“Optimal adrenal health is one of the major keys to the enjoyment of life,” explains Dr. James Wilson, MD, and author of “Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome.” Reducing your adrenal glands’ production of the stress hormone cortisol improves insulin sensitivity and increases serotonin production, helping you shed up to 16 pounds a year, and helping to prevent low energy problems, as well as anxiety and depression.
Slow Down to Live
In our fast paced and driven world adrenal fatigue/exhaustion is more and more common, and having experienced health issues that come with adrenal burnout myself, I do not recommend letting yourself get to that point. Here are four tips for giving your adrenals the care they need:
1. Make sure you are getting enough vitamin C, at least 2,000 mg daily. Eat plenty of foods rich in this vitamin, such as cantaloupe, kiwi fruit, oranges, red and yellow bell peppers, broccoli, dark leafy greens, etc. You can learn even more here about foods and herbs that help combat adrenal fatigue.
2. Calm and relax your body and mind before sleeping at night. Avoid TV, internet and cell phone usage at least one hour prior to bed, and enjoy a relaxing warm bath or shower before retiring. Make sure you are getting a minimum of seven hours of quality sleep and try to get into bed before midnight, 10pm is optimal but not always realistic.
3. Listen to at least 20 minutes of soothing music daily. You can do this anytime during the day and before sleeping as well. Music can have a powerful effect on calming the mind and nervous system, preventing stress messages from being sent to the adrenal glands.
4. Practice yoga and/or meditation. These will have similar effects as the soothing music, and perhaps even more so, depending on the individual. It is all about recognizing the mind-body connection when it comes to tension, and that calming one helps calm the other. Take at least 30 minutes per day to do some slow, relaxing and peaceful movement.
5. Use aromatherapy to ease stress and anxiousness. Sniffing various scents have proven effects for eliminating feelings of stress and anxiety, and essential oils can work great for this. (Which is why they are often used in spa’s and during professional massages, which I also highly recommend!) What is most effective can vary somewhat from person to person, but both vanilla and lavender essential oils are commonly helpful ones to use when feeling anxious.
Although more common than ever, adrenal fatigue often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed by doctors. You can get more information about diagnosing and treating adrenal fatigue from Dr. James Wilson, a long time expert in this area who has helped hundreds of suffering individuals to get their life back again.
