Wired and Tired? Combat Adrenal Fatigue
Do you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning? Do you tend to have crashes of energy throughout the day or just feel wired but tired? You may be struggling with adrenal fatigue. Your adrenal glands are responsible for producing important hormones such as cortisol, aldosterone, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. These are essential for waking, sleeping, and responding to stress in a healthy manner. When the adrenals are exposed to prolonged stress, they can get sluggish and cause these actions to feel arduous and sometimes even impossible. The good news? It is usually reversible!
Tips for how to heal adrenal fatigue:
- Work on a consistent waking and sleeping schedule– having regularity in the times your body rests and wakes helps with efficiency of when your body reduces or produces cortisol. If our sleep schedules are consistently off kilter, then the body will have a hard time regulating cortisol, putting more stress on the adrenals, keeping them fatigued.
- Get outside in the sun– getting sunlight in the morning is very helpful for balancing your body’s circadian rhythm by letting your body know it is time to get up and start producing cortisol. Getting sun on your skin is also important for Vitamin D production which boosts the immune system and often helps enhance energy levels.
- Stabilize your blood sugar & boost nutrients– if cortisol is consistently high, this can trigger high blood sugars, and when its low, it can drop the blood sugars causing spikes and crashes of energy and sugar cravings throughout the day. By managing blood sugar levels, this can help regulate the adrenals and train them to be more efficient day to day. To balance blood sugar, make sure to eat consistent meals composed of high-quality protein, healthy fats, fiber rich carbs and non-starchy vegetables. Aim to not skip meals or go long periods of time without a good healthy energy source to avoid drastic blood sugar ups and downs. It is recommended to also avoid highly processed foods that are often loaded with added sugar and inflammatory oils that will tax the adrenals and dysregulate blood sugar. Ensuring you get good solid whole foods each day helps support the adrenals by giving them the nutrients they need such as omega 3 fatty acids, amino acids, and minerals like magnesium, zinc, and selenium.
- Watch your caffeine intake– Caffeine raises cortisol levels, so the best time of day to consume it is in the morning after breakfast, or at least after some food is in your stomach so that the caffeine does not just dump into your bloodstream. Everyone is different in how their bodies metabolize caffeine, however, it is a good general rule to stop drinking caffeine at least 4-6 before bedtime to make sure that the caffeine is out of the system so that the cortisol gets low enough to not affect sleep.
- Find a healthy stress relieving outlet- If stress is something you have often struggled with managing, I encourage you to find a healthy outlet to help keep it controlled to lighten the load on your adrenals. This is different for everyone depending on your interests and hobbies but some examples to help you brainstorm some outlets are- reading, listening to a good podcast, crafting or being creative, exercising, talking to a loved one, trying out a new recipe, writing/journaling. Finding a good go-to action when going through a stressful time can be very helpful for calming the adrenals and thus maintaining good energy throughout the day.
If you are reading this article and identify with some of the symptoms that are often associated with adrenal fatigue, there are ways to test and identify if your adrenals are struggling. A simple cortisol test interpreted by a trusted healthcare practitioner may be a good idea. Not sure where to start? We can help! For personalized testing like this or for more information, contact our office to learn more.
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Disclaimer: This content is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your healthcare provider or schedule a visit with us to determine what is appropriate for your individual health needs.
Resources-
https://integrativepediatricsandmedicine.com/adrenal-fatigue-6-things-help-you-sleep/
https://www.veri.co/learn/cortisol-insulin-resistance
https://vitalitytulsa.com/functional-medicine-guide-to-adrenal-fatigue/
Get started today!
Click below to schedule your first conversation with our Patient Care Team.
https://sanctuaryfunctionalmedicine.com/intensive-program/
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
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