INTENTION: My desire is for students to get excellent grades in their studies, for people working in careers outside the home to have the energy they need to excel at their work. I want mother's who are raising their children to have the emotional availability to love their children and spouses. I want people suffering from chronic allergies or head aches to find relief from pain. Much of the American population suffer from emotional and physical exhaustion, mental fog, and emotional apathy. Much of this is brought on by bad habits. The good news is that this sub par human existence can be reversed with good habits. I hope that the following will provide the keys needed for optimizing your human existence. STORY I remember when I was in school I was known as the "coffee guy." I loved the complicated taste of a fresh ounce of expresso and sharing it with my colleagues. Little did I know but in many ways I was simply loving on a habit that was simply masking the constant mental fog and physical exhaustion I was constantly contending with. Apart from the delicious taste coffee, has the wonderful ability of increasing our energy, albeit by sucking our adrenals dry. Unfortunately for me it was not long before the physical, the emotional, and the chemical stress in my life that I exposed myself to each day made caffeine of no effect. It was common for me to get colds throughout the year and to have prolonged recovery time. I also noticed that while I would exercise profusely it was very difficult for me to put any muscle on or to loose belly fat. What I was suffering from is commonly known as Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS). ADRENAL FATIGUE SYNDROME The adrenals are designed to allow our bodies to deal with the stressors of life. It produces Aldosterone for dealing with dehydration, DHEA for sex hormone synthesis, Cortisol for stress management, and Adrenaline for dealing with energy or depression. When the stress around us becomes excessive then the adrenals cease to function as designed. Our adrenals turn into an exhausted working horse. Our medications and energy drinks become the whip that try to "whip it" into action. A fatigued adrenal leads to a deficiency of the above mentioned hormones and consequently a deficiency in each of the before mentioned areas. SYMPTOMS A fatigued adrenal may result in the following symptoms. If you feel you have any of the following symptoms you may take an AFS question provided below: -Fatigue or lethargy not relieved by rest -Sleep problems -Craving sugar or salt -Low libido -Low productivity -Poor memory -Less enjoyment in life -Decreased tolerance for others/stress AFS Questionaire https://adrenalfatigue.org/adrenal-fatigue-quiz/ CAUSES OF AFS Remember that the human triad is made up of the emotions, the structure, and the chemical component. An imbalance in either one is what leads to disease (in this case AFS). An excess of stress or a deficiency in nutrition/energy in either component sets us up for a slew of problems. In the following we will look at the following stressors that leads to AFS. These are some of the more common stressors and are the ones that can be more directly controlled. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is the culprit of much of this country's health problems. Processed foods, refined sugars, and a lack of whole foods (primarily fruits and vegetables) exhausts the adrenals. At some point cortisol is no longer being excreted in the needed amounts and blood sugar levels are not regulated properly. This leads to energy issues, low blood pressure, etc. We live in a "go go go" culture. A proberbial "rate race." Everyone is competing against everyone else. In medical schools it is common for students to get hooked on stimulants like Amphetamine due to the high competition. Truck drivers down Monster drinks to stay awake driving at night. Machinists working 3rd shift down cups of instant coffee to stay awake. We are surrounded by many toxins in our environment and in our food. A hundred years ago the liver, whose job it is to filter our or detoxify our blood, was 6 times the size needed. Now with all the toxins from chemical trails, pesticides, and heavy metals in drinking water our liver can barely compete with the burden our modern life style places on it. STAGES OF AFS Like a bridge made out of popsicles, when a weight too heavy is placed on it, it begins to creak. It is a matter of time before the weakest point of the bridge gives way leading to an eventual collapse of the whole. This collapse, if taken in very slow motion, can be characterized by three phases when it comes to AFS. The first stage is called the "caffeinated squirrel" phase. This is the person in adrenal fatigue who is maintaining some sense of normality by drugging themselves with caffeine or other stimulants. This person is characterized by nervous energy and is a frequent customer of Starbucks. The second phase is called the "turtle" phase. These people have times of tiredness, mental slowness, and require naps. They require several naps and cannot work effectively without some sort of stimulant. Thirdly we have the "sloth" phase. These people feel like they are underwater and are simply pushing their way through life. They are often depressed and unmotivated. Lastly we have the "owl" phase. The adrenals play an important role in maintaining a normal sleep pattern. If our cortisol levels are dysfunctional then our sleep patterns suffer. These people have trouble sleeping at night and are exhausted for the rest of the day. TREATMENT As said before the key to addressing AFS or any disease for that matter is in the balancing of the human triad (emotions, structure, chemical). The road map to recovery lies in understanding and applying these 4 principles: 1-Removing excess 2-Fixing deficiencies 3-Functional health 4-Emotional/mental awareness Excess is analogous to person who spends too much money. Health begins with identifying the toxins that are slowly killing us and abstaining from them. Commonly this will be processed foods, refined sugars or carbs, and environmental toxins. Deficiency by analogy is the person who does not make enough money. It is good to remove deadly toxins but the body also needs energy to function. Dr. Campbell likes to use the acronym SEARCHES to characterize the 6 types of energy that our body can be deficient in and is consequently in need of. These include: -Sleep (we need 8-9 hours a day) -Energy that is grounding (energy from the earth can be absorbed while walking on the ground barefoot. That's why walking on the beach is so relaxing) -Air (steady meditative breathing throughout the day) -Rest (naps throughout the day so our nervous system can rest and restore us) -Calories (this will by lots of organic fruits and vegetables) -Hydration (you want to drink half your body weight in ounces each day) -Emotional (health loving relationships or self love) -Structure (exercise) For a better understanding of the power of nutrition I have included a Ted Talk video below. This is a powerful talk by Dr. Terry Wahls who cured her MS by eating large servings of vegetables every day. Function involves the biomechanics of our body. There are some things that our body needs extra assistance with. It might be a bone out of place that causes neurological stress to an organ. It might be a need for a specific nutrient or herb. There are many things that we can do to heal ourselves. For the rest we need to see our Physician. I recommend finding a doctor who specializes in functional medicine and who can tweak your body so that it can respond to your hard work and good habits. In my clinic I will be providing the following: -Applied Kinesiology (for internal diagnosis and treatment) -Nutritional response therapy (supplement and herb support) -Neuro emotional technique (a technique used by psychologists to soften harsh emotional narratives) -Meridian therapy (non invasive acupuncture) -Iridology (for internal diagnosis) -Lab tests and draws (for patients in Illinois) For awareness 5 things are needed to be practiced. First there must be appropriate intentions and expectation. If a person does not believe something will work then it often times will not, or at least not as well. On the flip side, simply by expecting a bogus drug to work patients have been healed from cancer and other diseases. This is called the placebo effect, which in reality is the body's own innate healing ability being activated. The second part to awareness consists of generating a mentality of love. The more love we are able to generate the more love we are emotionally able to receive. Also, the generation of love for our fellow man, especially when it is not deserved, increases our own sense of value and power. Thirdly there is a notion of certainty. The more certain a person is of an outcome the more probable it will actually take place. It is at this point that we begin to diverge from Newtonian physics and delve into the not so readily apparent field of quantum physics. Lastly, a sense of appreciation for the things you have and a sense of being present in the moment without distraction is needed. These two are mental habits acquired through daily meditation. SUPPLEMENTS AND HERBS It is our habits that bring us down the path of AFS and it is correct habits that will lead us out. That being said I will include a list of supplements (Standard Process) and herbs (MediHerb) that can assist the adrenal gland along this journey. I recommend seeing a knowledgeable Physician for selecting the right supplement or herb. Supplement: Drenamin, Drenatrophin PMG, B6 Niacinamide, Desiccated Adrenal, Hemp oil Herb: Eleuthero, Ashwaganda, Rhodiola/Ginseng, Licorice, Adrenal Complex, Adrenal Tonic CONCLUSION As you may guess this is a overview of AFS to get your feet wet and headed in the right direction. For those who wish to delve more deeply down this path more detailed information can be found in Dr. Brad Campbell's book "Do I have Adrenal Fatigue?" Much of the information in this blog is owing this Dr. Campbell and his own clinical insights regarding this topic. As always, I hope this has given you some keys that you may not have had before where with you may proceed less encumbered on your own mission in life. DISCLAIMER This blog is not meant to be a substitute for seeing a Physician. If you suspect you have any of the above conditions it is advised to see your Physician.
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