Chronic Stress, also known as Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome, is estimated to affect up to 80% of people in the world! An estimated 75-90% of all visits to doctors are for stress related ailments. According to Dr. James Wilson (author of “Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome”) chronic stress interferes with the body’s ability to recuperate from physical, mental or emotional stress.
We are all born with a certain amount of organ reserve. Organ reserve refers to our organ’s functional capacity to support life and recover following illness, injury, or stress. When we’re young, we have lots of organ reserve, and as we age, it naturally diminishes. Stressors are those things that tax our organs, like a chronic infection, undiagnosed food allergy, unresolved injury, environmental toxicity, or emotional or physical trauma. Constant or repeated exposure to any stressor will, over time, deplete your organ reserve and eventually leave your adrenal glands bankrupt.
Do you sometimes have:
- Muscle and joint aches
- Stubborn belly fat
- Cravings for salty and sweet foods
- Can’t survive without your morning cup of coffee (or 3)
- Enter a room only to forget what you when in there for
- Fatigue, especially in the afternoon
- Tired but unable to sleep soundly
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Hormonal Imbalance
These are some of the more common symptoms warning you that your adrenals may be getting tired. Unfortunately, these clues are often overlooked by doctors, who might recommend hormone replacement therapy or an antidepressant to take the edge off. Recognizing that a combination of these symptoms could indicate declining adrenal reserve is the first step to regaining your vitality and getting your mojo back.
Your Adrenal Glands
Your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys and are each about the size ofa walnut. Their main job is to release hormones that help protect us in times of stress.
Your brain determines whether or not a specific event is stressful, and if it is, the adrenal cascade starts. Specific hormones are released that trigger the “fight or flight” response, preparing the body to defend itself or to escape. Adrenaline triggers blood pressure and heart rate to increase, forcing blood to flow to your muscles and brain. Cortisol spikes, resulting in a rapid rise in blood sugars, giving your body the burst of energy it needs to deal with the perceived threat. All other non-critical systems including digestion, sleep, reproduction, tissue repair, immunity, and detoxification are put on stand-by. This is a perfect response to an acute, life threatening situation, but it’s not sustainable for long-term health.
Prolonged and repeated exposere to stressors will eventually deplete adrenal reserve, leading to adrenal burnout. Some common triggers include:
- Death of loved one
- Divorce, break-ups, and bad relationships
- Surgery, illness, or infection
- Exposure to environmental toxins
- Financial hardship
- Poor work environment
- Negative thinking and emotional trauma
- Lack of sleep or interrupted sleep
- Poor diet
- Too much or not enough exercise
Each of these conditions can initiate the stress response- and stress is cumulative. This means that several mild stressors can add up to a major stress. For example, falling behind on sleep, turning to caffeine and sugar to get through the day, gaining a few extra pounds and then starting a strenuous exercise routine to get back in shape could all add-up and become a big problem.
Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue
When the adrenal gla
nds can no longer keep up with the demand placed upon them, all systems of the body can be negatively affected. According to Dr. Jeff Bland, one of the foremost leaders in the field of functional medicine,
“With prolonged stress from multiple sources, the stress response can become as damaging as the stressors themselves. The individual becomes insulin-resistant. His or her recovery after injury or illness decreases. Libido and reproductive function are adversely affected. Muscles start to lose tone, and the body becomes fatter as the individual develops an “apple” body shape. Blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure increase. Fatigue sets in and sleep is restless. The person’s mood slips toward depression due to altered neurotransmitters. Inflammatory conditions increase. Immune defense against common infections like the cold and flu decrease, and energy and enthusiasm for life are lost.”
Adrenal fatigue symptoms include:
- Fatigue not relieved by rest
- Trouble waking up
- Decreased libido
- Depression/Anxiety
- Muscle weakness, aches, and pains
- Bone loss
- Inflammation
- Increased allergies
- Difficulty sleeping
- Elevated cholesterol or triglyceride
- Cravings for sugar
- Chronic infections (especially upper respiratory)
- Weight gain
If you experience any of these symptoms on a regular basis, relax help is on the way.
Healing Adrenal Fatigue
Restoring adrenal reserve and healing the adrenal glands involves two basic actions 1) reduce or eliminate stress and 2) improve your health so that you tolerate stress better.
1. Start with Diet
Diet is the easiest and fastest way to jumpstart adrenal repair. Avoiding specific foods, beverages, and dietary toxins can significantly reduce the total stress load. Also, there are a number of foods that help boost adrenal repair.
Foods to avoid are:
Caffeine: Caffeine is a stimulant that “whips” your adrenals, giving them a short term boost. Repeatedly stimulating your adrenals leads to depletion and burnout. Caffeine also leads to insomnia, magnesium deficiency, and B-vitamin deficiency.
Refined Sugars: Sugars also deplete magnesium and B-vitamins, which are necessary for adrenal hormone production. They also suppress the immune system and promote growth of unwanted yeast and bacteria. These are major stressors!
Food Allergies and Sensitivities: Regularly eating foods you are allergic or sensitive to elevates cortisol levels, irritates the lining of the digestive tract, and can even lead to autoimmune conditions. The most common food allergies are gluten, dairy, corn, soy, and peanuts. Try eliminating these foods for 30 days and see how you feel.
Foods to include are:
Nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest, have healing qualities, and are into-inflammatory. Some of the best foods for supporting adrenal health include:
- Healthy fats (coconut oil, avocados, olives, grass-fed butter, fish oil or cod liver oil)
- Cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc.)
- Fatty fish, e.g. wild-caught salmon
- Organ meats
- Bone broth
- Kelp and seaweed
- Celtic or Himalayan sea salt
These foods recharge adrenal depletion because they are nutrient dense, low in sugar and have healthy fat and fiber.
2. Supplements to Heal Adrenal Fatigue
Sometimes changing the diet alone is not enough to overcome adrenal depletion. In this case, I often recommend using specific supplements proven to support adrenal function. These supplements are safe, effective, and can be life changing for many people suffering from long-term stress. These are my some of my favorite:
- B Vitamins
- Phosphatidylserine
- Adaptogens (herbs like Ginseng, Rhodiola, Licorice root, Cordyceps, and Ashwagandha)
- Fish oil (EPA/DHA)
- Magnesium
- Vitamin C
- Zinc
Note: Due not take Licorice root if you have high blood pressure.
3. Adrenal Fatigue Stress Reduction
The last and most important key to restoring your adrenal function is to treat yourmind and stress needs. Pay attention to your body!
- Regular chiropractic care and massage
- Sleep 8-10 hours a night. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
- Laugh every day, it’s the best medicine.
- Stress reduction (prayer, meditation, yoga, abdominal breathing, progressive relaxation)
- Moderate Exercise (not too strenuous)
- Avoid negative people and self talk
- Work with a therapist
Adrenal Recovery Time
Recovery for adrenal fatigue can take a little while. After all, it took months, maybe years, to wear out your adrenals; it will take a little time to build up their strength again. For full adrenal recovery you can expect it to take:
- Up to 24 months for severe adrenal fatigue
- 12-18 months for moderate fatigue
- 6-9 months for minor adrenal fatigue
Have you ever experienced adrenal fatigue? What are some of the things you did to recover? Leave a comment below!
