Stressed, Wired or Crashed?
Are you thriving? Do you feel enthusiastic, mentally sharp and focused, and have deep and restful sleep?
Or instead are you edgy, overwhelmed, or exhausted?
A lot of that has to do with your adrenal function, specifically your daily cortisol hormone rhythm.
Do you need a lab test?
It can be very helpful to know your lab values of cortisol. A salivary test can show your cortisol rhythm pattern and with repeated testing, can chart your progress towards thriving.
One huge caveat: current cortisol testing can measure circulating adrenal cortisol, but that is not total body cortisol. The liver, brain and fat tissue also make cortisol. This means that a symptom survey quiz may be helpful information, as it is “where you live.”
Take this quiz from the Adrenal Reset Diet to determine your level of adrenal function. Then you will be ready to take steps to sleep better, have more energy, and enjoy life more, in short, to thrive.
What level did you test to? Stressed? Wired but tired? Crashed? Or are you thriving?
Where to start?
Thyroid
If you are some degree of stressed, the first thing to check is your thyroid. The thyroid and adrenals are intimately linked in the hormonal system, and the function of each affects the other. See Tired of Being Tired? and Thyroid Q & A for how. Treatments for adrenals will not fully be successful if the thyroid is not up to par. And the thyroid will not be up to par is the adrenals need support.
Next, there are many things that you can do for yourself. Modifying a few daily habits can lower your daily stress load.
Waking up
What happens when you wake up can completely set the tone for a stressed or thriving day. A loud alarm triggers a startle response which puts you into the survival mode of stressed. If you cannot wake up naturally at your desired time, there are alarms which work with light, which progressively brighten to wake you up.
Morning
Follow this with a relaxing morning ritual. Take your time and have a hot cuppa. You may want to make plans, meditate, or do relaxation exercise. Avoid computer screens, however, since they speed brain waves.
If you commute to work, make the time restorative. Listen to a book or program on audio, anything that is a healthy distraction.
Evening
In the evening, real companionship instead of social media will keep you thriving. A warm meal with others goes a long way as well towards thriving.
Bedtime
Before bed is a good time for reflection and journaling, especially if the lights are dimmed. In this way, unresolved thoughts will not crowd out your sleep time. An alternative is to read something inspirational or light.
Stay away from the computer, tablet and TV, but text-only versions of Kindle and Nook do not throw off brain waves like computers do.
If you sleep in too warm an environment, your cortisol rhythm may be disrupted. A mid-60 degree temperature is needed to reset the adrenals.
Have you gone camping and noticed how well you sleep with the fresh air? If the outside air is appropriate temperature without a burden of allergens or pollution, why not open your windows? The alternative is a negative ion generator or during the day to be outside around plants or around running water.
What is the next step?
I recommend the wisdom in Dr. Alan Christianson’s Adrenal Reset Diet as a way to eat throughout the day to gently support and actually reset the adrenal cortisol rhythms. Food is a powerful way to reset the switch to thriving, and he shows you how.
Most importantly, I advocate listening to your body and not taking on someone’s idea of how to eat. However, I see in the work a way to become more sensitive to what you body is telling you, and eat to support it. Just by choosing a differing amount of carbohydrates with stable amounts of protein and fat as the day goes on, you do just that.
The Adrenal Reset Diet is currently on Bestseller lists, and it is more than a fad. For a fast look, I provide more details in next week’s blog
Beyond this, come in for a medical consult and I can put it all together for you and choose some natural remedies to speed the process to thriving again.
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