Diary of a body makeover: Boosting adrenal function

Adrenal glands can become overburdened for many reasons including from overdoing stimulants such as caffeine. Photo / file

Adrenal fatigue was up for discussion at my last check-in with nutritionist Sonja Gardiner - namely whether I had a degree of it, how it comes about and what our adrenal glands do.

The two little glands, each about the size of a walnut, sit on top of our kidneys and they help our bodies cope with stress.

Sonja explained that while the glands deal with stress, they significantly affect the functioning of every tissue, organ and gland in the body. They respond to every change to your internal and external environment.

"The hormones secreted by your adrenals influence all the major physiological processes in your body," Sonja said.

Some of the processes they are involved in include your stress response, the use of carbs and fats, conversion of fats into energy, distribution of stored fat, regulating blood sugar, cardiovascular function and gastrointestinal function.

They minimise negative and allergic reactions to alcohol, drugs, food and environmental allergens.

These little guys can become overburdened for many reasons. It could be we're dealing with common stressors (relationship problems, lack of sleep or relaxation), overdoing stimulants (caffeine or high intensity exercise) or toxins (cigarettes, medicines, processed foods and sugar).

An increasingly burdened detoxification system means the body is less and less able to deal with and eliminate toxins. Food allergies and illness may develop, further burdening the adrenals.

Sonja had me fill out a comprehensive questionnaire to help determine if I had some level of adrenal fatigue. Long story short, she was confident I had some degree of adrenal fatigue though likely considerably less than I perhaps have in the past when my stress levels had been sky high over a long period of time due to several major personal and work factors.

The good news is that you can help reverse adrenal fatigue and the work I've been doing with Sonja over the past few weeks is already helping my adrenals to be less burdened and function better.

I'm sleeping better. Instead of averaging 7.5 hours sleep, I'm now getting 8.5-9 and feel that much better for it. We've worked on my digestive health so that my body is better able to absorb vital nutrients.

I've cleaned up my diet starting with a gentle two-week detox to give my body's natural detoxification systems time to deal with a backlog of toxins.

Avoiding a high intake of refined and processed foods, sugar, chemically treated produce and artificial additives will definitely help as well. My diet these days is very clean and full of whole, unprocessed foods.

While I buy organic now and then, that gets pretty pricey so Sonja's tip to neutralise pesticides on fruit and veges is to soak them in a sink full of water that's had about half a cup of standard white vinegar added to it for 10 minutes.

Sonja recommends supplementation depending on your level and type of adrenal fatigue.

For me, she recommended I up my selenium intake (I do that with two brazil nuts each day), magnesium (I take a supplement) and B vitamins that I get in the form of leafy greens.

Because high intensity exercise will solicit an adrenal response, Sonja recommended low, sustained exercise including yoga and long walks.

Stress: that nasty six-letter word. About stress, Sonja suggests making it your friend and that I watch psychologist Kelly McGonigal's TED talk (check it out at www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGyVTAoXEU) about stress and how beliefs around stress can have a huge impact. Definitely worth watching!

Sonja puts huge emphasis on self-care - scheduling in time for me every single day. That's not always easy as a single mum who works full-time, but I've made a concerted effort this year to focus more on that. For you, it could be booking in for a massage, meditating, cooking a delicious meal or reading a couple of chapters of a good book. For me, my exercise time (generally in my lunch breaks) is often my 'me time' - it de-stresses me and provides an endorphin boost. And my two little adrenal walnuts are doing much better for it.

Sonja Gardiner is a Hamilton nutritionist on a mission to bring health, wholeness and happiness back into people's lives. To find out more, see www.sonjagardiner.com.