Exhausted? Stressed? Foggy? Dizzy? You could be suffering from adrenal fatigue.
Adrenal fatigue is the layman’s term for something more accurately known as Hypothalamic Pituitary Axis Dysregulation, or HPA Axis Dysregulation for short (kind of).
It means the way the body responds to stress has gone bung. It can affect your cortisol levels, your ability to regulate blood sugar, your blood pressure and your energy levels. Not fun!
What causes adrenal fatigue in the first place?
Our modern lifestyle is a recipe for disaster when it comes to adrenal fatigue.
Common contributing factors include high stress levels, chronic over exercise, calorie restriction or lack of sleep, as well as excessive amounts of caffeine and (you guessed it) a high-sugar, nutrient poor diet.
It is never ONE factor alone that causes adrenal fatigue. It’s more an accumulation of things over time that drags you down this path.
So what’s sugar got to do with it?
Thing is this. When you consume foods high in sugar, it causes a rapid rise and then fall in your blood sugar levels.
Your body responds by asking the adrenal glands to release cortisol (your “stress hormone”) in an effort to get the body to find (or make) some more glucose to bring your blood sugar levels back up. It pretty much views this dramatic dip in blood sugar as an emergency.
Anytime this process happens, the HPA axis is slapped awake and told to get to work ASAP. As you can imagine, over time, the HPA axis gets a little tired of doing this job and stops working efficiently.
This sounds like me…
If you think you might be suffering from adrenal fatigue, it’s important to visit a dietitian, nutritionist or doctor to discuss a treatment plan that’s best suited for you.
But there are some things we all should be doing to stave off adrenal fatigue and heal the body from the inside out.
- Avoid a high sugar diet. The I Quit Sugar: 8-Week Program is an excellent place to start.
- Don’t skip meals if you have adrenal fatigue, are currently engaging in high intensity activity, or are going through a particularly stressful time.
- Eat a high-protein breakfast to stabilise your blood sugar throughout the day.
- Don’t go too low carb. Focus on whole food, nutrient-dense carbohydrates (like the ones in starchy vegetables) and eat them alongside protein and fat to help with maintaining steady energy levels.
- Get eight hours of quality sleep each night. Avoiding sources of blue-light such as computer screens, tv’s and phones at least an hour before bed can be super helpful with this.
We originally published this post in January 2017. We updated it in July 2017.
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