Adrenal fatigue. It may be the most common health condition you’ve never heard of. Suffering from a kind of "burnout" characterized by anxiety, fatigue, foods cravings (especially salty foods), weight gain or depression? You are not alone.
Adrenal fatigue has not officially been recognized by modern medicine as doctors have typically thought of adrenal issues as Cushing’s syndrome where exceedingly high levels of cortisol are being produced, or Addison’s disease where cortisol production is severely deficient. The gray area between these conditions is too often ignored and dismissed by healthcare professionals.
Dr. James Wilson, author of "Adrenal Fatigue, The 21st Century Stress Syndrome," discusses how adrenal fatigue is caused by stress – physical, emotional, psychological, environmental, infections, or a combination of them. He describes adrenal fatigue occurring "when the amount of stress extends beyond the capacity of the body (mediated by the adrenals) to compensate and recover from that stress or the combined stresses. Once this capacity to cope and recover is exceeded, some form of adrenal fatigue occurs." Factors, along with stress, that help contribute to adrenal fatigue are poor sleep patterns, inadequate diet, a perfectionist attitude, caffeinated drinks, and a lack of hobbies or interests.
The adrenals sit on top of the kidneys and consist of two parts – the adrenal cortex and the adrenal medulla. Small in size but mighty in function, the adrenals help manage stress, balance blood sugar, regulate metabolism, reduce inflammation, produce sex hormones, and support the thyroid gland.
Overcoming adrenal fatigue takes practice and effort. Sleep, meditation, massage, exercise, and laughter may be helpful in alleviating stress. Dietary supplements like vitamins C &, E, B vitamins, licorice root, Korean ginseng, Siberian ginseng, ginger root, and ginkgo biloba are frequently used for this condition. Additionally, the minerals calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, iodine, chromium, and manganese are often suggested by alternative care practitioners.
Drinking plenty of water and eating from the following list of foods can also be helpful:
• Avocados
• Dairy products
• Olives (green & black)
• Raw nuts & seeds (flax, sunflower, pumpkin, almond, walnut, cashews)
• Seaweed
• Celery
• Cherries
• Zucchini
• Apples
• Green beans
• Plums
• Fish
• Pears
• Poultry
• Kiwi
• Red meats
• Papaya
• Eggs
• Mango.
If you believe you may have adrenal fatigue, talk to your doctor or healthcare practitioner, or seek the advice of a qualified alternative medicine practitioner. Your adrenals are too important to ignore!
The following books and on-line resources are available and provide more in-depth information, articles, and questionnaires on the subject of adrenal fatigue:
BOOKS
• Adrenal Fatigue – The 21st Century Stress Syndrome
• Tired of Being Tired: Rescue, Repair Rejuvenate
• Adrenal Fatigue – Reclaim Your Energy and Vitality with Clinically Proven Natural Programs
• Female Brain Gone Insane: An Emergency Guide for Women Who Feel Like They are Falling Apart
BLOGS
• www.Blog.adrenalfatigue.org
• www.Adrenalfatigueblog.com
• www.Modernalternativemama.com/blog
• www.Misslizzy.me
• www.Wholelivingblog.com
WEBSITES
• www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/adult/endocrinology/the_adrenal_glands_85,P00399/
• www.health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/endocrine/the-adrenal-gland.htm
TAZ Adrenal Support Soup Recipe
(recipe from Dolores S. Downey’s “Balancing Blood Chemistry with Nutrition” seminars)
• 1 medium onion
• 1 sliced zucchini
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 pound green beens
• 1 cup spring water
• 1 cup tomato juice
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp raw honey.
Combine ingredients and simmer for one hour until vegetables are tender. Pepper to taste.