December 13, 2017
Stress/Adrenal Imbalance And Your Wellbeing
The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and part of their function is to produce the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
Signs of stress/adrenal imbalances include:
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Feeling stuck in overdrive
- Brain fog, concentration problems
- Difficulty falling asleep (you feel “tired and wired”) or restless sleep
- Difficulty getting up in the morning
- Fatigue, increased effort required for everyday activities
- Digestive symptoms (alternating constipation and diarrhea, reflux etc)
- Food cravings, especially for sugar, salt, fatty foods, and caffeine
- Frequent colds, infections, slowed healing
- High or low blood pressure (vertigo)
- High cholesterol
- Blood sugar problems, insulin resistance
- Hormonal imbalances, decreased sex drive
- Inflammation, joint pain, fibromyalgia
- Weight gain (especially that “spare tire” or those “muffin tops”)
Ongoing stress shifts our body from a peaceful, digesting, healing state to a fight or flight state. Instead of digesting, metabolizing, making hormones and repairing itself, our bodies make cortisol and adrenaline so that we can just keep going.
Historically, this fight or flight state was life-saving when we were being chased by wild animals, but that is not the case when the state is triggered by traffic, malfunctioning electronics or work deadlines. When we experience an ongoing stress response, we feel drained, and we can suffer adrenal fatigue.
There are 4 major stressors that turn on our fight or flight response;
- Mental/emotional stress
- Sleep disorders
- Metabolic anomalies like glycemic dysregulation/anemia
- Chronic inflammation
Stress Management Strategies
A daily supplement to replenish nutrients plus adaptogens that help balance the adrenals can be helpful in recovering from adrenal fatigue. There are many stress formulas available on the market that include Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin C, some minerals (like magnesium) and some adaptogens/herbs that promote peaceful and calming affects like Rhodiola, Chamomile or Ashwagandha.
Stabilizing the blood sugar through diet is very important. Replacing processed food and sugar with whole foods that are low on the glycemic index. These whole foods release there sugars slowly, helping to stabilize blood sugar levels.
The most important and most effective strategy for combating stress/adrenal fatigue does not involve diet or supplements. Below is a list of strategies to help you feel more relaxed, letting your body move towards a peaceful, digesting and healing state. You will need to determine what will work for you based on your life situation (jobs, children, or elder-care).
You will HAVE to schedule time for yourself. No one else will do it for you.
- Prioritize-decide what must get done and what can wait
- Make time for yourself, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly-put this in your calendar
- Declutter and organize your life, both environmental and mental
- Avoid/remove toxic people
- Breathe and practice progressive muscle relaxation
- Meditate, practice yoga or tai chi (relaxing activities)
- Avoid getting overtired and/or overexcited
- Minimize stimulation from TV, internet and retail facilities
- Maintain your support systems, those people that provide emotional and other support
- Find at least one thing to be thankful for each day
- Listen to music that you enjoy
- Practice mindfulness/self-awareness and discover the techniques that work for you
- Laugh often every day
- Avoid multitasking. Do one thing at a time and keep your full attention on it
- Start a journal; make your list of stress management strategies being mindful of what makes you feel better. Remember that each day you have a choice about how you react to the stressors that are in your life.
