Nurture your adrenals: part 1

by | Nov 28, 2012 | Stress and Fatigue | 0 comments

As we creep closer to the end of the year I’m seeing a lot of people who are flat out, stressed out and clapped out.

I think part of it is to do with *that* time of year. Christmas. Family. Holiday. New Year. Stress!

The perfect time, in short, to nurture your adrenals.

The adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys and play an important role in how your body responds to stress. They pump out corticosteroid hormones such as cortisol, which keep you awake and alert when you’re under fire.

This is an important physiological adaptation – a real boon – and serves us well during short term stress. However, if we are exposed to prolonged stress – for days, weeks, months – we’ll run out of steam. Fact.

Our bodies are not intended to react like this. We are designed to have rest periods between bouts of naturally occurring stress, during which there can be a chance to repair. We otherwise run the risk of falling into an exhausted heap.

For most of us, stress is an ever-present factor in our life. Not just the tearing-hair gnashing-teeth stress of family fueds, but the constant low-grade hum of modern life.

Learning how to manage stress – as opposed to eliminating it – is one of the most important parts of staying well and preventing an energy crash.

So, how to do that? In short: diet, lifestyle, herbs, support.

Tomorrow I’ll give you my top 10 adrenal tips – many of which can be found at home!