Adrenal fatigue is not a recognized medical condition, according to MayoClinic.com. Andrew Weil, M.D., a leading integrative medicine specialist, concurs and warns of the danger of accepting a pseudo-diagnosis that has no basis in medical fact, since it means missing real opportunities to correct the true underlying causes of symptoms. Valid diagnoses that replicate the symptoms ascribed to adrenal fatigue include metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, insufficient sleep, depression, fibromyalgia, a diet too high in sugar and saturated fat, and chronic stress.
Step 1
Sleep 7 hours per night every night to establish a healthy circadian rhythm. Regardless of whether conventional medicine eventually comes to accept the term "adrenal fatigue," its first symptom, fatigue, is very common and very troublesome. Fatigue and sleep deprivation are linked to depression, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The benefits of a 7-hour nighttime sleep duration were demonstrated in a study published in the August 2010 issue of the journal "Sleep." The study found that this time period is associated with the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease, likely due to the body's ability during sleep to lower the level of cortisol, a stress hormone made by the adrenal glands. James Wilson, D.C., the chiropractor who coined the term "adrenal fatigue," links many of the condition's symptoms to excess levels of this stress hormone.
Step 2
Eat a diet high in nutrient-dense foods, including whole grains, vegetables, fruits and lean sources of protein. The diet should be low in simple carbohydrates and have sufficient amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Five of the symptoms Dr. Wilson associates with adrenal fatigue--metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure and inflammation--have all been shown to respond to this nutritional approach, commonly known as the Mediterranean Diet.
Step 3
Take action against chronic unresolved stress by breaking problems into small steps and attacking them in sequence. If your work does not allow you to see the finished product of your labor, try to add this component to what you do each day. And when your problems seem to be without a solution, get another set of professional eyes to look at it. A Certified Life Coach as a strategic partner can help you plan the life you want to live. That should decrease what Dr. Wilson describes as chronic unresolved stress.
Step 4
Review all your medications, supplements and over-the-counter drugs with a registered pharmacist to see if any, or a combination, may be causing your symptoms.
