Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Why Adrenal Health is So Important
- Dependence on Sunglasses
- Hollow Cheeks
- Lines in the Fingertips
- Pale Lips
- Balding Lower Legs
- Unexplained Back or Knee Pain
- QUICKLY Get Relief From Adrenal Fatigue
- Get to bed no later than 10:30 pm
- Throw out the processed salt and replace with sea salt
- Eliminate coffee and refined sugar from your diet
- Reduce dependence on grains
You’d have to be living under a rock not to notice that adrenal fatigue and adrenal problems, in general, are at epidemic proportions in our modern culture.
Just notice how nearly every gas station sells energy drinks and shots and there is a coffee shop on practically every corner. The average American now consumes a whopping 180 lbs per year of refined sugars. These signs surely provide sufficient evidence.
By the way, the 180 lbs of sugar per year figure is a shocking 27% increase just since 2003 when sugar consumption was 142 lbs per person per year!
Caffeine and sugar consumed in excess amounts will sucker punch your adrenal glands faster than just about anything else, no doubt about it.
I’ve read a lot of articles about the adrenal glands and adrenal fatigue over the years. Most of them focus on the symptoms which include excessive fatigue, hair loss, sleep problems, difficulty getting going in the morning, etc. You know the drill.
What I haven’t seen as much written about is why it is so critical to keep these two walnut-sized glands at the top of your kidneys happy and healthy and how to spot the freight train of adrenal fatigue coming full speed down the tracks and about to smack your life upside the head.
Fact is, once you are losing your hair, can’t sleep at night or get off the couch during the day, adrenal fatigue has already sucked the “life” out of your life. At that point, mustering the strength and courage to reverse course can be quite daunting indeed.
Why Adrenal Health is So Important
A few years ago, I attended the Wise Traditions Conference hosted annually by the Weston A. Price Foundation. One of the most interesting lectures I attended during that information-packed weekend was given by Dr. Bruce Rind MD, a holistic endocrinologist whose talk focused on spotting and reversing thyroid and adrenal problems.
I learned from Dr. Rind that the health of the thyroid gland and the adrenal glands is inextricably linked. If one goes south, the other one probably will too and in very short order.
Adrenal problems can frequently masquerade as thyroid problems. As a result, if the adrenal glands are experiencing high levels of stress day in and day out from lack of sleep, too much sugar and caffeine in the diet and a rush rush lifestyle loaded with carbohydrate-heavy processed foods, thyroid gland problems will eventually manifest along with the adrenal problems. Panic attacks may occur as well.
Why is this such a big problem?
Because thyroid problems often end up going hand in hand with insulin resistance problems. The development of insulin resistance is a BIG problem as this has a direct effect on longevity.
Once insulin resistance and blood sugar problems enter the picture, the domino effect to Metabolic Syndrome takes place, a fancy name for a group of risk factors which includes heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes.
Now that we know why we need to keep the adrenal glands in ship shape and why ignoring this problem will only lead to more serious and imbalanced endocrine problems in the future, let’s explore the early signs of adrenal problems.
As you can see, a person’s overall hormonal balance is extremely intricate and one endocrine disorder frequently portends another then another. Hence, keeping one’s adrenal glands from becoming overly fatigued is extremely important as the seemingly insignificant signs of early adrenal dysfunction and insufficiency can rapidly start a person into a downward spiral to Metabolic Syndrome.
When does one cup of coffee in the morning or that afternoon pick me up candy bar suddenly indicate a major problem on the horizon?
Here are a few lesser-known signs of adrenal fatigue as described by Dr. Rind in his Wise Traditions lecture and as written in my notes:
Dependence on Sunglasses
Are you one of those people who can’t stand to be out in the bright, midday sun without your shades? Oversensitivity of the eyes to bright sunlight is a sign of adrenal problems from a chronic sodium-potassium imbalance which prevents the pupils from properly constricting in response to bright light.
The good news is that being out in the midday sun with no sunglasses is a way to strengthen the adrenals. When I do errands, I try to leave my sunglasses in the car and walk to and from the stores so that my eyes get a good dose of unobstructed sunlight.
I’ve noticed that my eyes have become significantly less sensitive to sunlight over the years as my diet has improved with the general banishment of refined sugars and carbohydrates in my home. While I still wear sunnies for safety reasons to reduce the glare while driving, I frequently find myself forgetting to put them on at all on very sunny days.
Hollow Cheeks
This young person shown in the picture to the left has some serious adrenal fatigue! My bet is that there is a lot of sugar and caffeine going on in that diet. Being young is no protection from the ravages of hormonal disruption. If you find your cheeks hollowing out, take a look at your diet pronto.
Skip the collagen injections and lose the sugar, caffeine, and refined carbohydrates instead!
Lines in the Fingertips
Turn your hand over and examine the skin of the fingertips. Do you see nice, plump fingertips or is the skin covered with vertical lines? If they are nice and plump, that is a good sign for your adrenals. Lots of vertical lines in your fingertips indicate adrenal stress.
My own fingertips used to be quite lined years ago, but getting off refined sugar plumped them out nicely within a few months.
Pale Lips
I have a friend who once told me that after about age 30, a woman’s lips disappear into the back of her head! This was a colorful way of saying that lipstick was mandatory after a certain age.
I don’t agree! Lips that have no color whatsoever is not always an age thing. It can also be a sign of weak adrenals. When refined grains and sugar are eliminated and any grains that are eaten are properly prepared with minimal to no caffeine in the diet, most women are delighted to see a youthful pink return to their lips once again!
One of the most striking things I noticed when I went on the GAPS Diet a few years back was how the color flooded into my face and lips. Clearly, my adrenals were on the mend!
Even now, I can tell within an hour or two if my adrenals have been stressed by the meal I just ate…my lips go pale almost immediately. Watch this yourself. You will be amazed at how quickly the amount of color in your lips will indicate how your adrenals are feeling at that moment.
Balding Lower Legs
Do you have bald patches on your lower arms and legs or sparser hair in those areas than you used to (particularly men)? This could be a sign of adrenal fatigue.
Boys entering puberty with sparser beards and leg/arm hair than their peers are frequently those with low adrenal function and an overall lower drive to achieve.
Unexplained Back or Knee Pain
Muscle weakness is a frequent sign of adrenal insufficiency. Unexplained back or knee pain with no accompanying structural defect may indicate weakness of the muscles supporting the pelvis and/or knees.
In the case of lower back pain, chronic adrenal stress leads to weakness in the muscles which support the pelvis causing the pelvis to subluxate in a posterior direction. In other words, the lower back pain has nothing to do with the lower back and everything to do with muscular instability in the pelvis.
QUICKLY Get Relief From Adrenal Fatigue
If you suspect that you have adrenal fatigue, it would be a good idea to get a holistic physician to do a thorough examination and consultation. Hormone problems are incredibly intractable conditions to reverse and professional advice is warranted in most cases.
In the meantime, you can quickly provide your adrenals relief if you do the following:
Get to bed no later than 10:30 pm
This piece of advice was given to me by an Ayurvedic MD over 15 years ago. It is still one of the best pieces of advice any doctor has ever given me. She explained how the hormone system cleanses between 11 pm and 1 am (generally speaking) and if you are not asleep during this time, the flushing process will not take place, essentially backing up the hormone system with toxins.
Throw out the processed salt and replace with sea salt
The adrenals need GOOD salt. Use sea salt to taste in your dishes at home and your adrenals will thank you!
It doesn’t matter the color either! Just make sure it’s not white.
Eliminate coffee and refined sugar from your diet
This is a simple piece of advice but easily ignored in our crazy modern lives. Continue with the daily caffeine/sugar fixes, and you WILL have serious hormonal issues down the road if you don’t already. Coffee has already been linked to blood sugar issues (sorry bulletproof coffee fans). Combine this with a sugar-filled diet and the Metabolic Syndrome freight train has left the station.
Is it really that hard to replace that cup of Joe with dandelion coffee or green tea and the white sugar/high fructose corn syrup with natural alternatives like raw honey? Do it today!
Reduce dependence on grains
The Western diet is overly heavy in grains and starches which tax the adrenals when consumed to excess. Focus the diet on clean meats, organic and biodynamic vegetables and fruits, seeds, nuts, eggs, and grass-fed dairy. You will very soon feel the energy that comes with a significantly reduced digestive burden and begin to regain more youthful vitality that comes with healthy adrenals!
References
Dr. Bruce Rind MD, Lecture at Wise Traditions Conference
CBS News: Coffee and Blood Sugar
More Information
Vitamin D Deficiency Signs Most People Miss
Rethinking Fatigue: What Your Adrenals are REALLY Telling You
Adrenal Exhaustion: A National Epidemic
I am finding it so interesting to learn the symptoms. Of adrenalin fatigue. A few years ago it was discovered that I have a calcified adrenalin gland. I was told it may have calcified from a childhood illness, but no doctor could tell me exactly when or why it happened or how this affects. my health now. I am diabetic, which may very well be related to this problem. I wish doctors would or could tell me more.
Replace coffee with green tea and sugar with honey?!?
Green tea has caffeine, less than coffee, but you can just drink more of it. And honey IS sugar. This suggestion in the article is contradictory to the whole point of ditching caffeine and sugar.
Green tea has relaxing properties thought to be derived from L-theanine. I can speak from experience here: coffee ruins my energy levels (after the short burst of energy) while green tea keeps me steady all day. I’m not sure if it’s solely from the L-theanine but there is a clear difference that can be felt.
As for honey – honey HAS sugar but it is not sugar. There’s a difference in what it does to your system. Similarly, apples HAVE sugar but are not sugar. A pound of apples would be healthy but a pound of sugar would send you into shock… if you didn’t puke first.
I have found that foods are complex with many properties working in harmony together to make them what they are. Singling out and ingesting the “effective ingredient” of a food (like caffeine, sugar, or L-theanine) doesn’t always bring the expected results. It can be harmful in one way and helpful in another.
I’m not a doctor but I play one on the internet.
Green tea often has fluoride in it, which can block the up take of iodine to the thyroid. So, check out your tea. Even organic tea can have it. Honey can have a different impsct on your blood sugar depending on how it is processed. It should be organic and cold pressed. If it is heated, then the impact on blood sugar will be higher. As for coffee, check out bulletproofcoffee.com If you add butter and MCT oil, you will not crash or get jittery and there is nutritional benefits to this as well.
I have adrenal fatigue and it’s consuming me…I am 41 years old & I’m hypothyroid for the past two decades. I confused all my symptoms with thyroid because they are very similar. After visiting many different doctors, i finally found a doctor that discovered I have severe adrenal fatigue. My fingertips are very creased, I can’t lose weight, I feel I’m in a fog, my upper back feels sore, I’m unmotivated, my skin is very dry, I’m losing my hair, and I’m very irritable all the time. I do love my coffee but I have only one cup a day now. After reading your article and all the comments above I realize I must divorce coffee for good! It will be the hardest breakup ever. At this point I just want to get up and feel alive again. I am curious to know how long is the recovery from severe adreanal fatigue? I’m taking cortisol 5mg 1x a day…my doctor started me low. Thanks for listening!
I have a strong history of kidney stones and I was told to limit my meats and salts (which I consume less than average of to begin with). However, I believe I have adrenal issues as well. I was wondering if using “real” salt in a drink with lemon and honey would be harmful for me in that I would get more kidney stones? I also am pregnant with baby #5 and have osteopenia (due to inability to exercise from bone malformation and joint problems).
Im on #9 and am curious how u feel now. I’ve read that real salt or pink himalayan salt is best and for adrenals to drink a bit of salt water in mornings. But not sure if that’s your problem.
One thing I notice repeatedly about the call to give up caffeine: green tea is regularly touted as an alternative to coffee. When I posed that question to an integrative medicine doc I was seeing at the time, and then again to my long time nurse practitioner they both said the same thing: caffeine is caffeine, whether in coffee or tea. Green tea is viewed as a health enhancing beverage but for those with adrenal issues it’s a no-no as well.
I have noticed that since I have cleaned up my diet by eliminating refined processed carbs/wheat, I must have helped my adrenals. I have light blue eyes, and being out in bright light is easy now. I think it is healthy to have a little bit of sun exposure into the eyes. I was wondering if you can find any examples of images that show the lines on the back of the finger tips?
hello.
Eveything you said is REAL! I am beyond all the above now and in Adreanal failure. This process does not happen over night folks, so we have to hope and rebuild slowly. Have your saliva checked. I cannot express the lack of knowledge my state has with this. I educated myself and now cannot get the proper help I need. I was told I am dying. No kidding. Check your Cortisol levels. All your hormones. Women who have had a hysterectomy , like me, you still have hormones-believe me. An extra, get your fecal matter checked. You better believe when stage 2 or 3 begins, Most traditional doctors will try to treat your symptoms rather than listening to you. Your entire body will be effected on a daily basis leading you to even believe you need a psychiatrist. Try looking up Dr. Lam. That’s where i first began. Now, a wonderful place called ENHANCED WELLNESS here in Mississippi listened to me. However, I am almost too late. Yes, a ENDOCRINOLOGIST can be helpful, but they too many times go the route of unnecessary tests and time is wasted. I literally do not know how I have the strength to even write at the moment. Forgive any misspelled wording. I have so many other health problems it was very difficult for me t even believe this was possible. IT IS! I am only 42. Please eliminate your stress..I am the winner of that.ha. This is no joke anymore. My life is passing me by with every breath I take. I have 1 hope- God will prevail for me on Monday June 18th, 2012. Otherwise, I have little time left. I am in the final stage of this and I’m dying. How do you eat fruits and Vegs when I cannot even get up to shop, cook, or even eat. People say, ” Go to the ER.” Yeah! I have over 50 times, 19 surgeries, 47 outpatients, heart attack, type 1 diabetes, PAD, RA, Fibro, and so much more. How am I typing? I’m not, someone is doing it for me as I tell them to. God Help me. With God, if I go or if I stay, I’m a winner either way….Good luck everyone. Remember, email me if you have ANY answers before its too late. [email protected]…God Bless you all!!!!
Tammy, given your symptoms, have you ever considered you may have tick borne infections? Many Lyme patients are misdiagnosed as RA and fibro, to name a few. Combine that with the fatigue, you may want to consider it. For a doctor referral, go to http://www.ilads.org.
Interesting food for thought. One question about the sunglasses… Ophthalmologists and Optometrists are finding Cataracts in people at younger and younger ages (early lens changes are being seen more frequently in 30 and 40-year olds. These are NON-congenital Cataracts). UV exposure is thought to accelerate cataract formation…
Perhaps your recommendation to ditch the sunglasses isn’t taking all factors into consideration?
Perhaps the common link is the modern nutrient deficient diet? The absence of traditional fats (butter, lard, coconut, etc…) along with the inclusion of unnatural fats (canola, soy, etc…).
Or maybe it’s pasteurization and the antibacterial craze: the “let’s kill everything!” mania. The loss of gut-friendly bacteria is a staggering blow to health throughout the body, as is the over-dependence on improperly prepared wheat and other grains.
I know people (personally) whose skin used to burn easily with sun exposure but with the addition of fermented cod liver oil to their pretty traditional diet they can now stay out all day without sunscreen or burning.
Maybe it has something to do with screen time: tv, computer and cell phone screens are ever present.
It’s important to consider what has stayed the same and what has changed. The sun is a steady constant so my money is on something else besides the sun causing damage to both skin AND eyes.
Thanks sarah, You really have hit the nail on the head here with adrenal fatigue. This is extremely overlooked but these glands are extremely important to health and our metabolism. Thank you for sharing such in depth information on this here. We all have much to learn from you. I have also noticed cleaning up my diet more has restored the color of my lips to a more natural healthy shade of red. Who knew adrenal glands could be so important hey?!
Hi Linda! Thanx for the article.I also have problems with adrenals
But I want to know wht are the best superfoods I can take that
Gives the same Amt of energy as caffeine.