Hi Sweet Friends,
Are you feeling tired, fried and foggy most of the time?
After years of ups and downs in my energy department, I finally pinpointed the culprit — my adrenals. You may be walking around with the same misdiagnosed or unidentified issues. That’s why I invited my trusted friend and doctor, Kenneth Bock, Integrative MD, to sit down and talk with us about this common health challenge and how anyone can jump on the road to recovery.
In this Chat & Chew episode, you’ll learn:
- What the heck do our adrenals do?
- Why adrenal issues are often overlooked.
- The main signs of adrenal problems.
- The key to healthy adrenal glands.
- How to support your adrenals (hint: lifestyle is a major player!)
And in case you’re curious about the supplements I take to support my adrenal fatigue, here are the deets:
- Ashwaganda (Gaia or Organic India brand)
- Licorice Plus (Metagenics brand)
- Adrenal Essence (Xymogen brand)
But it’s not just about supplements.
As you’ll learn in this video, stress tramples our adrenals like no other. As a result, I’ve had to make a conscious and consistent effort to monitor my workload and not stretch myself too thin physically or emotionally. Once I got sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, I knew it was time to lovingly care for those cute little glands, my adrenals. I bet some of you can relate.
Your turn: Do you have something to add to the adrenal conversation? Share! I’m always amazed by how much we all learn in the comments.
Peace & renewed energy,
I loved this post Kris!
I’m a 22year old university student in the UK who has been recovering from acute adrenal fatigue for the last 2 years. It took 9 months (about 18 regular blood tests and being referred to the Hospital for Tropical Disease which ran their own tests for everything under the sun and then told me the wanted me to have a full body CT scan to rule out cancer!) for me to be diagnosed, and it was my wonderful alternative therapist who first discovered what it was.
Adrenal Fatigue isn’t recognized by the medical profession here in the UK, until it’s Addison’s Disease (at which point you’re likely to be on steroids for the rest of your life….GREAT.) So my therapist told me to get a book by James L. Wilson called ‘Adrenal Fatigue; The 21st Century Stress Syndrome’. I’m sure in the USA you guys probably have more sources on adrenal fatigue, but i can highly recommend this book. It became my health bible, and through changes in my lifestyle and massive changes to my diet (i’m currently intolerant to gluten, dairy, SUGAR and COOKED oil and therefore basically have to make all my own meals!) the difference in my energy levels and health in general is outstanding.
I still have good days and bad days, and i’m certainly not full recovered, but from not being able to walk whilst holding my boyfriend’s hand at the same time (i needed all the power from both arms just to keep me going) to being able to go on short runs now, the difference is HUGE.
It’s a hard syndrome to deal with, as it goes so un-noticed, and i found that many people thought i was making a massive fuss over nothing, and couldn’t understand why i didn’t want to go out and party all the time. Lost a lot of friends in the process, but i feel so much better and have discovered what i want to do in the future.
The book my James Wilson really is great- for anyone suffering from adrenal fatigue….persist with the right solutions and you WILL recover.
Zoe xxxxx
hello! I’ve been hearing a lot about vitamin B lately. Dr B mentions B6 (i think?) – i’ve also heard B12 is good for adrenals, and others just ref “B” in general. Whats the diff btw all these Bs?
Wondering how DHEA is connected I was told I am low
Thank you Kris! 🙂 This topic is sooo importaint. I had Adranal fatigue for years, and no doctors found out of it. Instead I found out my self when I studied Biological Medicine. I did the changes you and Dr. Bock are listing in the video, and it was like getting a second try at life! Wow! I had forgotten how awsome life could be when I have energy and are healthy. 🙂
Love you Kris!
This is one of my favorite topics to talk about it is also the number one problem i found when i was working as a Doctors assistant at an alternative health clinic in Atlanta. These tiny little glands get hit the hardest and suffer the most. The adrenals are 2 small glands located above the kidneys. They weigh about 3 to 5 grams and produce three main adrenal stress hormones:
Cortisol
DHEA
Adrenaline
These hormones are released in a cycle with the highest value in the morning and the lowest value at night. When this cycle is interrupted it can influence energy production, bone health, immune system health, sleep quality, thyroid function, muscle and joint function as well as skin regeneration.
You can always ask your integrative practitioner for an ASI test which stands for Adrenal Stress Index. What is awesome about this test is that it can help determine stress adaptation, identify grain intolerance, investigate blood sugar control and determine adrenal reserve. Your practitioner can than use the results to recommend a customized treatment and preventive measures that include diet, lifestyle and supplements.
The herbal supplements like licorice and ashwaganda don’t work very well with my body. I seem to prefer whole food supplements from standard process like Drenamin, Drenatrophin PMG, Cataplex B and Cataplex C. I also really love Adrenatran from Energetics. My adrenals have also told me on occasion that they love these supplements very much. Make sure to ask your practitioner what your body prefers. Not all supplements work the same for everyone.
Thank you Kris this is an awesome topic i wish more people spoke about it.
I suffer from adrenal fatigue and as luck would have it, chronic digestive issues too (the subject of your post today!) and have struggled to get it recognised as a proper ailment. I have heard mixed messages about how ashwanganda assists, some say that it is not great for adrenals but I know the reason for using ashwahganda is that it is an adaptogen. I have heard that Tulsi-holy basil is a very good adaptogen alternative and that vitamin C and magnesium are both vital for adrenals.
Do you think there is a link between digestive health and adrenal fatigue? I suspect there may be a hormonal link between clapped out adrenals, insulin, serotonin and potentially also candida–i.e. that it is a vicious cycle between a weak digestive system, then sucuumbing to candida potentially as a result of the external environmental and stress factors which your adrenals are fighting. Any experience of this?
Currently I am trying an alternative route to getting this ailment recognised and really trying to focus on healthy eating–not easy with the snow falling again in London! I am hoping a course in guided mediation will also tackle the stress successfully too..anyone found meditation useful?
I had all the symptoms of adrenal fatigue and found a wonderful acupressure exercise along with raw organic foods. After the first acupressure session I could barely make it home I was so wiped out! But after the third treatment I felt like a different person!
Thanks for the into to Dr. Bock and this handy video I can pass along to my clients 🙂
Adrenals frazzled, yes, for ages, this has been the case. My biggest problem has been that I have been told my adrenals were frazzled by a knowledgeable homeopath long before anyone was believing that this was a serious medical illness. Still it is a contentious issue but the lifestyle and sport community have started to be vocal in the fact that they have recognised this particular ailment for years and the affect it can have on your body, on weight gain and on overall strength–it affects your insulin levels and the amount of fat you store around your mid section as a result and it can also have an affect on your androgen levels–for women this means symptoms similar to PCOS. I have struggled and fought with it, being a buzzy person taught that mind should rule over matter and that your will should be iron-like over your body and your life etc. All important, but when it comes to treating your body with respect, when it comes to making sure you are pacing yourself in line with your weakest part, be it your emotional well being, your low level of sleep, your body..whatever, an iron-will is needed to stop in your tracks and give these poor little guys a chance to recover!! Finally, finally, having done a test as part of a lifestyle assessment at my gym (!) which looks at my sympathetic and peri-sympathetic systems–that’s your fight and flight and recovery systems which should be in balance to complement and assist each other in a reciprocal way, the results are indisputable. Finally someone has seen sense and realised that I am now showing the outward signs of clapped out adrenals–my recovery system is majorly out of whack with my fight and flight. It is such a vicious cycle though. My resolution is to get the help of a nutritionist/naturopath (?)–I am scheduling a GP visit this week on the back of the physical test with the intention of getting a referral to a nutritionist and I have found online, guided meditation–which I have not started yet but plan to, this week. It has been a long journey to realise the over-critical side of myself and release a lot of baggage that was contributing to the overall load on my stress, but I am still not there yet, still exhausted and cooking (which I love) is suffering and feeding yourself right is a huge part of the battle, the one I am now struggling with!!
Acupuncture calms the sympathetic nervous system, which is what is triggered when one is stressed. This makes your adrenals work overtime. Acupuncture helps to stimulate the calming parasympathetic nervous system. I have had good results .
Hi Deanna
That is a good tip. The funny thing is that the only way now I have been able to get conventional medicine to recognise I have a problem was through a lifestyle assessment I did with my gym where they tested the balanec between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Found that the recovery system is really out of whack, not working properly to bring my ‘fight and flight’ back down. Will look into acupuncture in addition to meditiation which I plan to try soon… it is the fight to just get out of bed that I need to get over first!!
At our wellness pharmacy we see patients suffering from adrenal fatigue every day. I love your recommended nutritional supplements. We carry Ashwaganda, Licorice Plus and Adrenal Essence and recommend them all the time. I want to reinforce that not all nutritionals are created equal. It’s important to find and use pharmaceutical grade supplements. These have the highest quality ingredients and are better absorbed. Also, it’s a great idea to do saliva testing to determine your cortisol levels prior to embarking on a nutritional regimen. Your levels will determine what and how much to use. As an aside Kris, we fill compounded prescriptions for Dr. Bock at our two pharmacies here in upstate NY. He’s a terrific doctor as you know! Thanks for spreading the word on healthy living.
Kris!
Thank you! I’ve always been super duper thin (5’9 – 109 pounds) and have always had super duper low blood pressure with that dizziness upon standing occasionally. I’m so glad to hear that licorice and other vitamins/herbs help with this. I’ve been searching for years! Also good to hear about the adrenals and always good to hear great news from you!
THANK YOU for all you do!
Best,
Amie
Are there some inexpensive brands of these products that you can recommend that work well?
Hi Kris,
I just wanted to thank you for all you do. I just started following you recently after watching Hungry for Change, and I wanted to comment about this post because I feel that this post in particular has resonated with me a LOT! I was born without a thyroid gland and although my thyroid levels (from medication) have been constantly monitored, I have fought fatigue on and off throughout my life. I feel like now that I’m starting to take steps to being more conscious of my health, I’m now seeing connections and patterns that I’ve never noticed before. I am now wondering if I may be suffering from Adrenal fatigue. I’m going to look into this further now that you’ve brought it up! Thanks again! Keep up the great work!
Hi Kris! Love your newsletters, such great information! I love using nettle infusions for tired adrenals. I drink 3-4 cups a day. It’s a wonderful herb and have gotten great results with it, plus taking my supplements and eating a healthful diet and by making it healthier by adding some juicing recipes from your new book which I love! Thank you! I was diagnosed with having allergies to gluten, soy and dairy so I have to constantly monitor how I feel and my stress levels because I was very sick and very nutrient depleted when I found out about the food allergies. Keep all this wonderful information coming, love to hear from you!
I love love LOVE Doc Bock!!!!!! and you two together… there’s something so sweet and playful about your energy. Thanks for having him on again! and i have to admit, I think I’m having a little adrenal issue myself! totally recognizing all those symptoms in myself, so great post, thanks so much Lady, xoxoxo
I feel like you just saved my life! The connections I just made with the ailments I’ve had over the years from watching this video are countless. Its been my adrenals this whole time!! THANK YOU!!!!!
I’m wondering if eating a vegan diet makes people more prone to adrenal fatigue.
Hmm yes I wonder too. I read that in order for the body to make hormones, it requires cholesterol. The type of cholesterol that comes from animal fat. Check out work by Dr. Cass Ingram
I am an advocat of eating a lot more veges and fruit etc, but think we may need some meat (a small addition of grass-fed hormone-free meat).
So what would be the advice for working mothers (especially of small children) where there’s a lot of stress, sleeplessness, and not a lot of ability to control the load that is put upon us (or find time for ourselves in all of it as well)?
Thanks,
Amy L.
Several years ago when I was 28!! I went to a bio identical hormone doctor. I was experiencing extreme fatigue, weight gain, moodieness and on the verge of a mental breakdown. I will stop here and admit I was in the midst of an intense drug and alcohol addiction, running my own business-working usually 7 days a week, and raising 2 children- one under 2 years old.
After several blood tests he told me that my blood work was similar to that of a menopausal woman in rough shape. This was the first time I had ever heard of adrenals. Mine were completely shot. He told me I had to quit drinking and start taking care of myself. He said it was like I was standing on train tracks w a train heading towards me. As I was not ready to quit my addictions at this point so I didn’t listen to him. It was the catalyst for me to change my lifestyle!! Being only 28 at the time I didn’t think the way I was living could have impacted my health as much as it had.
I want to thank my little adrenals for giving me the wake up call I needed. A year later I checked into treatment and am proud to say I have 3.5 years clean and sober 🙂
You rock Melissa. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I couldn’t help but contact you after reading your post on adrenals! I had a very similar experience to you Kris and found this amazing product that I haven’t really shared with many people; it contains many of the herbs, vitamins and supplements that you mentioned all in one! There are over 20 ingredients in the product but below are specific to healing adrenal fatigue:
Vitamin B3 (niacinamide; niacin)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal 5-phosphate)
Rhodiola crenulata extract (root; 3% salidroside)
OKG (Ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate)
Cordyceps sinensis extract
Let me know if you would like more information!
Love you and all that you stand for, I am a warrior for the same causes here in Vancouver, Canada!
xo,
Britney
Hi Brit,
Can you share the brand of product you are talking about, and/or a website to order it from?
That would be great. Also worth googling is MACA. I havent heard it mentioned here yet (maybe I missed it). Maca supplementation works to balance the hormones by regenerating the endocrine glands, not by stimulating them as such. (:
I know your post is from March but it could be so HELPFUL if you would put in the name of the product you used and the brand. Thanks so much.