A Journey To Better Health~ Adrenal Gland Fatigue

Here is my story and testimony that catapulted me into a journey of better health.

It was July 31st last year that changed my direction in my health.

"This last week has been a bit of a learning curve. Monday I was scheduled for a shift at the Crisis Preg. Center. I was tired before I even went in but I carried on anyways. I had a real hard time keeping awake while driving and I prayed the whole way and kept slapping my checks to stay awake. Thankfully I got to town and got a iced cafe’ mocha and then I was okay for the rest of the afternoon. That was a big scare for me and I have had these symtoms for about 5 years but it never happened before while driving. I tend to experience it while reading to the boys at home and doze off as I am reading aloud to them. ( that is the weirdest feeling) But back to my Monday. My good friend told me she had just been diagnosed with adrenal gland fatigue. I had a lot of the same symptoms. I went home and looked it up and took several online quizes. I matched it extreamly high. I know some of you will be upset that I didn’t go to the doctor but really I am not ready for any doctors to put me on a thyroid medication. ( a lot of doctors don’t even acknowledge adrenal gland fatigue. I want to try first to treat it with diet, good sleep, eliminate things that stress the adrenal glands, and take vitamins that help adrenal gland fatigue."

I had gone through a couple of very stressful issues around seven years ago. I noticed a decline of my health and didn't know what to do. Some of my symptoms were...sudden weight gain (especially around my middle), couldn't deal with stress, unable to remember things, very fuzzy thinking, lack of energy, went to bed exhausted and woke up just as exhausted, NEEDED coffee to keep going, funny menstrual cycles, mild depression, food allergies, had to work harder to get myself to do my daily tasks, lack of energy, unexplained hair thinning. frizzy hair, As it got worse over time I was greatly searching for some answers. It wasn't until the incident above did I start to find out the answers. I had cried out the week before for the Lord to heal me. It is funny in a sad way that it takes someone like me to get so far along before I cry for help from my Lord. I need to remember to go to Him when things are small instead of waiting till things are so big.

I have taken myself off all black teas and coffee but I read that green teas are a good caffeine and antioxidants too. I try to really limit my intake of sugar and chocolate. ( I cheat here and there) One thing that really helped me in the beginning was to drink apple cider tonic .( 1 Tbsp of ACV and one rounded tsp of honey in a mug of hot water) I would drink that anywhere from one to 4x/day as I needed a boost of energy. Also I noticed when I took a plant based liquid calcium with Magnesium Citrate I was able to finally get a GOOD nights sleep and woke up so rested and refreshed the next morning for the first time in a very long time. And when I started taking vitamin E my skin would heal so much faster and easier. I felt like I had a new lease on life again.

There are so many people who have this at different stages and don't realize what is wrong. It is a health issue that doctors do not normally talk about and try to find a condition that you can just give a quick fix of a pill from the pharmacy which you just can't. It is through prayer, good health choices, vitamins, herbs and time that is the answer.

Here is a list of

Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms:

• Tendency to gain weight and unable to loose it, especially around the waist
• High frequency of getting the flu and other respiratory diseases and these symptoms tend to last longer than usual
• Tendency to tremble when under pressure
• Low Libido
• Lightheaded when rising from a laying down position
• Unable to remember things
• Fuzzy Thinking
• Lack of energy in the mornings and also in the afternoon between 3 to 5 pm
• Feel better suddenly for a brief period after a meal
• Often feel tired between 9 – 10 pm, but resist going to bed
• Need coffee or stimulants to get going in the morning
• Crave for salty, fatty, and high protein food such as meat and cheese
• Increase symptoms of PMS for women; period are heavy and then stop, or almost stopped on the 4th day, only to start flow again on the 5th or 6th day
• Pain in the upper back or neck with no apparent reasons
• Feels better when stress is relieved, such as on a vacation
• Difficulties in getting up in the morning
• Lightheaded
• Mild depression
• Food and or inhalant allergies
• Lethargy and lack of energy
• Increased effort to perform daily tasks
• Decreased ability to handle stress
• Dry and thin skin
• Hypoglycemia
• Low Body Temperature
• Nervousness
• Palpitation
• Unexplained hair loss
• Alternating constipation and diarrhea
• Dyspepsia

To take a quiz if you have Adrenal Gland Fatigue/Exhaustion go HERE

I also recommend to go HERE for a lot of articles that will explain things so well and give some answers.

This is what I applied for the most part to get myself on the road to better health.

Supplements That Help Adrenal Fatigue

Vitamin C (2,000-4,000 mg/day sustained release) -- best taken with bioflavonoids.

Vitamin E w/mixed tocopherols (800 IU/day)

Vitamin B100 Complex

Niacin (125-150 mg/day) -- as inositol hexaniacinate.

Pyridoxine B6 (150 mg/day)

Pantothenic Acid B5 (1200-1500 mg/day)

Magnesium Citrate (400-1200 mg) -- This is best in the powdered form such as in Natural Calm. This form of magnesium makes sure it is absorbed.

Liquid Trace Minerals -- they have a calming effect

Free-Form Amino Acids

Proline (500 mg daily) -- Proline is helpful in rebuilding connective tissues. Weak adrenals are often associated with poor quality connective tissues and whatever helps connective tissues seems to help adrenals as well.

Adrenal Glandular -- or desiccated adrenal gland is extremely important in the initial phases of adrenal repair since it provides raw materials to support adrenal function. It also contains some important adrenal hormones.

High Quality Fish Oil

I recommend 1 teaspoon of Fermented Cod Liver Oil . And if you are feeling blue I recommend a 2nd tsp to give you the extra needed balance. I have found GREAT improvement sense I have been doing this! I have noticed a great improvement in my thinking and the health of my hair. Fish oil is something you should NOT skip out on at all.

Herbs That Help Adrenal Fatigue

Rhodiola Rosea -- It enhances memory and concentration. It has been shown to reduce stress-induced fatigue and improve mental performance.

Ashwagandha -- It has been shown to have a sedating effect on the body and helps to rebuild the digestive and nervous system.

Eleuthero Root or Siberian Ginseng -- It has been used traditionally to stimulate and nourish the adrenal glands and increases mental alertness. Eleuthero is considered an "adaptogen" which means it can help the body adapt to stress.

Cordyceps -- This is a Chinese mushroom used for supporting the adrenal gland and can also normalize immune function and support kidney, lung, liver, nervous system and cardiovascular function.

I couldn't find these up here in Canada so easily but what I did find was Adrena+

which it has in it...

2 ADRENA+ CAPSULES CONTAIN: Licorice root 600mg Jiaogulan (stnd. to 20% gypenosides) 200mg Siberian ginseng root (stnd. to 0.8% eleutherosides) 100mg Astragalus root (stnd. to 10% polysaccharides) 80mg Burdock root (4:1 extract) 70mg Suma root (4:1 extract) 60mg Excipients: Stearic acid. Capsules: Gelatin and water.

ADRENA+ FACTS:

Adrenal gland support for stress management. Contains adaptogenic herbs. Ideal for those exposed to constant high-stresses and those who feel fatigued and lethargic. Improves the bodies ability to deal with life stresses and enhances well-being. Improves energy Reduces stress

Life Style Changes That Help Adrenal Fatigue

Reduce stressors as much as possible and pray pray pray and give it all to the Lord. This is the most important step. Emotional stressors such as marital, family, relationship, or financial problems needs to be dealt with and normalized as much as possible. [o=

Rest and sleep are extremely important. You will need nine hours of sleep and maybe more for a very long time. Also rest after meals, at midmorning and mid-afternoon if possible.

Gentle walking is beneficial but vigorous exercise depletes the adrenals. Deep breathing and stretching is also beneficial. You should exercise to relax rather than to build muscles or lose weight.

Replace toxic cleaning products used around the house with natural products. There are natural alternatives available for cleaning. Hair dyes, shampoos, makeup and skin care products need to be replaced with natural versions. Adrenals are stressed by chemicals and so this is very important.

Detoxification sauna therapy using an infrared sauna will greatly speed up recovery. If you are in adrenal burnout, use the sauna daily for no more than 30 minutes. Once or twice a week is excellent for prevention.

Adrenal Fatigue Diet

It may benefit you to add salt to your diet, especially upon rising and at least a half-hour before you have the lowest energy of the day. Take 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoonful of sea salt, Celtic salt or sea salt w/kelp powder, in an 8 oz glass of water.

When the adrenal glands are fatigued they do not produce enough aldosterone. Aldosterone regulates the amount of sodium and potassium in the body. When aldosterone becomes deficient not enough salt is retained in the body. If you have been craving salt, this is probably the reason.

Instead of eating three meals a day, eat five or six small meals or snacks a day to keep your blood sugar balanced. If you have adrenal fatigue it causes low blood sugar problems. Eating more often can help keep your blood sugar stable.

Always eat protein with every meal and snack -- eggs, beef and poultry are the best sources of protein. Nuts and seeds are other good sources. Absolutely avoid vegetarian diets as they will further stress your adrenals. Most vegetarians never recover from adrenal fatigue.

Complex carbohydrates are good. . If you know of any food allergies, you should avoid them. Root vegetables such as turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, carrots, onions, garlic and potatoes are good. All vegetables are good for you and should be eaten several times throughout the day. Other good complex carbs are corn, brown rice and quinoa. Organic corn chips or brown rice cakes are also good.

Avoid isolated soy protein as it is of poor quality and contains many anti-nutrients. Actually avoid all soy products as well. Limit honey to 1-3 Tablespoons/day and only eat fruit in small portions. Don't drink fruit juices. Use only healthy oils such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil and butter. Use sea salt rather than table salt.

Avoid alcohol because it really deplete your adrenals.

It's really beneficial to drink green drinks like barley grass or various mixed green drinks that also have vegetable extracts like NOW's PhytoFoods. Don't drink tap water but drink filtered or spring water. Absolutely avoid caffeine or any stimulants as these are very stressful to the adrenals.

Restriction or dieting is not a good idea. Follow good eating habits with regular meals and snacks.

I pray that this is a blessing to someone and I am open to questions and I will try to answer what I can. I am not a professional and the sites that I referred to has a wealth of info like this site .