013 - Hidden Causes Of Fatigue, With Lou Walters, ND

Dr. Lou Walters uses research, personal experiences, and professional stories to unravel why so many people suffer from (daily) fatigue. Some will sound familiar, others may make you scratch your head and inspire you to get more answers in your own life. Dr. Lou's is an interesting story; and it has made him a physician who treats "people" rather than just diseases. A dis-ease such as fatigue can be the outcome of what's going on inside the person. 

Amongst other things we discuss detoxing, thyroid- and adrenal disorders, being an empath, and childhood traumas. I hope you experience several A-Ha moments while listening to our conversation.

https://thesourcewellnesscenter.com 

 

SHOW NOTES:

 

00:01 - Introductions. His practice is The Source Wellness Center in Bozeman, Montana (www.TheSourceWellnessCenter.com). Phone is (406)-551-6175.

02:15 - How does he define fatigue? He asks a lot of questions to learn about his patients so he is better able to help the person-behind-the-disease. His intake-form is quite extensive. Includes a food-log in case that applies.

10:24 - Autonomic nervous system has two parts: sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-digest-and-heal). Sympathetic affects our digestive system. Food: what goes in… some must come out. Looking at the elimination process. Bio-therapeutic drainage versus cleansing.

20:09 - Being constipated could be great reason why people have fatigue. Digestion takes energy. Fasting/cleansing needs to be addressed carefully. 

For the body there are many options to start feeling better. There are also many aspects to consider when the body doesn’t feel good, or your energy is low.

27:15 - Dr. Lou: we can not treat every person the same. That’s what most naturopathic doctors do different than allopathic doctors. But natural is not always better. He focuses on helping people as a person not just focusing on a disease. How to have the most effect with the least amount of therapies?

35:17 - The effect of hormones (imbalance) on fatigue. Adrenals and thyroid imbalances should be looked at and probably be addressed. Adrenal Cortex and Adrenal Medulla, the hormones they produce, and their functions. 

42:19 - Going deeper into the thyroid and the adrenals. The link between cortisol production and pineal gland, as well as the effect food has on our cortisol levels. All the hormones affect each other. Addressing the pituitary gland and its hormones; the role of the hypothalamus. Analogy of the orchestra. Explaining auto-inflammatory immune disorder. 

52:28 - Confusing thyroid blood tests reference ranges. People still have so many symptoms. Explaining the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) function, and how to visualize its relation to the thyroid. Doctors don’t really read a blood test correctly, thereby not always seeing links between different levels. Sometimes, glands and hormone imbalances work like a teeter-totter.

1:00:25 - Food, supplements, and meds for better thyroid function. Synthetic versus natural. Follow-up visits are usually too far apart to measure results of the therapy. Dr. Lou is not a doctor for the money. 

1:08:38 - Why Dr. Lou became a naturopathic physician? He explains part of his own interesting health story. How not focusing on money often brings blessings and fortitude in other areas. How (re-)focusing can increase our energy. Our nervous system is hard-wired to look at the negative in everything. Just like a muscle we can re-train that. Life experiences and choices, both good and bad, make us the person we are today. 

1:20:41 - There is a misunderstanding about what we think a doctor is? Patients deserve attention and too many don’t get it from their physician. The only “failure” in life is when we give up. This will affect our mood and our energy. Where do you put your focus during your actions? If you focus on stress, then this depletes energy, life force, and quality of your life. Book by Gordon Neufeld, PhD: Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers (Gordon Neufeld, PhD). The effect of social media on our young generation. 

1:35:04 - Loneliness has become a big problem amongst our population. Roseto, Pennsylvania (The Roseto Effect). Dr. Lou’s Great Grandfather moved there from Italy. Dr. Walters recently visited Roseta, Italy. Americans have a tendency to work hard for/by themselves. How do we manage stress? It’s easy to blame others (we become reactionary); we need to change our own attitude towards feelings of resentment. Does this really affect us in ten years from now? Stories about a broken washing machine, and about a deer breaking into grocery store.

1:47:20 - How can we express our emotions in a healthy way? How does Dr. Lou offer help? We are so responsible for the stressors in our own lives, which also include living in the modern world. We seem to simply run out-of-time. Dr. Lou talks about foods causing inflammation. Conversing these issues with a physician may lead to getting antidepressants.

1:57:06 - Understanding the uncomplicated mind of a child. Our home/house shows an expression of who we are. Dr. Lou’s recent hunting trip. 

Discussing the presence of empathic people. He suggests they learn to feel their own bodies really good, so they understand when the new energy they feel is their own or from the person/people close to them. How to not hold on to other people’s energies. Not everybody who is fatigued is an empath.

2:11:48 - Where does early childhood trauma fit in? It can eventually turn into an eating disorder, long term fatigue, unhappiness, and whatever symptoms the body and mind use to get that trauma out.

Why do people come to you? What do they expect from a visit with you? Dr. Walters is trying to assess how long and how often he may have to meet with them to accomplish the health goals they have. Overcoming emotional feeling when his patients do not come back to him.

Words we use are energy and vibration and they can affect people near and far. And we do that to our selves as well.

2:25:31 - End