Here Are 20 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 Ive seen clients lose weight by resting and following the steps Im listing here.
8. Spend more time outdoors. Getting fresh air and being in nature helps reduce the stress response in the body.
13. Consider taking B Vitamins I recommend Cataplex B from Standard Process.
What Do You Eat
While a lower carb diet is fabulous to reduce inflammation and many symptoms of thyroid disease, eating this way for too long can put stress on the adrenals and cause hormonal imbalance. So its important to get good, healthy carbs into your diet each day such as: potatoes , root vegetables, peas, properly prepared legumes or gluten-free grains , apples, pears, berries, and beets.
I like Dr. Christiansons idea of eating one golfball-size portion of carbs at breakfast, two golfball-size portions of carbs at lunch, and three golfball-size portions of carbs at dinner. Using this method, dinner should be the largest meal of the day. And most importantly, dont stress about your food. Do the best you can, and let the rest go.
Bodywork And Alternative Physical Treatments
Another important aspect in the journey to how to heal Adrenal Fatigue is whole-body life balance. This includes your mental, emotional, and physical balance.
The most tangible step you can take to achieving a whole-body life balance is gifting yourself bodywork or alternative physical treatments.
Examples of helpful alternative treatments are:
- Chiropractic treatment: balances the structural integrity of the skeletal system
- Massage: assists metabolism by clearing metabolic byproducts or relieving detrimental muscular imbalances that occur over time and through poor posture habits
- Acupuncture: brings balance through the manipulation of our meridian systems
Other useful tools for bringing whole-body life balance on all levels are mind-body practices. These tools help relax and strengthen our muscles, tendons, and even our inner organs. They connect mind and body, so we feel more empowered and become more active.
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Herbs For Adrenal Fatigue
When our body isnt functioning properly, we shouldnt blame one particular aspect but be aware of a more complex dysfunction that might exist in our overall organism. Unlike drugs, which regulate a single symptom, Chinese herbs focus on improving general well-being and eliminating the particular conditions root. When used skillfully, Chinese herbs can reduce all the signs of adrenal fatigue and heal the root of potentially chronic disease. A certified Chinese herbalist focuses on strengthening the foundation of ones general health, using a safe, drug-free, and efficient approach patients find quite attractive. A Chinese herbalist will use herbs in various combinations to create the right formula for your specific condition and overall health. Despite being designed for a particular use, herbs are also quite versatile. That said, one formula can have ingredients for treating depression, including all of its byproducts pain, insomnia, sleeping issues, etc. The most popular Chinese herbs for adrenal fatigue are:
Going To See Your Doctor
If you feel you may have adrenal fatigue because you experience fatigue, weight gain, and foggy mind, get evaluated by your doctor as early as you can. Typically with some specific lifestyle changes and minimal supplementation, we can reverse this all-too-common condition and help you return to enjoying life.
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Is Adrenal Fatigue Real
- By , Contributor
Low energy and tiredness are among the most common reasons patients seek help from a doctor. Despite being so common, it is often challenging to come up with a diagnosis, as many medical problems can cause fatigue. Doctors engage in detective work, obtaining a medical history, doing a physical exam, and doing blood tests. The results often yield no explanations. It can be frustrating for clinicians and patients when a clear-cut diagnosis remains elusive. An attractive theory, called adrenal fatigue, links stress exposure to adrenal exhaustion as a possible cause of this lack of energy.
Why Does Adrenal Fatigue Happen
Adrenal fatigue might be attributed to prolonged physical, emotional, and mental stress. In turn, this can give rise to a variety of health issues like poor sleep quality, inflammation, or even blood sugar spikes. Adrenal fatigue is believed to be caused when the adrenal glands become incapable of meeting the demands of a constant fight or flight response attributable to chronic stress. When you are subjected to stressful situations, your adrenals react by releasing cortisol to help your body prepare for a dangerous predicament. However, if such a situation is for one reason or the other prolonged, your adrenals will in the long run become worn down. This makes them unable to respond to stressful circumstances.
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You Dont Need To Live Sub
We create long-term solutions and work with you to find a treatment plan that works for your lifestyle. We have a highly qualified team ready to help you with a vast knowledge of these issues. Our hormone specialists and nutritionists all work together to create the perfect plan to get you back to full health and ensure you get the most value out of your experience and time with us.
The level of personalised service we offer is second to none. Each and every one of our patients receives a bespoke treatment plan which doesnt just factor in the treatment of symptoms we work to get to the bottom of the issue and take a holistic approach, considering your lifestyle, nutrition, stresses, the gut, age, existing medical issues, preferences, and budget.
More Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms
Here are more adrenal fatigue symptoms, each indicating a varying level of adrenaline exhaustion:
- Body aches
- Blood sugar or digestive problems
- Reduced memory or ability to concentrate
- Dizziness when standing up too quickly
- Thyroid problems or low thyroid hormone production
- Food cravings- especially salt and sugar
- Impaired immune function- getting sick more often
- High stress levels or always feeling like there is too much to do
Unfortunately, most of us living in the modern world are exposed to several factors which can make adrenal fatigue worse. One of these factors include being exposed to artificial light at night, since it impairs the natural melatonin and serotonin release associated with our circadian rhythms. Poor sleep patterns and poor nutrition also contribute to adrenal fatigue, as well as exposure to environmental pollutants.
It is estimated that 80% of Americans have some level of adrenal fatigue, and there isnt a quick fix to make it all better. But adrenal fatigue treatment is attainable, as there are very easy, and effective ways to restore adrenal function. You should just expect it to take at least 6 months to a full year for a full recovery from adrenal fatigue.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Adrenal Fatigue
The term adrenal fatigue is used to describe a collection of symptoms, such as:
- digestive issues
- craving salt and sugar
Your adrenal glands sit on top of each kidney. Their role is to produce hormones, including adrenaline and noradrenaline, both of which are used to prepare your body for fight or flight.
Some people believe that when the adrenal glands are overworked they dont produce enough of these hormones. The theory first came from a chiropractor in 1998. However, there is no scientific evidence that this condition exists.
How Does Chinese Medicine Treatment For Adrenal Fatigue Work
Traditional Chinese medicine works by bringing your bodys vital systems back into balance, encouraging self-healing mechanisms. Since it is based on a holistic healthcare approach, focusing on the entire organism and underlying conditions that trigger particular symptoms, TCM is exceptionally convenient for treating chronic diseases.All the approaches that originate from TCM, including acupuncture, herbal therapies, functional medicine, and more, are 100% safe and free of severe side effects. Still, before you decide to undergo any of the therapies, make sure you talk to a certified practitioner, who will recommend treatments and diet suitable for your condition and overall health.
MORE ESSENTIAL BENEFITS OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE:
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Acupuncture For Adrenal Fatigue
Acupuncture has been used for years to treat different health conditions that Western medicine considers incurable. It is an excellent way to regulate the qi and yin and yang , whose deficiency often leads to severe health issues. Regular acupuncture treatments promote a flawless qi flow and optimal kidney function. Since adrenal glands are found on top of the kidneys, TCM focuses on the kidney meridian as a starting point. Adrenal fatigue acupuncture involves using small, thin, and stainless-steel needles placed at specific locations throughout the body to improve adrenal functions, encourage healthy cortisol levels, and increase the production of serotonin and dopamine, lowering stress.
The most significant benefits of acupuncture for adrenal fatigue include:
- Substantial increase in energy
- Increased spiritual and emotional growth.
Distinction From Addisons Disease
Adrenal fatigue is closely related to, but not to be confused with, Addisons Disease, a disorder characterized by insufficient cortisol production due either to a pathology directly affecting the adrenals or a disruption of signaling between the brain and the adrenals. While symptoms of Addisons Disease are similar to adrenal fatigue, the primary difference is that adrenal fatigue is considered a possible result of the overuse of otherwise healthy adrenal glands due to stress.
The adrenals are necessary to have gluconeogenesis to take place in the liver, as well as the glycogen storage where it stimulates the production of blood glucose, says Dr. Wilson. So, most of the major symptoms of either adrenal fatigue or Addisons Disease are a result of either a lack of cortisol or a lack of blood glucose and the many effects that it has systematically throughout the body.
He theorizes, Unlike Addisons, adrenal fatigue doesnt have a pathological origin, with the exception of the overuse of antibiotics which may partially shut down the use of the adrenal glands. So, you do get different symptoms with versus adrenal fatigue, because youre talking about the difference between a body that cant secrete cortisol versus a body that isnt secreting sufficient cortisol.
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Causes Signs Symptoms Treatments And Controversy
With James L. Wilson, PhD
Excess stress causes the adrenal glands to increase cortisol production.
If you’re feeling tired and fried, chances are you’ve probably heard of adrenal fatigue and wondered if it may be the source of your constant exhaustion. But what exactly is it, and how do you know if it’s what’s causing your lack of oomph? Let’s investigate.
Adrenal fatigue is an increasingly common yet sometimes controversial diagnosis used to indicate depletion of the adrenal glands. Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenals for use in the regulation of blood pressure. In response to stress, the adrenals release greater amounts of cortisol. Adrenal fatigue is thought to occur when the adrenals have become overtaxed by excess cortisol release and can no longer produce levels of cortisol necessary for optimal body function.
James L. Wilson, PhD, who coined the term adrenal fatigue in his book Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Syndrome, describes the adrenals as two little glands that sit over your kidneys and are about the size of two large grapes and weigh about five-to-eight grams.
According to Wilson, The adrenals put out over fifty hormones. We often only hear about DHA and cortisol, but forty percent of womens estrogen or progesterone are made in the adrenal glands and about forty percent of testosterone in males is made in the adrenal glands.
What Are Adrenal Glands
Your adrenal glands are two small organs that sit on top of each kidney. The adrenal glands make different types of hormones you need to stay alive and healthy. Hormones are chemicals that travel in your bloodstream and control how different parts of your body work.
The adrenal glands make the hormones cortisol, aldosterone, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. They also make hormones that your body uses to make sex hormones . All of these hormones do many important jobs, including:
- Turning food into energy and managing blood sugar levels
- Balancing salt and water
- Responding to illness and stress
- Timing when and how fast a child develops sexually
- Supporting pregnancy
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Foods For Adrenal Fatigue You Should Avoid Eating
Now that you know the best foods to add to your diet, what foods should you avoid?
First, try to limit highly processed foods with lots of refined sugar or unhealthy fats.
Then, try to steer clear of these foods on a regular basis. Occasionally, theyll be fine, but in moderation! They dont help you like the other foods for adrenal fatigue on our list will, and can even worsen your symptoms.
Avoid these foods and drinks whenever possible:
- Caffeine
- White flour
- Soda
Make sure to pay attention to how frequently you eat! Start the day with a balanced, nutrient-rich breakfast.
Then, continue to eat regularly throughout the day to give your body the nutrients and energy it needs to produce cortisol, respond appropriately to stress, and prevent adrenal fatigue.
Are you ready to start healing your adrenal fatigue? Knowing which foods to enjoy and which to avoid is the first step to an adrenal fatigue-free lifestyle. Eating better is the first step to feeling better and balancing your body.
Adding the right foods for adrenal fatigue to your diet is a good way to prevent and heal your symptoms.
Q: Whats The Best Approach For Managing A Suspected Adrenal Problem
A: If youre just beginning your quest for answers or have already been diagnosed with adrenal fatigue, consult your family doctor for a referral to an endocrinologist. Because the symptoms of an adrenal issue may be nonspecific, its important to figure out if theres an underlying issue causing your symptoms in order to help manage your health properly.
To assess adrenal function, your healthcare provider will conduct a one-hour ACTH stimulation test, which is safe and reliable. They will likely also look for thyroid issues and diabetes.
After checking for a variety of endocrine disorders using testing and symptom assessment, we start working with a multidisciplinary team of doctors to figure out the root cause of the patients problem.
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Natural Cures For Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal fatigue affects people around the world, usually those who have suffered from a long period of illness and/or stress upon the body. Although fairly benign in nature, adrenal fatigue will affect your energy levels and mental focus. For many, they may not be fully aware that they have adrenal fatigue until they are tested.
However, there are natural cures for adrenal fatigue that offers solutions which can help restore the full function of your adrenal glands quickly, easily and inexpensively. However, such methods may appear counter-intuitive at first since they involve relaxing the body instead of trying to re-energize it which is the mistake too many people make.
What follows are a few of the simple, yet very effective natural cures for adrenal fatigue. By following the simple steps that each cure offers, you can dim the effects and perhaps even shorten the duration of this condition.
What Is Adrenal Fatigue Steps To Overcome It Naturally
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Did you know that chronic stress can affect your bodys ability to recuperate from physical, mental or emotional stress? This is likely why most people have dealt with adrenal fatigue at some point in their lives.
Many proponents of this condition estimate that almost every person can experience adrenal fatigue, also known as hypoadrenia, to some degree at a particularly stressful point in his or her life.
Because the adrenals influence many parts of the body, symptoms of adrenal fatigue can mimic a number of disorders and isnt always easily recognizable.
Adrenal fatigue symptoms, like brain fog, moodiness and trouble sleeping, can be indicative of many disorders and are often overlooked by doctors. But more and more people are starting to realize that a combination of these health issues often indicate the onset of adrenal fatigue.
If you have adrenal fatigue, it can have significant effects on your overall health. Luckily, you can improve this common issue naturally by focusing on your nutrient intake and lifestyle choices.
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Second Stage: Increased Alarm
As the alarm increases, a person starts to generate even more stress coping hormones, like cortisol. This results in the decreased level of other, seemingly less important in the circumstances, hormones. DHEA and sex level hormones are the first ones to drop.
The second stage is characterized by increased alarm and arousal. The body generates a lot of adrenaline, which makes a person feel alert throughout the day and exhausted by the evening. It is important to note that a lot of people going through the second stage of Adrenal Fatigue become caffeine-addicts. All in all, the common feeling during this stage can be described as anxious and exhausted.
