Why am I always so stressed out and tired?
In today’s society, we are constantly facing sources of stress: work demands, children and family life, house and vehicle repairs, holidays...even something like sitting in traffic or preparing dinner on a tight schedule can be a source of stress! Our bodies handle stress with the production of hormones by our adrenal glands. Our adrenal glands were designed to recover after long periods of time between stressful situations. Many of us, however, are unable to give our bodies a chance to “heal”, which consistently wears down our adrenal glands.

How do the adrenal glands work?
The adrenal glands sit on top of our kidneys and actually act as two glands in one. The center of the gland makes adrenaline (epinepherine) and is in control of the autonomic nervous system. The outer part of the gland, the cortex, also produces these hormones:

Cortisol
The adrenal glands increase their production of cortisol in response to stress. Cortisol raises the blood sugar and blood pressure levels and moderates immune function. For a short time, that’s okay, but at sustained high levels, cortisol gradually tears your body down and causes weight gain.

DHEA-S (Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate)
DHEA is thought to counteract the negative effects of prolonged high cortisol levels such as immune suppression and damage to brain cells through over stimulation. When the adrenals are chronically overworked and straining to maintain high cortisol levels, they lose the capacity to produce DHEA in sufficient amounts.

Aldosterone
This hormone helps to keep salt and water balanced in the body.

Estrogen and testosterone

Did you know...?
Hypoglycemics sometimes become shaky and nervous, then dizzy, irritable, and fatigued. These people often feel better after they eat sweets, which improve their energy and mood for a short period of time. Because of this, they often crave sugar, not realizing that it makes their blood sugar level initially shoot back up to normal, which is what makes them feel better, but then makes it continue shooting up beyond normal. The body responds to this by driving the sugar level back down below normal again. The effect, energy-wise, is like a rollercoaster.

Reducing stress
Adrenal glands can be strengthened. I like to give healthy adrenal glands for those with weak adrenal glands. That goes a long way in improving adrenal strength. There are vitamins, minerals and herbs too that are good: ginseng, licorice root, vitaminB5 (pantothenic acid), zinc and magnesium. People with low adrenal function will be depleted of potassium, but typically that will improve with treating the adrenal weakness.

Ultimately, the answer for chronic adrenal fatigue is finding the “hole in the bucket.” That means that the adrenal glands respond to stressors by releasing their hormones (adrenaline & cortisol). The adrenal glands are a safety net for many of the body’s vital systems. Weak adrenals mean that they have just been called on too much for help. The question that needs to be answered is who/what keeps telling the adrenal glands they need help.

Things that cause “holes in your bucket” (adrenal stressors)
• Overdoing sugar
• Having an infection (specifically viral) that is either acute or chronic
• Being a chronic worrier (either conscious or subconscious)
• Having to go through major marriage issues, financial issues, deaths or major sicknesses in loved ones, or any major changes (new job, moving, career change)

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