Did you know adrenal drain can deplete a woman's whole body?
- Are you tired after just getting up?
- Need coffee or other stimulants just to keep you going?
- Everything getting on your nerves?
- Don’t feel sexy? Oh, that’s the worst!
Does this sound like you?
As a women’s adrenal system encounters more and more stress without replenishment, many things can happen in her body. In addition to their primary role in dealing with stress, the adrenal glands have to[1]:
- Balance blood sugar levels
- Balance more than 50 hormones in the body
- Help regulate inflammation throughout the body
- Help regulate their blood pressure and heart beat regularity
- Synthesize hormones, especially stress and sex hormones
- Support nervous system function (such as behavior, mood, excitability, memory), plus ward off negative thoughts
Because adrenals are intimately linked to so many other systems in the body, women with exhausted adrenals can end up with fuzzy thinking, insomnia, severe fatigue, thyroid disorders, and the worst, accelerated aging. Who wants that?
A clear choice to pursue should be a natural alternative such Adaptogens. One great adaptogen for the adrenals is Siberian Rhodiola rosea. Not only for its hormonal balancing ability, but for the many other benefits as well.
Most women who have tried Rosavin™ (a proprietary Siberian Rhodiola rosea) get the up they need when they are down: adrenal fatigue can be paused and even reversed over time in many cases. Doctors have witnessed it time and time again.
Since Adaptogens come from plants, consider why you would want to use a plant nutrient first.
Plant chemicals or Phytonutrients for adrenal health work with us instead of against us like those considered synthetic stimulants.
As much as you may look forward to that three o’clock latte or favorite cookie, there is a much healthier way to bring your energy back and the great news is it supports your adrenals rather than deplete them. The use of plants; either in whole-food form or in standardized supplements, can be more effective all-round for the purpose of healing and bringing back balance. It’s true, the power of plants and their extracts are finally making their mark in the United States. While people around the world have practiced botanical medicine and followed a plant-based diet for thousands of years, the United States has lagged far behind.
But now we have evidence-based research to back up the positive effects & benefits of these health promoting giants[2]. Why do plants hold such wonderful healing properties? First, as humans we are made of thousand of molecules that link EXACTLY to the plant world, so our genes are well-versed in their language. Second, many medicinal plants hold adaptogenic properties, which means their molecules communicate thoroughly along our metabolic pathways, “reading” what our bodies need at a blazing speed and then provide what they truly need instead of second guessing synthetics, which can cause mutations and in some cases drug resistance. Synthetics or pharmaceutical drugs have been formulated to be effective on everyone, however, is that really true? No, they tend to deliver larger doses than necessary for some, shocking the systems in others and for some, Nada.
Dr. Israel Brekhman, the scientist who coined the term “adaptogen,” suggested that there is a better way to balance hormones naturally through adaptogens. An adaptogenic plant should have four properties:
- be harmless to the host
- have a general, rather non-specific effect
- increase the resistance of the recipient to a variety of physical, chemical, or biological stressors
- act as a general stabilizer/normalizing the user
Dr. Brekhman first helped to bring adaptogenic herbs to the attention of Western science. Researchers such as Dr. Zakir Ramazanov in the US and around the globe have since built upon his pioneering studies, demonstrating that adaptogens support the adrenal glands with their anti-fatigue and anti-stress properties. In 2009, Swedish researchers proposed one way it does this is by increasing the specific molecules we typically release to protect the body against physical and emotional stress. These “molecular chaperones” help treat and repair damaged proteins during times of intense physical demand. Having more “repair” molecules on board helps build our tolerance to stress and allows for less physical destruction. But don’t over do it!
While many do get immediate results using plant supplements or whole foods, don’t expect quick results. You may have to up or lower your intake to reach optimum efficacy for your own body & blood type. It’s important to remember that sometimes GOOD things take a little more time to work and phytonutrients/plant chemicals aren’t magic, but a great step towards natural balanced energy and healing of the adrenals. In order to fully recover from drained adrenals you have to find out what really caused the original stress or stressors to begin with. And don’t forget that you need to be mindful that adrenals need rest to heal.
Remember, the one-size-fits-all solution really doesn’t work
So here are some supportive measures you can take to ensure a full adrenal recovery:
- Sleep. Resist the temptation to burn the candle at both ends! Getting 8-10 hours a night of sleep is one of the best ways to restore your adrenal glands or take a nap during the day.
- Modify your exercise. Mornings are best for aerobic exercise this is when your cortisol is naturally highest. Try not to let your heart rate go above 90 beats per minute. Take relaxing walks, meditate, or any kind of stretching exercise that restores you instead of draining you.
- Eat well and often. One of the major dietary mistakes made by people with low adrenal output is not eating soon enough after waking. If you have adrenal fatigue, it is very important that you eat before 10:00 am. This is vital in helping to replenish the waning stored blood sugar supply after the previous night’s energy needs. Another important point, a hungry body puts stress on the adrenals, so don’t go too long without a meal or a healthy snack.
Eating certain adrenal supporting foods at specific times of the day can help your body return to a natural cortisol rhythm and avoid the “crash and burn” of sugar/caffeine highs and lows. You would do best by combining fat, protein and complex carbohydrates (like whole grains) at every meal and snack. This combination helps to provide a steady stream of energy throughout the day. It is important to remember that some foods are converted too quickly into energy (like sugary snacks or highly processed foods) and will quickly let you down. Stay away from sugar and white flour products, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, deep-fried foods and fast foods or junk foods.
- Relieve stress. Schedule a massage or enlist a partner or friend to give you one, put your feet up and enjoy a cup of tea, or call a loved one to “just talk.” Cultivate whatever it is that relieves tension and stress for you. Even just five minutes a day of quiet breathing or meditation can do wonders for your adrenals.
- Play. Take a good look at your life, cut out as many of the things that drain you as possible, replacing them with those that fulfill you. Engage with people, activities and work you enjoy. Go to the beach, play with your grandchildren, go dancing etc…whatever you have fun doing. Give yourself permission to do these things during this time of healing. You & your adrenals will find great pleasure in soaking these experiences up.
- Stop. Stop over-spending on things that actually can cause harm to your body. Over drinking coffee or alcohol can send your body into a spin. Not to mention the $$$ wasted and not getting the results you really need. Do you spend a minimum of $3.50 per day just on designer coffees, that’s $17.00 a week or $70.00 per month-on, one cup a day! Alcohol-$$$$. Wouldn’t a healthy supplement be better for you? Think of the savings!
An adaptogen supplement such as Rosavin™ has the ability to optimize your serotonin and dopamine levels. It does this by influencing your opioid peptides such as beta-endorphins [3] which costs you under $25 a month. Here are some additional effects of Rosavin™:
- Lowering of stress induced catecholamines from the adrenal gland
- Anti-stress/stimulatory properties attributed to its phenyl-propanoid agents from its monoterpenes rosaridin, rosaridol and cinnamic alcohol.
Here’s an inexpensive Quick Adrenal Pick-Me-Up recipe you can make at home or office:
It’s a high-energy soup, called “Taz,” which comes from Dolores S. Downey’s “Balancing Body Chemistry with Nutrition” seminars.
16 oz. green beans
1 cup tomato juice
1 zucchini, sliced
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp. raw honey
1 cup spring water
1 tsp. paprika
1 cup chicken brothDirections: Combine the ingredients and let them simmer for approximately one hour or until the vegetables become tender. Add salt or pepper to suit your taste.
While cooking is not always possible you can keep the supplement Rosavin™ handy, it is U.S. case studied and proven to help women balance their over worked adrenals according to doctors and health care professionals.
Rosavin™ is the purest form of Siberian Rhodiola rosea and is safe taken once or twice a day and effective! For more information read the book “The Rhodiola Revolution” written by Dr. Richard Brown & Dr. Patricia Gerbarg. [4] [5]
Keep in mind whatever you do, there is hope for your adrenals and you can prevent them from going down the proverbial drain.
References:
- http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalfatigue/adrenalglandnutrition.aspx.
- Treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue. Pubmed. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19016404.
- Pubmed. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2952180.
- The Rhodiola Revolution.” Brown, Dr. Richard & Dr. Patricia Gerbarg.
- “Efficacy and Tolerability”. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17901042.
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