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Overcome
Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome - Adrenal Fatigue and How to Beat It
Your
adrenal glands are two tiny pyramid-shaped pieces of tissue situated right
above each kidney. Their job is to produce and release, when appropriate,
certain regulatory hormones and chemical messengers.
Adrenaline
is manufactured in the interior of the adrenal gland, called the adrenal
medulla. Cortisol, the other chemical from the adrenal gland, is made in the
exterior portion of the gland, called the adrenal cortex. The cortex also
secretes androgens, estrogens, and progestins. Cortisol, commonly called
hydrocortisone, is the most abundant -- and one of the most important -- of
many adrenal cortex hormones. Cortisol helps you handle longer-term stress
situations.
In
addition to helping you handle stress, these two primary
adrenal hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, along with others similarly
produced, help control body fluid balance, blood pressure, blood sugar, and other central metabolic
functions.
In
the heightened nervous state of adrenal burnout, the body overproduces
adrenaline, cortisol and other stress hormones. Constant stress and poor nutrition can weaken the
adrenal glands. Eventually, this causes the adrenal glands, the front line in
the stress reaction, to show wear and tear and become
depleted. This frequently leads to impairment in the thyroid gland, which can cause a further decline
in energy level and mood and is one of the reasons why many people have thyroid glands that don’t work well.
When
stress continues over prolonged periods of time,
the adrenal glands can deplete the body's hormonal and energy reserves, and the
glands may either shrink in size or hypertrophy (enlarge). The overproduction
of adrenal hormones caused by prolonged stress can weaken the immune system and
inhibit the production of white blood cells that protect the body against
foreign invaders (in particular lymphocytes and lymph node function).
Adrenal
dysfunction can disrupt the body's blood sugar metabolism, causing weakness, fatigue, and a feeling of being run down. It can
also interfere with normal sleep rhythms and produce a wakeful, unrelaxing
sleep state, making a person feel worn out even after a full night's sleep.
Common
Causes of Adrenal Stress
• Anger
• Fear / Worry /Anxiety
• Guilt
• Overwork/ physical or mental strain
• Excessive exercise
• Light-cycle disruption
• Going to sleep late
• Surgery
• Trauma/injury
• Chronic infection
• Temperature extremes
• Malabsorption
• Maldigestion
• Chronic illness
• Chronic-severe allergies
• Hypoglycaemia
• Nutritional deficiencies
Testing
for Adrenal Health
In
order to determine the health of your adrenal glands you need to have a simple
blood, urine, or saliva test such as the Adrenal Stress Index performed by your
practitioner. Cortisol levels can be checked throughout the day by saliva or in
the am by blood. DHEA, and Epinephrine, are some other indicators of adrenal
function. The information provided by testing can help to determine the most
appropriate type of treatment.
Associated
Symptoms and Consequences of Impaired Adrenal Functioning
• Low body temperature
• Weakness
• Unexplained hair loss
• Nervousness/Panic Attacks
• Difficulty building muscle
• Irritability
• Difficulty gaining weight
• Apprehension
• Hypoglycemia
• Inability to concentrate
• Excessive hunger
• Moments of confusion
• Feelings of frustration
• Osteoporosis
• Lightheadedness
• Palpitations [heart fluttering]
• Food and/or inhalant allergies
• Scanty perspiration
• Alcohol intolerance
Overcome
Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome – Treatment
Lifestyle
changes such as:
Eating
steadily, all day long. Skipping meals is one of the worst things you can do
for your body. When you're hungry, your blood sugar drops, stressing your adrenal glands
and triggering your sympathetic nervous system. That causes light-headedness,
cravings, anxiety and fatigue. Another drawback to skipping meals: The
resulting low blood sugar can affect your ability to think clearly and shorten
your attention span.
Skipping
breakfast is particularly bad, as it is a sure-fire way to gain, not lose,
weight. If you start each morning with a good breakfast and "graze"
healthfully every two to four hours, your blood sugar will remain steady throughout the day.
You'll feel more rested and energetic. Eat protein with every meal. Eat Complex
carbohydrates such as brown rice. Avoid sugar, junk food, white pasta, white rice, white bread.
Absolutely
NO Caffeine. Coffee/Sodas over stimulates your adrenals and they deplete
important B vitamins.
Coffee
does not give you energy; coffee gives you the illusion of energy. Coffee
actually drains the body of energy and makes you more tired, because of vitamin
and adrenal depletion.
Exercise
to relax. Walking, Yoga, deep breathing, meditation, or stretching.
No vigorous or aerobic exercise, which depletes the adrenals.
Avoid
alcohol, processed foods, and tobacco.
Nicotine in tobacco initially raises cortisol levels, but chronic use
results in low DHEA, testosterone, and progesterone levels.
Reduce
stress; learn relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization,
progressive muscle relaxation.
Overcome
Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome - Helpful Supplements
The use
of small amounts of natural adrenal hormone (hydrocortisone) to bring slightly
low adrenal function up to its proper normal daily range is often helpful.
Take a
daily multivitamin to provide nutritional support to the adrenal gland.
Vitamin
C 1,000-3,000 mg a day
L-Theanine
100-400 mg a day
Pantothenic
Acid (Vitamin B5) 300 mg a day
Licorice
(Glycyrrhiza glabra), no more than 1000 mg of glycyrrhizin
Overcome
Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome - Caffeine Addiction and Chronic Fatigue Recovery
In
spite of being a constituent in products commonly used for energy, caffeine
over-stimulates the adrenal glands, which only causes the illusion of an
increase in energy due to increasing the hormone adrenaline. Over time,
excessive use of caffeinated substances will cause an adrenal addiction and the
glands will produce less adrenaline naturally until they no longer produce at
all, which will lead to permanent fatigue since the adrenals are not known
to regenerate.
Those
addicted to caffeine are on a dangerous downhill slope and need to take
decisive action because it will only get harder to recover later. Naturally
with everyone having to run around as a ‘human doing’ rather than as a ‘human
being’ just to make ends meet in society today, the last thing most people have
the energy for is to break a habit.
Breaking
habits definitely requires substantially more energy to overcome them than it
does to maintain the habit, but almost all of this is mental—a purely mental
battle where one generally surrenders to routines rather than muster the
strength or courage to break through to a new level.
Mental
fatigue is becoming more commonplace and it is a huge factor in the overall
energy of the body itself, so even thoughts about change that will require more
energy can be tiresome for an individual with chronic fatigue syndrome.
The
general response to the thought of quitting caffeine is that it is needed for
energy, however admittedly dysfunctional that may be, and it would be too
difficult to survive the day without it. So, it is actually the crystallized
fear of fatigue that encodes the belief that one cannot overcome it or do
without it. However, there is a way to overcome fatigue, particularly chronic
fatigue while recovering from long-term caffeine addiction.
Effective
caffeine elimination should be done gradually if it is to be a smooth
transition without putting the body into shock. A common side effect of strict
elimination after extended periods of use is headaches from caffeine
withdrawal, which is also a clear sign of the addiction in the body. Generally,
a gradual period over a month or two is a reasonable goal to set for complete
transition away from caffeinated substances.
The
most common culprits for caffeine intake are coffee, tea (excluding herbal
teas), sodas, and chocolate, which are not usually issues if enjoyed in
moderation. However, when significant amounts are consumed daily, the body is
thrown from its natural state of balance within the physiology of its physical
and energetic systems.
Contributing
factors exacerbated by caffeine addiction as a compounding factor are surface
breathing, hormone imbalances, and a lowered immune system. Concentration on
these three main areas while weaning off of caffeine can make the transition
much smoother for most people. Treatment of a condition is often formulaic,
targeting the combination of root stresses responsible for its existence.
Surface
breathing is how most people breathe, which is too shallow, and changing
breathing patterns requires a conscious effort. It is well worth the discipline
to breathe deeply and efficiently because deeper breath oxygenates the blood
more completely and facilitates the removal of toxins from the blood stream.
Increased oxygenation is a major factor that improves all of the bodily
systems, organs, and vital forces necessary for fully functioning holistic
health.
Hormone imbalances in the thyroid, pineal and pituitary glands can be
contributing factors in fatigue-related issues. The hormones in these glands
are easily imbalanced by increased adrenaline in the system, thus their
functions are interrupted by continual caffeine consumption. If allowed to
continue for long periods of time these imbalances can be completely disruptive
to many systems of the body and its energies.
The
immune system can be strengthened by the above
mentioned breathing exercises to help with the elimination of toxins, however, when the immune
system has been suppressed for long periods of time it is necessary to take
purifying and immune-enhancing substances to bring the body back into
harmonious balance. Getting proper rest, enough vitamins and minerals, and drinking enough
water are the cornerstones of restoring the body to health, in addition to
taking herbal extracts that have tonic actions on specific systems.
While
herbal extracts are a part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle within
alternative medicine, they should never be used to the exclusion of qualified
care from a licensed physician. Both modalities are important for balance and
seeking out a physician that is open to alternative therapies is worth the
effort it takes to find one.
This
article is from the Get Your Health Back – Fibromyalgia& Chronic Fatigue Freedom.
It consists of a strategy filled with guides on sleep, pain, depression,
anxiety, diet, exercise and fitness plans, diet plans and packed with 369
healthy and delicious recipes
To
find out more about this program, visit the website - Get Your Health Back – Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Freedom