It may be adrenal fatigue
We're all familar with stress - it's a constant element in our busy lives. But what we are not so familar with is the body's response to stress and the impact it has on our adrenal glands.
The adrenals, walnut-sized glands located on top of the kidneys, are important manufacturing centres for many of the body's hormones.
Along with several other functions, your adrenal glands help you respond to a threat by rallying all your body's resources into "fight or flight" mode, and they do this by increasing the production of adrenaline and cortisol.
Adrenaline focuses the mind and body to be alert and ready to fight. Cortisol helps us face challenges by converting fats and proteins into energy and releasing our stored sugar, glycogen, into blood stream so our bodies have the fuel needed to respond quickly. And that's just great when you are being chased by a Sabre tooth tiger!
But juggling work, home and relationships (just to mention a few) can mean our adrenal glands are persistently on "high alert".
Each challenge to the mind and body creates a demand on the adrenal glands and persistently high levels of adrenal hormones can cause an array of health issues.
When chronic stress forces the adrenal glands to respond continually, two things can happen. The adrenals can start overproducing cortisol, which leads to sleeplessness and stress or they become depleted so that cortisol production can't keep up with demand. This can cause fatigue, low mood, fuzzy thinking, weight gain, cravings and mood swings. And as if that weren't enough, chronic high cortisol levels can damage healthy tissues, leading to more serious long-term health concerns.
Women can be especially affected by depleted adrenal glands. Because the adrenals are intimately liked to many other systems in our bodies, women can end up with weight gain, fuzzy thinking, sleeplessness, severe fatique, thyroid imbalance and accelerated ageing.
Herbs can offer critical assistance in restoring adrenal function. A
shwagandha provides immune and adrenal support by increasing resistance to mental, physical and environmental stressors. A general tonic, studies have shown that
Ashwagandha appears to support healthy cortisone levels.
Rhodiola rosea is a natural herb that has been found to decrease the effects of stress and fatigue on mental performance. This herb acts predominatly on the hypothalamus by normalising the stress response and supporting healthy secretion of the adrenal hormones.
Signs of Adrenal Fatigue can include:
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Stress and worry
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Inability to cope with small challenges
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Physical and mental fatigue or tension
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Low libido
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Mood swings and low moods
Delivery
