Life brings us stress from a multitude of sources, work, relationships, toxins, driving, exercise, food, emotions, trauma, and even good news. Because of this we must find ways to counteract the toll it takes on our physical, mental and emotional well being. In our body the adrenal glands are two organs that sit on top of our kidney glands which monitor and respond to stress, they produce a series of hormones that stimulate a “flight” or “fight” response, causing our nervous system to go into an alarm state that we con recover from if this stress is short term in duration, unfortunately we are always faced with constant stress so our adrenal glands do not get a chance to get the respite they need to recover. These glands are interconnected with many other glands and organs that run our body, they directly affect the thyroid gland, the intestinal tract, the pancreas, the brain, the liver, the spleen, the heart, the arteries and blood vessels, the digestive tract, the immune system, male and female hormones, inflammation in the body, muscle building, and recovery from exercise. As you can see, if the adrenal glands are not functioning properly, we will end up with never ending diseases and dysfunctions. Therefore, we must do everything we can to counter stress and maintain adrenal health.

The hormones produced by the adrenal glands are adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol, if pushed to much they will make to much and over time they start to get exhausted and cannot make enough. Consequently fatigue, weight gain, inability to recover from injuries, inability build muscle mass, poor metabolism, anxiety, chronic pain, allergies, disturbed digestion, blood pressure problems, insomnia, chronic illnesses, irritability, allergies, can plague us all at once or one by one.

Strategies that can support our adrenal glands and lead to stress management in our lives include, eating regular balanced meals, regular exercise, yoga, meditation, prayer, hot baths, daily restorative pose, 8 hours of restful sleep per night, supplements and herbs that support adrenal function, vacations, drinking at least 8-10 glasses of clean spring or filtered water per day, laughter, spending time with those you love, and balancing your emotions with flower essences and homeopathic medicines.

There are several herbs that support adrenal function; holy basil,ashwaganda, cordyceps, Siberian ginseng, licorice root and rhodiola. There are also vitamins and amino acids that assist adrenal function; pantothenic acid, phosphotadylserine, folic acid, vitamin C, B6, and L-carnitine. These should be taken on a regular basis to maintain wellness and prevent dysfunction. The one hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands and, when exhausted is in short supply, is DHEA, therefore taking it on a regular basis not only insures adrenal health but also has beneficial effects on all other body systems and processes because when there are high enough levels the brain believes you are younger and it instructs the body to upkeep and repair and regenerate more efficiently, slowing the aging process.

These books are revealing and informative and I recommend these nutritional supplements.