source: Hello Turkey Toe
Adrenal fatigue. Have you heard of it?
For those of you who haven’t, it’s a term/diagnosis coined by alternative medicine practitioners that’s given to people with a collection of symptoms that includes sugar and salt cravings, exhaustion, weakness, irritability, moodiness and more.
To be honest, although I find myself with many of those symptoms — less, thankfully, since I began taking Vitamin D — and although I respect and embrace a fair amount of alternative medicine, I struggle with diagnoses, like this one, that don’t rely on a blood test, aren’t recognized by mainstream medicine and are diagnosed somewhat subjectively.
That said, there is definitely something going on with my body (besides entering another decade as I approach my 30th birthday!), and when Selena from RADiant Life Rocks invited me to join her for a two-week series about adrenal fatigue, I jumped on board.
Causes of Adrenal Fatigue
The truth is it wouldn’t surprise anyone if I were to receive and accept an adrenal fatigue diagnosis because, like so many moms and entrepreneurs out there, I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for so long!
In the last eight years, I’ve been pregnant seven times, given birth to four beautiful baby girls, moved three times, started four blogs, consulted for a variety of clients, changed careers twice, worked 80+ hour weeks, homeschooled, tutored at our homeschool group, etc.
It’s been busy, to say the least.
And the worst part? As I sit here, I have a whole list of business ideas and no energy to tackle them!
The thought behind adrenal fatigue, which Selena will talk about in more detail on Friday, is that high levels of sustained stress cause your adrenal glands to work overtime, to the point that they stop working properly altogether.
Hmm, that kind of sounds like it could fit my story pretty well, no?
A Need for Change
Although, like Megan at Bump Life, I remain somewhat skeptical of the diagnoses, there is no doubt that something needs to change. I’ve been prioritizing sleep for the past few months, and in turn I find myself craving more sleep rather than getting more energy.
On top of that, my daily latte (three shots of espresso, one teaspoon cocoa powder, a few drops of stevia and a cup of milk) has led to an increase in heart palpitations and an inability to function in the afternoon without it. My doctor has made it clear that I need to go caffeine free to break that reliance.
And my sugar cravings are honestly out of control. We don’t even have that much sugar in our house, but I often find myself scavenging for any little bit! In fact, before I sat down to write this post, I first made myself a latte, and I had to resist breaking into the marshmallows we bought for “resurrection rolls” on Easter morning. Kind of pathetic.
I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series as Selena and other women share their stories. And keep your eye out, because there just may be a “break free from sugar” challenge coming to a blog near you very soon!
Do you have symptoms of adrenal fatigue? What are you doing about it?
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Mandi Ehman is the founder and publisher behind Life Your Way and the co-author of All in Good Time, as well as a wife and the homeschooling mom to four beautiful girls. She lives with her family on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia and loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces. |
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