Symptoms:
A continual feeling of exhaustion.

Cause:
Fatigue is a symptom pointing to other problems; it is not a disease itself. Chronic fatigue is generally caused by a high-fat and refined carbohydrate diet, along with emotional stress. Any of the following only adds to the exhaustion: drugs, caffeine products, smoking, alcohol, poor eating habits.

Chronic fatigue can forewarn of an undetected problem such as anemia, hypoglycemia, diabetes, allergies, malabsorption of nutrients, candidiasis, poor circulation, hypothyroidism, Epstein Barr virus (EBV), mononucleosis, or cancer.

It can also be caused by weight loss, obesity, and, if characterized only by a lack of energy, boredom.

Treatment:
• Obtain adequate rest, exercise, and a well-balanced diet.

• Deficiencies of vitamin B complex, C and D, or iron may cause fatigue. Also needed: vitamins A, pantothenic acid, B12, folic acid, C, E, iron, calcium, magnesium. Acidophilus is very helpful to improve digestion and the production of certain B vitamins in the bowel.

• Exercise every day outdoors. Try to induce some perspiration. Also helpful are ice-cold foot baths, daily morning bare-foot grass walks, alternative hot and cold showers, "salt glow" skin rubs, and a dry friction rub with a skin brush.

• Helpful herbs include American ginseng, lavender, rosemary, sweet flag, pasque flower.