In my last two blogs, I have touched on the idea of Adrenal Fatigue. That is the concept that chronic stress and poor diet can lead your body down the path of hormonal imbalance and physiologic dysregulation that will eventually cause symptoms to appear.
These are not disease states. Many times you may have symptoms, for instance fatigue, and no disease is present. Adrenal Fatigue is a term that represents what may be taking place in your body during that time when you ‘don’t feel right’ but no disease or pathological process can be identified. Another ways to say this is “The doctor says my tests are normal, but I still don’t feel good.”
Therefore the advice given here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or identify any deficiency. It is meant to give you some information on how to support your body with correct nutrition, either by diet or supplement.
Because the adrenal glands are our stress handling center and a place of hormone manufacture and release, their effect on our body is intertwined with the other steroid family hormones. For this reason you may suspect (or know) that you have imbalances in male or female hormones, the blood sugar handling hormones or even thyroid hormones. If this is true, much of the same advice will apply to helping your body heal. Click here for stress inducing behaviors to avoid.
The adrenal glands secrete cortisol.
Common signs of increased cortisol include:
- Increasing Fatigue
- Weight Gain
- Tired after meals
- Mood, Thinking and Memory problems
- Sleep Disruption (Inability to fall asleep or stay asleep)
- Anxiousness/Nervousness
- High Blood Pressure
- Infections/Low Immune
- Food Allergies/Seasonal Allergies
- Leaky gut
- Stomach Burning (Indigestion, Reflux, GERD)
- Sweet and Carb Cravings
- Decreased Libido
Notice anything familiar? If you do, you need to change your response to stress and watch your diet.
Get off the SAD diet
If you have never heard the term SAD, you may be a prime candidate for this advice. SAD stands for Standard American Diet and represents foods that are over processed and under nutritious. This topic could constitute many pages of research, recommendations and commentary, so for now I will trim it down to 3 recommendations :
- Reduce or Avoid processed foods including all grains .
- Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables to include some at every meal, including breakfast.
- Eliminate any beverage that is not water.
And 3 comments:
Processed foods describes anything not in its natural state and includes staples like fast food, junk food, snacks, flours and sugars and just about ANYTHING that comes in a package. Fruits contain sugars in natural form and they can be consumed daily, but twice as many vegetables should be eaten. Beverages that contain caffeine or alcohol should be slowly eliminated by tapering down. (Those with known conditions, such as diabetes, should follow their doctors recommendations on sugar and alcohol consumption.)
Supplements to Increase Vitality and Healing
(I only use whole food supplements in my practice and find them superior for many patients.)
Vitamin C – The adrenal glands use and store Vitamin C because it is needed for hormone production. Vitamin C is also used for many other bodily functions and reactions. Because Vitamin C is a water-soluble hormone, it is easily excreted from the body and must be consumed every day. Foods high in vitamin C include broccoli, peppers, strawberries, oranges, and spinach. In my office, I recommend Cataplex C, a whole food supplements made by Standard Process Inc.
Vitamins B – When we are under stress, eat refined foods, smoke, or eat sugar we burn though our Vitamin B stores. Also needed for adrenal function I recommend Standard Process Drenamin which contains B vitamins and adrenal extracts.
Vitamin E is a precursor of hormone production and a food sources are usually high in (good) fat. Add olives, avocados, sunflower seeds, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip mustard and beet greens to your diet. Whole food wheat germ oil is a natural source of tocopherols (an explanation of tocopherols is found here) and is an excellent way of getting Vitamin E.
Vitamin D – Vitamin D testing is strongly suggested as the many benefits of normalized Vitamin D levels are well-known.
Herbs to Consider**
Another topic that many pages can be devoted to, herbal support is appropriate for many tough cases.
Licorice – Known as an adrenal tonic, licorice is a support which may work best for those with low cortisol, as it has been shown to extend the life of cortisol. It has anti-inflammatory effects and may support lung and bowel function. Licorice is contraindicated in high blood pressure, edema, low blood potassium and congestive heart failure.
Ashwaganda – Considered adaptogenic, it helps the body adapt to stress and is indicated with fatigue, sleep problems and weakness. Good for those who feel stressed out, its anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects have been studied.
**Care must be taken when using and buying herbs. Most herbs are contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation. Consult your doctor before starting any herbal protocol.
