Your adrenal glands produce hormones that help your body react to stressors, burn fat and protein, and regulate blood pressure and sugar levels. Once the glands are unable to produce enough hormone, a variety of symptoms and health issues occurs.
Adrenals are the ones that create and regulate cortisol (stress hormone). That’s why, when you are overwhelmed with chronic stress they can get burnt out from constantly producing cortisol. This only means that the levels of cortisol in your body become consistently high, thereby resulting in what is called adrenal fatigue or hypoadrenia. This condition, if left unaddressed, can significantly affect a person’s day-to-day activities.
What Causes Adrenal Fatigue?
An episode of acute, prolonged, or chronic stress cause adrenal glands to improperly release cortisol. Some of the known stressors are as follows:
- Stressful experiences like divorce, death of loved one, or surgery
- Pain
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Emotional trauma and negative thinking
- Inadequate amount of sleep
- Poor diet and lack of exercise
- Reliance on stimulants like energy drinks or caffeine
- Food sensitivities
- Traumatic events during childhood
- Prolonged stress due to financial hardship, bad relationships or work environment, and other conditions that entail feelings of helplessness
Symptoms Of Adrenal Fatigue
Every bodily function is affected once your adrenal hormone level flows abnormally. This can lead to a variety of symptoms such as:
- Autoimmune conditions
- Chronic fatigue (always feeling tired)
- Moodiness and irritability
- Depression
- Brain fog
- Nervousness
- Hair loss
- Muscle or bone loss
- Skin ailments
- Difficulty sleeping
- Insulin resistance
- Hormone imbalance
- Weakened stress response
- Lightheadedness
- Digestion problem
- Weight gain
- Decreased libido or sex drive
- Sweet and salty food cravings
Any of these symptoms can greatly affect a person’s way of living. However, one can achieve possible relief from adrenal fatigue by simply accepting and understanding the condition.
Stress Fighting Foods To Ease Adrenal Fatigue
Since severe stress causes you to eat even if you are not hungry, you need to be very careful with what you eat. Luckily, there are foods that are loaded with good fats that can help you cope with chronic stress and address adrenal fatigue. These foods contain ample amounts of unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids that can boost your physical and mental well-being.
Avocado And Avocado Oil
This pear-shaped fruit is loaded with healthy monounsaturated fatty acids which have been associated with reduced inflammation, lowered blood pressure, and has beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer. Aside from this, avocado is also rich in fiber and essential nutrients such as potassium, folate, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese and zinc as well as vitamin A, C, K, B1, B2, and B3. Avocado can be served on toast, mixed with salads, or used in place of other cooking oils.
Grass-Fed Butter And Ghee
Grass-fed butter is sourced from cows that are pastured on their natural diet of grass. Butter from grass-fed cows is said to contain more omega-3 fatty acids. But if you are sensitive to dairy, you may also try ghee, a form of clarified butter with less lactose.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a rich source of a unique combination of fatty acids that can have positive effects on your health. According to studies, people who eat a lot of coconut oil are healthy. You can enjoy coconut’s wide range of benefits by regularly taking 3 ½ tablespoons of it. You can use it into your cooking or add into your coffee, tea, and smoothies.
Always remember that anyone can always turn back into natural remedies in order to address their health problems and live with a happier life.
