In today’s lifestyle, almost every second person is struggling with chronic stress-related living and working conditions. Fatigue is not rare anymore, but very common among all of us today. The point to note is that the medical profession is yet to identify this condition and give fatigue the recognition it deserves. The various types of stress conditions like exhaustion, hormonal depletion, and most of all, adrenal fatigue are fast spreading in today’s world.
Causes of adrenal fatigue
Though the existence of adrenal fatigue has existed since the birth of humans, its recognition came only a century ago. The reason for this lies in the change in people’s lifestyles then and now. This fatigue occurs when the adrenal gland is unable to cope with any more stress. This condition does not happen instantly. On the contrary, it develops over the years and goes unnoticed until the body is no longer able to cope with this stress. A few of the causes of this type of stress are mentioned below.
Emotional stress – This is when the mind is filled with mixed feelings of grief, sleepless nights, difficult bosses, and tiresome jobs to handle. This kind of stress is known as low-grade stress and can be handled well in the early stages. The best ways of coping with this emotional stress are to come out of a bad relationship, change jobs, and simply do what makes you feel satisfied and happy. If this stage is neglected, then you enter into the second stage where your body feels totally drained when you wake up after a good night’s sleep. This situation is explained well in Dr. Kalish’s words:
“If you stay in this high-cortisol state for long enough – at stage one – you eventually go to stage two. Stage two means that the cortisol levels are now starting to fail. This is when people start to gain weight. This is when people start to not be able to sleep. This is when your sex drive starts to go away. This is when people just know that there’s some health problem.”
Besides emotional stress, the other causes could be poor diet habits, inhaling and consuming toxic pollutants and chemicals in our food chain, chronic diseases, and also trauma and thyroid have to do with the causes of adrenal fatigue.
Possible symptoms:
- The urge for caffeine as you wake up in the morning
- Irritability, depression, and body aches
- Decrease in sex drive
- Digestion problems and increase in blood sugar levels
- Craving foods with extra sugar and salt
- Lack of concentration and reduced memory
- Thyroid problems
Eight ways how to fight adrenal fatigue and stay healthy:
- Follow the adrenal diet, which includes clean protein, lean foods, colored leafy vegetables, little dairy products, and foods with fewer carbohydrates. These foods lessen the body’s inflammation and reduce stress a lot quicker.
- Going to bed early, or at least before 11 pm, is mandatory. In certain cases, the second cortisol gush may happen after 11 pm and thus leaving you with unhealthy sleeping patterns.
- Foods rich in vitamins B5 and 6 are very effective for fighting adrenal fatigue. B-12 helps to produce more energy.
- Cool the body’s inflammation by using supplements rich in vitamin C and also omega-3 fatty acids. This will lower the inflammation level and allow the patient to recover faster.
- Include foods rich in vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, and selenium, which help in the proper functioning of the adrenal and thyroid glands.
- Always stay hydrated. Take in an ample amount of water. You can also include Himalayan sea salt or fresh lemon juice if you feel bored of drinking only water every time.
- Take at least two short breaks each day, a minimum of 20 minutes each, not to sleep but to just relax and breathe easily.
- Have a change in perspective. No doubt, everyone today is running after success. At the same time, we should understand that success should not be gotten at the price of paying with our own bodies being stressed out.
To put it in Dr. Paul Carter’s (herbalist and acupuncturist) words on how to fight adrenal fatigue:
“ fight or flight works perfectly if it helps you successfully escape the hunter, reach the tropical oasis where you drink spring water, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, surrounded by your protective tribal community.”
© 2016-2022 by DietFind.com, a LIVenture LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of LIVentures LLC.
