Your adrenal glands produce two primary hormones in response to stress. The most familiar stress hormones are adrenaline and cortisol. The adrenals also produce other important hormones that regulate things like sexual functions, blood sugar, immune function, metabolism and even balance fluids in our body.

If you are constantly exposed to stress, your adrenal glands will ultimately become exhausted. Typical symptoms are fatigue, low blood sugar, allergies, asthma, depression, weight gain, headaches, irritability, digestive difficulties, cravings, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, arthritis and inadequate sleep. If this sounds like you, we need to first support the adrenal glands in order to correct the problem.

There are two things you must understand about the adrenal glands and your health. First is, the more stress you place upon yourself -- the more you tax your adrenal glands -- and the weaker your immune system becomes. It’s like the old saying “the straw that breaks the camels back.” We can overwork our adrenal glands with constant stress and ask them to produce more stress hormones, but they eventually reach the point where they become too tired and can’t do it anymore. When this happens, normal metabolic function is affected, which causes the bad symptoms begin to show their ugly head.

The second and most important thing we need to understand is that there are different types of stresses that trigger that “Fight or Flight” response. When we realize there are different types of stress, it becomes apparent that we don’t have to be running from the proverbial ‘saber-toothed tiger’ to trigger a stress response.

Types of Stress that tax our body:

• Mental / Emotional - worry, anger, frustration, fear, anxiety

• Physical – obesity, inadequate sleep or rest, excessive exercise, aches and pains.

• Chemical – drugs and medications, pesticides, insecticides, antibiotics, refined foods, artificial sweeteners and preservatives, trans fatty acids, air and water pollution.

• Internal pollution - constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel, indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux, bloating, gas, leaky gut.

• Microbial toxicity - candida, yeast, fungus, parasites, yeast and bladder infections.

• Deficiencies – inadequate supply of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, fiber, probiotics and enzymes.

• Electro-magnetic – exposure to electrical devices such as computers, televisions, cell phones, microwaves, fluorescent lights, electric blankets, waterbeds.

As we have learned, stress can trigger an increased production of cortisol, which will eventually disrupt normal metabolic function. Left untreated, this can eventually lead to more serious health problems.

We all have daily stress in our lives. Our body can handle stress, however we must properly rest and nourish our body - specifically our adrenal glands. In earlier times, when the saber tooth tiger (stressor) came upon us, we ran (Fight or Flight mode). When we were safe the body returned to the Resting/Digesting mode. We should spend most of the day in the resting/digesting mode. Unfortunately, many of us are constantly in the ‘fight or flight’ mode and are chased by what I call “paper tigers” …inadequate sleep, rushing to get up, quick breakfasts, kids to school, rush to the office, traffic, deadlines, quick lunches, road rage, pick up the kids, soccer practice, make dinner, homework, take care of the house and finally bedtime, then start all over again tomorrow. This depletes and exhausts our adrenal glands. The adrenal glands respond to stress. The question is, how much stress are you taxing your body with each day?

Exhausted adrenals are why we are constantly fighting infections, allergies, have a difficult time losing weight and are always fatigued! It is also one of the major contributors to PMS cycles and menopausal difficulties, food cravings, low blood sugar, digestive problems, irritability, mood swings, depression, concentration and difficulty sleeping. This is why it is so important to nourish and rest the adrenals. Depleted and exhausted adrenal glands are a common problem that I constantly have to repair for many of my patients.

Dr. Len Lopez is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist (C.C.N.), Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (C.C.S.P.), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (C.S.C.S.), with additional training in Applied Kinesiology and Homeopathy.