Did you know that Chronic stress can affect your body’s ability to recuperate from physical, mental or emotional stress? This is likely why most people have dealt with adrenal fatigue at some point in their lives.
Many proponents of this condition estimate that almost every person can experience adrenal fatigue to some degree at a particularly stressful point in his or her life.
Because the adrenals influence many parts of the body, symptoms of adrenal fatigue can mimic a number of disorders and isn’t always easily recognizable.
Adrenal fatigue symptoms, like brain fog, moodiness and trouble sleeping, can be indicative of many disorders and are often overlooked by doctors. But more and more people are starting to realize that a combination of these health issues often indicate the onset of adrenal fatigue.
If you have adrenal fatigue, it can have significant effects on your overall health. Luckily, you can improve this common issue naturally by focusing on your nutrient intake and lifestyle choices.
What is Adrenal Fatigue? It's a relatively new term, and was proposed by a naturopath doctor in 1998, to be an overstimulation of the adrenal glands by long-term stress leading to an inconsistent level of cortisol (the stress hormone) in the bloodstream.
In addition to this overload or improper stress hormone levels, people with adrenal fatigue often don't have enough DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone), the 'parent hormone' responsible for the creation of many necessary hormones in the body.
Some unique characteristics throughout the day are:
- you wake up and are unable to function without a significant amount of caffeine
- you finally feel a boost of energy during the early part of the day
- Your energy levels crash around 2:00 pm, rise around 6:00 pm, and falls again around 9:00 pm
- Your energy finally peaks again around 11:00 pm
It is hard to diagnose Adrenal Fatigue, but here are some common symptoms:
Autoimmune condition / Chronic Fatigue (always feel tired) / Brain Fog
Hair loss / Hormone imbalance / Weakened stress response / Insulin Resistance
Lightheadedness / Decreased sex drive / Moodiness and irritability / Depression
Muscle or Bone loss / Skin ailments / Sleep disturbances / Weight Gain / Loss of
Appetite / Sweet and salty food cravings
As you can see there are a number of symptoms that might be related to other underlying disorders, including some very common women's health conditions.
Fortunately, the ways to combat these issues are very similar and benefit your overall health. If you've experienced any of these adrenal fatigue side effects, take head, for there are now many natural ways to treat and support....and the number one way is change your lifestyle and diet.
A treatment for adrenal fatigue can involve:
- Reduce stress on your body and mine
- Eliminate toxins in your body
- Avoid negative thinking
- Replenish your body with healthy real foods, supplements and ways of thinking
Try this recipe to combat your Adrenal Fatigue.
Turkey & Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion (chopped)
3 Garlic cloves (minced)
1 tsp. Dried Thyme
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 Sweet Potato (peeled, cute into 1/2 in cubes)
1 Carrot (peeled, chopped)
2 stalks Celery (chopped)
10 oz Organic lean Turkey Breast (Cooked and roughly chopped)
6 cups Chicken Broth
1 cup Parsley (chopped)
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in the
garlic, thyme and salt and continue cooking for one minute more.
Add the sweet potato, carrots, celery and turkey. Stir to combine then add the
chicken broth to the pot along with the parsley, bay leaf and red pepper flakes.
Bring soup to a gentle boil then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid.
Simmer for 40 to 45 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender. Season
with additional salt if needed. Serve and enjoy!
If you want to make this vegetarian, substitute Turkey for Seitan (found where you buy Tofu) and Chicken broth for vegetable broth.
In good Health, Wellness and Love,
Donna Rivard
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Resources:
That Clean Life / Draxe.com