Life is getting more and more open. Things are slowly returning to normal.
Yet, many bodies are not.
I’m seeing more and more people who are concerned about weight gain they haven’t been able to resolve with diet and exercise, fatigue that doesn’t go away after rest, and/or trouble sleeping that isn’t helped with the usual sleep hygiene principles or supplements.
When we check labs, we’re finding elevated DHEA levels and cortisols that don’t follow the normal diurnal pattern. Cortisol should rise in the morning and gradually decrease throughout the day until becoming low at bedtime when melatonin takes over.
The lab findings we’re looking at are based on the adrenal glands, which are located just above your kidneys. The adrenal glands secrete hormones that help the body suppress inflammation, utilize fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, regulate blood pressure, and increase blood sugar when needed. When the brain senses stress, it signals the adrenal glands to secrete these hormones. To learn more, check out this blog where I go into more detail about the anatomy and physiology of the adrenal glands.
In times of acute stress, the adrenal glands will secrete extra DHEA and cortisol to help the body adapt. This is perfect when we’re running from a bear. When there is no bear, it can be less than optimal and cause all the symptoms my patients are concerned about.
It seems that dealing with a pandemic and everything else that’s happened over the past 15 months is left many of us in a state of chronic stress.
In order to get out of this, there are two main recommendations I’d like to make:
- Rest More, and
- Have More FUN!
After having many conversations with my patients about all of this, I’ve come to the conclusion that the real issue comes down to control. Most of us feel the need to have control of everything that happens to us.
I’m not judging. I get it.
The problem is that over the past 15 months, we’ve had very little control.
And, the stress this has caused in us is making us sick.
I’d love for you to ask yourself how much fun you’ve been having lately. I mean TRUE FUN where you let your hair down, laugh raucously, or lie in the grass and watch the clouds.
When lab findings reveal issues with the adrenal glands, I’m finding that most of my patients then want to control this, too. They do hours of research on what’s going on and ask me about stringent lifestyle or supplement regimens.
This is the opposite of what needs to happen to resolve the issues.
The best way to fix your adrenal issues is to rest and have fun. Seriously. That’s it.
What times of the day are you most stressed?
What people or activities cause you stress?
What phone calls make your heart rate rise?
What does your morning routine feel like?
How do you relax in the evening?
Could you be over-exercising and causing even more stress to your body?
Take a look at your lifestyle, find your causes of stress, and do what you can to eliminate them. If stressful situations occur, take time to rest afterward. Let yourself yell and scream when you become angry. Dance, cry, shake it off, have fun with your family and friends, stop and take some deep breaths, whatever, just stop the cycle of the stress response.
Not sure where to start, here’s a blog to help.
Are you concerned about your adrenal function?
Feel free to schedule an appointment and we’ll dive into this together.
Otherwise, focus on fun and allow your body to rest completely.
And, be sure to share this article with friends who need to hear it, too.
Recent Comments