Your Fatigue is not “Fine”! Find Real Answers with Naturopathic Medicine
By Dr. Melanie Reidl, Naturopathic Doctor
Your Doctor told you your labs are “fine” but you’re exhausted and not feeling like yourself. You may be struggling with your metabolic and mental health, too.
In my view, this is unacceptable. First, we need to look deeper and ensure that we have done the correct labs (bloodwork). Your labs are your data; and that data is powerful insight into your health. Not only would we want to prepare a requisition with the appropriate blood tests and obtain results within the normal range, we actually want them to fall within an “optimal” range for best health outcomes and to prevent deficiencies.
Once a patient’s baseline values have been established for important tests in the assessment of fatigue (ie CBC, iron panel, vitamin B12, thyroid panel, insulin/glucose) we can better understand how to individualize the treatment plan. We would determine specific nutritional supplements to move the values into the optimal range, which has patients feeling significantly better!
In addition to bloodwork, a comprehensive treatment plan for fatigue incorporates individualized diet and lifestyle modifications to improve a patient’s overall energy levels.
As an ND who runs bloodwork on most of my patients, I can honestly say that labs provide powerful insight into our health, and they are often the missing piece in patients feeling their best!
Women’s Hormones & Body Composition
by Dr. Melanie Reidl, Naturopathic Doctor
More often than not, one of the goals of my female patients is weight loss. Immediately, I rephrase this towards a focus on body composition!
Our lean (muscle) and fat mass ratios are far more important than the number on the scale will ever be! Why? Because healthy muscle mass supports metabolism by improving insulin sensitivity. Healthy muscle mass also helps regulate the production and functions of our female hormones, estrogen and progesterone.
Here are 3 things I have my female patients prioritize to improve body composition and help with hormone regulation:
1) Resistance Training with Progressive Overload
It’s important to lift weights a few times each week, using the progressive overload training principle. This puts sufficient stimulus on muscle protein synthesis to increase strength and build muscle.
2) Adequate Protein and Caloric intake
Meeting protein and caloric targets allow for muscle growth when combined with strength training. It’s essential that we fuel our bodies using evidence-based guidance for daily protein intake. It is also important that we are eating at or close to our recommended daily caloric intake, or else muscle growth will be limited.
3) Creatine Monohydrate
If I had to choose one supplement to enhance my points above in achieving body composition goals, it would be creatine! There is high quality research supporting its use in increasing strength, power, and lean body mass (muscle). As women we should not be afraid of the myths about creatine; it is an evidence-based supplement that aids in body composition and hormone health.
If you’re wanting to focus on body composition and hormone health goals this spring, let’s create a plan together.
Ways to Reduce Anxiety in High-Functioning Individuals
By Swapna Viswanathan, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Dr. Chloe Carmichael mentions in his book Nervous Energy – Harness the Power of Your Anxiety, “one of the hallmarks of high functioning people is intellectual curiosity”. Many of you might resonate with this sentence. In many cases, the high-functioning individual or their loved ones do not realize that these individuals who seem to be overachieving their milestones, ending the day with high energy, being present for the family, simultaneously completing one goal and working towards another goal, might be experiencing anxiety, depression or burnout.
Some of my favourite techniques to support a high-functioning mind are:
- Cognitive Restructuring: The first step is to identify, challenge and replace the distorted pattern of thoughts or irrational thoughts, such as perfectionism, with realistic and balanced perspectives.
- SMART Goal setting: Goals need to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. Bigger goals can get overwhelming quickly, but breaking them into tiny, manageable tasks can help reduce or manage anxiety.
- 3-5 minutes: Doing a task that one might otherwise procrastinate for only 3-5 minutes to build momentum. I remember using this technique for subjects like business math and quantitative techniques during university days.
- Grounding and relaxation techniques: Yoga, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, pranayama (yogic breathwork), gardening, doodling and painting.
- To-do list: Write a to-do list and keep it somewhere where you can see it. Writing all the tasks with approximate time taken to do them on a given day, week or month, keeping enough time for spontaneous addition of unexpected pivots.
- Making time for hobbies and interests helps relax the mind. Someone once told me rest is also productive.
- Breaking self-created limitations: Identifying self-created limitations which lead to stress or anxiety and breaking these barriers helps in setting more realistic goals.
- Creating time to reconnect with friends. Every week, set aside some time to do tasks intentionally and mindfully, such as reading a book without hurry, having meals without distractions like watching television during meals, taking time to enjoy the tea without rushing, and taking time to do nothing. One of the biggest challenges for a high-functioning individual is to do nothing and relax.
Research shows that adding somatic therapy exercises helps in reducing anxiety and increasing mindfulness. Somatic therapy exercises also help release stress and tension, regulate the nervous system, and increase awareness in the body (Norizan, 2025; Nicholson et al., 2025).
BOOK A PSYCHOTHERAPY APPOINTMENT
Reference:
Yusof, Norizan. (2025). Emotional transformation through the effects of somatic therapy techniques in reducing depression among students of skill training institutions. International Journal of Humanities Technology and Civilization. 68-74. 10.15282/ijhtc.v10i1.12228.
Nicholson, W. C., Sapp, M., Karas, E. M., Duva, I. M., & Grabbe, L. (2025). The body can balance the score: Using a somatic self-care intervention to support well-being and promote healing. Healthcare, 13(11), 1258. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13111258
Fatigue & Low Energy? Osteopathic Manual Therapy Can Help!
By Leann Mai, Osteopathic Manual Therapist (M. OMSC)
Here are 5 key ways Osteopathic Manual Therapy (also called OMT) can help address fatigue and low energy:
1.) Improves Circulation and Lymphatic Drainage:
OMT can enhance blood flow, reduce fluid stagnation, and support detoxification by promoting lymphatic return. This helps decrease systemic inflammation and toxin buildup, which often contribute to feelings of tiredness and low energy. Better oxygenation and nutrient delivery to tissues can lead to more sustained vitality.
2.) Reduces Musculoskeletal Tension and Pain:
Chronic muscle tightness, restricted joints, or postural imbalances create ongoing strain that drains energy reserves. Gentle manipulations, stretching, and soft tissue work release these restrictions, lowering the body’s “energy tax” from pain and guarding.
3.) Enhances Autonomic Nervous System Balance:
OMT often targets the spine, ribs, and cranial areas to modulate sympathetic/parasympathetic activity, shifting the body from a “fight-or-flight” (energy-depleting) state toward “rest-and digest” (restorative). This can lower stress-related exhaustion, improve sleep quality, and boost overall energy regulation.
4.) Promotes Better Sleep and Recovery:
By alleviating physical discomfort and calming the nervous system, OMT frequently leads to improved sleep patterns. Better restorative sleep directly combats daytime low energy and fatigue.
5.) Supports Holistic Self-Healing and Energy Management:
Osteopathic philosophy views the body as a unit; OMT aims to restore structural balance so the body functions more efficiently. This can minimize post-exertional malaise (common in fatigue syndromes), and enhance resilience to daily demands.
OMT is generally safe, non-invasive, and complementary to other approaches (e.g., exercise, nutrition, or medical care). Effects vary by individual—some notice quick improvements after a few sessions, while others benefit from ongoing treatment.
Somatic Exercises for Reducing Anxiety – Workshop Details Below
By Swapna Viswanathan, Registered Psychotherapist Qualifying
Anxiety can show up in the body in various ways and sometimes is unique to the person experiencing it. Be it an elevated heart rate for some, shallow breathing for someone else, or one might say they experience tightness in their chest, whereas someone else might experience ruminating thoughts. Anxiety shows up in everyday life without warning, most of the time disrupting daily functioning. While psychotherapy or talk therapy helps reduce anxiety, research shows that adding somatic modalities can be beneficial in reducing anxiety (Kuhfuß et. al., 2021).
Somatic-based therapy modalities acknowledge the connection between our mind and body, which leads to trauma manifesting physically in our bodies. One of my favourite books that explores the relationship between emotions and physical manifestations is You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay.
What is Somatic, and the psychology behind somatic healing?
The meaning of somatic is body-oriented. The modalities that help us to heal by experiencing our body in the here and now, or the present moment, are somatic psychology modalities. This can be accessed in various ways, including physical movement, breath work, and increased awareness of sensations and embodied emotions. As well as inviting qualities such as non-judgment, curiosity, openness, and self-compassion.
Some of the somatic exercises that you can practice often are as follows:
- Grounding exercises: 5-4-3-2-1 sensing exercises (five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste).
- Breath work, whether it is simple box breathing or specific yogic breathing practices known as pranayama (Anulom Vilom pranayama, Brahmaree pranayama or Kapalbhati).
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique
- Physical slow movements: Stretching, dancing, walking, yoga, nature walk and more.
To learn somatic exercises to reduce anxiety Swapna Viswanathan is hosting a three workshop series with different content every session.
You can book either 1, 2 or all three workshops.
REGISTER FOR THE SOMATIC EXERCISE WORKSHOP
Only 10 seats are available for each session. Open to pre-registered participants only.
References:
Kuhfuß, M., Maldei, T., Hetmanek, A., & Baumann, N. (2021). Somatic experiencing -effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: a scoping literature review.
European journal of psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1929023.
https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023
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