Restore Adrenal Health with Himalayan Salt

You might be wondering what’s the big deal with Himalayan Salt. Is it just another health craze? Can it really help restore adrenal health?

I'm going to tell you 5 Benefits of Himalayan Salt specifically for adrenal health and addressing adrenal fatigue symptoms. But first, I want to share the role that salt plays in our overall health.

Our bodies need salt for the electrical function of our heartbeat, for us to make hydrochloric acid in the stomach, (which helps with things like preventing harmful bacteria from entering the GI tract. It also helps you make enzymes which are necessary for digesting protein) and has other very important functions). Salt is also needed for the fluid around the cells for proper functioning of your cells.

Learn more about the science behind what makes Himalayan Salt different from table salt and how to use it into your diet HERE.

Watch the video here or continue reading.

And please note**If you have high blood pressure or history of high blood pressure, or kidney disease please consult your doctor or health practitioner before trying this remedy.

Lets get back to the 5 benefits of using Himalayan salt to restore adrenal health:

1. Salt Can Take Some Weight Off Your Adrenals

 First thing in the morning our adrenals have a big job. They are in charge of raising our blood pressure enough to help our bodies transition from sleeping to waking. They do this by producing adrenaline. If your adrenals aren’t working 100%, waking up puts extra stress on the adrenals first thing in the morning. Salt helps to raise our blood pressure for a short period of time taking weight off the adrenals, supporting them so they don’t have to work as hard.

2. Supports Elimination

When I was suffering from adrenal fatigue poor digestion was a major problem for me.  It was not uncommon for me to only have one bowel movement a week for several years. Not only is poor digestion extremely uncomfortable it leads to a downward spiral of other health issues.  Maybe you have experienced something similar: irregular and infrequent bowel movements. These are a common symptom of adrenal fatigue.

Drinking salt water first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything else was the most powerful way to support daily elimination.

3. Cleanses the GI tract

On a related note, when our digestion is poor, our GI tract contains lots of stagnant matter. This leads to toxic build up and also keeps our bodies from absorbing nutrients from our food. Adding Himalayan salt to your morning routine helps clear out the stagnant matter each day and allows your digestion system to work more optimally. Finally, you can start absorbing the nutrients from all the great foods you are consuming.

4. Hydrates Your Body

During sleep we often go 6-8 hours without consuming water. On top of that, we often perspire during our sleep. It makes it so we wake up from sleep very dehydrated. It is important that we hydrate first thing before we eat or start our busy day.

We often think that drinking water is the only way to hydrate the body. But electrolytes and minerals also play a key role in hydration, a role which is often overlooked. Most adrenal fatigue sufferers experience dehydration and some level of electrolyte imbalance. This is because a hormone produced by the adrenals called aldosterone is responsible for the maintenance of fluid (water) and the concentration of certain minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride) in the blood and cells.

When your adrenals aren’t producing as much aldosterone then it creates an electrolyte imbalance and often dehydration follows.

5. Fixes Mineral Deficiency

As I mentioned above electrolytes and minerals are just as important to staying hydrated as water is. Many minerals we need to allow our hormone system and adrenals to function optimally are very hard to get from our foods these days. And most water we drink lacks these minerals too.  If your adrenals are fatigued, it’s extra important that we make sure we get the proper minerals to support your adrenals.

Drinking water without mineral content can actually scrip our bodies of minerals. Adding Himalayan salt to your water that is full of trace minerals helps solve this problem.

I have just shared with you 5 benefits of Himalayan salt to restore adrenal health. Now we want to give you a special gift to help you incorporate Himalayan salt into your diet...

Now we’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Have you already added Himalayan salt to your diet? If so, have you seen your symptoms change? What was the most helpful piece of information shared? What questions came up for you? This is a healing community and your comments or questions could be just what someone else needs to hear or know. So take a moment to drop us a line below.

Love, 

Angela

The Truth About Salt and Treating Adrenal Fatigue

Salt, for the most part, has a pretty bad rap. That's because many of us are misinformed or under-informed when it comes to salt. And many of us have been using the wrong kind of salt for most of our lives. I hope to clear up some common confusion and misconceptions about salt because you need to understand that not all salt is equal and that the right kind of salt is beneficial in treating adrenal fatigue.

I want you to take advantage of what has the potential to be a cheapest and powerful natural remedy out there for treating adrenal fatigue.

Good salt has the power to improve your digestion, hydrate your body, cleanse your GI tract and fix your mineral deficiency. Learn more about these benefits HERE.

And please note**If you have high blood pressure or history of high blood pressure, or kidney disease please consult your doctor or health practitioner before trying this remedy.

As I mentioned, not all salt is not created equal…

…Or let me rephrase that: all salt is not the same or processed the same.

What is Salt, Really?

When most people think about salt they think of high blood pressure and that they need to limit salt for health reasons.  But what is it exactly? Salt is a crystalline mineral made up of two elements, sodium and chloride. Both of these elements are essential for human life.

We are going to look more closely at 2 varieties of salt, Himalayan Salt and table salt.  Even though sea salt and table salt have the same amount of sodium chloride (about 98%), it’s the other 2% that makes the difference. It’s important that you understand the difference before we go any further.

Himalayan salt is unprocessed and made by evaporating seawater. The other 2% of sea salt is made up of trace minerals and electrolytes essential for optimal health such as calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium.

On the other hand, table salt or common salt is processed by being dried at more than 1,200° Fahrenheit. This process removes all the beneficial trace elements, and replaces them with additives such as anti-caking agents and often sugar! This means that table salt has very little, if any nutritional value. This is why salt gets a bad rap.

But as I mentioned, all salt is not created equally beneficial, and the 2% of trace minerals and electrolytes found in Himalayan salt can have a very real impact on your health.

So What Exactly Makes Himalayan Salt So Great?

Biochemist Graham Ryan explains the science behind the value of Himalayan sea salt: “It supplies an astonishing 83 unique trace minerals.  There are 21 trace minerals that are widely agreed upon to be necessary for the body's metabolic processes.  Most biochemists agree that there are very likely several (even dozens) more that the body will use when available.  Most of the 83 trace minerals found in Himalayan salt are extremely rare (if not impossible) to find in food.  Because Himalayan salt is mined from 200 million-year-old sea beds, it is completely free of the heavy metals and other toxins that show up in sea salts harvested from today's oceans”.

So now you know the truth about salt and why salt is important for proper functioning of the body and for treating adrenal fatigue.

Learn about the 5 benefits of Himalayan salt to restore adrenal health HERE.

Now I would love to hear from you. Have you experimented with different types of salt for treating adrenal fatigue? If so have you noticed benefits? What is your biggest question about salt? This is a healing community and your comments or questions could be just what someone else needs to hear or know. So take a moment to drop us a line below.

xoxo,

Angela 

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3 Reasons Why Skipping Meals Is Bad For Your Adrenals

If you're exhausted and stressed-out, your day probably looks something like this:  You wake up in the morning feeling exhausted; you hit the snooze button several times hoping a few more minutes will make you feel better. You stay in bed till as long as you can and then you don't have time to "break the fast". Or, if you do eat breakfast, its on-the-go and it might not be the most nourishing choice to kick-start your busy day ahead. Maybe you depend on your coffee to not only wake you up, but to satisfy your hunger. Then your morning is so busy that you don’t feel you have time for lunch so you skip it or delay it an hour or two. Instead, you rely on sugar or other snacks to get you through. Sound familiar? Believe me, I get it. I've been there. But let me share with you 3 reasons why skipping meals with adrenal fatigue is bad news.

1.Slows down your metabolism  

Skipping meals gives your body the message that it needs to conserve energy by storing calories as fat.

2. Causes Your Blood Sugar to Drop

When you skip meals it allows your blood sugar to drop. A drop in blood sugar puts added stress on your adrenal glands because the adrenals are responsible for maintaining your blood sugar levels. So your adrenals, that are already exhausted, to begin with, have to work even harder now.

3. Limits Glucose Production  

When you eat, the body breaks down your food and produces glucose. Glucose is the primary source of energy for your brain and your nervous system. So when you don’t eat, the glucose in your brain decreases, which means less energy. This lack of glucose impairs your concentration, focus, mood and memory.]

I just gave you 3 important reasons why skipping meals with adrenal fatigue is a bad idea. Here are a few tips to help you avoid this.

4 Tips to Avoid Skipping Meals:

  1. Make eating a priority. Eat every 3 hours (meals and snacks in between or 5-6 small meals.)

  2. Go to bed at a reasonable time, preferably before 10 pm in order to wake up a bit earlier.

  3. Wake up 30 minutes earlier than you do now, in order to make and eat breakfast

  4. Stock up with lots of healthy snacks on Sunday. Bring several pieces of fruit, some veggies and/or an energy bar to eat for snacks in between meals.

Why Adrenal Fatigue Makes You A Hypochondriac

 A hypochondriac by definition is someone who is abnormally anxious about their health. If you’ve been suffering from adrenal fatigue chances are you’ve felt this way at some point. Or, maybe your friends and family members have suggested you’re a hypochondriac. You’re not crazy! Here's why adrenal fatigue makes you a hypochondriac:

4 Ways Adrenal Fatigue Makes You a Hypochondriac

1. Mystery Symptoms

Because adrenal fatigue is often overlooked or misunderstood by mainstream medicine often people experience many symptoms, have chronic pain or irritability, and are constantly exhausted without an explanation. The “unknown” can make anyone abnormally anxious as the future seems uncertain and somewhat scary.

That was me before I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue. My symptoms all across the board, something was physically wrong with me, and I knew that, but doctors couldn’t find anything. I was beginning to feel as though they thought I was making it all up, but I knew my symptoms were NOT in my head.  I felt frustrated and hopeless.

2. Basic Needs Aren’t Being Met

It’s hard to think of anything else when your basic needs aren’t being met. Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, based on the idea that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfill the next one, and so on. The most basic needs being food, water, shelter, sleep, etc. Next in order is protection, security. After that are the “higher” needs like love, friendship, intimacy, personal growth and so on.

When you have chronic health issues often times you’re basic needs like getting enough sleep and having good health aren’t being met making it hard to focus on other “higher” needs. This means you’re missing out on so much. Your life is consumed with your illness and your ability to be happy and focus on “higher” needs is seriously compromised.

Maybe your friends notice that you are preoccupied or anxious about lots of things and that is why they're calling you a hypochondriac.

3. Have to Watch What You Eat

Every time after I ate, I felt horrible. I would feel itchy and tingly. At first, I thought I was just allergic to everything: gluten, dairy, sugar…

Little did I know, I had low blood sugar. Adrenal fatigue often contributes to blood sugar imbalance because the hormones produced by the adrenal glands play an important role in the way we metabolize and regulate blood sugar.

When you have low blood sugar it can cause many symptoms like blurry vision, rapid heartbeat, sudden nervousness, unexplained fatigue, shaking, skin tingles and trouble concentrating.

It’s easy to think these symptoms are a reaction to what you just ate, that you must be allergic to it. This might not be “it” at all. The symptoms you are experiencing could be a result of a blood sugar imbalance.

Again, how could you ignore symptoms like this, especially when they are happening every day?  Anxiety seems like a normal response to a prolonged struggle with the basic practice of eating!

4. Seems Like Your Sensitive to Everything

At the height of my untreated adrenal fatigue, my allergies became so severe that I couldn’t breathe through my nose or taste, or smell for months at a time. I became hyper aware of the environment around me because I was afraid of what I would react to; trees, plants, pets, dust, chemicals, intense smells…I was never sure what would set off a mild or a severe reaction.

I had to avoid people’s houses with pets. During allergy season, I would choose to miss out on outdoor activities rather than deal with the aftermath. I had to avoid certain beauty products and clothing that caused allergic reactions.  People noticed, and I’m sure their feelings were hurt when I stopped coming over or participating in events, but I had to take care of myself.

Nevertheless, I am sure that without a full appreciation of the ongoing discomfort and pain I was experiencing every day, it was easier for them to think my behavior was “excessive” or “crazy”.

In fact, it was simply a matter of doing what I needed to do to keep myself safe and functional.

These four examples are all excellent reasons why you might feel anxious about your health even if you are not usually an anxious person.  Any anxiety you feel given these challenges is completely justified and it’s important to remember that.

But how can you cope with the daily anxiety or the pressure that comes from judgment, even if it is rooted in loving concern?

I am about to give you 5 Simple ways to deal with this.

5 Things to Do About It

1. Stop Caring What Others Think

If your family and friends don’t understand what you’re going through, it is natural for them to feel confused, which can often resolve itself in judgmental behaviors. Try to explain what you're experiencing in an effort to help everyone. You will get more support from people who don’t think you’re crazy, exaggerating or just like to complain.

If they don’t get it, don’t waste your precious time and energy worrying about them. Save that energy for your healing. If you believe in yourself they will come around.

2. Get Support

If you find yourself without enough (or any) supportive friends, find some.  It may help everyone if you explained to them the basic challenges you’re facing in your life: perhaps they will be willing and able to help provide for some of those more basic unmet needs, freeing you up to enjoy those “higher levels” again!

Make an effort to reach out to a friend or family member you think will listen while you talk about what you’re going through from your own perspective. You can also work with health coach like me or another health professional who recognizes adrenal fatigue and is dedicated to your healing journey. There are also support groups on Facebook such as Holistic Healing from Adrenal Fatigue.

3. Give Yourself Some Credit

I applaud you for seeing the warning signs and listening to your body. Symptoms are your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right. Ignoring them is only going to make it worse.

But, don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting you focus all your energy on what is wrong. That’s only going to make matters worse. Instead…

4. Start Asking Questions

Get ready because I am going to be real HONEST with you. You might not like it, but it’s necessary. At this stage, complaining won’t help. Each time you notice you’re feeling sick or sorry for yourself, don’t beat yourself up—break that habit! Instead, document your symptoms and ask yourself a few constructive questions in order to shift your focus from your pain to your healing:

  • What could this symptom be telling me?

  • What can I be grateful for in this moment?

  • What is the next best step for me?

5. Stay committed To Your Healing and Trust

Whether you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue or another illness that results in chronic fatigue, don’t give up hope. You’re not alone and you’re not crazy.

You deserve great health, we all do. Stay committed by envisioning great health and trust you will find the answers in the right time

Now I would love to hear from you. Do you feel like a hypochondriac? Or have others suggested you are? How do you deal with it? Please share in the comments below.

Lots of Love,
Angela

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Balance Hormones Naturally & Reduce Stress: 3 Simple Ways You Will Love

What do stress and adrenal fatigue have in common? When the mind perceives a stressful event, the body automatically begins the biological “fight or flight” stress response. The body releases adrenaline, tensing muscles, boosting heart rate, constricting blood vessels, slowing the digestive system, causing “tunnel vision” and so on. Without proper rest, the body continues producing the stress response until it is fatigued or exhausted. If stress continues or isn’t managed, it leads to pain, illness, injury, emotional problems, adrenal fatigue and so much more. Here are 3 simple secrets to “turn off” or reverse the stress response so you can balance hormones naturally and overcome adrenal fatigue.  

Stress is something we encounter every day. We often think of stress as a bad thing, but stress is not necessarily toxic by itself. It has a purpose, to keep us safe and prepare our bodies to “get moving” in order to deal with danger.

Stress can be toxic when we don’t know how to react to it. The truth is we are all guilty of creating most of our own stress. This is great news because it means we can also learn to manage our stress.

It’s really about perspective.

What if we saw stress as opportunities and focused on the positive outcome? Just think what is possible rather than reacting out of fear and focusing on the negative?

What if we used the energy our bodies create in stressful situations to motivate us to take action in order to solve the problem?

It’s habit really. We are taught at a young age to react negatively to stress, so we continue dealing with stress the same way into adulthood. This is why we need to make a conscious effort to “turn-off” so we can function optimally and have all the energy we need.

We heal from stress by producing what are called “happy hormones”. The main hormone in charge of this is Oxytocin. Oxytocin is often called the stress ‘off-switch’ or the ‘love’ hormone. It lowers the stress hormone, cortisol.

In order to produce oxytocin, we need to make time for activities that trigger a relaxation response both in the brain and in the body. During the relaxation response, our mind clears, our muscles relax, and our heart rate and blood pressure lower.

Here are 3 simple secrets to balance hormones naturally and reduce stress by producing these “happy hormones”.

1. LAUGHTER

This can be genuine or fake laughter, the brain doesn’t know the difference, so you will have the same result.

  • Spend a few minutes laughing by listening to your favorite comedian during your commute to work or while exercising

  • Surround yourself with people who make you laugh

  • Or just start laughing, it may feel kinda silly at first, but you will feel a ton better afterward

2. HUG SOMEONE

  • Embrace someone. Give someone you love a hug.

  • Really enjoy the hug. Stay a little longer than normal and feel the effects

  • If you can't hug someone you love at that moment then imagine you are hugging someone you love.

  • Cuddling has the same effect

3. TAKE A WALK

  • Even if you don't have much time a walk will help, even if it's only 5-10 mins. You will feel the difference.

  • Walking, and walking outside is recommended and is statistically correlated with higher levels of oxytocin

  • If your day is full of meetings, perhaps you can suggest a walking meeting with a co-worker, you might be surprised that when walking and talking business you can experience more inspirations, creativity and ah-ha moments!

We've just given you 3 simple secrets to balance hormones naturally and heal your adrenal fatigue.

It can be challenging at first to find time to turn “off” and slow down. But I promise once you start practicing this, it won’t take long before you will notice its positive effects. You will not only feel happier but energized too! How does it get any better than that?

Now, I’d love to hear from you.

What things have you tried to relieve stress?  Specifically, what worked and what didn’t?

Leave a comment below and let me know.

Remember, do your best to share details as incredible people just like you come here each week for insight and inspiration. Your experience may be just what she needs to have a breakthrough.

Big thanks for reading, watching and sharing with such enthusiasm! You’re an amazing demonstration of how lovely and supportive the internet can be.

All my love and appreciation,
XO Angela