Here's the list:
-- not sleeping well
-- heartburn or bloating
-- brain fog
-- allergies
-- aches
-- decreased libido
-- mild depression
-- fatigue, fatigue, fatigue
Do those symptoms describe you, at least in part? They are the symptoms
that Frank Lipman, M.D., is seeing among so many of his over-40 patients. Lipman, who is from New York, specializes in integrative medicine, which means he has training in and practices both traditional and alternative medicine. He has written "Spent: End Exhaustion and Feel Great Again," which is being released at the end of this month and is previewed in the December issue of More magazine.
Basically, Lipman sees the body as a whole, and treats it as a system. Instead of suppressing the symptoms above with drugs, as some doctors may do, Lipman believes that eating differently and focusing on our natural body cycles are key components in getting rid of "Spent Syndrome." Here's a quote from the article:
"I see these symptoms as a tip-off to some sort of imbalance in the body, and I work to restore that balance. I believe that we become spent because our modern lifestyle isolates us from nature and divorces us from our natural cycles. Humans simply were not built to be sedentary, get by on nearly no sleep, live without sun and trees or subsist on processed foods or bizarre no-fat, no-carb diets. We are meant to eat seasonal foods, enjoy fresh air and sunlight, and sleep when the sun goes down. I'm not suggesting we all live in caves and eat a Paleolithic diet, but we should try to respect natural rhythms and move with them, not against them."
What are a few things that Lipman recommends?
-- Get away from refined carbohydrates; they feel good in the short term, but your body struggles to process them, and they age you prematurely
-- Get healthy protein and fat in the mornings
-- Have your midday meal be the largest of the day
-- Eat a small dinner full of high-fiber carbs
-- Be sensitive to the light sources in your bedroom that can disrupt sleep.
Here's a link to the article in More:
http://www.more.com/health/wellness/why-you-feel-run-down/
Does this describe you? Are there days and weeks when you feel like you're just slogging through the fog?