What Is Adrenal Insufficiency
Unlike adrenal fatigue, this is a recognized disease that can be diagnosed. There are two forms of this condition, and both are caused by damage or problems with your adrenal glands that result in them not making enough of the hormone cortisol.
Symptoms of both forms include chronic fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle weakness, weight loss, and stomach pain. You might also have nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, diarrhea, depression, or darkening of the skin.
Adrenal insufficiency is diagnosed with a blood test that checks to see if your cortisol levels are too low. If you have it, youâll need to take a hormone replacement.
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Yes I Recommend Adrenal Glandulars And Adaptogenic Herbs To Boost Adrenal Activity
But revving the engine without providing gas and oil will burn out the vehicle.
Genesis Gold® is the fuel the body needs to detoxify, rebuild and heal itself. Sacred Seven® amino acids provides the hypothalamic support to optimize genetic function.
For my patients who need extra support during times of stress, I developed a natural treatment protocol for adrenal fatigue that includes extra adrenal glandular support, adaptogenic herbs, essential nutrients plus homeopathic adrenal cortex with full instructions on how to use supplements. My DMAR Natural Adrenal Therapy is a great rescue measure until your hypothalamus can get back in balance with Genesis Gold® and Sacred Seven®.
Start Healing Adrenal Fatigue Today
Now that you know more about the foods to enjoy and the foods to avoid, are you ready to start healing adrenal fatigue?
All of these foods are great options to incorporate alongside other treatment approaches to help you minimize your symptoms, balance your body, and start feeling your best. You may need additional support to get to the root of your condition and find long-term healing, though.
If you want to learn more about adrenal fatigue and how to manage it, were here for you at Thrive Wellness Center. Contact us today for more information on our services or to schedule an appointment for a consultation.
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Boost Your Intake Of Sea Salt
The adrenal glands secrete aldosterone, a hormone that assists in maintaining the salt and water balance in the body. However, when dealing with months and even years of stress and chronic illness, your adrenals may have difficulty regulating electrolytes like sodium and fluid balance. Thus, you may experience symptoms like light-headedness upon standing, low blood pressure, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome , an array of symptoms that impact the bodys ability to adequately circulate blood.
One strategy to maintain adequate fluid levels in the body is to consume more sea salt, which also contains trace minerals, to increase blood volume. To boost your intake of this mineral, liberally salt your food. You can also dissolve ¼ to 1 teaspoon of sea salt into a glass of water and sip on it throughout the day.
Sleep Longer And Better
Sleep is one of the most underrated self-care treatments to improve health. A regular and effective sleep schedule can provide your entire hormonal system much needed TLC, promoting hormone balance, as well as rejuvenating your body for the following day.
For adults, a good nights sleep generally means 7-9 hours of uninterrupted rest. For better quality sleep, you can take actions like making your room as dark as possible or using an eye mask. You can also try avoiding technology before bed, or give yourself a massage around the temple area of your forehead to relax.
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What Are 10 Simple Things You Can Do To Support Your Adrenals
Theres a lot of information to get to grips with when attempting to heal your adrenal glands naturally. Not to mention, making so many changes can seem overwhelming.
Breaking any action plan down into easy points can make it better to deal with. Take each of the 10 steps here one at a time and start introducing them into your daily life to fight adrenal fatigue syndrome.
Meditate Meditation helps you switch off the fight or flight response. Your relaxed mind and body signal your adrenals that you are not in danger and they can stop pumping out cortisol.
Get sufficient rest Your adrenals need time to recharge and can only do this when you are in a rested state. Take time out to simply do nothing. Lie down, switch off your computer or phone, read a book or listen to some quiet and uplifting music.
Cut out sugar Your body is craving more energy and wants fast energy you get from a sugar fix. But this is simply placing more strain on your adrenals, whipping them up to work even harder. Cut out sugar to give your adrenals a break so they can rest and recuperate.
Ditch caffeine Like sugar, caffeine whips your adrenals, driving them to work in a depleted state. Give coffee, tea and cola a break.
Take a high quality Vitamin C supplement When under strain your adrenals use more Vitamin C. Read this article stating the importance of Vitamin C for the health of the adrenal glands.
A Natural Guide To Treating Your Adrenal Fatigue
How stressful would you rate a normal day for you? If youre the kind of person who is always go-go-go and struggles to turn off the stress switch you may be on the road to adrenal fatigue.
Four out of five people have some degree of adrenal fatigue. But instead of addressing their fatigue, most people cover it up with stimulants like coffee, tea, soft drinks, sugar and cigarettes.
The good news is there is a lot you can do to manage adrenal fatigue naturally so let me take you through our guide on what it is, how to spot it and what you can do to heal yourself.
So what causes adrenal fatigue?
In short intense and prolonged stress and fatigue that is not relieved by sleep.
Your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys and work to help you cope with all types of stress by releasing hormones into your system.
If you are constantly or repeatedly stressed without sufficient time to recover, you may deplete your bodys reserves of these hormones, resulting in adrenal fatigue.
It doesnt matter what type of stress you are going through , all stress has a cumulative effect and can cause adrenal fatigue.
10 signs you may have adrenal fatigue:
If you are experiencing more than three of these symptoms, you may have adrenal fatigue.
Here are our top 5 tips for healing adrenal fatigue naturally:
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Treating Adrenal Fatigue At Home
The key to treating adrenal fatigue is by altering your lifestyle. You need to offer your body the appropriate nutrition it requires and regularly. And you require to get appropriate rest. And given that we cant totally prevent difficult its crucial to learn to manage it. Some ideas are meditation, yoga and the proper quantity of exercise.
Reduce Caffeine And Sugar
Cutting down on caffeine and refined sugar will help your body reconnect with your natural energy cycles and reduce inflammatory responses in the body. While you dont need to avoid these substances completely, it may be a good idea to reduce your coffee intake to just one cup in the mornings, and aim for fruit instead of baked goods in the afternoon.
Caffeine and sugar are stimulants that increase your energy in the short-term, making it seem like a good fix when youve hit an afternoon slump. These substances cause blood glucose levels to soar, and when they come back down, it can create a cycle of addiction and cravings that rob you of rest and sustainable nutrients.
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Embrace A Healthy New Way Of Eating
Dr. Anna Cabeca, a triple board-certified physician and womens hormone expert, created the Keto-Green way of eating, to help thousands of women with adrenal fatigue and menopause symptoms. By getting the right fuel for the body, you can maintain adrenal health! Below are Keto-Green foods to include in your meals!
- Alkaline foods such as artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower and other similar veggies. Fruits such as avocado, berries, apples and apricots are also example of high-alkaline foods.
- Healthy proteins such as grass-fed meat and wild caught fish.
- Non-GMO soy from miso and tempeh.
- Healthy fats like ghee, nuts, olive and coconut oil.
- Superfoods such as Maca, Turmeric, Cinnamon and Green Tea.
Besides all these, the Keto-Green approach also encourages you to take a vitamin E supplement and practice intermittent fasting. This is the way I eat personally, and I feel great. Ive also maintained the same weight as from my early twenties.
Join Dr. Anna Cabecas HYPER-personalized 10-day program called Breeze through Menopause and make Keto-Green part of your lifestyle. This groundbreaking program will help you create healthy lifetime habits which can help you stay sane, slim and sexy!
Stage : Adrenal Overdrive
People in this stage tend to thrive on adrenaline and push themselves to their limits . Cortisol levels remain relatively stable, but early warning signs emerge things like constantly feeling wired, an ongoing need for caffeine to stay energized, high blood pressure, or a rapid heart rate as the body continues to be driven harder.
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Can You Get Tested For Adrenal Fatigue
The best way to get test for adrenal fatigue is via a saliva cortisol panel. The panel looks at your cortisol patterns throughout the day versus a blood test that only tests at one time during the day. Seeing the pattern of cortisol during the day will give you and your practitioner a good idea of whether adrenal imbalance is a factor for you.
As you read the list below, remember: this is a marathon, not a sprint. Fully healing the adrenals usually takes a minimum of 6-9 months and for some it can take up to 12 months. The good news is that even making just a few changes can help you feel better within weeks or even days.
The Secret Of How The Adrenal Glands Work
Your adrenal glands function to modulate stress to help your body cope with the physical effects. There are two adrenal glands that sit above the kidneys, each about the size of a walnut.
They have two compartments: the adrenal medulla and the adrenal cortex .
Adrenal medulla. The adrenal medulla regulates the hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine. These control the sympathetic nervous system which causes the flight or fight response you feel when stressed.
Cortisolis the most important hormone for helping your body deal with stress. Almost all the cells in your body have cortisol receptors so it affects much of how the body functions.
It helps reduce inflammation, control blood sugar levels, assists memory retention and controls the metabolism. Cortisol also affects the balance of water and salt in your body, and helps to keep your blood pressure under control.
Cortisol levels drop so your body does not react properly to high pressure situations which can cause high blood pressure and water retention.
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Use Natural Herbs Called Adaptogens
Adaptogenic herbs are known to help the body adapt to situations of stress, balancing your hormones and calming an overactive adrenal system. Be sure to speak with your healthcare provider about possible interactions between adaptogens and medications before consuming these foods. Some helpful options include:
Ashwagandha
Typically used in Ayurvedic medicine, this herb can help stabilize thyroid hormones, reduce anxiety, and fight inflammation. It may also support immune cells that help the body fight off infection.
Licorice root
Licorice root is known for its restorative qualities that can help calm you down in stressful situations. It does this by blocking the conversion of cortisol into cortisone, a process that leads to higher amounts of circulating cortisol . It also contains glycyrrhizic acid, an active compound that can repair the stomach lining and soothe gastrointestinal issues.
Rhodiola
This herb can help reduce anxiety, irritability, and improve concentration. It works by stabilizing the secretion of cortisol in high-stress situations.
Myth : Youre Stuck With Adrenal Fatigue
While HPA axis dysfunction is very real, you can reverse this condition by resetting your bodys natural rhythms. The first step is to implement the various tips mentioned in this article. I also strongly advise you to work with a healthcare professional so as to determine which dietary, exercise and supplement regimen will work best for you.
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Stress Management Is The Best Adrenal Fatigue Treatment
No matter who you are, youre going to face major challenges in your life sooner or later. Learning to deal with stress and become more resilient is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. Its a core part of being Bulletproof, and its essential to keeping adrenal fatigue at bay.
This guide should help you, and if you want more tips, check out these other articles:
The Limits Of Conventional Adrenal Testing
If youre worried that your adrenal glands arent functioning properly, you probably want to know if theres a test for that. The frustrating answer is that the current conventional testing protocol for cortisol only calls for evaluating the extremes of adrenal imbalance that require immediate medical intervention: Addisons disease, when cortisol production is severely deficient, and Cushings syndrome, when cortisol production is excessive.
If your test results fall between those high and low cut-off points on the test even if youre very close youll probably be told that your adrenal function is normal, no matter how many symptoms you have. Saliva tests for adrenal function typically measure cortisol at different times of the day and can therefore pick up more subtle imbalances, but many conventional practitioners are unaware of them or dont trust them.
As you will see, the best indicator of your adrenal health is whether you are feeling well or not. Your symptoms are your best guide to choosing an approach that will help you feel better.
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How To Naturally Treat Adrenal Fatigue
You can naturally treat adrenal fatigue symptoms with diet changes, meditation practices, regular exercise, and minimal supplementation.
Incorporating osteopathic manipulation treatments can also help your muscle tissues relax and improve circulation in the body. Acupuncture treatments can harmonize the flow of Qi in your body, and specific herbs can assist in bringing your body back to baseline cortisol levels.
Meditation If you experience the adrenal fatigue symptoms mentioned above, stress is likely contributing to your fatigue. Incorporating a daily 15 minute meditation practice during which you slow your mind and breathe deeply can help reduce your stress level. In the long term, a good daily meditation practice can help reduce many of the symptoms of adrenal fatigue.
Plant-based diet A diet to reduce adrenal fatigue can assist your body in detoxifying itself and relieving the physical symptoms of fatigue. Remember, a large complaint of adrenal fatigue sufferers is feeling fatigued all of the time. A plant-based diet can make it easier for your body to digest food. A temporary absence or minimal presence of meat can also aid in the detoxification process. More specific diet recommendations are found below.
Exercise Starting an exercise program can be very difficult when you feel fatigued. But gently exercising over a period of 3-4 weeks can help you start feeling better. I specifically recommend starting a very basic yoga routine.
Pay Attention To Your Coffee Intake
Coffee is misunderstood when it come to adrenal fatigue. The standard advice is to avoid it entirely because it spikes cortisol. The reality is a little more complicated than that.
Coffee does spike cortisol if you only drink it occasionally. If you drink it every morning, though , you build tolerance to the cortisol release, but not to coffees wakefulness boost.
But in order to build tolerance to the cortisol, you have to drink coffee every morning. If you only drink it occasionally, your body wont adjust, and the coffee will cause a big cortisol spike that isnt good for adrenal fatigue.
Basically, when it comes to adrenal fatigue and coffee, you should take an all-or-nothing approach:
- Drink coffee every morning, or
- Cut out coffee entirely
If you do decide to drink coffee, I suggest Bulletproof Coffee for extra mental clarity and effortless focus, which is crucial when dealing with adrenal fatigue.
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Here Are 10 Steps To Heal Adrenal Fatigue:
1. As soon as you wake up, drink a glass of water along with 1/4 teaspoon of celtic sea salt. Then, throughout the day, have a pinch of sea salt with each glass of water and also use it to season your food. Daily total consumption of about 2 teaspoons of Celtic sea salt is a good place to start. The 80+ minerals in the salt will help nourish the adrenals and endocrine system.
2. Eat breakfast within one hour of waking. If you wait any longer than this, it can cause your blood sugar levels to decrease too much and your adrenals can start producing excess cortisol.
3. Eat regular meals throughout the day and include some protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fat in each meal. I know this is a simple step, but skipping meals can put a strain on the adrenals.
4. Remove all processed foods from your diet. Processed foods are a stressor on the body, and the goal is to remove stressors as much as possible to help support the adrenals.
5. Only do low-impact exercise like walking, pilates, gentle yoga or stretching. High impact exercise puts strain on the adrenals, especially when the adrenals are already fatigued. If youre having trouble losing weight, I know this can seem counter-productive, but you will lose weight by resting and following the steps Im listing here.
