Adrenal Fatigue Could Be Why You’re So Tired

The adrenals are two small glands located above your kidneys. Despite their small size, they carry a lot of weight in making sure your body is functioning properly. These two small glands are responsible for secreting hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, and your body’s response to stress.

How the adrenals work

When high-stress situations arise, your body’s innate “alarm” system, which helps adapt to the situation at hand, is triggered. The hypothalamus, an area in the brain that produces hormones, sends a signal to the adrenal glands to immediately release the stress hormones adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine. This release generates a surge of energy which causes your heart to beat faster and your blood pressure to go up. This is called a fight-or-flight response.

Periods of chronic stress, whether physical, emotional, or psychological, cause an overproduction of these stress hormones, especially cortisol and adrenaline. Eventually, the adrenal glands are unable to keep up the production of the hormones that are being signaled and this is referred to as adrenal fatigue.

Signs & symptoms of adrenal fatigue

Early signs of adrenal fatigue include:

• Feeling ‘wired and tired’ (Do you have difficulty falling and staying asleep despite feeling exhausted?)
• Afternoon slumps in energy (Do you need caffeine to get through the rest of the day?)
• Increased anxiety
• Carb cravings (Are you craving more sugary, salty, or starchy foods?)
• Immune suppression (Are you noticing more frequent occurrence of upper respiratory illness or allergies?)

Signs of more severe adrenal fatigue include:

• Extreme fatigue
• Depression/anxiety
• Seeking more stimulants (drugs, caffeine, sugar)
• In peri/post-menopausal women: a worsening of hot flashes & night sweats
• Worsening blood pressure

What we can do

1. Adrenal Stress Index: Our functional medicine provider can use a saliva test to get a better picture of how your adrenals are working. Based on the results, vitamin, glandular, and botanical supplements may be recommended to improve adrenal function.
2. If you’ve worked on reducing your stress levels and cleaning up your diet, but still feel exhausted, there may be an underlying condition at play. We’ll assess all areas of your health to identify imbalances that could be exacerbating your condition.
3. If our assessment supports the need for dietary changes, our nutritionist can help. Working with a professional will give you a deeper understanding of what your symptoms are telling you, tailored guidance on what foods to add or subtract from your diet, and encouragement to stay on track! For example, a low glycemic index* diet that includes lean proteins, healthy fats, whole grains, and low glycemic fruits and vegetables will support your adrenals by keeping your blood sugar stable, while processed and inflammatory foods will do just the opposite.
4. Exercise and relaxation techniques may also be recommended. At the Kaplan Center, our providers can advise you on what type of exercise and relaxation techniques are best suited to help you manage your stress.

What you can do, today:

• Dedicate 5 minutes each morning to meditating and make this a non-negotiable part of your daily routine. Starting your day this way will take your body out of flight or fight mode and into rest and restore mode. Throughout your day, notice your thoughts. This type of awareness will help reduce stress levels by empowering you to select more positive and supportive thoughts over negative and stressful emotions.
• Food matters! Cut back or eliminate stimulants from your diet to lower the amount of stress hormones your body is producing.

Bottom line: Stress can have a real impact on your health. Listen to your body! If you’ve noticed changes in your energy levels, cravings, or mood, your body is sending you an important message. Ignoring that message could lead to more serious health conditions like weight gain, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, insomnia, and cardiovascular disease.

*Glycemic index is a ranking system for carbohydrates and how they affect your blood sugar levels. High glycemic foods can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar, while low glycemic foods are absorbed and digested more slowly, causing a slower and small rise in blood sugar levels.