Tag Archives: natural remedies for stress

Self Care, Stress & Overwhelm, Uncategorized

Are You Suffering From 21st Century Syndrome?

April 11, 2013 happyholistichealth 14 Comments

With Adrenal Fatigue you can feel tired even after a good sleep and not really feel awake until 10am

Adrenal Fatigue? “What’s that” I hear you ask.

Adrenal fatigue, sometimes called the ‘21^st Century Stress Syndrome’ occurs when your adrenal glands cannot meet the hormone demands of your life and is a problem that is becoming more frequently recognized.

If you are living a high-stress lifestyle, eating lots of chemical laden foods, need to drink lots of coffee or cola to keep you going, and getting way too little sleep than the chances are that you are suffering from adrenal fatigue.

Unfortunately for us, our lifestyle has changed but our bodies haven’t – they still operate as if they are living in the stone age. We can no longer live a simple, relaxed lifestyle and instead we all live a life under constant stress. (Anyone who is able to live a relaxed life these days is not going to be reading this on a computer!) Sometimes, we become so used to the full-on lifestyle that we stop even realizing that it is actually pretty stressful. Sometimes we don’t even realize that so many different components from worry, anxiety or grief, to the air we breathe, the toxic homes we live in, the foods we eat, or the exercise routine we do, are all mounting up stress on our body each and every minute of each and every day.

Our adrenal glands are responsible for the production of a host of hormones including adrenalin (epinephrine), DHEA, progesterone and testosterone, and cortisol. Adrenals play an important role in the stress response as they release adrenaline and cortisol which initiate the ‘fight or flight’ response and help us deal with acute stress.

Cortisol is the hormone particularly important for keeping our bodies balanced and it plays a big part in regulating the immune system, blood sugar levels and blood pressure. It is also very important in helping us deal with stress. When the levels of cortisol rise too high the immune system becomes weak and susceptible to cancer and infection; if the levels are too low it becomes overactive and then autoimmune disease develops.

When an acute stress is ongoing the adrenals become overworked and unable to match the demand for continued hormone production. When they just can’t take any more they fail and you get what was called a ‘nervous breakdown’ in the past but we now call Adrenal Fatigue.

Our problem is that in an ever-stressed fast-paced life our bodies are pumping out cortisol all the time. When we maintain that lifestyle, with long work hours, sleep deprivation, poor diet, smoking, high intake of caffeine, low relaxation, lots of allergies, we overload our adrenal glands until they can’t take any more. Then the next stress simply becomes the straw to break the camel’s back and we fall apart.

SOME OF THE PROBLEMS EXPREIENCED WITH ADRENAL FATIGUE:

Generally tired but wired: You feel really tired until about mid-morning, then again in the middle of the afternoon when you feel like a snooze. Tired again in the evening until about 11pm when you get a ‘second wind’ and then are wide awake until late
You perspire a lot even with little activity
Dark circles under your eyes
Low blood sugar
General lack of energy and muscle weakness
Cravings for foods high in salt, sweets and carbs, fats
Difficulty handling alcohol; difficulty with potassium rich or high carb foods unless combined with fats and protein
Low blood pressure, lightheadedness on standing up, dizziness or heart palpitations
Low libido
Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
Chronic infections
Increased allergies
Mild depression, lots of sighing
Startle easily
Less ability to handle stress
Low back pain, knee pain and weakness
Dry unhealthy skin

SOME ILLNESSES CAUSED BY ADRENAL STRESS ARE:

Blood sugar balance and diabetes – cortisol causes elevated blood sugar levels and leads to insulin resistance
Weight gain and obesity – cortisol mobilizes triglycerides into fat cells and changes appetite with a craving for high kilojoule foods
Immune system suppression – a higher susceptibility to all diseases
Gastrointestinal problems like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), colitis, ulcers, indigestion
Cardiovascular disease from blood vessel damage
Fertility problems – erectile dysfunction and disrupted ovulation and menstrual cycles

Even though adrenal fatigue is very common in these days of stressful living many doctors don’t pick it up easily. It is one of those things that is often just not diagnosed because doctors are only taught to recognize excess, not inadequate levels of cortisol in their training.

Eating a nice clean diet of largely organic whole foods, with an emphasis on lots of vegetables is just one way you can start to turn around adrenal stress

HOW YOU CAN START TO NURTURE YOUR ADRENALS

If you really want to turn around Adrenal Fatigue then you really do have to reduce the stressors in your life, and first up you need to recognize and acknowledge what the stressors actually are. This might mean changing your job or aspects of it, organizing some child care, changing your diet, your activity, your sleep behaviour, recreation, or the people you mix with. It is also vital to address the associated emotional or psychological issues. Sometimes changing your outlook can make a big difference.

But even introducing certain stress reducing measures would help. You could try these:

Minimize stress – this almost goes without saying
Laugh more – even join a laughing club if you need to
Eat a nice clean diet of largely organic whole foods, with an emphasis on lots of vegetables. Include nuts, seeds legumes and whole grains. Eat regular meals. Chew your food well.
Avoid junk foods and sugar
Get rid of coffee and cola. If you need some caffeine drink green tea. If you can’t remove coffee totally have one quality coffee on the weekend. Peppermint, dandelion or rooibosteas are all good choices. Tulsi Tea (Holy Basil) is awesome for adrenal fatigue because it helps bring cortisol levels back to normal.
Do something fun every day
Get negative people out of your life
Get some exercise – Yoga, Qi Gong or T’ai Chi are all great de-stressors
Meditation and relaxation exercises
Get good sleep – seven to eight hours a night, get to bed before midnight as that’s when your body heals itself the most, take a rest (lying down) during work breaks

Take supplements –

3,000-5,000 mg Vitamin C each day, Vitamin B complex high in B6 and pantothenic acid, Vitamin E
Calcium and magnesium
Licorice root extract

Homeopathy, Flower Essences and EFT are all very effective at relieving stress and healing some of the emotional issues. Homeopathy can also redress the hormone imbalances in your body.

With adrenal fatigue having such a huge impact on many of our body functions as well as our quality of life it is worth finding out if you have adrenal fatigue so you can begin to redress it. Contact your Natural Therapy practitioner for more information.

But don’t expect a quick fix as it can take anywhere from 6 months to up to two years to reverse adrenal fatigue.

It can take anywhere from 6 months to up to two years to get back your zing after adrenal fatigue

Disclaimer.

All information and opinions presented here are for information only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before trying any of the treatment suggested on this site.

Source articles:

http://www.naturalnews.com/019339_adrenal_fatigue_chronic_stress.html#ixzz2Q3g07WMc

http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111609p38.shtml

http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/what-is-adrenal-fatigue

http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/fact+sheets/hormones/adrenal+fatigue,11579?gclid=COHVrPHLv7YCFcpbpQodOgsA_w

http://www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au/2011/08/do-you-have-adrenal-fatigue/

Natural Remedies & Homeopathy, Self Care, Stress & Overwhelm

Survive the Silly Season Tsunami

December 5, 2012 happyholistichealth Leave a comment

With the end of the year racing towards us it is very easy to succumb to overwhelm, and here in Australia I believe that we actually do this season much harder than we need to, and perhaps harder than they do overseas. The festivities of Christmas, or whichever of the Holidays you celebrate, coincides here with the end of the school year, the end of the working year, and the end of the calendar year, all in one short week.

Trying to juggle a myriad of ‘end-of-year’ school activities, dance concerts, exam study, shopping for the festivities ahead and socialising, together with so many businesses closing down for at least a few weeks and preparations for the mass post-Christmas exodus to many idyllic beachy places, it is very easy to get caught up in a sense of “approaching the end”. It’s easy to get that nagging feeling that you need to finish absolutely everything, to tie up all the loose ends in your life.

It seems that the whole nation drives itself into an absolute feverpitch of stress through December and then shifts to the opposite extreme and shuts down totally after Christmas Eve. It’s no surprise everyone races around with a sense of impending doom if everything isn’t done and finalised on time.

Perhaps it’s this Australian ‘end-is-nigh’ approach to December that actually fuels the stressful emotions we experience.

Are You Driving Yourself Too Hard?

How many times do you say “we must catch up before Christmas”? How much do you drive yourself at work to finalise jobs that realistically might wait a week or two? How many parties do you attend? How many late nights do you have? How much fattening, sugary, or rich food do you eat? How much alcohol? How often are you driven to do or buy something which could wait, without really knowing what drives you to do it right now? And these are only what you are actually doing – they don’t even start to address the emotions that get stirred up at this time.

This last part of the year can be a time of escalating stress for so many during the build-up to Christmas with ‘so much to get done’, loneliness, increasingly tired children as they approach the end of the school year, the pressure in self-run businesses to cover extra costs such as holiday pay for staff, a calendar that seems to overflow, loss of a job and financial constraints, plus many more difficulties.

Loneliness and Grief

For many this time of the year is also a time of tremendous emotional stress. It is the time when the loss of loved family members, whether through separation or their passing, comes home and strikes with almost paralyzing force. For some people the whole season is wrapped in a tight mantle of grief that draws in around and stifles them.

It can also be the time when singles feel the most lonely, when isolation from family and friends or an abscence of them in your life strikes most intensely.

Family Tensions

For others the experience of returning into a family where everyone is suddenly thrown back into the role they played as a youngster and the family dynamics that played out when they were children, is too difficult to deal with.This is in spite of the fact that in their real everyday life they are responsible and competent parents, partners, employees or employers with wide and admirable skills and abilities.

In this scenario is it any wonder that the anxieties of childhood rear their ugly heads. Is it any wonder that behaviour reverts and childish tantrums or bickering, petulant unhappiness or resentment and other actions arising from the uncertain and fearful child that is still living deep within, start to occur.

But whatever the reason the ability to engage in the Christmas spirit eludes many and the season is anything but bright.

There are natural treatments that can help you cope as the Holiday Season gets nearer and stress levels increase

WHAT YOU CAN DO

There are a number of natural strategies and remedies you can adopt to help deal with these issues. Rather than go into each of them in detail I’ll give you a link to some that I think are sound and effective. You can have a look and try a few out and then use those that suit you the best.

Even making a little time to get some exercise or relaxation is a good way to start. When we start to rush, both exercise and relaxation often go by the wayside. Schedule the time in your calendar and then stick to it.

Remember that a massage can work wonders especially if you carry your stress in your neck and shoulders, and it will be even more effective if it includes aromatherapy essential oils for relaxation.

Emotions respond beautifully to any of the varied forms of energetic medicine. Medicine delivered in an energetic form can be very effective in ‘re-balancing and re-setting you’ so that you are able to deal with whatever it is you have to face. Hear are a few.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy offers some great remedies for many of the issues such as stress, overwork, grief, over-excitement, anxiety, guilt, exhaustion and so on.

Homeopathic Coffea helps with getting over-excited children off to sleep on Christmas Eve. Ignatia is often a first choice for grieving. Nux vomica can work wonders if you are driving yourself towards burnout with overwork.

Homeopathic remedies need to be matched to your own idiosyncratic symptoms and the particular way you manifest the stress. So unless you are familiar with self-prescribing for acute situations, or if your stress is long-standing you should consult with a fully trained and registered Homeopath.

Accupressure & Accupuncture

Visiting an Acupuncturist is a great way to deal with the stress, but even better, you can do Acupressure yourself anytime and anywhere, and it works along the same lines as acupuncture. This is a good demonstration of one way to relieve stress by Donna Eden, an expert at using acupressure in her energy medicine work.

These diagrams of acupressure points to use for hangovers could be useful if you are partying hard. And here are some acupressure points to help with feelings of anxiety felt throughout the holiday season.

Flower Essences

Flower essences can have a great benefit when trying to deal with grief. They work very gently, but effectively on the emotions.

The basic Bach Rescue Remedy or Australian Bush Flower Emergency Essence are both good ‘all-purpose’ mixes for dealing with stressful situations but there are a number of others that can be tailored to each individuals requirements. FES Five Flower Formula is similar to Bach Rescue Remedy.

Perhaps my favourite flower essence for this time of the year would be the Australian Bush Flower ‘Calm & Clear’ essence – the name says it all.

There are flower essences to help relieve all the other stressful emotional responses to the holidays and they are well worth investigating.

For information about each of the Bach remedies look here, for Australian Bush Flower Remedies look here and Californian Flower Essences here.

Difficult Families

Here are some useful strategies for those who have to deal with intensified extended family tensions. They give you the opportunity to plan ahead and devise strategies for you as well as your family.

Importantly it is all about taking back the reigns and getting back your sense of control. If you are able to clearly identify where your stress is coming from then you have a better chance of achieving this control. If there is a tradition in your festivities that causes more stress than joy, then it is time to give yourself permission to change things. Make 2012 the year to make changes, after all you cannot help others if you are not really coping yourself.

Don’t forget, it is not all about the ‘Big Day’. The stress of the lead up through December can be just as bad or worse, and the significant health effect that prolonged stress can have on your whole system is often not recognized or acknowledged until it gets serious.

Remember to check in with situations and ask yourself whether they are of joy or of stress right through the whole Month of December.

Make this the year where you decide to be kinder to yourself. Sure, there are always going to be pressures, but maybe by being aware of how many of the manufactured pressures you embrace, you can let a few slide, and in easing up your obligations you will be able to deal with those stresses you really cannot avoid.

It is time to allow yourself the gift of self-love and self-care.