Cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone” is released by the adrenal glands in response to a stressful situation. As a rule, this natural process is helpful to keep the body operating efficiently and reacting quickly. However, cortisol can actually function as your enemy as well and too often, in today’s color-coded planner, fast-paced, drive-thru world, stress (and the rising cortisol levels that come along with it) is far too common. So what are some signs your cortisol levels are high, and what can you do?
Get Enough Sleep But Still Have Zero Energy? Here’s Why
You’ve likely had the question posed to you, “Are you an early bird or a night owl?” If you struggle with fatigue and tiredness throughout the day, you could respond to this inquiry with “I’m not either. I’m some form of permanently exhausted pigeon.” Even though you try to get enough sleep and regularly reach the “magic” number of 8 hours a night, you may still struggle to stay awake at your desk or find yourself dozing off when your coworker starts to drone on about their family vacation. Instead of just accepting your identity as a permanently exhausted pigeon, it’s time to get to the bottom of your energy crisis and stop relying on caffeine to get you through the day.
End Insomnia and Migraines with Magnesium
You, like many other Americans, may be lacking in a very important mineral, magnesium. Not getting enough magnesium can cause a number of symptoms from fatigue to nausea and cramps. A lack of magnesium can also bring on seizures and even coronary spasms.
Magnesium is utilized by each and every organ in the body, particularly the kidneys, muscles, and heart – yet 80 percent of us don’t get enough of this nutrient. The majority of the mineral is stored in organs and bones where it can be utilized for all types of biological functions, and as so many people are deficient in it without being aware of the issue, it’s sometimes referred to as the “invisible deficiency.”
Magnesium is a macro-mineral
Magnesium is a macro-mineral. That means that unlike trace minerals, the body needs it in significant amounts in order for it to function the way it would. Still, only 20 to 25 percent of Americans get the recommended daily amount, which is 310 to 320 mg for women and 400 to 420 mg for men.
You might be thinking, “I eat healthily, I rarely if ever eat junk or processed foods, so why would I be lacking magnesium?” Even if you are following a nutritious diet you may very well be deficient due to farming practices which ultimately produce less nutrient-rich foods. Other factors can contribute to a deficiency as well, such as drinking an excessive amount of caffeinated beverages and/or being under a lot of stress.
But how bad is it really do not get enough magnesium?
You might be surprised that a lack of the nutrient could actually be causing symptoms you didn’t even consider could be related to a deficiency such as:
Insomnia
Having a hard time getting a good night’s sleep? Magnesium works to reduce nerve conduction in the muscles, and it can also slow down neuronal activities in the brain. By decreasing the electrical conduction between brain cells, magnesium is then able to reduce the “noise” signals that cause anxiety and sleeplessness, inducing calm and promoting sedation. As even marginal magnesium deficiency can cause muscle spasms, irregular heartbeat, and hyperexcitability, it’s fairly common for low magnesium levels to trigger insomnia.
Leg cramps and restless leg syndrome
More than 70 percent of adults suffer from leg cramps regularly. Although they typically go away after several minutes, the pain can be debilitating. While this can sometimes be the result of an underlying condition, a lack of magnesium can also be the cause.
Another way that a magnesium deficiency can interrupt sleep is via restless leg syndrome. Low magnesium levels lead to poor control of electrical conduction in the neurons that are in the muscles, which then leads to a prolonged opening of the calcium channels and increased muscular activity. The result is muscle spasms which present as restless leg syndrome. Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is the term used to describe the involuntary movement of limbs caused by magnesium deficiency.
Anxiety
Anxiety can be brought on by many things. Sometimes it’s an organic issue and may not be caused by anything at all, though it could result from financial difficulties, a challenging new job, the current state of the world or just about anything in between – but, it can also be caused by a lack of magnesium. Stress can cause a magnesium deficiency, and a lack of this important mineral tends to magnify the stress reaction, making the problem even worse.
High blood pressure
In addition to playing an essential role in the nervous system to help the brain relax, magnesium also aids in dilating and relaxing the blood vessels. When you have a deficiency, it can result in hypertension, or high blood pressure, by increasing blood vessel constriction.
Migraines
If you have ever had a migraine you know just how horrible they can be. Research has shown that migraine sufferers frequently have a lack of magnesium in the body. Studies have demonstrated that people who suffer from these debilitating headaches who take a magnesium supplement have fewer migraines and reduced symptoms.
More benefits of magnesium
- Improved bone health
- Less pain
- Increased energy
- Better heart health
- A lower risk of diabetes
- Stronger muscles
Magnesium Rich Foods
Including these magnesium-rich foods in your diet will help you get more of this very important nutrient that you need.
- Dark chocolate
- Avocados
- Seeds
- Bananas
- Leafy greens
-Susan Patterson
8 Signs Your Stressed and How To Fix It Now
While we all have bad days and stress is a normal part of life, when we’re overstressed it can wreak havoc in a number of ways, resulting in all sorts of physical and emotional symptoms. Sometimes, when we’re under chronic stress, those symptoms are more subtle, but if they aren’t addressed it can lead to more serious issues from depression to heart problems.
These signs say that your body is trying to tell you that you’re under too much stress, and it’s time to make an effort to change things now.
Insomnia
If you’re suffering from a lack of sleep, it could be due to high cortisol levels caused by stress. This “stress hormone” as its often called, is supposed to decrease at night to allow your body to rest and recharge. But if the stress response is constantly “on,” your going to have a hard time sleeping.
Frequent Headaches
When you’re stressed, all of that tension tends to build up, resulting in a tension or a stress headache. You know that dull, aching pain that feels like it’s wrapped around your head? If you’ve been getting these type of headaches frequently, you’re probably pretty stressed.
Your Jaw is Sore
If your jaw is sore, it’s probably because you’ve been grinding your teeth, something that’s common when you’re stressed out
Skin Problems
Stress tends to increase inflammation, which can lead to breakouts and acne. If your skin frequently breaks out, or you develop a skin rash like eczema, it’s a sign that you’re under a lot of stress.
Your Hair is Thinning or You Have Bald Patches
If you notice that you’re hair is falling out more often, it’s thinning, or worse, you have small bald patches, it could be due to excess stress. While it may be related to a particularly stressful event, alopecia can also be the result of chronic stress, which is when the immune system starts to attack hair follicles, causing hair loss.
Fatigue
If you don’t have insomnia and your fatigue isn’t connected to something obvious, like running a marathon or staying up too late, it could be the result of stress.
Anxiety
Everyone experiences some anxiety now and again, but if you’re anxious all the time, it could be that you’re overstressed. Anxiety is just one of the many ways your body reacts to stress.
Digestive Problems or Frequent Bellyaches
If you frequently suffer from digestive woes, it could very well be due to stress. Stress can actually cause a bellyache, constipation or diarrhea. Medical director of the Digestive Health Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina Kenneth Koch, MD told Everyday Health, “Stress can affect every part of the digestive system,” adding, “Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the great German writer, and philosopher, believed that the gut was the seat of all human emotions.”
Koch further added, “Although stress may not cause stomach ulcers, celiac disease, or inflammatory bowel disease, it can make these and other diseases of digestion worse.”
In a 2002 study reported by Prevention magazine researchers found that of the nearly 2,000 participants, those who experienced the highest levels of stress were over three times as likely to have abdominal pain as compared to their counterparts who were more relaxed. While the reason behind it isn’t totally clear, some experts believe that it’s because the intestines and the brain share nerve pathways. When your mind reacts to stress, your intestines are getting that same signal.
How to Fix It Now
If you’re seeing yourself among these signs, it’s important to address it as soon as possible. Here’s how you can fix it now.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Do the best you can to let worries roll off your back. Don’t let those inevitable little things like traffic or a grumpy grocery store clerk get to you. Remember, in the scheme of things, it’s all the small stuff that adds up, building and building until you feel like your head is going to explode. Instead of worrying about everything, make the changes you’re able to and then make a decision to accept that you won’t be able to change everything. If there is nothing you can do about a perceived problem, let it go.
Be Mindful
Focus on what’s happening right now, this very minute, and not what happened yesterday, last week or last year, or what might happen tomorrow or the next day. By concentrating on the present moment, it can dramatically reduce stress.
Practice Deep Breathing
Deep breathing offers immediate stress relief. Multiple studies have found that the practice of deeply inhaling, holding your breath and then slowly exhaling, to a count of five for each, can active lower cortisol levels which helps to reduce stress. Researchers have found that it can even lower blood pressure too.
In 2014 research reported in Frontiers in Psychology, volunteers were asked to count nine breaths in sequence. They used a keyboard to tap one key for each breath, and a different key for the last breath in each sequence, causing them to be more aware of their breath. At the end, the experts found that it resulted in a more positive mood in all the participants.
Get Moving
Just about any type of physical activity helps to relieve stress, but walking can be done pretty much anytime, anywhere. Even if you’re at the office, you can get up out of your chair and walk around the building or up and down the halls. At home, you can walk around the house or even up and down the stairs if the weather isn’t cooperating. Whenever you can, aim to get outside as the fresh air combined with exercise serves as kind of a “double whammy” for battling stress.
Exercise in Shorter Periods
If the thought of exercising for long periods is stressing you out, or causing you to skip it altogether, you should know that it can be just as beneficial to workout in shorter periods. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day, but you can accomplish that by doing it 10 minutes (or more) at a time, for example, walking after each meal.
Get Sufficient Sleep
A lack of sleep contributes to stress, actually causing cortisol levels to rise. Aim to get seven to eight hours of sleep every night as often as you can. If you struggle, make it a point to change things by creating a more conducive environment, such as avoiding your cell phone, tablet or laptop about an hour before bedtime, and making sure all those little lights from your electronics are shut off. Wearing earplugs can be a big help if noise is preventing you from sleeping or waking you up at night too.
-Susan Patterson
Understanding Adrenal Fatigue and What to Do About It
You may have heard the word adrenal fatigue thrown around but are not sure what it is or if you might have adrenal fatigue. Many people don’t recognize the symptoms of poor adrenal function and end up feeling lousy for far too long.
Before I talk about adrenal fatigue, it is important to understand what the adrenal glands are and what they do:
What are the adrenals?
The health of your adrenal glands is paramount to overall health and well being. These essential glands sit right above the kidney, and there is one gland per kidney and are integrally related to kidney function. In fact,the word adrenal comes from the Latin word ‘ad renes.’ which means near the kidney.
There are three layers to the adrenals, the capsule, the cortex and the medulla. The capsule is a protective layer of fat that is around the gland. The cortex has three parts in itself – one part produces DHEA and other sex hormones, one part produces corticosteroids which help to regulate our sleep/waking cycle, keep inflammation at bay, help us generate energy from non-carbohydrate foods and also regulate blood pressure. The cortex also produces mineral corticoids including aldosterone, which helps regulate fluid and mineral excretion. The medulla is at the center of the gland and secretes epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine, and dopamine. These stress hormones are also known as neurotransmitters that generate our primitive response to stress – the one that keeps us alive in times of trauma or danger.
What do the adrenals do when we are stressed?
When the body comes under stress, the brain sends a signal to the adrenal glands which respond by releasing stress hormones. These hormones do things like slow down our digestion, make us more alert and drive blood to critical areas including the brain and muscles.
What is adrenal fatigue?
When we have been under stress for some time, the body begins to run out of what is needed to make certain hormones. When this happens, it becomes difficult for your body to keep up with the production of stress hormones, sex hormones, and neurotransmitters. Adrenal fatigue can also develop from lack of sleep, poor diet or lack of exercise, negative thinking, exposure to toxins an and pollution and trauma.
How do I know if I have adrenal fatigue?
It gets a little tricky to diagnose adrenal fatigue based solely on symptoms because you can easily attribute most, if not all symptoms of something else. However here is a list of the common symptoms associated with the condition:
- Hard time getting up in the morning
- High energy in the evening
- Constant fatigue
- Inability to handle stress
- Strong cravings for salty foods
- Too much dependence on stimulants like caffeine
- Weak immune system
You may also notice:
- Anxiety
- Asthma, allergies or respiratory complaints
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Dizziness
- Depression
- Dry skin
- Extreme tiredness an hour after exercise
- Frequent urination
- Insomnia
- Joint pain
- Lines in your fingertips
- Loss of muscle tone
- Low blood pressure
- Low blood sugar
- Low sex drive
- Lower back pain
- Numbness in your fingers / Poor circulation
- Weight gain
It may be possible that if you are suffering from adrenal fatigue, you have had a long history of stressful events that have sent you into a whirlwind.
Even though you may feel like you are just lazy, it may be that you are suffering from adrenal fatigue. By making the proper nutrition and lifestyle choices, your health can turn around rapidly.
How to test for adrenal fatigue
One of the best ways to check for sure for adrenal fatigue is through your saliva. Saliva is a very non-invasive way to look at the adrenal hormones, mainly cortisol and how it fluctuates during the day. If you are concerned that you might have adrenal fatigue, be sure that you see a practitioner that can diagnose you appropriately.
What you can do
Diet: Improving your diet can make a tremendous difference in the health of your adrenals. Eating a diet comprised of whole foods and eliminating fast and junk food is necessary for healing. Some very good foods to eat include coconut, olives, avocados, cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, nuts including walnuts and almonds, fatty fish, seeds such as pumpkin, chia and flax and free range (organic) chicken and turkey.
Supplements: In addition to eating well, there are a number of supplements that you can take that will help support adrenal health. Remember to always take a whole food form of these supplements when you can:
- Ashwagandha
- Holy basil
- Fish oil (EPA/DHA)
- Magnesium
- Vitamin B5
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D3
- Zinc
Stress Management: It is imperative to rest your mind and body when you are suffering from adrenal fatigue. Try to get at least 8-10 hours of sleep per night, avoid staying up late – try to be in bed by 10 p.m, do something fun each day, minimize work and relationship stress as much as possible and exercise moderately daily. Also, avoid negative people and negative self-talk, make time to do things you love and things that relax you and seek good counsel to help with recovery from trauma.
It is possible to recover from adrenal fatigue but it does not happen overnight. Be persistent and patient and you will feel better.
-Susan Patterson