Adrenal Fatigue: What It Is, How It Feels and How to To Recover

Do you experience any of these common problems?

• Struggling to sleep (fall asleep or stay asleep) and to wake up in the morning, while feeling tired even if you have slept?
• Low energy in the late afternoon (around 3-5pm)?
• Feel more awake and get a boost of energy at night when it is time to relax?
• Craving salty, fatty foods?
• Feel overwhelmed by stress, or even small challenges?
• Tending to get ill often, or to take longer to recover?
• Feel lightheaded or dizzy when you stand up too quickly?
• Rely on caffeine just to function during the day?
• Often feel tired, but wired at the same time?
• Struggle with lack of motivation, feel no drive or energy?
• Holding onto weight around the middle?

These could be signs that your adrenals need support.

What Are the Adrenal Glands?

Your adrenals are two small glands that sit one on top of each kidney. The right adrenal gland is triangular shaped, and the left adrenal gland is shaped more like a half-moon. The adrenal glands produce and release certain hormones, the chemical messengers that control how your body reacts to stress.

Key adrenal hormones and what they do:

• Adrenaline: Triggers the fight-or-flight response. Causes your heart rate and blood pressure to increase, and airways to open for faster breathing to bring in more oxygen.


• Cortisol: Makes more energy available to you by releasing stored fat for energy and increasing sugar in the blood. Also increases the appetite for fatty, salty and high-sugar foods. Cortisol suppresses the immune system which isn't considered vital during a fight-or-flight response.


• Aldosterone: Regulates blood pressure, water and your mineral electrolyte balance, all these effects work through acting on your kidneys.

Maintaining healthy adrenals allows you to respond to stress and recover with resiliance. If you can easily call up the energy your lifestyle demands, your adrenals are serving you well.

What Causes Adrenal Fatigue?

CHRONIC STRESS

Your body isn't designed to deal with stress that goes on day after day. Here are a few things that can deplete your reserves and lead to adrenal fatigue over time:

• Too little sleep
• Physical exhaustion from work, exercise or exposure to weather (cold, heat, wind, etc)
• Persistent illness
• Emotional Stress (family or relationship problems, work issues, school pressure, money worries)
• Personal struggle because of lack of education and skills or understanding about how to achieve your goals or make good choices

Check out some adrenal-supporting herbal products and minerals that can help you chill out and sleep easier and have more energy when you need it.. Stress, Sleep and Energy Support

NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES

Your adrenal glands need key nutrients to work properly, especially:
Vitamin C, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and other trace minerals.

Under stress, the need for nutrients is even greater, and lack of them can cause a vicious cycle of depleted nutrition and stress. Unfortunately, too often diets are high in processed foods, sugar and unhealthy fats - yet low in real, nourishing food like fresh vegetables and fruits, clean proteins, natural fats and healthy unrefined carbs. Add in poor soil quality and fast-food habits, and it's no surprise so many people are nutrient-deficient.

Choose from Building Blocks for Health to find good basic supplements for adrenal health - and immune support.

If mental stress is over-activating your adrenal fight-or-flight response and sending your into a downward spiral, you could find that chill out factor by supplementing with Omega 3 fatty acids on a regular basis. Omega 3 Nutrition).

Surprisingly, food can cause toxicity stress even when not horrible quality. Stressful metabolic wastes can be generated idue to poor digestion. When food is not properly digested, it can sit in the gut fermenting, and cause you bloating, gas, cramps and worse. Loss of good gut microbiome can also be involved here. It is important to support good digestion and elimination. If you have any problems in this area, try some Digestive Support.

TOXIC ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE

You know there are unwanted chemicals in our foods, water and air. Toxic chemicals are also found in many products we use daily - shampoos, sprays, soaps and lotions, make-up, plastics in packaging and ingredients. Just look at the ingredient list on your products! Over time, your body has to work harder to eliminate these toxic substances, or to continue to function despite them. Your body can usually handle some toxins, but if your adrenals are weak, they may struggle to keep up with the physical stress.

We offer excellent options for Non-toxic personal care products for Skin, Hair and also Cleaning.

Electromagnetic pollution (cell phones, cell towers, wifi, wearable eletronics computers and air travel) exposes you to an invisible source of stress: electromagnetic radiation and fields that keep your body from going into the "rest-digest-and-recover" mode of the nervous system (the opposite of "fight-or-flight"), especially over time as there is a cumulative effect.
Using a variety of natural remedies to help you Sleep & Relax or regain your energy with some Energy Support is a good first lines of defense to help you keep functioning, despite electromagnetic stress.

Once you regain some energy from good nutrition you may benefit from cleansing from chemical and heavy metal toxicity and detoxifying your intestinal tract, liver, urinary system, blood and lymph from biological toxins as well, which can be done periodically. Learn about Cleansing and our Cleanse Kits.

INFECTIONS

Ongoing infections cause inflammation. This could be from disease in teeth, gums or gut, but could be located anywhere in the body. To deal with it, your body releases cortisol. But if inflammation lasts too long, your immune system becomes suppressed, leaving you vulnerable to more illness and even greater adrenal strain.

Adaptogens herbs may be just the thing to raise your ability to withstand the stress, and general immune support could help with better recovery. See all our Immune Support products!

TOO MANY STIMULANTS

Caffeine, sugar and high-adrenaline activities like extreme sports can push your adrenals into overdrive. These habits may give you temporary energy, but over time, they actually wear you down.

TOXIC EMOTIONS

Often overlooked, but as important as toxins, are emotional responses like anger, rage, hate, fear, grief, from arguments, loud music, upsetting news, tragedy or even movies with excessive emotional drama or violence. These factors could lead to adrenal exhaustion, if they are a constant part of your life.

How the Thyroid Fits In

Your thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland in your lower neck. It helps control metabolism, energy, body temperature. Your adrenals and thyroid work closely together.

If your adrenals are constantly running high and stressed, this can throw your thyroid out of balance, making it work harder and eventually slow down. Supporting your adrenals often helps keep your thyroid in balance and functioing too.

We offer supplements to support stressed out adrenals and thyroid, including the adaptogen Ashwagandha and vital minerals selenium and iodine, or Thyroid Boost with all of these Sleep, Stress and Energy Support , designed to support and nourish your organs, and help you get your energy back.

What You Can Do To Recover

The good news? You can recover from adrenal fatigue. But it doesn't happen overnight. It requires consistency, patience and determination to make lifestyle changes step by step

Do more of what you love. Make time for creativity, hobbies and relaxing activities. Reducing emotional stress is at least as important as fixing your diet.

Spend time outside in nature. Nature calms the nervous system. Go for a walk, breathe deeply and take in the sights and sounds of nature. Even 10 minutes outdoors can make a difference. (Read this article on Forest Bathing: A Natural Therapy)

Keep yourself hydrated. Many people walk around somewhat dehydrated - often thinking they are hungry when their body really needs water. Try to drink clean water throughout the day, alternating pure clean water and water with added natural lemon juice, electrotyles, a couple of slices of cucumber or some mint leaves (even a peppermint tea bag) in your water to help your body absorb the water better.

Self-Improvement Look for ways to educate yourself to understand your life so you can make better choices. Creating your own life intentionally and working to accomplish personal goals can make a huge difference to your happiness!

Worry less, operate on your own purposes and enjoy life more.

Go to bed when you are tired, and let yourself rest. Go to bed earlier, and avoid staying up late scrolling or watching TV. Sleep is when your body repairs and rebuilds. Also, get some morning light to help reset your circadian rhythm. You can try some sleep supplements, using them in rotation for awhile to get a good pattern of response. Sleep & Relax

Slowly or quickly, but surely, change your habits from processed foods to fresh, healthy meals. What makes you feel better can become your pleasure! Avoid eating on the go or fast food meals. Make time during the week to have some meals in a calm attractive environment, and some meals with family or friends to enjoy social company during mealtime, if you are missing that.

Supplement with excellent whole food sources of B vitamins, Vitamin C and minerals which your adrenals love; like magnesium, selenium and zinc. Adding a whole food green superfood to your snacks or smoothies can make a big difference.
Try our Building Blocks for Health
Or Chlorella-Spirulina 50-50 blend mini-tablets..
See all our mineral products Minerals for Health

You've Got This

Take one step at a time and don't get overwhelmed. Recovery from adrenal burnout can take several months, depending on how long you have been over-stressed.

Most important, be patient and kind to yourself. Your body wants to heal - it just needs the right support and so do you. Every good habit you build is a win. Over time, your energy will return, your mind will clear, and you'll feel like yourself again - maybe even better than before.

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