The stress of modern everyday life is enough to wear even the healthiest of people down over time. Daily stressors such as a busy lifestyle, as well as more intense stress, such as a fight with a loved one, trouble at work, or a physical injury can take a toll on the adrenal glands. Frequent and intense stress can overstimulate the adrenal glands, and in time, cause them to become ineffective at regulating the body’s hormone levels. This is known as “adrenal dysfunction” or “adrenal fatigue.” Adrenal fatigue can manifest through a variety of symptoms, including constant weariness, inability to cope with stress, recurrent infections, irritability, cravings for sweet foods, and more.
At Heart of Wellness we have tests that we can use to help us develop a diagnosis and fine tune a treatment plan. Our treatments commonly include dietary advice, comprehensive support with regard to dietary implementation, education and support with stress management, powerful herbs known to support your adrenals, dietary supplements proven to support the adrenals while also helping regulate blood sugar, and glandular and bio-identical hormone therapies if necessary.
Addressing adrenal issues can have a profound positive effect on your life. As with any medical treatment it is best to work with a licensed clinician to create a treatment plan that fits your individual needs. However there are some things you can do to support your adrenal glands that are generally safe for for you to do yourself:
1. Load-up on nutrients and vitamins. A healthy, balanced diet of whole foods is an important part of maintaining adrenal health, and will have the greatest impact on adrenal health long-term. Stick to a diet that is rich in vegetables, clean protein and healthy fats, with limited amounts of whole fruits, whole grains and legumes. The adrenal glands rely on B and C vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and quality proteins for optimal health and function.
2. Work it out, but gently! Like a healthy diet, daily moderate exercise is essential to maintaining adrenal health and reversing adrenal fatigue. Often a daily walk of just 20-30 minutes is enough to help reverse some adrenal fatigue symptoms. Moderate exercise also helps build up your body’s defense to stressors, making them easier to deal with. Depending on your level of adrenal health, it is really important to plan this with your clinician. You may need to slowly ease into an exercise program!
3. Keep stress at bay. Stress management is vital when it comes to restoring adrenal health. Try integrating some simple stress reduction techniques into your daily activities, such as deep breathing or meditation. Find a technique that calms you and easily works into your daily schedule.
4. Relax. You deserve it and your body craves it. Take 15 to 30 minutes each day to relax. Try deeper bouts of meditation, or if you sit for extended periods of time during the day, fill this time with soothing music and simple stretches that will loosen your body and realign your back.
5. Make sleep a priority. Sleep is vital for health and attention to your sleep is essential for adrenal recovery. Your adrenal glands are constantly working throughout the day, and need time to recharge in order to avoid exhaustion. You can help regulate your body’s internal clock by sticking to a regular bedtime. Choose a bedtime that allows your body enough time to fully recharge, leaving you refreshed – not groggy – when you wake. Avoid “screen time” for at least an hour before bedtime. It also helps to sleep in a dark room, so if you live in the city, consider blackout shades.
If you would like help implementing any of these, or if you are not getting the results you want, don’t despair! The path to feeling energized and healthy again is only a phone call away.
At Heart of Wellness we can help you create an individualized treatment plan utilizing our safe but powerful tools so that you can experience the profound improvement in your health and wellbeing that you deserve.
We generally begin by recommending less aggressive interventions such as diet and lifestyle changes, dietary and botanical supplements, acupuncture and Chinese herbs, or body work like myofascial release or massage, and then progress to recommending more aggressive therapies only if needed. We have several clinicians who have extensive experience working with adrenal fatigue. Check out our clinicians profiles on this website. Just click the “CLINICIANS” tab at the top of this page. It’s easy to book an appointment, and all our clinicians also offer free 15 minute consults if you want to get to know them first. Just call our office at 360-570-0401 to schedule.