COULD YOUR ADRENAL GLANDS BE IMPACTING YOUR HEALTH?
Your adrenal glands are located down near your kidneys, and they are about the size of a walnut. And while they may be small, they sure are mighty.
Your adrenal glands produce many different hormones. In particular they produce cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones are responsible for the fight or flight mechanisms which we are all so familiar with. Back in ‘cave man’ times we needed these hormones to get out of danger or to get food. This isn't so much of an issue for us anymore, but what we do have to deal with is a low grade constant stress. The stresses of everyday life, of late work hours, of multiple assignments due, money, family, you name it! The obsession with being busy can cause a low grade stress, you may not even realised that you’re stressed, but your body does.
The constant exposure to stress causes your adrenal glands to increase the amount of cortisol that is being produced. When cortisol is increased it can contribute to a myriad of health issues such as:
Weight
Blood Sugar Imbalance
Dampened immune function
muscle wastage
Energy
Hormonal Imbalance
If this low grade stress goes on for an extended period of time, the adrenal glands eventually get tired. The amount of cortisol that is produced drops, and contributes to severe fatigue and lethargy. Small tasks can seem like an enormous effort, and coffee and sugar becomes the go-to o get you through the day. When this happens the body will often keep pushing through, because lets be honest, life goes on and we do what we have to do to get through the day. But the more you push, the more tired your adrenals get and the cycle continues. Keep on pushing and the likelihood of burnout increases.
So if you think this sounds like you..there are plenty of thing that you can start doing today to help prevent burn out.
Get to bed earlier.
Rest is the key for repairing your adrenal glands. Sleep as much as you can, practice relaxation exercises and allow your bodies nervous system to rest as much as possible. Holidays are a wonderful way, so if you are able to take some time off from reality, your adrenal glands will love you for it.
Getting to bed early is the key, to help to regulate your cortisol levels getting to bed before midnight is a MUST! If you can be in bed by 9pm each night you are doing great.
Give up the coffee
Coffee does not love your adrenal glands, and your adrenal glands definitely don't love coffee. Coffee is a bully to your adrenal glands, it stimulates them and causes them to increase the output of cortisol. This is a why you get an initial kick of energy, but then your left feeling more tired than ever. If you keep stimulating your adrenal glands with coffee you will find that recovery will become even harder.
Eat well and exercise
It is simple. Looking after yourself and ensuring that your diet is full of wholesome foods that will nourish your adrenal glands is the corner stone for allowing your body to heal itself. A balanced diet full of colour and lots of veggies will provide you with the many nutrients such as B vitamins and vitamin C. Exercise is also important but gentle exercise is the key. Restorative exercise like gentle walking or yoga is key, no heavy cardio or intense resistance training. Or keeping it to a minimum at least.
Improve your work life balance
A poor work life balance is often the reason why your adrenal health is where it is. Everything is so busy these days, we are constant pushing ourselves to do more work, fit more into our days. We are resting and playing less but working more than ever. Making time for rest and doing things that we enjoy is essential for living a balanced life. So if there are things that you can change in your lifestyle that will enable you to able to do more things that are good for your soul, do it. Your adrenal glands will thank you.
Stress management
Learning to better manage your stress levels will help to take the burden off your adrenal glands. Keep in mind that while your adrenal glands are exhausted you will find it harder to deal with stress, so if you find this hard, try not to worry, because it is hard. When you start to feel a bit better then this is the time to start practicing better stress management skills. It can be something simple like not checking emails outside of work hours. It can be practicing mindfulness or guided meditation for just 5-10min daily. Whatever you can do to help your body deal with stress start to implement it slowly.
See your Naturopath
As well as doing the points discussed above, there are plenty of herbs which can give your adrenals a bit of a kickstart in terms of repair. Seeing your Naturopath will allow them to formulate a treatment plan which will be able to get your adrenal glands, and your health back on track in the quickest amount of time.
