HOW TO INCREASE YOUR ENERGY

By Lawrence Wilson, MD

© Revised, May 2008, The Center For development

A desire for more energy is one of the most common requests today. How can nutritional methods help raise one's energy level?
This article will cover the basics of correcting your energy level. This is a complex issue and our bodies have very complex energy systems. We will discuss two major systems of the body concerned with fuel or energy.
The first is called the oxidation rate. Oxidation means to burn or mix with oxygen. A fire occurs when fuel, such as wood or gasoline, mixes with oxygen at a high temperature.
Oxidation in the body is the same, but can occur at body temperature, thanks to important chemicals called enzymes. These chemicals achieve the chemical reactions that would otherwise require much higher temperatures, as occur inside a car engine, for example, when gasoline is ignited and mixes with air in order to burn. The second aspect of energy we will cover is called the energy pathway or fuel pathway of our bodies.
However, before discussing these rather involved topics, let us begin with the most important and simplest reason for low energy – a rest and sleep deficiency. This is so overlooked today it is a tragedy.

REST AND SLEEP

Most people do not get enough rest! Without this, you will never fully overcome chronic fatigue and have the best energy possible.
This is such as basic lifestyle factor that it is so often overlooked by practitioners and the public alike. Since it is such a vitally important aspect of the energy equation, we refer you to a special article on this webiste devoted to rest and sleep, Sleep, The Silent Healer.

THE OXIDATION RATE

The oxidation rate is like the tune of your engine. If an internal combustion engine is running too slowly or if the fuel-air mixture is too rich or too lean, the engine will not run correctly and the power output drops precipitously.
Similarly, if you are pedaling a bicycle in the wrong gear, either too slowly or too fast, your power output will diminish greatly and you will become tired much faster as a result. This is why bicycles have gears, as do all internal combustion autos.
In our bodies, the shifting of the gears is done by changing the parameters of metabolism to balance the oxidation rate. This keeps the metabolic “engine” running at its optimum speed and adjustment.
The importance of this concept cannot be overemphasized. We have a separate article on it called Fast, Slow and Mixed Oxidation. Here I will briefly summarize how the system works.
The oxidation rate is highly dependent on many factors, among which are the activity of the thyroid and adrenal glands. The adrenals increase the available fuel, while the thyroid helps “ignite” the fuel, acting like sparkplugs. This is a very crude analogy, but not that far from the truth.

A Slow Oxidation Rate. The balance of these glands is most important, and many people are tired because their thyroid glands are underactive, for example, which is like having bad spark plugs in your car. Others have low adrenal glandular activity. This, also, will cause fatigue. Cortisol and cortisone, produced by the adrenals, convert stored fats and starch to glucose. This supplies the 'fuel' to produce energy within the body cells.
Those with sluggish adrenal and thyroid activity are called slow oxidizers. They are not oxidizing or burning their food at an adequate rate. One objective of a nutritional balancing healing program for these individuals is to enhance their oxidation rate.

A Fast Oxidation Rate. An opposite condition can cause fatigue as well. Some people who are tired are fast oxidizers. Their thyroid and adrenal gland activity is excessive. Like a bicyclist pedaling too fast, these individuals use energy inefficiently and become tired.
These individuals are often lavish in their expenditure of energy, and accomplish much as long as their energy holds out. However, they often run on nervous energy. They may have excellent energy for a time, and then suddenly become exhausted. When they become tired, they are attracted to stimulants, alcohol or other artificial means to sustain their energy.
Part of the task in correcting energy usage in a fast oxidizer is to even out their use of energy. Through a proper diet of more fats and oils, and a few correct nutritional supplements, these individuals can be helped to become 'long distance runners' instead of 'sprinters' who become exhausted quickly because they expend their energy too rapidly.

THE ENERGY PATHWAY

Now let us discuss the body’s fuel processing system, another key to having optimum energy. Like the automobile, the body has a fuel system. Each step of the system must be operating well for high energy production.
In the body, the system begins with the ingestion of 'fuel' foods, which are primarily starches and fats. Protein may also be burned for fuel, although this is inefficient and toxic. This is one problem with very high-protein diets over a long period of time.

Food Intake And Eating Habits. Food must first be digested, which includes eating in a sitting position in a relaxed manner, and ideally sitting for 10 minutes or so after eating to allow digestion to begin. It also includes adequate chewing of food, avoiding drinking large glasses of water or worse, other beverages, with the meal because these tend to dilute the digestive juices needed to digest the food.

Stomach Digestion. Once the food enters the stomach, it must there mix with stomach acid and enzymes such as pepsin and chymotrypsin. This is a critical phase of digestion. It is often hampered by drinking too much liquid with meals and/or weak production of stomach acid and stomach enzymes.

Intestinal Digestion. Eventually, proteins are broken down into amino acids, starches are broken down to simple sugars, and fats are broken down to fatty acids. These must be absorbed adequately in the small intestine.

Many people have something called leaky gut syndrome or other intestinal ailments of which they are unaware. These can hamper adequate nutrient absorption. This is why when we give supplementary vitamins and minerals, for example, we have to give doses much higher than that which is normally needed. This is also why any laws that limit the potency of minerals and vitamins will harm people, not help them. Most are not toxic if too much are taken at once, unlike drugs which are deadly if you take too much.

Absorption Into The Liver And Nutrient Conversion. Once food is absorbed it passes directly to the liver, not to the entire body, as some teach. The liver stores some of the sugars and fatty acids and converts some of them to other forms and structures such as proteins and cholesterol.
The liver. in most people, does not function optimally, although blood tests may indicate “normal” liver activity. The main reasons are two:

1. The liver is quite toxic due to the intake of too many toxic metals, toxic chemicals, food additives and toxins generated by fermentation or putrefaction of food in the intestines.

2. The oxidation rate is too sluggish. This impairs the liver’s activities, slowing all chemical reactions a little bit.

Both these can be overcome with nutritional balancing science, and helped a lot with other detoxification procedures such as coffee enemas, which are best. Infrared light saunas are also superb to help decongest and detoxify the liver and all the other vital organs.

Absorption Into The Cells. From the liver, the nutrients from the food, having been processed correctly we hope, must now pass into the cells. Here another blockage in the energy system often occurs, giving rise to fatigue. Here are the main causes of poor absorption of nutrients from the blood into the cells.

1. The cell walls are too rigid and thus less permeable to nutrients, hormones and other vital substances. Reasons for this are primarily two:

a) Relatively too many omega-6 fatty acids in the diet. These come from eating cooked vegetable oils, regular meats and all processed foods. The worst source are hydrogenated oils found in margarines, peanut butters, candies, crackers, breads, baked goods and deep fried foods.
b) Elevated tissue calcium levels tend to stabilize cell membranes. This is revealed easily on a hair tissue mineral analysis if one understands how to interpret the chart.

2. Impaired Circulation To The Tissues. This may be due to hardening of the capillaries, impaired circulation in general, congestion of the blood in certain organs due to lack of exercise, for example, fatigue, sympathetic dominance (overuse of the sympathetic nervous system) and other reasons at times.

3. Impaired insulin metabolism. This is a very important problem for millions of Americans today. Insulin helps move glucose from the blood into the cells. Insulin activity requires the presence of chromium, zinc, manganese and many other nutrients for this process to occur correctly.
If the blood sugar mechanism does not work as it should, one develops low glucose in the cells. This is a form of hypoglycemia, even though the word hypo-glycemia actually means low glucose in the blood.
If the condition worsens, glucose begins to accumulate in the blood and then the same condition is called full-blown diabetes.

Cellular Nutrition. If adequate nutrients can get inside the cells, the fuel (sugars and fatty acids) must then be converted to a special form, adenosine triphosphate or ATP. This is the form in which fuel is used in our bodies. This process takes place in small structures called mitochondria. The latest rage in medical care is to denote fatigue as “mitochondrial dysfunction”. This, of course, is partly true, but only partly so, because for the optimum energy all parts of the energy pathway and the oxidation rate must function properly. However, it is a good start on understanding the body’s energy system.
Many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and many other substances must be present in just the right amounts for optimum energy production in the mitochondria of each body cell. Also, waste products of metabolism, which are mainly lactic acid and other acids, must be removed from the cells. If the circulation is poor or the cell permeability impaired, then waste removal is hindered, and this is another cause of fatigue due to an imbalanced pH of the cells and the buildup of metabolic waste products of metabolism.

In summary, any imbalance in the human oxidation rate or any deficiencies, blockages or waste buildup in the energy pathways causes a loss of energy or fatigue. Hundreds of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients are needed to keep the system running smoothly. This is why a natural food diet, plenty of rest and sleep, mild exercise, deep enough breathing, and even healthful attitudes are so important for our health and abundant energy.

TOXIC METALS AND ENERGY LEVELS

Now let us discuss some more specific problems that cause energy loss. Toxic metals devastate the body's energy system. The energy-producing glands and glucose tolerance systems are often out of balance due to the accumulation of toxic metals in the body tissues.
These metals include lead, cadmium, mercury, copper, nickel and aluminum, among many others. Toxic metals replace vital minerals in enzyme binding sites and interfere with many body functions. This means the toxic metal fills a key position in an enzyme, but it stops the enzyme from functioning correctly. This is like placing the wrong key in a lock. It may go in, but it will not allow the lock to function correctly, and it even keeps the right key from being inserted in the lock. The wrong key much be removed first, and then the right one, a vital mineral, must replace it.
High levels of toxic metals are common today, due to contamination of the air, water and food, and in some cases due to occupational exposure. In addition, many children are born with high levels of toxic metals passed on from their mothers through the placenta.
Scientific nutrition programs and detoxification with sauna therapy and other methods can remove toxic metals from body tissues. For much more information about toxi metals, see our article on this site, Toxic Metals.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIET

Diet plays a vital role in causing impaired glandular activity, glucose intolerance and toxic metal accumulation. For example, adequate protein has a stimulating effect upon the glands.

Sugars And Energy. Sugars are often reported to be quick energy foods. This is true. However, they do far more damage than any benefits they provide, in general.
Excessive sugars in the diet, even too much fruit or fruit juice, cause a short-term stimulation of the glands, but unbalance the energy-producing system and lead to more fatigue. They do this in about a dozen ways by stressing the insulin system, depleting many vital nutrients, affecting the pH of the body and much more. See our article on Sugar Addiction for more information about this problem.

Excessive or Low Protein. In general, animal protein, due to its amino acid, zinc and B vitamin content, enhances glandular activity more than protein from vegetable sources. Too much protein, or poor quality protein, will eventually impair the energy systems of the body.

Refined Food Diets. Poor quality food or refined food lacks essential nutrients and eventually leads to lower energy levels. When essential nutrients are deficient in the diet, the body more readily takes up toxic metals to perform certain functions.

Toxic Food Additives. Another common problem today is the consumption of hundreds or even thousands of food additives, many of which have some toxicity. When put together, baked together and combined in our bodies, they can seriously impair energy production.
Much more can be said about diet, and this is discussed in many articles on this website.

YOUR ATTITUDES AFFECTS YOUR ENERGY

The Calcium Shell. Another cause of low energy levels has to do with one’s attitudes. For example, the adrenals are involved in the 'fight-or-flight response'. Adrenal hormones cause physiological changes appropriate for either a fight or for actively running away from an overwhelming stress. If, however, a person is in a state of paralysis, apathy, extreme fear or 'give-up', the adrenal glands do not respond and energy is not available.
At times the feeling of paralysis or fear is not easy to detect. On a hair mineral analysis, it manifests as a very slow oxidation rate, often with a very high calcium level that we call a 'calcium shell'.

Sympathetic Dominance. Other people waste energy by fighting all the time. This attitude also places excessive stress on the adrenal glands. Eventually fatigue results. Often these individuals are fast oxidizers or have a pattern on their hair analyses we call sympathetic dominance.
When they tire out, the ratio of their hair sodium to potassium decreases below 2.5:1. When the sodium/potassium ratio drops below 1:1, fatigue is often extreme. Such a low ratio correlates with attitudes of frustration, resentment and hostility.

In some cases, attitude is the primary cause for low energy. Many techniques from traditional psychotherapy to meditation may be useful to expose the attitudes and the causes behind them.

CORRECTING YOUR ENERGY SYSTEM

Before we discuss the right way to improve your energy, let us discuss a few poor and even harmful methods. The first is to take stimulants such as caffeine, drugs from No-Doz to cocaine, staying up late with loud music or even too much sex. Others include reading too much, including pornography as a stimulant drug, worrying a lot, watching late-night TV, horror movies, working too hard, exercising to stay up, and others. All of these are universally harmful and make the sleep deprivation problem much worse.
The saddest ways people use to stay up late at night is to play games in their head. These include, but are not limited to: it is the best for me, or I must do some work tonight, or that sleep is a waste of time. Too often, one decides that sleep does not help anyway, so why bother. The latter is something called adrenal burnout. It is a condition in which more rest and sleep does nothing but make one apparently more tired. This must be understood. However, it is far beyond the scope of this article, so click on the article Adrenal Burnout Syndrome to completely appreciate this very common condition.

The Natural Way To Abundant Energy. The best way to improve your entire energy system is with a complete nutritional balancing program based on a properly performed and perfectly interpreted hair tissue mineral analysis.
Nothing less than this will have the same effect. This does not mean that other methods don’t work, but often they are not as effective e, though they may help a lot to correct single imbalances such as thyroid problems or toxic metals.
A properly designed program must include a healthful diet for your metabolic type or oxidation type, plus a few nutritional supplements. These serve to balance the oxidation rate and correct other problems such as impaired absorption of nutrients, bone problems and many others. All this and much more is integrated into a rather simple supplement program that should cost less than $200.00 per month or even much less.
In addition, it includes a lifestyle and eating habit program and a detoxification protocol, which optimally involves using a near infrared lamp sauna for the best results in the least amount of time. In addition, it may involve methods to improve your grounding and your attitudes, as these can also impact your energy, as explained above.

Slow Oxidizer Diet. To begin eat correctly, as outlined in other article on this site. Briefly, slow oxidizers, which includes most people, especially adults, need more high-quality protein such as eggs, chicken and turkey.
Both metabolic types need a lot more steamed or otherwise lightly cooked vegetables. Salads are only fair, because they t do not provide nearly the nutrition required today, they are harder to digest for many people and they are often unclean, especially if ordered in restaurants. We prefer you avoid them, in general.
Slow oxidizers require less fats and oils in their diets. However, a teaspoon or about 4 capsules per day of fish oil or cod liver oil for some vitamin D is excellent for most everyone. They also need more of the vitamins B, C and E, and manganese, zinc and adrenal and thyroid glandular substance.

Fast Oxidizer Diet. Fast oxidizers usually much more fats and oils in their diet. They need whole organic dairy products unless these are not tolerated well. Eggs, meats, including some red meat like lamb, are excellent for them. Nuts, nut butters, olive oil and even some avocado are okay, too.
For fast oxidizers, nutrients such as choline, inositol, copper, calcium and magnesium help decrease excessively active thyroid and adrenal glands. Since multi-vitamins are often a combination of all the nutrients, they are less helpful than individually targeted nutrients.

In addition to the diet, start building yourself a sauna, or purchase one. Plans are free on this site at Free Sauna Plans and purchasing information is at Purchase A Sauna.

In addition, you may begin doing coffee enemas. The procedure is found at Detoxification Procedures.

Also, you may begin the type of meditation we recommend by clicking on Purchase the meditation CD.

These materials will go a long way to improving your energy and will prepare you to begin a nutritional balancing program based on a hair mineral analysis. For information about our programs, and to find a local practitioner or to work with myself and my assistant, Dr. McHaney, click here.

OTHER CAUSES OF LOW ENERGY

Spiritual Fatigue. This article has not touched on spiritual aspects of low energy, but it bears mentioning. Spiritual development requires much more rest ands sleep, even more than has been suggested above. Thus one’s fatigue may be for good reason, and not necessarily due to any biochemical or nutritional deficiencies or imbalances.
However, most people have these imbalances today. Additionally, even if the reasons for your lack of energy are of a spiritual nature, which is discussed more in the article on rest and sleep, these periods of fatigue should be short-lived.
If you have chronic low energy, most likely you have the biochemical and other imbalances discussed above and spiritual fatigue must not be used as an excuse to stay up late, to eat poorly or to ignore the bodies needs. More rest is always helpful in these cases, however.

Chronic Infections. Low energy is often caused by chronic infections anywhere in the body. Common sites are infected teeth, gum disease, chronic ear, eye, throat and other infections, often onees that were treated with antibiotics. These killed many of the germs but not all of them.
These very chronic or low-grade infections are not usually detectable medically. Often, however, a tendency for this problem to be present is shown on a hair analysis as a low sodium/potassium ratio, the presence of toxic metals and low energy indicators as well.
Our nutritional balancing programs will correct these infections, though at times a tooth must be extracted or filled, and rarely other procedures or methods are needed as well.

Other Causes. Pain, structural imbalances, and even spiritual problems or lifestyle imbalances can and do impair energy. These definitely need attention as well in such cases. However, these are not usually the main causes of impaired energy in most people today.

CONCLUSION

Improving your energy is not that difficult if you will get the rest you need, plus take care the body in a way that allows it to rest and rebuild. Energy is your birthright and your privilege if you will learn to care for the body as it is designed to be cared for.
The methods here outlined will help you do this, and often in a period of a year or less. Many people, however, have run their bodies down quite severely. In these cases, more time may be needed, even up to several years. This was my situation, so I am extremely familiar with it. No matter, I now have plenty of energy, much more than most people, although I take no stimulants and do not need an excessive amount of rest at night.

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