Holidays with Adrenal Fatigue: 5 Tips to Survive and Thrive

Why is it that when we are supposed to be celebrating tradition and spending quality time with family and friends we find ourselves ridiculously busy, stress and on the verge of burnout? The holidays can be a challenging time even for the healthiest of people. When you have adrenal fatigue the added stress that the holiday season brings can lead to major adrenal burnout and flare-ups. Here are 5 secrets to surviving the holidays with adrenal fatigue (and make sure you stay till the end, we want to give you a special holiday gift. It's a lifesaver).

Tip #1 byof

Bring Your Own Food. The holidays are filled with get-togethers focused around food. If you are suffering from food intolerances or allergies as a result of your adrenal fatigue, you most likely have had to give some foods up along the way. If so, you know how frustrating it can be to go to these gatherings. Bringing your own food means that you can still enjoy food and you don’t have to feel like you’re missing out the entire time.

If you’ve been following me for a while you know that on my adrenal fatigue healing journey I gave up many foods. Actually, the only thing I never gave up eating is vegetables. I gave up dairy, meat, sugar, gluten, grains, you name it I tried it. Not just for a couple weeks, but for months and sometimes even years at a time. And just for the record I am not suggesting that or believe you need to give up a bunch of foods in order to heal your adrenal fatigue. But I get what you’re going through and that’s why I always bring food with me, wherever I go.

I am not suggesting that or believe you need to give up a bunch of foods in order to heal your adrenal fatigue. But I get what you’re going through. That’s why I always bring food with me, wherever I go.

What are your favorite alternative food choices that you don’t want to live without during the holidays? Do you have a good or funny story about sharing your specialty foods with your loved ones?

Tip #2 Boost Your Immune System

During the holiday we do more traveling to the mall, to the supermarket, to events and get-togethers which all bring opportunities to come into contact with germs and other icky bugs that might be lurking around. And because as adrenal fatigue sufferers we already have compromised immune systems, we might be more susceptible and find ourselves constantly “under the weather” at this time of year.  Not good! Getting sick would put a huge damper on our capacity to celebrate.

Be pro-active about your health this season.  Keep yourself healthy by doing a few things to boost the immune system. Go to sleep just a bit earlier than usual each night. Cut down on the sugar intake when you aren’t out celebrating and (this is one of my favorites) use essential oils to protect yourself. Personally, I use the Doterra Oil called Onguard. This oil can be used internally to support the immune and respiratory system and can also be used externally as a non-toxic cleaner to protect against environmental threats. I use it at the first sign of the sniffles or as a preventive by diffusing it in the house or adding a few drops of distilled water and spraying down germ-infested areas like the airplane seat or grocery cart. I am not saying to walk around being a germaphobe to the point where you create anxiety for yourself or others, but simply being prepared can reduce your risk AND make you feel more in control and empowered.

My other favorite immune boosting ritual is drinking Echinacea tea or taking an Echinacea extract, which you can find at a health food store. Some people like Emergen-C or Airborne which are also great options. What essential vitamins and supplements support your immune system? Make sure you don’t forget to take them.

Tip #3 Don’t Fall Into the Crazy Trap

When everyone around you is running around like a crazy person trying to get everything done it’s easy to feel like that is what you are supposed to do too. Just because our society buys into the belief that this time of year has to be crazy, doesn’t mean that it’s true, or that it has to be true for you—no matter what the people around you are doing.   I am telling you that it is possible to avoid that trap. What if you could be that person in line at the supermarket or at the mall while everyone else is huffing and puffing, saying rude things to the checker or just acting annoyed, who is stays cool, calm and collected? You can be an example of what else is possible. And as Gandhi would say “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

Tip # 4 Do Your Shopping Online

We have such a luxury now that didn’t exist even 10 –years-ago where you can pretty much buy anything online that you need. So unless you enjoy being out and about this time of year or you have a great deal of patience consider doing all your shopping this year from the convenience of your own cozy couch. Get yourself a cup of your favorite tea, put on some calming music and shop away.  There are lots of options for online shopping these days—it’s not Amazon or nothing. So if you like to shop small or local, check to see if your favorite physical shops have websites…these days you’d be surprised at how many do!

Tip #5 Emotionally Prepare for Your Loved Ones

No matter how close we are to our loved ones or how much we love seeing them during the holidays, it doesn’t negate the fact that family has the ability to bring up a lot of our old “stuff” including limiting beliefs about ourselves, insecurities, failures, etc.

Prepare yourself emotionally by taking some time before you see them to center yourself. Say positive affirmations to yourself. Remind yourself how amazing you are and that your old choices no longer define who you are. Get plenty of sleep and visualize yourself having positive and loving interactions with these people.

I have just given you 5 easy tips to surviving the holidays with adrenal fatigue.

Now I’d love to hear from you. What things do you do to guarantee more fun and less stress during the holidays? How do you avoid flair up during the holidays? What has been the most helpful piece of information shared here?

Please share this blog with friends, family and/or colleagues you feel could benefit from this information.

All my best,

Angela

How Adrenal Fatigue Changed My Life

My struggle with adrenal fatigue was a big wake up call for me, one that I needed so desperately. Adrenal fatigue saved me from the mediocre and unconscious life I was living. By saying this, I don’t mean to undermine the struggle that you are going through right now; because, I get it. It sucks! I remember the sleepless nights, the debilitating exhaustion, the fear that I wouldn’t get better, the digestion issues, the food sensitivities, the mood swings, the dry skin, not being able to eat anything but vegetables, having to pee every 20 minutes…

But I also know my suffering was a true awakening for me. Without this illness I would not have gotten so low and hit rock bottom. It was hitting rock bottom that really made it clear that I had two choices; I could let this condition take over my body and my life or I could choose to keep fighting and believe in my healing.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApRsP8F19g0

I didn’t exactly like life I was leading before adrenal fatigue or the person I was becoming.

Let me give you a glimpse of my old life. Ever since I can remember I loved getting things done. I loved accomplishing things and as a result I learned at an early age to never slowed down. I started working when I was 14 and never stopped. I was putting myself through college working 2 jobs with a full load of classes. When I wasn’t working or going to school I was filling my time with working out, trying to finish my to-do list, trying to do everything and be everywhere. This incessant doing followed me into adulthood and I continued this same pattern. I would never take time out for lunch breaks, self-care and always chose to fill my free time with busy-ness.

I know now that me, my A-type personality and addiction to incessant doing is what got me sick in the first place. And all the things I was doing to be “happy” wasn’t making me happy at all infact, I was miserable. Even when I was doing something I should “enjoy”, I was constantly focused on the next thing really missing out on being in the moment and being “in joy”. I didn’t want to keep living that existence.

So once I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue, it all started to make sense. The root cause of my condition was my chronic stress and addictive to incessant doing. It made me really stop and think about the choices I had made. I realized that if I kept on living like this, I would miss out on my life completely. Does this sound familiar? If so, I want to give you a great tool that helped me break the vicious cycle of busyness so I could finally LIVE more and heal my adrenals for good.

I didn’t get this realization overnight, but it was a process.

I started to work with a spiritual mentor. With her guidance, I started incorporating a simple gratitude exercise which little did I know at the time was going to transform my life.

Every night before bed I would write down 3 things I was grateful for from the day. It didn’t take long for me to recognize that this simple practice was not only changing my perspective, but had a positive impact on my body’s ability to heal as well. This practice quickly started to trickle into more of my day. I started to think about gratitude more often, not just at night.

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I began to recognize in the moment when something magical happened, even something really small and felt grateful. Also, with this shift in perspective, I started to notice I had more energy throughout the day. I started to look at life through a more positive and healthy lens.

So for me it was such an important lesson in life, that my health crisis was an opportunity for me to make a have more awareness, fill my life with gratitude and that all I needed to do was choose healing and happiness. I chose to believe in my healing and trust my process and my body.

So now you know my story and how adrenal fatigue changes my life -  for the better.

Now we'd love to hear from you in the comments below. How has your struggle with adrenal fatigue shaped your life? What are the biggest lessons you have learned? You are part of our healing community and your comments could be just what someone else needs to hear. So take a moment to drop us a line below.

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Adrenal Fatigue Test - Simple At Home DIY Test

Wondering if the low energy and chronic fatigue you are experiencing could be adrenal fatigue? Today, I will be sharing a simple at home adrenal fatigue test. However, please keep in mind that the best diagnosis is one that looks at the whole picture. For example, a range of tests and an assessment of symptoms and physiological signs such as iris contraction, blood pressure, and cortisol levels. 

This requires some patience on your part and a practitioner that has experience and thorough knowledge of the various systems of the body. 

 The Iris Contraction Adrenal Fatigue Test

This test measures your body’s stamina to respond to light.

What You Need:

o      A weak flashlight or penlight (make sure it’s not too bright)

o      Time device with seconds

o      A mirror

o      A dark room or closet

o      A chair

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Go into a dark room or closet and stay there a few minutes to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark. Your pupils (the dark circle in the center of your eye) will dilate (open) fully

2. Shine the flashlight to the side of the eye (avoid shining it directly)

3. Keep the light shining for about 30 seconds (use the other eye to look in the mirror). The pupil should contract in response to the light.

4. Normally the pupil would remain contracted in the light, but if you suffer from adrenal fatigue the pupil will not be able to stay contracted and will dilate (open back up). Or it will waver between contracted and relaxed or contract at first, but then dilate (open) after 10-30 seconds.

5. This dilation should take place within 2 minutes and will last for about 30-45 seconds before it recovers and contracts again.

6. Use your time device and see how long the dilation lasts.

7. Take notes for your records and test every few weeks of your healing journey. As you recover, the iris will hold its contraction and the pupil will remain small for longer.

If you have trouble doing this adrenal fatigue test alone, as a friend or your partner for help.

Now what?

If the iris contraction adrenal fatigue test suggests the likelihood of adrenal fatigue, we recommend taking the saliva test as soon as possible.

This test is done in the convenience of your own home using a simple test kit. It involves you spitting into a tube several times a day and then sending them off to a lab for analysis. The test analyzes your cortisol levels throughout the course of a 24-hour cycle.

Now we’d love to hear from you in the comments below. What are your burning questions? What do you need support with? You’re not alone, so reach out and your comments or questions could help someone else on their healing journey. So take a moment now to drop us a line below.

WHAT IS ADRENAL FATIGUE?

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgivAb6THX0

Has your ability to handle stress or pressure decreased? Does it seem as though you don’t think as clearly as you used to? Are you chronically fatigued; a tiredness that is not relieved by sleep? If you answered “yes” to these statements, you could be suffering from adrenal fatigue. In this blog you will learn: what is adrenal fatigue, what causes it, the top warning signs and why you shouldn't ignore it. 

Adrenal Fatigue

It describes a condition in which your adrenal glands are functioning below the necessary level.

Why is this a big deal?  The adrenal glands have a big job.

The adrenals are endocrine glands that produce and release over 50 vital hormones into your body like testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol, to name a few. Each of these hormones is important for the regulation of all our body processes. This not only includes our physical body but our psychological and even emotional parts of ourselves.

Adrenal fatigue causes chronic fatigue along with many other chronic health conditions.

Have you been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Learn more about the connection HERE!

How Do The Adrenals Get Fatigued?

The adrenals become fatigued when one is experiencing intense or ongoing emotional, mental or physical stress. For example, a death of a family member or perhaps, a difficult divorce, a serious accident or a major surgical procedure.

The adrenals are there to help you respond to these different stress. Therefore, once your adrenals are fatigued they could be ineffective at producing the necessary hormones to fight an infection or to build endurance or raise your heart rate, or give you more energy to run from a tiger or deal with your stressful work deadline or whatever else is needed. So essentially the adrenals keep you alive.

The more stress you have in your life, the more your adrenals get exhausted. This makes it so you are less able to tolerate future stress, a vicious cycle.

This is why it is important to identify this condition and address it immediately.

In his book, Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome, Dr. Wilson shares that 80% of people experience this condition and the physical symptoms of stress at some point in their lives, yet it is often overlooked and misunderstood by the medical community.

So, let's now talk about the possible causes in more detail.

What Causes Adrenal Fatigue?

You can also expect to feel adrenal fatigue if you have or have had:

• Problems in the workplace like a demanding boss, long work hours, or even uncooperative colleagues

• Financial difficulties

• Exposure to pollution

• Problematic family situations

• Inadequate sleep

• Overeating

• Substance abuse

• Infections

• Long illnesses

• Major surgery

But, how will you know if what you're experiencing is actually the adrenal fatigue syndrome and not something else?

Warning Signs of Adrenal Fatigue?

• You're tired even without having indulged in vigorous activities

• You sleep 7-8 hours a night, but you wake up exhausted

• You feel exhausted and weighed down by your responsibilities

• Recovery from an illness or a stressful situation takes longer than it should

• You're snacking on something sweet or salty without being really hungry

• You seem to "wake up" after 6:00 pm and feel like the day has just begun

• You can’t seem to digest certain foods although you have never had food allergies before.

Why Should You Care?

Even though adrenal glands are small, they have a big job of helping your body maintain its normal functions. The adrenals are in charge of releasing over 50 hormones that run your body and help you respond to stress. Unfortunately when these glands aren’t working properly, they have the potential to wreak havoc on your body! That’s why it’s so important that this condition is identified and treated. 

What Happens If This Condition Goes Unnoticed?

When your body’s ability to respond properly to stress is compromised, it can impact your digestion, immunity, reproduction and so much more.

For example, one of the most important hormones the adrenals produce is cortisol. When you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue your cortisol levels are either too high or too low, depending on which stage of adrenal fatigue you are in. When your cortisol levels are out of whack you are more susceptible to severe, chronic allergies, infections, inflammation and autoimmune diseases.

If you suspect that you have adrenal fatigue, start by taking  The Adrenal Fatigue Test.

I just summarized what is adrenal fatigue, the causes, warning signs and why you shouldn't ignore it.

Now we'd love to hear from you in the comments below. What is your biggest struggle right now? This is a healing community and your comment could support someone else on their healing journey. Take a moment to drop us a line below.

Is it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Adrenal Fatigue?

In today’s fast-paced world, it is not uncommon for people to feel chronic fatigue and just chalk it up to simply working too much and sleeping too little. This truth is, after years of this lifestyle there could be long-term health consequences. It could be a result of a fairly uncommon, until recently, condition called adrenal fatigue. Adrenal Fatigue is overlooked by most mainstream doctors, but many people are unknowingly battling this condition all the time. It is estimated that 80% of people experience adrenal fatigue and the physical symptoms of stress at some point in their lives.

In this blog, I am going to tell you what adrenal fatigue is and how you can distinguish it from the typical symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

No!! They are not the same thing and if you ignore it, you could be headed down a long road of chronic conditions with long-term effects on your health.

So Let's Talk About Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

You might have been experiencing chronic fatigue for some time now and you are looking for help or maybe you have been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. If so, you might be experiencing these symptoms:

• Weakened immune system, which means you get sick all the time.

• Poor memory and mental concentration, do you keep forgetting stuff?

• Muscle pain or pain in the joints, headaches, the works?

Are you thinking, "That's me!"

CFS can be a devastating and complex disorder often disabling a person. This overwhelming fatigue that is not improved with sleep is most often accompanied by a handful of other symptoms and can result in reduced participation in daily activities. Researchers have not yet identified what causes CFS, and there are no tests to diagnose it. However, many doctors diagnose CFS if your fatigue lasts for at least six months and your fatigue is not alleviated with bed rest.

However, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can easily be mistaken for Adrenal Fatigue.

What is Adrenal Fatigue Anyways?

Let me start off by telling you about your adrenals glands. Your adrenals are glands that sit on top of our kidneys and although they are no bigger than the size of a walnut they have a very important job in the body, managing our stress. With the world we live in today, this job has never been more important.

The adrenal glands are also responsible for secreting over 50 hormones essential for life. To name a few: epinephrine (adrenaline), cortisol, progesterone and testosterone. These hormones are responsible for vital processes like energy production, fluid and electrolyte balance and fat storage.

For example, cortisol controls the strength of the immune system: too much cortisol weakens the immune system, increasing our susceptibility to infections and cancer, while too little leads to an overactive immune system and autoimmune disease. Cortisol also normalizes our blood sugar and regulates our blood pressure. This is serious business, right?

What Causes Adrenal Fatigue?

Adrenal Fatigue can be caused by intense or prolonged stress or can be a result of an acute or chronic infection or a stressful or traumatic event in one’s life.

Adrenal Fatigue used to be rare and now is all too common because of our 24/7 lifestyle we lead. Lack of relaxation accompanied by sleep deprivation, poor eating habits and excessive caffeine intake all contribute to this condition.

It will interest you to know that Adrenal Fatigue or Dysfunction has been coined as the 21st Century Stress Syndrome, by Dr. Wilson, who has three doctorates and two master's degrees, all in different health-related disciplines.

Could what you are experiencing be adrenal fatigue after all?

Can you answer “YES” to more than half of these statements?

• I have allergies to several things in the environment and my allergies are getting worse.

• I experience blurred vision.

• I am frequently constipated.

• I have low tolerance to cold weather.

• My hands and legs get restless.

• My ability to handle stress and pressure has decreased.

• I am less productive at work.

• I seem to have decreased cognitive ability. I don’t think as clearly as I used to.

If so, you could be suffering from adrenal fatigue.

Why You Don’t Want to Ignore Your Exhausted Adrenals?

As we lead these busy lives and we encounter external stressors without learning to slow down and relax, our adrenal get overworked and essentially can no longer handle the stress being put on them leading to adrenal fatigue or adrenal dysfunction.

Once your adrenals are too exhausted to perform their vital functions and left undetected it will lead to a cascade of disease processes into motion. This was me just a few years ago. My inability to cope with stress, addiction to incessant doing and burning the candle at both ends without slowing down resulted in a major health crisis. I was suffering from hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, vision problems, psoriasis, eczema, severe allergies, poor digestion, many food sensitivities and the list goes on.

Like many people I know who suffer from adrenal fatigue, but don’t know it, it can take several years; many doctor visits and thousands of dollars to finally figure it out. Once I learned about Adrenal Fatigue, it was the real turning point for me.

This diagnosis gave me a renewed sense of hope I needed and is what finally allowed me to heal my body from not only extreme fatigue, but from a handful of other chronic conditions.

How to Deal with CFS and Adrenal Fatigue?

The medical answer for CFS and adrenal fatigue or dysfunction is usually drugs. However, if you are in fact suffering from adrenal fatigue, drugs would not be the best option, quite the opposite actually. Rather elimination is the key. That is, you need to remove toxins from your body and allowing it to nourish and heal itself. As a result, the adrenal glands will begin to function normally and your energy will return.

I am not one to love the idea of slapping a label, disease or diagnosis on a person because it often makes us feel that we need some doctor to come along and fix us or help us get medication that will solve our problem. But in this case learning and being diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigued saved my life. Now I want to give you the tools to make simple, yet powerful shifts in your daily routine so you can tap into what YOUR body really needs to heal, all without using medication!

Let Us Help You

If someone had told me early on what I am sharing with you now, it would have saved me several years of pain, irritation, exhaustion, relationships, time and energy. I don’t want you to end up where I was just a few years ago.

I want to encourage you to learn more about Adrenal Fatigue, because if you suffer from it, the information here could drastically change your life.

Now we’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Have you been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome or adrenal fatigue syndrome? What are your biggest symptoms? We are a healing community and your comment could support others on their healing journey. So take a moment to drop us a line below.