Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms & Natural Treatments

If you feel tired and worn out all of the time, you might be experiencing adrenal fatigue. Chronic stress not only affects your mind, but affects your body physically. When we’re stressed, the body goes into fight or flight mode to give us energy to get through a risky situation. 

When your body is in fight or flight mode, the adrenal glands release cortisol which is known as the stress hormone. The problem is that when we’re chronically stressed, our adrenal glands are working in overdrive. So, when a time comes when you really need the extra boost, they won’t be able to produce enough cortisol or other needed hormones. 

You could be experiencing adrenal fatigue and not even know it. Read on to learn more about adrenal fatigue and how to reverse adrenal fatigue naturally using herbs and supplements. 

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What is Adrenal Fatigue?

To put it simply, adrenal fatigue is when your adrenal glands are worn out. They can’t function properly due to being overworked because you’re dealing with chronic stress and possibly chronic inflammation. You may also be dealing with chronic fatigue. I cover natural treatments for chronic fatigue in this particular article. 

What are Adrenal Glands? 

Before learning about adrenal fatigue, it’s important to understand what the adrenal glands are. The adrenal glands are located above your kidneys. They’re responsible for producing hormones such as cortisol (the stress hormone), aldosterone and adrenaline.  The hormones made in the adrenal glands are essential for regulating your body especially when it’s under stress. 

So, adrenal fatigue is a term used in reference to the adrenal glands. When your adrenal glands aren’t working properly, you can experience symptoms like extreme fatigue that interrupt your day. Signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue include:

• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Craving carbohydrates or salty foods
• Body Aches 
• Unexplained weight loss
• Low blood pressure 
• Lightheadedness
• Loss of Body hair 
• Hyperpigmentation

History of Adrenal Fatigue 

The term adrenal fatigue was created by James Wilson, a naturopathic doctor that specializes in alternative medicine. Wilson describes adrenal fatigue as a group of related signs and symptoms that result when the adrenal glands aren’t functioning at the proper level.

Adrenal fatigue is typically associated with high levels of stress and after illness. You may not have consistent symptoms of adrenal fatigue, but if you’re experiencing fatigue that doesn't go away with rest, chronic illness and inflammation may be the cause. Adrenal fatigue may  also cause you to crave carbohydrates and salty snacks. 

What Causes Adrenal Fatigue?

The adrenal glands aren’t able to produce the proper amount of hormones, which causes you to feel tired all the time. When we’re stressed, our body enters a state called fight or flight mode. Fight or flight causes your body to release more cortisol to give you body more energy. In addition to mental stress and trauma, other stressors that can make adrenal fatigue worse include: 

• Unhealthy diet 
• Toxins
• Products with chemicals 
• Too much sugar
• Too much alcohol
• Chronic illness
• Infections
• Psychological stress 

The Stages of Adrenal Fatigue 

1: Alarm/Alert 

During the first stage of adrenal fatigue, your body is overwhelmed by stressors. This puts your body into alarm mode, which turns on fight or flight. This is when cortisol is released. This stage typically won’t last very long, but it can be draining on the body. 

During the first stage, you won’t notice the symptoms of adrenal fatigue. If you do, they will typically be very mild. 

2: Resistance 

The second stage of adrenal fatigue is when you begin to experience chronic stress. You become fatigued enough that it gets in the way of daily life no matter how much you rest. This is also when your hormones start to be off balance due to the adrenals not functioning properly. 

3: Adrenal Exhaustion 

During stage 3, you’re starting to see the effects of your adrenals being overworked. Even in fight or flight mode, you won’t be getting the boost your normally would from the cortisol. Stage 3 is when you’ll notice intense fatigue along with adrenal crashes. Every time you crash, it takes longer to recover and your fatigue gets worse as well. 

Natural Treatments for Adrenal Fatigue With Holistic Medicine

There are many natural treatments for  adrenal fatigue to get you back on track and enjoying life again. 

How to reverse adrenal fatigue naturally?

Adrenal Fatigue Supplements and Herbs

Adding herbs to your adrenal fatigue diet can help improve symptoms, as well. Natural treatments such as herbs will allow you to restore balance in the body. These herbs can be in the form of supplements, teas, or you could add them to your cooking. Remember to check with your doctor before using any of these herbs, as some of them can stimulate the production of hormones, which is contraindicated in some forms of cancer and other illnesses. 

• Ashwagandha
• Licorice Root
• Holy Basil 
• Rhodiola
• Eletheuro
• Maca Root
• Golden Root 
• Siberian Ginseng

Magnesium for Adrenal Fatigue and Stress

When you’re dealing with adrenal fatigue, due to chronic stress, magnesium could help. You can take it in supplements, or eat foods high in magnesium. In fact, research shows that low magnesium is associated with stress levels. When you’re low in magnesium, it can lead to stress which can exacerbate adrenal fatigue.

Magnesium is also known to be a good supplement for adrenal gland health, so it’s a good tool to have in your natural treatment arsenal.

B Vitamins

B Vitamins are known to help with hormone balance and adrenal fatigue. Using a B complex vitamin with B5, B12 and B6 in your daily supplement could help you fight off adrenal fatigue and take care of your adrenal glands.  

Vitamin C for Adrenal Fatigue

The adrenal glands can use up a lot of vitamin C, especially in times of stress. So, using vitamin C could be a great supplement for adrenal fatigue. 

Vitamin C is also notorious for helping with energy levels, so it’s a great addition to your natural adrenal fatigue treatment. You can take it as a supplement or eat foods high in VItamin C such as:

• Citrus like oranges and grapefruit
• Bell peppers
• Vitamin C supplements 
• Tomatoes
• Strawberries
• Kiwi 

Diet for Adrenal Fatigue

One of the best things you can do for yourself if you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue is look at your diet. Here are some foods your adrenal fatigue diet may include:

• Foods high in protein 
• Foods high in magnesium
• Low carb foods
• Low sugar foods
• Low inflammatory foods

If you’d like to see a more in-depth look at what an adrenal fatigue diet looks like, check out Dr. Ameet's Free Holistic Health Courses Online! 

Heal Stress and Trauma

Unresolved trauma can exacerbate adrenal fatigue. Check out my articles on Holistic Remedies to Heal Trauma and Family Constellations Therapy To Heal Ancestral Trauma.  

Exercise Regularly but Carefully

Mild exercise can help you combat adrenal fatigue because it can help remove some of the stress stored in your body. If you’re too burned out to exercise, or if exercise makes you feel worse, then you might need to wait a while before starting exercise. 

A good rule of thumb is to get about 20 to 30 minutes of exercise a day. You don’t have to get crazy with it, we know you’re tired from the adrenal fatigue. 

Get Some Fresh Air 

Sometimes, all you need to do is get outside and into nature. We spend so much of our time at our desks and staring at screens. Take the time to get outside and take a deep breath to relax. This should help ease symptoms of adrenal fatigue. 

Meditation

Meditation is a staple when it comes to natural treatment for adrenal fatigue. It will help you relax, and get out of fight or flight mode. Grab your essential oils, get on the yoga mat, take some time for yourself and breathe. 

Adrenal Fatigue Treatment and Free Holistic Health Courses Online

These are some aspect of how to reverse adrenal fatigue naturally. When you start to feel like you’re experiencing adrenal fatigue, consult with your naturopathic doctor. They will be able to help you relieve symptoms and get you on a treatment plan to keep it from happening again and maintaining hormonal balance. 

Another thing you can do for yourself is sign up for our Free Online Holistic Health Courses! The course is a wealth of information to keep you informed on adrenal fatigue and how it affects the body. You’ll find plenty of ways to get started with self care and educational materials to get you on the path to being the healthiest you that you can be! Check out the holistic medicine books and well and Dr Ameet's best book on gut health. 

If you’d like to know more: 

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