How NOT to Burn Out Your Adrenals

AT a Time Like THIS, How NOT to Burn Out your Adrenals, the small but mighty arbiters of our Immune systems

With the Coronavirus staring us in the face for the foreseeable future, handwashing, social distancing and self-isolation or quarantine are the stay well buzzwords ringing in our ears – it all boils down to preventing this thing from taking us down – not just you, me and those we love – but everybody else we share the planet with … and though we may feel utterly vulnerable in an unprecedented situation like the one we now find ourselves in, take heart – we are not without defenses against this disease … each and everyone one of us has our own built in immune system exquisitely designed to protect our health … and though we often take it for granted, it does a pretty good job most of the time … but now in the face of a pandemic that for many of us could prove to be the most serious health threat of our lifetimes, are we doing everything we can to strengthen our immunities against this dread disease? 

When answering that question think ADRENALS, the small but mighty glands that are absolutely essential to the workings of the immune system.  

The protective activity of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant hormones (cortisol, adrenaline, DHEA, aldosterone, etc.) secreted by the adrenals impacts our ability to respond to chronic illness, and the more chronic or serious the illness, the more critical the adrenal response becomes. So, as COVID-19 cases rise exponentially among us, each of us must ask ourselves: Am I battle-ready?  

Of course, the answer we are looking for is YES! I am doing absolutely everything I can to support my adrenals and at the same time NOT doing those things that create unnecessary stress, leading to adrenal fatigue and burnout – things like:

  • Skimping on sleep (less than 7 hours a night)
  • Burning the candle at both ends – lack of rest and relaxation
  • Over-exercising (all HITT vs. Low intensity)
  • Caffeinism in all its forms (coffee, tea, energy drinks)
  • Inflammatory diets high in sugar and white flour products
  • Lack of adequate protein as in strict vegan diets
  • Lack of good fats (olive/coconut oils, nut butters, avocados, nuts and seeds, etc.)
  • Skipping breakfast  
  • Eating hormone-injected meat and dairy
  • Overuse of antibiotics prescription drugs (also in meat and dairy) 
  • Exposure to environmental toxins and heavy metals in cleaning/gardening/personal care products
  • Smoking 
  • Alcohol (over 3-6 drinks per week)
  • Unresolved financial, physical, personal stress
  • Being overworked, overbooked, overcommitted
  • Negative attitudes and beliefs 

If any of the above sound familiar, there’s no time like the present to refrain from – i.e. STOP – doing those things that sap our hardworking adrenals, and thus our immunities against this virulent virus. 

Our ability to live well, stay well and help our fellow humans do the same depends a great deal on how well our adrenal glands function to help our immune systems protect us from the Coronavirus. In the present climate our very lives may well depend on it.