The modern world is a stressful place. We’ve all got more on our plates than ever before, and it can be difficult to find ways to manage this stress.
In 2014, Statistics Canada reported that 6.7 million Canadians – nearly a quarter of the population – described their lives as “quite a bit” or “extremely” stressful.
On top of this, many of us are having difficulty absorbing the nutrients we need from our diets. Another study from the Canadian government shows a large number of Canadians are deficient in vitamins A, B6, B9, C, D, magnesium, zinc and calcium.
Research has linked most of the above vitamins with the brain’s ability to manage stress. So not only is it that a significant portion of us are stressed, we’re also lacking the tools we need to deal with this stress.
Adrenal Fatigue
Your adrenal glands are small glands located on the top of each kidney – most of us have two of them. They’re responsible for producing a number of important hormones, including cortisol, which is involved with memory and regulation of stress, your metabolism, and blood sugar levels, and sex hormones. It’s an important part of your endocrine system and produces hormones you can’t live without.
Adrenal fatigue is a condition where your adrenal glands are overstimulated through long-term sustained stress. This can lead to irregularities in the level of cortisol produced by your adrenals. In some cases, it can be insufficient, while in other cases there’s actually an overproduction of cortisol.
And because cortisol is so intimately linked with stress management, adrenal fatigue can interfere with your ability to manage stress.
Other symptoms of adrenal fatigue may include:
- Feeling exhausted, even after a good night’s sleep
- Unexplained weight gain
- Susceptibility to common illnesses (cold, flu, etc)
- Decreased libido
- Memory difficulty
- Salt cravings
- PMS, moodiness, fatigue, or heavy menstrual flow
- Unexplained neck or back pain
- Depression or anxiety
- Dry, thin skin
- Low blood sugar
- Hair loss
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Lethargy
Dr. JJ offers naturopathic solutions to help bring your adrenal glands back into balance and leave you better able to cope with the stresses of everyday life.
