The adrenal glands are thumb-sized glands sitting atop your kidneys. They are the producers of the hormones, cortisol, adrenaline and DHEA, which help you to respond to life's challenges. When depleted by intense or frequent stress, they will become exhausted. A number of lifestyle changes, including exercise, are necessary to bring the adrenals back to normal functioning.
Adrenal Exhaustion
According to Christiane Northrup, MD, author of "The Wisdom of Menopause," the hallmark of adrenal exhaustion is debilitating fatigue. Depression, irritability and loss of interest in life can also accompany fatigue. Northrup believes adrenal exhaustion signifies long-standing problems with stress load and lifestyle. Naturalways.com, a website dedicated to holistic health care, identifies the following stressors that can lead to substantial fatigue of the adrenals: physical trauma, excess exercise, emotional trauma, pregnancy, chemical toxins, lack of sleep, anxiety and depression, poor diet, infections and prescription drugs.
Symptoms
According to Womenlivingnaturally.com, a website dedicated to helping women find healthy solutions to health concerns, adrenal exhaustion can express in the following ways: low blood sugar, allergies, joint and muscle pain, multiple chemical sensitivities, low blood pressure and low body temperature. Apathy and depression are common symptoms, along with irritability. Anger and resentment can act as adrenal stimulants and provide energy to function. Compulsiveness and excessiveness are associated with adrenal burnout. Excessive sex, exercise, loud music and most other forms of excitement are used, maybe unconsciously, as ways to try to stimulate the adrenals.
Exercise
Dr. Northrup is an advocate of regular exercise in the light-to-moderate category, cautioning that pushing beyond your limits may further weaken your adrenals. She recommends starting slowly and working up. Naturalways.com recommends some specific exercises for restoring the kidneys and adrenals. In the kidney pat-and-hum exercise you stretch upward, then bend forward while repeating the suggestion "I am toning and revitalizing my kidneys, adrenals and immune strength." A shoulder release exercise stretches backward to release tension from the upper part of the shoulders and stimulates the thymus gland. Other suggestions include walking, trampoline exercise, martial arts, meditation, visualization and yoga.
Womenlivingnaturally.com suggests gentle walking for adrenal recovery, as well as deep breathing, stretching, yoga or tai chi. The website advises that you should exercise to relax rather than build muscle.
Lifestyle Practices
A recovery from adrenal exhaustion must include lifestyle changes. Most experts agree on rest and sleep, at least 9 hours per night, for several years. Womenlivingnaturally.com advocates cleaning up your home environment by replacing toxic chemicals with non-toxic. They cite pesticides and herbicides as extremely toxic, along with chemical hair dyes.
Chiropractic care and massage are helpful for reducing stress. Detoxifying your skin by brushing it with a skin brush is good, as is sauna therapy, especially with an infrared electric light sauna for 30 minutes a day. Dr. Northrup recommends brief sunlight exposure to help the adrenals and boost vitamin D, only at times when the sun is not intense. She also advocates focusing more on loving thoughts that bring you pleasure, or "thinking with your heart" to effect biochemical changes.
Foods and Supplements
Dr. James Wilson, NC, DC, PhD, author of "Adrenal Fatigue" recommends eating good quality proteins such as meat, fish, fowl, eggs and dairy; whole, unrefined carbohydrates; six to eight servings of highly colored vegetables daily; limited fruits; mostly unsaturated and monosaturated fats; essential fatty acids; and seeds and nuts. Dr. Northrup suggests a good multivitamin/mineral supplement as well as 1,000 to 2,000 mg of vitamin C in divided doses. Further, she suggests a B complex vitamin, zinc and magnesium. In the herb category try licorice root and Siberian ginseng.
