Bounce back from adrenal burnout

Still knackered well over a month after the holidays? It could be adrenal fatigue!

While the neverending responsibilities of December can easily wear down your energy, by February, you should be back to fighting fit. If you’re not, it could be that you’re suffering from adrenal burnout.

We chatted to integrative GP, Dr Tracy Chandler, about adrenal fatigue and how it affects people…

But first, what are adrenals?

Adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys and they produce a variety of hormones – over 50 different types, in fact – including adrenaline. Basically, your adrenals are in charge of preparing your body for fight or flight, releasing hormones as required.

How do they become fatigued?

“The technical term for adrenal fatigue is HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) axis dysfunction (let’s call it HPAAD for short!). Your hypothalamus and pituitary are found in your brain and your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys. Although the more correct term is a mouthful, you’re less likely to get a sideways glance or sigh from your GP if you use the more technically correct term. This is because the term ‘adrenal fatigue’ gives the impression that your adrenal glands have failed or are failing. In fact, it is the effect of stress hormones released by the adrenal glands (e.g. cortisol) on the brain that causes the symptoms of HPA axis dysfunction. This terminology kerfuffle is why adrenal fatigue is such an unnecessarily controversial topic.”

As Dr Tracy points out, adrenal fatigue has become quite the controversial talking point…

This is because there is conjecture in the wellness world about whether adrenal fatigue truly exists. The World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledges AF as a legitimate ailment, but not all research agrees, with many declaring that it doesn’t exist at all!

What are the symptoms?

Conjecture aside, here are some of the common symptoms of adrenal fatigue. Have a sneaky peek to see if you suffer from them:

• Chronic fatigue.
• Digestive issues.
• Body aches.
• Nervousness.
• Low blood pressure.
• Sleep disturbances.

How to heal your adrenal burnout, according to Dr Tracy…

In terms of treating HPAAD, there are three parts:

1. Support the Central Nervous System (CNS) – AKA the brain and spinal cord.
2. Support the adrenal glands.
3. Reduce the effect of cortisol on the rest of the body.

“Luckily, all this can be achieved using the same type of strategies that are needed for most conditions and also for maintaining optimal health, including:

1. Nutritional measures.
2. Lifestyle changes.
3. Supplements – including Vitamin C and B, Magnesium, Zinc, herbs and occasionally glandular extracts.”

So, try and implement a few of the following things into your daily routine to alleviate the symptoms of adrenal burnout…

• Gentle exercise.

Skip your usual run or HIIT workout for something a little more gentle, friends, as your body needs lots of rest! Instead, try more supportive exercises like walking, yoga or Pilates or head down to your local pool and swim a few laps. While moving your body is super important, it’s also essential to give it a break when you’re suffering from adrenal burnout.

• Make time to chill out – properly!

While this might sound similar to the previous point, we can’t stress enough how gently you must treat your body when you’re fatigued in this way. Stop running around like a headless chook – which is probably what helped induce the AF to begin with! – and prioritise self-care. This is a great opportunity to incorporate meditation into your daily schedule and try to squeeze in time for a massage, a few baths and some deep belly breathing.

• Healing foods.

Food as medicine is our jam (clearly!) so it’s important to load up on healthy and healing foods to kick your AF to the curb. To give your body a huge boost, make sure to centre your meals around veggies, healthy fats and protein. And, dehydration is also a major player in AF so keep chugging water all day long to prevent spiking your stress levels (and in turn, your cortisol levels too).

• Ditch sugar – duh!

Sugar is never good for you, but it’s particularly bad when you have adrenal burnout. Cut out all processed foods and sugar from your diet in order to give your blood sugar levels a break. Eating healthy meals that keep your blood sugar levels stable help to maintain your cortisol levels which is important for keeping AF at bay.

A final note from Dr Tracy…

“If these methods don’t work then you need to see an Integrative Medicine Doctor or your GP for a thorough assessment of your health as there may be other issues underlying your symptoms and/or you may have a more severe case of HPAAD.  Best of luck!”

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