How often do you hear yourself say, “I’m just really tired”? This article encourages you to examine fatigue. ‘The cause of this may very well lie in an imbalanced intestinal flora.’
I am always impressed by the enormous impact that our intestinal flora has on us.
The tired trend
Don’t want to lie on the couch like a zombie at night? Or experience a huge dip at the end of the afternoon? The cause of this may very well lie in an unhealthy intestinal flora.
Being tired seems to be ‘normal’ these days. I was very tired myself for many years. When I talked about it with friends, they always reminded me of my busy life. That’s right. I am a thrill-seeker, a highly sensitive stimulus seeker who is under-stimulated rather than over-stimulated. That’s why I’m always busy, but that gives me energy! I get tired of sitting on the couch and watching endless series.
My busy life was therefore not the explanation. The explanation came from my gut flora! It was out of balance. Because I took antibiotics daily for the first ten years of my life, my flora was a mess. I knew that, of course, but I never thought about it.
Gut flora in detail
Just some numbers. Every time I read it, I am impressed by the enormous impact your ‘microbiome’ or gut flora has on you. You are 90 percent non-human cells. Bizarre isn’t it? That 90 percent, that’s your microbiome. All plants and animals that live in and on you in symbiosis. The microbiome is also called flora.
I use the word gut flora for convenience because most of that 90 percent is in your gut. This flora plays an important role when it comes to your health. You have a lot of influence on its quality. So you actually have 90 percent influence on the quality of your health. Good news!
Where does your energy go?
How does your intestinal flora influence your energy level? It can be explained like this:
- Energy consumption by intestines and flora
Your intestinal flora and intestines consume energy. About 40 percent of this energy is produced by a healthy intestinal flora itself. Your intestinal wall renews itself every 72 hours; expect that this takes a lot of energy. And the digestion of food also takes a lot of energy. Is your flora not healthy? Then you miss 40 percent of the energy that is needed in your intestines. Your body then simply gets that energy from its own stock. This means that there is less available for you, for example, to think or work well.
- Production of vitamins for energy management
Your intestinal flora also makes vitamins. Such as vitamins from the B group. And let them play an important role in your energy management! - Waste disposal
Finally, your microbiome plays an important role in the removal of waste. Is the drain not running optimally? Then you keep carrying your waste materials around. That takes a disproportionate amount of energy.
So being tired is not just part of it! I thought it was weird that I was always so tired, and I didn’t think it was acceptable. For years I have looked for all kinds of explanations and tried everything. Only after I had completely balanced my intestinal flora did I feel very energetic again. I am fresh and fruity next to my bed at half-past six and have not had a single dip all day. So delicious!
In retrospect, when I look at my intestinal flora, it is not at all strange that I had no energy. In the event of complaints, we are quickly inclined to ‘learn to live with it’. Many (unexplained) pains and discomforts such as fatigue have their origin in an imbalanced intestinal flora. And you can do a lot about that yourself.
