Why Feeling Tired Isn’t “Age”. It’s Your Biology Asking for Light Most women over 40 think chronic fatigue is “normal.” But in many cases, your body isn’t broken, it’s just undercharged. Just like a phone battery drains without being plugged in, your body drains without sunlight. Here’s the simple science behind why sunlight is one of the MOST powerful energy boosters you have. 1. Sunlight Powers Your Mitochondria (Your Body's Energy Factories) Sunlight acts like a power switch for your cells.When UV and infrared light reach your skin and eyes, they signal mitochondria to create ATP, your body's energy currency. Without sunlight- - Energy production slows - Cells get sluggish - You feel tired no matter how much you rest 2. Morning Sun Resets Your Circadian Rhythm Your brain needs morning sunlight to set your internal clock. So that You - - Wake up naturally - Have steady energy all day - Sleep deeply at night Without it- - You wake up groggy - You crash mid-afternoon - You feel wired at night This broken rhythm becomes chronic fatigue 3. Sunlight Improves Blood Sugar & Metabolism - think Fat Loss! Low sunlight leads to - - Blood sugar swings - Afternoon crashes - Weight gain around the belly - Metabolic syndrome risk 4. Sunlight Boosts Mood & Motivation Chemicals Sunlight increases - - Serotonin which helps your mood & calmness - Dopamine which helps your focus & motivation Without it you have - - Low mood - Brain fog - Lack of drive - Emotional exhaustion Mental fatigue often leads to physical fatigue 5. Sunlight Creates “Mitochondrial Melatonin” (Your Repair System) You’ve heard of sleep melatonin, but there’s another type your cells make when exposed to sunlight. This internal melatonin - - Repairs cell damage - Reduces inflammation - Protects mitochondria - Supports long-term energy Without sunlight, repair slows.Inflammation rises.Fatigue becomes chronic. FitnHealthy Tip - Sunlight isn’t optional it's a nutrient. It’s medicine. It’s your body’s energy charger.

DANGER SIGNALS There are literally Dozens of Ways the Body Feels Unsafe 1. Blood Sugar & Food Signals - Skipping meals - Not eating enough protein - Low-calorie dieting - Long fasting windows (especially for women over 40) - Roller-coaster blood sugar - Eating too many ultra-processed foods - Mineral deficiencies (magnesium, sodium, potassium) - Food sensitivities causing inflammation - Under eating for weeks or months If the body thinks famine is happening, it slows down the metabolism & conserves fat. 2. Light & Circadian Rhythm Signals - Not getting morning sunlight - Too much blue light at night - Sleeping inconsistent hours - Bedtime after 11pm consistently - Shift work - Taking stimulants late in the day - No wind-down routine If the body thinks the environment is unstable it reacts with poor sleep & poor metabolism. 3. Emotional Stress / Life Over-Load / Stress Bucket is overflowing - Chronic overwhelm - Relationship stress - Work stress - Being over-responsible for everyone else - Lack of boundaries - Perfectionism + people-pleasing - Feeling unsupported - Grief, trauma, or unresolved emotional pain If Cortisol stays elevated then belly fat increases. 4. Nervous System Stress - Being in fight-or-flight daily - Feeling rushed or behind - Never resting mentally - Constant stimulation (social media, news, noise) - Multitasking all day - No time for joy or play If the body thinks danger is near it shut down digestion & fat burning. 5. Pain, Inflammation & Injury - Chronic joint pain - Poor recovery between workouts - Overtraining - Lack of mobility - Silent inflammation from gut issues - Autoimmune flares - Frequent headaches If the body energy shifts to defense mode, it's not in fat loss mode. 6. Environmental & Biological Threats - Mold exposure - Chronic infections - Viral reactivations - High toxin load - Smoking or heavy alcohol use - Poor air quality - Chemical fragrances - Heavy metals

7. The Most Important Safety Signals for Fat Loss & Energy Sleep & Circadian Rhythm - morning light - dark, cool bedroom - no screens before bed - magnesium or Epsom salt bath Blood Sugar Stability - protein with each meal - no long periods of starvation or under-eating - reduce inflammatory foods Hydration + Electrolytes Electrolytes first thing in the morning help you wake up. Women over 40 often feel fatigue simply from low minerals. Key Nutrients - don't just take them randomly. Check with a Knowledgeable Health Professional - B vitamins - vitamin C - magnesium These nutrients deplete rapidly under stress. Mitochondrial Support More functioning, optimized mitochondria = more fat burning & energy. Daily Pleasure & Joy- Self Development Pleasurable activities throughout the day send a safety signal to the body. This reduces pain, stress chemicals, and emotional eating. 8. Most People Think They Live a Healthy Lifestyle. Most people starting out on their fat loss journey most often- - think they sleep well (they don’t) - think they eat enough protein (they don’t) - think they move enough (they don’t) - think they manage stress (they don’t) This is why fundamentals beat fancy supplements every time. 9. Fat Loss Happens When the Nervous System Feels Safe When the body is IN stress - - fat loss shuts down - inflammation increases - thyroid slows - pain increases - sleep worsens When the body feels SAFE- - metabolism increases - belly fat drops - sleep deepens - energy rises - hormones balance naturally What are 1-3 ACTIONS you can make this week to help your body & Mind feel more safe

Supported by research. - Short strolls after meals help blunt blood sugar spikes even 2-5 minutes can make a measurable difference. Increase to 10-15 (when you're conditioned enough) - Walking before breakfast shifts your metabolism toward fat use because insulin is low in the fasted state. - Interval walking (when you're conditioned enough) can yield more improvements in fat loss and fitness than steady walking for the same total time. 1- 2 minute "faster" and 1-2 minutes "slower" - Uphill walking (when you're conditioned enough) increases calorie use and recruits bigger muscle groups. - Moderate-pace walking trains your body to burn fat more efficiently over time. - Spending time walking in green spaces can lower stress hormones and support better sleep and mood. - Tracking your steps reliably increases daily movement and builds consistency. - Adding a bit of weight (when you're conditioned enough) to your walk increases the metabolic cost and strengthens muscles. A backpack can work easily. Which 1 or 2 will you start this week?

Your body makes T3 in two main ways. 1. Your thyroid gland produces some T3 directly, but most of what it releases is T4 (a prohormone). 2.Most T3 is made outside the thyroid by converting T4 to T3 inside tissues using enzymes called deiodinases (D1 and D2, not to be confused with Vit D). The main sites that make circulating T3 (the stuff that shows up in bloodwork) - Liver - Kidneys A different enzyme pathway (D3) converts T4 into reverse T3 (rT3), which is inactive and competes with T3 signaling. So if you “feel hypothyroid” with normal labs, it can be a conversion and signaling problem, not just a “thyroid gland problem.” What increases T3 (and supports more T4 to T3 conversion)? 1. Stop the biggest T3-lowering triggers These are the most common reasons the body lowers T3 (often as a protective adaptation). - Severe calorie restriction / starvation-like dieting tends to lower T3 and can raise rT3. - Very low carbohydrate intake can lower T3 in humans; studies show T3 drops when carbs are sufficiently low, and rT3 can rise more with very low carb intake. - High stress, - poor sleep, - illness, - inflammation commonly shift conversion away from T3 and toward conservation patterns (including more rT3). 2. Hit the key “conversion nutrients” (food first) The deiodinase enzymes and thyroid signaling depend heavily on nutrient status. - Selenium supports deiodinase activity involved in T4 to T3 conversion. Food- seafood, eggs; Brazil nuts in small amounts (easy to overdo, sometimes salty, rancid, high fat). - Iron status matters for thyroid physiology and enzyme function; low ferritin can mimic hypothyroid symptoms and impair performance. Food - red meat, lentils/beans; pair plant iron with vitamin C foods. - Zinc supports thyroid hormone metabolism (often low in restricted diets).Food - meat, shellfish, pumpkin seeds. If you supplement, it’s smartest to do it based on labs (especially iron). Do NOT self medicate.