Causes of adrenal imbalance and adrenal fatigue We are living in a time unlike any other where the adrenal glands are being challenged nearly 24/7 with the requirements of modern living: late night computer and cell phone use, longer work hours, financial worries, food allergies, sleep trouble, and unhealthy pre-packaged food that we eat on the go. You may not even realize it, but your adrenal glands are saving you every day by serving as the buffer for all the physical and emotional ups and downs caused by today’s lifestyle! Cortisol is a major hormone released by the adrenal glands to manage our daily activities as well as the added stress (emotional and physical) we’re continually faced with. Cortisol rises and falls in connection to our circadian rhythm. In a healthy person, cortisol levels should be highest at around eight in the morning and gradually decline throughout the day to prepare your body for sleep. Problems arise when use of electronics, stress or even seemingly manageable challenges keep cortisol high into the evening and night time. If this happens to you on a regular basis, your adrenal glands can become imbalanced leading to disruptions in the HPA axis and symptoms like tremendous fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, weight gain, and cravings for caffeine, sugar, and salt. You feel foggy, drained and unable to enjoy life. But there are some simple ways to restore healthy balance to these crucial glands. Here are three tips you can start with today: 1. Time your meals and snacks. Since the adrenal glands are responsible for keeping blood sugar balanced in times of fasting (like overnight), you can give them regular breaks by eating three meals and two snacks per day. Be sure to eat something within an hour of waking up, a healthy snack around 9:00am or 10:00am in the morning, lunch between 11:00am and noon, another healthy snack around 2:00pm or 3:00pm and then dinner around 5:00pm or 6:00pm. This schedule works directly with the circadian rhythm of cortisol in your body and keeps levels from dropping too low throughout the day. It also helps to maintain your energy level. 2. Protect your body from persistent high cortisol levels with herbs. There are several herbs that can help shield your body from the damaging effects of persistently high cortisol. Astragalus root can support the immune system and protect the body from physical and emotional stress. Siberian ginseng is well known for reducing fatigue, increasing energy and enhancing mental clarity. Passion flower can help calm the system, promote sleep and decrease anxiety. And the natural molecule phosphatidylserine can help to regulate the HPA axis. A combination of herbs is what we’ve found works best. This is why we formulated our adrenal-supportive herbal products, Adapitsol and Serinisol. 3. Lighten your daily responsibilities and find time to chill. This is often difficult for those of us who have many responsibilities and are in the habit of doing everything ourselves. But some of the busiest women we’ve talked to have been able to find some way to delegate or eliminate a task if they really sit down to think about it. Even if you don’t think you or your body is stressed, working long hours, caring for children or aging parents, or even suffering from a food sensitivity can all meddle with cortisol levels and the HPA axis. Find time in each day to sit and relax, meditate, read, listen to music, nap, or whatever might refill your cup. If you’ve forgotten how to unwind, consider this: the act of relaxing can lower your heart rate, slow down rapid breathing, lower your blood pressure and help restore your adrenal glands totally naturally.
Posted on: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 12:29:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015