The human body is an amazing piece of work. When looked after well and when given the best care it runs perfectly and adapts efficiently. It breathes, metabolizes, grows, reproduces, eliminates, renews, responds and so on. All that we are required to do is look after it. Give it the best fuel, give it rest to heal and repair, feed it happy thoughts and move it regularly and appropriately.
It all seems so simple but in reality, in our modern lives, we push our body to the limit: we eat the wrong foods, we expose it to toxins, we feed it negative thoughts, we move too little or too much, and don’t rest enough. And by virtue of being alive we all experience the stress that comes with life’s ups and downs.
And although we have a perfectly designed response mechanism that helps us deals with these stressors in all their different forms, if that stress is unrelenting, continuous and chronic, our internal stress response mechanism eventually breaks down and we are no longer able to efficiently adapt. This inability to adapt to stress, also known as HPA Axis dysregulation, lies at the root of many common health problems. According to Dr. Mark Hyman “95% of disease is either caused by or worsened by stress.”
Fortunately or unfortunately, it can take a long time for the body to start showing the signs and symptoms of this imbalance. We might be doing the exact same things we have been doing for many years and suddenly, for no apparent reason:
We start catching colds and infections more easily- We feel fatigued
- Have cravings
- Gain weight (especially around the waist)
- It becomes difficult to get up in the morning and at night we simply can’t sleep properly
- Our blood sugar levels are up
- Our digestion weakens and
- Everything just seems like more of an effort
We pay our doctor a visit, run tests but there seemingly is “nothing” wrong with us. Except: we don’t feel so good. We have exhausted our body, our brain and the communication channels between the two and caused a ripple effect in our bodies that has led to the state we are in today.
How did we get here?
Our adrenal glands are the tiny glands atop our kidneys responsible for regulating the stress response in our bodies through the synthesis of a number of different hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. The adrenal glands are, in a way, the fuel tank of our bodies. Designed to respond to a sudden stressful situation they release (among other things) adrenalin and cortisol, which get the body ready with increased levels of energy and focus so you can “fight” or “flight” from the stressor you encountered. At that point your sympathetic nervous system is operating. When the situation has resolved, you adapt and your body recovers so that you can go on with non-emergency functions such as digestion, repair, reproduction etc. That is when your nervous system moves back into a para-sympathetic state, also known as the “rest and digest” state.
Sometimes life is an ongoing chain of stressful events. You might be facing deadlines at work, eating a not-so-healthy diet, entertaining often with alcohol and late nights, dealing with relationship issues or worrying about the health of a relative. Maybe you live in the city and have to deal with traffic, pollution or a long commute to work. If you’re an expat like me and many of my clients: dealing with a relocation, packing up, adjusting and finding your feet can be quite stressful. On the other hand there could be internal factors at play such as nutrient deficiencies, or underlying digestive imbalances that put stress on the body.
There are so many different things that cause us stress and when there is no time for the body to recover and adapt the adrenals pump out high levels of cortisol continuously thereby not only affecting essential functions in the body but also disrupting hormonal balance. Thyroid issues, and steroid hormone imbalance often happen as a result of continuously elevated cortisol levels.
Eventually the intricate signaling mechanism that governs the function of the adrenal glands gets dysregulated and cortisol levels drop which leads to blood sugar roller-coaster rides, sugar cravings, low blood pressure, allergies, depression, chronic fatigue, weight gain, and more.
What can you do to re-build adrenal health?
You can nourish your body back to health. There are diet- and lifestyle strategies that can help tremendously with rebuilding your adrenal function and ultimately your health and wellness. Here are some examples:
Rest & Relaxation:
However difficult this might seem when your workload is high, your children need you, the house needs to function smoothly and you feel like you are barely able to breathe: you must rest in order to nurture your adrenals back to health. Please remember that once your energy levels increase because of a solid commitment to looking after yourself, you will be so much more productive in all other areas of your life.
So start by making a conscious commitment to sleep at least 7 to 8 hours a night. Tuck into bed by 10 pm and prior to turning in practice some deep abdominal breathing to activate your body’s relaxation response. Or practice conscious relaxation. Close your eyes, start with your toes and mentally work your way up consciously relaxing all your muscles, one by one.
Re-design your diet:
Chronic stress produces free radicals in your body and depletes micro-nutrients. That in turn puts further stress on your body so you really want to focus on eating a wholesome diet that is right for you. Take out the junk, processed foods, sugar and refined carbs as well as stimulants such as coffee, alcohol and caffeinated drinks.
Add in clean, fresh, real food that is high in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants so your body can fight the free radicals. Eat plenty of rainbow colored fruits and vegetables. If you are dealing with blood sugar problems you might want to go easy on fruits for a while. Focus on eating high quality protein with every meal, healthy fats and plenty of vegetables.
Supplement:
There are some great herbal therapies that can be used safely to help the body build its ability to adapt to stress. A well-known Ayurveda supplement is Ashwagandha, which helps with stress adaptation and rejuvenation. Rhodiola Root Extract is another powerful adaptogenic herb as is Ginseng. Adding a high quality B complex, magnesium and Vitamin C supplement can be beneficial as well, especially when dealing with high levels of stress. I do recommend you work with a practitioner to determine which of these are right for you as well as to find out if you are dealing with other nutritional deficiencies.
I do believe that we can get all we need in terms of nutrients by eating a balanced diet but when we are dealing with health issues we might need a bit of extra help until things settle down.
Address the Stress:
Examine your life carefully and identify the internal and external stressors.
To find your internal stressors or underlying imbalances I recommend working with a functional practitioner who can help you figure these out.
For external stressors, look in the areas of diet, lifestyle, career, spirituality, environment, relationships, physical activity, social life, finances etc. You might be in a position to reduce some of the stress you are facing quite quickly by making lifestyle changes and diet changes.
If the stress you are dealing with is unavoidable you are going to need to work on your mental frame of mind and change your thoughts in order to help you navigate what’s going on in a positive manner. I know this is not always easy. Here are some of the things that might help:
Follow the ABCs of life approach: Accept what is, Believe that there is a higher power looking out for you and consciously Create and shape your life by changing your beliefs, thoughts and setting intentions, goals and a vision for a better future. I personally love “The Work” by Byron Katie who has developed a very powerful framework to help you examine and change negative thought patterns.
Other than that, live in the moment. Remind yourself to be present in everything you do and you will leave little to no room for worrying about the past or future.
If you need help with any of this, just schedule a free Nutrition Breakthrough Session with me here so I can help you figure out a plan of action.
Be well.
