Adrenal Fatigue/Adrenal Dysregulation- What is it?

 

The adrenal  glands sit on top of our kidneys and they are incredibly important glands that make many hormones especially adrenalin and cortisol. Adrenal and cortisol help get us up and out of bed, give our muscles strength and help us cope with the up and downs of life. Healthy adrenals glands can adapt to stressful situations and help prepare us to respond but we were never designed to be stressed all day, every day. Modern life can be too demanding for many people and their adrenal glands. Long term stress on the body can cause the adrenal glands to be down-regulated by the brain. This simply means that instead of producing lots of cortisol and adrenalin (fight and flight), they are told by the brain to produce much less…less than is healthy for a good stress response. We start to feel really tired, especially in the mornings, stressed and unable to cope with daily life, crave sugar and salt and can feel anxious and depressed. As the condition get worse and moves onto stage 3 you may feel dizzy, feint, have low pressure, urinate excessively and feel estremely thirsty. This can be mild to severe and usually increases in severity over time if not addressed. Along with your supplement protocol you will need to do the following:

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Three Stages:

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Stage 1: Fight and flight

Stage 2: Cortisol production is dysregulated ( up and down) and stress coping mechanisms start to be compromised

Stage 3: Cortisol production is consistently low, stress coping mechanisms fail and some body systems are compromised

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The stage you are at will be determined by your Naturopath via an in-depth questionnaire, your symptoms and salivary cortisol testing if needed.

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Our Successful Treatment Protocol:

After more than 10 years of treating hundreds of clients with all stages of adrenal fatigue, we have a tried and tested treatment protocol.

Depending on what stage you are at your supplements and medicines will differ. 

You will be prescribed a set of natural medicines morning and night that will start to feed the nervous system and brain with essential nutrients that will in time help so much that the brain will once again allow the adrenal glands to work correctly and produce their hormones at the correct time of day.

You will start to feel better and better. More energy especially in the morning, better mood and memory, better coping capacity. Over time your body will return back to its normal state.

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Tips to help recover from adrenal fatigue and restore adrenal function

 

Food and drink:

• Salt your food and water. Stir half a teaspoon of fine sea salt into your first glass of water for the day. This will help keep your blood pressure normal and keep your electrolytes balanced as adrenal dysregulation causes too much salt to be excreted by the kidneys.

• If you wake up feeling tired and weak do not eat foods that are high in potassium like bananas, yoghurt and leafy greens. You may already have an imbalance between sodium and potassium and these foods will make you feel worse. Drink your salted water.

• Eat natural, wholesome foods that support your healing and recovery like meat, good fats, vegetables, fruit and nuts. AVOID foods that are high in sugar, wheat flour and dairy.

• Avoid eating sugary and starchy food on their own. Always combine them with protein, good fats and vegetables. Your adrenal glands have to save you from blood sugar fluctuations, and it is very hard on them.

• Eat regular meals and do not allow yourself to get really hungry. Low blood sugar causes stress on the body which your adrenal glands have to save you from.

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If you are in Stage 2 or 3: Eat a high protein breakfast like eggs/meat and vegetables and avoid carbohydrates before lunch time. Have a small amount of starchy vegetables or gluten free wholegrains for lunch and a more generous serve at tea time. This way of eating help to take a burden off the adrenals and rest them in the morning when they are most vulnerable to blood sugar spike.

 

Have Food Allergy testing done with our clinic.

 

Food allergens are one of the major causes of adrenal fatigue and if you don’t find them and remove them it will be very difficult to recover. Also watch out for air borne allergens like animals, dust, pollens, grasses etc.

 

Lifestyle

• Be in bed before 10pm as this allows the adrenal to rest and restore during their active healing phase (9pm-11pm)

• Sleep in until 9am whenever possible as this allows the adrenal to rest and restore during their non active phase (9am-11am).

• Try and make mornings as stress free as possible when the adrenal are weakest

• Look for things that make you laugh and do something pleasurable every day

• Make a list of all your commitments and then remove one of them. You MUST give your body time and space to heal.

• Eliminate things in your life that drain your energy- people, places and over commitment.

• Avoid contention, arguments, and relationship dramas as much as possible as these are very draining for the adrenals.

• Make your lifestyle a healing one getting out in nature as much as possible.

• Notice at least one small thing you are grateful for every day- Keep a Gratitude Diary

• Take your medicines and supplements every day without fail

• Move your body and breathe deeply every day but do NOT over exercise as this is a burden on the adrenal glands. Walking and swimming are very supportive.

• Believe in your ability to recover and use your mind as a powerful healing tool.

• Learn about and practice Mindfulness meditation

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Infections?

• Ask yourself if you have any chronic infections. It could be urinary tract, lung, chronic viruses like Epstein barr, herpes simplex or a gut infection like candida. These will keep your adrenal glands working overtime and must be addressed and resolved.

 

Trauma and TMJ tension

 

Past traumatic events or long-term stress can cause the muscles around your jaw to contract and stay very tight and cramped. This can cause headaches and teeth grinding but can also lock you in fight and flight and keep the adrenal glands working overtime. You can have a procedure called RESET done to release the jaw and allow the muscles to relax and heal. This can have a powerful effect of the adrenals and your recovery.

 

Adrenal Rescue Mix

If you feel really weak in your muscles and lightheaded/dizzy you may have an electrolyte imbalance caused by not being able to hold salt in the body..

Stir the following into water or weak juice and drink every 2 hours as needed

¼ t sea salt, ½ t Vitamin C powder, 1 Scoop of MetaRelax Powder

These products are available through our online shop.