Adrenal What?
Awhile back I went to a saliva specialist. I was having problems with my sinuses and kept getting sick after long travel times. I eat really well and do all the right things for my health so I was puzzled about the why of all of this. Why couldn’t I stay well?
When the doc sat me down and told me the reason was stress, it shocked me. I don’t consider myself a stressed out person. He told me that if I were a cell phone and he had to plug me in to charge me, I would still not be charged if I were plugged in for a month!
Stress?! Well, what I found out is that there are different kinds of stress. My kind was the kind from a life of travel and the abuse that it plays on your physical body and the crazy schedule that I live. Through that stress, I developed what is known as adrenal fatigue.
As I am working through this, I’ve been thinking a lot about the affects this has on people. This could only be my thoughts… but could it be that there are many people on anti-depressants that actually have some form of adrenal fatigue? All of the same signs are there.
I didn’t realize how bad I was until I went to my natural path doctor and he started me on a regiment toward healing. I told my husband I didn’t realize that I was depressed until I started feeling better again. I’m still in process with this whole thing and they say it takes months to get over, so I keep doing what I’m suppose to do and I also am searching out new things to try to see what can help.
One of the things I have found that has really helped me is an organic product called Maca. You can take it in pill form or powder form. I personally like to mix it in a drink that I take every morning. When I first tried it I was shocked at how good I felt and after reading about it, I was really impressed with what it does.
Here is the drink I take just about every morning. This is also really good to take when you are working out. All the ingredients are so good for you. Enjoy!
Maca Energy Drink
12- 16 ozs. of coconut water (use another juice if you can’t use coconut)
1/3 tsp of Maca
½ tsp of Spirulina
1 TBS of raw coco powder (I use WonderCocoa, 99.7% caff free)
A small handful of goji berries or ½ to 1 tsp. of goji berry powder.
Blend and drink.
(I put a few drops of stevia in mine).
Here are some symptoms of adrenal fatigue:
• Morning fatigue -- You don't really seem to "wake up" until 10 a.m., even if you've been awake since 7 a.m.
• Afternoon "low" (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.
• Burst of energy at 6 p.m. -- You finally feel better from your afternoon lull.
• Sleepiness at 9 to 10 p.m. -- However, you resist going to sleep.
• "Second wind" at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally go to sleep.
• Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
• Mild depression
• Lack of energy
• Decreased ability to handle stress
• Muscular weakness
• Increased allergies
• Lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or laying down position
• Decreased sex drive
• Frequent sighing
• Inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they're combined with fats and protein
Treatment of adrenal fatigue
"Optimal adrenal health is one of the major keys to the enjoyment of life," according to Dr. Wilson. If you have adrenal fatigue, you can fully live life again by making the necessary lifestyle and dietary changes to treat your disorder.
Treating adrenal fatigue is as easy as:
• Lying down during your work breaks (preferably at 10 a.m. and again anytime from 3 to 5 p.m.)
• Sleeping until 9 a.m. as often as possible
• Laughing
• Exercising
• Minimizing stress
• Taking negative people out of your life
• Eating regular meals
• Chewing well
• Doing something fun each day
• Combining unrefined carbohydrates with protein and oils
• Avoiding junk food
• Eating five to six servings of vegetables each day
• Adding sea salt to your diet
• Taking 2,000 to 5,000 milligrams of vitamin C each day
• Supplementing vitamin E with mixed tocopherols
• Taking B-complex supplements that are high in B6 and pantothenic acid
Taking back your life
If you take your treatment plan seriously, you can expect your adrenal fatigue to heal in:
• 6 to 9 months for minor adrenal fatigue
• 12 to 18 months for moderate fatigue
• Up to 24 months for severe adrenal fatigue
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/maca.htm
At the time of writing this blog my husband and I are on a Hawaiian island getting much needed rest. My doc was happy to hear that we were taking time some off. He said that Hawaii is healing. I like that.
So, I’m praying over my body for healing and being responsible with what I can do, too.
If you feel like you fit into this, I encourage you to research and then do something about it. Don’t just put a bandage on yourself. Get yourself healed; body, soul and spirit.
To your health,
Beni
