Are you experiencing brain fog? Irritability? Extreme fatigue? Poor sleep? Or do you just not feel like yourself? You could be experiencing adrenal fatigue. Don’t worry, though, you are not alone, and you can heal!
Adrenal fatigue comes from an overstimulation of the adrenal glands brought on by chronic stress. The adrenal glands are small organs above the kidneys. They release cortisol (our stress hormone) when responding to stress, and they help to regulate blood pressure. Some stress is normal and actually necessary to be an active participant in society, but too much stress that is not managed for a prolonged period of time is not what we want. We need to keep our adrenals healthy!
Some Causes
- Chronic stress
- A stressful event
- Negative thinking (this is a BIG one)
- Food sensitivities
- Lack of sleep
- Poor diet
- Prolonged periods of extreme diet and exercise (we’re talking fitness competitors, etc.)
Some Symptoms
- Extreme fatigue
- Brain fog
- Irritability
- Heart palpitations
- Dizziness
- Poor sleep
- Insulin resistance
- Tired but wired (especially at night)
- Low blood pressure
- Unexplained weight gain
- Cravings for sweet or salty foods
- Low libido
- Dark circles under your eyes
It is impossible to avoid stress, but we owe it to our health to figure out ways to manage our stress. Luckily, there are many things you can do to try and heal and, hopefully, come back stronger and better equipped to face whatever comes your way.
Some Ways to Heal
- Reduce stress (Are there areas of your life where you could scale back?)
- Avoid processed foods, sugar, and caffeine
- Add in healthy fats like coconut oil, ghee, extra virgin olive oil, avocadoes, etc.
- Reduce toxic load (think make-up, household cleaners, body care, etc.)
- Add Himalayan salt
- Focus on positive thinking
- Sleep at least 8 hours a night (try to be in bed by 10pm)
- Keep your blood sugar stable by eating at regular intervals throughout the day
- Move daily (yoga, walking, swimming, etc.)
- Deep breathing
- Simply rest more
- Be kind to yourself
There are herbs and supplements that can be beneficial for someone trying to heal from adrenal fatigue, but I recommend that you work with a medical provider to figure out which ones are right for you. For instance, ashwaganda made my symptoms worse and is commonly recommended for adrenal fatigue. I will say that magnesium has helped me by calming my nervous system down, especially at night. Again, I don’t recommend that you take things blindly.
As a health coach, I help people reach their health and wellness goals. If reducing stress is a goal of yours, I would love to see you!
