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Good article about adrenal fatigue, which I imagine most MCers suffer from. I know I did, starting with the extreme stress I was under after the birth of my first child (not nursing well), and not letting up much since. I'm not advocating the Kalish testing mentioned in the article, just raising awareness, since we have the power to improve our situation.
There are three main reasons for adrenal fatigue and dysfunction:
1. Emotional stress, typically related to grief or loss.
2. Poor diet: Eating too many carbs can disrupt cortisol and a certain group of corticosteroids (a blood pressure-stabilizing hormone), and the Standard American Diet is “a perfect recipe for destroying your adrenal glands,” Dr. Kalish warns. One of the most important things that cortisol does is regulating secretory IgA in your gut. What this means is that the immune response in your gut is controlled by cortisol. Hence, if you’re stressed, the immune response in your gut suffers, the gut tissue becomes damaged, and good bacteria give way to bad bacteria, causing immune dysregulation that is centered in and around your gut.
Two important components to address this problem are to 1) regularly eat fermented foods, which will dramatically increase the beneficial bacteria in your body (which automatically will help decrease pathogenic bacteria), and 2) to eat a diet low in sugars and carbs, as that will also promote a healthy gut flora.
3. Chronic inflammation in your body: Inflammation is the hallmark of virtually every disease you can think of, from diabetes to cancer, and when chronic, it stresses your system, including your adrenals.
One little-known strategy to counter inflammation is grounding or earthing, which requires nothing more than taking off your shoes and walking barefoot outside, ideally on dewy grass or on the beach. Connecting your soles to the earth will massively increase the influx of free electrons into your body, which helps dissipate inflammation due to their potent anti-inflammatory action.
Another common hormonal cause of adrenal fatigue is hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid. Thyroid function is diagnosed by a blood test, but there’s some controversy over what is normal and what’s not. Many alternative doctors feel the conventional reference ranges are far too broad, and opt to treat people exhibiting sub-clinical thyroid symptoms.
Hi Zizzle, I read the site and since I have my hair tests by "Trace Elements",the following shows my results for the trace minerals ratios. My last test showed that my Ca/Mg dropped to the acceptable range. the Na/Mg went up to the high range and my Na/K went into the low range. I was classified with a [Type #4] Slow metabolism, with increased thyroid function, and increased adrenal activity. Two other important ratios that are low are Ca/K and Na/K which shows excessive tissue protein breakdown [catabolism] which results in a negative protein [nitrogen] balance. So, temporarily carbohydrate intake should be increased to approximately 50%, fats approx. 25% and proteins 25% of the daily caloric intake. Complex carbohydrates are known to spare protein and in conjunction with dietary fats the sparing effects of carbohydrates are further enhanced. The trace elements that are recommended have changed from my last hair test. I take them with each meal and have to be retested in three months. The other interesting article of the site was about walking around barefoot. The fact that electrons from the ground are absorbed. That would lead to a good study about how this effects free radical production since free radicals steal an electron. Jon
This may sound overly-cautious, but don't walk around barefoot where a dog with hookworms has defecated. You will get them through your feet. Hookworm eggs seem to stay in the soil forever.
