Do you experience stress? Are you tired? Have you been craving sugar? Can’t sleep or wake up in the middle of the night?
Adrenal Glands
All of these can be related to the constant stress we feel in our lives. We know that stress can have a huge impact on our health and wellness. And, since your adrenal glands produce stress hormones, adrenal fatigue (or “HPA Axis Dysregulation,”) is a popular theme lately.
Your adrenal glands look like walnuts that live on top of both of your kidneys. These important glands produce many hormones, including stress hormones.
But what happens when they become “overworked?”
You’ve heard of “adrenaline junkies,” right?
Adrenaline and cortisol are the stress hormones that give you the commonly known adrenaline rush; when you’re totally alert and living in the moment. This feeling is known as your body’s “fight or flight” response.
Some people (perhaps you?) just love that intense feeling.
The release of hormones in the fight or flight response is your body’s normal reaction to stress. Stress can sometimes be positive, like when it helps you swerve and prevent a crash.
After a short time, the flight or flight response dissipates, your body goes back to normal, and all is good.
But what would happen if you felt constant stress? Like all day, every day? Like “chronic” stress?
It wouldn’t feel like an awesome (once-in-a-while) “rush,” anymore would it?
And what do you think happens to your poor adrenal glands when they’re constantly working?
They’d get fatigued, right?
Do I have adrenal fatigue?
When your adrenal glands start getting tired of secreting stress hormones day in and out, you can start getting other symptoms.
Symptoms like fatigue, difficulty sleeping, mood swings, weight loss or gain, joint pain, sugar cravings, even frequent infections like colds and the flu are signs that your adrenals are overworked.
First off, I have to tell you that traditional medical practitioners do not test for adrenal fatigue. However, Functional Medicine practitioners, such as myself, use specialized Functional Medicine laboratories in order to help our patients get to the root cause of their health problems. We can assess cortisol levels throughout the day and actually see at times when you are most stressed. Using the information that we get from the lab tests, we can customize a treatment for you to modify certain activities in your day or add supplements that will help reduce cortisol levels.
You can read more about how Functional Medicine addresses adrenal fatigue here.
What to do if I have these symptoms?
There are many actions you can take to reduce your stress and improve your health and energy levels.
Ideally, if you think stress is starting to burn you out, stress reduction is key. There are tons of ideas how you can reduce your stress. My favorites are meditation, walking in nature, light exercise, more sleep, or taking a bath.
Of course, I also recommend reducing sugar and processed food intake and eating more fruits and vegetables. Better nutrition can only help your body. So go ahead and do it. If you would like some guidance in reducing sugar, you can join my free 5-Day Sugar Free Challenge here.
Adaptogenic herbs are extremely helpful for reducing stress and normalizing cortisol levels. They work by normalizing and stabilizing physiological functions, promoting homeostasis, and lowering our sensitivity to stress. Some adaptogenic herbs are: Ginseng, Ashwaganda, Hol,y Basil, Rhodiola, Eleuthero, Reishi, and Schisandra.
All adaptogenic herbs have different properties and will act differently on the body. For example, some will increase energy, and other will reduce cortisol levels and have a relaxing effect on the body.
Here are just a few other health benefits that adaptogenic herbs provide:
- Improving one’s mood
- Preventing and treating cancer
- Supporting brain health
- Increasing sex drive
- Menopausal support
- Boosting memory
- Fight infections
- Relieve food allergy symptoms
- Resolve digestive problems and issues like leaky gut
- Halt tumor growth
- Treat diabetes
- Cure insomnia and other sleep disorders
- Fight viruses, including HIV and hepatitis
- Lower high blood pressure
- Relieve anxiety and depression
Working with a trusted health care provider who has experiencing assessing adrenal fatigue and adaptogenic herbs is the best way to get the condition under control.
One of the supplements companies that I utilize has the best formulation of adaptogenic herbs that I have been able to find.
If you are experiencing these symptoms and would like to speak to me, I offer a free 30-minute discovery call where we can talk, and I can suggest solutions for your specific health symptoms. Click here to schedule.
Conclusion
Your adrenal glands produce hormones in response to stress. After long-term daily stress, they may get tired.
Adrenal fatigue can by assessed with help from a Functional Medicine practitioner. We use specialized Functional Medicine laboratories, which measuring cortisol levels throughout the day.
The most important thing you can do is to get tested to rule out other potential conditions. You can also try stress reduction techniques like meditation, walks in nature, light exercise, more sleep, or even a lovely bath.
Adaptogenic herbs are the best supplements for normalizing cortisol levels. Work with a trusted healthcare provider to figure out which ones are best for your specific needs.
Recipe (Stress-reducing bath salt): Lavender Bath Salts
Per bath
2 cups epsom salts
10 drops lavender essential oil
As you’re running your warm bath water, add ingredients to the tub. Mix until dissolved
Enjoy your stress-reducing bath!
Tip: You can add a tablespoon of dried lavender flowers.
References:
https://www.thepaleomom.com/adrenal-fatigue-pt-1/
https://www.dietvsdisease.org/adrenal-fatigue-real/
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