The Exhaustion Breakthrough: Unmask the Hidden Reasons You're Tired and Beat Fatigue for Good

203 Pages·2015·1.62 MB·English

by  Holly Phillips

To Olivia and Pascale, for making every moment magical

Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
Part I: Fatigue and You: Assessing Its Impact
Chapter One How Tired Are You, Really?
Chapter Two A Crash Course in Fatigue
Part II: Fighting Fatigue: Lifestyle Factors That Impact Energy
Chapter Three Night Moves: Improving Sleep Habits
Chapter Four Tired and Wired: Managing the Stress Factor
Chapter Five Food Is Fuel: Eating and Drinking for Maximum Energy
Chapter Six Revving Your Engine: Finding Exercise That’s Right for You
Part III: Sick and Tired
Chapter Seven Hormonal Havoc
Chapter Eight Under Friendly Fire: Autoimmune Diseases
Chapter Nine Organs in Distress
Chapter Ten It’s a Gut Feeling: Gastrointestinal Disorders
Chapter Eleven Hostile Takeovers: Infections
Chapter Twelve The Energy Drain of Pain
Chapter Thirteen An Exhausted Mind: Depression, Dysthymia, and Anxiety
Part IV: Repairing Your Energy Drains
Chapter Fourteen Your Personalized Energy-Boosting Plan
Conclusion
APPENDIX A FATIGUE DIARY
APPENDIX B MEDICATIONS THAT CAN MAKE YOU TIRED
APPENDIX C ENERGY-BOOSTING SUPPLEMENTS
SELECTED READING
Acknowledgments
THANK YOU TO MY late father, Myron Phillips, for being who you were,
living the way you did, and making me want to be just like you.
I’d like to recognize and express tremendous gratitude to my collaborator,
Stacey Colino. Your vision for what this book could be expanded my own, and
your resourcefulness, dedication, and countless hours of hard work were awe-
inspiring. Thank you for pouring your talent and passion into this project.
I’m truly appreciative of my many mentors and colleagues from Columbia
University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Lenox Hill Hospital. Herbert
Chase, MD, thank you for your unwavering support when I needed it most and
your infectious enthusiasm for this privilege that is the practice of medicine. And
thank you, Kay Cynamon, MD, for making sure I never ordered magnesium
levels unnecessarily.
Thank you, Bernard Kruger, MD, for opening up your one-of-a-kind practice
to me 13 years ago and for making me a part of your incredible family. The way
you practice medicine is truly how it should be done, and I’m humbled to be able
to learn from you every day. And I’m supremely indebted to my nurse, Agata
Was, for helping to solve every mystery diagnosis that comes through our door.
To my fellow journalists, producers, and friends from CBS News, CBS2
News, 48H, and CBS Radio, thank you for allowing me to do what I love for so
many years; Susan Schackman, Leigh Ann Winick, Ryan Kadro, Diana Miller,
Chris Licht, David Rhodes, Eric Bloom, Mosheh Oinounou, Brian Applegate,
Marci Waldman, Chris Zawistowski, Weesie Viera, Susan Zarinsky, Al Briganti,
Pam Auerbach, David Friend, Valerie Feder, Kim Godwin, you are all
extraordinary. And a special thanks to Sharisse Scineaux and Mary McGeever
for teaching me how to turn a package in 10 minutes flat.
To my fantastic team of agents at N.S. Bienstock, thank you for making it
happen and keeping it happening: Carole Cooper, Steven Devall, Adam Leibner,
Richard Leibner, Samantha Bina, and Julie Clark, I’m so fortunate to have your
support. And Paul Fedorko, you took my “eureka” moment, ran with it, and
inspired me to run with it, and I’m endlessly grateful.
Of course, no idea becomes reality without opportunity. Thank you to the
team at Rodale for believing in this book and making the process seamless and
pleasant. Marisa Vigilante, Kristen Kiser, Jennifer Levesque, Aly Mostel, Jess
Fromm, you are all appreciated. And many thanks to Lauren Paul, Bethridge
Toovell, and the entire group at Prevention magazine.
To my NYC friends who are family: I’m so fortunate to have too many to list,
but you know who you are. You’ve made the “Best City in the World” my home.
It’s hard to find words to capture my gratitude to my husband, Jose Tavarez.
From the moment we met almost 20 years ago, you have been my biggest
champion, my most important collaborator, and a superhuman foundation of love
and support. Thank you for growing up with me and growing old with me.
And last but far from least, thank you to my patients for inspiring me daily
and to my readers for sharing in this journey.