Healthy Look into Adrenal health if you work too hard, are too stressed, and get too little of sleep…this is likely all of us! You will want to have your Naturopath support your adrenals always when you have thyroid issues or are on thyroid support products as they work as a close team. There are several phases of adrenal fatigue. An earlier phase will present with a “3pm slump”, then you might start to experience the “second wind” of magically having more energy again when it is time for bed…this is not a good sign!
Then the last and worst phase of adrenal fatigue is exhaustion all day with no relief. And although I have never seen it my practice, you can die from severe adrenal breakdown. This gland regulates the salts, sugars and sex hormones of the Healthy Body, so when out of balance the result can be vast. Low blood sugar symptoms i.e. feeling grumpy or getting a headache without food for several hours, can be a sign your adrenals need support. Salt and/or sugar cravings can also be a cry from the adrenals for support, as now the Healthy Body would likely also be lacking in important minerals. Dizziness on standing up quickly, blood pressure concerns including when it is too low (under 110 )
QUICK START TIP: Be asleep by 11pm to support the natural hormone flow of your circadian rhythm. Depending on the level of drain you are assessed to have you may be advised to rest more and stop activities that can further drain this gland while it is being repaired. You will know you’ve done more than your adrenals can handle if you are drained overall after a workout, versus you’d expect to get a boost mentally after a workout. It is a strong consideration to stop the workout activity if you feel dizzy after or during also. Examples of activities that you might consider stopping or at least slowing down on if you have adrenal fatigue are: Hot Yoga – a huge NO in adrenal fatigue.
Intense Cardio Classes; Marathon training; And Running, (versus fast walking and light intermittent jogging may be okay); Basically doing anything that would leave you feeling more overall drain after doing it would be something to consider moderating until your adrenals are in better health. This does not include muscle fatigue, which is expected in exercise and okay; I mean full system lethargy post workout, which is a possible sign of adrenal fatigue.
WAYS TO CHECK YOUR ADRENALS: There is no one agreed upon range for DHEA blood tests, but based on clinical practice and our Naturopathic Endocrinology literature, woman may feel best around 8 and men around 12 (Canadian lab measurement) with caution that woman with PCOS or other hormonal issues may need to stay at a lower range) Blood cortisol (blood needs to be drawn within three hours of waking) and cortisol 3 PM time or the time you feel most tired, Saliva hormone panels
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