Your adrenal glands are two almond-sized glands that sit on top of your kidneys and though tiny, they are mighty.
Their job is to give you your normal amount of energy for the day. When you wake up in the morning, they are supposed to give you the feeling that you want to get out of bed and start your day. Then they carry that feeling throughout the day. While you sleep, they also rest and recover so they can get you out of bed the next day.
The problem arises if you have any kind of stress in your life. Very funny, right? Well, it is your adrenal glands that also respond to stress for you, even the tiniest little stresses like being late for work or eating a food that you know isn’t good for you. So on top of the normal amount of energy that your adrenals provide, they also give you little boosts to deal with the stresses that come up. Over time, and usually that means years, your adrenals just get wiped out. They are tired of working overtime and not getting paid any extra. They can be so tired that now when you get up in the morning they may not have much to give you, so you start your day off tired and just never recover.
Here are just a few questions you can ask yourself to see if you may have adrenal fatigue:
1. Do you have to force yourself to get things done each day?
2. Do you have a lull in your energy between 3 and 5pm?
3. Is your best sleep between 7 and 9am?
4. Do you need caffeine to keep you going?
5. Do you crave salty, sweet or fatty foods?
6. Do you find it harder to focus than you used to?
7. Have you had a long period of stress in you life or a recent big stress?
These are just a few of the main things that may indicate your poor little adrenals are wiped out. Please just don’t let someone tell you that it’s in your head or that it’s just because you’re getting older. It’s NOT! It’s actually something that is fixable and how you should have to live.
