What's all this talk about “adrenal fatigue”?

Adrenal fatigue is epidemic. There are so many things that can affect your adrenals that you can't afford to not pay attention to these glands and how they're functioning.

Adrenal fatigue is a stress condition. It happens when your adrenal glands become tired, exhausted, fatigued, and in the later stages of progression, dysfunctional.

Doctors say it's a rising phenomena, yet it isn't something they can frequently detect or test for.

When it comes to your health, adrenal fatigue has far-reaching effects. It's not just feeling tired. There are other things that start to become compromised as a result of high cortisol (your stress hormone). Here's all you need to know about the condition…

“What are my adrenals?”
Your adrenals are the two small glands that sit just above and adjacent to your kidneys. They’re part of your endocrine system and produce about 50 different hormones. Yes, these two guys are very busy!
 
The hormones in your body are chemical messengers that the various glands of your endocrine system secretes. You also produce hormones from places other than your endocrine glands, but these are the main hormone producters.
 
Signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue
Here are some signs you might have adrenal fatigue:
You experience severe tiredness in the morning and need caffeine stimulants to get you going
You have a slump in the afternoon between 2pm and 4pm and need more stimulants to keep you going
You feel more energetic at night when you’re meant to be winding down
You’re constantly tired and exhausted
You feel tired yet wired
You find it hard to push through a work day
You have difficulty falling asleep and waking up
You don’t sleep well at night
You get dizzy spells when you stand from a sitting position
You have poor memory or an inability to concentrate
You have strong cravings for sugar, refined carbs and stimulants
You crave salty foods
You feel wrecked at the end of the day
You find it hard to stay calm
 
There’s also a whole array of other symptoms, including:
Fatigue
Allergies
Insomnia
Low blood sugar
Panic attacks
Memory problems
Aches and pains
Depression
Digestive issues
Headaches
Sensitivity to cold
Addiction to sweet or salty foods
 
As you can see, adrenal fatigue can have varying effects on your mind, body and soul!
 
It may sound daunting, but there’s much you can do to minimise the stressors in your life to ward off this condition. There are also a number of healing foods you can incorporate into your diet to help with adrenal fatigue. You can read about five of them here.

Tags: adrenal fatigue, signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue, adrenals, glands