Adrenal fatigue occurs when
pronged stress “fight or flight” reaction has dissipated the hormones that
initiate the body’s response behavior—the fight or the flight behavior. Not
only do we have “life threatening” stresses in our lives from war (the threat
of war), famine, reckless vehicle drivers, chronic diseases, raising crime
rates, emotional or physically abuse relationships. But we can be affected by
constant low level stress arising from joblessness, dysfunctional work
environments, and economic insecurity, as well as our personal psychology and
world-view.
Stress and stress levels
are unique to the person mind, body and spirit. Individual functioning should
be respected not denigrated. Self-acceptance is a key step to wellness. Denying
stress keeps you from putting in place a plan to support adrenal gland health.
Typical symptoms of Adrenal
Fatigue:
- Feeling tired for no reason
- Trouble getting up in the morning, even when you go to bed at a reasonable hour.
- Feeling rundown or overwhelmed.
- Difficulty bouncing back from stress or illness
- Craving salty and sweet snacks.
- Feeling more awake, alert and energetic after 6PM than you do all day
The adrenal glands are
located above the kidneys. The adrenals synthesize the hormones corticosteroids,
catecholamines, cortisol and adrenaline and regulate the body’s stress
response. Hormones are chemical messengers that initiate a biologic response.
Adrenal glands create the body’s “fight or flight” hormonal resources by
instantly increasing heart rate and blood pressure, releasing energy stores for
immediate use, slows your digestion and other secondary functions, and sharpens
your senses.
Healthy adrenal glands keep
cortisol hormones at a level appropriate to optimal health. Normal levels of
cortisol are essential to the body’s adequate response to stress and to support
a healthy immune response. A balanced cortisol level is essential to life and
affects every tissue, organ and gland in the body. Cortisol is essential for
balancing stress hormones and curbing inflammation.
Adrenal fatigue occurs when
high amounts of cortisol are produced to counter the effects of stress on the
body. Severe and prolonged stress may be caused by physical stress from
infection, illness, or disease and/or emotional stress. The adrenals can become
exhausted from the constant demand for more cortisol when the body is in a
constant state of stress, and may stop producing adequate amounts. Stressors
add up each contributing to the body’s inability to meet its cortisol needs,
further weakening the adrenals.
Adrenal fatigue may result
from chronic recurrent infections, which weaken the immune system, leaving the
body vulnerable to additional infections and physical stress. Chronic
underproduction of cortisol and adrenal fatigue syndrome can also be caused or
aggravated by the ongoing use of corticosteroids. Often Allopathic Medicine
treats disease symptoms using synthetic hormones like prednisone. These
synthetic hormones are often prescribed for many illnesses in dosages that far
exceed the amount of cortisol the body requires. This is a serious concern as
heightened levels of cortisol can shut the adrenal glands down, suppress the
immune system, and in some cases bring on psychotic-type behavior.
Life Style Indicators of Adrenal
Fatigue
What
is your energy level? Exhaustion
for no apparent reason, meaning there has been no prolonged physical exertion,
and you are exhausted and tired and when waking up. You may experience extreme
fatigue in the afternoon typically between 3 and 5 PM.
Do
you struggle to get through the day but have a burst of energy around 6-8pm? Is
it easy to stay up beyond midnight regardless of when you woke up?
Is
your thinking is unfocused and unclear? You have difficulty processing simple
information that you didn't have problems with before. You may have difficulty
with information recall and short-term memory, or lose your thought in the
middle of a conversation.
Are
you more susceptible to stress? Does most benign stress, such as a minor
traffic jam, or stubbing one's toe cause you excessive frustration and stress
levels to go up? Is your stress response high than need be for the situation?
Do you experience “road rage” or over react to minor offenses?
Do
you recall feeling more nervous and anxious recently? Stress hormones circulating in the body create a feeling of
anxiety. Your hands may be jittery when you are nervous or under pressure.
Individuals
with adrenal fatigue syndrome put on weight inexplicably. Weight gain is
generally distributed around the midsection creating a thick layer of belly
fat. There is an inability to lose weight, despite dieting. Restrictive diets
and heavy exercise are countering productive and put the body in further stress
exacerbating the adrenal fatigue and weight problem.
Changes in appetite and or food cravings? The brain will
try to use food to medicate itself and fix exhaustion with sugar or salty,
starchy foods. Do you depend on caffeine (coffee, caffeinated drinks) to help
pep you up?
Adrenal fatigue syndrome affects digestion and
elimination creating an alternating pattern between diarrhea and constipation.
Women may experience intensified premenstrual symptoms
including very painful menstrual cramps. Women with adrenal fatigue may
demonstrate an interrupted menstrual cycle that is heavy for the first few
days, stops on the fourth day, and resumes on the fifth day.
Other physical symptoms include heart palpitations, low
blood sugar levels, unexplained hair loss, dry skin, low blood pressure, low
body temperature, and mild depression.
Diminished sex drive. Because the body’s hormones are
synergistic and interactive across body systems Adrenal Fatigue can depress or
cause complete loss of libido.
As adrenal function decreases every
organ and system in your body is adversely affected. Carbohydrate, protein and
fat metabolism, fluid and electrolyte balance, heart and cardiovascular system,
and even sex drive are affected. Alterations take place at the biochemical and
cellular levels in response to and to compensate for the decreased adrenal
hormonal production that results from adrenal fatigue.
Life Style Changes to Support
Adrenal Functioning
- Laugh as often
- Take small breaks from stressful activity to lie down
- Purposefully increase/promote stress relieving activities such as yoga, meditation, and prayer.
- Always eat breakfast before 10 am
- Start the habit of eating 5-6 frequent small meals rather than 3 large meals.
- Set an early bedtime, 10 pm is ideal.
- Sleep in until 9 AM when possible.
- Consider having “silver” (mercury amalgam) fillings removed. Exposure to mercury (a neurotoxin) damages neurotransmitters and causes of Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome
Dietary recommendations
for Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome include
Add to Your Life:
- Ground flax meal (healthy dietary fiber and omega-3 essential fatty acids)
- Extra virgin organic coconut oil
- Omega-3, essential fatty acids (wild caught fish oil, sprouted walnuts)
- Mineralized salt (Himalayan crystal salt)
- Eat lightly cooked animal and vegetable proteins (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes)
- Dairy products with live, organic, active cultures (probiotics, yogurt and kefir)
- Unrefined low-glycemic carbohydrates (brown rice, sprouted grains, winter squash)
- Limit intake of high glycemic index fruits (apricots, raisins, banana, papaya, and mango)
- Vegetables and vegetable juices (kelp, sprouts, green and black olives, peppers, spinach, chard, celery, zucchini).
- Unprocessed nutrient dense foods such as sprouted nuts and seeds to your diet.
- Drink purified water throughout the day
- Magnesium supports adrenal health.
- Vitamin C protects the body from excess stress.
- Vitamin B Complex is, balanced B formula, maintains the energy of the adrenals
- As you create and work toward a wellness lifestyle, and as you support adrenal gland functioning, you will need to consider what you will keep in your life style, and which behaviors need to be added or eliminated. Over time you may decide to eliminate or avoid many of the following:
Refined sugar or artificial sugar-substitutes such as aspartame, Splenda®. (If you must use natural unrefined sugar, honey, molasses, and stevia)
Simple or refined
carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, crackers, etc.)
Potassium rich foods, which
add to adrenal stress (bananas, all melons, dried figs, raisins, dates,
oranges, grapefruit, etc.)
Excessive disrupts the body’s
systems, causing insomnia and irregularity (constipation or diarrhea); although
moderate amounts of caffeine may be beneficial,
Alcoholic beverages in excess
since they hinder the functioning of the immune and energy production systems
Fermented foods such as
cheese and wine
Fungi such as mushrooms
Pickled foods
Sweetened fruit juices that
spike blood sugar levels too rapidly
Carbonated soft drinks that
alter pH levels, making the blood more acidic
Bottom crawlers such as
oysters, clams, and lobster that may contain toxic levels of mercury
Deep-sea fish such as tuna,
mackerel, and swordfish that may contain toxic levels of mercury.
Yeast and wheat products
(breads, crackers, pasta, etc.) that contain gluten
Sodium nitrite found in
processed foods such as hot dogs, lunch meats, and bacon
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
found in many foods as a flavor enhancer
Hydrogenated and partially
hydrogenated fats found in many processed foods, deep-fried food, fast food,
and junk food.
Typically, individuals with adrenal fatiguefunction better wth fewer carbohydrates and need more protein.
