Energy is the currency of life and something many of us wish we had more of. Low energy can feel like you’re battling through life with a weighted vest. We’d most commonly recognise it as physical exhaustion, but fatigue can also manifest mentally like when we experience brain fog and find ourselves procrastinating, doing anything but what we set out to achieve.
Conversely when we are primed with energy and have internal reserves to draw from, we are given the opportunity to make the most of every day moving from one task to the next with a sense of vigour and focus.
Why do I feel so tired all the time?
Feelings of mental and physical fatigue can be due to a range of factors or imbalances in the body and are individual to everyone. In managing day to day feelings of tiredness it can be a good idea to be mindful of:
- Getting good quality restorative sleep necessary for cell repair and regeneration, and metabolic processes.
- Potential food intolerances or allergies.
- Excessive stress that may be causing adrenal burnout from constantly producing cortisol.
- Daily movement or exercise necessary to support energy production.
- Drinking plenty of water, essential for most bodily functions.
Where does our energy come from?
Known as the powerhouse of our cells, mitochondria create cellular energy by producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Our bodies use ATP to fuel our daily activities. Our mitochondria and ATP levels are responsible for our energy levels determining our feelings of both physical strength and brain power.
Different cells have more mitochondria than others, such as the cells in our brains, muscles and hearts. Healthy cells mean we’re better able to create optimal energy and participate in the constant energy exchange life requires from spending time with family and friends, work, exercising, and pursuing our passions and hobbies.
Adaptogens and Medicinal Mushrooms for Balance and Energy Production
Adaptogens are naturally occurring substances that work to restore homeostasis, helping to regulate the endocrine, nervous system, immune, digestive, and cardiovascular function. This process assists the body in restoring balance and adapting to stress. Many forms of stress on the body whether they be physical, emotional, chemical, or environmental can cause energy depletion.
Adaptogens and medicinal mushrooms can also help modulate cortisol in both directions, bringing it up if it’s low and bringing it down if it’s high, which can make them pretty useful when dealing with adrenal fatigue in particular[1].
Many medicinal mushrooms are prized adaptogens and can be utilised to help balance the body and promote our own production of energy.
Cordyceps Cellular Energy
Cordyceps is a rejuvenating tonic, prized for its ability to restore foundational energy after times of exertion and fatigue, or in response to life’s day to day demands. It does this by supporting the production of the molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP)[2]. As we mentioned ATP is our body’s main energy supply source and required to fuel our muscles and keep us moving. By boosting our mitochondria’s capacity to produce ATP we’re more likely to find ourselves with optimal and consistent levels of energy.
Chaga Healthy Cells & Anti-Inflammatory
The enormous amount of energy our cells and mitochondria produce make them susceptible to free radical damage and decay as we age.
Chaga is one of the richest natural substances of anti-ageing enzyme SOD (superoxide dismutase). SOD occurs naturally in different forms in all human tissues, but as we age, particularly after 30, our levels decline. SOD is essential for longevity and also energy production as it neutralises free radicals, preventing oxidative damage to cells and tissues. We're able to improve the structure and health of our cells and support our SOD levels by eating antioxidant-rich foods such as Chaga mushroom and leafy greens and minimising factors that cause stress in the body.
Inflammation is a natural bodily process that can help heal injuries or respond to a foreign pathogen. However, when inflammation lingers tipping beyond what the body requires to heal, this response can become problematic, accelerating cell degradation, damaging mitochondria and our capacity to create energy[3]. Studies have revealed that Chaga has the potential to modulate the release of specific cytokines such as interferon, interleukin and other growth factors which can have an anti-inflammatory effect[4].
Reishi Sleep & Rejuvenation
Sleep is a critical time for our body to rest, recover, and rejuvenate itself. Lack of good quality sleep can bring about a range of physiological imbalances in the body, not to mention the dreaded brain fog and feeling exhausted when you’ve only just woken up. What's more, research shows lack of restful sleep can play a key role in mitochondrial and cell dysfunction[5]. A 2012 study demonstrated the capacity of mitochondria to remove cellular waste from the brain, particularly while we sleep.
Reishi mushroom is coveted for its ability to help lower both mental and physical feelings of stress, and importantly in relation to energy restoration increase the quality of our sleep. Studies have demonstrated the triterpenes and beta-d-glucans in Reishi have the potential to soothe the nerves, promoting a sedative quality that can help support restful sleep. The accumulative effect of taking Reishi mushroom across a long-term basis was also shown to increase states of deep sleep[6]
If you’re looking to try medicinal mushrooms for energy support, look no further than Cordyceps, Chaga and Reishi.
Our Inner Atlas Cordyceps, Chaga and Reishi are:
- Highly potent, containing greater than 30% beta-D-glucans.
- Certified USDA & EU Organic.
- Fruiting body only – 100% real mushrooms with no added fillers or mycelium.
- Semi-wild cultivated and wood-grown.
- Sourced from pristine di tao locations.
- Lab-tested for purity.
References:
[1] Adaptogens & Stress Protective Activity https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3991026/
[2] Cordyceps ATP Production https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1847515/
[3] Inflammation & Mitochondria https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25684584/
[4] Chaga Anti-Inflammatory https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874109004036?via%3Dihub
[5] Sleep & Mitochondria https://www.alzforum.org/news/research-news/brain-drain-glymphatic-pathway-clears-av-requires-water-channel
[6] Reishi Sleep https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3255119/