For the past three
days, I have spent more time in my rocking chair on my front porch than I have
in months. Until my integrative medicine doctor said I needed to rest, I just
looked at myself as being lazy and wimpy, if I felt tired. I kept pushing
myself through the 3pm slump with mental fog and exhaustion, with a double espresso and
sheer will power (yet, I was not very productive and miserably sleepy). I kept
putting on a facade of energy and excitement in the face of friends and at
work. It's like I have official medical permission now to just sit, without the
inner critic telling me I'm wasting perfectly good time. And, damn it feels so
good. Even in my yoga practice, I've chosen to do basic poses and slower
transitions that don’t challenge me as much. I took a walk this evening, not
speed walking but at a good pace...at whatever pace I wanted. Not the pace I
"should" walk in order to burn calories, but at the pace that just
felt good to my body and mind. I even took a nap on the couch! I NEVER take
naps....naps are for the weak and lazy (says my inner critic...who is clearly
very uneducated about how adrenals will heal.) As the weekend is winding down I
feel so much less stress....which is one of the other key factors to overcoming
adrenal exhaustion.
 |
| Just relaxing....not doing anything. |
For the past year, I've been working through hypothyroidism (a condition in
which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone...and you gain,
gain, gain weight NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, and you’re foggy headed in the
afternoons, have poor sleep, losing your hair, wake up tired, to name a few
symptoms. Check here for a full list of symptoms: hypothyroidism),
which has many of the same symptoms as adrenal fatigue and adrenal exhaustion. All of this caused by Epstein Barr Virus having traveled to, and taken up residence in my thyroid (Check out the Medical Medium book for more on this new found information on EBV. I'm adding this today, 12/8/2105, to this blog). So, just as I am seeing some headway with naturally
getting my thyroid back on track....the adrenal glands start to really want
some attention, too. I had an adrenal saliva test done (best way to test
adrenals) 4 months apart, and my cortisol levels were still too low. So, now
it's full focus on the adrenals to get them ship-shape. One of the most
critical remedies is rest and de-stress. Ha! Much easier said than done! Being
self employed, I'm pushing myself all of the time and working nearly any chance
I get. Slowing down was not in the books. But, if I want to get through this
and support my body....then I MUST SLOW DOWN. For me, it doesn't even mean I'm
working less, per se, it's more about how I'm spending my time off and my time
in my home office. If I'm at home working and feel sleepy during that 3pm slump
time...I will now take a 20 min. nap. If I have time off, I won't rush out to
meet friends...I'll take my time or maybe not go at all. I've had to adjust my
diet yet again (working on cutting out caffeine and alcohol...those are true
enemies of the adrenal glands). But, I'm so tired, I've lost some of my fight
and stubbornness to keep on like I was before. I'm ok with giving those things
up. I also know that if I stay focused on recovering, then it will happen
faster, easier and more peacefully. Full adrenal ecovery is my goal and I
believe it’s possible. Then, in turn, my thyroid will be better supported and
should make a full recovery as well! I'll share below the herbs I've used to help support my adrenal glands. Please remember, I am in no way recommending these herbs to anyone, nor am I a doctor. Just sharing what I have used.
RECOVERING FROM
ADRENAL FATIGUE OR EXHAUSTION HERBAL PROTOCAL:
- Take supplements that support the adrenals! Ashwaganda,
Maca, Schisandra, Rhodiola, Siberian Ginseng (Eluethro), Chromium B complex, zinc, Licorice, B6
(Pantothenic Acid), Vitamin C (3,000mg daily), 5-MTHF, barley grass juice extract powder, plant based omega 3 (critical to use plant based, not fish), and Lemon Balm. Spirulina powder in a smoothie (or take a tablet), and take Magnesium and Holy Basil at
bedtime.
- The following are top foods to support healing your adrenals (from Medical Medium book): wild blueberries, bananas, garlic, broccoli, kale, raspberries, blackberries, romaine lettuce, sprouts, asparagus, and red-skinned apples.
- What NOT to eat (from Medical Medium book): Even though others will tell you differently eat, begin eating as much of a plant based diet as possible. Remove meat from your diet completely or as much as you can. Fat from any animal protein puts a strain on your pancreas and live and eventually creates insulin resistance. (Even "lean" meat.)
- Eat within 30 min. of waking up! And drink 8oz of filtered water with organic lemon juice (about 2tbsps) upon waking.
- Kundalini Yoga for Adrenals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaBds-N-dZc
- Moderate exercise or yoga class that doesn’t leave you exhausted or overly tired. You don’t want to go hard with your workouts during this time. It will burn out your adrenals even more.
- Sleeping until 9am when possible (Adrenals
rest and restore from 7-9am), even if it’s just on weekends/days off.
- Take a nap during the day, if possible.
Around 10am and 3pm…esp. if you’re body is letting you know it needs it!
You won’t have to do this forever, just while you’re adrenals are
recovering.
- Plant based diet is your best bet, even though other research will tell you differently (check out the adrenal section of the Medical Medium book).
- Avoid animal products as much as possible: cheese, milk, butter, yogurt
- Avoid sugar…processed or refined especially. But DO eat lots of fruit! Natural fructose from any and all fruit is excellent for rebuilding your health!
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol
Adrenal Recovery Soup
The following
vegetable/vegan soup recipe has proved helpful in adrenal support. This high-energy
soup, called “Taz,” comes from Dolores S. Downey’s “Balancing body chemistry
with nutrition” seminars.
·
16 oz. organic green beans
·
1 cup
chopped organic celery
·
1 organic zucchini, sliced
·
1
medium organic onion, chopped
·
1 cup organic tomato juice or 1 can of organic diced tomatoes (even fire roasted is nice)
·
1 cup
spring water
·
2 tbsp.
raw honey
·
1 tsp. organic paprika
·
1 cup organic vegetable broth
Combine ingredients
and simmer for one hour until vegetables are tender. Pepper to taste.
by Brooke Nisbet
E-RYT200, RYT500
Yoga Teacher | Yoga Teacher Trainer | Yoga Mentor | Wellness Guide
