Adrenal fatigue is a widespread and growing epidemic in today’s world. Surprisingly few people realise they have it. It’s one of the leading contributors to fatigue.
Your adrenal glands sit on top of each kidney. Their role is to produce hormones, including adrenaline and noradrenaline – both of which are used to prepare your body for fight or flight. – healthdirect
Adrenal fatigue may sound like ….….. I wake up tired, need a coffee to get me started then limp through the day with more caffeine and sugar (bread, lollies, biscuits, cake) to keep me going, then I hit the wall in the afternoon and come awake just before bedtime, often sleep badly then I do it all over again the next day.
This story can vary according to, which of the three stages of adrenal fatigue you’ve made it to.
Your adrenals are small bean like organs located on top of the kidneys. They secrete cortisol and DHEA in response to messages from your brain. They prepare your body for flight or fight, making your body, heart, lungs, vision, and hearing sharpened. Help your blood to clot quicker if you bleed. Changing your sugar and salt levels. Perfect for a crisis.
However, if you’re often in crisis mode, they’ll create accumulating damage. You’re not designed to be on high alert from our thoughts all day every day. Worries about relationships, your finances, losing your job or hours being cut, cranky bosses, children, aging parents and more. It halts your essential bodily repair and maintenance that’s needed to stay fit and healthy. You age more quickly. You notice irritability, fatigue, declining mood and increasing pain.
Our brains also need to experience safety and relaxation, so you shift into repair and maintenance mode. You restore hormone balance, heal adrenal fatigue and wellness returns.
Common signs of adrenal fatigue are –
- Prolonged and often unexplained fatigue
- Difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty getting up in morning
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Increased effort to perform everyday tasks
- Anxiety
- Cravings for sugar and/or salt
- Feeling most awake in the evenings
- Weight gain
- Reduced ability to handle stress
Chronically high-stress hormones cause a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, early memory loss.
Oddly enough, you actually have a lot more control of this than you may realise. Changing the way you perceive stressors and resetting out of your chronic pattern of flight or fight.
Stress reducing practices include –
- Meditation
- Time in nature
- Gardening
- Moderate exercise
- Yoga
- Journaling
- Tai chi
Greatest effects when combined and done often and consistently.
Want to find out what your adrenals are doing? Are they a major contributor to your hormone imbalance – PMS, menopausal symptoms? Is it the reason you’re aging quickly? Source of your pain, chronic inflammation? Main reason for your fatigue or poor sleep?
Find out easily through salivary adrenal testing. This measures free or active cortisol and DHEA, as opposed to blood tests which measure bound and unbound so less sensitive.
Available in an easy take home test processed through a pathology lab, with comprehensive graphical results to let you know what your adrenals are up to.
CLICK HERE to book an Adrenal Discovery Session to get started today.
