The Adrenal Glands

The adrenals are our energy and stress system. When we are under a great deal of stress, we will usually blow out our B-complex vitamins which in turn will eventually blow out our adrenal systems, as it is this system that takes over when we are too tired to function, and yet we continue to push ourselves. When your B-vitamins and adrenals have been blown out, symptoms will begin to appear. At first you may feel more tired than usual, eventually looking for a nap in the afternoon. You may find you cannot handle the littlest stress in your life and eventually, you may find you are not able to sleep at night even though you are very exhausted. This deficiency becomes overwhelming to the body and it seems as though you are on a merry-go-round. You are very tired, but cannot sleep, and so you become even more tired and drained. In order to help heal the adrenals, it is imperative to reduce stress in your life as much as possible. Remember healing yourself is your responsibility and although you cannot heal others, you can make conscious decisions in your life as far as what is and what is not acceptable.

The foods to avoid to heal the Adrenals:
Slowly, eliminate caffeine. Remember, with a deficiency of B-vitamins, you will feel very drained and the caffeine seems to give you the boost you need. But it is a false cure, as without continuous caffeine, you become quickly exhausted. Caffeine plays havoc with the adrenals so in the end, you will continue to keep blowing out the adrenals and making the condition worse and worse. So start backing off slowly as you begin to feel better. And the better you begin to feel, the faster you can begin to give up the caffeine. There's nothing better than feeling in control of what you put into your body. If you decide to have caffeine, it will be because you want to, not because you have to. There is a huge difference. It's called being in control of your healing.

Herbs & supplements that are beneficial to the Adrenal System:
A high potency, B complex is essential to ensure the B's are replaced. Licorice root is one of my favorite herbs that help to stimulate the adrenals but should not be used if you tend to have high blood pressure. I don't have that problem and love the effects I get from licorice root. Ginseng is another herb that helps to stimulate the adrenal glands. There are wonderful energy-enhanced teas that combine these two herbs and do a wonderful job getting you going! Green tea (which does contain caffeine) can be used once a day to help get you off the caffeine. This is an acceptable amount as it is very good for the immune system and does do some good to the body, but one cup a day is sufficient. Use ginseng or licorice root tea during other times of the day if you need the stimulation. Bee Pollen is also a good source of energy stimulant as it contains every vitamin, mineral and enzyme we need to live on.

Physical symptoms of a compromised Adrenal System:
The most common complaints of adrenal imbalance is exhaustion and hyperactivity.

Negative emotions that aggravate the Adrenal System:
The adrenals hold the emotion of discouragement, either with oneself or from others. The positive aspect of discouragement is excitement. It is through change and excitement in our lives that the adrenals get stimulated and energy is created. There is one particular flower for discouragement called Gentian, but other flowers could also be called for depending upon other issues that the discouragement may be coming from.