Adrenal Fatigue 101

Did you know that daily living causes stress on your adrenal glands? The adrenal glands (AKA: suprarenal glands), are those triangle-shaped endocrine glands that sit right on top of the kidneys. They are mainly responsible for regulating the stress response through the synthesis of corticosteroids like cortisol, and catecholamines like adrenaline.

When the adrenals are tired, the body may experience a number of different symptoms. Some of those symptoms include:

*Tired, but wired feeling *Poor sleep *Dark circles under eyes *Sensitivity to light or difficulty seeing at night

*Dizziness *Premature aging *Cravings for salt, sweets, and carbs *Tendency to startle easily

*Heart palpitations *Excessive sweating or perspiration from little activity

*Cystic breasts

*Excessive mood responses after eating carbs like pasta, bread, & sugar

*Low endurance for stress & easily irritated *Low blood sugar *Intolerance to alcohol

*Negative response to thyroid hormone

*Chronic infections (bacterial, viral, fungal, yeast) *Lower back pain and/or knee weakness or pain, especially on the sides *Dry, unhealthy skin with excess pigmentation

*Muscle twitches *Light-headedness upon standing up If you suspect you might have tired adrenals, please address it right away! Adrenal glands are extremely important to a healthy body, mind, and immune system. They are also necessary for proper thyroid function.

Some natural ways to support your adrenals include:

💥Get some sleep! Have a regular sleep schedule and get at least 8-9 hours of sleep each and every night. Make this a priority, and stick with it! Reducing screen time (TV, phone, laptop, etc.) 1-2 hours before lying down for bed; can greatly benefit sleep quality. Think: Sleep = Healing.

💥Eliminate sugar and processed carbs. Sugar and simple carbs (junk) put stress on the adrenals. Adrenal glands help to regulate blood sugar levels. 💥Eat clean and whole foods. Incorporate more foods that God made- not that man made. As I like to say, "Eat more foods grown on plants, rather than foods made in 'plants'". Organic (look for sticker codes on foods that are 5 digits long and start with the number 9. Example: 9XXXX- this means it's organic) and non-GMO, are good options when considering real foods.

💥Curb the coffee and caffeine habit!!!! They are not liquid "energy"; they are just forcing your body to create adrenalin. This makes it seem like you have energy. Please drink plenty of fresh, filtered water every day. (For water intake; a good rule to follow is: your body weight, divided by 1/2. The quotient is how many ounces in water you should be getting each day. Example: 140 lb. person 1/2= 70. So, 70 ounces of water is how much a 140 lb. person should be getting each day. That's a little over 2 liters!

Again, adrenal glands are extremely important to a healthy body, mind, and immune system. Healthy adrenals are also necesary for proper thyroid function. Take care of yourself, and please share this with anyone who may benefit from this information.

God bless and much love.

Sources: 1.) Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN)- My Alma mater.

2.) www.adrenalfatigue.org

#adrenalfatigue #stress