You might be suffering from adrenal fatigue, along with 80% of the adult population.
Do you:
- Exercise intensively everyday or even twice a day?
- Feel tired when you wake up in the morning?
- Use coffee to get you through the day?
- Spend your rest days sleeping on the lounge?
- Always get sick?
- Feel down, irritable and cranky all the time?
These are some of the most common signs and symptoms that you may have adrenal fatigue.
What is Adrenal fatigue?
It’s a condition that usually results from a long period of chronic stress. Over time, this stress taxes the adrenal glands and HPA axis, thereby disrupting the production of cortisol and other hormones.
The body initially produces large amounts of cortisol to cope with the stressors, but eventually cortisol levels drop. The cortisol cycle can also become dysregulated, with irregular peaks in the evening.
Adrenal function determines the body’s ability to shed excess weight as secretion of our stress hormones regulates sugar release in muscles and determines our rate of metabolism.
What causes Adrenal Fatigue?
Adrenal fatigue is usually caused by long-term stressors. These can include financial stress, overwork, family disputes, or marital problems. Often it might a be a combination of factors, such as those experienced by a high-flying executive with young children.
Other factors can come into play too. A poor diet means that your body has fewer reserves and less capacity to deal with stress. Chronic or latent disease can be a factor, as can regular exposure to toxic chemicals or pollutants.
And don’t forget sleep – one of the most important requirements for your body to function properly. If you’re burning the candle at both ends, consider that a lack of sleep might be damaging your long-term health.
How do you treat Adrenal Fatigue?
Treating adrenal fatigue usually means reversing the factors that led to your poor health in the first place. This might mean removing added sugars and junk food from your diet, getting enough sleep, and avoiding or eliminating sources of stress.
There are other ways to support your body, make it more resilient to stress, and treat your adrenal fatigue. Adaptogenic supplements like ashwagandha can help to moderate your stress response, while basic nutrients like vitamin C (always good quality) can give your adrenal glands the nutrients they need.
Adding in nurturing practices for your body, such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga and walking in nature are helpful to calm your nervous system and looking after yourself with massages, naps and downtime are important in the process of recovery.
Of course, seeing a natural health practitioner like myself can help you get back on track, we have specific supplements and herbal tonics to treat this condition, as well as diet and exercise recommendations for you. Book your appointment now!
Want to know more about Adrenal Fatigue? Come along to Mel’s free talk at Verve For Life on Wednesday October 17.