldendorse,andwhoIknewwasprovidingacomprehensiveSCIENTIFICapproachtoenergyenhancement.Unfortunately,whenI lookedatwhatwasoutthere,Iwasshocked todiscoverhowutterlyTERRIBLEmostoftheinformationisthat’soutthereonthesubjectofenergylevels.IhadnowhereandnoonethatIfeltcomfortablereferringthesepeopleto.So…Idecidedtodosomethingaboutit!IdecidedthatIwasgoingtocreatetheworld’sfirstcomprehensiveandtrulySCIENTIFICapproachtodramaticallyincreasingenhancingenergylevels.Sohere’swhatIdid…Ispentliterallymonthsofreadingvariouspeople’sarticlesonline,watchingvideos,buyingpeople’sproducts,andreadingpeople’sbooksonthesubjectofenergyenhancement.Believeitornot,IactuallywentoutandpurchasedliterallyEVERYproductinexistenceonthesubjectofenergylevels—books,seminarrecordings,anddigitalaudioandvideoproducts.IspentliterallyTHOUSANDSofdollarsofmyownmoneyandIspentHUNDREDSofhoursobsessivelystudyingalltheseproducts…Ofcourse,someoftheseproductshadlittlenuggetsofgoodinformation.Butforthemostpart,itwaseitherthesameoldcommonsenseadviceeveryonehasalreadyheardahundredtimes(eatnutritiousfood,doexercise,drinklotsofwater,de-stress,andgetplentyofsleep)oritwasjustmade-uppseudoscientificnonsensethathasnobasisinscienceandwon’tworktoenhanceenergylevels.
Ultimately,whatIfoundattheendofgoingthroughallthosedozensofbooksandproductsisthatalmosteverythingoutthereonthesubjectofincreasingenergylevelswas,tobeblunt…abunchofpseudoscientificjunk!Afterspendingallthatmoneyandallthattimetolearneverythingfromeveryoneoutthereteachingonthesubjectofenergyenhancement--whatIultimatelydiscoveredisthatNOONEouttherewasreallyaddressingthefatigueepidemicwithacomprehensiveSCIENTIFICsystemtoboostingtheirenergylevels.SoasIpromisedinthevideo,I’mgoingtoactuallyshowyouprettymucheverythingthat’sinallthoseprogramsforFREE.Ihavedonesomethingalmostunheardof…Inthisdocument,IamgoingtooutlinealmostEVERYTHINGyoucangetoutthereonthesubjectofimprovingyourenergy,andI’mshowingyouexactlywhatyoucanexpecttogetifyougotoseeadoctororalternativemedicalpractitioner.WhyamIdoingthis?BecauseIamsickandtiredofallthegarbage,pseudoscience,andmisinformationoutthere!AndIwanttosaveYOUfrompotentiallywastingthousandsofdollarsandYEARSofwastedtimeandeffort.)Firstofall,let’stalkaboutwhatmostpeoplearedoingtotrytomanagetheirenergylevels.Whenyoudon’tunderstandtheSCIENCEbehindenergylevels,you’redestinedtojustdowhateverybodyelsedoes—thenormofoursociety.Sowhataremostpeopledoing?Simple:Theyarejustrelyingandcaffeine,energydrinks,stimulants,andsugartogetthroughtheday.TheyareborrowingenergyfromTOMORROWtopayforTODAY.Inthelongrun,thisarecipeforpoorhealthandevenworseenergylevels.Inshort,itdoesn’treallywork.
Solet’ssayyouwantedtolearnabouthowtoincreasetheirenergylevelsinawaythatdidn’tjustrelyoncaffeineandsugar…Whatelseisoutthereforyoutofindonhowtoovercomefatigueandincreaseyourenergy?Solet’sgetintoitandletmeshowyouwhatisoutthereonthissubject.
Therearebasically4differentcategoriesofinformationyoucanfindonthissubject:
1. Commonsenseadvice2. Longlistsof“magic”supplements3. Justplainpseudoscience4. TheadviceyoucangetfromMDsandalternativemedicinepractitioners
TheCommonSenseAdviceCategoryThisisthemostcommonthingyou’llfindifyoutrytolookuparticlesandvideosonlineabout overcoming fatigue and increasing your energy levels.Mainly just the same oldadviceyou’vealreadyheard…
• eathealthynutritiousfoods• doexercise…• loweryourstresslevels…• drinklotsofwater…• takethisherb…• takemyspecialsupplement…• eatyourfruitsandvegetables…• andsleep8hourseverynight• Snackbetweenmeals• Takeamultivitamin• Don’tskipmeals(eatbreakfast)• Eatlotsofwholegrains…orgolow-carb(dependingonwhicharticleyouread)• don’teatsugarorgluten…• cutoutcoffeeandcaffeine…(oruselotsofcaffeine,dependingonwhicharticleyou
read)
Theothernotablepersononlineteachingonthesubjectofincreasingenergylevelsisaguywhoisbasicallyjustrecommendingablendofrawveganism,detoxing,andcommonsense:
• Getridofsugar• Getridofdairy• Getridofgluten• Getridofcoffeeandcaffeine• Govegan• Eat5-6smallmealsthroughouttheday• Drinkgreenjuices• Doexercise
Ifyoulooktoarticlesonline,mostlywhatyou’llfindisjustinformationinthecommonsensecategory—stuffwe’veallheard1,000timesbefore…Here’sthelistfromanarticleonCNN:
• Drinkwater• Eatbreakfast• Consumeenoughprotein• Eatwholegrainsratherthansugar• Snack• Takeomega-3s• Eatfoodsrichinmagnesium• Eatenoughcalories
Here’sthelistfromanarticleinUSNews:
· Eatmorerawfoods(andgetridofjunkfood).· Eatmoreleafygreenveggiesand· Getmoresleep(andgotobedandwakeupatthesametimeeveryday).
Here’salistfromHealthyWomenmagazine:
• Eatatleasttwofruitsorvegetablesateverymeal.• Eatonefruitorvegetableatsnacktimes.• Drinkwaterallday• Alwayseatbreakfast.Makeitamealwithabalanceofcomplexcarbohydrates,
proteinandalittlefat.Goodoptions:whole-graincerealorbread,nutbutter,fruit.
• Eatmini-mealsthroughoutthedaytokeepbloodsugarlevelsandenergyup.• Gooutside
Here’sWebMD’s10EnergyBoosters:
· IncreaseYourMagnesiumIntake· WalkAroundtheBlock· TakeaPowerNap· Don'tSkipBreakfast· ReduceStressandDealWithAnger· DrinkMoreWaterandLessAlcohol· EatMoreWholeGrainsandLessSugar· HaveaPowerSnack· MakeItaLatte· CheckYourThyroidFunctionandCompleteBloodCellCount
Here’salistfromanarticleinTheDailyMail:
· Eatspinach· Eatmushrooms· Eatpumpkinandsunflowerseeds· Eatsweetpotatoes· Drinklotsofwater· Getfreshproduce· Eateggs
Here’sthe6Energy-BoostingDailyHabitsthatDon’tRelyonCaffeinefromMedicalDaily:
· DrinkH2O· EatHealthyFats· TakeaBriskWalk· ListentoYourFavoriteSong· MassageYourEars· TakeaColdShower
Here’sthelistfromShapemagazine:
· Tapyourthymusfor20seconds•Drinkgreentea•Takebreaksfromsittingatyourdeskandstandup•Blinkfrequently•Drinkgreenvegetablejuice•Socializewithhigh-energyfriends•Breatheinandoutdeeply
• Situpstraight• Eatanapple• Drinksomewater
Here’sthelistfromBodyandSoul:
· Eatiron-richfoods· BoostyourBvitamins· Upyourmagnesiumintake· Choosecomplexcarbs· Getenoughsleep· Takespirulina· Cutbackoncaffeine
Here’sthelistfromMen’sFitnessmagazine:
· Don’tdrinksomuchalcohol.· Takeathyroidtest.· Drinkmorewater.· Getmorelightwhileyouareatwork.· Haveyourbloodpressurechecked.· Snackmore.· Eatberries.· Eatmorefiber.· TryusingL-carnitinesupplements.· Doahotbathorshower.· Eatmorefish.· Listentoloudmusic.· Getmoreb-vitamins.· Limitlunchto500calories.· Walkaroundtheblock.· Eatyogurt.· Avoidtransfats.· Eatmorewholegrains.· Don'tskipbreakfast.· Takecaffeine.· Loseweight.· Eatmorenuts.· Splashcoolwateronyourface.· Drinkaproteinshakeafterworkouts.· Clearyoursinuses.· Callafriend.· Havemoresex.· Takenaps.· Eateggs.· Takecalcium.· EatmorevitaminD.
· Getamassage.· Writedownthingsyoulikeaboutyourself.· Wearbrightercolors.· Doapuzzle.· Dosomecardio.· Doyoga.· Watchafunnymovie.· Playmusicwhileworking.· Organizeyourhouseandworkarea.· Don’tbeindebt.· Beoptimistic.· Getmoresleep.· Havemoreofasociallife.· Varyyourexerciseroutine.· De-stress.· Scheduleadayoff.· Lifeweights.· Eatmorevegetables.· Drinkasportsdrinkwithsugarandelectrolyteswhileexercising.
AlternativemedicalpractitionerDr.JoshAxe’slistis:
• Drinkvegetablejuice• Getmoresleep• Takeadaptogenicherbs• Loweryourcarbintake• Eatchiaseeds• Drinkmorewater• TakeB12vitamins• Doexercisedaily• Drinkherbalteas• Sniffpeppermintoil
Preventionmagazine’slistis:
• Listentoyourfavoritesong• Massageyourears• Chewgum• Eatwholegrains• Learnsomethingnew• Havefluorescentlightsaroundyouduringtheday
Health.com’slistis:
• GotoYoutubeandwatchafunnyvideo• Lookatthecolorred• Gofora10-minutewalk• Yawn• Eatanutritiousdiet
• Exercise• Eatchiaseeds• Stretch
To be clear, some of these recommendations are sound advice. For example, to get moresleep, eat more vegetables, do exercise, drinkmore water, and lower stress levels. Thesethingsareobviouslyimportant.But…
1. Mostpeoplereadingthisarealreadydoingmostofthosethings.2. Whatisreallylackinghereisastep-by-stepblueprinttogoingfromfatiguedto
energetic.3. MostofthesestrategiesaresimplyNOTENOUGHtotakeyoufromfatigued
toenergetic.
ThePseudoscienceCategoryThenextcategoryofinformationthatyoucanfindoutthereonthesubjectofenergylevelsisjustpseudoscience—stuffthatdoesn’thaveasolidscientificbacking.Forexample,thisarticleadvocatesskippingbreakfastanddrinkcoffeewithlotsofpurifiedfatsinit:Butthereareafewproblemswiththis:
1. Whileheisclaimingyouare“skippingbreakfast”anddoing“intermittentfasting,”thebasicfactisthatyouaredoingneitherofthosethings.Heisadvisingyoutodrinkcoffeewithnearly500caloriesofpurifiedfatsinit.Thisisyourbreakfast.You’renotskippingbreakfast—youarehavingabreakfastofpurifiedfatandcoffee.NotonlyisthatNOTafastandNOTskippingbreakfast,butitisoneoftheleastnutritiousbreakfastsyoucanhave.Ifyou’renotusedtogettingacaffeinebuzz,youwillfeelhighenergydoingthisforabout2-3weeks,atwhichpointyourbodywilldevelopatolerancetocaffeine,andthisbreakfastwillneitherbenutritiousnorenergizing.
2. Heisalsoadvisingyoutoaddhisproteinpowderintoyourcoffee.Again,thisis
BREAKFAST—notfasting.Anditismostdefinitelytakingyourbodyoutoffastingphysiologywhereyouareburningoffbodyfatforfuel.You’rejustreplacingawholefoodsbreakfastwithhavingabreakfastthatconsistsofcoffee,proteinpowder,andpurifiedfats.Farfromtheidealbreakfast.
3. IfyoureadmanyoftheotherarticlesIlinkedtoabove,thereareMANYstudiesshowing
thatskippingbreakfasthabituallyislinkedwithLOWERenergylevels,nothigherenergylevels.Infact,theresearchisextremelyclearthatforhighenergylevelsduringtheday,havingbreakfastisoneofthemostimportantthingsyoucando.TwomajorstudiespublishedintheInternationalJournalofFoodSciencesandNutritionshowthatbreakfasteatersnotonlyfeelbettermentallyandphysicallycomparedtopeoplewhoskipbreakfast,buttheyalsoarehappier,healthier,andlessstressed.Sotherecommendationtoskipbreakfastgoesdirectlyagainstthescience.
Here’sDr.Oz’s3-DayDetoxToIncreaseYourEnergy:
· Makesmoothiesusingalmondmilk,fruit,andvegetables· Takeprobiotics· Takesupplementslikeberberineandtheaminoacidl-glutamine· Takemagnesium· Foodcombining–Pairvegetableswitheitherlegumes,grains,oranimalproteinsand
don’teverpairanimalproteinwithgrainsorbeans· Takeanenzymesupplementbeforemeals
· Don’teatgluten,dairy,sugar,andalcoholThereisverylittlesciencetosupportthenotionthattoxinsarethecauseofpoorenergylevels,andthereisequallylittleevidencetosupporttheuseoftheserecommendationsinhelpingthebody“detox.”Forasolidscientificexaminationofthesubjectofdetoxing,IwouldsuggestreadingPrecisionNutrition’sexcellentarticleonthesubjectHERE.
Then you have various New Age and spiritual practices that areclaimedtofixfatigue(andotherhealthproblems).
First,letmebeclearthatsomeofthesepracticesCANworktosomeextenttohelpyou,andthat’swhythereareplentyofanecdotesforallsortsofpsychologicaltechniquesorspiritualpracticesthatareknowntobenobetterthanplacebo(whentestedinactualscientificexperiments).ThethingisthattheplaceboeffectCANactuallyheal.SoANYTHING–includingsugarpills–canhealpeopleoftheirhealthproblems,ifthepersonbelievesthattheyaretakingamedicine.TheBELIEFitselfthatyou’redoingsomethinghealingcancreatehealing.Thusanyandeverytypeoftherapyortechniqueinexistencewillhealatleastaportionofpeople.Beyondtheplaceboeffect…Therealityisthattheycanhelpyoutotheextentthatithelpsyoucultivatemorepositiveemotionsandattitudes,andtotheextentthatithelpsdistractyouorreframeyournegativementalandemotionalstates.
Theproblemisthis:Mostpeople’sfatigueissuesgoFARbeyondjustmentalandemotionalissues.Whilepsychologicalissuesandemotionalissuesareimportantinsomecases,fatigueisalmostalwaysamultifactorialproblemthatalsoinvolveslotsoflifestyleissues(nutritionproblemsandsleepproblemsarecommon).Soreducingeveryone’sfatigueproblemsdowntomental/emotionalissuesissimplyirresponsible.
“AdrenalFatigue”–RealDisease,orFakeDisease?DependsonWhoYouAsk.ButThey
AreBothWrong.Theconceptofadrenalfatigueiscommonlytaughtamongnaturalisticandholistichealthpractitioners,andiscommonlybelievedbyvirtuallyallhealthseekersinthegeneralpublic.Thereareliterallythousandsofarticlesonlineanddozensofbookswrittenabout“adrenalfatigue.”Soofcourse,itmustbearealthing,right?Yet,ifyouareunderthatimpression,itmightinterestyoutoknowthatadrenalfatigueisactuallynotevenacceptedasalegitimatemedicalconditionbyconventionalmedicine.Sotherearebasicallytwocampshere:
#1The“AdrenalFatiguers”Thisismytermforthehugeamountofalternativemedicalpractitionerspushingthediagnosisof“adrenalfatigue”onbasicallyeveryonewhowalksintotheirofficecomplainingoffatigue.
JamesWilsoncoinedtheterm“adrenalfatigue”in1998.Sinceitwasinventedlessthan20yearsago,ithasbecomethemostpopulardiagnosisintheholisticmedicalcommunity.
Thepopularityofthisdiagnosishaslesstodowithitsaccuracyandscientificvalidity,andmuchmoretodowiththesimplefactthattherereallyisanepidemicoffatiguegoingon,andtherewasavacuumthatwascreatedbecausetheconventionalmedicalcommunityreallywasn’tdoinganythingtoevendiagnoseit,letalonetreatit.Inotherwords,thefactthatmostMDsweren’treallydoinganythingforpeoplewithfatigue–typicallytellingpeoplewithfatiguethatthereisnothingwrongwiththem,orperhapstellingthemtosleepmoreorprescribinganantidepressant–ledtoasituationwherealternativemedicalpractitionerscouldputforwardideasaboutthecausesandbesttreatmentsforfatigue.
So,Wilsoncreatedanexplanationforwhysomanypeoplearelowonenergy.Andsinceitwasreallytheonlytheory–theonlyseriousattemptbeingmadetoexplainwhysomanypeoplearefatigued–theideafilledthevacuumandbecamethedominantparadigmofwhymillionsofpeoplearefatigued.
Again,lessbecauseithadlotsofsciencebackingitup,andmorejustbecauseitwastheonlythingbeingputforwardtoexplainandtreatfatigue.
Whenyoulookatthelistofsymptomsthatonecanusetofigureoutiftheyhave“adrenalfatigue,”it’seasytoseewhyit’sbecomesuchapopulardiagnosisamongalternativemedicalpractitioners.Here’salittlesegmentfromWilson’sbook:
“Doyoueverexperiencethefollowing?
1. Tiredfornoreason?2. Havingtroublegettingupinthemorning?
3. Needcoffee,cola,saltyorsweetsnackstokeepgoing?4. Feelingrundownandstressed?5. Cravesaltyorsweetsnacks?6. Strugglingtokeepupwithlife’sdailydemands?7. Can’tbouncebackfromstressorillness?8. Nothavingfunanymore?9. Decreasedsexdrive?
Ifyouansweredyestoanyofthesequestions,youmayhaveadrenalfatigue.”
Thinkaboutthatforamoment,andyou’llprobablyrealizethatwellover90%ofthepopulationmeetsthesecriteriatobediagnosedwith“adrenalfatigue!”
Nowconsiderthatthesinglemostcommoncomplaintamongpatientsvisitingdoctorsandhealthpractitionersisfatigue.
Nowyouprobablyhaveanideawhy“adrenalfatigue”diagnosesaregivenouttojustabouteveryonewhowalksintoanalternativemedicalpractitioners’office.
• “Lowonenergy?It’sbecauseyouradrenalsarefatiguedfromchronicstress.”• “Havingtroublesleeping?It’sprobablyyouradrenals.”• “Gotsugarcravings?It’sthestressonyouradrenalsthat’smakingyoucravesugar.”• “Havedepressionoranxiety?Stressandyouradrenalsarethesourceofthattoo!”• “Havingtroublekeepingtheweightoff?Toomuchstress–you’veburntoutyour
adrenals.”Manypeopleintheholistichealthworldhavelearnedtointerpretthesesymptomsasbeingcausedby“adrenalfatigue.”Thus,the“adrenalfatigue”paradigmhasbecomethego-toparadigmformostalternativemedicalpractitioners.Ialmostfeelbadforthosepoorlittleadrenalglands–they’vebecomethefavoritescapegoatforbasicallyalltypesofhealthproblemsamongalternativemedicalpractitioners.Manyofwhomjustthrowthisdiagnosisoutatthefirstsignofanysymptomthatevenremotelycouldbelumpedinto“adrenalfatigue.”Here’stherealityofwhatthesciencesays:Thesymptomsassociatedwith“adrenalfatigue”arereal,butthesesymptomsarenotjustasimplecaseofstresswearingoutand“fatiguing”youradrenalglands.Notonlyisthistheoryunscientificandwrong,butitusuallyleadstotreatmentsthatarelargelyineffective,andsometimesevencounterproductive.(Moreonthatlater).Inadditiontothe“AdrenalFatiguers,”thenwehave…
#2TheConventionalMDs–“AdrenalFatigueSkeptics/Debunkers”ThesearethemainstreamhealthauthoritiesandMDswhoflat-outreject“adrenalfatigue”asalegitimateconditionordiagnosis.Tothem,it’sjustmade-uppseudoscienceandalternativemedicinequackery.
They’llgenerallytellyouthatotherconditionsrelatingtotheadrenalglands(likeAddison’sdiseaseandadrenalinsufficiency)arerealdiseases,but“adrenalfatigue”isjustmade-upnonsensethathasnobasisinscience.
TheEndocrineSociety,representing14,000endocrinologistMDs,issuedthisstatement:
“’Adrenalfatigue’isnotarealmedicalcondition.Therearenoscientificfactstosupportthetheorythatlong-termmental,emotional,orphysicalstressdrainstheadrenal
glandsandcausesmanycommonsymptoms.”
Considerthatstatementcarefully.Theyaresayingthatafterreviewingthescientificstudies,thereare“noscientificfactstosupportthetheorythatchronicstressdrainstheadrenalglands.”That’saprettyremarkablestatement.They’rebasicallyaccusingthealternativemedicalcommunityofmakingupatheorythathasbasicallynosciencewhatsoevertobackitup.
Inshort,mostmainstreamMDssay“adrenalfatigue”isafakedisease.Andtheygenuinelybelievethateveryonewhothinksit’sarealdisease(andeveryonewhodiagnosespeoplewith“adrenalfatigue”)isaquack,acharlatan,asnakeoilsalesman,orworse.
So,what’sthereality?
Coulditbethatboththe“AdrenalFatiguers”andthe“Skeptics”haveitwrong?
AreBothofTheseParadigmsWrong?So,youwanttoknowif“adrenalfatigue”isrealorjustmade-uppseudoscience?
Well,thatdependsonwhoyouask.Askanalternativemedicalpractitionerandthey’lllikelybeconvincedthat70%or80%ofthepeopletheyseehave“adrenalfatigue,”andthatit’sunquestionablyreal.They’llprobablylookatyoulikeyou’renutsifyouevendoubtthelegitimacyofit.
Ontheotherhand,mostconventionalMDswillthinkyou’reanunscientifichippyquackifyoubelieveinthispseudoscienceof“adrenalfatigue.”
So,what’sreallygoingonhere?
Inshort,whatI’mabouttoshowyouinthisbookisthatbothofthesetwogroupsofpeoplearewrong.
• Thepeoplesayingfatigueisjusttheresultof“fatiguedadrenalglands”thatcan’tproduceenoughcortisolarewrong.
• Thepeoplebrushingoffthesesymptomsandsayingthat“adrenalfatigue”isafakediseasethatdoesn’treallyexistarealsoprofoundlywrong.
Bothgroupsarealsorightaboutathingortwoaswell:
• The“AdrenalFatiguers”arerightthattherearelotsofpeoplewhoareshowingupintheirofficeswithaspecificconstellationofsymptomsthatinvolvechroniclackofenergy,wakinguptired,sugarcravings,lowlibido,brainfog,anxiety,troublesleeping.Letmebeclear:Thesesymptomsdoexist,andmanypeoplearesufferingfromthem!
• The“SkepticsandDebunkers”arealsorightthatthesciencedoesNOTsupporttheclaimthatthesesymptomsarenotbeingcausedsimplybychronicstress“fatiguing”theadrenalglandsandmakingitsotheycan’tproduceenoughcortisol.
Tobreakthisdownsimply,here’swhatI’msaying:ThesymptomsofadrenalfatigueareREAL.ButthesciencedoesNOTsupporttheclaimthattheadrenalsarethecauseofthesesymptoms.
Whilethereisvirtuallynoresearchinexistenceon“adrenalfatigue,”thereisactuallyamountainofresearchexaminingtherelationshipbetweenthesefatiguesyndromesandadrenalfunction/cortisollevels.Basedonthelogicalassumptionthatchronicstressmightunderliethesefatiguesyndromes,researchershavebeenconductingwell-controlledstudiesforovertwodecadestotrytofindalinkbetweencortisollevelsandfatiguesyndromes.Thereareliterallydozensofstudiesonthisthathavebeenconductedbyresearchersallovertheworldforover20years.Sowhatdothesestudiesshowaboutthelinkbetweenadrenals/cortisolandfatigue?
I’veactuallydonethemostcomprehensivereviewofthesciencethathaseverbeendoneonthistopic(ofadrenalfunction/cortisolandfatigue),whereIhaveliterallycompiledeverysinglestudyeverdoneonthistopic–includingtheactualresultsandscreenshotsfromeachindividualstudy–andmadesenseofalltheresearch.It’sover40pagestoreaditall(ashortbook)andifyouwanttoseealltheresearchforyourself,youcanseeitallforyourselfhere:IsAdrenalFatigueReal?Soratherthanwrite40pagesonthisandgothrougheverythingIwentthroughinthatlongarticle,letmesummarizeitallforyouhere…I’mabouttoshowyouthesummaryofallofthe79studiesthathavebeendoneonthistopicoverthelasttwodecades,butfirst,let’sjustkeepinmindthebasicpredictionsofthe“adrenalfatigue”theory.NowI’dliketoactuallyshowyouthesummaryoffindingsfromthestudies,sothatyoucancometoyourownanswertothequestion“isadrenalfatiguereal?”Letmeemphasizeagainthatthisisessentiallytheentirebodyofscientificresearchexaminingtherelationshipofchronicstressandadrenalfunction.I.e.Thisisallthestudies,soI’mnotcherrypickingtheresearchtoprovesometheory—I’mshowingyouallthestudies,includingtheminorityofthestudieswhichdoshowabnormalcortisollevels.Whenyoulookatallthestudies–theentirebodyofevidence–itbecomesreadilyapparenthowcontradictoryallofthefindingsare.Andspecifically,itbecomesapparentthatcortisolabnormalitiesarenotfoundatallinthemajorityofpeoplewithchronicfatigueorburnout.Hereisthesummaryoffindings:
Evidencefrom59individualstudies• 15of59studiesgiveevidenceforLOWERmorningcortisollevelsinpeoplewithchronic
fatigue/fibromyalgiaorburnoutsyndrome
• 11of59studiesgiveevidenceforHIGHERmorningcortisollevelsinpeoplewithchronicfatigue/fibromyalgiaorburnoutsyndrome
• 33of59studiesshownosignificantdifferencesincortisollevelsinpeoplewithchronicfatigue/fibromyalgiaorburnoutsyndrome(and/orthatcortisoldoesnotchangeassymptomsimprove).
Evidencefrominterventionstudies• 10studiesoverall• 3ofthe10studiesshowedaconnectionbetweencortisolincreasesandimprovementinsymptoms.• 7ofthe10studiesshowednoconnectionbetweenfatigueandcortisolchanges.
Evidencefrom20literaturereviews
• Themajorityofreviewsconcludethatthereareinconsistentandcontradictoryfindings—i.e.somestudiesshowhighcortisolislinkedwithchronicfatigue/burnout,andothersshowlowcortisol,andmostdonotfindanycortisolabnormalitiesatall.
• ThereisnospecificcortisolpatternorchangeinHPAaxisfunctionthatisuniquetochronicfatigue/burnout.
• Themajorityofreviewsconcludethatpeoplewithchronicfatigue/burnouthavenoadrenal/HPAaxisdysfunctionandhavenormalcortisollevels.
Again,ifyouwanttoseealltheresearchforyourself–includingactualscreenshotsfromEVERYstudyoverthelast25years–youcanseeitallforyourselfhere:IsAdrenalFatigueReal?Buttheconclusionisclear:CortisolabnormalitiesareNOTevenpresentinthevastmajorityofpeoplewithchronicfatigueorBurnoutSyndrome.
KeyPoint:Ifit’spossible–evencommon–tohavetheconditionwithoutanycortisolabnormalities,thenwecansaydefinitivelythat
cortisolabnormalitiesareNOTthecauseofthecondition.In2016,asystematicreviewofthescientificliteratureonthesubjectof“adrenalfatigue”waspublishedbyanactualresearcher.Thatsystematicreviewofthescientificliterature(allrelevantstudiesonthetopic)istitled“AdrenalFatigueDoesNotExist.”Here’stheactualscreenshotofthescientificreviewsoyoucanseeforyourself:
I’msureyoucanguesswhattheresearchersfoundbasedonthetitle,buthere’stheirconclusionsoyoucanreaditforyourself:
“Wefoundanalmostsystematicfindingofconflictingresultsderivedfrommostofthestudiesmethodsutilized,regardlessofthevalidationandthequalityofperformed
tests.Somelimitationsofthereviewinclude:(1)heterogeneityofthestudydesign;(2)thedescriptive
natureofmoststudies;(3)thepoorqualityassessmentoffatigue;(4)theuseofanunsubstantiatedmethodologyin
termsofcortisolassessment(notendorsedbyendocrinologists);(5)falsepremisesleadingtoanincorrectsequenceofresearchdirection;and,(6)
inappropriate/invalidconclusionsregardingcausalityandassociationbetweendifferentinformation.
…thissystematicreviewprovesthatthereisnosubstantiationthat"adrenalfatigue"isanactualmedicalcondition.Therefore,adrenalfatigueisstillamyth.”1
WhatIfYou’veBeenTestedandFoundtoHaveLowCortisolLevels?Now,ifyou’vehadacortisoltestanditshowedthatyouhadlowmorningcortisollevels,youmightbethinking“well,thenMr.SmartyPants,whyismycortisollowthen,ifnotfromadrenalfatigue?”
Simple–thereareactuallydozensofstudiesshowingthatlowmorningcortisollevelsaretypicallycausedbymanycommonlifestylehabits,not“adrenalfatigue”:
§ Lackofmorningsunexposureandtoomuchartificiallightatnight2§ Beingsedentary3§ Beingoverweight4§ Eatinglateatnight5§ Beinganightowl6§ Manycommonprescriptionandover-the-counterdrugslike
antidepressants7§ Poorsleep8
Infact,manyresearchershavesaidthatwhenapersonwithfatiguehaslowcortisollevels,it’salmostcertainlythecasethatthelowcortisollevelswerecausedbythecondition,ratherthanbeingthecauseofthecondition.9Mosttypically,itworkslikethis:Assomeonegetsill,theirsleepisdisturbed,andthepoorsleepitselfresultsinlowcortisollevels.
Whenapersonhaslowmorningcortisollevels,it’salmostalwaystheresultofoneoracombinationoftheabovefactors,notbecausetheiradrenalsare“fatigued”.Keypoint:Whilesomepeoplebelievethatalowmorningcortisolpeakmeansthatapersonhas“adrenalfatigue,”itmayactuallyjustmeanthatapersonhasexcessbodyfat,orissedentary,oristakingmedications,orisapoorsleeper,orstaysuplate(oracombinationofthosefactors).Butagain,thepointhereisthattheevidenceabsolutelydoesnotsupporttheideathattheadrenalsorcortisollevelsarethecentralcauseofchronicfatigueorburnout.
ADeeperLookatSomeofTheMostRevealingResearchontheCortisol-FatigueLinkNowlet’sexamineafewofthemostimpressiveandrevealingstudiesmorein-depth…Theideaof“adrenalfatigue”hasatonofoverlapwith“BurnoutSyndrome”and“Stress-RelatedExhaustionDisorder.”Theyareessentiallythesameconcept,justwithdifferentnames.Solet’slookattheresearchonBurnoutSyndrome/Stress-relatedExhaustionandtheirrelationshipwithadrenalfunction/cortisollevelstoseeifthere’salink…
I’veputactualscreenshotsofthestudiesheresoyoucanseethemforyourself.(Note:Youdon’tneedtoreadallthedetailsofeachstudy–unlessyoureallywantto–butDOpayattentiontomyquotesandsummariesoftherelevantconclusionsofeachstudyatthebottomofthescreenshots.)
Whatdoesallthismean?Simplyput,itmeansthatcortisolabnormalitiesareNOTPRESENTatallinthevastmajorityofpeoplewithBurnoutSyndromeorStress-RelatedExhaustion.Giventhatsimplefact,wecansaydefinitivelythattheseconditionsareNOTcausedbyadrenal/cortisolproblems.
DoesTheResearchSupportTheTheoryof“AdrenalFatigue”?--Summary
Insummary,theevidencedoesnotsupportthetheoryofadrenalfatigue.Infact,theevidencemakesitoverwhelminglyclearthatburnout/chronicfatigue/stress-relatedexhaustionareNOTcausedbyabnormallevelsofcortisol.Overall,thebodyofscientificresearchtellsusthatthefocusoncortisollevelsasthekeyfactorinchronicfatigueisextremelymisguided.YourfatigueisREAL.But“adrenalfatigue”isnotthereasonyouhavelowenergylevelsandothersymptoms.Thusitmakesabsolutelynosense–andisNOTscientificallysound–toclaimthattheseconditionsarecausedbyabnormalcortisollevels.Nordoesitmakeanysensetotrytofixthefatigue/burnoutbytryingtochasecortisollevels.Thesearenotevidence-basedpractices.Claimingthatlowcortisollevelsarethecauseofchronicfatigue/burnoutispseudoscience–plainandsimple.Simplyput:YourfatigueisalmostcertainlyNOTfromanyproblemwithyouradrenalsorcortisollevels.(Soifnotyouradrenals,thenwhatisreallycausingyourfatigue?Tuneintotherestofthisvideotraining,whereI’llbeexplainingallthat!)
ThenyouhavethemainstreamMDs
Fortreatingchronicfatigueandfibromyalgia,conventionalmedicaltreatmentisnotoriouslyineffectiveandthereisaseverepaucityofresearch-provenmethodsforimprovingenergylevels.
· Oneexception:Whenfatigueisoccurringasasideeffectofanactualmedicalconditionlikehypothyroidismoranemiaoraninfection,theycanbeeffectiveinhelping.(Ifyoususpectsuchaproblem,pleaseseeyourphysician!Andifyouhaveseveresymptoms,youshouldalwaysseeadoctorandruleoutmoreseriousmedicalproblems).
· Butoverall,morethan90%ofpeoplewithchroniclowenergywillcomeback
withperfectlynormalbloodtestsandbetoldthatnothingiswrongwiththem.Inmostcases,you’lleitherbetold“nothingiswrongwithyou”orbeprescribedanantidepressantorsleepingpills,ortoldtorestandde-stressforawhile.Inshort,conventionalmainstreammedicinehasvirtuallynothingtoofferthoselookingtoimprovetheirenergylevelsinmostcasesoutsideofadiagnosablemedicalcondition.
· Youcanexpecttogetsleepingpills,antidepressantsoranti-anxietydrugs–justtotreatSYMPTOMS.
Summingup
• Youhavethetypicalcommonsenseadvicethatwe’veallheardandtriedmanytimesbefore.(Drinkmorewater,doexercise,getmoresleep,loweryourstresslevels,eatahealthierdiet,cutoutthesugarandcaffeine,etc.)
• Youhavetheadrenalfatiguerswhowillsendyouhomewithalaundrylistofsupplementstotaketofixyouradrenals,whichtheysayarethecauseofyourissues.
• YouhaveMDs,whowillmostlikelysendyouhomewitheithernothingoranantidepressant.
• Thenyouhavejustpurepseudoscience—peoplejustmakingstuffuporpromotingideasthatsimplydon’thavesolidscientificbacking.
Ifyoudon’tbelieveme,lookitupforyourselfonline!ThisisprettymuchALLoftheinformationyou’llfindonlineaboutboostingenergylevels.
AndIdidNOTlikewhatIwasseeingoutthere…Iwassickandtiredofallthepseudoscienceandquackeryaroundenergylevels…Iwassickandtiredofhearingallthesameoldstuffthateveryonehasalreadyheardathousandtimesbefore…IwassickandtiredofpeoplejustbeinghandedabunchofsupplementsordrugstotaketofixsomeSYMPTOMSwithoutactuallyaddressingtherootcauseoftheproblem…AndIdecidedtotakeastandandDOSOMETHINGABOUTIT!Idecidedtocreatethefirstandonlyscientific,evidence-basedblueprinttoenhancingenergylevels.Andbytheway,Icertainlycan’ttakeallthecreditbecauseIdidn’tdoitalone…Iwassmartenoughtoreachouttoseveralworld-renownedexpertsinfieldsfromnutritiontocircadianbiology(thebody’sbiologicalclock)tophysiciansonthefrontlinesoftreatchronicfatiguetoNYTimesBestsellingauthorsandworld-renownedneuroscientists…AllofwhommadeamazingcontributionstothesystemIdeveloped.Now,here’sthething…IneverimaginedthatitwouldtakewellovertwoYEARSoffull-timeresearchintothescienceofenergylevels,collaborationwithseveralotherscientificexperts,andseeminglyendlesshoursofexperimentationwithhundredsofmyclientstodoit…Butafterallwassaidanddone,IrealizedthatwhatIhadputtogetherwiththehelpofalltheseexpertswassoground-breakingthatIknewitcouldhelptransformthelivesoftensofthousandsofpeopleforever.
Aspecificformulaof6stepsgroundedinprovenscientificresearchthatcrackedthecodeforenergyenhancement.It’scalledTheEnergyBlueprint.Andit’sthefirstandONLYcomprehensiveSCIENTIFICsystemforenergyenhancementevercreated.Forthelastseveralyears,thisinformationhasonlybeenavailabletomyone-on-oneconsultingclients.Butoverthelastseveralyearsofresearchandexperimentationwithhundredsofclients,IhaverefinedthesystemandmadeitevenBETT10ERthanwhatmyclientshavepaidTHOUSANDSofdollarsfor.AndIhavedecidedtoreleasetheprogramonamassivescaletohelpasmanypeopleaspossibleovercometheirfatigueandtaketheirenergytonewheights.SoIhopeyou’reexcitedaboutthat!Youshouldbe!:-)Ihopethisdocumentsavedyoualotoftimeandmoneyintryingtofixyourenergylevels.AndIhopeyou’reexcitedtoseethecutting-edgestrategiesthatIamgoingtobepresentingtoyouinthenextfewvideos!Makesuretotuneintothose,becauseI’mgoingtobegivingyouFREEaccesstocutting-edge,scientificevidence-basedstrategiesforboostingyourenergylevels.AndIpromisethatjustinthenexttwovideosalone,Iwillbegivingyouinformationthatismorepowerfulthananythingyoucanfindonline.SomakesuretotuneintoVideo#2whenit’sreleasedshortly!Keepaneyeoutforanemailfromme.
- AriWhittenTheEnergyBlueprint
References1CadegianiFAetal.(2016)Adrenalfatiguedoesnotexist:asystematicreview.2LeeseG.,etal.(1996)Short-termnight-shiftworkingmimicsthepituitary-adrenocorticaldysfunctioninchronicfatiguesyndrome.JClinEndocrinolMetab.1996May;81(5):1867-70.3TryonWW.,etal.(2004)Chronicfatiguesyndromeimpairscircadianrhythmofactivitylevel.Physiology&BehaviorVolume82,Issue5,15October2004,Pages849-8534Champaneri,SMDetal.(2013)DiurnalSalivaryCortisolisAssociatedWithBodyMassIndexandWaistCircumference:TheMulti-EthnicStudyofAtherosclerosis.Obesity(SilverSpring).2013Jan;21(1):E56–E63.doi:10.1002/oby.200475GoelN.,etal.(2009)Circadianrhythmprofilesinwomenwithnighteatingsyndrome.JBiolRhythms.2009Feb;24(1):85-94.doi:10.1177/0748730408328914.6AbbruzzeseEA.,etal.(2014)TheInfluenceOfTheChronotypeOnTheAwakeningResponseOfCortisolInTheMorning.7SjörsA.,etal.Long-termfollow-upofcortisolawakeningresponseinpatientstreatedforstress-relatedexhaustion.BMJOpen8FosseyM.,etal.(2004)Sleepqualityandpsychologicaladjustmentinchronicfatiguesyndrome.JBehavMed.2004Dec;27(6):581-605.9CleareAJ,(2004)TheHPAaxisandthegenesisofchronicfatiguesyndrome,TrendsEndocrinolMetab.2004Mar;15(2):55-9.
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