“5 Fixes for the Adrenal Downward Spiral”
- Eliminate caffeine, sugars and energy drinks– all these items affect your blood sugar levels and throw your adrenal glands out of whack. Every time you take caffeine, you’re activating your body’s fight or flight response. Same is true of energy drinks. So rather than having a true stressor cause an adrenal response, these types of stimulants actually create an un-natural adrenal response. Too many of these and your adrenals won’t be able to respond when they’re truly needed.
- Eliminate alcohol, cigarettes, recreational drugs and unnecessary medications– first of all, alcohol contains a decent amount of sugar, and we already know that’s not good for the adrenals. But alcohol and other unnecessary drugs depress the function of the adrenal glands. Over time, this leads to poor immune function and increased inflammation, as well as disruption of sleep.
“Oh, but how about just 1 drink?” We all know that means 3 or 4, but even still- none of this stuff is going to help poor adrenal function.
- Drink water throughout the day– dehydration causes several problems for those people with Adrenal Fatigue. One of the biggest issues has to do with Aldosterone, a hormone produced in the adrenal gland. This hormone’s main job is to regulate water and sodium levels in your body. Adrenal Fatigue causes reduced production of aldosterone, and actually explains why people with poor adrenal function oftentimes crave salt.
To help your aldosterone issue, aim for half your body weight in ounces of water each day. So if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water daily.
- Avoid watching TV or using the computer in bed, so you can get a good night’s rest– you’ve GOT to get the electronics out of the bedroom. Get to bed when it’s bed time, and don’t be distracted by the lights from your laptop or from the TV. There is a certain amount of relaxation and unwinding that takes place during that time when your head hits the pillow to when you actually fall off to sleep. But if you’re searching the internet or watching TV, your mind will still be racing and your sleep will be disrupted. This is Adrenal Fatigue waiting to happen.
- Practice yoga or stretching, or another form of exercise that you enjoy– yoga and stretching are VERY therapeutic and help to not only rest those sore tight muscles, they also are fantastic for relaxation which will help give those adrenal glands a rest. And mild to moderate exercise is great for your stress as well, but be sure not to over do it. If you are in a state of severe adrenal fatigue, exercising at too rapid a pace can make things even worse. But mild to moderate exercise activity helps mental clarity, helps put you in a happier mood (once it’s over!), and helps increase your overall general health. Cardiovascular and aerobic type exercise is going to be much better for your adrenal health than higher-intensity anaerobic type training.
Well there you have it. Stay disciplined on these 5 FADS, and you’ll be able to keep that adrenal stress under control.
Stay Healthy!
-Dr. V
