Posts Tagged ‘Sleep’

Are you suffering from adrenal fatigue?

Sunday, April 12th, 2009

Do you…

Suffer from sleepless/restless nights?

Suffer from night sweats?

Suffer from constipation and or diarrhea?

Suffer from fatigue and lack of energy?

Struggle to lose weight and or keep it off?

Suffer from mood swings?

Suffer from lack of libido?

If you answered yes to any one of the questions above you may be suffering from Adrenal fatigue.

 

WHAT IS ADRENAL FATIGUE?

There are two adrenal glands and each one sits on top of each kidney and are responsible for hormone production.  The hormones excreted by the adrenal glands are cortisol and DHEA.  In turn these two hormones continue to go on and make the sex hormones.  Therefore, when the adrenal glands have been overworked due to stressful situations such as long hours of work, lack of sleep/staying up late and a poor diet the adrenal glands stop working properly.  When the adrenal glands stop working this leads to adrenal fatigue.

Once the adrenals have become weakened you will begin to see situations arise as listed above.  The reason being is that when we are in a stressful situation whether it be physical or emotional our body releases cortisol to help up deal with the stressful situation.  In stage 1 of adrenal exhaustion one does not even feel stressed. In fact, typically one will fill energized and good because of the extra cortisol running through the body.  However, in later stages of adrenal fatigue typically stages 2 & 3 are when one begins to feel tired no matter how much sleep one gets.  The reason being is that as you move into later stages of adrenal fatigue your cortisol begins to run low and overtime the sex hormones become affected as well thus leading to severe fatigue, loss of sex drive, possible nights sweats, digestive problems and severe PMS symptoms for women.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF I SUFFER FROM ADRENAL FATIGUE?

You can test for adrenal exhaustion through saliva testing.  What needs to be assessed is ones cortisol and DHEA levels.  Cortisol should be higher in the morning as this is what wakes you up in the morning, hit its peak around mid day and then tappers off into the evening making one tired and sleepy.  Because cortisol changes throughout the day saliva tests are a good idea as you can test  the entire cycle (4 samples) of cortisol within a day. It is also a good idea to test estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels.  Saliva testing also tests for the active hormones in the blood stream where as blood tests the stored hormones. However, it is a good idea to have both tested.   If you are interested in saliva testing you can contact Replenishing Soul and we will gladly send you a kit that you can perform in the comforts of your own home.

CAN I RECOVER FROM ADRENAL FATIGUE AND IF SO HOW?

Yes, you can recover from adrenal fatigue.  However, it does take time.  The reason being is because your body has to reset and get back into balance.  Your brain and adrenal glands need to relearn how to communicate to each other.  If you suffer from adrenal fatigue it is a good idea to work with a Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach.  They can help you get back on track by evaluating and restructure your lifestyle as this is what weakened your adrenal glands in the first place.  Getting healthy again is about learning what foods and what proportions are right for your body and what type and what intensity of exercise is appropriate for your body at a particular time. You need to be taught how to manage stress through ways such as meditation or yoga.  In addition finding hidden stressors such as food intolerances also needs to be assessed.   Even though each person that we see in our clinic is entirely different and needs different strategies specific to them here are a few quick tips that will help you get back on track.

  • 1. Eliminate C.R.A.P. from your diet- caffeine, re-fined sugar, alcohol and processed foods
  • 2. Eliminate Gluten
  • 3. Get to bed by 10:00pm. Between 10pm-2am your body repairs physically and between 2am-6am your mind repairs. Therefore, if you are not sleeping between these hours your body is not healing.
  • 4. Find ways to manage stress

If you would like more information about Adrenal fatigue purchase James Wilson’s book:  Adrenal fatigue the 21st century stress syndrome.

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The power of stress: stress information and techniques

Saturday, February 28th, 2009

You have two systems in your body that help you respond to stress.  These are the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) - also known as the “flight or fight” system and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) - also known as the “rest and digest” system.  It is your body’s goal to remain healthy by keeping these two systems in balance. However, stress in all of its forms can cause an over activation of the SNS which can eventually lead to illness and disease.

  

Effects of Stress on Your Body

Regardless of whether you are under mental, emotional or physical stress your body perceives all three of these the same.  This means that whether you are getting attacked by a tiger or stressed about being late for work, your body does not know the difference!

When your body feels stress, the SNS system will kick in to protect you from the stressor and will release a set of hormones, adrenaline and cortisol (made by the adrenal glands).  These hormones increase your heart rate and breathing rate and decrease digestion, reproduction, physical growth and the immune system. When the SNS gets turned on repeatedly or in some cases remains on it can lead to weight gain, difficulty sleeping, frequent colds, hormone imbalances, inability to handle stress and chronic illness. Periods of short term stress triggers the immune system to prepare for injury or infection. Long term stress causes deterioration of the immune system which leads to chronic illness.

 It takes your body approximately 40-60 minutes to return cortisol to its baseline once the actual or perceived threat is finished. Once cortisol returns to its baseline the intestines will resume digesting food, the sex organs kick back into gear and the immune system is ready to fight infections and illness.  Therefore, if you are always stressed, cortisol never has the chance to come back to baseline and your body will continue to breakdown. This is why stress management is so important!

What many people also don’t know is that not only do the sex organs and digestion become affected with stress but so does the brain.  Current research is showing that prolonged stress with increased cortisol affects the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for forming new memories. If you are having difficulty remembering new information, stress could be the reason why. 

So how can you begin to manage your stress?

 

Quick Tips for Managing Stress

1. Sleep- Sleep is so important in helping your     body repair.  Between 10pm-2am, physical repair of your body takes place and between 2am-6am cognitive repair takes place.  It is helpful to be in bed no later than 10:30pm.

 2.  Avoid bedtime snacks that are high in sugar or consist of grains.  This raises glucose levels and inhibits sleep.  Typically a snack higher in fat and protein is good before bed.

 3.  No TV or computers before bed.  These stimulate the brain and make it harder to fall asleep.

 4.  Sleep in complete darkness.  When light hits the eyes or is felt by the skin the circadian cycle gets interrupted and affects melatonin and serotonin. These two important hormones are needed for sleep and bodily repair.

 5.  Eat balanced and frequent meals throughout the day.  When you skip meals it affects your blood sugar levels and this action stresses the adrenal glands, putting your body in a stressed state that you might not even be aware of.  

 6.  Make time for yourself and do something that makes you happy and is relaxing.

 7.  Listen to calm, soothing music during relaxation time.

 8.  Begin doing exercises that stimulate the PNS.  Exercises such as yoga, tai chi, qi gong or meditation will help the PNS slow down and help the body heal.

 9.  Make a list of all of your stressors and begin eliminating one by one.  For example, maybe you commit to too many things and can begin saying no and setting boundaries for yourself.

 10.  Keep a journal so that you can track stressors that you might not even know you have.

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