Well, SOBS, we all have stress in our life, no matter how perfect your little universe is. Stress affects us at a cellular level and changes our internal chemistry. After awhile, all these changes cause our adrenal glands to give up on us. I am not going to bore you with the science of it all…instead I am going to tell you the signs of adrenal fatigue and then what we can do about it. You might always be a SOB but you will feel good doing it!

The symptoms of adrenal fatigue or stress-induced-exhaustion are as follows: 

Weight gain around the middle or hip area

Fatigue

Sleep disturbances

Depression/Anxiety

Low blood pressure

Low blood sugar

Changes in skin pigment

NO libido (sex drive)

Menstrual irregularities

Sensitivity to caffeine or other chemicals

Allergies

Basically, you just feel like shit and you don’t know why!  If you go into any doctors office in the world and complain about the above they might test your thyroid, check for anemia, and then probably suggest an anti-depressant as treatment. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! That really cracks me up and pisses me off. Treat the cause not the symptoms people.

So let’s talk treatment…SOBs have to take charge of their own health to change it!  We can’t get rid of stress but we can make our body tougher and more resilient to it.  The results of treatment are slow but over time you will feel better and your body chemistry will change.  Here are the treatment options I lay out for my SOBs:

1.  Lower your cortisol (stress hormone) whenever you can.  Whether that means breathing for 5 minutes, a massage, exercise, reading after the kids are in bed, drinking (no, just kidding), just relax and take some ME time.

2.B-Stress Complex–one or two per day with food.  I give a liquid B-Stress formula that is like rocket fuel…it works! I have it as a product for sale on the site.

3.B5–I recommend an extra B5 per day.

4.Adrenal glandulars/herbal combination–I like a combo product that is POTENT. I use ADR and do 2-4 caps/day

5.Omega 3 oils–2000-3000mg/day (fish is best)

6. If testing (saliva is what I use) reveals a high cortisol at night—Seriphos (phosphatidyl serine) 2 caps/bedtime

7.If testing reveals low cortisol all day, I do prescriptive cortisol 2-4 times per day. This has to be prescribed by a qualified physician….

8. DHEA– 10-25mg/day if testing reveals low levels

9. Anti-oxidant support–resveratrol, Vitamin C, Vitamin E

10. Diet–Whole foods (which means no crappy processed food–lean proteins, fruits, veg, whole grains)

11. Magnesium citrate–500-800 mg/day

I promise that if all you SOBs make a committment to change by doing some of the above your body will love you for it. You will age slower, you will feel better, you will lose weight, you will SURVIVE!  I, personally, treat my adrenals every day with my basic supplementation/wellness guidelines and then do more aggressive treatment once or twice per year to keep my stress in check. I may still be a SOB but atleast my body is reacting healthfully to the stress.

rgds

dr.gb

HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE – the growth hormone

• Decreases body fat
• Increases muscle mass
• Improves tissue healing and protein synthesis
• Increases bone density
• Quicker illness recovery
• Increases capacity to exercise
• Increases skin hydration and elasticity
• Improves sense of well being
• Decreases incidence of illness

TESTOSTERONE – the male hormone

• Improves brain function
• Increases energy
• Increases strength
• Increases bone density
• Increases libido
• Improves sexual sensitivity
• Improves sexual function
• Improves HDL and LDL levels
• Improves cardiovascular health

DHEA – the mother of hormones

• Improves neurological function
• Increases sense of well being
• Improves immune function
• Improves stress tolerance
• Increases metabolism

ESTROGENS – the female hormone

• Protects against heart disease, stroke
• Decreases cholesterol
• Lowers incidence of Alzheimer’s
• Improves memory
• Alleviates symptoms of menopause: headaches, mood swings, bloating, hot flashes, fatigue, waning libido

PROGESTERONE – the hormone of pregnancy

• Protects against breast and uterine cancer
• Protects against fibrocystic disease
• Helps fat metabolism
• Helps normalize blood sugar
• Helps reverse osteoporosis
• Helps thyroid hormone function
• Acts as a natural antidepressant
• Protects against nervousness
• Protects against anxiety and irritability

PREGNENELONE – the gateway hormone

• Promotes formation of other hormones
• Repairs brain and nerve tissue
• Enhances many brain functions
• Reduces aging skin
• Improves sense of well being
• Increases energy and mobility
• Improves sleep quality
• Reduces harmful stress effects
• Reduces aging brain deficiencies

THYROID – the hormone of metabolism

• Increases energy
• Increases fat burning, and controls weight
• Increases your heart rate
• Increases your appetite

INSULIN – the hormone of storage

• Responsible for getting blood sugar into all cells
• Increases fat storage
• Increases risk of diabetes, hypertension and stroke

MELATONIN – the hormone of sleep

• Responsible for maintaining sleep
• Helps alleviate “jet-lag”
• Improves one mood
• Improves the immune system (by decreasing cortisol)

CORTISOL – the hormone of stress

• Responsible for responding to stress
• Helps protect you against your environment (allergens)
• Mobilizes energy, improves fatigue
• Increases your appetite for sugar
• Decreases bone mass, muscle mass, and slows down your metabolism