Constantly flustered, foggy, and just plain worn out?
by Donna Woodhouse
Maybe you are one of the many people who have the 21st Century Stress Syndrome, Adrenal Fatigue. As the ‘syndrome’ part of the name indicates, this condition is categorised as a set of symptoms that occur together.
In this case you may be experiencing a variety of the following:
✦ a ridiculous craving for salty and sweet treats
✦ feeling chronically tired or fatigued for no good reason - particularly in the morning and mid afternoon
✦ increased allergy symptoms
✦ chronic dark circles under eyes
✦ feeling constantly overwhelmed and unable to handle stress
✦ foggy-headedness
✦ low thyroid function
✦ disrupted sleep
✦ feeling rundown and overwhelmed
✦ low immunity
✦ mood swings
✦ memory loss
✦ dry skin
✦ insomnia
✦ having difficulty getting over an illness
✦ increased anxiety and depression
Were alarm bells ringing as you scanned the list above? If yes, it is likely that your poor little adrenals are over extended.
So, what are your adrenals and why are they so overworked?
The adrenals belong to the endocrine family, are walnut sized, and sit on top of the kidneys. These little glands manufacture and secrete over 50 steroid hormones (e.g.. cortisol, epinephrine, oestrogen, testosterone etc.) which are essential for health and vitality. Their main purpose is to deal with stress of any type by regulating every tissue, organ, and gland in your body during times of stress to maintain homeostasis.
Back in ancestral caveman days, the adrenals were key in dealing with life and death situations (think being attacked by a wild animal). In this type of heart pounding predicament, epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) is released to prepare your body (e.g.. increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, dilating air passages, increased blood flow to major muscle groups) so you can respond quickly whether it be to attack the attacker or get the hell out of there.
Epinephrine is used in situations of acute stress with your body returning to normal once the stress has dissipated.
Now, if you fast forward a few thousand years...
It is rare to find yourself being chased by tigers, lions or bears. Instead your stress occurs in a variety of other forms, such as: sitting in traffic, meeting work deadlines, environmental pollution, dealing with children’s tantrums (dealing with adult tantrums!), attending family gatherings, lack of sleep, dieting, financial concerns, overindulgence, relationship issues, pain management etc. The list is almost endless because it is no longer limited to ‘I’m about to be killed’ survival. Your brain has been masterly trained to be a contingency specialist and spot all potential threats in your day-to-day life.
In this chronically stressed state, you release cortisol which is a hormone that regulates the way your body uses energy and how you recoup that energy after stress. Cortisol levels are intended to fluctuate in a rhythmic pattern throughout the day following your body’s 24 hour circadian rhythm (e.g.. highest in the morning when you wake up and then fall throughout the day). Persistent stress can disrupt the rhythm and result in:
✦ decreased thyroid function
✦ blood sugar imbalances
✦ sleep disruption
✦ reduced muscle mass
✦ slow wound healing and cellular repair
✦ lowered immune function
✦ decreased bone density
✦ increased abdominal fat
✦ elevated blood pressure
At what point does it become Adrenal Fatigue?
If your stress levels are not addressed, there will come a point when your adrenals are so exhausted by the constant stress triggers, they will not be able to respond appropriately. The much needed energy boost will no longer be there when you need it.
However, diagnosing Adrenal Fatigue is not cut and dry.
Technically, adrenal deficiency is diagnosed if a blood test confirms that adrenal function is at the lowest end of the spectrum. This condition is called Addison’s Hypoadrenia and is rare, affecting between one to six people in every 100,000. As far as the blood test is concerned, you either have Addison’s disease or perfectly functioning adrenals. However, this is not necessarily the case.
If your adrenals are unable to keep up with your stress levels then you will certainly have fatigued adrenals!
How can you support your adrenals?
If you suspect that you have Adrenal Fatigue, then the sooner you start to reduce your stress and provide additional support for them the better.
In addition to seeking guidance from your regular healthcare physician, the good news is that there are a variety of changes you can make today that will set you off in the right direction.
Common recommendations for this condition include:
Lifestyle Enhancements
✦ Stop energy vampires! Start putting yourself first and get used to saying NO to situations and people that drain your energy. Also, assess your expectations (of yourself and others). Are they realistic and achievable? If not, work on adjusting them.
✦ Plan breaks when completing stressful activities.
✦ Incorporate exercise into your day. Aim for just enough so you are only feeling tired for about 20-30mins after you have finish. If you are a write-off for hours after then you’ve done too much. Try varying your routine, intensity and timeframe until you work out what is right for you.
✦ SLEEP! Sleep is crucial. Get plenty of it. Ideally, be in bed and asleep by 10:30pm. Your body does it’s best repair work at night whilst you are asleep so give yourself the best chance you can.
✦ Trouble falling asleep? Try turning off TVs and/or computers an hour or two before bed. You may be photosensitive and focusing on a screen will inhibit the release of melatonin which induces sleep.
✦ Sleep-in until 9am whenever possible. Some people believe your adrenals do their best repair work between 7-9am.
✦ It has been said that laughter is the best medicine and, in this case, should not be underestimated. Laughing helps to increase our Serotonin levels. Serotonin is a feel good hormone that helps your body relax.
✦ Actively seek out relaxing activities such as restorative yoga and meditation and make them a regular part of your schedule.
Dietary Enhancements
✦ Always eat a well balanced breakfast and do so before 10am.
✦ Reduce the amount of processed foods. Say NO to pre-packaged, ready to go foods as they are likely to be packed full of ingredients that will stress your body out.
✦ Load your diet with a variety of fresh vegetables and good quality protein.
✦ Eliminate refined sugar and simple carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, cakes etc.). Foods made with these products require greater levels of insulin in order for your body to process them, this puts more strain on your adrenals as they try to stabilises your blood sugar levels.
✦ Eliminate caffeine and alcohol.
✦ Introduce a little Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt to your food, especially if you have salt cravings. The adrenals need salt and these ones are super beneficial because they contain valuable nutrients. (note: this is not advisable if you are one of the few people who have Adrenal Fatigue and high blood pressure).
✦ Eat the right kind of fat. Yes, fat! Your body uses fat and cholesterol to make hormones so ensure you are getting enough. Latest research advises us to steer clear of the polyunsaturated fats (such as vegetable oil and margarine) and instead consider alternatives, such as: olive oil, coconut oil, butter, grape seed oil etc. Nuts and avocados are also a great source of good fat.
✦ Avoid foods that are high in potassium. Potassium is used in conjunction with sodium to help maintain your body’s hydration. People recovering from Adrenal Fatigue are likely to be low in sodium, therefore, have high levels of potassium in comparison.
✦ Limit fruit that has a high glycaemic index (eg. bananas, raisins, apricots, mangoes etc.)
✦ There are a variety of recommended vitamins, supplements and herbs that you may like to investigate for your particular situation, including Vitamin C, B-Complex which is high in B6, Magnesium, Liquorice Root extract, and Ginger. Additional Support Implementing change can be difficult (even when you know you’ll feel better because of it!). If it all seems too difficult a little extra support could be just the ticket.
It goes without saying, as a Reflexologist, I’m a big fan of reflexology, and I believe it can be a great support for people recovering from Adrenal Fatigue. Firstly, it is incredibly relaxing so you’ll be getting benefits from the very start of a session but, as a secondary advantage, a course of reflexology sessions will assist in balancing your endocrine system and hormone levels.
Donna is one of our talented Reflexologists. To read more about Donna
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