Most Americans suffer from adrenal fatigue due to the “hustle and bustle” of everyday life. It should not be that way and we all must recognize it. You might be suffering from adrenal fatigue if you are:
- Crashing by 2 pm every day
- Waking up every morning around 2 am
- Unable to sleep
- Feeling exhausted when you get up
The adrenal gland is what secretes cortisol, a hormone that gets us up every morning and keeps us going throughout the day. This hormone can only take so much stress. When we are extremely stressed and do not get enough rest the hormone is used up. The two things that get this hormone back is nutrition and sleep. This is why we tend to sleep more when we are adrenally fatigued. If your body needs to sleep- you must listen to it, do not fight it, because this is what produces your cortisol back up so you can recover.
When patients are “burning the candle at both ends” I recommend a supplement designed to calm and nourish the adrenal glad processes. This is a mixture of herbs and nutrients required to support and produce your own body’s cortisol. I also recommend a multivitamin, fruits, vegetables, and a little probiotic—which is all necessary to replenish cortisol.
What to look for when choosing a supplement:
- Ashwagandha
- Magnolia Bark Extract
- Vitamin B1 and B6
- Vitamin C
- Zinc
So get your rest when you need it, listen to your body when it wants to sleep, and support your body with supplementation because more than likely you are stress eating foods that lack real nutrition.
Dr. Roxanne Carfora, D.O., P.C. is Board Certified in Anti-aging and Functional Medicine and has been practicing Family Medicine for over 25 years. Dr. Carfora is an international lecturer for PCCA (Professional Compounding Centers of America) on Female Hormonal disorders, as well as, published many articles for cardiovascular disease prevention, women’s health issues, and healthy living topics. Her articles appeared in Newsday Wellness, Image magazine, and Long Island Pulse.
