Is adrenal fatigue real ? Adrenal fatigue is real, but contrary to popular belief, it is more of something to do with poor choices when it comes to nourishing the body .
In this current rhythm of life, it is common that poor diet (or not enough food) is taking its toll on our body. Yes, stress is also something we should worry about, but it will not always be the main reason for our suffering, especially when it has to do with chronic fatigue that has become practically a pandemic today.
Symptoms of adrenal fatigue
- Tendency to be a “person of the night”
- Difficulty getting to sleep
- You start slow in the morning
- Tendency to nervousness and difficulty calming down
- Calm outwardly, but with problems inside
- Trend of needing sunglasses
- Chronic fatigue or often sleepy
- Craving for salty foods
- Simple home test for adrenal fatigue
However, these symptoms of adrenal fatigue are very similar to the symptoms that occur from not eating enough, some of these similar symptoms can be the following :
- You feel stressed all the time
- Low energy
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Food cravings
- Difficulty waking up
- Cold hands and feet
- Lack of appetite
- Your food diary resembles that of a child
- Low body temperature (below 97.8 upon waking)
- You go for foods that say “fat-free,” “sugar-free,” or “low-calorie.”
You may be interested in knowing which is the correct ” nutrition to combat Adrenal Fatigue”
Causes of adrenal fatigue
Whenever we are not meeting the body’s needs for energy with adequate fuel, we place emphasis on the adrenal glands, as they act as shock absorbers for the body (allowing the body to adapt to stress).
In other words, any abuse of calories or neglect of nutrition is something that our adrenal glands have to compensate for by producing stress hormones ( cortisol and adrenaline) to help you get through the day. Generally, the more severe the adrenal dysfunction, the greater the adrenal stress that has been going on.
In addition, improperly feeding our body, it stimulates the use of glycogen (sugar stored in the liver) for energy. Once glycogen stores are depleted, tissue breakdown begins (the breakdown of protein and fat to make glucose [sugar] for energy). According to Ray Peat, PhD, this muscle catabolism process releases amino acids such as cysteine, methionine and tryptophan that are anti-metabolic to our thyroid.
This happens because it is the body’s way of being wise, which communicates with the thyroid, telling it to lower the conversion of active thyroid hormone to keep the body from falling to the ground.
When you eat regular nutrient dense meals, you give the body what it needs, also when you give it foods that work for your body’s current digestive state, the adrenal glands don’t have to work very hard. They stay content , waiting for those intense moments of acute stress to do the job they were put there to do: create energy during times of life-threatening stress. However, the adrenal glands were not meant to withstand the chronic stress that continues day after day when they are not meeting the demands of the body .
Consider this: if you are currently on a diet (even paleo), reducing calories (being hungry), eating foods that decrease your appetite (such as those you don’t digest well), and / or not managing your blood sugar properly , is a key reason why your adrenal glands feel fatigued. While adrenal fatigue may be a real thing, perhaps it’s better to call it what it really is: the result of a low-carbohydrate diet, not eating enough, and / or not managing blood sugar well. So if you want to get rid of adrenal fatigue, learn to satisfy your body’s needs without having to go through crazy adrenal protocols with expensive supplements with no results.