When we are struggling with an illness, we often focus on the bigger picture, weak muscles, brain fog, fatigue, etc. But what if we are missing the vital smaller details?
If your car stops running, the bigger issue is, of course, that the car won't start. However, if we look at the details of why it won't start... it might be because there's no gas! That's kind of how our body works.
Yes, we might be dealing with an obvious health issue, but what's the underlying cause of your symptoms? More research is suggesting that mitochondria damage and depletion is one of the underlying causes of many diseases. If we can focus our attention on our mitochondria, we may just be able to rid our symptoms and optimize our health.
What are Mitochondria?
Mitochondria are known to be the powerhouses of your cells. They take energy from the food you eat to create ATP (aka energy) for your cells for biological processes. The mitochondria ultimately give your organs and vital bodily processes the energy needed to function properly and optimally.
While mitochondria are mostly known to be the "powerhouse" of the cell, they also play many other roles in the body. These include:
- Affecting muscle function by regulating calcium balance
- Regulating and signaling immune responses
- Hormone production (specifically steroids)
- Creation of heme (needed to transport oxygen throughout the body)
Why Should You Improve Your Mitochondrial Health?
If you are in the best shape of your life but are somehow still feeling sluggish and run down, you could be experiencing symptoms of mitochondrial damage. Mitochondria are incredibly vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies, toxins in the environment, and oxidative damage.
How Do You Repair Mitochondria Naturally?
Get Adequate Amounts Of Sleep: When you get restorative sleep, it helps your body get rid of toxins. Staying up late is not doing your mitochondria any good!
Support Your Immune Health: Not only are mitochondria good for making energy, they also play a role in helping to activate the immune system when needed. If your mitochondria are focused on defense and fighting off infections, then they can't be running at 100% capacity for energy production.
Consume Anti-Inflammatory Foods: Avoid inflammatory foods like refined sugars, artificial ingredients, and processed foods. Whole foods that are rich in color can provide rich nutrients to your cells.
Try Fasting: Fasting, which is shortening the window that you are consuming calories, can stimulate mitophagy, when old and damaged mitochondria break down, and new ones are created.
Remove Daily Toxin Exposure: Mycotoxins and glyphosate are two known toxins to have harmful effects on the mitochondria. Most beauty products, household products, and even food contain other harmful chemicals that damage your mitochondria. Start reading labels on not only your foods but also your products. Buy organic foods when you can and switch out your standard products for toxic-free alternatives.
Check Your Home for Mold: Mold-exposed individuals are at an especially high risk of mitochondrial dysfunction. If you suspect mold exposure, get your home tested with an ERMI test.
Exercise: Regular high-intensity interval training (HIIT) increases the density of mitochondria in your cells, giving you more energy and more of your body's "powerhouses."