How This Naturopathic Doctor Overcame Burnout With Micronutrients

At mbg, we're familiar with how burnout can have physical effects on our bodies. From symptoms like extreme exhaustion to serious conditions like irregular heartbeat, burnout can be debilitating. It especially was for naturopathic doctor and New York Times bestselling author Kellyann Petrucci, M.S., N.D., who became so depleted that she fainted while on an airplane. 

"The next thing I knew, I was in the back of the plane on the floor with a bunch of airline assistance putting ice around my neck, while I was going in and out of consciousness," she tells me on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast.  

It was in this scary moment that Petrucci decided she would take the time to alleviate and assess her burnout. She realized a multitude of ways she was depleting her energy—overworking herself with too many projects and surrounding herself with people who leaked her energy. But one especially interesting component she mentions is through diet—specifically a lack of micronutrients. 

"You want to think about your body flowing like a river. You don't want it clogged up like a swamp," Petrucci says. When your body is "clogged," she says, you might experience brain fog, bloating, and, of course, burnout.

We know we don't have to remind you about the gut-brain connection, but according to Petrucci, this connection is paramount for relieving burnout, as micronutrients create the very foundation for gut health. The micronutrients "are like aloe vera on a sunburn—they soothe, heal, and seal the gut," Petrucci explains. 

In terms of Petrucci's favorite micronutrients, first on her list is bone broth: "Bone broth gives you a quick hit," she says. Meaning, if you're feeling especially depleted, bone broth can perk you up quickly. She notes how the collagen in bone broth has helped replenish many of her patients' energy levels.  

Finally, Petrucci loves her berries. The micronutrients in berries specifically fight against oxidative stress: "It's all about oxidative stress, this ability to annihilate free radicals," she says. That's why they're so beneficial for skin health as well, as Petrucci mentions how berries can naturally protect against sunburn.