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Taking Back Your Life From Adrenal Fatigue

December 1, 2011 By 2 Comments

Sick and Tired by Flickr Khya

Karen is in her forties, very active at work and play.  Over the past several years since her husband died, she has had a lot of stress with the loss of their home and many other problems.  For several months, she has not been able to sleep well and she is tired all day.  She laments, “I feel like I’m half-awake all night and half-asleep all day! I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”  What is worse, she is gaining weight and feeling hopeless.

While the complaint of fatigue is among the most common for visiting a doctor, there are many reasons for it.  One of the most common is “adrenal fatigue.”

This term conjures-up images of the adrenal glands working as hard as they can and just getting pooped-out.  However, the glands don’t really get tired. Rather, the cells in the body react to long-term high levels of stress hormones by blocking their effects.

Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, affects every cell in the body.

  • Over time it suppresses the immune system, allowing more infections
  • Changes the neurotransmitters in the brain, causing depression and anxiety
  • Causes insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes
  • Prevents the use of fat for energy leading to easy fatigue and hypoglycemia

With all these effect. it is no wonder people with chronic stress have such a multitude of symptoms!  Often, these symptoms are vague and genera, but abnormalities don’t show up in the usual tests done by doctors.  The patient then is told, “There is nothing wrong with you.” and goes home discouraged.  Many people come into my office just hoping to have some terrible abnormality on the test so at least there will be something wrong.

Distinguish the Difference

There are a variety of reasons for being tired.  Some of the more common ones are adrenal fatigue, low thyroid, chronic infections and metabolic disorders, such as diabetes.  The difficulty is that these may overlap in any individual.  Some ways to distinguish them are:...


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Filed Under: Adrenal Fatigue, December 2011, Dr. Scott Saunders, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

HOLY TOAST – Adrenal Fatigue and the Church

December 1, 2011 By 1 Comment

Exhaustion by Flickr Lee J Haywood

As an itinerant minister, I have the opportunity of meeting people of varying color, creed and country.  In the last 10 years, I have found one over arching commonality… exhaustion!  Let’s look at the Oxford dictionary’s definition of exhaustion. It is, well…exhaustive!

Exhaustion:

  1. Tired out, worn out, weary, dead-tired, dog-tired, bone-tired, ready to drop, drained, fatigued, enervated; (informal) beat, done in, all in, bushed, zonked, bagged, knocked out, wiped out, burned out, pooped, tuckered out, tapped out, fried, whipped.
  2. Exhausted reserves used up, consumed, finished, spent, depleted, empty, drained.

As I was reading this amusing, lengthy definition, it dawned on me that it was merely a list of symptoms, not the root cause. This “old school” term, exhaustion, was missing a prefix that explained everything… adrenal exhaustion!

The adrenal glands are two small glands (about the size of a walnut, weighing less than a grape) that sit atop the kidneys. So, when these tiny glands are depleted by physical or emotional stress, overwork, fear, trauma, etc, the body experiences, chronic fatigue, poor sleep, inability to deal with stress, B vitamin deficiency, difficulty concentrating/brain fog and even food or environmental allergies.

God’s Safety Net

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Recall the story of Elijah, after he had successfully defeated the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel. There was a huge display of the power of God. But when Jezebel, who was just one person, threatened to kill him, Elijah panicked and ran. He had just had a high stress situation, and he was depleted of all strength. So, even though he had a victory, his body could not handle any more stress. Consider the possibility that he was undergoing temporary adrenal fatigue!  God had to take care of him by a brook and sent birds with food to feed him, until he recovered.  You, too, will recover with God’s help! He knows exactly what you need!

Considering the genius of God, I find it amazing that He has left Man, His “crowning achievement,” totally vulnerable to a pair of tiny glands. As with everything our Heavenly Father does, love is the motivator for this vulnerability.

Let me explain; have you ever looked at the back of your office computer, copy machine, printer or flat screen television? There is a tiny little fuse or circuit breaker that protects the machine from damage due to power surges, lightning strikes or polarity issues.

In the same way, our adrenal glands function as a circuit breaker that when depleted, slows the body down before any permanent damage is done.

Christians find this hard to believe, but there is just as much “burn out” within the four walls of the church as there is without. As I mentioned earlier, it is an over arching commonality, truth be told, that the world is full of “quick fried Cretans” and  “crunchy Christians.”

It is extremely difficult to get a chronically fatigued unbeliever to listen to you, if you are a chronically fatigued believer. People are looking for answers, not more questions. Lets examine some of the reasons why Christians crumble even though Jesus lives in their heart.

Works

With all the need in the world, it is important that we “stay in our own lane” and be faithful to the work God has given us to do. Remember, just because something is “good” doesn’t mean it is God!

Illusion

When we assume that because we are Christians, our bodies are impervious to overwork, stress, vitamin deficiency and exhaustion.

Remember, our “earth suits” are not glorified bodies, they are simply carriers of His glory.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

Self-righteousness

We would do well to remember the prophet Elijah’s trip to Horeb. Elijah did not flee to Horeb because God called him, he ran because he was afraid. Elijah was afraid Jezebel would kill him, he also thought he was the only righteous prophet God had left. When Elijah reached Horeb, God asked him a question, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah answered,

“I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” 1 Kings 19:14

When God asks you a question, He expects a truthful answer! If you read the whole story, after a powerful demonstration of power (tornado, earthquake, fire and a still, small voice), God tells Elijah He was only in the still small voice.

Then, God gives Elijah another chance to answer His question; “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Sadly, Elijah gives God the same self-righteous answer as before and it spells the end for Elijah’s earthly ministry. God ends the conversation with this statement,

”Yet, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:18

Remember, self-righteousness and fear can take you on a perilous journey you were never called to, such as adrenal exhaustion.

The Turning Point

Now, lets find a prescription for our disease....


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Filed Under: Adrenal Fatigue, December 2011, Slideshow, Spiritual Dimension of Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Adrenal Fatigue: Tired All The Time?

December 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

“I’m in bed and I can’t get up.”

If this sounds like you, then read further.

  • Are you experiencing stress related adrenal fatigue?
  • Are you tired for no reason?
  • Having trouble getting up in the morning?
  • Need coffee, colas, energy drinks, sodas, salty or sweet snacks to keep going?
  • Feeling run down and stressed?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, then you may be experiencing adrenal fatigue.

Adrenal fatigue occurs when adrenal gland function becomes less than optimal—usually as a result of stress. An estimated 80% of people experience adrenal fatigue and the physical symptoms of stress at some point in their lives, yet it is frequently overlooked and misunderstood by the medical community. It is not the same as Addison’s disease.

In 1998, Dr. James L. Wilson coined the term “adrenal fatigue” to identify a specific kind of chronic tiredness that many people experience. It can affect anyone who undergoes frequent, persistent or severe mental, emotional or physical stress.

Adrenal function can also be an important factor in health issues ranging from allergies to obesity. Since the major job of the adrenal glands is to respond to perceived threats (stress), when it is assaulted with inordinate amounts of stress over a long period of time, it begins to secrete stress hormones, causing suppression of the immune system and a slowing down of metabolism making you more vulnerable to allergic reactions and weight gain.

What is Adrenal Fatigue?

The adrenal glands are tiny organs that rest on top of each kidney. Despite their small size, the adrenal glands play an important role in the body, producing numerous hormones that impact our development and growth, affect our ability to deal with stress and help to regulate kidney function.

The adrenal glands are comprised of two parts–the cortex and medulla–that produce hormones (chemicals messengers that regulate body functions). The medulla, or inner part of the adrenal glands, produces the hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine, which regulate the “fight or flight” response in the body, the body’s reaction to stressful events. The cortex, the outer portion of the adrenal glands, produces several hormones that affect blood pressure, blood sugar levels, water balance, growth, as well as some sexual characteristics.

With each increment of reduction in adrenal function, every organ and system in your body is more profoundly affected as the functions of growth, metabolism, regulating blood pressure, blood sugar, kidney function and hormone production are compromised.

Changes occur in your carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism, fluid and electrolyte balance, heart and cardiovascular system and even sex drive. Many other alterations take place at the biochemical and cellular levels in response to and to compensate for the decrease in adrenal hormones that occurs with adrenal fatigue. Your body does its best to make up for under-functioning adrenal glands, but it does so at a price.

This syndrome has been known by many other names throughout the past century, such as non-Addison’s hypoadrenia, sub-clinical hypoadrenia, neurasthenia, adrenal neurasthenia, adrenal apathy and adrenal fatigue. Although it affects millions of people in the U.S. and around the world, conventional medicine does not yet recognize it as a distinct syndrome.

What Causes Adrenal Fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue is produced when your adrenal glands cannot adequately meet the demands of stress. The adrenal glands mobilize your body’s responses to every kind of stress (whether it’s physical, emotional, or psychological) through hormones that regulate energy production and storage, immune function, heart rate, muscle tone and other processes that enable you to cope with the stress.

Whether you have an emotional crisis such as the death of a loved one, a physical crisis such as major surgery, or any type of severe repeated or constant stress in your life, your adrenals have to respond to the stress and maintain homeostasis. If their response is inadequate, you are likely to experience some degree of adrenal fatigue.

During adrenal fatigue your adrenal glands function, but not well enough to maintain optimal homeostasis because their output of regulatory adrenal hormones has been diminished – usually by over-stimulation. Over-stimulation of your adrenals can be caused either by a very intense single stress, or by chronic or repeated stresses that have a cumulative effect.

Who Is Susceptible To Adrenal Fatigue?

Anyone can experience adrenal fatigue at some time in his or her life. An illness, a life crisis, or a continuing difficult situation can drain the adrenal resources of even the healthiest person. However, there are factors that can make you more susceptible to adrenal fatigue. These include:...


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Filed Under: Adrenal Fatigue, December 2011, Slideshow, The 7 Rungs of the Health & Wellness Ladder Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Adrenal Fatigue: Fact or Fiction?

December 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Fatigue by Flickr the melody censor

The medical community does not recognize adrenal fatigue as a real condition – but if you suffer from it, you may beg to differ.

Do you have trouble falling asleep?

Are you restless, stressed-out and reliant on caffeine to make it through the day?

If so, you could be suffering from a condition that most doctors won’t acknowledge.

That is because there are no tests to prove it, no scientific evidence of its existence and treatment can be costly because insurance companies probably won’t cover the costs – if your doctor could even come up with a remedy.

It is called adrenal fatigue and if you suffer from it, then you know how real it is.

Here are some of the symptoms:

  • Feeling run-down
  • Difficulty keeping up with everyday life
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Trouble waking
  • An unusual craving for salty or sugary foods
  • Body aches
  • Loss of body hair
  • Low blood pressure
  • Unplanned weight loss
  • Nervousness
  • Problems with digestion

All that said, these symptoms are non-specific and could be attributed to any number of other ailments. In fact, adrenal fatigue could itself be a symptom of fibromyalgia or depression. If you experience any of these symptoms, then you should see your doctor.

Glands On The Run

More readily explained and easier to diagnose is a condition called adrenal insufficiency. This malady is caused by insufficient production of hormones, which are normally released in response to stress in order to lessen the impact of stress on your body. If you aren’t getting enough, stress will wear you down and cause physical illness. Simple blood tests and stimulation testing can reveal any decrease in the level of adrenal hormones.

Fight or Flight by Flickr Avery Carlton

See, your body operates on a fight-or-flight system that is governed by adrenal hormones. The theory behind adrenal fatigue is that it is a milder case of adrenal insufficiency. When you are constantly under stress, the adrenal glands simply can’t keep up with you in producing enough feel-good hormones to balance out the trauma. Standard blood tests cannot detect this mostly small decrease in hormone production – but your body detects it just fine!

You are not alone. Adrenal fatigue affects 80% of Americans just like you at some time in their lives – especially folks 40 years and older.

Two of the major hormones that help reduce stress and its impact on your body are adrenalin and epinephrine. They are responsible for elevated blood pressure and blood sugar to give you the energy you need in a fight-or-flight scenario. When your adrenal glands are on the run and resources deplete, you become unable to handle stress and everyday life in general.

Of course, it is natural for hormone production to decrease with age, but if you are under regular stress, it can decrease much faster than normal. One hormone in particular will be especially missed when its production declines…

Th-Th-That’s Cortisol, Folks…

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If your cortisol level is low, then you have fatigue, hypoglycemia, poor immune function, an increased tendency to allergies and environmental sensitivity, as well as an inability to deal with stress.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that keeps blood sugar levels normal and is a natural stress fighter. It also works closely with your pancreas to give your cells the energy they need to function properly and allow you to take control of your daily life. Plus, it is a super-strong anti-inflammatory element that is released when you get hurt.

Cortisol rushes to the area of trauma and helps keep swelling down to repair the injury. The more traumas you have, the more cortisol is released.

Unfortunately, when your adrenal glands slow down hormone production, cortisol goes with it.

The good news is we are here to help! In this article are some specific recipe ideas that can repair the adrenals and keep them running at tip-top shape so you can get back to your life and feel good again. These can give you peaceful, restful sleep, decrease your nervousness, reduce aches and pains and help fix any digestion issues you may be experiencing as a result of adrenal insufficiency.

First, here is some friendly advice on how to repair your adrenals....


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Filed Under: Adrenal Fatigue, December 2011, Healthy Recipes & Eating Ideas, Recipes, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

4 Reasons Why People Don’t Recover From Adrenal Fatigue

December 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Exhaustion by Flickr iamhenry

Many people drift through life in a tired haze.  After all, who isn’t tired after work or doesn’t go through an exhausted phase of life? Recovery is highly dependent on one’s genetic predisposition, amount of stress, nourishment and power of belief.

It is not normal or healthy to feel so abnormal and unhealthy.  So, why do some people don’t recover from adrenal fatigue?

1. Ignoring the symptoms

It just may be too easy to pick up a cup of coffee or drop some change into a soda pop vending machine then it is to address the cause of the sleepy sound-off the middle of the afternoon.  Or, maybe you are too exhausted to even think about it!

The truth is many have fallen into acceptance that this is the way life is going to be and accepting the tired and exhausted state forever. Maybe you are praying that one day you would regain your health and actually be well again.  Maybe you are journaling through the rough and exhausted spent days, unable to get through your responsibilities.

You don’t have to be trapped in a weak body and under-performing body and mind. Your body is a self-healing organism and your brain can begin to restore itself.  Adrenal fatigue is treatable and you can have energy again.  Your prayers are being answered and God will direct you to the resources that will help you.

2. Taking a cocktail of supplements

I am guilty of this. In effort to restore balance when there are symptoms of an imbalance, I have masked solving my health problems by taking a “shotgun” approach of vitamins and minerals that are chucked down the throat in hopes of improving my symptoms.

This is why Home Cures That Work has been so valuable to me.  The approach to supplementation makes a huge difference in healing when you are provided with thoughtful, but not random, supplementation regimens.  For example,...


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Filed Under: Adrenal Fatigue, December 2011, Grandma's Cure Corner, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , ,

13 Anti-Aging Remedies

December 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Life span is ultimately determined by the fact that cells can only replicate a certain number of times a genetically predetermined cut-off point that prevents physical immortality. Understanding this, most researchers still believe that humans should live 120 years or more. Why then is the average life span hovering around age 70?

We deteriorate mainly due to damage from free radicals, produced as a byproduct of normal metabolism, or created by various toxins, pollutants, allergens, heavy metals, etc.

Additionally, 75% of Americans are not getting enough free radical fighting antioxidants, such as vitamin E, selenium or even vitamin C. These are quickly used up under stress, while adrenal, hormonal, immune and neurological imbalances further accelerate aging.

A number of herbs are highly prized and renowned for their anti-aging and longevity-promoting effects. Science has extensively verified that these complex plant medicines have the definite ability to prolong the duration and quality of life. Many of these anti-aging herbs are adaptogens and tonics, normalizing metabolic, adrenal, hormonal and neurological systems and stimulating cellular regeneration. Others have more focused effects on the brain, heart or immunity. They are safe for long-term use and disease prevention.

13 Anti-Aging Remedies

Please use the links provided to ensure you are getting quality, safe and pure supplements that have been researched by an independent lab company that tests for contamination and impurities.  All recommended supplements from this month’s issue on adrenal fatigue can be found in our Amazon store.

1. Ashwagandha

  • Tonic that slows aging, rejuvenates tissues throughout the body
  • Clears the mind, strengthens the nerves, promotes restful sleep
  • Improves memory, cholesterol, sexual ability; lessens hair graying

2. Fo-Ti

  • Chinese tonic herb that promotes longevity, strengthens the blood
  • Improves vitality, sexual vigor and fertility and can reduce hair graying.
  • Lowers cholesterol, improves arteriosclerosis, regulates blood sugar

3. Garlic

  • Protects nervous system, improves brain function, memory, learning
  • Prevents/treats arteriosclerosis, reduces clotting, lowers cholesterol
  • Increases life span in animal tests; inhibits viruses, bacteria, parasites

4. Ginseng

  • Rejuvenating, stimulating adaptogen, yet helps calm nerves, increases vitality
  • Reduces exhaustion; increases stamina, speeds wound healing
  • Enhances immune system; balances metabolism and stress response

5. Gotu Kola

  • Rejuvenating, longevity herb in the Ayurvedic and Chinese traditions
  • Increases intelligence, memory, creativity, learning ability, reduces mental fatigue
  • Strengthens nervous system, adrenals and immune system
  • Improves wound healing, reduces scar tissue, increases circulation

6. Green Tea

  • High in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and flavonoids and especially polyphenols
  • Decreases cellular and tissue damage incurred with aging
  • Protective against cancer, heart diseases and is an immune stimulant

7. Hawthorn

  • Heart and circulation tonic; normalizes blood pressure, heart rhythm
  • Slows aging process, protects connective tissue and blood vessel walls
  • Reduces atherosclerosis, helps adaptation to physical and mental stress, protects against radiation, improves digestion and assimilation

Licorice by Flickr Accidental Hedonist

8. Licorice

  • Traditional Chinese longevity herb
  • Stimulates adrenal glands, balances
and conserves cortisol and energy during stress
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Has potent antioxidants that protect the digestive tract, liver and other tissues from the damaging effects of aging
  • Inhibits atrophy of thymus

9. Maca

  • Ancient Peruvian herb that increases vitality, strength and stamina
  • Invigorates libido and is a sexual restorative in both men and women
  • Alleviates signs of decreasing hormones in middle age and menopause

10. Reish

  • A traditional “elixir of immortality” in Traditional Chinese Medicine
  • Treats a wide range of conditions, including heart disease and cancer
  • Normalizes blood pressure, cholesterol, platelet stickiness
  • Enhances immune and liver health, helps indigestion, eases tension, improves sleep

11. Rhodiola

  • Increases immunity, prolongs life span, increases exercise capacity
  • Clears toxins, strengthens nervous and digestive system
  • Reduces fatigue

12. Siberian Ginseng

  • Called the “king of adaptogens,” has a wide range of vitalizing effects
  • Increases hearing, improves eyesight, supports immunity and stress adaptation
  • Increases mental and physical work capacity

13. Suma

  • An adaptogen that is antiviral, antibacterial and immune stimulating
  • Increases muscle mass, protein production, overall physical endurance
  • Balances hormones, reduces blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides
  • Reduces fatigue, promotes liver and kidney regeneration, skin healing
Filed Under: Adrenal Fatigue, December 2011, Living Healthy to 120: Anti-Aging Breakthroughs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

President John F. Kennedy vs. Addison

December 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

JFK with Addison's Disease by Flickr Ken's Aviation

The medical term for adrenal insufficiency is Addison’s Disease, which refers to the inadequate production of hormones from the adrenal glands due to an underlying disease.

President John F. Kennedy had Addison’s Disease, but the Annals of Internal Medicine have determined the underlying cause of JFK’s adrenal gland insufficiency as probably a rare autoimmune disease.

At first, abdominal pain was diagnosed in his youth as colitis, then back surgery caused chronic pain. Eventually, after many prescribed pain medications, sleeping pills, steroid and hormone injections, JFK was properly diagnosed with Addison’s Disease.

Addison’s disease is characterized by the withering of the adrenal glands, which make corticosteroids and other hormones that are used for salt metabolism, response to stress and response to inflammation. Symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, muscle weakness, weight loss, difficulty standing up, nausea, sweating and changes in mood and personality.

Kennedy had to receive daily steroid injections to survive, to stimulate muscle growth and stimulate his appetite.  The steroids themselves have side effects, including susceptibility to infection: urinary, skin and respiratory infections came as a result.  Overall, JFK took a host of drugs during his presidency.

Kennedy worried about the effects on his appearance of the steroids he took as treatment for Addison Disease. The steroids made his face look puffy and made him look overweight.

Four days before his inauguration, Kennedy caught sight of himself in a mirror and declared, “My God, look at that fat face, if I don’t lose five pounds this week we might have to call off the Inauguration.”

Though during the JFK campaign in 1960, Kennedy denied he had Addison’s Disease. Classic Addison’s Disease has been caused by tuberculosis. Since John F. Kennedy never suffered from tuberculosis of any kind, he and his spokespersons maintained that he did not have Addison’s Disease, in the classic sense.

There was substantial secrecy surrounding his health during his years as president. Later, John F. Kennedy maintained that his adrenal insufficiency was a side effect of the malaria he contracted after the war. But after his death, those that examined his medical records have concluded that he had a secondary form of the disease, which was slow deterioration of the adrenal glands from the autoimmune disease hypothyroidism, rather than a rapid destruction.  Adrenal insufficiency, no matter how caused, is a serious matter.

Rather than adversely affecting him politically, John F. Kennedy’s physical ailments vitally contributed to the development of his character and to the formation of his political personality. He proved his worth and demonstrated his strength by rising above all others, even with Addison’s Disease.

Filed Under: Adrenal Fatigue, December 2011, Celebrity Health Watch Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Is Stress Stealing Your Energy?

December 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

stress by flickr bottled_void

Hundreds of medical studies-including research reported by the Mayo Clinic – show that uncontrolled stress is the greatest cause of chronic fatigue – and a leading factor in numerous serious diseases.

How does unchecked stress cause fatigue? The answer lies in two small – but very important – glands, called your adrenals.

Every single time you experience any stress, your adrenal glands release the “energy hormone” known as adrenaline. The more stress you’re under, the more burnt out your adrenals get…leading to chronic fatigue and a host of serious health problems.

Does this sound like you?

  • You can’t seem to get going in the morning without coffee or a strong energy drink.
  • You sputter out mid-morning – yawning, tired, and unable to concentrate.
  • You spend the day guzzling colas … coffee … or more energy drinks.
  • And when you get home, you collapse on the couch exhausted
  • Yet, at night you toss and turn – and simply can’t fall into a deep sleep.

If this does sound like you, keep reading to learn the secret reason you’re so stressed, fatigued, exhausted and a remarkable new way to “recharge” your body.

Learn more about natural ways to recharge your adrenal glands for lasting energy.

Filed Under: Adrenal Fatigue, December 2011, Product Review & Recommendation, Recommendation Tagged With: , , ,

Product Review: DHEA for Adrenal Support

December 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What is DHEA?

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It’s a precursor to both testosterone and estrogen in the body, although it may play other physiological roles, as well. It is sometimes called the, “mother hormone” — the source that fuels the body’s metabolic pathway.

Beginning at about age 30, levels of DHEA in both men and women begin to decrease, and by age 80, it’s estimated that approximately 95% of the hormone has been lost.

Some believe that this decline is responsible for the adverse consequences of aging and tout DHEA supplements as a sort of “fountain of youth.” DHEA, however, is not a general anti-aging solution. The trends associated with DHEA supplementation include the following health benefits:...


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Filed Under: Adrenal Fatigue, December 2011, Product Review & Recommendation, Review Tagged With: , , , , ,

Physiological Effects of Stress

December 1, 2011 By 2 Comments

These biochemical markers of stress in turn lead to ill health and psychosocial disorders. Consequently, stress plays a major causative role in both physical and mental health.

When undergoing a series of test to evaluate markers of stress, including cortisol and DHEA levels, the results in over thousands of cases are remarkable consistent: only 20-25% have cortisol levels consistent with healthy adrenal function, while 75-80% suffer impaired function.

The effects are profound: fatigue and weakness, hormonal imbalance, skin problems, hair loss, autoimmune disorders, insulin resistance and dozens of other health concerns.

With out adrenal glands consistently on “high alert,” high cortisol levels have a destructive effect.

↑CORTISOL INCREASE

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress, affecting the body’s metabolism of glucose, proteins and fats. It is normally released by the body in a regular daily pattern of highs and lows. Imbalances gradually tear your body down.

Sustained high cortisol levels:

  • Destroy healthy muscle and bone
  • Slow down healing and normal cell regeneration
  • Co-opt parent molecules needed to make other vital hormones
  • Impair digestion, metabolism and mental function
  • Interfere with healthy endocrine function
  • Weaken your immune system

To restored healthy adrenal function, eat in tune with your natural cortisol curve.  Enrich your nutrition, reduce refined carbohydrates and cut back on stimulants.

↓DHEA DECREASE: Dehydroepiandrosterone

At the same time that cortisol levels increase, the production of DHEA is decreased. DHEA production already decreases, naturally, as we get older. When heightened levels of cortisol further inhibit DHEA we set ourselves up for physical and mental disaster. We begin to lose our ability to cope with stress, our short-term memory can begin to falter and our health starts to wane. It doesn’t have to be this way.

DHEA is the most abundant steroid in the body. DHEA is a steroid precursor produced by the adrenal gland and converted to testosterone or the estrogens by the body’s tissues. Adequate DHEA levels give the body the building blocks necessary to produce these hormones. Levels of DHEA are inversely associated with coronary artery disease. Taking DHEA may increase IGF-1 levels and increase the sense of well-being. DHEA levels decrease with age.

DHEA is also an important hormone produced in the adrenal glands, the body’s primary source for the production of the sex hormone testosterone. Peak levels of DHEA are reached in an individual’s early to mid-20s. Optimal levels are associated with increased energy, healthy immune and cardiovascular function, improved memory and elevated mood.

Boosting the body’s diminished supply of DHEA can help an individual more effectively combat chronic mental and physical stress. Natural DHEA supplementation counters the negative effects of having too many corticosteroids and bringing the body back into balance. The body regains its ability to fight off sickness and the mind regains its ability.

SAVE YOURSELF

The adrenal response can be life-saving.  There are many ways to replenish adrenal function and health naturally. When you restore balance to your adrenal glands, you’ll see results on every physical and emotional level, and your whole body will thank you for saving it!

Filed Under: Adrenal Fatigue, December 2011, Weight Control, Exercise & Fitness Tips Tagged With: , , , , ,