We have a set of Adrenal glands, also known as suprarenal glands, are small, triangular-shaped glands located on top of both kidneys. They help make up the endocrine system which is group of glands that produce hormones in the body. These glands are extremely important even though they aren’t very big they actually handle important functions in the body. They produce hormones that help regulate:

Metabolism

Immune System

Blood Pressure

Stress responce

The adrenal glands job in your body is to release certain hormones directly into the bloodstream. Depending on how relaxed or how stressed your Adrenal glands produce these hormones and in normal amounts are quite vital to our existence. If they release to much because your body is in constant stress mode can lead to hormone imbalances that can cause havoc in the body.

The glands have two key components:

adrenal cortex- the otter part of the gland that produces hormones that are required to live like the the cortisol hormone, regulates metabolism and helps your body respond to stress, and aldosterone that helps control blood pressure.

adrenal medulla- the inner part of the gland that produces nonessential hormones like adrenaline. These hormones help you deal with physical and emotional stress. Like Epinephrine that increases your heart rate and rushes blood to the muscles and brain. Also spikes your blood sugar by converting glycogen to glucose in the liver. Then norepinephrine that works with epinephrine that can negatively give ou high blood pressure.

• also these glands make small amounts of Estrogen and Testosterone but not as much as the major sex organs.

Now after reading this you can see that these Glands are key, but guess what? We beat these poor things to death with poorly managed stress and diet.

Key signs your Adrenal Glands are in over drive:

Tired at 3

Fatigue

Brain fog

body aches

Unexplained weight loss

stubborn weight gain

low blood pressure

light headedness

loss of body hair

skin discoloration (hyperpigmentation)

increased energy levels in the evenings (wired but tired)

cravings for salty and sweet foods at night

Insomnia

Weight gain around the belly

Man boobs

Bloating

GI Issues

You can see this is very long list and we all have probably experienced a few of these symptoms. So what can we do to get our Adrenal Glands back into proper working order and not over tax these glands and let them do the job they are made to do.

Eat: Lean Proteins, Variety of Vegetables, low sugar fruits, Nuts, Beans, healthy fats, whole grains

Drink: lots of purified water and balance it with some electrolytes as well just by adding some pink salt to your water bottle

Do: Daily Yoga and Meditation Practice, Daily Cardio, get Eight hours of Sleep

Cut Out: refined sugar, alcohol, salt, processed foods, fast food, caffeine, soda, fried food, artificial sweeteners

Supplements can be taken along side these lifestyle changes. These supplements are not quick fixes to your issues but can work in tandem:

• Magnesium Powder before bed

• Calcium Supplements taken daily

• Zinc taken daily

• Epsom Salt baths (weekly is best)

• Cordyceps Medicinal Mushroom powder (in your morning warm beverage is best or added to pre work out smoothie)

• Chaga Medicinal Mushroom powder

• Reishi Medicinal Mushroom powder

• Ashwagandha in supplement form (one in the morning and one taken mid day)

• Holy Basil supplements (taken one in the morning, one mid day and one before bed)

• Licorice root tea(best mid day or before bed)

• Maca root (best added to your morning or afternoon smoothie)

Next I have a few experts that have covered Adrenal health in their podcast and I think can go into deeper detail about how important it is to treat your adrenal glands with care.

Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D. has been featured on the blog before. He is know in the medical and health wellness community as a wealth of knowledge and is trusted for his educated and researched opinions. In this podcast episode he goes into detail about the “Wired and Tired” aka Adrenal Burnout issues many people are having. He sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Boham, MD, MS, RD, IFMCP to discuss these issues. Dr. Elizabeth Boham is a board certified in family medicine, a registered dietitian and a Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner. They together are a wealth of knowledge and have a lot of great information in this podcast interview. They together with a team of Doctors started the Ultra Wellness Center in Lenox, MA. They have a blog and you can actually become a patient if you aren’t able to find a Functional Medicine Doctor in your area.

Click link below to listen to the podcast:

Wired and Tired: Fixing Adrenal Burnout with Dr. Elizabeth Boham

Dr. Cherie Johnson is a Chiropractor and Functional Medicine Practitioner. Dr. Cherie owns and operates the Chiropractic Acupuncture Health Center located in Birmingham, Alabama. She has this southern accent and is quite a pistol. She did two different podcast that cover a lot of how we can cause havoc with our Adrenal Glands and what we can do about it. The first she goes into how they the Adrenals can be making us sick and what we are doing to them to make us sick. The second she interviews Dr. Sarah Leatherman at the Integrity Weight Loss Center in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. This podcast episode is not just for the Ladies they go into weight gain and hormone imbalances in Men as well.

Click links below to listen to the podcast:

Are My Adrenals Making Me Sick?

Adrenal Glands: How They Affect Your Weight, Hormones & Health

I hope you gain some knowledge about your Adrenal Glands and possibly make some lifestyle changes to make your body run efficiently. If you ignore the signs that your Adrenal Glands are telling this can lead to serious issues.

Have a happy Wellness Wednesday!

Shara

Sources:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/adrenal-glands, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-adrenal-fatigue-real-2018022813344, https://basq.livelarq.com/wellness/adaptogenic-mushrooms-their-health-benefits/, https://basq.livelarq.com/wellness/adaptogenic-mushrooms-their-health-benefits/, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/addisons-disease/expert-answers/adrenal-fatigue/faq-20057906, https://www.endocrineweb.com/endocrinology/overview-adrenal-glands, https://www.healthline.com/health/adrenal-glands#disorders, https://www.healthline.com/health/adrenal-fatigue-treatment, https://www.integrativepractitioner.com/practice-management/news/gywneth-paltrow-diagnosed-adrenal-fatigue-launches-new-supplement