For the Adrenals

The Adrenals are often referred to as your “Fight or Flight” glands, or sometimes as your Stress Gland. Our ‘fight or flight’ response is designed to protect us from the proverbial saber tooth tigers that once lurked in the woods and fields, threatening our physical survival. When activated, the ‘fight or flight’ response causes a surge of adrenaline and other stress hormones to pump through our body. This surge is the force responsible for mothers lifting cars off their trapped children and for firemen heroically running into blazing houses to save endangered victims. The surge of adrenaline fills us with heroism and courage.

Today’s saber tooth tigers consist of rush hour traffic, missing a deadline, bouncing a check or having an argument with our boss or spouse. There is rarely a physical threat that requires the need for that adrenaline rush, thereby satisfying the hormone signals. That makes modern day ‘fight or flight’ less physical and more psychological in nature, which makes us ignore, suppress, shut down or run away from the stresses we experience. You can imagine that this psychological effort makes the Adrenal gland an overwhelmed and depleted system for almost everyone living in the modern world. If the adrenals are allowed to become too dysfunctional, the result could be Cushings Syndrome (too much cortisol) or Addison’s disease (too little cortisol). When the Adrenals become depleted, here are the effects:  blood sugar can’t regulate, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging (DHA/DHEA) responses are diminished, immune system suffers, heart and blood vessels hyperdilate, estrogen/progesterone and testosterone levels become unbalanced, antioxidants can’t be utilized and tissue repair suffers, and the central nervous system is over stimulated.

Symptom of Adrenal Stress/Fatigue

• Continual stress slowly depletes the adrenals. If there are areas of stress in your life that are not resolved, find a solution or change your perspective about the issue so it will no longer cause you stress. In today’s world of high stress, changing your perspective about an issue may be more effective than trying to change the situation causing the stress. 
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• Work and play should be in balance, so work as hard as you play and play as hard as you work. If you tend to be a "on the go all the time" personality, take time to meditate, try yoga, tai chi, or any mind-body form of exercise. If you have a desk job or spend all day in front of computers, take time for physical activities you enjoy, preferably something that gets your heart rate up. 
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• Set consistent sleep patterns, go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time daily.
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• Reduce your intake of stimulants (caffeine) and junk foods like sodium, refined sugars, bad fats and refined flours, eat a healthy diet. 
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• Take time to connect to God, the Universe, and your Higher Power. Believing in a Higher Power is proven to increase longevity and relieve many forms of stress.

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