A Chocolate Coconut Bone Broth Latte

Bone broth is a nourishing tradition that has been used to nurse the weak and ill back to health for centuries. 

We're always preaching the importance of loving up your gut health here in the HYAF community.

And we know that gut integrity issues are common among adrenal fatigue sufferers.

Bone broth is a really nice food for helping to repair and restore intestinal health. 

Bone broth is amazingly rich in nutrition-- an amazing food for nourishing up a fatigued and depleted body. 

When you simmer bones for long periods of time..  as you do in the process of making bone broth, the nutrients from the bones, ligaments and connective tissues are drawn into the cooking liquid. What you get is a broth rich in nutrition, amino acids, trace minerals, gelatin, and collagen. It makes for an amazingly nutrient-dense and healing food, one that is really easy for the body to digest...hence why a nice bowl of soup made from a broth like this is such a great food to consume when you're sick or without much appetite. It simply hydrates and nourishes the body. 

8 HEALTH BENEFITS OF BONE BROTH:

1. Supporting the restoration and the strength of the gut lining (leaky gut)

2. Can support the body in overcoming food intolerances and allergies

3. Supports the reduction of inflammation in the digestive tract

4. Supports digestion by supporting gastric acid secretion

5. Can help support healthy bones and aging joints (because it's chalked full of gelatin, collagen, glucosamine)

6. Fortifies the immune system

7. Helps promote more youthful skin

8. Helps reduce cellulite by supporting connective tissue in the body 

the hyaf CHOCOLATE COCONUT BONE BROTH LATTE RECIPE

the recipe

• 1 cup bone broth

• 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk

• 1 tsp cacao powder

• 1 tsp honey

• 1 tsp coconut oil, cacao butter or grass-fed ghee

• a sprinkle of cinnamon

• Optional additions: 1 tbsp hemp hearts, 1 scoop Dandy Blend (or coffee alternative)

Combine on stove top and heat to a simmer. Mix with hand frother or blend in your blender.

Need a good bone broth recipe? Wondering how to use this super nutritive and healing food in your world day to day?
Grab this week's freebie for the HYAF Classic Bone Broth Recipe + 10 ways to use it! 

Hope you enjoy! 
xo Danielle

Supporting Adrenal Fatigue with Supplements: 3 Common Mistakes

In a perfect world, there would be a magic pill to help us recover from adrenal fatigue instantly.

In the fast paced world we live in, this is something many are searching for.. and in attempt to support and repair their adrenals, many spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on natural health products.

Here at HealYourAdrenalFatigue.com (HYAF), we are big proponents of a holistic approach to recovery.
The truth is that though in some cases a major trauma can fatigue the adrenals very quickly, for the majority, the path to burnout has been a slow and steady build over a longer period of time.  Of course, we each have a different story, but my point is that when it comes to adrenal recovery-- there is no magic pill and it can take a while for things to come back into balance. 

There is no magic pill. 

Even though there is no quick fix, supplements can be a wonderful way to help support and nourish a depleted body. They can be a helpful tool to incorporate into your holistic recovery plan.

Today, I'm excited to share with you some supplement tips and tricks to optimize their effects and also, to highlight some of the common mistakes I see occurring all the time with our clients in practice. 

Mistake #1: absorption is hindered by gut health issues

I see this all the time, people with all sorts of adrenal fatigue symptoms taking various supplements in tablet, capsule or soft gel form. 
I'm not saying that this in itself is a bad thing, but many AF sufferers struggle with the integrity of their intestinal health, hence all the digestive issues we experience.
To maximize the bang for your buck, you want to make sure that you're able to breakdown, absorb and metabolize the supplements you are taking. Makes sense right? 

Recommendation: acknowledge gut health situation and start there first

When considering starting a supplement plan, first check-in with your gut health. How has your digestion/elimination been lately?
If you suspect this needs attention, then I recommend starting with some gut health focused supplements and dietary tweaks first.
Examples:

• Have a glass of lemon water before meals

• Focus on chewing food very well to take stress of the digestive process

• Supplementing L-Glutamine Powder (5 grams mixed with a glass of water before bed) to help with repair of the intestinal lining

• Digestive Enzymes (take with each meal to help with breakdown and absorption)

• Try taking a combination powder supplement that helps restore gastrointestinal integrity such as this one.

• If you are anxious to add some sort of adrenal support to the mix, you could start lightly with some ashawaghanda root powder, which you can add to smoothies, chia puddings, elixirs and more.

Mistake #2:Not using the right type of supplement for your stage of adrenal fatigue

This is another big one. We can easily read suggestions and success stories on forums of Facebook groups from others who have or are struggling with adrenal fatigue, but every body is different and the stage of adrenal fatigue you are in makes a big difference in the way that natural compounds (like certain herbs and glandulars) behave. The way you want these compounds to behave will depend on what your cortisol picture looks like.   For instance, if you find struggle to get out of bed in the morning (a sign that your cortisol is too low when it is supposed to be high), then you will want to avoid herbal formulas that are created to help reduce cortisol.  On the opposite side of the spectrum, if you're tired but wired at night, it could mean your cortisol level is too high when it should be low-- and using adaptogenic herbs of stimulatory nature at this time can actually exacerbate this issue.  Certain adaptogenic herbs like maca, panax ginseng, licorice and holy basil have their time and place, but when used at the wrong stage of burnout can result in a completely opposite reaction to what was desired in the first place. This is because they stimulate a cortisol boost which is not good for over active adrenals or adrenals that are burnt-out. 

Recommendation: Know your stage or start with simple nutrients instead of herbs

I recommend professional testing to get a baseline of where your adrenals are at and clear insight on what's going on hormonally. Though an investment up front, this will take out the guessing component and help you create a plan that is specific and tailored to your needs. If I had done this from the get go when I was struggling, I would of saved hundreds and hundreds of dollars that I spent experimenting with different supplements. Working with a professional can make all the difference in selecting the right supplements, at the right doses for your body, to help you see and feel the results of your recovery efforts more effectively. 

If you'd rather not get tested or if you just want to start somewhere, then I recommend opting for basic co-founding nutrients that the body can use (and needs to use) in any stage of adrenal fatigue. 
Examples:

• Magnesium

• Vitamin C

• B-complex (especially B5 and B6)

• Zinc

Mistake #3: doing too much at once

Being over zealous and going out and purchasing a whole bunch of different products and superfoods at one time can be over stimulating for the body. 
Without understanding what to take, how and in what form to take it, and at what dose you should take it in, can actually impede your recovery and in some cases, when taking too much of something at the wrong time, even make things worse.  This can occur for instance, if you are over stimulating your adrenals in the early stages of adrenal fatigue when they are already in over drive, or again in the later stages when they are burnt out. 

When you jump into taking numerous sorts of adrenal support at once, it's hard to tell which is causing which benefit/reaction you may be experiencing and the truth is, when you start taking something new, your probably won't notice any benefit for at least 2 weeks. 

Recommendation: Start start slow

I know I've said it before, but for best results, I will have to recommend working with a professional. The time, money and guess work it will spare you is truly significant.
I know you though, you're antsyin the meantime right? Wondering what you can do right now?  If you're wanting to start somewhere today then I recommend considering the tips I have laid out above, and starting with one herbal or adrenal nutrient complex formula that makes sense for you. I encourage you to do your research. 

By starting slow,  you can pay close attention to how your body feels and how it feels with what you have added. 

Example: After checking in with your gut health and determining what stage of adrenal fatigue you are in, you can start with a one adrenal focused herbal or glandular supplement/formula and see how you feel while on it. 

• Start with co-factor nutrients as mentioned above or an adrenal formula that includes these nutrients along with some sort of adaptogenic properties

  • ake note of certain symptoms you are experiencing and gauge them between 1 and 10 so you can look back and see how these change after taking the supplement for a few weeks. For example, you can note questions like the following:

    • How tired are you in the morning on a scale of 1 to 10?

    • How tired are you in the afternoon at 3:00 on a scale of 1 to 10?

    • How wired are you in the evening on a scale of 1 to 10?

• Re-assess after 3 weeks and see how things are going

• Remember that with the adrenals finding the right support for you can be very much a trial and error process, this is enhanced by the fact that as your support your body in "adapting" to stress and situations with "adaptogenic herbs", that sometimes they adapt to the supplements you are taking. On this note, adrenal support formulas need to be monitored and assessed and re-interpreted fairly regularly to help keep them effective. We recommend sticking with some sort of adrenal supportive supplement regimen for at least 3 months when it comes to working towards recovery, and if further support is needed after 3 months you can re-asses and re-structure the regimen as needed.

Supplements can be confusing in general on a good day, but throw something complicated like adrenal fatigue into the mix and it seems like it gets a whole lot more complicated doesn't it?  I made you a quick guide to help bring more clarity on how to use supplements to support adrenal fatigue effectively (and safely).   I hope this brings a If you have yet to be tested and want to start supporting your adrenals with supplements- this list of herbs and nutrients that you can use in the various stages of adrenal fatigue are all laid out for you in the guide below! 

As I mentioned, though this is just one part of the recovery puzzle it can be a great help and an awesome support to the rest of your self care and recovery steps. 
I have seen clients eating all the right food and taking all the right supplements, but not progressing with their recovery at the level that they were hoping because of the fact that they were neglecting the mindfulness component and self-care in other areas. The needs and care each body needs is unique, just like us. 

Wishing you all the best on your path to recovery and if you have a supplement that has absolutely been a life saver along your recovery journey, please share it in the comments below along with what stage of adrenal fatigue you used it in. 

All the best,
Danielle

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING ANY SUPPLEMENT PROTOCOL OR MAKING ANY CHANGES 

My struggle with adrenal fatigue...there I am lying on the bathroom floor...

So there I am lying on my bathroom floor, tears streaming down my face as my dreams of being a mother crash down around me. I’m lying there, losing my baby...

I get you, you’re struggling. I know how you feel. It’s been very real for me.

Just 3 years ago, I was experiencing the worst health of my life. My health had been going downhill for several years at that point, but I was a pretty healthy person so I didn’t’ really understand what was going on. And from the outside I looked perfectly healthy. What was I complaining about? Was I a hypochondriac?

The truth is I was miserable every day and then my poor health lead to the most difficult experience of my life.  

Before I was diagnosed with stage 3 adrenal fatigue, for years I was waking up every morning exhausted, feeling like I didn’t even sleep, anxious constantly about eating because of my food sensitivities, and in pain and irritable from skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.

I was experiencing symptoms of hypothyroidism and poor digestion, my vision of getting progressively worse and my allergies got really bad, to where I couldn’t taste, smell or breathe through my nose. I was always sick and my memory was declining, and I felt like no one understood me and some even thought I was crazy.

In those few years, I saw numerous doctors, traditional and alternative, various health specialists and none of them could figure out what was wrong with me, and every time I left an appointment, I felt hopeless and frustrated because I wasn’t getting ANY answers.

One doctor told me in order to manage my symptoms I was going to have to take several medications for the rest of my life and that terrified me.

I didn’t think it could get any worse and then it did...

The worst part of it all was I was too sick and in pain to even enjoy life, so I missed out. I was at the lowest point of my life. I imagine many of you here can relate. I didn't think it could get any worse and then it did...

It was 2012, my husband and I were desperately trying to get pregnant for over a year. Even though that wasn’t that long in the grand scheme of things we were starting to question if it was possible. Meanwhile, my health just kept declining. After a year of failed attempts, I realized that my health was so poor that it was best to take a break from trying. I needed to make my own health the priority. 

It was only a couple months later that we found out, we are in fact 8 weeks pregnant. Of course we are ecstatic after our struggle with infertility and starting the preparations to be parents. We spent the next couple of weeks, making doctors’ appointments and interviewing midwives and doulas, we are imagining this little being in our lives. I was so nauseous, exhausted and ravenous. My breasts were achy, but it didn’t matter, because our dreams had finally come true.

 

the nightmare began 2 weeks after my 12 week ultrasound...

I remember this day like it was yesterday. There I am lying on my bathroom floor, tears streaming down my face as my dreams of being a mother crash down around me. I’m lying there, losing my baby. I’m in so much physical pain, but it’s nothing compared to the excruciating emotions I felt as I lay there, trying to digest this trauma of losing the child I will never know. As I look into my husband’s eyes, I feel shame, pure devastation and complete, utter heart break. In this moment I feel so powerless.

The next few days were a blur and I wasn’t sure how to move on. I was at the end of my rope. I had hit rock bottom.

It was in this dark place that I made a decision, a decision that would change my life forever.

I decided that I wouldn't live like this any longer.  I was going to take control of my health, once and for all, so I wouldn’t have to feel this powerless ever again.

I refused. I was going to get to the bottom of my health issues. And that was the day everything change. I spent the next few months researching like crazy, reading whatever I could get my hands on, learning as much as I could. After a few months of this,  I finally got real answers. 

I was diagnosed with stage 3 adrenal fatigue by my amazing Acupuncturist. And with that diagnosis, things FINALLY started making sense. Thank goodness!!

I got on a healing protocol and started working with a handful of different practitioners addressing not only my symptoms and my hormones, but the mental and emotional parts of myself. It was clear what had caused my adrenal fatigue, years of chronic stress without REAL joy and relaxation. So, I said goodbye to these old sabotaging patterns and started to make ME a priority. I started incorporating mindfulness practices and self-care in to my daily routine. I started working to change my mindset around my health. 

I made lots of mistakes along my recovery journey, but once I had an action plan that addressed all parts of myself; mind, body and spirit, I did heal from stage 3 adrenal fatigue very quickly and without drugs. 

My recovery taught me to believe and always keep fighting even when doctors tell you it’s hopeless. Through my roller-coaster of a journey, I finally became the person I've always desired to be healthy, balanced and most importantly happy. And even better,  I got pregnant soon after and had a very healthy baby boy. 

But my journey wasn't over. Unfortunately, I saw so many people in the Facebook groups I was a part of, struggling so much with adrenal fatigue. When I shared that I healed from stage 3, everyone kept asking me how I did it. So I shared my story and how I did it.

But, people wanted more. They were craving a plan, a system. 

I was hearing heart-breaking story after heartbreaking story, wishing I could do something else to help.

I didn't want so many people to have to go through what I did or worse.

But who was I to do anything?

After months of wondering what to do and how to help, I realized something...

I could in fact help.

This inspired me to create the healyouradrenalfatigue.com community with lots of free resources. I spent countless hours, despite having a newborn, recording many how-to videos of what I had learned for my YouTube channel "Adrenal Fatigue TV". And over the past few years, I brought together a team of experts to develop an AF recovery program.

So even though my struggle was painful, devastating, heart-breaking it seems worth it in a way because now I can help thousands around the world who are also struggling with adrenal fatigue and having similar experiences with their health like infertility, miscarriage and so much more. 

If you're reading this and can relate in some shape or form, please share a comment below. Your share could be just what someone else needs to hear.

The 7 Steps I Took To Heal My Adrenal Fatigue Naturally

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Once people hear that I healed myself from stage 3 adrenal fatigue naturally, they, of course want to know, "how did you do it"?

I have to tell you I'm approaching 40 and I’m experiencing the best health of my life, but this wasn’t always the case.

Hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, allergies. psoriasis. food allergies, chronic exhaustion, and horrible digestion were just one part of my story.

Like anyone experiencing so many different symptoms, I wondered where to begin when it came to tackling this condition. 

My adrenal fatigue healing journey was miserable, to say the least.
Luckily, having a background in health coaching and yoga/meditation, I knew healing from any condition/illness/disease needs to happen on all levels; mind, body and spirit. 

Where MY HEALING Began

I found a team of different health professionals, healers, coaches, and teachers to help me on my journey, and this made all the difference
(and no I didn't have lots of money, actually quite the opposite, I was making less than 30k/year living near San Francisco California, if that says anything)

It took money, time and patience, but I made it happen. 

Once I was able to solve this crazy recovery puzzle, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops because I knew so many people were suffering, just like I did.

I wanted everyone to be able to heal like I did and start living their life again. It shouldn't be so hard. 

You shouldn't have to wait to take action right NOW. So, today,  I want to teach you the premise of those 7 steps.

THE 7 STEPS 

Step 1: Balance Your Hormones

Adrenal fatigue is a condition of hormone imbalance so you can’t ignore the hormones. Hormones can be confusing, but not if you get tested and work with a professional. 

Understanding where you're starting from hormonally, is really a must.
Before getting clarity with hormone testing, I wasted time and energy experimenting with different supplements I read about online. 
(I don't even want to tell you how much I spent on supplements, it wasn't pretty). 

You can’t assume if you’re stressed your cortisol is high (which I  was assuming), because depending on the progression of our fatigue, you could be in stage 3. This is where your cortisol is super low, a classic sign of true burn out from the fact that your adrenals couldn’t keep up with your demands of high cortisol production.

Please don’t assume because your hormone panel from your primary doctor came out fine, that there isn’t more to the picture. Not even close! Depending on HOW your hormones were tested, you might not be getting a clear picture of what is actually going on. 

I got my hormone panel blood test done (after I failed to get pregnant after 6 months) from my traditional OBGYN.

My results came back, and my OB told me my tests were normal and my hormones were fine. Later that same month, I got the results of my adrenal stress index saliva test, and this painted a very different story to what I had been told just one week prior.  My cortisol was super low most of the day with a slight increase in the afternoon. My DHEA was extremely low, and so was my pregnenolone (a precursor to progesterone).  And unfortunately, I hear this same story over and over again with our clients and members of our community.

Please consider alternative practitioners and testing if you are still struggling to get clarity. 

Once you know what your hormones are doing and what stage of adrenal fatigue you are in (treatment options are very different for each stage), you can start to bring your hormones back to their optimal levels fairly easily using various different approaches.

TIPS FOR BALANCING YOUR HORMONES NATURALLY

Many of our clients can balance their hormones simply with shifts in their diet and lifestyle. For instance,  eating a cleaner, whole food diet (more about diet in step 4) and lifestyle changes like improving sleep patterns (more in step 5) and improving their coping mechanisms for stress (more in step 7).

But for those who need a bit more, this will require herbs, supplements and possibly even bio-identical hormones. 

WHAT I DID

1. Got tested using the Adrenal Stress Index Test - There are several tests out there that test adrenal hormones, but the most comprehensive and accurate is the adrenal stress index test also known as the saliva test.
   
   

2. Bio-identical Hormones: I worked with a Naturopath to get non-synthetic, bio-identical hormones. I felt comfortable with these bio-identical hormones because the goal is to give your body small doses of the hormones to trigger your body to start creating its own again. Since bio-identical hormones are easier for the body to recognize and process, I never had ANY side effects after taking these bio-identical hormones. That is not the case with traditional synthetic hormone replacement therapies.
   
   

3. I introduced a FEW specific supplements, supplements that had been recommended to me by a professional.

No more self-diagnosing or self-medicating for me. 

Step 2: Adopt a Healing Mindset

I believe healing one’s body is just as much a spiritual healing journey as it is a physical healing journey. To FULLY heal the physical body, you also need to address the mental, emotional and spiritual parts of yourself.

One of the biggest things I learned during this process was in order to achieve anything in life, WE FIRST HAVE TO BELIVE IN IT.

Adopting a healing mindset is just as important if not more important than diet and hormone balancing.

Here’s why:  You can pump your body full of healthy food and supplements all day long, but if your mind is full of messages that you can’t heal or you somehow don’t deserve it, then that perspective or mindset, will cancel out all your other efforts. We have seen this proven in practice over and over again. 

What I did:

1. I used positive affirmations (like these) to reframe my negative/toxic thoughts about my health and flood my mind with powerful healing messages.
   
   

2. I got gentle and forgiving with myself. Afterall, even though my body felt like it was working against me, it had actually been doing the very best it could to keep me alive and balanced.

My body is my friend, not my enemy. 

Step 3: Optimize Nutrient Absorption

If you don’t address some issues that lie at the very root of many health conditions than most likely find yourself right back where you started either months down the road or a year or two. So along with addressing the mental, emotional and spiritual components holding us back, it’s time to bring out the big guns.

Certain PHYSICAL barriers, if left untreated have the ability to stop the healing process in its tracks.

I’m talking about things like Leaky Gut, candida and parasites.

The problem is adrenal fatigue is a condition of depletion.

My body needed extra nutrients, but because I was dealing with these gut issues, I couldn’t properly access and absorb these MUCH NEEDED nutrients from the expensive supplements and healthy foods I was buying.

I wasted precious time and money not knowing the whole picture.

What I did:

1. I learned about these conditions and if I had many of the common symptoms I got tested. Many of them can be healed through supplements and a clean diet. Some require eliminating some key foods for a few weeks, but it’s only temporary.
   
   

2. For me, I was pretty certain I had leaky gut and started take L-glutamine to repair my gut and followed a leaky gut healing diet.
   
   

3. I tested positive for parasites so with the help of my Naturopath, I took a supplement to eliminate them.
   
   

4. As for Candida, it was obvious I had it, but took a free at home test to confirm. Then I went on a pretty strict candida diet for about 6 weeks along with taking a high-quality probiotic recommended by my Naturopathic Doctor.

This process made allowed me to break through the gut health barriers that had been holding me back and take my healing to a whole new level. 

I broke through barriers. 

Step 4: Eat an Adrenal Healing Diet

The first thing we want to do when we are tired and not feeling well is reach for comforting foods and most often these are NOT the foods that are going to nourish our adrenals back to health. These foods make us feel more tired and stress our tired adrenals and allow the unhealthy balance to continue. 

What I did:

1. Started eating nutrient dense foods and balanced out my proteins, fats and carbs. The key is eating whole foods vs. processed (vegetables, meat/fish, whole grains, seeds/nuts, and low glycemic fruits). The best choice especially for meat/fish is organic foods, free range, free of hormone and preservatives. Getting your carbs mainly from vegetables and whole grains is ideal.
   
   

2. Eliminated foods I was sensitive to like gluten, dairy and soy. This took learning how to listen to my body, doing a bit of trial and error, and keeping a food journal.

Things I learned the hard way

This is not the time to fast or jump into fad diets or to focus your attention heavily on weight loss. 

If weight is an issue for you, fret not!  It is very common for those recover from adrenal fatigue and re-balance their hormones have an easier time losing weight. If you want your weight loss efforts to be balanced with real results, balance your hormones. 

Step 5: Get Your Sleep in Rhythm

Hormone imbalance and poor lifestyle habits can make quality sleep really challenging.
Insomnia is a big problem for us adrenal fatigue sufferers.

You can be doing all the right things, eating all the right foods, taking all the right supplements, but when you don't sleep adequately, you miss out on vital rejuvenation and repair time for your body.

A poor night's sleep contributes to MORE than just feeling tired the next day-- it leads to blood sugar imbalances, massive cravings, increased inflammation and more, it simply perpetuates the adrenal fatigue cycle. 

So to heal, I had to learn how to change my habits around sleep.

I'll warn you this wasn't easy for me. 

What I did:

1. Went to sleep earlier. Going to sleep before 10:30 before the cortisol surge around 11pm leads to easier time falling asleep and less sleep interruptions throughout the night
   
   

2. Stopped screen time an hour before sleep. I don’t watch much TV. My max is about an hour a day if that. But I would watch that hour of TV right before bed, which was stimulating for my mind, making it hard to wind down and fall asleep. It actually disrupts the production of melatonin which is the hormone that makes you sleepy.
   
   

3. Incorporated calming practices the hour before bed: journaling, reading, meditation, light stretching/yoga or deep breathing.
   
   

4. Started taking a magnesium supplement. For me, magnesium oil or getting magnesium through Epsom salt baths was more effective than pill form, but you need decide what is best for you. I spray (and still do) magnesium on my skin topically every night.

Once I made these lifestyle changes and started getting to bed earlier, it made ALL the difference.

I’m not gonna lie, I’ve seen people with adrenal fatigue have it far worse than me in the sleep department, but I might just beat them in the food department. After eating any food I felt horrible and had allergic reactions. I went entire year without sugar ( fruit too, except for berries and green apple) and for 6 months I was only able to ate vegetables.

Everyone's struggle is different. 

Anyways, I do know our bodies are meant to sleep more in rhythm is our light and darkness, we are diurnal beings after all.
So, when I do stay up late for a special occasion I could get the same 8.5 hours of sleep waking up around 8 or 9, but I don’t feel the same. I’m so much more tired and never get the feeling of being rested, like I do when I go to bed around 9:30 or 10.

I know you probably won’t believe in this difference until you try it for yourself, but once you do-- comment below and let me know! 

Step 6: Find your Healing Movement

There is nothing better than getting our blood flowing and increasing feel good endorphins in the brain with an amazing workout.
But is that amazing workout helping you feel amazing or is it actually contributing to your burn out?

Personally, I was in the beginning stages of studying to be a yoga teacher and I was practicing Vinyasa level 2-3 (similar to power style yoga) yoga ever day after work for 2.5 hours and then on the weekends too. I was strong and becoming quite the yoga badass, but little did I know I was burning myself out. I needed to balance that intense workout with more restorative and calming movement.

I needed to become more mindful of what types of exercise and movement are most appropriate for my particular stage of adrenal fatigue.

Also, this type of yoga was very stimulating and I was already such a over-stimulated person overcommitting, burning the candle at both ends.
My body needed to have down time and my mind needed time to be still.

What I did:

I started doing less physical yoga and more intentional breath work and meditation.

Now I make a 15-minute a day meditation practice way more of a priority than my yoga practice and I’m healthier than ever.
All I've got to say is the mind is a powerful thing!

Step 7: Transform Your Relationship with Stress

This was the most challenging step for me by far, but no question the most beneficial and effective step in my healing process.
And now that I’ve been working as a coach in this specialty, I see it over and over again.

Once I learned the root cause of adrenal fatigue stress, it was a wake up call.

I now know the symptoms of my adrenal fatigue were the universe's way (which it had been telling me for years, but I was ignoring it) to slow the F-down.

I was living my life in fast forward, so focused on the next thing and accomplishing, that I couldn’t enjoy the moment. I fed on stress and drama; it fueled me.

I finally got real with myself and took responsibility for what I had created. It wasn’t my adrenals fault, (they just didn’t one day poop out on me), it was years of me burning the candle at both ends. It was me. I gave myself adrenal fatigue. I admit it, it’s okay. No shame. I like to call myself out on my SH$&!

But that’s not the case for all of us.

For some, adrenal fatigue might have been a result of physical stress from a major accident or surgery or other illness/condition or maybe it was emotional stress from a childhood trauma or difficult divorce.

But there is something to be said about getting to the root so we can address conditions at the root.

So luckily, I had a spiritual mentor who helped me address my stress habits and retrain my stress response with intentional breathing, mindfulness work and meditation. 

What I did:

1. I started meditating for just a few minutes a day, incorporating intentional breathing techniques
   
   

2. I used mantras like “I am peace” in meditation to send positive message to my brain and to calm my body and mind
   
   

3. I used positive affirmations to reframe my negative/toxic thoughts and retrain my brain to look at life and potentially stressful situations differently.

The truth is, there are always going to be stressful situations/people surrounding you, so the key is learning how do you keep the internal peace the best you can.

I learned, I was more in control of how I perceive stress, how I internalize it and how I handled it.. and THIS, gave me the tools to never get back to where I was when I started.

Once I did the work, my whole life changed.
In just weeks, I felt better physically, I felt less pain, I felt more connected to myself and to everyone around you.

This allowed my nervous system to repair faster and my adrenals too.

I’m the same person, but now I have tools.

When I see myself falling into old patterns and habits that got me sick, I stop and choose differently. I have more control now.
This step alone changed my life FOREVER.

I am certain the key to my recovery was approaching my healing from a holistic approach. Not just taking hormones, not just supplements, not just eating healthy, but all of these 7 steps combined.

The hardest part of all

The hardest part of all of this, was that my learning and the information I needed was scattered and not all in one place. For this, I spent years of my time suffering and spent thousands of dollars that in hindsight, I now see I should have been spending on vacations (this probably would of done me better than the all the supplements I was experimenting with). 

I kept thinking, it shouldn't be this hard.

I imagined what this experience would be like for others if all this information could be presented all in one place... perhaps nicely, in a box, with a pretty bow on top.. and maybe a hug.. because I know I for sure needed one of those at the start of all this. 

This is when I made the decision to take matters into my own hands.

I gathered a team of experts together so FINALLY everything to heal from this crazy, confusing condition could be in one place.

No more guessing, no more months of reading books, blog posts and FB comments to get answers.

If you know these 7 steps, but you’re having trouble implementing them and you need a little support along the way, we've got you covered.  That’s why we created Fatigued 2 Fabulous our proven adrenal fatigue recovery program.

If you want someone guiding you every step of the way through these 7 steps, this is for you.

So when you’re ready we are here for you.