adrenals - - Page 2

June 28, 2016

Severe Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome: How I Recovered

If you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue syndrome, you know how hard it can be on your body and emotions. Below, you’ll find tips on how to recover and feel like yourself again!

What is adrenal fatigue syndrome?

The adrenal glands are responsible for all sorts of functions in your body:

they regulate stress (cortisol) and reproductive hormones
they regulate blood sugar and blood pressure
& they regulate your sleep/wake cycle.

When the adrenals become stressed due to poor diet, poor sleep habits, or high stress levels, they struggle to maintain all the functions they are responsible for, and adrenal fatigue syndrome begins to set in.

What are the signs of adrenal fatigue?

abnormal fatigue
blood sugar roller coaster
excessive crankiness
weight gain or loss
insomnia or other sleep disturbances
lack of interest in sex
hair loss

You may find yourself feeling excessively tired. You may wake up starving and spacey in the mornings, and find that your patience wears thin quickly.

How do you cure adrenal fatigue?

If you know you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue syndrome, you can make a plan of action. Here are some tips:

#1- eat a balanced diet

Eating a clean, paleo-style diet can help with adrenal fatigue. However, beware that female stress and reproductive hormones need a fair amount of carbs to stay stabilized and you may need to increase your good carb intake by way of sweet potatoes, fruit, and the occasional side of rice or quinoa.

Cutting out refined sugars, artificial ingredients, caffeine, and processed fats will help too. Replace those ingredients with natural sweeteners like maple syrup and honey, and up good fats like ghee, avocado oil, butter, and olive oil.

For best results, be sure to cut out gluten entirely until you feel better. Some find that cutting out dairy can help too.

#2- drink sole water

Sole water is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to support your adrenal glands. It’s made from only two ingredients, and packs a huge nutritional punch, as it’s chalk full of minerals.

It’s made by putting one cup of mineral-rich salt (good choice are Real Salt and Himalayan salt) into a quart jar (with a plastic, non-reactive lid), then fill the remaining way with filtered water. Let sit overnight, then take a teaspoon each morning in a glass of water.

Start with a tsp in a full glass of water and slowly work your way up until you find a dose that feels good.

Read all about sole water here.

#3- eat fat bombs

A tasty adrenal fatigue syndrome recovery tool, fat bombs are both incredibly healing and delicious! They’re made by mixing your fat of choice (good options are butter, ghee, and coconut oil) with some raw honey.

You can make fat bombs like these coconut melts, or, in a pinch, you can dig out a spoonful of raw honey, then dip it in a block of softened butter and go to town!

Read in detail about fat bombs here.

#4- eat liver

Not many people love liver, but it is a hugely important food to help heal the adrenal glands. Liver is full of vitamins and minerals, especially b vitamins, which help support energy levels. Please read about how this superfood should be part of your adrenal fatigue syndrome recovery protocol here.

There are a few ways you can get liver into your diet on a daily basis:

Take liver capsules. This is the easiest way to eat liver every day. Just pop a few high-quality, grassfed liver capsules and you’re good to go. Get them here, or make your own with this tutorial.
Thaw liver, soak in water with a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, then puree in a blender. Scrape into molds and freeze, then store in a sealed, freezer-safe container. Throw a couple into ground-beef meals, especially those with lots of sauce and spices, and no one will be the wiser!
Thaw and soak as above, then chop into tiny pieces. Freeze on a tray, then transfer to a sealed freezer-safe container. Pop a handful every day like pills and wash down with a swig of sole water to help mask the taste. (This doesn’t taste bad, really!)

#5- adaptogenic herbs

Adaptogenic herbs are those that adapt to what your body needs. They can be helpful to take in the morning to increase energy, but also at night to help you sleep because they lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels.

Adaptogens are especially supportive for the adrenals because they help the body deal with stress while supporting its ability to cope with anxiety and fight fatigue.

For calming a stress response, try ashwaghanda. Get it here.

For improving energy levels earlier in the day, try rhodiola rosea. Get it here.

There are lots of adaptogens and they work well when used together. Read more about adaptogenic herbs and how to make your own adoptogen tincture here.

#6- support restful sleep

Not only is is important to be sure you’re getting to bed early (getting to sleep by 10 pm is really important to support you circadian rhythm- the internal clock that helps your body wake, sleep, and maintain energy levels), but you may need some extra help to sleep restfully.

First- you should block out blue light once the sun goes down by installing blue light-blocking apps on your devices, or using tinted glasses like these.

If you need more help, you can use an herbal remedy to help you fall and stay asleep. Some good options include:

lavender extract- lavender is soothing and relaxing. Get it here.
passionflower extract- passionflower calms the nervous system. Get it here.
valerian root capsules- valerian relaxes the muscles and calms the nerves. It is a very stinky herb, so you may prefer capsules vs an extract. Get them here.

Or learn to make your own herbal sleep remedy here.

#7- take high doses of vitamin C

Did you know that vitamin c is found in the highest concentrations in your adrenal glands?

The adrenal glands use vitamin c to produce cortisol, so when your stress levels are high and constant, your body becomes depleted of vitamin c quickly.

Unfortunately, the most natural, food-based vitamin C supplements are not enough to saturate your body with the vitamin C it needs. Instead, you need a more potent form, such as sodium ascorbate.

To get your body fully saturated with vitamin C, try weekly vitamin C “flushes.” Take one teaspoon of vitamin C powder every 15 minutes until your bowels become loose. However many teaspoons it takes is your bowel tolerance, then you can take maintenance doses throughout the day the rest of the week.

Vitamin C flushes can go a long ways in recovering my energy levels. We like this doctor-recommended vitamin C powder.

#8- kick the coffee… but keep using it

Finally, when you’re recovering from adrenal fatigue syndrome, you want to limit your intake of caffeine, which will further stress the adrenals.

However, that doesn’t mean you don’t want to keep coffee around for other purposes.

During adrenal fatigue recovery, you want to be sure you are supporting your detox pathways. Detoxing too quickly uses up the body’s resources and puts stress on the adrenals.

Coffee enemas can help your body flush out toxins quickly. They are really not as scary as they sound, and once you try them, you will feel so great that you’ll get over the “ick” factor.

Is exercise good for adrenal fatigue?

Exercise can actually exacerbate adrenal fatigue syndrome, so it’s important to be gentle with your body. Instead of high-impact, cardio-style exercise, focus on gentle stretching and walking.

How long does it take for adrenal fatigue to heal?

Recovery can take 6-18 months, but incorporating the above tips can help you start feeling better quickly. Stay patient with your body and allow it the rest and care it needs.

What supplements help adrenal fatigue?

To sum up a good supplement protocol, you can try the following:

Liver capsules- get them here.

Adaptogenic herbs- this is a great one to start with or make your own using this tutorial.

Sleep support- try this sleep supplement or use this tutorial to make your own.

Vitamin C- we like this one.

You can recover from adrenal fatigue syndrome

It took me a few months to feel like I was recovering, but now, over six months since my initial crash, I feel so much better, and I have lots of goofy baby hair growing! This hair regrowth, combined with stable energy levels, and a happier wife and mama, lets me know that I’m no longer suffering from the severe adrenal fatigue that was kicking my tail last year.

Give my protocol a try, and you can begin healing from adrenal fatigue syndrome too!

Have you suffered from adrenal fatigue syndrome? Share this article using a handy button below for friends who may also be suffering!

June 21, 2016

What Are Fat Bombs? The Yummy, Healing Treat You Should Be Eating!

I think we are all over the notion now that eating fat makes you fat. Right? Mmmkay. So, since that’s out of the way, let me tell you more about why you should be eating fat, lots of it, and how fat bombs can help you do that.

What are fat bombs?

I’m not even sure who started the “fat bomb” craze, but fat bombs are one of my favorite health trends in a while!

Obviously, fat bombs contain fat. They also contain a sweetener of some kind.

Seriously, like, sign me up!

Why are fat bombs good for you?

Not only do our bodies need fat (and lots of it) for basic functioning, but during times of crisis, fat can be exceptionally healing.

Personally, fat bombs were a huge part of my recover from adrenal fatigue earlier this year.

While fat is very nourishing to all systems of the body, helping to heal the gut, power the brain (the brain is, after, comprised mostly of fat and needs plenty of fat to function well), and lubricate joints, when paired with an easily-digested sugar, it has remarkable effects on the blood sugar.

A constant blood sugar roller coaster can contribute to adrenal fatigue, as the adrenals are responsible for helping to regulate blood sugar levels. When the blood sugar becomes unsteady, the adrenals become overworked, and, eventually, begin to give out. In return, blood sugar becomes even more unstable. When I was experiencing severe adrenal fatigue, I would wake up in the mornings starving, and and would be extremely irritable until I ate some breakfast.

I would get spacey and forget things and my heart would race. I felt totally out of control and hated knowing how cranky I was with my family. I knew I had to figure out how to fix whatever was wrong with me.

What is adrenal fatigue?

As I mentioned, adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenal glands become too taxed to perform their duties. Lack of proper sleep, poor diet, or too-rapid detoxification can cause adrenal fatigue. Mine came on suddenly and I later realized it occurred when I began taking a very strong probiotic, which was extremely effective, but too strong for me to have taken in full doses. (I now take only 1/3-1/2 capsule at a time.)

For months, I suffered from:

hair loss
extreme fatigue
insomnia
irritability
and a confused circadian rythm (I was tired during the day, but would get a burst of energy and want to clean house at 10 o clock at night!)

I relied on a number of therapies to heal my adrenal fatigue, and once I really tackled it, it went away fairly quickly!

I’ve written about using sole water as part of my adrenal-healing protocol, but fat bombs were a huge help as well!

When talking about healing the adrenals, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome) says, “I recommend making a mixture of raw butter or coconut oil with some raw honey: get the butter (or coconut oil) soft at room temperature and mix a little honey according to your taste. Put this mixture into a glass jar and carry that jar with you everywhere. Eat 1-2 teaspoons every 15-20 minutes all day long. This mixture will maintain your blood sugar at a normal level and help your adrenals recover.” (source)

The trick is, the honey helps to raise the blood sugar, but the fat acts as an anchor and doesn’t allow it to raise too high or too quickly.

I did, in fact, carry around a jar of fat bombs with me, and it was only mildly embarrassing. 😉

How to make fat bombs

Here’s the awesome part: making fat bombs is so easy!

You’ll need some softened fat (my personal favorite is brown butter ghee, which has the most amazing caramel flavor, but you can also use coconut oil, butter, ghee, or even nut butter).

Now add some raw honey (a good rule of thumb is to start with a 4/1 ratio of fat to honey). Give it a taste and add more honey if need be, up to equal parts. I generally like about 1/2 cup ghee or butter with 1/4 cup raw honey.

Adding some real salt to the mixture imparts both a nice flavor, as well as the mineral-boosting benefits of good salt (as I discuss in my post on sole water).

If you want a specific recipe, my coconut melt candies are delightful, and your kids will definitely love them too!

When I’m in a hurry and feel my blood sugar threatening to tank, I grab a spoon, stick it in my honey jar, scoop up some honey, then stick that same spoon in a block of grassfed butter and scoop some of that onto the spoon, too, and eat a big ol’ spoonful of fat bomb. And you can bet if my kids are around, they gather around like baby birds and beg for a bite too. (Don’t worry, I don’t regurgitate it for them.)

Did you know fat bombs could be so beneficial? Share using a link below so your friends can enjoy the craze too!

February 4, 2016

Treating Adrenal Fatigue: The Superfood You’re Not Getting Enough Of – The Family That Heals Together

This post is sponsored by Vital Proteins. Don’t miss the special offer at the bottom of this post!

I’m an open book when it comes to my health struggles. (You can read my story here.) These days I’m doing better than ever before and really starting to get to the root of my health problems, but a few months ago, I had a major setback: my adrenals crashed. I think this was caused by major die off from taking an aggressive probiotic, which was ultimately a good thing, because it helped to repair my gut and kill off some bad bacteria.

However, once my adrenals began to struggle, I had a lot of work ahead of me to get them functioning properly again. Now, I am feeling so much better, in part, thanks to a superfood that I have begun to incorporate into my routine and diet. You may not be getting enough of this superfood yourself, because most of us don’t.

The superfood you’re not getting enough of

Liver is one of those foods you either love or hate, and from what I hear, most of us hate it. I’m able to get my family to eat it occasionally by mixing it with ground beef (like in this meatball recipe), but it’s not something that’s routinely on the menu. As such, I find it hard to get it into our diet on a regular basis.

When my adrenals crashed, I committed to being sure I was getting enough liver… but when you don’t particularly enjoy eating liver, what’s a girl to do? Enter Vital Proteins Liver Capsules.

Treating adrenal fatigue: why you need liver

In case you aren’t familiar with what the adrenals are, here’s a quick tidbit: the adrenals are two glands, each located above a kidney. They are responsible for regulating your response to stress and also contribute to blood sugar and hormonal health.

When you suffer from adrenal fatigue, you may find yourself chronically exhausted, suffering from sexual dysfunction, and battling a constant blood sugar roller coaster. You can remedy these symptoms with dietary intervention (rich in nutrients and low in sugars and starches that over-fluctuate blood sugar levels), adequate rest (go to bed earlier and rest during the day if you can), and key supplementation.

Liver capsules provide two of those remedies: dietary intervention and key supplementation!

Adrenal fatigue is associated with nutrient depletion: vitamins D and C and B vitamins and iron, among others. Guess what nutrients liver is high in? Vitamins D and C, B vitamins, iron, and tons more like vitamin A, zinc, copper, manganese, phosphorus and selenium.

Skip the coffee

While you may be tempted to use a cup o’ Joe to get you going in the morning, drinking coffee with weak adrenals will cause more harm than good in the long run, as caffeine stresses the adrenal glands. Consider getting your morning energy surge from liver capsules instead.

Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional values found in liver.

Liver is an excellent source of bioavailable vitamin A and iron, EPA and DHA (essential fatty acids), b vitamins, and other vitamins and trace minerals. Each of these nutrients is essential for immune system health, with is essential for supporting the adrenal glands, because the adrenals become overtaxed when pathogens start to overrun the immune system.

It’s the b vitamins, however, that pack the biggest punch against fatigue. I like to call b vitamins the energy vitamins because they are so effective at improving energy levels. I’ve taken b vitamin supplements before with no improvement. However, when getting b vitamins directly from a food source, your body can easily assimilate them, making the biggest impact on your energy levels.

Additionally, animals studies have shown that b vitamin deficiencies result in adrenal stress (see source 1 and 2), so making sure you replenish your levels is important when treating adrenal fatigue.

The liver capsule solution

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t care for the taste or texture of liver. I don’t either. By taking liver capsules, you get all the nutritional benefits, without having to actually eat liver.

Liver capsules are made from dehydrated liver, so you can just swallow them down with your morning supplements. No taste, no problem. I call that a win-win.

I’m picky when it comes to supplements. I watch out for fillers and allergenic ingredients. The liver capsules from Vital Proteins have no added ingredients; they are simply pure gelatin capsules filled with desiccated, ground liver. But not just any liver: the liver used in these capsules is pasture-raised, grass-fed beef liver from New Zealand. In other words: I trust it to deliver the nutrients it promises to deliver.

“Vital Proteins Beef Liver is sourced from grass-fed cows from New Zealand to ensure a natural, high quality, and sustainable source of this ancient nutritional powerhouse.” (source)

How I’m treating adrenal fatigue

I have been taking liver capsules for just over a month now, and am finding that my adrenal health continues to improve. Best of all, my energy levels are improving!

Liver is the absolute best source of vital nutrients compared to any other food. I do try to eat it a couple times a week, but to make sure I get liver into my diet daily, I depend on Vital Proteins Liver Capsules.

Like every other product I’ve used from Vital Proteins, I have been so happy with the quality of their liver capsules!

I am convinced that incorporating liver capsules into my morning supplement routine has been instrumental in repairing my adrenals and restoring my energy levels.

If you’d like to try this excellent product, I have a special offer for you! Using the code HEALTOGETHER20, you can save 20% off any Vital Proteins order through February 29th! Plus, you always get free shipping. So go take advantage to improve your energy levels and adrenal health!