ADRENAL FATIGUE

By Alex Tuggle L.Ac., Golden Wellness Center. 2018

    Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms

When you feel as though you have been hit by a truck, when it is all you can do to get out of bed in the morning, if you are overwhelmed by all of the tasks that your life demands of you, if you get caught in a spiral of self doubt, anguish, and feelings of being out of control, this could be a sign that you are indeed in adrenal fatigue or even adrenal burnout syndrome.

A lot of people don't even know that they are adrenally fatigued since they keep themselves going with caffeine (coffee, green tea, soda) or other stimulants. These stimulants actually worsen the condition of being adrenally fatigued since they force the adrenal glands to produce more adrenaline than it actually wants to.

You can't get something for nothing.

Caffeine only extracts your reserves of energy from your adrenals at a much quicker pace. It is like when you are low on gas in your car.

To conserve fuel, you have to drive slower.

But people don't want to drive their bodies at a slower pace, so they drink caffeine giving them the illusion that they have more fuel, when really they are just burning that little bit of fuel at a much faster pace.

Then one day...Bam!! They are flat on their back, incapacitated. The body finally demands that you pay back all of the debt that you have run up on your energetic credit card.

You can only go so far into debt, energetically speaking, before your body demands that it is paid in full.

Paying back your energy loans to your adrenal glands can be a slow and agonizing experience. However, there are lifestyle guidelines, exercises, and herbal supplements which can help tremendously.

If your Adrenal glands have already used up all of your Progesterone hormone through constant stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) and resulting Cortisol production, adding stimulants into the mix will only deplete your reserves of Progesterone even further, driving you deeper into ADRENAL BURNOUT!!

Many different metabolic functions within the body will break down when the Adrenal glands are exhausted, and these will also require nutritional support in order for your body to become healthy again.

Adrenal fatigue is a health condition where the adrenal glands are unable to produce large enough amounts of Cortisol, Cortisone, Aldosterone, DHEA, and subsequentlythere will be a decline in sex hormones: Testosterone, Progesterone, Estrogen.

These Adrenal hormones provide the chemical messengers that stimulate cellular metabolic functions that provide the energy needed for enzyme production, neurotransmitter production, supporting immune cell production, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, and helps us to deal with Stress in a healthy manner.

Adrenal fatigue can also shut down the cellular production of stomach acid, pancreatic enzymes and Liver bile salts that help to break down our food into usable nutrients like amino acids, short chain fatty acids, and help to release the vitamins and minerals in our food for proper  assimilation.  You might not be absorbing the amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals in your food properly when your adrenal glands are becoming exhausted, and this could lead to Leaky Gut and Autoimmune health conditions.

ADRENAL FATIGUE SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:

• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Hostility
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Weakened immunity
• Chronic low-grade infections
• Low Sex drive
• Infertility
• Erectile dysfunction
• Low back pain
• Poor digestion and assimilation of food nutrients
• Getting sick frequently
• Hypoglycemia
• Fibromyalgia
• Inability to focus or concentrate
• Poor memory
• Sweet cravings
• Thyroid problems
• Always feeling cold
• Weight gain or loss
• any Chronic illness is probably associated with tired Adrenal glands

ADRENAL FATIGUE : CORTISOL

Cortisol is perhaps the most commonly known Adrenal gland hormone, since it is the one lab test that most doctors prescribe to "diagnose" Adrenal Burnout. The problem with blood, serum or saliva tests is that this one single hormone fluctuates from moment to moment, throughout the day, or could change on a weekly basis.

Low Cortisol levels indicates a Chronic Stress pattern, which has caused all of the hormonal precursors as well as all of the vitamin and mineral cofactors needed to make Cortisol, to be consumed by constant Cortisol production, to the point that there are no Nutritional cofactors or Progesterone to make Cortisol from.

The hormonal precursor to Cortisol is Progesterone, so this is why Chronic stress which raises Cortisol for a period of time will deplete your body of Progesterone and the enzymatic cofactors and vitamins needed to continue producing Cortisol. This is one way how chronic stress results in infertility in men and women, as well as Adrenal fatigue in both children and adult men and women.

The Adrenal glands no longer have enough of the resource material that provides for the production of Cortisol, Testosterone, Aldosterone, and Estrogen, so all of these hormone levels decline as a result of too much stress, inflammation, heavy metals and toxic organic compounds, and not enough proper nutrition to support our busy lifestyle.

Cortisol is the main glucocorticoid in the body and therefore aids in the breakdown of fats and proteins in the body in order to convert them into glucose, for the cells to use as energy. If you cannot produce enough Cortisol due to Adrenal fatigue, then you will experience very severe low blood sugar known as Hypoglycemia, since you have no way to raise your blood sugar levels between your meals. This can lead to extreme blood sugar swings, severe mood swings, and may cause you to panic in order to get any source of sugar such as a candy bar, fruit, or pastry to bring your blood sugar up.

This can be a vicious cycle since whenever you eat too many simple sugars like this, your Pancreas will instantly try to "overproduce" lots of insulin, which is a hormone that helps to get this excess sugar out of the blood and into the cells where it can be used to help power our cellular metabolism and energy production. This overproduction of Insulin creates even more stress on our already tired Adrenal glands, since the Adrenal glands are part of the signaling pathway that tells the Pancreas to produce more Insulin.

Too much insulin production from overeating sugar can deplete our Pancreas of Zinc and Magnesium, which are used in the process of producing and releasing Insulin. Excess blood sugar is extremely toxic to the kidneys and your brain tissues, and will create inflammation and oxidative stress on your heart and cardiovascular system, leading to Coronary Artery disease, congestive heart failure, Neuropathies, Poor circulation, and can lead to blindness, and memory loss.

Blood sugar handling problems and Diabetes are a major sign of Adrenal fatigue and must be treated as such.

Causes of Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal gland fatigue can be due to a toxic overload such as Mercury, Aluminum, or Copper toxicity, or from extreme shock and emotional trauma, PTSD, physical trauma such as head injuries or surgical procedures, Prescription medications, eating unhealthy foods like those found commonly in the normal American diet, working too hard without enough rest, over-indulgence in stimulants like coffee, tea, tobacco, and narcotics.

However, the simple and most common cause of ADRENAL FATIGUE is:

STRESS!

Stress induces a 'fight or flight' Adrenal stress response. The Adrenal glands respond to stress by secreting Cortisol, Catecholamines like Epinephrine and Norepinephrine, and alsoAldosterone. Aldosterone is the "Sodium-retaining Hormone" which tells the kidneys to retain more Sodium and Copper which are stimulating and provide a quick energy supply to power the sympathetic nervous system during a "fight or flight" response.

At the same time, Aldosterone tells the kidneys to eliminate large amounts of Potassium,Zinc, and Magnesium which are calming to the nervous system. The body has less need for these calming minerals when we need to be very alert and ready for action, just as our "fight or flight" defense mechanism was designed: to protect us from danger.

As Zinc and Magnesium levels decline, your ability to digest food, assimilate nutrients, and produce energy from food becomes greatly impaired because Zinc is necessary for the production of all proteins in the body, which includes the enzymes in the stomach, pancreas and intestines which are responsible for the breakdown of food into particles which can then be absorbed through the intestinal lining.

Zinc and Magnesium are the main calming minerals in our body, so if their levels decline, due to constant "fight or flight" stress reactions, our ability to handle stress is greatly impaired. Adrenal fatigue treatment usually includes taking supplements of Zinc and Magnesium to help calm the Adrenal glands down, so they can rest better.

It's like a Catch-22:

• Stress reactions deplete Zinc and Magnesium.

• You need Zinc and Magnesium in order remain calm and not get stressed out all the time.

• Stress reactions result in a propensity for even more stress.

• More and more Copper is retained by the release of Aldosterone. Copper is itself very stimulating and agitating to the nervous system making you over-emotional and over-reactionary causing an inability to relax, excessive worrying and thinking, difficulty sleeping, and being even more stressed out.

• Copper suppresses Zinc's function in the body, so what little Zinc there is gets even more neutralized by the excess amounts of Copper being retained by our stress reactions.

• Stress keeps compounding on top of stress until you require medications such as anti-anxiety medications, sleep medications, anti-depressants and possibly others which just try to suppress the effects of the excess Copper toxicity and Zinc and Magnesium deficiency.

Zinc and Magnesium are also necessary for many energy producing biochemical pathways in the body. Without these vital nutrients, the Adrenals are called on to work extra hard to produce even more energy, since there is not enough energy being produced by our metabolism of food nutrients. Over time, this can lead to adrenal gland fatigue.

Adrenal fatigue treatment In Traditional Chinese medicine requires taking nourishing Chinese herbs such as Jing tonics like Rehmannia, Polygonum multiflorum, Astragalus, and other Adaptogenic herbs. We term the Adrenal glands as part of your "ancestral energy" or Jing.

Jing is the core substance that your body is made from, similar to your bone marrow, which produces all of the cells in your body. It is also all of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to activate the enzymes that create adrenal hormones, neurotransmitters, liver enzymes, and cellular antioxidants that protect your tissues from the oxidative stress that results from mineral imbalances, toxic heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and other free radicals that cause injury to your body.

With most cases of Adrenal gland fatigue, there is a biochemical mineral imbalance in the body which keeps you stuck in over-drive, without the calming effects of Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium and other essential nutrients to slow you down. This constant sympathetic nervous system "fight or flight" state of being begins to wear down the Adrenal glands. They begin to run out of the nutrients necessary to produce Aldosterone and Cortisol and so these hormones begin to decline, just like the Zinc and Magnesium did before.

You will eventually start to feel the exhaustion at the end of a busy day. You may likely have a hard time settling down and relaxing due to the depletion of Zinc and Magnesium of chronic stress, resulting in low amounts of neurotransmitters in the brain such as Serotonin, GABA and Dopamine. This can result in conditions such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), poor memory, anxiety, spaciness, irritability, insomnia and depression.

Your adrenal glands desperately need to rest, but it is still wired to the sympathetic branch of the ANS (autonomic nervous system) keeping the stress hormones at high levels, which deplete your adrenal glands even more. The nervous system simply cannot get out of the over-drive sympathetic nervous system and into the parasympathetic nervous system. The Parasympathetic nervous system is the "Rest and Digest" nervous system. Any Adrenal fatigue treatment should include methods that encourage the switch to the PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM.

Adrenal Fatigue Treatment

Adrenal fatigue treatment usually requires a long period of time to help the Adrenal glands to rest, rebuild, and regenerate the underlying hormonal precursors that have become depleted by Chronic stress and toxic overload.

Simply raising Cortisol levels back to "normal" levels will only worsen your underlying cause for Adrenal fatigue, since it is usually high levels of Cortisol that caused your Adrenal fatigue in the first place.

Adrenal fatigue treatment requires a simple reduction in our daily "STRESS RESPONSE" along with a specially formulated supplement protocol that can help to address the multiple nutrient deficiencies and mineral imbalances that can be caused by too much stress and Adrenal Burnout. Due to so many different triggers for your Adrenal stress response, you might need to take STRESS REDUCING NUTRIENTS AND HERBS to help get your stress levels under control.

Like I said before, Magnesium and Zinc will always be depleted by chronic stress so it may be very helpful to take these minerals in supplement form. However this is rarely enough to completely resolve your underlying health issues that can be contributing the the Adrenal fatigue.

HAIR ANALYSIS FOR ADRENAL FATIGUE TREATMENT

Hair analysis is a great diagnostic tool to correctly evaluate your Adrenal gland function, levels of stress, as well as pinpoint the most effective way to correct your Metabolic rate, which determines the rate at which your adrenal glands are working. If you are a Slow Oxidizer we will eventually want to speed up your metabolism or Oxidation rate. However if your Hair analysis reveals too low amounts of Calcium and Magnesium in your soft tissues, your ability to tolerate stress will be insufficient to utilize Adrenal gland stimulants without also combining Stress relief supplements such as Calcium, Magnesium and Taurine.

This type of Adrenal fatigue treatment is called Nutritional Balancing and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to really understand the overall system breakdown that results from chronic stress, toxic heavy metals, and the resulting Adrenal fatigue. Every person in the 21st century should get this test done by the righ practitioner, one who is trained in Hair analysis interpretation and Nutritional Balancing science which was developed in the 1970's by Dr. Paul Eck, along with the research of Hans Selye, Dr. George Watson, Carl Pffeifer MD, and many other Orthomolecular physicians and researchers of the 20th century, giving us the concrete science-based medicine that utilizes all natural vitamins, minerals, glandular extracts and other nutritional constituents that all support the body's Metabolic needs.

Order a HAIR ANALYSIS TEST for ADRENAL FATIGUE TREATMENT:

Treating Adrenal Fatigue

1. The first thing that you need to do to get out of Adrenal gland fatigue (energy debt) is to stop taking out more energy loans!

Adrenal Fatigue Treatment means:

• Don't go beyond your physical limit.
• Take breaks regularly throughout the day rather than crashing when you get home. This means lying flat rather than sitting, which can cause postural dysfunction if done improperly.
• Get enough rest.
• Don't take on so many tasks.
• Reduce the amount of stress in your life.
• Improve your ability to deal with stress with things like:
1. Meditation
2. Qigong
3. Acupuncture
4. Stress Management exercises
5. Adrenal fatigue supplements

Many Type "A" personalities are guilty of exceeding their physical energy limits and end up crashing and burning later on in life. High ambitions usually turn into a deep hole of adrenal fatigue and mental depression.

When your adrenal glands are exhausted, youdesperately need to rest and regenerate your reserves. You can't build up reserves of energy if you never rest. It's like trying to save money while spending it recklessly. In one sense, money is energy. It takes energy to make money, so it is extremely important to also be very prudent and conservative with your money as well as your energy expenditures.

The problem is, many individuals with Adrenal gland fatigue are dead tired all day, but then are unable to fall asleep at night. This is partly due to the fact that most people who's adrenals are insufficient have been stuck in a 'fight or flight' stress response. This 'fight or flight' stress response is the major contributing factor responsible for the Adrenal fatigue symptoms in the first place.

Imagine that you are feeling constantly threatened by an imminent threat, like that of a gazelle being chased by a cheetah. You need that burst of adrenaline provided by your sympathetic nervous system when the 'fight or flight' response is initiated in order to escape the present danger. This is the normal application of the 'fight or flight' response.

However, we humans have a knack of keeping this 'fight or flight' thing going so that after years and years of constant stress and staying busy, our adrenals crash as a result of lack of rest. Restfulness and peaceful mindedness comes from our parasympathetic nervous system. This is the part of our nervous system that allows us to fall asleep and to not feel threatened. This allows us to regenerate our energy reserves for the next time we are required to 'flee or fight' from yet another danger.

How do we stop this
'Fight or Flight' stress response?

Treating adrenal fatigue requires an understanding of how your body is operating at the cellular level, in order to help us determine how to effect your metabolism:

Should we stimulate the Adrenal glands and speed up your Oxidation Rate, or should we intercept these stress signals and help your Adrenal glands to rest, in order to slow down your Oxidation rate.

Which Minerals in your body are bio-unavailable and should be supplemented with Chelated minerals?

What stage of Adrenal Burnout are you in? Stage I, Stage II, Stage III, Stage IV?

How well can you tolerate dietary sugar?

All of this information can be accurately obtained by using the Soft tissue mineral analysis or Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA). This one lab test is able to accurately assess the strength of your endocrine system, metabolic rate, thyroid and adrenal hormone functioning, along with current stress levels and how to correct your current Metabolic imbalances.

This science-based system, based on years and years of research of analyzing the minerals in thousands of individual's hair test reports, has created a body of scientific, evidence based diagnosis, based on Hair Mineral Analysis interpretation. I can find specific mineral imbalances in your soft tissues and your hair, which will allow me to accurately diagnose your metabolic type, thyroid activity, the status of your Adrenals, and gives us concrete information needed to formulate a Nutritional supplement program that will remedy your body's specific nutritional needs, in order to balance your body chemistry.

Nutritional balancing is an effective Adrenal fatigue treatment that can help to normalize your metabolic rate, resulting in the proper mobilization and utilization of key minerals, which will allow your cells to function much more efficiently, creating an abundant new supply of cellular energy that will help turn on the many enzyme pathways that help to create your Adrenal gland hormones and reduce the excessive dependence on your fight-or-flight "Sympathetic branch" Stress reactions.

The specific treatment for Adrenal fatigue will vary based on your exact Hair Mineral Analysis results and once we have discussed your case over the phone, I will then prescribe your personalized treatment plan. The Hair minerals: Sodium and Potassium, most closely represent your Adrenal hormone function at the cellular level.

However too much ACUTE STRESS can change these minerals levels to rise, indicating an Excess amount of Adrenal activity. Using the Hair Analysis gives us insight to help us manage your Adrenal stress response that no other lab test can provide. Based on decades of Nutritional research and product development, I can prescribe a very effective set of nutrients and herbs to help lower your STRESS RESPONSE in order to help the Adrenal glands to rest and heal.

Adrenal Fatigue treatment may include Glandular extracts, Vitamins, Minerals, Chinese Herbs, Nutritional Balancing Supplements, along with self-help practices such as Qigong Exercises and practical Lifestyle counseling to get your life back in to balance.

If you have Insomnia there are special products that I have found that can help improve your sleep and ability to handle stress and anxiety. Insomnia is a common symptom of Adrenal Fatigue and by regulating your nervous system, the Nutritional Balancing supplement program will naturally help to improve your sleep pattern.

Chinese herbs may also be prescribed as part of your overall treatment plan, as a way to combat stress, regulate your sympathetic nervous system and to rebuild vital substances such as blood, hormonal precursors, and phytonutrients that slow down the aging process. These Chinese herbs have been used and studied for centuries in Asia and used for their life promoting actions. By combining Chinese herbs with Nutritional Balancing supplements, you will experience the most effective Adrenal Fatigue treatment combination.

If you would like to order your Hair Analysis kit, please go to my Contact Page and fill out my Contact information form and I will send you a kit with instructions. I also offer a free 15 minute consultation to help you decide whether the Hair Analysis Supplement program is right for you.

ORDER A HAIR MINERAL ANALYSIS AND CONSULTATION:

"DR. Alex is amazing! He gave me my life back, and got me better! 

I had been battling adrenal fatigue from copper toxicity for 2 years. He truly healed me. He is an incredible healer! 

I had been to doctor after doctor over the years. I am just so happy I found him! Have faith, and trust in him. He will get you better if you follow what he says, and have patience."

- Keira H., Los Angeles, CA

"I've only been on his program 6 weeks and 90% of my symptoms are gone and the rest are diminishing!

It's amazing, and improving my health has given me confidence to go after other areas in my life that I'd previously been putting off. I've started exercising and pursuing goals that I couldn't before because I was simply too stressed out and tired all the time! 

I've never been this healthy, not even as a child. Thank you, Alex, for all of your expertise and wonderful help!"

- Plamena S. Portland, OR

He explained my hair analysis test throughly. And recommended the right herbs/supplements for my health issues. He is very patient and kind. I have been emailing him with all kinds of questions regarding the supplements/ diet/health and he always make sure to get back to me and answer all my questions. Thanks Alex!!"

- Kawal K. Santa Clara, CA

"Alex is a wonderful influence in my life!  I found Alex on-line through his extensive informatively educating and treatment of health issues that have been hindering my life.  I have had a hair analysis, interpretation and consultation with Alex.  He is an absolute pleasure to communicate with, sincerely and patiently answering of my questions.  He takes his time in explaining what is going on with my body and what we will be doing to correct my health issues.  I have begun my nutritional, supplemental, balancing and detoxification program designed by Alex. I am feeling good and truly looking forward to continuing working with Alex.  Thank You Alex!!"

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