Tired? Weak? Craving sugar? Coffee isn’t the answer – adrenal dysfunction could be the problem.
Your adrenal glands regulate your fight-or-flight response, producing hormones that manage sleep cycles and energy levels. Things like stress, bad nutrition and even allergies can tax these glands so it’s worth getting them checked by a professional via a saliva test that reads your cortisol levels throughout the day.
Sadly, most conventional doctors don’t offer this type of testing, which provides a more accurate result compared to blood work, so you may have to visit an integrative doctor. Don’t expect instant gratification though. Healing and repairing your adrenal glands can take months, even years. Fortunately, there are a few practices you can adopt to speed up this process:
1. Watch your diet
Eliminate sugars (including fruits for some), grains and starchy carbs from your diet. These foods cause blood sugar to spike and then crash, stressing on your adrenals.
2. Sleep earlier
Get to sleep by 10pm. Your body repairs itself between 10pm and 2am, and physiological repair occurs between 2am and 6am. Rest during these hours is crucial for your nervous and hormonal systems to help heal and repair your adrenal glands.
3. Clear out the toxicity
Being surrounded by negativity drains you of energy so cut out toxic people or jobs. It’s a short-term loss for long-term gain.
4. Don’t skip a rest day
Take rest days from training. More is not always better. Practice yoga, Pilates and meditation so you work in instead of out.
5. Ensure you’re eating your fats
Eat healthy fats daily, especially animal ones. When stressed, cortisol is high and these fats create the cortisol you need to be energized and healthy.
Find health advice and tips to help you reach your goals and more in every issue of TRAIN magazine.
