Adrenal fatigue and why it’s important
Do you lack focus? Is your head foggy? Are you tired all the time yet don’t sleep well at night? Stressed? Feeling sickly, depressed or just irritated? Do you get dizzy for no apparent reason? Is there an unexplained weakness in some muscles? You could have adrenal fatigue.
Did you know that the adrenals are a very important part of our body and when they are overworked they don’t function properly, can’t take the extra stress which will lead to you feeling some or many of the symptoms above called adrenal fatigue. Much of our population will suffer adrenal fatigue at some stage of their lives due to an imbalance in the way we live.
Adrenal glands are like shock absorbers that assist you to handle stress but if you are stressed all the time they become overworked and this is called adrenal fatigue. Part of their function is to produce cortisol and when they don’t do this properly you will lack energy during the day and not sleep properly at night.
When we become fatigued naturally we will exert ourselves physically and after a while we start to slow down. This natural slow down allows for us to recover. It takes up to 48 hours for the body to regain its zest and start to feel normal energy levels even if our muscles are a bit sore afterwards.
Exhaustion from stress however is more of a shock to the body and occurs due to thoughts and emotions. Each of us has a threshold of how much stress we can handle and different issues matter in different proportions. Some people just naturally tend to look at the worst side of life, worry and find it hard to take life’s disappointments as they come. This person always looks at the glass being half empty rather than half full and focuses on the negative in life. This must have emotional and physical consequences in the long run which impacts on their adrenals. However it does not just stop at the adrenals being affected and adrenal fatigue.
When the stress continues the adrenals start to become exhausted but then a resistance builds up due to the excess stimulation meaning they adapt to what is going on and increase their size and function. This is to help the person handle the stress. At this time there is extra cortisol produced which makes the body retain sodium and in turn keeps your blood pressure high and your heart contracting. However this process eventually leads to adrenal collapse. How long before they collapse varies from person to person and the amount of stress. It could be a couple of months or it could be years.
When adrenals collapse your insulin levels will go higher upsetting your blood sugar balance, the thymus will be affected and your thyroid and iodine levels could be imbalanced. In fact your complete body function and the way it works becomes affected. In some areas it can even lead to a total shutdown. The good news is that adrenals can be repaired to some extent through living a more balanced lifestyle.
The first thing that needs to change is how you handle stress and to learn some tools to cope with stress. This can be meditation; half an hour exercise a day to burn off stress, release more endorphins and lift your spirits and a full night’s sleep of eight hours. The best way to bring about changes like this is slowly, starting with going to sleep half an hour earlier a night until you reach the eight hours. Begin meditating on weekends and let it spill into the weekdays and take time out to go for a walk also on weekends and let that also spill into your weekly routine with maybe yoga classes or pilates.
Next is the task of improving your diet and making sure you eat one serve of protein daily, three different coloured vegetables and two pieces of fruit. This is a very general diet not taking into account specific health needs but it has a balance and provided you don’t already have specific illnesses and foods you are allergic or sensitive to then it will assist the re-balancing of the adrenals. Eliminate caffeine, sugar and salt as much as possible and watch your alcohol intake. Any foods that are a stimulant will also cause your adrenals to over work.
In terms of supplements, a multivitamin will help make sure that you get all the minerals and vitamins you need for those days you don’t eat the way you should or are stressed and rushed and use up more vitamins than you could possibly put into your mouth. Magnesium and melatonin are also good supplements to relax your body and assist with sleep. Many of us already also have magnesium deficiencies and are not aware of it.
It is also important to make sure you take some time out every day to relax with family or friends. Even if you are rushed, you need a balance of time to yourself and time with those you care about. This makes a firm foundation for lowering your stress levels. If you look after your adrenals in this way not only will they begin to repair, you will also enjoy a better, more harmonious, healthier lifestyle.
