Do You Have Fatigue & Lack Energy?
Hi, I’m Nancy Potter, a Certified Nutritional Therapist passionate about helping people recover from adrenal burn out. Personally, I went from exhausted with no energy (I thought I was dying), to having more energy than my younger counterparts & a leaner body mass. At 53 I weigh less now than I have my entire adult life!
Two ways in which I turned my life around are by eating a Paleo diet and by incorporating Nutritional Therapy into my life. Now I’m more fit & alert than I have been in years & symptoms I attributed to aging have disappeared!
Primary lifestyle factors that can lead to adrenal fatigue
- Lack of sleep
- Poor food choices
- Using food and drinks as stimulants when tired
- Staying up late even when fatigued
- Staying in no win situation - over time
- Lack of enjoyable activities
- Unreasonable work schedule
- Stressful life events – illness, divorce, death
- Stressful finances – lack of control
- Chronic unresolved food sensitivities
- Difficult periods, pregnancy, postpartum & menopause
- Heavy toxic burden or exposure to heavy metals
Are Your Adrenal Glands Stressed Out?
When the adrenal glands become fatigued EVERY system in the body can be affected. - The adrenal glands are our body’s stress absorbers and work tirelessly throughout the day (and over our lifetime) – and can become taxed or exhausted depending on BOTH our level of stress and our diets…
…That’s right, diet plays a key role in the function and resiliency of our adrenal glands.
Part of the endocrine system, the Adrenal Glands have a hand in the functioning of every tissue, organ & gland in the body. They eve have a significant affect on how we think and feel.
- Stress -
Normally, (the way our physiology is designed to work), the adrenal glands become engaged when we are confronted with STRESS your adrenal glands pump into action secreting life-saving hormones — designed to help you survive. The trouble is, in today’s world we get locked into a pattern of overproducing adrenal hormones in order to cope with all our daily life stressors and this can lead to what’s called a chronic stress response.
- whether you are being chased by a predator (think Paleolithic Ancestors)
- or you are in a stressful relationship
- or you are fighting infection
- or you are under pressure to perform - beyond reason (think everyday life stressors)
Remember that our adrenal glands are your stress absorbers.
- Diet -
The adrenal glands too, are intimately tied to how we nourish ourselves as they closely affect the... - utilization of carbohydrates and fats, - the conversion of fats and proteins into energy, - the distribution of stored fat, - normal blood sugar regulation.
The adrenals do this by working in tandem with the PANCREAS and LIVER to ensure that our blood sugar remains stable throughout the day.
With a carbohydrate heavy diet and the over-consumption of refined and denatured food, the blood sugar system must work overtime to maintain homeostasis. What often results is a roller-coaster effect, where blood sugar levels cyclically soar and then plummet creating additional stress & wild blood sugar swings above and below manageable levels. This can lead to:
- insulin resistance
- diabetes
- cardiovascular disease
- mood disorders
- cravings
- stressful eating
- over consuming
- making poor choices
...and the list goes on. Physiologically the adrenal glands are unable to keep up when we become locked in a chronic stress response, whether triggered by STRESS or DIET or BOTH.
Our bodies are 99% physiologically the same as our Paleolithic Ancestors.
The ADRENAL GLANDS balance the hormones from our stress response & balance our blood sugar from our food intake to within very specific margins in order that we function optimally. It is often after a major life event or illness that we find recovery more difficult as our adrenal glands lack the resiliency needed to bounce back.
Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue
- difficulty getting up in the morning
- continuing fatigue not relieved by sleep
- craving for salt or salty foods
- lack of energy - increased effort to do every day tasks
- decreased sex drive
- decreased ability to handle stress
- increased time to recover from illness, injury or trauma
- light headed when standing up
- mild depression
- less enjoyment or happiness with life
- increased PMS
- foggy thinking/ loss of memory
- decreased tolerance to noise, life events, touch
- feels better after evening meal
No single symptom points a definitive finger to adrenal dis-regulation, however taken collectively as a SYNDROME, they strongly suggest its presence.
By examining both stressful lifestyle habits and by approaching diet through the lens of nutrition adrenal balance can be regained.
“By adopting a Paleo Diet and changing those lifestyle habits that drained my energy, I regained my vitality and have completely changed the trajectory of my adrenal health, and therefore my ability to live a vibrant life.”
- NANCY POTTERSources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenal_gland
- Wilson, James L. Adrenal Fatigue, The 21st Century Stress Syndrome. Petaluma, CA. Smart Publications. 2001. 2014.
- Nutritional Therapy Association
My approach to re-balancing health with nutritional therapy focuses on a variety rich, ancestral diet and education on the best way for you to fuel your body and rebalance your energy levels. Sharing the knowledge and skill that I have gained as a Certified Nutritional Therapist, or NTP, is what I love to do, providing answers & guidance to those who suffer with auto immune disease, food sensitivities, adrenal stress disorders, and underlying immune dysfunction. I consider that each individual has a specific genetic, ancestral and environmental code that determines his or her unique nutritional makeup. Using a foundational approach emphasizing nutrient dense-whole foods we support your body’s current state of health and work toward balance.
