What is “bad energy,” and why it shows up at midlife

In yoga, we often discuss energy and how to direct and harness it. For someone unfamiliar with yoga, this talk about energy may seem abstract or far-fetched. However, from a physiological perspective, the energy produced and used by the cells in our bodies every moment of every day is real and crucial for our well-being.

Our bodies consist of about 37 trillion cells that are quietly humming along and ensuring that our tissues, fluids, bones, muscles, organs, and nervous system function properly and stay robust and healthy. All this work requires an enormous amount of energy to power it. This energy is generated in the mitochondria (the “powerhouse” of the cell).

Mitochondria converts food that you put into your body into energy that your cells can use to power themselves. Some cells have a lot of mitochondria (like muscle, nerve, and liver cells), while others have little (like skin, fat, or bone cells).

Various chemical reactions that release energy from fatty acids and glucose take place in the mitochondria, but most of the cellular activities that need that energy occur in the cytoplasm of the cell surrounding the mitochondria. That is why cells need to be able to store energy in a form that can be moved from place to place. Cells do that by packaging energy into ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which can be transported and later broken down in another location under control conditions.

ATP is a teeny-tiny molecule, yet an average human makes between 88 and 150 cumulative pounds (!) of ATP per day, and it’s being used so fast by the body’s cells that we don’t even notice. Our cells need enough ATP at all times to do their jobs properly.

Every part of our bodies is made up of cells. Each cell has its own blueprint of what it’s supposed to do and how. But cells need the right resources to perform their duties. If the quality of these resources is poor, or if they are provided in the wrong amounts, cells won’t produce enough ATP to work properly. If this happens, the cells sound alarm bells that resonate throughout the bodily systems. As usually happens with most alarm bells, the first helper on the site of the problem is the immune system, ready to fight the invaders. When the issue is caused by an infection or injury, the immune system will step in and eventually resolve the problem. However, if the root cause is a fundamental issue with the cell’s function due to a lack of proper nourishment, the immune system is unable to help. In fact, it can make the situation worse by triggering chronic inflammation, leading to organ dysfunction and a variety of other symptoms that arise from it.

The very core of our cells that make our energy every day, our mitochondria, can, over time, become more dysfunctional because it is deeply affected by how we are living in our current physical environment and what enters our bodies on a regular basis. Casey Means, MD and author of “Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health, “ writes: “When small cellular disturbances happen in every cell, at every moment, the effect is outsized—rippling up into the tissues, organs, and systems of your body and negatively influencing how you feel, think, function, look, age, and even how well you combat pathogens and avoid chronic disease.” Dr. Means coins the terms “Good energy” and “Bad energy.” Good energy is a result of proper cellular functioning and reflects metabolic health. Good energy manifests as feeling vital and strong, having a clear mind, a balanced weight, a pain-free body, healthy skin, and a stable mood. Bad energy, on the other hand, stems from metabolic dysfunction and can lead to increased waist size, suboptimal cholesterol levels, high fasting glucose, elevated blood pressure, and susceptibility to all kinds of chronic diseases.

As we get older, the cumulative effects of the environmental hazards, lifestyle choices, and what we end up consuming (through our mouths, noses, eyes, ears, and minds) slowly degrade our mitochondrial function and decrease the quality and quantity of energy that our bodies are able to produce and then utilize. Over time, this can lead to a variety of symptoms, including fatigue, digestive distress, brain fog, autoimmune issues, reproductive problems, any disease ending with an “itis” (which points to inflammation), and many others. Yet, the constant demands on our energetic resources at midlife are higher than ever with all the responsibilities we have to carry. That is why, according to the yoga tradition, the most important aspect of our yoga practice at midlife is energy management, which allows us to replenish our resources, keep our cells functioning properly, and enable us to carry our daily loads with a bit more ease.

The good news is that we can make conscious choices in our lives that support our functioning on the cellular level and produce good energy. Next week, we will discuss the main building blocks of good energy – tune in!