Now that you are beginning to understand what Adrenal Fatigue is, how you got here and what root causes underlie it, you’re probably wondering: What’s next? How do I fix this? I want to feel better now!
Your body is a dynamic being biologically and physiologically programmed for survival and healing through a powerful system of checks and balances. This system is incredibly powerful, but can be thrown out of balance by subtle changes⏤emotions, physical stress, poor food and lifestyle choices⏤which affect our biology in profound ways. But just as simple shifts can throw us off balance, simple shifts can also bring us back into balance. It’s like paddling on a stream: If you’re going with the flow, it’s easy to drift downstream, guiding yourself as necessary. But if you’re paddling against the current, every second is a massive struggle.
There are several simple, yet powerful, steps you can take to put your body back in sync with its nature and start the healing process. When you align with the natural flow that your body craves, it becomes easy to drift into health and well-being. When you are out of sync with that flow, everything becomes harder. Nature doesn’t care. Your body responds to the way you treat it. There are simple daily gifts you can give to your physical body and your emotional body that profoundly change everything. This article will focus on the physical and the next one will focus on the emotional.
The Most Powerful Thing You Can Do to Support Your Body: SLEEP
Our bodies are programmed to sleep when it’s dark and wake when it’s light, yet we are continually pushing these boundaries and consequently paying the price. Lack of sleep (less than 7 hours a night) drains the brain power which leads to forgetfulness and lack of focus. It also decreases productivity, increasing the risk of all types of accidents, weakening the immune system. Lack of sleep leads and weight gain increase the risk for cancer and type 2 diabetes. Lack of sleep affects our appearance, our self esteem, and our mental-emotional balance. Sleep is key for everyone but even more so if you’re suffering with Adrenal Fatigue.
You need 8-9 hours of sleep a night to heal. Your body only heals when it’s asleep, not when it’s awake. Adequate sleep increases energy, reduces stress, sparks creativity and even increases libido.
Here's How To Do It
Build momentum through routine. Anyone who has been to see me has heard me say that the body thrives⏤ with regular amounts at regular intervals⏤on a solid routine of food, drink, sleep and physical activity. Circadian rhythm is your core hormonal rhythm and once that is in sync all other hormonal systems will fall into place. When we skip meals, have haphazard sleep habits, and under or over exercise (or alternate between the two) we create stress on the body. The core rhythm and the body have to work harder at everything when meals and periods of rest are out of balance.
Regular Bedtime Regulates Circadian Rhythm
Put down the phone and the laptop, turn off Netflix and push yourself to go to bed earlier. You will start drifting into health when the body can depend on regularity. It also reduces stress so that the body’s innate healing ability kicks in more easily and repairs begin to happen. If you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep I can help. Do what it takes to give your body the gift of restful, reparative, rejuvenating sleep.
The Second Most Powerful Thing You Can Do: HYDRATION
You’ve heard me say this for years: Hydration is simple, yet powerful. The body depends on water to survive⏤every cell, tissue, and organ. Hydration determines every system function (hormonal system, nervous system even the musculoskeletal system). It is no wonder that dehydration can lead to fatigue, poor mental focus, headaches, body aches and pains. A hydrated body is less hungry. A hydrated body metabolizes more efficiently. Hydration regulates body temperature, lubricates joints and removes waste. It is (most literally) continual detoxification.
Here’s How To Do It
Avoid sugary drinks, fruit juice, fruit smoothies and sweetened coffee drinks. Without going into the biology of how the body processes sugar, let me say that instability in your blood sugar wreaks havoc on all of your systems, making all of your symptoms worse. Drinking more water leads to less stress on the metabolic system so that your body can repair itself during sleep.
Put Yourself on a Hydration Schedule:
Drink 10 -12 ounces of water upon waking
Do it again just before or with breakfast
Repeat mid-morning
Just before or with lunch
Repeat mid-afternoon
Repeat just before or with dinner.
You can stop after dinner to allow your body to process the fluids (so you won’t spend all night in the bathroom!). If you can’t do 10-12 ounces, start lower and build up to it. Train your body to notice and enjoy the benefits.
Third Most Powerful Thing You Can Do: EAT FOOD
We are biologically programmed to eat. Our bodies are primed to store energy⏤the more we eat, the more we want, especially sugar. Food is everywhere and so is advice about how to eat. Restaurant portion sizes are out of control and the food industry in America is all about profit. Some practitioners offer expensive testing/energy testing to tell you what to eat. The theories are endless. It’s no wonder everyone is confused about what to eat.
We need an east button. We need to stop making everything so complicated. Back to regular things at regular intervals.
DO NOT SKIP MEALS
Eating regular meals boosts your metabolism, improves your focus and concentration, relieves stress on the body and stabilizes your insulin. The adrenal glands are hammered by insulin, which raises cortisol levels, increases appetite, speeds up aging, slows down our metabolism, creates mood swings, memory issues and more.
How Do I Do This or What Should I Eat?
I’ll talk more in depth about this at my free class on July 21st. I love working with individuals to figure out what is going to be the best choice for their individual concerns, but my best advice for everyone whether your diet is Paleo, Keto, Mediterranean, Vegetarian or Vegan is to cut out the processed foods and don’t skip meals! Eating regular amounts of real food at regular times will stabilize everything and allow your body to begin the healing process.
Giving your body these 3 core gifts are the key to healing Adrenal Fatigue. It can take time and patience to get this sorted out, but if you do it, and do it consistently, your biology will change.
You can do this, but YOU have to do it. I love seeing people feel the benefit of these changes, and I love what I do because I know the body has an innate ability to heal. I do what I do because I know that acupuncture, herbs and supplements can accelerate this process, helping you heal the Adrenal Fatigue and feel like yourself faster without having to figure out everything on your own.
It really can be this simple. Book your free consultation to discuss how to get to where you want to be more quickly. At your free consultation, we’ll discuss the specifics of your situation and ensure that we are a good fit for one another.
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