You have probably heard of the adrenaline rush, and you’ve probably felt it too! But what happens if the stress doesn’t let up and the rush-of-life doesn’t stop?
The adrenal glands are two small pyramid-shaped glands that sit on top of your kidneys, and help manage many important functions in your body, including your stress response, weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, and immune system. The adrenal glands are a primary survival mechanism! They control our fight or flight response. When we are in danger, or think we are (worried your boss is going to fire you, worried about money, worried about your kids), they mobilize all our resources to fight or get away from that danger, by secreting adrenaline.
As the initial surge of adrenaline subsides, the hypothalamus (in the brain) activates a second stage of the stress response, releasing cortisol. This keeps the body revved up and on high alert, keeping the foot on the gas pedal. One of cortisol’s functions is to keep blood sugar high, so it can be easily used for high-energy action: it makes our thinking sharp, gives us energy, and mobilizes blood sugar to fuel our muscles. Then insulin is pumped out to mop up that extra blood sugar back into your cells.
If the threat passes, cortisol levels fall. The parasympathetic nervous system — the "brake" — then dampens the stress response.
You‘ve probably seen vivid examples of the fight or flight mechanism on nature programmes. Think of gazelles around a watering hole. They are calmly drinking when along comes a lion. Suddenly the chase is on and there’s all kinds of action. Once the lion catches a weak gazelle, what do the other gazelles do? Go right back to calmly drinking at the watering hole as if nothing happened.
Now imagine if lions were constantly chasing those gazelles. Eventually the gazelles would wear out and collapse, and the lions would too! In nature, constant stress is rare. But in the human world – well, we’ve managed to create all kinds of constant stresses for ourselves.
In chronic stress, cortisol and blood sugar stay high, causing other problems in the long run, including more belly fat and weight gain, associated with insulin resistance, fatty liver and metabolic syndrome.
Here are 10 common signs that your stress response system is chronically overactivated:
You’re having trouble falling asleep even when you’re tired (“tired and wired”) and even when you do sleep, you’re not rested when you wake.
You get irritable or angry quickly, or more often than you want to.
You’re craving sugar, carbs, fat, salt – or all of them!
You get tired around 3-4 most afternoons, and that’s when you really want something sweet or some extra caffeine.
You’ve been gaining weight, perhaps noticing a spare tire around your middle.
You feel anxious or blue.
You’re getting sick more often than you used to.
Your hormones are all over the place, you’re having fertility problems, or perhaps your libido is nowhere to be found.
Your memory and focus are not what you think they should be.
Your digestive system is acting up.
The adrenal glands act as shock absorbers to our system – they help us bounce back from life’s many stressors. When we’re under too much stress, or unrelenting stress, we pay the price with our health in many ways.
How to Get Out of Survival Mode?
Make relaxation a way of life. Believe it or not, the best treatment for adrenal stress is not supplements or herbs or fancy diet strategies – it is simply learning to practice relaxation. Relaxation techniques such as meditation and mindfulness help to let your adrenals know that you are safe – and this allows your system to recalibrate to a lower stress state, including pumping out fewer stress hormones.
Practice good sleep hygiene. While you might be feeling wired, especially if you are in adrenal overdrive, you need 7-8 hours of sleep each night to restore your body, and for your adrenals to have time to replenish themselves.
Keep your blood sugar steady. When your blood sugar drops, it tells your body you are starving – and this is perceived as danger by your adrenal system. Keeping your blood sugar steady lets your adrenals know you are not in survival mode and that they do not have to go into action. Allowing your blood sugar to dip by skipping meals, living on coffee, and then spiking it up with sugary foods taxes your adrenals. The most important step to blood sugar balance is starting your day – every day – with a high protein breakfast, and then eating a diet high in protein, good quality fats, and vegetables regularly throughout the day. Don’t let yourself get hypoglycemic, and avoid sugary foods that give you a blood sugar spike.
Cut back on caffeine. Caffeine allows us to push past our natural energy limits and triggers some of the same adrenal chemicals that get fired up when we’re under stress, leading to adrenal overdrive and increased cortisol production. It’s hard to cut back on caffeine when you’re exhausted, but cutting back (or completely cutting it out) is the only way to break that vicious cycle. We can promise you that after you get through caffeine withdrawal (takes a few days, drink a lot of water to avoid headaches!) you will have more natural energy, not less!
Exercise – but not TOO much! Exercise is so healthy for the body and the spirit – but many people, particularly hard-core runners and spinners, are getting too much of a good thing. Over-exercising contributes to adrenal stress, which is why many runners find that they get sick easily and why many over-exercisers have trouble losing weight. If you’re burning your candle at both ends in your life, and you’re over-exercising, cutting back can help to rebalance your energy.
Take supplements for adrenal support. A daily dose of B-complex and magnesium, as well as a class of herbs called adaptogens are super supportive for people under stress.
Adaptogens support, nourish, heal, and replenish the adrenals. Some of our favorites are Ashwagandha (calming, helps with muscle aches, promotes sleep), Rhodiola (especially if you also have anxiety), and Holy Basil (calming and immune boosting).
Comentários