Do you feel like you’re living in a fog of fatigue? Tired body, tired mind, tired everything? Do you reach for a caffeine boost constantly throughout the day?
Our body really wants to be healthy and balanced; it does everything it can each day to keep you feeling great. Feeling exhausted and tired is your body telling you that its batteries are running very low. So, what do we do if our phone’s batteries are running low? We recharge it. What do we do if our body’s batteries are running low? We do the opposite; we look for sugar or caffeine to give us a boost. That would be like opening all of the apps on my phone at once and then wondering why the battery is draining so quickly. We desperately need to recharge our own batteries and we need to stop draining them as a way to just get through our day. It’s your adrenal glands that are getting the workout when you’re under stress. They’re small organs that sit on top of your kidneys and they play an enormous role in your everyday health…actually, they’re in charge of your basic survival, fight or flight. Our adrenal glands show specific symptoms when they’re starting to slow down (think of an engine running out of gas). I have 4 questions I ask my clients to get a general sense of how their adrenals are doing. This isn’t to diagnose an issue, just to get an idea of what’s going on. To get a proper diagnosis of adrenal fatigue, please visit your friendly neighborhood naturopathic doctor.-
How long does it take for you to wake up in the morning, once you’re out of bed and standing? (longer than 30 mins is an issue)
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Do you ever feel dizzy when you move from laying down to standing up?
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Do you crave salt and salty foods?
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Do you ever get a “second wind” late at night? Around 10pm?
If you’ve answered yes to 1 or more, here are some techniques to help to recharge your adrenals and reduce fatigue:
- Find a relaxing activity that you enjoy, and do it everyday for at least 15 minutes. Meditation, walks in nature, laughing, and playing with your kids all work well.
- Enjoy lots of mineral dense foods like; steamed veggies, bone broth, and fresh-pressed veggie juices. Your adrenals love love love minerals.
- Enjoy more sea salt—your adrenals love sea salt, and you can salt you food to your taste (unless your doctor has recommended otherwise)
- Supplement with a high quality magnesium supplement and a good B vitamin complex (US/CA), your adrenals favorite nutrients. My favourite magnesium supplement is by Salus (US/CA). It’s a wonderfully absorbable whole-food liquid magnesium. My body loves every dose.
- Reduce/remove processed sugars, flour, and high amounts of caffeine—these steal nutrients from your adrenals and drain them faster. 1 mug of coffee is okay, 1 pot of coffee is a bit too much.
