The adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys. When your brain perceives some kind of stress, you get a signal from your brain that actually goes right from your spine to your adrenal glands. Other organs and glands have a little different way of getting their signals from the brain. It’s kind of cool and maybe signifies how important the adrenals are that they get a short cut signal from the brain. This signal will tell the adrenal glands to release cortisol after a series of reactions. So this hasn’t changed.
I mentioned in an earlier podcast that it turns out there is really no such thing as adrenal fatigue. What it actually is is a low output of cortisol. So your adrenal glands are working fine but something is getting in the way of them releasing the hormones your body needs. There is a ton of information on the internet about adrenal fatigue with books written and websites dedicated to it. This idea of adrenal fatigue is what was known several years ago. Like I have said before, it is what I was taught in my Nutritional Therapy training. The science has changed because scientists have learned more and done more research on the adrenal glands. I think there is rarely a time we can say that the science is settled- maybe that we know vitamin C keeps us from getting scurvy but honestly even that could change at some point. Scientists are still discovering new body parts so I don’t really think the science is settled at all.
Searching the internet for health advice can be confusing and mind boggling with so many so called experts each telling you that their way is the best way and sometimes the only way. I don’t profess to be an expert in anything but I will try my best to help you walk through the forest of information and in some cases misinformation to figure out what might be correct. My goal has always been to help you get clear about what’s out there. I don’t want you to suffer like I have - know that in my heart I just want to help.
So how does cortisol get low?
First of all, you need cholesterol to make cortisol but also sex hormones which are also produced in the adrenal glands. The production of cortisol happens in the mitochondria which are those energy factories in each of our cells. So if you have any type of dysfunction in your mitochondria or in your cells you may struggle with cortisol being low.
What causes Low Cortisol?
There can be a communication problem with your hypothalamus and your pituitary gland in your brain. There can be dysfunction at the cellular level, you can have low cholesterol, you can also be dealing with infection, inflammation or too much leptin (appetite hormone that tells you you’re full). Nutrient deficiency (around 80% of people are deficient in vitamin E- don’t just go supplementing this), intestinal permeability, toxins- big player in all of our health.
There is no protocol for Adrenal Fatigue in general. There is no specific diet for Adrenal Fatigue. You can try an elimination diet which will lower inflammation or paleo or you know, what works for you. You have to clean up the toxic chemicals in your life. Organic food when and where you can, clean up your beauty products, your household cleaning products etc. A good resource for learning more about this is ewg.org
My favorite household cleaner is Branch Basics. You can get $10 off your first purchase by going to www.branchbasics.refer.cc/stephanieewalsntp
My favorite skin care is kind of all over the place but you can get 10% off meizenskincare.com by using the code 10% OFF
I also love Intelligent Nutrients for skin and hair care and Evan Healy skin care.
What else can you do if you think you have low cortisol?
Figure out how to deal with your mental/emotional stress- whatever works for you. Journaling, meditation, whatever you need.
You can use an adaptogen like Ashwagandha or rhodiola but they will only be a bandaid until you figure out what is going on with your body. That is the biggest thing. We all need to remember that when something goes wrong in one area of the body there is usually something systemic - system wide going on and that is what you need to figure out.
If you can’t figure out where things are going wrong in your body, you can use my Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire to get a picture of where your body is out of balance and get headed in the right direction. A one hour initial consultation is $153 right now with 30 minute follow up visits at $79.
You will get a personalized protocol which includes diet and supplementation to be used for 3-6 months and then you should recheck where your body is at and what needs to change within your protocol.
If you want support with diet changes, I am running The RESTART Program from 2/1/2021 until 3/1/2021 via Zoom. That is a wonderful way to get started on feeling better. This program is a five week nutrition education program, a sugar detox and support group all rolled into one wonderful class. People love this class and what it has to offer. The cost is $119 for the five weeks and I supply all the materials via email the day of class. It will be running from 6:30 pm CST until around 8:00 pm CST each Monday from 2/1-3/1. There are only a few spots left so email me at stephanie@outofthewoodsnutrition.com if you want to enroll.
All my best to you all. Thank you so much for listening. Please always remember to think critically in not only the health arena but all areas of your life. Always ask why.
I have no plans to join the main social media outlets due to their censorship. I have joined Parler but don’t currently post anything on there. The best way for now to see what’s up is to join my newsletter.
Until next time.