How to naturally support your adrenals

If you've recently gone through a huge life change or have been living in a constant state of BUSY it's important to watch for signs of adrenal fatigue! Chronic stress affects 77% of all Americans and it's easy to see why when most of us live in a constant state of chaos & packed schedules. Let's explore how your adrenals affect the body and what you can do to naturally give them a boost.

What are adrenal glands?

Located at the top of each kidney this butterfly-shaped gland is responsible for releasing hormones into the body. Your adrenal glands are composed of two parts: the cortex & the medulla. Each part is responsible for producing different hormones. The cortex produces hormones that control salt balance in the body, controls sexual function & regulate sugar balance. The Medulla produces hormones involved in our fight-or-flight response. The adrenal glands contribute to your health even at times when your body isn’t under extreme stress. However, there are other parts of your body that interact with your adrenal glands, including:

Hypothalamus
Pituitary gland
Kidneys
Sympathetic nervous system

Why your adrenals are so important

Your hormones are crucial to your overall health however when your adrenals aren't working properly it can send them for a loop. Here are some of the hormones that your adrenals control

Cortisol

This is your body's natural built alarm system for stress. While it is often called "the stress hormone" for its best-known role, it also contributes to many of the body's processes. Cortisol helps control your body’s use of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Along with regulating your blood pressure & blood sugar levels, it helps control your sleep-wake cycle.

Aldosterone

Aldosterone regulates the salt and water balance of the body by keeping sodium in and releasing potassium from the body. Activation of this system occurs when there is a decrease in blood flow to the kidneys following the loss of blood volume or a drop in blood pressure. Excess production of this hormone can lead to high blood pressure, low blood levels of potassium, and an abnormal increase in blood volume.

Adrenaline

Adrenaline releases when you’re in a crisis or experiencing a strong emotion like excitement or fear. Once released messages are sent to different organs in your body, such as the heart and lungs. It causes the blood vessels to send more blood to the brain and muscles, increases your blood pressure, makes your brain more alert, and raises sugar levels in the blood to give you energy. This process happens relatively quickly, within 2 to 3 minutes of the stressful event being encountered. Overproduction of adrenaline can lead to: rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, anxiety, weight loss, excessive sweating and palpitations.

How you can naturally support your adrenals

If you're experiencing symptoms of adrenal fatigue there are luckily ways to help naturally support them! Most treatment interventions should include factors such as dietary and lifestyle modifications, rest, light exercise, and nutritional supplementation. Here are few examples you can start trying today:

Reduce your stress levels
Incorporate light exercise daily
Get enough rest
Avoid caffeine
Remove dairy, gluten, soy, and corn to reduce inflammation in your body and remove additional stress to your adrenals
Start supplementing with vitamin B6 vitamin C & Ashwagandha

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