Are you constantly struggling with cravings, fatigue, weight gain and indigestion? Have you tried diets, pills and potions with no luck? Are you simply tired of being sick and tired? If that sounds like you – it’s time to quit addressing the symptom and look for the root of the problem, especially if your health problems are interfering with your spiritual walk.
Today, most people are under way too much stress. We are simply over-booked with things to do and are always on the go. This causes us to over-produce our stress hormones, cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine. Plus, our diets have moved so far away from what the good Lord intended us to eat. Together, this leads to lack of energy, weight gain, cravings, indigestion, depression, PMS, allergies, arthritis, hot flashes and the list goes on.
Getting to the root of the problem
Stress is more than worry, fear and anxiety…it is anything that causes your adrenal glands to produce more of its stress hormones. Poor digestion and blood sugar woes are additional stresses that over-work our adrenal glands. The wrong foods can irritate your tummy and cause bloating, gas, indigestion and other irritable bowel problems. This causes inflammation and triggers your adrenals to produce additional cortisol.
Skipping meals or eating too much refined, processed food throws your blood sugar out of balance and triggers your adrenals to produce additional cortisol and adrenaline.
Add mental/emotional stress to the mix and you easily deplete and exhaust your adrenal glands, which is a huge underlying problem! If these stresses continue to mount and the adrenals are not properly nourished, it can than interfere with thyroid, liver, heart, reproductive and immune function. That’s when you begin to struggle with fatigue, weight gain, cravings, depression, loss of libido, hot flashes, night sweats, allergies, ADD, insomnia, etc.
The common threads….
The root cause of many of our health complaints can be attributable to;
üBlood sugar imbalances
üHormonal/Metabolic imbalances
üDigestive difficulties
These three underlying issues can easily manifest and grow into more complicated problems, such as degenerative and autoimmune diseases. This is why restoring normal function to our digestive system, hormonal system and blood sugar are critical. If our blood sugar is out of balance, how can we expect to overcome cravings, low blood sugar, diabetes, etc? If our hormones are out of balance, how do we expect to have energy, keep the weight off, think clearly, etc? And if our digestion is messed up, how can we strengthen our body?
Identify the problem…
Identify where the root problems are coming from. Rate your symptoms as mild, moderate or severe (1, 2, or 3).
If you struggle with blood sugar imbalances you probably struggle with:
?cravings
?mid morning/afternoon slumps
?irritable if meals are missed or delayed
?lightheadedness
?difficulty staying asleep
?low blood sugar/hypoglycemia
?difficulty with focus and attention
?the need to eat every couple hours
If your hormones are out of balance you’re struggling with;
qfatigue
qweight gain
qdepression and anxiety
qhot flashes, night sweats
qdifficulty falling asleep
qcold hands and feet
qloss of libido
qallergies and sinus problems
If digestion is also part of your problem you are going to have:
qbloating, gas, indigestion
qfoul smelling stool
qbad breath, halitosis
qburping or belching shortly after meals
qgnawing pain in the stomach
qchronic diarrhea, constipation
qcontinual use of antacids and other digestive meds
qirritable bowel, Crohn’s, colitis, leaky gut
If you score less than 2 points it’s probably NOT a problem. 3 - 7 points lets you know there is reason for concern. More than 8 points tells you this is a major priority that needs to be addressed.
How the cycle works…
If your hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) are out of whack, you will never get them back if you don’t support your adrenal glands! This applies to both men and women. BUT, you’ll never be able to support your adrenal glands if you don’t keep your blood sugar stable. You’ll never get your blood sugar stable if you skip meals or eat too much refined, processed food!
If digestion is a problem, it will stress your adrenal glands to make more cortisol. Poor digestion reduces the absorption of your nutrients and makes it harder to strengthen your body. Stress reduces your ability to make enzymes and hydrochloric acid (HCL), which causes bloating, gas, indigestion, etc. Don’t forget that all the cortisol you’re making will erode your intestinal lining and leave you more vulnerable to food allergies, yeast and fungus overgrowth -- which further contributes to digestive problems.
If your adrenals are constantly making cortisol, due to stress, this will “steal” progesterone. This lowers your available progesterone and disrupts the balance of estrogen to progesterone and testosterone, which leads to loss of libido, hot flashes, night sweats…and the “vicious cycle” continues!
Breaking the vicious cycle
Stress is our number one nemesis because it depletes our adrenal glands. Therefore step one is to nourish your exhausted adrenal glands. Things to look for in a good adrenal support formula are vitamin C, B, zinc as well as, adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha, rhodiola, cordyceps, and ginseng, which balance out our hormones.
Infomercials are telling people that everyone’s cortisol is too high. Unfortunately, many people who have been under constant stress – DON’T make enough cortisol, adrenaline and DHEA. So, taking a formula that merely lowers cortisol when it actually needs to be raised could be working against you.
Stay away from stimulants such as caffeine, ephedra, ma huang, guarana, kola or bitter orange (citrus aurantium), which are found in many cortisol-lowering products and energy and weight loss formulas. They only further deplete your adrenal glands!
Secondly, keep your blood sugar stable. DO NOT skip or miss meals. Breakfast is vitally important and should contain lots of protein and good fats. Stay away from protein shakes unless you are a competitive athlete or follow an intense training schedule…otherwise an omelet, quiche or any other breakfast that has good protein is fine.
Reduce and eliminate your consumption of refined, processed and junk foods. Anything made with high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrins, or sucrose is a NO-NO. That includes soft drinks…stay away from artificial sweeteners too.
Regarding digestion - you want to take a good digestive enzyme that includes hydrochloric acid (HCL). This will improve protein digestion.
Hidden food allergies and poor food combining can also be a part of your digestive problems. Eliminate all dairy, wheat, corn, soy, caffeine, MSG and artificial sweeteners for at least two weeks. If your digestion improves after a few weeks, gradually re-introduce one food at a time, to see if any of your symptoms return.
The basic principles of food combining are…eat protein (eggs, chicken, beef, fish, etc) with fibrous vegetables. NO, or minimal amounts of starches (breads, potato, beans, rice, pasta, etc.) with proteins. Eat your fruits by themselves - between meals. Drink only a few ounces of liquid with your meal.
The protocol I give my patients is called the “IRS Steps Program” and it walks the person through the healing process, which is called “functional healing.” The first step is to
Identify the Problem
Restore Normal Function
Strengthen the Body
Most people look to strengthen the body with specific formulas for diabetes, arthritis, menopause, allergies, hot flashes, insomnia, depression, etc…before they have restored normal function. You restore health by first restoring function! It may take 1-2 months to accomplish this. Once you have those adrenals functioning properly, your digestive system working right and keep your blood sugar stable – you’ll be amazed how much healthier and stronger you’ll feel!
Follow these simple steps for 30 days and you will break that vicious cycle and see a great many of your symptoms disappear.
