How to Handle Tired Adrenals

Your adrenals are little glands that rest on top of your kidneys and pump these hormones into your body:

• Cortisol: the stress hormone that is released when your blood sugar gets low
• Adrenaline: another stress hormone that boosts your circulation, respiration, and sugar metabolism to prepare you to move quick;y
• DHEA: a hormone that helps make estrogen and testosterone. People with low DHEA may experience depression, obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, immune disorders, and heart disease 

The adrenal gland secretes these hormones to help you deal with short term stress. Unfortunately, when you're under chronic stress, like we tend to be, your adrenal gland gets tired, leading to adrenal fatigue. You might be experiencing adrenal fatigue if you:

• Are ALWAYS tired, regardless of how much sleep you're getting
• Struggle to handle stress effectively and feel overwhelmed
• Crave sugar and salt
• Have digestive problems
• Can't keep focus as well as normal or are forgetful
• Feel very low between 3 and 4 pm
• Get a second wind in the evening, causing you to stay up late
• Notice extreme susceptibility to low blood sugar if meals are skipped 

Does that sound like you? Adrenal fatigue often goes hand-in-hand with thyroid problems. 

Since so many people are under chronic stress, we can assume that the adrenals are not the happiest little glands. What can you do about it?

• Get to bed early
• Find ways to manage stress
• Supplement with magnesium
• Eat mindfully
• Salt your foods
• Don't skip meals
• Watch your diet. Junk food will make you feel worse!
• Journal both food and feelings
• Find things you enjoy
• Laugh every day!
• Believe in yourself and your ability to beat this

Chronic stress can be difficult to overcome, but you can do it!