Functional medicine doctor and energy recovery expert Tenesha Wards discovered how to regain vitality in her own life, and now she helps other busy women heal.
By Dr. Tenesha Wards, Photo courtesy of Infinity Wellness Center
Being a mom, wife and entrepreneur means juggling a lot at once. Years ago, I was building my dream life with a young baby at home and my own functional medicine practice. Like so many women who I was helping at my practice, my candle burned at both ends and I had no energy for my husband, my baby or myself. I thought that being burned out was a normal experience—I was just “mom-tired.”
My exhaustion was costing me my marriage and taking a big financial toll on my business. This wasn’t sustainable. When I couldn’t find a solution that worked for me, I created one. My blood work and panels indicated that my fatigue was caused by poor gut health, Epstein-Barr virus and autoimmunity caused by too much stress.
The Infinity Way™
I took this data and created a new protocol—my now-proprietary process, The Infinity Way™—that I would follow to heal myself and get my life back. After only two months, I started to feel better.
I use this three-stage process to create personalized wellness plans for thousands of women at my practice, Infinity Wellness Center, in South Austin.
Step 1. Discover & Reveal
We complete an in-depth health history, physical exam and lab tests to reveal imbalances in the body. We ask questions and listen to you to find the core root cause of the exhaustion.
Step 2. Cleanse & Heal
My team advises how to cleanse, repair and fortify all the body’s systems based on the root cause. We monitor symptoms and start to notice positive changes in the first one to two months.
Step 3: Support & Enhance
My team provides ongoing support to help our patients feel (and look) their best through sustainable lifestyle changes. Our solutions are focused on long-term, science-based wellness, not instant gratification.
Top Causes of Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue isn’t easy to identify because the root cause is often hidden deep in our bodies. The top causes that I uncover in my patients’ labs are:
- Genetics: Certain genes make it possible or more likely to develop chronic fatigue under certain conditions.
- Hormonal imbalances: Proper metabolism requires the right balance of hormones for energy level maintenance.
- Viral infections/immune system dysfunction: Viruses or low immunity can drain the body of energy and upset the gut microbiome.
- Toxin overload: Toxin buildup from food, environment, stress and bodily functions can interfere with gut health and cause extreme fatigue.
Chronic Fatigue Tips for Women
As busy women, it’s so hard to make time for ourselves. I get it. But I challenge you to listen to your body. Your body needs a reset to help heal and regain your energy. Often, the most powerful solutions are the simplest, if followed consistently.
- Refine your responsibilities: Be prepared to make lifestyle changes with work, household duties, leadership roles and exercise in the short term. Chronic fatigue sufferers need to rest to rebuild.
- Cleanse your gut: Gut imbalances cause most issues in our bodies. Eat whole foods like vegetables, healthy fats and lean protein and reduce sugar, complex carbohydrates, caffeine and alcohol. Support your microbiome with good bacteria from a probiotic and fermented foods.
- Commit to light exercise: Practice low-intensity exercise, like walking or slow flow yoga, that can gradually increase over time. Intense exercise may make your chronic fatigue worse.
My mission is to help women recover their energy and realize their full potential by identifying and treating the root causes of chronic fatigue. I’m here to tell you, you have an endless source of energy inside you to live a life of vitality. All you need is the right process to tap into it.
