Fatigue is one of the most common ailments in the United States, and things that everybody does as part of their daily routine might be doing your body more harm than you think. Adrenal fatigue is a real thing, and here is what it can do to your body.
What is Adrenal Fatigue?
The term “adrenal fatigue” has been used to explain a group of symptoms that are said to occur in people who are under long-term stress; whether it be mental, physical, or emotional. Supporters of adrenal fatigue say that you may be more likely to develop the condition if you have a stressful job, home life, working student, or single parent; but stress is only one of the things that cause this condition things that you do in your daily life such as drink too much coffee, lack of sleep, Excessive workouts, and YO-YO dieting. Other factors such as illness and major surgeries play hand to hand with the condition as well. It is a term that is used by some to say that fatigue and other symptoms are caused by a poorly working adrenal gland.
What are the symptoms?
- Excessive tiredness
- Lack of Motivation
- Puffy under eyes
- Bad PMS
- Decreased Cognition
- Feeling of being overwhelmed
- Difficulty bouncing back from stress or illness
- Craving for salty or sweet snacks
- You feel stiff and sore
- You Can’t sleep
- Hormonal imbalance
What Causes Adrenal Fatigue?
The body has two adrenal glands, which are located above the kidneys. The adrenal glands secrete more than 50 hormones that are essential for life. Hormones including cortisol which help your body convert food into energy, normalize blood sugar, respond to stress and maintain your immune system’s inflammatory response. Aldosterone, which helps keep your blood pressure and blood volume normal by maintaining a proper balance of sodium, potassium and water in your body. Adrenaline, a hormone that increases your heart rate and controls blood flow to your muscles and brain, along with helping the conversion of glycogen to glucose to your liver.
These hormones and others produced by your adrenal glands control such body functions as:
- Maintaining metabolic process, things like managing blood sugar levels and regulating inflammation
- Regulating your body’s balance of salt and water
- Controlling the “fight or flight” response to stress
- Maintaining pregnancy
- Producing sex steroids such as estrogen and testosterone
Ironically speaking, although the adrenal glands are there to help cope with things like stress, too much of it is actually what causes their function to break down. As part of this, your heart rate and blood pressure increase, digestion slows, and your body becomes ready to face a potential threat or challenge.
How Can I cure it?
There are many natural cures to adrenal fatigue that are easy and effective!
- Meridian Tapping Or more commonly know as Emotional Freedom Techniques or EFT- EFT is a universal healing tool that can provide impressive results for physical, emotional, and performance issues. Learn more about it here.
- Cut out excessive caffeine!
- Listen to your body and rest when you feel tired, and sleep in!
- Exercise regularly but not excessively; exercise is a great stress reliever
- Eat a healthy nutrient-dense diet; eat a small snack every three or four hours, eat within the first hour of awakening, and eat before becoming hungry.
- Flood the adrenals with B vitamins, B vitamins are food for the adrenals and can be low in a high-fat, low-carb diet. B12 is great for energy production.
- Focus of hydration, dehydration is a hallmark of adrenal fatigue. Drink plenty of fluids and try adding things like fresh lemon or Himalayan sea salt to your water.
- Herbs, herbs like licorice root, ashwagandha, and Rehmannia help balance and stimulate the adrenals.
It is important to remember that it takes time for your adrenal glands to burnout, so it is going to take time for them to recover. It can take anywhere from Six months to two years to fully recover.
Take care of your body, be patient, and good things will come from it!