Guest blogger today, on the topic of Adrenal Fatigue, is my friend & weaver of herbal magic, Naturopath Jayne Larkins of Vital Child. But before you meet Jayne, I have a confession to make. I’m NOT superwoman. There, I’ve come clean.
It’s true, unfortunately, that I don’t have a cape in the closet with mystical powers allowing me to whizz through my days of working with clients, often as early as 6am, launching a new online business that I’m about to take to the next, scary, level.
Being a full time Mum to the two most amazing, but at times challenging, pre-teen boys, with a corporate husband who travels often with his job. This only scratches the surface of what an average day for me includes.
And I know that you know exactly what I’m talking about. Because, if this doesn’t reflect your day precisely, it’s probably pretty damn close.
I recently visited Jayne at her clinic seeking her advice & one of her magic herbal potions, to support me through my most recent bout of Adrenal Fatigue.
Without going into too much detail, I knew I was suffering Adrenal Fatigue, I know exactly what caused it and that I’d struggled through a period of Adrenal Stress earlier this year before arriving at my final destination of Adrenal Fatigue.
There is another, more final stop on the Adrenal express, Adrenal Exhaustion but I’m smart enough to not let myself get this far along.
During my consult with Jayne, we discussed how many women Jayne had seen recently that presented with similar symptoms and why we both believed this was. After reflecting on our conversation, I asked Jayne to contribute to my article.
I suspect this article will speak to some of you and I truly hope it may be a catalyst for you to seek support of your own. Take it away, Jayne……
When Sonya spoke with me recently about feeling fatigued and wondered about herbs to help her get back on top of things, I was sympathetic but not surprised.
After all, if my friends and clients are a reliable indication, we are all feeling varying degrees of tired and stressed it seems.
Digging a little deeper and feeling tired and stressed is not the end of it. Women in particular are also talking about being moody, easily irritated, having a low libido, and experiencing hair loss, headaches, insomnia and constipation.
Not bouncing back from colds like they used to is a common complaint as well as eating to relieve fatigue or food cravings especially for sugar or caffeine. If this sounds like you, you might too be experiencing adrenal fatigue.
Our adrenal glands play a crucial role in the ‘fight or flight’ stress response.
We generally know when we’re burning the candle at both ends and often we instinctively compensate during a stressful time by letting go of less urgent responsibilities in order to cope but it also takes a lot of metabolic energy to recover.
When we don’t allow ourselves the time and space and nutrition to recover fully, we leave ourselves at risk of adrenal fatigue.
Recovering from adrenal fatigue requires a nurturing approach. It’s a time to heed the warning that for every ‘push’ there requires a ‘pull’, a time to nurture and rebuild our reserves so we are ready for the next challenge.
I was relieved to hear that Sonya had already pulled back on her training regime, taking care to listen to her body’s cues about the level of exercise most suited to her at this time.
I highly recommend restorative yoga for its re-balancing abilities especially for those of us ‘heady’ people who are good at adding to our stress levels with our busy, driven minds.
Supportive nutrients and herbs for the adrenals include vitamin C, Magnesium and B vitamins.
Unrefined sea salt or Himalayan pink rock salt is a good source of trace minerals in natural levels (1 tsp per day is all that’s needed). Be careful not to be too restrictive with carbs at this time.
Our bodies need ready energy so ensure a minimum of 50-75g CHO per day (1 cup of mashed sweet potato = 50g). Herbs such as Siberian Ginseng, Withania, Licorice, Rhodiola and Rehmannia are great adrenal supportive herbs.
On a final note, it’s hard to fully resolve adrenal fatigue issues without addressing other health issues such as thyroid health, blood sugar regulation and gut health.
Of course, I’d recommend finding a qualified and experienced health practitioner and work with them to ensure you get and stay on the road to recovery.
Thank you Jayne!! Jayne is also a busy Mum and has a gorgeous Naturopathic Clinic located in Seaforth, Sydney. She can be contacted there on 02 9948 3090 or will be very happy to answer any questions via email at jayne@vitalchild.com.au.
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Sonya Lovell
