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Welcome to the podcast Fibromyalgia Real Solutions with Amanda Love. You are listening to episode 4.By the way you can listen to this podcast wherever you are in the world and at any time that you wish. I always include show notes for those with “ brain fog” so you don’t have to take notes. If you missed my previous episode on Immune health then you may want to listen to it before this one.
I do believe that there is a lot of information both good and bad out there about fibromyalgia. As an educator who specializes in this area, I think it is my job to point out to you that beneficial information can be organized in a fashion that will reduce the symptoms of this malady. At the end of the podcast, I will give you several recommendations to help you restore the health of your adrenal glands.
My name is Amanda Elise Love and I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 9 years ago which influenced my decision to enter the field of nutrition and now I am a Registered Holistic Nutritionist who works with those who are suffering from fibromyalgia.
Good adrenal health is secondary in importance only to the rewards of deep restorative sleep. The adrenal glands are walnut-sized glands that sit on top of the kidneys which are responsible for regulating the salt and water balance in the body, supporting the immune system, influencing mood, combating stress and also maintaining blood sugar levels and blood pressure . Knowing this, you can see the adrenal glands have numerous jobs to do.
When a person is stressed, the hypothalamus and the pituitary glands direct the adrenals to produce the hormones Cortisol and DHEA to help them cope with the stress. When we experience high or long term stress the adrenals are not able to communicate well with the brain which leads to a condition called adrenal fatigue.
Adrenal fatigue was first described by Doctor James Wilson in 1998 which he described as “lower than normal adrenal function.” Here are a few symptoms that arise from this state. Fatigue, inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, headaches, cravings for sweets and a weakened immune system.
The adrenal hormone Cortisol plays a major role in bodily functions such as raising blood sugar levels when they are low. When this action occurs repeatedly over time the resulting condition is hypothyroidism which produces extreme fatigue, lack of motivation, headaches, and irritability.
I think most of us know what it means when you hear the phrase “ fight or flight .” When a person encounters a dire situation the adrenal glands come to their aid by supplying the body with adrenaline. Adrenaline prepares the body to “fight or flight ’’ by increasing heart rate and respiration. This most likely was very helpful decades ago but in today’s society, we rarely “fight or flight” when adrenaline pours into our bloodstream. Instead of the majority of us just “stuff it’’ or bear with it. Because we do ”stuff it’’ symptoms begin to appear such as gastrointestinal upsets, headaches, anxiety, and a depressed immune system. These symptoms arise from external stress but the adrenals are also stressed by internal factors as well.
To read the rest of the show notes click on this link -http://amandaeliselove.com/fight-or-flight-adrenal-gland-function-adrenal-fa
