I have been battling with adrenal fatigue for as long as I can remember, and looking back my entire life since I was a child had been an uphill battle of trauma and ongoing stress. For most of my adult life, I’ve had some form of stress, whether it was having my children or dealing with relationship breakups and even learning to live with an autoimmune disease; it has been a constant battle with the last four years being some of the most challenging times.

In 2015 I set up my own cleaning business and did all of the work myself, including chasing accounts and dealing with orders and everything else that goes with running your own business. Around 8-9 months ago, I just crashed. I just burnt myself out and have been battling to get back to normal ever since. After doing a lot of research on adrenal fatigue, I have started to take supplements and start my road to recovering my health and building my adrenal glands back up to standard. I understand that this may be a slow process, but I’m up for a challenge. Hopefully, the information here will also help you to get back to normal too.

Some of the supplements listed may not be suitable for everyone, so make sure you do some research yourself to find which ones will suit you and your body. It may be that you only need a combination of vitamins and minerals and do not need any of the herbal remedies. Some may also need to have hormone replacements, but this is something you will need to figure out on your own. Lots more websites will give a more in-depth insight into adrenal fatigue and recipes that help alongside the supplements.

What to expect from our article

WHAT IS ADRENAL FATIGUE?

Adrenal fatigue is a term we use to describe a host of symptoms, including the feeling of extreme tiredness (fatigue). Adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenal glands are not performing as they should be and producing enough of the hormones that we need to deal with stressful situations. Depending on which stage of adrenal fatigue you are at, your body can display many other signs like disturbed sleep, aches and pains, allergic reactions, autoimmune diseases, and gut and digestive problems brought on by physical, mental or emotional stress.

WHY DO WE GET ADRENAL FATIGUE?

There are many reasons why we can get adrenal fatigue. Here are some of them.

  • Stress – emotional, physical, and mental stress
  • Diet – eating lots of carbs, junk food, and sugar
  • Chronic illness/diseases – asthma, diabetes or bronchitis
  • Toxins – pesticides, chemicals, or air pollutants
  • Trauma – a car crash, major accident, major surgery
  • Lack of sleep – insomnia, disturbed or restless sleep

Our bodies produce specific hormones to deal with all of the above; these hormones are created in the adrenal glands. Over time if we are constantly under stress, feeling unwell, eating poorly, not sleeping properly, or dealing with stressful situations, we start to deplete these hormones until we have used them up completely.

People with adrenal fatigue have trouble motivating themselves to do even the simplest of tasks. They often no longer get excited about what they would have been before, like family functions or events, etc. They can altogether lose their sex drive.

SYMPTOMS OF ADRENAL FATIGUE

  • Cravings for salty foods
  • Difficulty getting up in the morning
  • Inability to handle stress
  • Insomnia
  • Mild depression
  • Overuse of stimulants like caffeine
  • Regular and unexplained fatigue
  • Weakened immune system
  • Other related symptoms
  • Asthma, allergies, or respiratory complaints
  • Dark circles under the eyes
  • Dizziness
  • Dry skin
  • Extreme tiredness after exercise
  • Frequent urination
  • Joint pain
  • Lines in your fingertips
  • Loss of muscle tone
  • Low blood pressure
  • Low blood sugar
  • Low sex drive
  • Lower back pain
  • Numbness in your fingers / Poor circulation
  • Weight gain

DIAGNOSIS

Adrenal fatigue is not a recognised medical condition unless you have Addison’s disease, so it is often challenging to get a definitive diagnosis from your doctor. The usual blood tests are simply not sensitive enough to detect hormonal changes. You can have a whole host of tests to determine if you have it, but there are lots of them, and the process is not straightforward.

TREATING ADRENAL FATIGUE

There are lots of options available for treating adrenal fatigue. The first step you will need to take is a complete lifestyle change. If you have come across this article via I Luv Keto, chances are you have already made the necessary changes to your diet. You will be following the Ketogenic way of eating if you have. You are already halfway to healing your adrenal fatigue. If not, keep reading through the website and get ready for a drastic change. Now that you have made the lifestyle change, you will also need to include some supplements in your new way of eating. When we get adrenal fatigue, chances are you will have depleted some of your other essential vitamins and minerals and will need to add them back in.

INTERMITTENT FASTING

While intermittent fasting is a natural process of following the Ketogenic way of eating, it is not recommended while healing your adrenal fatigue. Going long periods without eating puts more stress on the adrenals, which can make your symptoms worse.

It is recommended that you eat little and often starting your day with a protein-rich meal within half an hour of waking and then eating smaller meals every few hours. This can be a little tricky if you are following macros as you will need to split your meals into smaller portions, but it is still achievable.

SUPPLEMENTS

  • Vitamins B5 B6 B12
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin D
  • Magnesium
  • Probiotics
  • Digestive enzymes
  • Liquorice root
  • Ashwagandha
  • Siberian ginseng
  • Macca
  • Omega-3
  • L-Carnitine
  • CoQ10
  • Melatonin
  • DHEA
  • Zinc
  • Selenium

Other things you can use to help heal adrenal fatigue are;

  • Gelatine
  • Bone broth (homemade)

Avoid stimulants like coffee, caffeine, and sugar-based products. Try some gentle exercise like yoga, but avoid any high-intensity exercise as this will make your fatigue and your symptoms worse. Get plenty of rest and lots of sleep.