The hidden web behind your energy

It's been a little longer than I usually write, summer had other plans. Camping weekends, a week in Spain, laptop left behind for what mattered most.

Now summer's closing, and I'm feeling torn. There's sadness watching schools reopen, that line in the sand marking seasons shifting.

But also relief in drawing focus back.

Summer invites wider perspective, September whispers realignment.

Which brings me to something I'm excited to share.

Over the coming months, I want to introduce you to energy, the sustainably high kind that doesn't crash at 3pm. We can absolutely have this.

I'm refocusing my newsltter to talk about Energy Connections bi-weekly, drawing surprising connections between your body systems and energy levels.

A mini toolkit for staying energised as autumn gets busy. If that sounds like you, this is for you.

Let's begin with the foundations: understanding your energy systems.

Your Energy Systems

Energy flows through an intricate web of systems, each one affecting the others. When you're tired, it's rarely just one thing that's broken. It's the connections between them that have gone quiet.

The Players in Your Energy Story

(this is not an exhaustive list!)

• Your Quantum Engines - Mitochondria creating energy through quantum processes science is still discovering (and so much more).

• Your Internal Conductor - Hormones orchestrating your entire energy symphony.

• Your Command Center - Your nervous system deciding where energy goes moment by moment.

• Your Processing Hub - Your gut processing and creating chemicals that make you feel motivated and clear and keeping inflammation at bay.

• Your Distribution Network - Circulation delivering what every cell needs to create energy.

• Your Internal Rhythm - Your body's exquisite timing of when to energise, rest, and repair.

• Your Cleanup Crew - Lymphatic system and liver clearing cellular debris that drains energy.

• Your Fuel System - Blood sugar stability determining your energy stability.

• Your Foundation - Hydration and minerals affecting every energy process.

• Your Mind-Body Connection - Thoughts and emotions literally rewiring your energy systems.

Why Everything is Connected

Here's what conventional medicine often misses: these systems don't work in isolation.

• Your gut health affects your hormones

• Your hormones affect your sleep

• Your sleep affects your blood sugar

• Your blood sugar affects your mood

• Your mood affects your stress levels

• Your stress levels affect your gut health

• Your gut affects your resilience

It's a web.

Pull one strand, and the whole structure shifts.

This is why taking a thyroid medication or trying a new supplement often disappoints. You're addressing one strand while the rest of the web remains tangled.

The Real Investigation

When someone comes to me feeling tired, not quite themselves, I don't just run functional testing.

The real investigation is life rhythm, system assessment (gut, hormones, metabolic, sleep etc.), then energy flow mapping, stress and recovery.

I want to understand their entire energy story:

• How do they feel when they wake up?

• What happens to their energy throughout the day?

• When did they last feel truly energised?

• What's their body trying to tell them?

Because sustainable energy isn't about pushing harder or taking more supplements.

It's about understanding why your energy left in the first place. And restoring the connections that support it.

All patterns tell stories. Stories tell answers.

September ToolKit:Energy Protection Plan: 3-2-1

As routines ramp up and demands increase, here's how to protect your energy using the systems approach:

3 Micro-Recoveries (add into your week—less than 5 minutes, anywhere, no tools needed)

• Breathing reset: 10 deep breaths between meetings

• Nature moment: Step outside, even for 2 minutes

• Cold water splash: On your face and wrists

• Natural light break: Away from screens, towards a window

• Phone freedom: 5 minutes completely disconnected

Choose your three and build them into busy days.

2 Structural Protections (bigger boundaries for the next month)

• Email curfew: No emails after 7pm or before 8am

• Meeting-free time: First hour of the day or lunch away from your desk

• Screen sanctuary: Two hour before bed with no devices

• Lunch liberation: Actually take your lunch break, away from work

Pick two that feel both challenging and essential.

1 Non-Negotiable (starting tomorrow)

• Morning walk: 30 minutes outside before you start work

• Screen sunset: All screens off by 8:30pm

• Lunch break: Take it. Actually take it.

• Boundary practice: Say no to one thing this week

Choose one. Commit tomorrow.

This isn't about perfection, it's about protection. Protecting the energy that makes everything else possible.

This Month's Energy Case Study

Each time I write, I'll share a real client story to show how the systems approach works in practice.

Meet Margaret, 56, Business Owner

She came to me with what seemed like a straightforward request:

"Can you help me understand what supplements I need? I feel like I should be taking something but don't know what."

But when we started exploring her story, it became clear she was experiencing far more than supplement confusion:

• Ongoing digestive discomfort and bloating

• Persistent tiredness despite trying to rest more

• Sleep that felt light and unrefreshing

• Family history of thyroid dysfunction

• Unhappy with her body composition

What the investigation revealed, the interconnected issues behind her symptoms:

• Food sensitivities: Creating ongoing gut inflammation that was affecting everything else

• Nutrient deficiencies: Low B12 levels impacting cellular energy production and repair

• Suboptimal thyroid function: Family history proved relevant, her thyroid was struggling

• Gut inflammation: The root cause affecting nutrient absorption, overall energy and suboptimal thyroid function

• Risk factors for low bone density

What we did:

• Identified and removed inflammatory foods while we healed the gut

• Used targeted nutrients that her body craved

• Supported her thyroid function with specific cofactors and further testing

• Ordered a DEXA scan to review bone density properly

• Conducted a comprehensive calcium intake review to optimise bone health

Within a few months: Her energy improved, digestive symptoms improved, sleep improved, she lost weight and felt so much better.

The insight: She didn't need random supplements. She needed to understand which systems were struggling and support them specifically.

This is why I investigate rather than guess. Because behind every "simple" supplement question is usually a complex story waiting to be understood.

What's Coming

Each month, we'll explore one energy system in depth, plus a new case study.

Listen to your body when it whispers, and you won't have to hear it scream - Cherokee Proverb

The information provided by Sarah Bayliss, A Registered Nutritional Therapist, is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any dietary or lifestyle changes.

P.S. Want to understand what's really happening with your energy? The Energy Audit investigates all systems to create your personalised optimisation plan. Book a discovery call when you are ready.