Stress can have a profound effect on our emotional and physical well-being, affecting everyone at some point and causing symptoms ranging from weight gain, depression, digestive problems and many more. Continued imbalance of stress hormones can wear the body down, triggering chronic adrenal fatigue.
The adrenal glands (small glands that sit above the kidneys) are responsible for the secretion of the body’s major stress hormones, cortisol and DHEA. These hormones are not released constantly throughout the day, but are secreted in a cycle called the circadian rhythm, with the highest values being in the morning and the lowest at night. Your adrenal glands suffer when you are stressed.
What causes adrenal stress?
Factors that may contribute to stress include, negative dietary and lifestyle habits, (including over-consumption of stimulants such as sugar and caffeine), excessive exercise, injury, bereavement, marriage, divorce, debt, attitudes such as perfectionism, obsessive - compulsive behaviours, shyness, insecurity and also perhaps isolation and loneliness.
There are three stages of stress, which are commonly referred to as adaptation, resistance and exhaustion. Any physical or mental trauma will trigger an immediate set of reactions. The body releases adrenaline and a variety of other physiological mechanisms to combat the stress and stay in control. This is called the ‘fight or flight’ response and is an inherent survival mechanism. Once the cause of stress is removed, this process should normalize, but if the stress factor is not removed, over time, the adaptation stage will begin. When this phase persists without periods of relaxation and rest, sufferers become prone to amongst others, fatigue, concentration lapses, irritability, lethargy, increased infections, reduced libido and vitality. The third stage occurs when the body is depleted of its ‘adrenal reserve’ and is fittingly termed adrenal exhaustion.
Symptoms of this stage include many of the above, with worsening severity leading to progressive mental and physical exhaustion, depression, illness and collapse. In this way, instead of a stress-causing event being the problem in our health, it is our inappropriate stress reaction itself which persists beyond the event, that becomes more harmful.
If you suffer from one or more of the following symptoms you may have adrenal exhaustion:
Maintain emotional and physical energy + Strengthen the immune system against colds, coughs, flu and possibly more serious illness + Improve metabolism, help reduce fat storage, and control appetite + Slow down the aging process, decrease PMS and menstrual difficulties + Aid dietary protein synthesis - helping mood + Prevent osteoporosis + Maintain healthy blood pressure levels and lower LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol levels
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