Are You Tired, Stressed, or Gaining Weight? It May Be Adrenal FatigueMar 29, 2018
You’ve probably heard the term “adrenal fatigue’ before, but you may be surprised to learn that most of us are suffering from it to at least a mild degree.
Adrenal fatigue is becoming more and more common in modern society. It’s no surprise, as we’re constantly bombarded with stressful situations. Thanks to our hectic schedules and busy lives, we’re wearing ourselves out, and our health is paying the price.
Are you suffering from adrenal fatigue? Here’s how you’ll know — and five easy drink recipes to help you combat it.
What Is Adrenal Fatigue – Am I At Risk?
A little bit of stress is entirely normal. Although we might not like the feeling, it did evolve to help us in times of need, aka situations where our safety is threatened. The problem is chronic stress when our body gets stuck in “fight or flight” mode.
Chronic stress can be caused by anything from work to family life, and everything else in between. When you’re constantly worrying about deadlines, bills, your flat tire, your kid’s upcoming recital, and a whole host of other things, your adrenal glands stay permanently ‘on’ — pumping out stress-related hormones. Once these glands are depleted, your quality of life begins to dip as symptoms begin to surface.
If you are currently suffering from adrenal fatigue, you may display some or all of the following:
You’re finding it increasingly difficult to deal with stress, and unable to focus
You struggle to sleep and then get out of bed each morning
You may experience mild depression, becoming irritable and moody
You may find you’re becoming sick more often, due to a weakened immune system
You’re craving salty or sweet foods
You’re exhausted — and this fatigue is regular and lacks an explanation
Can you relate to these? There’s no need to panic: by making a few key lifestyle changes, you can take back control. Try cutting out processed foods, caffeine, sugar, and sweeteners, as well as learning how to reduce and effectively manage stress in your life. This will allow your body to heal itself naturally.
Drinks to Reverse Adrenal Fatigue
In the meantime, consume these five drinks on a regular basis to speed up your recovery. They will work with your body to support your adrenals and help your hormones achieve optimal balance once again.
Here are five easy drink recipes to help reverse adrenal fatigue:
Lemon and sea salt tonic
Suffering from adrenal fatigue affects your levels of potassium and sodium, causing them to become unbalanced. In order to combat this electrolyte imbalance, add high quality Himalayan salt to a vitamin C-rich tonic.
You’ll Need:
8-ounces filtered water
¼ tsp
Fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Simply combine all ingredients — and drink each morning and afternoon.
High vitamin C drink
Constantly producing adrenal hormones rapidly uses up vitamin C, meaning your levels of this vital vitamin end up depleted. This high vitamin C drink will give them a much needed boost – and as a bonus it also contains lots of good-for-you antioxidants.
You’ll Need:
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup spinach
¼ cup blueberries
¼ cup lemon juice
A pinch of
Directions:
Blend until smooth, drink 1-2 times daily.
Valerian root tea
Helping you naturally lower stress levels and improving your ability to sleep and restore function, this herbal remedy is highly recommended. Valerian root tea contains compounds which act on your central nervous system to induce a sense of calmness.
Ingredient:
Directions:
Consume a blend of valerian and chamomile each night before you go to bed.
Licorice root tea
Licorice has been a part of Chinese medicine for at least 3000 years and is known to reduce adrenal gland stress. You can buy licorice in both dried and powdered forms at most health food stores – and use it to make your own healing tea.
Ingredient:
Directions:
Add 1 teaspoon of licorice root to just-boiled water, and allow it to steep for five minutes.
Consume one cup each day, in order to restore proper adrenal function.
Matcha green tea
High in antioxidants, matcha is a powerhouse when it comes to promoting optimal internal balance. It’s also naturally energizing, helping you get through the morning or late afternoon without resorting to coffee. (It’s bad for the adrenals, remember?) And the l-theanine it contains helps support a more calm, blissful state of mind.
Ingredient:
Directions:
Get creative! You can add matcha to smoothies, bake it into cookies, or even turn it into a daily tea ritual.
Just make sure you get your daily dose.
Final Thoughts
By taking action today, you’ll not only be allowing yourself to feel better – you’ll also reduce your risk of further harming your health. Try using these drinks whenever you’re experiencing a period of stress (and even when you’re not) to make sure you’re always giving your adrenals the support they need to stay healthy.