My family was hit by a nasty bug over the last few weeks and so my husband and I were on high alert for fevers. What we discovered about our own body temperatures floored me though. We always came back with low temps. And I figured, well that’s good – at least it isn’t a fever.
But when our temperatures were consistently WAY below the normal 98.6 mark I went online and did some research. I was astounded to find out that not only is a HIGH temperature bad, but apparently a LOW one can be just as bad!
It makes sense though, it is normal for a reason – it means things are working properly and you are GOOD. Swinging in either direction can be an indication of something being wrong.
Now, my husband and I are under some pretty good stresses (aren’t we all?!) and I’m certainly not going to say, “Mine are WAYYYY more than yours!”, even if I feel it haha. It’s part of the reason I started Nurturing Your Body. Taking care of myself and my family are top priority and I knew that stress was a killer.
I’m finding stress is far more than just a nuisance that you may or may not have to deal with. It can do some serious damage and the low body temperature is actually an indicator that it may be silently doing just that.
One thing I found is that it can mean that your metabolism is low. This I found slightly ridiculous because it would appear I have a very fast metabolism, but what do I know?
Here are a list of possible symptoms for low metabolism:
– poor digestion and food intolerances
– cold hands and feet
– constipation or abnormal bowel movements
– frequent urination
– mood swings and instability
– dry skin and or other skin issues like acne or eczema
– thin, brittle hair and nails
– sleep problems (insomnia)
– exhaustion (tired/wired)
– PMS, infertility, low sex drive and/or other hormonal imbalances
– blood sugar instability or crashes
– susceptibility to illnesses
– weight gain, especially around midsection
– chronically low body temperature
Having a low temperature can actually be normal for you so don’t freak out if you do. But I just wanted to make you aware that if you are running low that it COULD be an indication that something is wrong. It could be anywhere from stress, lack of sleep to problems with your thyroid, liver, adrenal function, low on vitamin B12 or even a side effect from medication.
A low metabolism is just one possible cause, I bet if you take a look at your life you’ll be able to easily pinpoint something that just doesn’t quite feel right. Oh and note that body temperature is always lower in the morning.
How Do You Fix It?
You can start to try to fix it by first knowing WHAT can affect metabolism the most. There are FOUR core things. Diet, Activity, Sleep and Stress.
Diet: If you restrict your diet this can hurt your metabolic function. Your diet needs to be well-rounded or you could be missing some vital nutrients.
– Eat an appropriate amount of food for your body type and level of activity
– Don’t restrict the types of foods you eat, learn how to balance fat, protein and carbohydrates.
– Make sure you have enough fuel for energy, make sure your glucose and electroclytes are where they should be.
– Drink water, but not too much that you end up depleting your sources of glucose and salt.
Activity: Physical activity is a must.
– walk 30 minutes every day
– get 20 minutes of cardio 3 times per week
– do some form of strength training
– stretch and meditate for both muscles and your soul
– don’t exercise too much or you will be out of balance, taking too much from your body than you are putting in (food wise)
Sleep: Sleep is vital.
– get between 7-8 hours of sleep every night
– set a sleep schedule and stick to it
– make sleep a priority
– don’t eat too late and make sure you are asleep between 1-3pm so that your liver can function properly
– create a calming bedtime routine
– eat a blood-sugar leveling snack to keep things stable during the night (a piece of cheese or some fruit is a good choice)
Stress: We are all stressed. But to be healthy we HAVE to learn how to manage it or eliminate it as best we can.
– address psychological sources of any stress-emotional disturbances
– remove unhealthy relationships
– get support
– change jobs to something that makes you happy!
– allow for relaxation time
– meditate, do yoga, take calming baths
Your Friend,
Kat
NurturingYourBody.com
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