Adrenal Fatigue is not something widely talked about. There is no prescribed medication that can help with this. However, Adrenal Fatigue (or rather the symptoms of it) are real and perhaps can be better defined and labelled as extreme stress, burnout syndrome or exhaustion syndrome. Due to the extreme stress on the body the adrenals malfunction and are unable to keep up with helping the body cope.
Adrenal Glands
Adrenal glands are Endocrine glands that sit at the top of the kidneys. They’re responsible for releasing hormones in response to stress.
They’re also involved in manufacturing numerous hormones, regulating blood sugar, regulating the body’s energy levels in conjunction with the thyroid and producing stress-monitoring hormones. Two if their most important hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, are responsible for the fight-or-flight response. Adrenaline deals primarily with short term stress while cortisol is produced as a result of both acute and long term stress.
Prolonged stress, whether as a result of emotional or physical causes, is disastrous for the adrenals. Initially it results in chronically elevated cortisol levels resulting in weight gain (especially around the mid section) and then you can say HELLO to extreme fatigue (chronic fatigue syndrome), irritability, inability to concentrate, frustration, insomnia, addictions to either sweet or salty foods, allergies, nervousness, depression, anxiety, PMS, sensitivity to cold, diabetes, headaches, run down, immune compromised or muscles feel unusually weak. On their own these symptoms can mean many things but combined may indicate that something is off balance with your adrenals.
How do we support the Adrenals?
Restoring adrenal gland function requires on-going work because ultimately it is learning to manage stress. It is a lifestyle you must adopt.
My TOP 10 tips to nourishing your Adrenals
- Commit to regular breathing exercises: breathing exercises can lower your blood pressure, reduce your heart rate and calm your nervous system. Aim for 10 to 20 diaphragm breaths every morning and every night.
- Learn to schedule and commit (and LOVE) Restorative Exercises : these exercises allow your body to sink in and be still and calm, allowing your parasympathetic nervous system to be activated.
It’s responsible for your rest and to digest activities. When it’s balanced, you’re likely to have good digestion, sleep well, have a strong immune system and generally feel relaxed and calm. These exercises include: Restorative Yoga, Meditation, Pilates, Tai Chi (twice a week is recommended but daily would be optimal). - Spend a few minutes a day in solitude (away from the phone): Spending time in nature, walking or writing in a journal everyday – these activities can help to relieves stress.
- Sleep: is one of the best ways to refresh and rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit. You want to aim to get a minimum of 8 hours for rest and repair. Try to aim to be in bed no later than 10:30am
- Eat wholesome and organic foods: The foods you eat are your first line of defence against Adrenal Fatigue. Try and eat local and organic if possible (at least the dirty dozen) and rid your diet of
caffeine, alcohol, soda and refined sugar particularly in the late afternoon/evening. - Cut back on caffeine: Avoid consuming any forms of caffeine in the late afternoon/evening. You may also want to try cutting caffeine out entirely for two weeks and see how you feel. You may start to realize you are calmer and sleep better (there is enough adrenaline being pumped into your body).
- Take a daily probiotic: This will begin to heal your gut which will lead to improved health overall.
- Meditation: is essentially just bringing awareness to your daily life. Study after study has shown that meditation can drastically reduce stress.
- Learn how to say NO: this is a working progress however this is a major cause of stress for a lot of people. Say no to social arrangements or family gatherings when you are feeling overwhelmed and instead choose to take the time to lay low, read, workout, go for a massage,
meditate, yoga. - Enjoy life: we forget to do this amongst the busy-ness of our lives and the stress that surrounds us (particularly now while the world is in a difficult time).