What Our Fatigue Reveals About Our Health

One of the most common complaints that people have today when visiting their doctors is that they’re just tired out. Unfortunately, this is a complaint that doesn’t readily lend itself to a quick pharmaceutical remediation. Unlike, for example, elevated blood pressure, there’s nothing that can really be measured as it relates to feeling fatigued and therefore it makes it challenging for healthcare providers to fully address.

In Dr. Steven Gundry’s new book, The Energy Paradox, he makes it very clear that fatigue emanates from compromised function of our mitochondria, the energy producers within our cells. So much of what goes on in our lives these days threatens the function of our mitochondria and therefore directly relates to our feelings of generalized fatigue. A key mechanism that he explores deeply on the podcast is the mechanism of inflammation. As most of you will recognize, what goes on in the gut plays a prominent role in regulating the set-point of inflammation in the human body, and therefore has a direct bearing on our energy levels.

Let me tell you a little bit about Dr. Gundry:

Dr. Gundry is a cardiothoracic surgeon and a pioneer in nutrition, as well as medical director at The International Heart and Lung Institute Center for Restorative Medicine. He has spent the last two decades studying the microbiome and now helps patients use diet and nutrition as a key form of treatment. He is the author of many New York Times bestselling books including The Plant Paradox, The Plant Paradox Cookbook, and The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age, and released his most recent book that we discuss today, The Energy Paradox: What to Do When Your Get-Up-and-Go Has Got Up and Gone, on March 16, 2021.

Twenty years ago, Dr. Gundry decided to prevent health issues. He retired as a cardiologist to teach patients how to eat, guiding them on how to get ahead of the problem, not fixing it after the fact. He shifted towards a more proactive approach to health through food and diet changes. He is also host of The Dr. Gundry Podcast.