What are adrenals? Our adrenals sit right on top of our kidneys and produce numerous hormones like adrenaline, sex hormones, and cortisol—the hormone that responds when we are stressed. We can think of our adrenals as the “fight or flight” production center. They are hard at work when we are a little too hard at work. So, you heard it here first, adrenal fatigue is a real thing.
As you can imagine, the adrenals are such an important aspect of survival. They kick us into high gear when need be, so you better believe we feel the effects of faulty or fatigued adrenals.
What happens when our adrenals get overworked? Well, we crash, and they use up a lot of the vitamins they need to function, and have a much more difficult time producing hormones appropriately.
Need help determining whether you may be suffering from adrenal fatigue? Symptoms include sugar cravings, general fatigue, difficulty concentrating or thinking (oftentimes referred to as brain fog), trouble sleeping, experiencing energy crashes in the afternoon, and/or difficulty waking up in the morning. Oftentimes, those of us with depleted adrenals are those of us looking for coffee before there is any chance of functioning.
So what helps? The first necessary piece is slowing yourself down and addressing the stress so that the adrenals actually get a chance to rest. The other piece includes ensuring we are eating a diet rich in nutrients to replenish the adrenal glands, and at times supplementing as well; which in this case means literally taking supplements.
Many of the providers at Starkel Nutrition work with clients with adrenal fatigue symptoms. To heal, we use food first, as well as counseling to help address the stress, and supplements (when necessary) for bringing the body back into balance.
Interested in learning more? Schedule an appointment with us to get support on your journey to holistic and kind health.
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Edited by Mairin McCurdy, Marketing Supervisor |