Oh, Adrenal Fatigue. What are you really? Peeps keep asking me about it, so I thought I'd write it out. I hope it helps you having all this info in one compact place.
Adrenal Fatigue....It's a horrible thing! Pretty much, in Sarah terms, your adrenals are over stressed by producing a stress relieving hormone, Cortisol (ironic, isn't it?) into the body. Too much cortisol means extra fat storage in the stomach, glutes and thighs. Unexplained weight gain with nothing changed in diet? Yep. You might wanna take a looksie loo at your adrenals and cortisol levels.
I pretty much self-diagnosed myself through lots of research this past winter. I had my "mental breakdown" sometime this winter and remember going through a pretty serious panic attack of not being able to handle the stress I was under. First BIG warning sign. My body had stopped being able to be effecient in making the proper level of cortisol to meet the stress levels I was under. I remember not feeling good AT ALL and just feeling like I was trudging through each day in a fog. The confirmation came through my hormone test results I got a month back. Summed up all my suspicions.
Here's some of the signs and symptoms I was walking through on a daily basis:
*Carb and sugar cravings which were off the charts!
*Not sleeping at all. Normal to toss through the entire night. "Waking up" exhausted which really just meant I was rolling out of bed for work at 445 am pretty consistently. I had already been awake most of the night.
*Crashing soon after my coffee wore off around 10 am for the rest of the day, until of course, waking up and having a ton of energy after it was time for bed around 10 pm.
*Hair loss
*Skin and face lacking color; black circles under eyes no matter the night I did happen to get rest.
*No energy whatsoever to workout in any capacity. Knowing I should do it, but never getting to do it b/c too exhausted. The very thought of working out made me cringe b/c I was so tired.
*Heavy reliance on caffeine and stimulants
*Water retention that would never disappear.
*Weight gain. Weight gain. Weight gain!
*Elevated heart rate for no particular reason.
*Inability to deal with any stress whatsoever.
*Mild depression and wanting to give up things I used to love doing.
*Not feeling myself at all and not knowing what to do to fix it.
Oh, the list can go on and on. I have never felt as sick as I did this past winter. I contributed it to just high stress at work (which was there), but now looking back, realize it was really a combo of the environment, hours, and whole set up of the past year that really all acted together to push me over the adrenal fatigue cliff, so to speak.
What I've learned:
Those lil adrenal glands need rest. I came out of a very couple stressful years. They were going strong for so long they finally just ran out of juice. It's time to get them back to a normal state of operating. How?
I am stealing the following from a websearch. It really is the best description I've found so far about how to get started on this path to healing.
Ways to Heal Adrenal Fatigue (from an online source)...
Reversing the effects of adrenal fatigue requires time and concerted effort (something I'm learning more and more each day). Depending on the severity of one's condition, it can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to reverse the damage from adrenal fatigue. Lifestyle modifications are key to the healing process.
- omit all stimulants: including sugar, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol.
- rest: aim for 8 hours of sleep each night, including going to sleep at the same time at night and taking short rests throughout the day; the adrenals need rest particularly between 11pm and 1am.
- light to moderate physical activity: this one has been difficult for me to get used to, I'm used to running and taking hot yoga classes. But right now, those practices are detrimental to the healing process. So, I'm taking light one hour walks most days, with yoga every other day. Some days are better than others, and I feel energized on my walks, but others require more effort. If I'm too tired, I simply don't do the exercise that day and rest instead.
- follow a whole food, low sugar diet: one that is high in protein, Vitamin C foods (although I am currently not doing citrus), whole grains, and vegetables (see more below).
- timing meals: have a protein rich breakfast before 10 am, followed by a snack, eat lunch between 11-12pm, followed by another snack, eat dinner between 5-6pm, with a potential snack before bedtime. This helps to keep consistent blood sugar levels and places less stress on the adrenals.
- lifestyle changes: modify lifestyle choices to reduce the amount of stress in your life.
- do things you enjoy: depending on the stage of adrenal fatigue, one can become apathetic towards life. Make sure to do the things you enjoy, smile, and laugh, knowing that you will feel better.
So all this being said, I think the biggest thing I've learned is you cannot keep pushing your body to the limit. It will eventually push back and say ENOUGH! I learned this the past summer. It's ok to rest. It's ok to workout doing some light things. Heck, at least that would be consistent for me! I used to workout so much more and hard too. Time to get the routine back, but with different expectations. I have decided to not feel bad anymore about taking some restful time, all the time. It's really all I know to do to get back to normal. Sure, I might be in bed earlier than later now, but it's all taking care of me. I know I do not want to feel as sick as I felt this past winter. In order to avoid this, I have to make some changes and this is one of them. I had to give up my half marathon and Wild West Relay, which was hard, but so glad I did. The eating has changed quite a bit, too.
Foods to avoid when treating Adrenal Fatigue:
*Potassium rich foods: no bananas, coconut water or dried fruits.
*Sugar and refined carbs.
*High sugar fruits. Avoid oranges as they are too stimulating.
*CAFFEINE. Any stimulants. Avoid chocolate. Energy Drinks.
Foods to add in to help treat those Adrenals:
*Whole grains in moderation.
*Berries and low sugar fruits like apples.
*Vegetables: the darker the better - dark, leafy, bitter greens, cruciferous vegetables, the more the merrier. I feel I need to eat more veggies, whether raw or cooked, and would like to reduce my fruit consumption as a result; aim for 6-8 servings per day. Dark leafy greens and veggies. Lots of 'em! Dim is really good for you, too. Helps flush out the xenoestrogens that we get from all the bad stuff in our diet, and processed foods, meat/dairy that is not hormone free, plastics in the microwave, etc.
*A lot of good proteins!
*Good multivitamin, EFA's rich in Omega 3/6/9s, trace minerals, probiotics, Vitamin D, Cal/mag, etc. Pretty much give your body the best environment to get better.
SLEEP. Be in bed by 10:30 pm every night at the latest. Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep and sleep as late as you can (sleeping, not snoozing). I might have to start getting into bed by 9 pm if I'm gonna get my workouts in the morning before work.
I wouldn't wish this on anyone at all. I hope tho, that by speaking up about it, if you have been experiencing these things, this gives you hope that you are not going crazy! You can feel better and start the road to recovery. Remember, you did this to yourself without knowing in many cases, but it's time to change it around. It takes being wiling to change your environment and make sure you are in a place where you can recover. If you've gone through this, please share what's worked for you as well! I would like to add to the healing process. :)
I think the biggest thing I've been learning is how important it is to give my body the environment for rest and recovery. I am not feeling badly any more about not being out doing things at all crazy hours of the day/night or not having the energy to do what I used to once do. I am now embracing the healing process as important as training for a race. It all goes hand in hand. I think the biggest thing I'd like to pass on to others is that although you may have never been here, don't judge those who are! It is a very serious condition as if you leave it unattended, your health can be in serious risk. Our world sees it as a normal thing that goes on because we are taught that unless we are burning the candle at both ends, we are not working hard enough in life. Think how common "mid life crisis's" are and how many times people complain of being tired all the time. I'll leave you with another blurb from the search I came across b/c I think it summarizes the whole thing fully:
The Path of Recovery
I cannot stress this enough: adrenal fatigue is a serious condition, although it can often go unaddressed and is not widely recognized by Western medicine. In our society, 'burning the candle at both ends' and pushing ourselves beyond our means is, unfortunately, a cultural norm. Progress is in opposition to rest and relaxation, and those who take time to relax are more often than not viewed as lazy or self-indulgent.
From my research, I've determined that adrenal fatigue is a condition which, ironically, has the potential to empower one to take their health back into their own hands by re-evaluating their lifestyle, life choices, daily habits, and making way to practice extreme self-care.
Learning that I deserve rest and relaxation has been a valuable life lesson. For as long as I can remember, I have been prone to over-extending myself beyond my limits and this adrenal fatigue has been a big wake up call to make changes in my life. I've started to recognize these patterns and their roots, which has sparked this period of healing.
For me, adrenal fatigue has been a positive catalyst for me to do some much needed 'inner work' and healing. Rather than running away from these issues, I've had to heal them. Learning to 'do nothing', 'achieve nothing' and simply 'be' has been quite the challenge for me; especially when exercise has always been a great energy release for me. Also, I've started to question 'who I am' apart from the achievements and accomplishments, accepting myself without those attachments.
If you or someone you know is experiencing adrenal fatigue, give them or yourself the permission to rest, heal, and be. Things will improve with time and patience, and taking the proper steps necessary to good health, wellness, and balance. Remember that everyone has different constitutions, so conduct your own research and ask questions with a natural health practitioner.
Despite the negative effects of adrenal fatigue, I am so grateful for the experience. What a valuable life and learning lesson this has been. You can still have a zest and fire for life with balance.
~http://www.barefootandfrolicking.com/2013/05/healing-adrenal-fatigue-naturally-my.html
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