Chronic stress, lack of sleep, physical and emotional pain, poor diet and lifestyle habits – these and other issues place demands on the body and deplete our all-important stress hormone, cortisol, which is made in the adrenal glands. If you have symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, weight gain, chronic pain, mood swings, depression or foggy brain, your hormones may need support.
Answer the following questions to identify your personal stress level and risk of adrenal fatigue and hormone imbalance:
- Do you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep?
- Do you have energy highs and lows throughout the day?
- Do you feel tired a lot of the time?
- Do you experience brain-fog, difficulty focusing, or memory loss on a regular basis?
- Do you use caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, etc.) to get going (or keep going)?
- Do you suffer from depression, sadness or lack of motivation?
- Are you easily upset or irritated?
- Have you experienced major stressful life events, such as job loss, divorce, or the death of a loved one?
- Are you experiencing more frequent ailments, such as muscle aches, headaches, colds or flu?
- Do you feel light-headed when you stand up too quickly?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may be suffering from adrenal fatigue and hormone imbalance, which can negatively impact your health.
The adrenal glands produce cortisol, the stress hormone, which gives our bodies a surge of energy to help us respond to all kinds of stress: Physical stress, such as an injury or accident; Emotional stress, such as a demanding career or a difficult relationship; Environmental stress, such as noise, pollution and pesticides. There are also hidden forms of stress such as inflammation or infections in the gastrointestinal tract. Whatever form of stress you encounter, your brain and adrenal glands react. Under prolonged stress, they can falter and become unable to produce enough cortisol to combat stress and keep you healthy. At that point you may experience a variety of symptoms such as those mentioned above—or worse yet, autoimmune disorders, thyroid dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, gastrointestinal diseases and diabetes. I can help you address these issues and more.