Feeling Tired? Ways To Prevent or Reverse Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms that rear their ugly head when your adrenal glands function below their necessary levels. While adrenal fatigue is most commonly associated with intense stress, it can also arise during or after infections (especially respiratory infections such as the flu, bronchitis or pneumonia). While you may look and act relatively normal with adrenal fatigue (although you may possibly have a blueish/purplish hue under your eyes or excess weight around your middle), you do live with a general sense of overall tiredness, gray feelings, intense cravings, mood swings, anxiety, or like something is just really off (without being able to put your finger on it).
People experiencing adrenal fatigue often have to use coffee, chocolate and other stimulants to get going in the morning and to prop themselves up during the day. However, that adds to the cortisol spikes your body is naturally going through already with your stress levels being so high.
Unfortunately this syndrome is not relieved by coffee or sleep... you have to dig a little deeper and tend to your body and mind in other ways (and to prevent it!). Here are some options to heal:
What you put into your mouth matters.
Put down the coffee. Instead, juice your own greens. 16oz of celery juice on an empty stomach in the morning will start to revive your system. Honestly any fresh greens with a hint of an apple, ginger, or beet will help with your adrenals. Too much work for you because you are tired? I hate to break it to you sister... sucking it up and making this will be worth it in the long run. Do what you gotta do for YOU!
Snacking is key and according to the Medical Medium, each of your snacks should ideally contain a balance of potassium, sodium, and natural sugar (from fruit) to help heal adrenal fatigue. * Apple, celery, and dates * Orange, avocado, and spinach * Sweet potato, kale, and lemon juice * Cucumber, avocado, and lime juice * Banana, dates, and romaine lettuce * Coconut water, dried apricots and celery * Coconut water, banana, and spinach * Pear, berries, and mache * Mango, figs, and celery * Oranges, cilantro, and butter lettuce * Raspberries, tangerines, and green leaf lettuce * Berries, raw honey, and cucumber * Apple, dates, and collard greens * Banana, grape, and red leaf lettuce * Apple, cauliflower, and cucumber * Watermelon with lime juice, and celery juice
What you think and how you reset your mind matters.
Most likely you have an extremely overactive mind if you are suffering from adrenal fatigue (that is part of the reason why you are stressed- you can't turn your brain off!) Mediation is a huge self soother for this problem. At first you may say that you can't turn your mind off. That just means that you need it even more than the average person! Meditation takes time just like anything else. Sit quietly for 10 minutes per day. Listen to your breath and when a thought comes by, just let it flow in and out of your mind. Or download an app called Headspace to help you through a guided meditation. You want to eventually learn how to get out of your mind and into your calmed body. Feel yourself relax. Soon you will become addicted.
Always thinking in high alert, looking for the negative or paying attention to what is lacking rather than fulfilled or working? My friend, this only feeds the stress! Start flipping your thoughts. Start small and grow those pos vibes.
How you maintain your hormones and vitamin levels matter.
Magnesium, vitamin C, B & D can help turn adrenal fatigue around.
The adrenal glands use vitamin C to produce stress hormones like cortisol. When you are stressed your adrenal glands use up a lot more of this important vitamin. Increase your intake of vitamin C by enjoying more snacks like the ones listed above.
Magnesium is another important adrenal friendly nutrient. Magnesium helps calm and support the nervous system, improves sleep, reduces stress levels, and helps boost your energy. The best dietary sources of magnesium are legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and green leafy veggies. Don't forget about those magnificent epsom salt baths (or even foot baths! Reflexology anyone?). It is so great to help your body completely relax while in a warm bath of magnesium- kill two birds with one stone and mediate while you are in there.
B vitamins are vital for maintaining good health and adrenal function. B vitamins are your anti-stress vitamins and are needed to support and maintain healthy energy levels. The best vitamin B rich foods are nuts and seeds, legumes, green leafy veggies, chicken, red meat, fish and milk.
How you move your body matters.
I love exercising for many reasons- one of which we can release negative emotions from our mind and body through a great sweat. And most likely if you are stressed, that is what you need. However, you need to watch how much you workout (and how intense) when you are suffering from adrenal fatigue. Your stress hormone levels are already spiked, you don't need your levels to hit code red from doing sprints every day. Think about soothing workouts like walking, yoga, fun hikes and bike rides. Get your body moving without thinking there is a tiger running after it- I mean once in a while a run or HIIT class is fine to shake things up, but the majority of the time you need to focus on what will heal your overactive glands.
Now go take a walk and have a nutritious green juice afterwards. Then at night take a warm epsom salt bath and mediate. Daily. Every day. Every single day. Namaste, my friends!
