Part 1: Adrenal “Fatigue” - Is This a Real Thing?

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Understanding The Adrenals

Let’s start with discusssing what the adrenals even are. Your adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and produce vital hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, and aldosterone. (Yes, even though cortisol gets a bad rap, it is still an essential hormone in our bodies! The problems most often arise when we have too much of it or have an altered cycle of cortisol release.)

These important adrenal hormones help regulate our stress response, our blood pressure, our immune function, our sleep/wake cycles, our metabolism, our electrolyte balance, and more. However, when our bodies are under prolonged stress—whether physical, emotional, or environmental—the demand on our adrenal glands increases. Over time, this can lead to feelings of burnout, low energy, poor sleep, brain fog, and reduced stress tolerance.

So is the term “adrenal fatigue” real? Well, no, it’s not a medically recognized term. But despite that, I still think it helps people visualize the concept of what’s happening in your body in this prolonged stress cycle. In order to be diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency you’d need to have an endocrinologist test your hormones. But whether you choose to use this term or not, it’s more than clear that chronic stress impacts adrenal hormone regulation, and we can implement nutritional changes and lifestyle support to help restore balance.

Supporting Adrenal Health Naturally

Adrenal support starts with lifestyle interventions, such as:

  • Prioritizing sleep and rest

  • Managing stress with mindfulness, breathwork, therapy, self care, and more

  • Eating a nutrient-dense diet with plenty of healthy fats, B vitamins, vitamin C, and magnesium

  • Staying hydrated and avoiding overuse of stimulants like caffeine, which tax your adrenals

  • Considering the trial of adrenal glandular supplements or adaptogenic herbs (see next article for details on adrenal supplement options)

All of these are things I can help you with! Book a free discovery session to discuss this further: Schedule a FREE 20-minute call