Healing Adrenal Fatigue, A Spiritual Imbalance- by Master Psychic Healer Laura Schwalm
Are you tired but wired? Do you use caffeine and high-sugar snacks to get through the day? Are you always on the go, but feeling burned out? If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may be experiencing adrenal fatigue.
Your adrenal glands are essential to life as they help you cope with all types of stress. As part of the endocrine system, their role is to govern the fight or flight response, and get you ready for action. They do this by producing several important hormones including cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine. Making sure that your adrenals produce the right amount of hormones is crucial – too much or too little of any particular hormone can cause havoc in your body and affect your ability to deal with not just the demands of life, but simple tasks in everyday living!
“Auto-immune disorders brought on by adrenal failure afflict millions of people and they don’t have to.”
The failure to deal with spiritual,emotional,mental or physical issues is likely to result in the manifestation of illness or disease in the body. As a Master Psychic Healer, I know first hand that there is a link between how we live our lives and our health. The adrenals are a sure “tell-tell” sign that the Spirit body is out of alinement (balance). For a matter of fact, the Metaphysical cause of Adrenal Fatigue is, Defeatism. Not trusting in oneself and not caring for ones self.
80% of American society is afflicted with adrenal fatigue at some point in their life, yet most are unaware of the problem. They simply know they don’t feel well or perhaps symptoms lead them to explore other disorders; we do know that often symptoms denote multiple possibilities and sometimes overlap disorders.
What are the endocrine glands and what do they do?
The major endocrine glands include the adrenals, pineal, pituitary, hypothalamus, thyroid, pancreas, testes and ovaries. Lets begin our focus on your adrenals. They are about the size of a walnut sitting on top of and controlling the Kidneys. Between living in a stressful environment, making poor food choices, and not getting enough sleep our adrenals operate from a place of exhaustion. There is not a single function in the body that doesn’t occur without your adrenals playing some key role.
Signs of Adrenal Fatigue
Weight gain, especially in waist or stomach, and it stubbornly sticks to you
Fatigue ~ lack of energy ~ lethargy
Insomnia
Morning sluggishness ~ need for stimulants to get you moving
Constipation
Dry skin and hair
Arthritis Pain in upper back and neck
Unexplained hair loss
Cold hands and feet- or just plain cold
Allergies -both inhalants and food
Low body temperature
Reduced sex drive
If you answered to 3 or more on the list above, I would consider working with a Holistic Health Coach to regulate your diet and lifestyle habits! There are many different types of Holistic Health practitioners -some take an Indian/ Ayurvedic or Chinese Medicine approach, while others use a more clean diet and whole foods approach. Depending on a persons unique physical body constitution as well as Lifestyle and spiritual habits.
Toxic Relationships/Psychic Trauma
weather they are between family, spouses, work environment or, so called friends. Bad relationships contributes to adrenal fatigue as much if not more as lifestyle and diet.
- Anyone who separates you from your family, friends, and children.
- Anyone who keeps watch over you.
- Anyone who verbally abuses you either in private or in public.
- You lose your self-identity as you depend more on you the toxic relationship, not knowing how to survive without him/her.
- Anyone who dominates you, not leaving any space for your preferences.
- You are afraid of telling the truth for fear of upsetting your spouse, family, whoever is toxic
- Your self-esteem is always at a low level as the person makes you feel worthless and unattractive.
- The toxic person blames you for ruining the relationship and tries to make you change to make things work.
- Your thoughts, words, opinions, and accomplishments have no value.
- The toxic relationship is overly possessive and overpowering.
Feelings that Define the Characteristics of a Toxic Relationship
- Unsupported
- Dis-satisfied
- Fearful
- Exasperated
- Depleted
- Drained
- Unaccepted
- Unrewarded
- Judged
- Guilt
- Tired
- Angry
- Untrusting
- Unequal
- Stifled
- Shame
- Stressed
- Though, most of us want to find love and intimacy, we also find ourselves fearful of being hurt, worrying about commitment, and dreading abandonment—also known as anxiety. Our relationship comfort zone is flanked by behavior patterns that are neither too close to trigger fusion anxiety, nor too distant to trigger separation anxiety. These boundaries have been formed in early childhood, and seldom change without working with a Spiritualist to create conscious awareness.
- In a toxic relationship cycle, power struggles arise many times without finding solutions. Intimacy turns to conflicts, which lead to anxiety. These anxieties then lead to arguments, hurt feelings, and withdrawal and detachment.
- Detachment and withdrawal may bring temporary relief, but ultimately become feelings of isolation and loneliness, thus setting off fear of abandonment, which triggers the fight, flight, freeze response, which triggers the Adrenals to go into overdrive.
Getting Out of a Toxic Relationship
- Take Responsibility/Don’t be a victim anymore. Know that you contribute to the abuse by not leaving. Ask yourself why you are willing to allow the behaviors to continue. What can you learn from this?
- Set Boundaries. Let the abusive person know they need to change their behavior. Describe what you are looking for and what your expectations are for the future if they are going to remain in your life. Also be aware, individuals who are use to being abusive usually do not want to change. So really hold to your boundaries. Obviously some people’s boundaries have to be stricter.
- Forgive. People are not usually toxic at birth. The environment and circumstances over time mold us in to who we are. Learn to see the good in a person beneath the toxicity on the surface. Learn to forgive and return love, which is our primary purpose on earth. Use love to heal one another.This doesn’t mean remaining in the persons life. It means forgiving from a healthy distance.
- List the positive characteristics of the person. This will help you alter your focus. If you continually focus on negative aspects, the person will be negative whenever they are around you.
- Get a new perspective from a neutral party, who has no bias against your relationship—for example a counselor, coach, neighbor, or co-worker. The key is not to vent to the person or create someone to pity you. The point is for the other person to help you focus on the situation, the part you have played, and what you are willing to do to move forward.
- End the Relationship/Drop who or what no longer serves or supports you. If nothing changes after you have tried all of the above, walk away from your relationship with your head held high.
Unless you remove the negative toxic relationships from your life, the constant negative energy flow needed to sustain the toxicity prevents Adrenal Fatigue healing. To channel the toxic negative energy into positive constructive energy is key to the healing process.
In contrast, Kidney Yin is the parasympathetic nervous system relating to the secretion of cortisol. Just as the body requires some degree of Yang adrenaline hormone to create motivation to react both to normal as well as life threatening stimulus, it also has a continual need for the Yin hormone, cortisol to buffer the effects of stress. In the early stages of stress, the body increases its production of cortisol, while in the later stages its secretion of cortisol is severely diminished. This lack of cortisol is diagnosed as “Kidney Yin Deficiency.” The clinical manifestations of Kidney Yang Deficiency are: soreness of the back, cold knees, sensation of cold in the back, aversion to cold, weak legs, bright-white complexion, weak knees, impotence,premature ejaculation, lassitude, abundant-clear urination, scanty-clear urination, apathy, oedema of the legs, infertility in women, poor appetite and loose stools. The tongue is pale, swollen and wet and the pulse is deep and weak. In CM theory, when there is kidney Yang deficiency, the body fails to transform the essence leading to a decline in endocrine and physiological functions.
The way to treat Kidney Yang deficiency is to warm the kidney. This means reducing your intake of cold (eg ice cream and other frozen foods, iced drinks), raw foods and antibiotics, as these foods inhibit your body’s warming function, eventually depleting Yang. In addition, the use of sugar can overstimulate the sympathetic reflex and deplete kidney Yang. Deficient kidney Yin is manifested with symptoms of aching, soreness of the lumbar region of the back, weakness of the legs and knees, tinnitus, dizziness, vertigo, constipation, night sweats,insomnia, dry throat, feverish sensation in the soles and palms, nocturnal emission, and in women, scanty menstrual flow and amenorrhoea, flushed complexion, heat, nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, dryness and chronic signs of inflammation and wasting. A deficiency of Yin suggests that the maintaining and repairing function of the body is depleted or lacking.
From an Ayurvedic standpoint, the adrenals are not addressed in the classical texts, nor is cortisol level testing a part of the ashtavidha pariksha or list of eight traditional diagnostic methods. Yet a syndrome very similar to Adrenal Fatigue is carefully portrayed in these same texts. ‘When the ojas is diminished the person is fearful, weak, always worried, having disorders in the sense organs, deranged lustre and mental ability, rough and emaciated.
“Ojas undergoes decrease in quantity by anger, hunger, worry, grief, exertion. With such a decrease the person becomes fretful, debilitated, worries much again and again with out apparent reason, feels discomfort in the sense organs, develops bad complexion, bad mentation and dryness.
If you have adrenal fatigue Ayurvedic practitioners discourage their patients from using adrenal extracts that he or she may have purchased online or obtained from another practitioner. These products act exactly like corticosteroids in impairing adrenal function and causing adrenal insufficiency
In terms of the ‘adrenal insufficiency’ paradigm, it is important for patients with these symptoms to make lifestyle changes by eliminating toxins such as caffeine and white sugar, excess alcohol consumption and poisons, especially caffeine, nicotine and uppers. The amount of fish in the diet should be examined carefully as a potential source of heavy metal poisoning.
Staying awake at night is extremely stressful to the adrenals, which operate on a diurnal cycle designed for days of activity and nights of rest. Similarly, prajagara or vigil is an important cause of ojokshay. Wherever possible, the schedule should be adjusted to permit night sleep rather than day sleep. Ongoing traumatic or stressful situations should also be addressed.
In place of an adrenally exhausting diet high in refined flour products and sugary baked goods, an Ayurvedic diet emphasising whole grains, legumes and vegetables will support both ojas and the adrenals. Typically, this diet is likely to have a vata-soothing emphasis although adjustments will have to be made based on individual prakruti and vikruti.
Ayurvedic stress management strategies can be used, including gentle yoga with emphasis on shivasana, calming pranayamas like nadi shodhan and of course meditation. Daily self-abhyanga with Ashwagandha Bala oil or appropriate dosha specific massage oil will also help relieve stress, balance vata and strengthen ojas.
Adaptogenic herbs with an affinity for the adrenals include Ashwagandha, tulsi, and licorice, which latter is endowed with aldosterone-like qualities.
Ashwagandha is among the most outstanding of the jivaniya herbs and forms the foundation of treatments aimed at restoring ojas and enhancing adrenal function. Stress Ease is a combination containing Ashwagandha, designed to address many of the symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue or ojokshay including fatigue, exhaustion and stress. Tulsi tea, or a tea of tulsi and licorice will also be valuable (avoid licorice if blood pressure is elevated).
A non-dairy ojas drink can be made for those with sensitivities to cow’s milk. Non vegetarian patients can take chicken soup as a jivaniya food and vegetarians can take urad dal and mung dal soups for the same purpose.
Ojas drink Almond Restorative Drink to restore Adrenal function- You can buy most of the ingredients at a whole foods market or Indian spice or grocery store.
On an empty stomach in the morning, Do not wait longer than one hour after waking to drink.
Serves 1, Sattvic; V-P-K+
Soak together overnight: 10 raw almonds & 1 cup pure water
In the morning, drain off the water. Rub the skins off the almonds.
Bring to a boil: 1 cup milk (unhomogenized if possible) (milk is highly rejuvenative when digested)
Pour the milk in the blender with the drained & peeled almonds and:1 tablespoon organic Rose (rejuvenative)
1 tsp ghee (rejuvenative)
1/8 tsp organic cardamom (increases digestion)
pinch of Pippali (prevents Kapha provocation)
1/2 tsp of sweetener (increases lactose digestion)Blend until smooth.
Non-dairy almond drink
Soak together overnight: 10 raw almonds & 1 cup pure water Soak 20 raisins in 1 cup pure water overnight or several hours.
Put the raisins AND their soak water in the blender with the drained & peeled almonds and:1 tablespoon organic Rose (rejuvenative)
1 tsp ghee (rejuvenative)
1/8 tsp organic cardamom (increases digestion)
pinch of Pippali, (prevents Kapha provocation).Blend until smooth.
In the Ayurvedic paradigm, sufficient and healthy ojas is the key to immunity, strength and resilience. In the biomedical paradigm, adequate cortisol levels similarly support immunity and stress resilience.
Holistic diet: Avoid these Dietary Stressors for Good Adrenal Health
*Refined sugar or artificial sugar substitutes that contain aspartame. *Foods rich in Potassium like bananas, melons, dried figs, raisins, dates, grapes, oranges, and grapefruit as they may make your adrenal fatigue worse.
*Simple or refined carbohydrates like pasta, white bread, crackers, cakes, cookies, etc.
*Caffeine, alcohol, sweetened fruit juices, and carbonated soft drinks.
* Processed foods that use sodium nitrates as a preservative such as hot dogs, lunch meats, and bacon.
* Wheat products that contain gluten found in breads, crackers, pastas, etc.
* All fermented foods such as wine and cheese.
*Monosodium glutamate (MSG) used in many processed foods.
*Stimulant drugs, and nicotine
Endocrine System: Understanding Adrenal Fatigue
The endocrine system is responsible for hormonal functions in the body and produces over sixty distinct hormones each of which has a very specific job to do. This system controls your physical growth, mood, stress response, reproduction, mental functionality, and immune system. When not working properly you become more susceptible to disease and your ability to fight off infection is weakened. Endocrine glands and their function impact every area of your health. The keystone of Energy Medicine has always been awakening the body’s natural intelligence to heal itself and restore balance to all nine energy systems. The acupuncture meridians are energy pathways that crisscross the body communicating with organs and endocrine glands. When your body’s energies become depleted, you can suffer from fatigue, hot flashes, environmental sensitivities, anxiety, weight gain, joint pain, irritability, depression, digestive problems, dizziness upon rising, poor concentration, infertility, insomnia and much more.
Optimizing Your Adrenals
The endocrine system provides regulation of the body through hormonal secretions. Cultivating your endocrine health combined with proper nutrition and diet can boost energy, reduce insomnia, relieve depression, improve circulation, improve appetite, relieve muscle aches and assist in recovering from endocrine disorders. One of the easiest ways to create a healthy endocrine system is to eat nutritious meals and have a well balanced diet.
Lifestyle to improve your overall adrenal health are:
Meals – When you eat is just as important as how you eat. Eating a nutritious, protein rich breakfast within an hour of waking rather you are hungry or not will provide energetic benefits throughout your day. Eat slowly and don’t rush through your meals. Allowing your body time to properly digest food reduces after-meal fatigue, boosts your immune system, and enables your endocrine system to properly process nutritional intake. Eating regular meals and snacks throughout your day will support your adrenal glands and will balance your blood sugar and cortisol levels too.
Exercise – Regular exercise boosts the immune system, improves cardiovascular health, muscle mass, and prevents bone loss. Stress reducing exercises such as the Daily Energy Medicine Routine, yoga, qigong, or tai chi can also be beneficial for stress-reduction. Enjoying a walk in nature or along the beach helps us to stay healthy and happy. See the beauty of nature all around you. Watch a sunset, listen to the wind blow, smell the flowers, enjoy the birds.
Manage Your Stress – Another important part of maintaining a healthy endocrine system is stress management. Having a lot of stress in your life can cause the overproduction of hormones especially cortisol that can lead to hormonal imbalances.
Rest – Take a day out of the week for rest and rejuvenation allowing your mind and body recovery time. You will be more productive the rest of the week. Enjoying an afternoon siesta is also a great way to restore your adrenals.?
Sleep – It is important to be asleep before 11pm as Triple Warmer energy is at its peak between 9 and 11pm. After 11pm, the body begins to run on adrenal reserves. Allow six to eight hours of sleep per night in order to reduce stress and keep hormones balanced. The combination of stress and a lack of sleep may cause some of the glands to malfunction. If you are experiencing difficulties sleeping, aromatherapy, energy medicine and acupuncture are excellent for treating a variety of sleep problems.
Gratitude – Having a daily practice of gratitude, forgiveness, deep breathing, prayer or meditation will reduce stress, balance hormones, and bring more joy into your life. Surround yourself with loving and supportive people! Nutritional Support for Adrenal Health
Eating meals and snacks that are made of fresh whole foods, preferably organic or locally grown, without colors, dyes, chemicals, preservatives or added hormones are best. Including protein in all your meals and snacks are part of any healthy diet. To directly affect your endocrine system, make sure your diet includes these foods.
Salmon provides your body with Omega-3 essential fatty acids as does ground Flax, both directly affect cognitive function, cellular function and kidney function.
Protein – eating lightly cooked animal and vegetable proteins like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and legumes are important 3-5 times a day.
Vegetables – eat plenty of vegetables and vegetable juices like spinach, chard, dark leafy greens, celery, zucchini, peppers, kelp, sprouts, green and black olives. Put a little zing in your cooking and eat all of the brightly colored ones (green, red, orange, yellow, or purple)
Fruits – papaya, mango, plums, pears, kiwi, apples, cherries, and berries are preferred. If you are dealing with adrenal fatigue and blood sugar problems, it is best to avoid fruits in the morning.
Sprouted Nuts and Seeds
Low-glycemic carbohydrates – brown rice, sprouted grains and winter squash.
Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil – is a beneficial saturated fat that can help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Salts – many people with adrenal imbalances often crave salt and will tend to have low blood pressure. Electrical function of the heartbeat requires salt to make hydrochloric acid in the stomach and for fluid around the cells. Sodium is the main fluid outside of a cell and is important in proper function of all cells including nerve cells of the brain, which impacts all of our emotions too. Don’t deny your craving, adding a good quality sea salt or pink salt to your diet will help.
Garlic – Garlic boosts your immunity, increasing your ability to fight off infection. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels. Cooking with one or two cloves of garlic a day is recommended.
Calcium – Calcium keeps nerves healthy and ensures their ability to communicate effectively. organic milk, almond milk, cottage cheese, cheese, leafy greens, dried beans and yogurt are all rich in calcium.
Vitamin B’s – Directly influence the nervous system’s proper functioning and health and one’s physical and mental performance concerning the nervous system. Found in chicken, fish, eggs, whole grains, beans and nuts.
Vitamin C – Adrenal glands have a very high content of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). This vitamin helps stimulate adrenal glands into producing more of the disease fighting hormone cortin. A continued stressful environment depletes vitamin C reserves and increases the tendency for infection and disease. Good sources of vitamin C include apricots, strawberries, berries, green veggies, sweet peppers, and tomatoes
Water – drink one-half your body weight in ounces per day of good quality filtered water.
Additional results of adrenal fatigue include hair loss, hot flashes, reduced insulin sensitivity (that can lead to diabetes), osteoporosis, infections such as viral, yeast overgrowth and herpes. It also causes an increased fat accumulation around the waist and protein breakdown that leads to muscle wasting and the inability to reduce weight. It also creates high blood pressure and estrogen dominance..
Uncovering the Spiritual Gift of Adrenal Fatigue
The main difference in those who were born with endocrine imbalances and those who acquired them later in life, is that those who came in with these challenges tend to carry a specific archetypal signature, which can be called that of the Wounded Healer. They may find the study of the mythology and astrological placement of the comet Chiron in their natal charts to be extremely insightful. If and once they step into their true power they often become servers of their community in some way. Having experienced so much illness and trauma WE , firsthandly instinctively know how to help others.
Kinesiology identifies the problem at its beginning stages; whereas blood tests for diagnosis may be misleading. For example, your body continues in the progression until Addison’s disease can be fully diagnosed with complete failure of your adrenal glands
Modalities to Heal Adrenal Fatigue
Oils to heal Adrenals fatigue Camomile Morrocan, Birch, Black Pepper, Ginger, Mandarin, Petitgrain.
Crystals to heal adrenal fatigue
aventurine – heals adrenals
kyanite – treats adrenals
rose quartz – heals adrenals
If you are someone you know suffers from adrenal fatigue I strongly suggest hiring a lifestyle and Holistic health coach! Results when working with a certified Holistic counselor are amazing and do not take long to see results physically, mentally, emotionally, or/and spiritually!
Looking for a Holistic Health Coach? Check out my website for Holistic and Spiritual services at http://www.pureenergyhealer.com
Laura Schwalm-Anthony is a Master Psychic Healer who offers Spiritual readings and advising, Holistic Health Coaching and Holistic and Spiritual workshops that don’t only heal, but balance the body, mind, and spirit. To book a psychic reading please go to http://www.pureenergyhealer.com To find Laura’s workshops go to http://www.meetup.com/holistic-and-spiritual-transitions/
As always thanks for reading and until next time “Be True To Yourself”
