The Root Cause of Your Fatigue
Feeling tired all the time is one of the most common complaints I hear from women — and it’s often one of the most frustrating.
Because when you’re exhausted, everything feels harder.
You need energy to take care of your responsibilities, to work through your health symptoms, and to show up fully in your life.
And “get more sleep” isn’t helpful advice…
Here are the four most common and overlooked root causes of fatigue I see in my practice, plus simple first steps to get your energy back.
1. Blood sugar rollercoaster
Your body runs on glucose for fuel. That’s why it’s so important to have a stable supply throughout the day.
When your blood sugar spikes and crashes, your energy follows. You may notice:
Mid-morning or afternoon energy crashes
Irritability or “hanger” if you go too long without eating
Cravings for sugar, carbs, or caffeine
Skipping breakfast, starting the day with coffee only, or eating carb-heavy meals without protein and fat are some of the biggest culprits. These habits push your body into stress mode, triggering cortisol spikes that drain your energy over time.
Simple reset:
Eat within 30 min to 1 hour of waking
Prioritize a protein-rich breakfast (20–30g protein + healthy fats + fiber)
Then eat every 3–4 hours
Pair carbs with protein and fat to avoid spikes
2. Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Your mitochondria are your body’s energy factories. They take the food you eat and turn it into ATP, the actual energy currency your body uses.
When they’re not functioning properly, you could eat the cleanest diet in the world and still feel exhausted.
Common root causes I find in lab work are chronic inflammation, environmental toxins, and nutrient deficiencies (especially B vitamins and iron).
Signs this might be you:
Constant fatigue even with good sleep
Muscle weakness or fatigue without overexertion
Persistent brain fog or difficulty focusing
Simple reset:
Eat a nutrient-dense diet with colorful fruits, vegetables, and quality protein
Reduce toxin exposure (switch to cleaner products, filter water/air, etc)
Support detox pathways with hydration, movement, and fiber
Consider targeted supplementation (based on lab results)
3. Hidden Stressors
Stress isn’t just mental — it can also be physical. Over-exercising, under-eating, gut imbalances, and blood sugar swings all count as stressors that can add up over time.
At first, your adrenals pump out cortisol to keep you going. But over time, this rhythm gets disrupted, leading to:
Wired but tired nights
Afternoon crashes
Trouble falling or staying asleep
Feeling an underlying anxiousness
Eventually, this cycle can push you into burnout, where your cortisol pattern flatlines and energy feels impossible to access.
Simple reset:
Swap intensive cardio for strength training, yoga, or walking
Fuel your body with balanced meals
Add 5–10 minutes of nervous system regulation daily (breathwork, meditation, dancing, journaling, anything that feels grounding)
Reduce or eliminate unnecessary stressors where possible
4. Gut Imbalances
Your gut is where you absorb nutrients that fuel your energy. If it’s not functioning well, your body can’t access what it needs — no matter how healthy you eat.
Signs this might be true for you? Bloating, digestive issues, skin irritation (like rashes or acne), or low immunity (getting sick often),.
Potential root causes include:
Low stomach acid = poor protein breakdown
Dysbiosis (imbalances in good vs bad bacteria)
Infections or overgrowths causing inflammation
Leaky gut → triggering immune responses and fatigue
Simple reset:
Increase fiber-rich foods
Stay hydrated
Reduce ultra-processed foods and inflammatory oils
Functional testing + gut protocol, if needed
These Systems Overlap
You may have noticed the overlap: your gut affects your stress, your blood sugar affects your gut, and your mitochondria are impacted by stress and nutrient absorption.
That’s why so many women try one fix after another without real improvement — because the root cause hasn’t been uncovered.
Stop Guessing
If you’ve been stuck in exhaustion despite sleeping well and taking care of yourself, there’s a deeper reason your body isn’t making or sustaining energy.
The good news? Once we identify the root cause, your body can recover. With the right plan, you can get back to feeling clear and energized again.
If you’ve been struggling with fatigue for months (or years), the most effective next step is functional lab testing. With the right testing, we can pinpoint:
Gut health
Adrenal function
Nutrient deficiencies
Toxin load
Blood sugar patterns
From there, I create a personalized holistic plan to get you out of survival mode and back to feeling like yourself again.
