Stressed Out?
Your Adrenal Health Is More Important Than You May Know
In today’s society so many of us are just “go, go, go” all the time. When you have a demanding job or you have a spouse or partner, kids, parents to help take care of we often times get so caught up in taking care of everyone else that we don’t take care of ourselves. It is easy to see how big events like an accident or losing someone you love can put stress on your system, but an accumulation of smaller stressors like intense physical exertion, a bout with the flu or Covid, environmental toxins, a quarrel with a loved one, or even pressure at work can be just as detrimental when they are continually happening.
Feeling Wound Up and Run Down?
When you are constantly on the run, working, taking care of others, living in constant stress, your body has to physically keep up. Stress can cause some harmful changes in your body. Constant stress can affect your neurological, immune, and endocrine systems. In order to keep up, your body’s adrenal glands kick in and produce more hormones like cortisol. When your body is continually stressed and the adrenal glands get overworked that is when you are prone to feeling “wound up and run down”.
Dr. James L. Wilson, PhD wrote the book, “Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Syndrome”. According to him, “The adrenals put out over 50 hormones. We often only hear about DHA and cortisol, but 40% of women’s estrogen and progesterone are made in the adrenal glands and about 40% of testosterone in males is made in the adrenal glands. They have a very profound effect on the entire body.” (Wilson, J.L.) Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenals for the use in the regulation of stress. When you are experiencing stress, the adrenal glands release more cortisol.
Cortisol does a number of things:
Manages how your body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
Keeps inflammation down
Regulates your blood pressure
Increases your blood sugar
Controls your sleep/wake cycle
Boosts energy so you can handle stress and restores balance afterward
If you continue living a life of stress, then eventually your adrenal glands will no longer be able to keep up with producing the needed daily hormone output and you will more than likely experience something we call adrenal fatigue.
When your adrenal glands are not in balance- running too high or too low you might experience:
Anxiety and depression
Headaches
Memory and concentration problems
Trouble sleeping
Weight gain/weight loss
Changes in your skin
Fatigue
Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
Low or high blood pressure
Diabetes
Dr. Wilson also writes that,"one of the most common chronic factors in adrenal fatigue is poor diet.” (Wilson, J.L.) Many people don’t eat enough fruit or vegetables daily to give the body what it needs to keep the adrenals functioning properly. Moreover, “respiratory ailments also have an especially devastating effect on the adrenals.” (Wilson, J.L.)
I know that so many of us try our best to eat good food, drink plenty of clean water, and get good sleep. Even with that…life happens. Sometimes you may need a little more to make sure your adrenals are supported. These little power house glands do so much and have an overriding effect on the entire body system including thyroid, hormone balance, energy level, ability to sleep, think clearly, and much more. That is why we recommend supplementing your diet with some key products that will support your adrenals and help you feel better faster.
Drenamin is a great product by Standard Process that helps support your adrenals and is not stimulating to your system. Used for long term adrenal support.
Cellular Vitality- I also recommend Cellular Vitality daily because it is incredible in helping the whole body get vital nutrients like B vitamins, CoQ-10 for your brain, ginseng for supporting the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, mushroom extract for your immune system and more.
Rehmannia Complex- supports the adrenal glands and can be beneficial for autoimmune conditions, migraine headaches, and chronic inflammation.
Cataplex C- Your body needs sufficient vitamin C to produce adrenal hormones. Increased vitamin C is needed when there is increased stress.
Echinacea Premium- As adrenal function fatigues, the immune system becomes less effective. This product may be used for ongoing, long-term immune support. Our echinacea does not stimulate the immune system, it modulates it, so it can be used with autoimmune conditions.
We recommend supplements from Standard Process and Mediherb because of their whole food philosophy and because they are some of the best supplements on the market today. You usually have to buy it directly from your health care practitioner because it is not sold in most stores. Not everyone can order from them, but our clinic has partnered directly with Standard Process to allow you to order from our website. You can find the links on our website under Standard Process & Mediherb
or simply click on the link: Order Standard Process