Tired

SYMPTOMS:

• Often feels weak or lethargic
• Prone to getting sick
• Gets out of breath and sweats easily, gains weight
• Poor appetite
• Short luteal phase
• Feels cold: hands, feet

WESTERN MEDICINE:

• Hypothyroid
• Low progesterone
• Luteal phase defect
• Metabolic disorders

TCM PERSPECTIVE:

This type is called kidney “yang” deficiency in TCM, and reflects a broader hormonal imbalance going beyond reproductive hormones and encompassing the thyroid, adrenals, and pituitary gland. Weakness in these systems affects metabolism, circulation, and thus reproduction.

ADVICE

• More animal Protein
• Avoid raw and cold foods
• Alcohol in moderation
• Consume warming soups and stews, and spices: cinnamon,
  ginger, cayenne, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, cumin
• Regular moderate exercise

SUPPLEMENTS:

• Royal jelly
• Wheat grass
• Chromium (boosts metabolism by enhancing the action of insulin)
• L-arginine
• Chasteberry (helps sustain post-ovulatory progesterone)