Could it be Adrenal Fatigue?

Daily living can be stressful which can be hard on the adrenals.  Stress disrupts the homeostasis of the body and the body responds with the nervous system and with chronic stress the adrenal glands.  Prolonged stress can be VERY hard on the body and what is interesting is a lot of us don’t acknowledge our stress because we just handle our lives on a day-to-day basis.

The adrenal glands are the triangle-shaped endocrine glands that sit atop the kidneys. They’re chiefly responsible for regulating the stress response through the synthesis of corticosteroids like cortisol and catecholamines like adrenaline. It is not just stress that exhausts the adrenals.  Stimulants like caffeine and diets high in sugar will tax the adrenals as well. Other factors known to be detrimental to the adrenals are cigarettes, drugs, working long hours under fluorescent lights, excessive exercise/physical demands and a sedentary lifestyle. When the adrenals are tired, the body may experience several different symptoms.

If you suspect you might have tired adrenals, it should be addressed right away. Adrenal glands are key to a healthy immune system and proper thyroid function. Some symptoms that you may be experiencing with weakened adrenals include the following:

• Excessive sweating or perspiration from little activity
• Light-headedness upon standing
• Tired but wired feeling; poor sleep; excessive fatigue; waking at 2 am and not being able to get back to sleep
• Low stamina for stress and easily irritated
• Chronic infections (bacterial, viral, fungal, yeast)
• Dark under eye circles under the eyes
• Muscle twitches
• Cystic breasts
• Low blood pressure
• Dry, unhealthy skin with excess pigmentation
• Cravings for salt, sweets, and carbs
• Lower back pain and/or knee weakness or pain, especially on the side
• Lack of libido
• Dizziness
• Tendency to startle easily
• Heart palpitations
• Excessive mood responses after eating carbohydrates like pasta, breads, and sugar
• Intolerance to alcohol Low blood sugar
• Premature aging
• Sensitivity to light or difficulty seeing at night
• Inability to concentrate
• Digestive problems
• Tension Headaches

Natural Ways to Support your Adrenals

Get adequate sleep. You must rest if you’re going to help your adrenals get stronger. That means having a regular sleep schedule and getting eight hours of sleep a night. Make this a priority and stick with it. Your adrenals need their beauty sleep!

Nutrition is an important factor in supporting your adrenal glands. For nutrition it is important to eliminate sugar and processed carbs. Sugar and simple carbohydrates stress the adrenals. Adrenal glands help to regulate blood sugar levels. Eat clean and whole foods ensuring adequate protein and increasing fiber intake, avoiding poor fats and increasing dark leafy vegetables. Reduce coffee consumption and drink plenty of fresh filtered water every day. Green drinks can help too!

It is important that if you feel that your adrenals are in need of some support that you visit your medical doctor or naturopathic doctor first to rule out any other issues.  If you are currently under quite a bit of stress and would like to support your adrenals with nutrition then talking to a holistic nutrition expert in your area can help you work with food and lifestyle to make sure your adrenal glands are getting the nutrients needed to perform optimally!

Want to get even healthier? Are you concerned about supporting your health in this time of stress? Curious about how health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes? Let’s talk! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with me today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Visit www.noshoesnutrition.com and sign up for a FREE consultation.  I work with people from all over the world individually or in groups so don’t let anything hold you back!