Most likely, your symptoms of adrenal fatigue didn’t start overnight. It takes time for the adrenals to wear out—months or sometimes years, in fact. Just as it took time for them to run down, it will take time to build them back up again. There are things that you can do to heal your adrenals, and much of your recovery lies in your ability to stick to a healthy lifestyle including:
- Stress management
- Healthy eating
- Exercise
- Taking the right vitamins and supplements
Manage your stress
Not every stress can be controlled, and a little bit of stress can be a good thing as it keeps us motivated and pushing forward. For other types of negative stress, remember that you have to take control. Take steps to slow down the pace of your life. Enroll the kids in fewer activities. Make time to take a walk each evening, or set aside time to just talk with your family instead of staring at your phones or devices. Just a few minutes each day can make a big difference.
Get plenty of rest
Watching TV in bed until midnight then getting up at 5 for work and pumping yourself with coffee throughout the day isn’t going to help your body recover. Sleep is essential. Try to go to bed by 10:00 each night and sleep until 6:00 or so if it’s possible. Practice good sleep habits by not watching TV in bed or using your phone within an hour of bedtime so you don’t disrupt your natural sleep hormones.
Exercise
You knew I was going to say that, didn’t you? Exercise does so much for your body and even a light 20-minute walk is better than nothing if you haven’t been moving for awhile. For patients with severe adrenal fatigue, exercise may leave you feeling worse (more tired) than you were before. Just be patient with yourself and choose less strenuous activities until you can tolerate other types of exercise.
Supplements
Vitamins, minerals, and certain herbs play a key role in the recovery of your adrenals. In addition to a specific diet, I will guide you through a regimen of supplements that are designed to feed and support the adrenal glands. I can’t stress enough the importance of using high-quality supplements. We can talk more about this in the office.
There’s no better day to start healing than today. Adrenal recovery takes time, commitment, and persistence, but if you’re ready to feel better, I look forward to helping!