When I was 19, I was on Summer holidays from University and was waitressing in a local restaurant and working out in the gym 4-5 times per week. All of a sudden I became so exhausted and felt so depleted I thought I’d rather be dead then feel this bad.
I went to a doctor who prescribed antidepressants, diagnosing me with depression. I took the pills with the promise of feeling better in a few weeks so I could be ready for my final year in my degree in Early Childhood Studies. The medication never made me feel myself, but it was enough to help me function so I soldiered on for another 4 years in University.
With my first class honours degree in Occupational Therapy, I once again felt burned out and didn’t have the energy to start working, much to my despair as I was 23 and had my life ahead of me.
I made a decision that changed my life forever, I committed to find the root cause of why I was unwell and come off medication that I knew was only suppressing my symptoms and wasn’t the answer.
I discovered I had adrenal fatigue and neurological fatigue from a viral Epstein Barr infection that was depleting my neurotransmitters like dopamine and was the cause of feeling so exhausted and drained. Once I addressed the root cause I have my adrenals and reclaimed my health and energy.
This experience opened up my calling to return to school and train in nutrition and lead to the creation of Aisling Health School and connecting with you here today.
Symptoms of adrenal fatigue
Symptoms of adrenal fatigue may include weakness, lack of energy, trouble concentrating, becoming easily confused, forgetfulness, trouble completing basic tasks, poor digestion, depression, and insomnia.
As these symptoms can have multiple causes, additional clues that can point to adrenal fatigue include:
- “Crashing” early on and/or throughout your day
- You’re tired all day at work, but feel energetic in the evening
- You’re exhausted at night but have trouble falling asleep
- Feeling unrested after a full night’s sleep
- Sweating excessively when performing light tasks (due to your endocrine system working overtime to compensate for lack of adrenaline)
- Feeling thirsty and can’t seem to quench your thirst, you have dry mouth, or crave salt
- Blurry vision or difficulty focusing (cortisol can dehydrate the body, including the eyes)
- Craving stimulants. If you’re reaching for cigarettes, caffeine, and/or sugary snacks to keep you going, you may be instinctively substituting your diminishing adrenal hormones.
Eating only three times per day can be tough on the adrenal glands, because your adrenals release cortisol if your blood sugar drops too low between meals, which brings your blood sugar back up.
So if you frequently go without eating for long stretches, you’re straining your adrenals and not giving them a chance to recuperate.
A simple way to start replenishing your adrenals is to graze frequently through out the day with adrenal snacks in between your meals, for example; dates, apple and celery sticks with the correct combination of sodium, potassium and glucose to restore adrenals.
Your body needs good-quality carbohydrates for energy, and a diet that is too low in carbs strains your adrenals.
Ensure that the carbs you eat come from nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables, not pastries, sweets, and fizzy drinks!
We all can experience adrenal fatigue multiple times in our life from ongoing stress, losing a loved one, caring for a sick loved one, chronic illness, losing a job, divorce, after childbirth and early postpartum, living out of alignment with your true self and in constant overdrive with no rest, sleep or replenishing time in nature.
You can’t avoid stressful experiences but you can learn how to recover your adrenals so you can replenish your energy and come into alignment with your greatest self.
Want to go deeper and learn the exact foods, supplements and tools to heal adrenal fatigue and have this life saving tool kit to support your health for life.
You’re invited to join the Adrenal Reset, to replenish fatigue and reclaim your energy inside Aisling Health School Membership. Click here
To your health and energy,
Aisling xo
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