Tired of being tired
I had months of feeling tired all the time, even from the morning. And then the sugar cravings. And the inability to go do some workout. And poor lifestyle choices despite everything I knew about health. And oh, the piles of stress, in all fields of personal, financial, professional, parenthood etc, and me marching forward, because it seemed like the only option.
And then I discovered adrenal fatigue is a thing…
When our bodies run on too much stress all the time (be that psychological created by life events, or physical created by pathogens and toxins), our hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, run completely wild and then our adrenal glands struggle to sustain a healthy hormonal balance. That’s when one experiences constant fatigue, and poor lifestyle choices.
We probably all have it to some degree…
Is life more stressful now than it used to be for previous generations? Not really. But we are one of the first generations to lose our ability to cope with psychological stress and pathogens, and we do have more exposure to toxins than ever before.
Previously, people were detoxing and eliminating pathogens with herbs (more variety of herbal infusions, more herbs in cooking), they were doing all sorts of fasts for various religious reasons, they were doing more physical activities and being more in nature, they would gather to dance and play drums for certain rituals, they would show gratitude through regular prayers - and the list can go on.
But we stopped. Distracted by consumerism, screens, and globalization, we lost our capabilities to deal with stress. We lost all those stress-coping mechanisms listed above.
So what’s there to do?
For one, it’s going back to healing herbs. Most of the ones I took previously on the anti-everything-bad-diet seem to have positive effects for this too, so I continued with them and added some more.
Here’s my recommended list of herbs for healing from adrenal fatigue or (close-to-)burnout, which I take as supplements capsules: chaga, maitake, reishi, passion flower, astragalus, Schisandra, St John’s Wort, maca, rhodiola, ginseng, basil, ashwagandha, ginger, turmeric, dandelion root, milk thistle, garlic, chinese skullcap.
Added to this, I started having this freshly squeezed juice as a first thing in the morning, and ditched the coffee and tea for it: lemon, celery, cucumbers, and green apples.
As for food choices, the lists are these:
More of: asparagus, leek, fennel, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, collard greens, spinach, cucumber, celery, sweet potatoes, squash, apples, berries, papaya, kiwi, cherries.
Less of: sugar, refined cards, potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, most oils (except for bits of ghee and coconut oil), bananas, dates, raisins, fish, processed foods, beans, grains.
What makes adrenal fatigue even more interesting is that it makes us realize that going to the gym is not a matter of will only, but of hormonal balance too. For a stressed body, workouts are even more stressful.
What one would be better off doing instead is some gentle movement, meditation, and breath work, alongside an adrenal cleanse supported by certain food and herbs choices.
I personally struggled with working out. If I would find the will, it wouldn’t last long. As much as I knew getting a stronger body is beneficial for longevity and health, and also for simply looking good, it was haaaaard. That’s until I discovered QiGong, in the middle of my fatigue, which is a combination of very gentle movement inspired by ancient wisdom, with meditation and specific breathing techniques. And that resonated with my stressed body, and it became my favorite “sport”.
Anything that is gentle movements, harmonious breathing, grounding exercises, and meditations, or journaling to gain perspective on life will help a lot with healing from adrenal fatigue.
I haven’t tested myself for anything, as the books I read on the topic also highlight lab tests missing the marks for this. But I definitely know that the list of symptoms and causes resonated and that by making this food, herbal, movement, meditation, and breathing changes, there is mostly upside anyway, and almost no downside.
Ever since I added these supplements and morning juice, I feel so much more energy. Ever since I started QiGong, I feel like I can slowly get more body strength to then go for more intense workouts eventually, in a sustainable way. On the other hand, the food choices - I try, but I’m not following that perfectly. And it’s all fine, it works.
Some recommended reading:
The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution by Aviva Romm
The Way of QiGong by Kenneth Cohen
The Cellular Wellness Solution by Bill Rawls
…which are all books you can find on my shelves, if you join the retreats at Barcelona Health Club. Come over to disconnect, enjoy some time in nature, do a cleanse together, and talk about various health topics.
This is Barcelona Health Club - a house in nature, at only 30 min away from Barcelona, hosted by Adelina, who is glad to share all her health knowledge and experience
