Quite some time ago, a fellow from Norway private messaged me on my Yoga Page about a natural, simple sugar called d-ribose.
Of course I thought the man was trying to sell me something, until I did a little research on the subject.
Instantly, I was blown away by all of the positive reviews on Amazon.com:
d-ribose on Amazon.com
So what is d-ribose, and what is its function? From Fatigued to Fantastic:
“A key molecule, called adenosine triphosphate (or ATP for short), is known as the energy currency of the cell because the amount of ATP we have in our tissues determines whether we will be fatigued, or will have the energy we need to live vital, active lives. D-ribose provides the key building block of ATP, and the presence of d-ribose in the cell stimulates the metabolic pathway our bodies use to actually make this vital compound. If the cell does not have enough ribose, it cannot make ATP. So, when cells and tissues become energy starved, the availability of d-ribose is critical to energy recovery.”
ATP?! That’s the “energy currency of life!”
As I read further, I felt as if I was finally able to understand my fatigue:
Fatigue is not tiredness.
Fatigue is being unable to get enough oxygen to your muscles.
It felt like my entire body was being robbed of oxygen!
“Normal, healthy heart and muscle tissue has the capacity to make all the d-ribose it needs. When normal tissue is stressed by overexertion, several days of rest will usually allow it to fully recover. The muscle may be sore during recovery, as we frequently see for the three or four days after a hard day of yard work or after a weekend pick up football game, but eventually energy levels will be restored and the soreness will disappear. But when the muscle is chronically stressed by disease or conditions that affect tissue energy metabolism, the cells and tissues simply cannot make enough d-ribose quickly enough to recover. Hearts and muscles just don’t have the metabolic machinery they need to make ribose very efficiently. The result is chronic, persistent pain, stiffness, soreness, and overwhelming fatigue that may never go away.”
Reading the d-ribose excerpt from the article From Fatigued to Fantastic changed my life! Give it a read: here!
D-ribose powder, or capsules, can be purchased at your local health food store, or from a trusted online website.
Within weeks, my fatigue was fought, one scoop at a time.
Proper dosage is important, as it is for any supplementation. After some research, I thought it was important to bulk up with an initial attack dose, but I quickly realized that this way was too much for my digestive system, even while taking my scoops with food as suggested.
Deciding to play it safe, I changed my dosage to one scoop a day with food. There were no noticeable changes at first, but after two weeks I had a realization:
Typically, I would need to take a break after any household chore I would do. (Put the clothes in the laundry, take a break. Wash some dishes, back to the recliner to take a break.) Constantly, I felt robbed of oxygen and energy. It was horrible and debilitating.
I knew that d-ribose was working for me while I was unpacking the dishwasher one day. It hit me, “I just did a couple of chores with no break!!!” That was only the beginning.
Since these initial moments, I have been happily taking two scoops of d-ribose powder everyday. One scoop in the morning, in a tall glass of water to wash down my vitamins. One scoop in the evening with dinner.
Please note, that d-ribose has an extremely short half-life. Honestly, it would make more sense to take d-ribose in capsule form more regularly, but more costly, too.
For now, I can enjoy this pause in reflection, remembering how far I’ve come. My fatigue is not cured, but I no longer feel robbed of oxygen, energy, and of my life.
I’m so grateful to Thomas, for steering me in the right direction. This is just my story, please research d-ribose for yourself!
Resources:
http://www.endfatigue.com/tools-support/D-ribose.html
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/biology/atp.html
http://blog.luckyvitamin.com/sports-nutrition/need-more-energy-try-ribose/
the gluten free yogi 
I can vouch for d-ribose, as well. I also take the Fatigued to Fantastic Energy Revitalization System vitamin powder. These two things made me feel almost normal. I speak in past tense because I developed gastritis from high doses of NSAIDs my doctor had me on. I mixed these powders in plain organic kefir each morning, but they irritated my gastritis so I had to come off of them until it healed. Without them, I am worthless, even with taking Dr. Wilson’s adrenal fatigue vitamins. I just started back on them today. These two products really work. I sing their praises whenever I can. 🙂
Thanks for commenting! Sorry it took me so long to respond.
I’ll hafta look into that vitamin powder. Yeah, I just saw today that one of the most common complaints among Celiacs is fatigue. Our gut health is so important for overall health.
I’ll check out the Dr. Wilson’s as well. Thanks so much for sharing!!! 😀
I saw the article about your journey in Shape. It has really inspired me! I have eds3 and was led to believe that yoga was 100% bad for me. Now I feel like I have renewed hope with your uplifting story ! Thank you so much !!!
Aww!
It’s so great to hear your kind words!
I know how tough it is to have EDS. For me, and many others, yoga has been a complete godsend. If you haven’t checked it out already visit my FB or Pinterest pages if you’d like to try some gentle yoga!
Thanks for commenting! It made my day!