As many of you know I overcame Adrenal Fatigue which sent me on a self healing path of discovery. This paved the way towards making lifestyle changes to facilitate the healing of my body and mind. As with many health conditions it’s very easy to get off track and when we stop looking after ourselves symptoms can return. I noticed during the recent lockdown old symptoms reappeared and I believe this was due to three things:
Overdoing it and not listening to the signals of my body
Eating bad food
A lack of exercise
It’s very easy to abandon the healthy practices we know keep us healthy and vibrant and so I wanted to share with you some really simple morning rituals which I follow to help shift fatigue in the body and the mind without having to do too much at all.
Symptoms of Fatigue:
Quick Symptom Checker to check your fatigue
Tired when you wake
Lethargic in your daily movements (like walking through water)
Fuzzy head (poor memory)
Irritability (snapping, less tolerance)
Low mood (less interest in life and activities)
Inability to focus, concentrate or even read
Sole
Sole is a simple mixture of pink Himalayan salt mixed in water and kept in a jar. The water is highly saturated with salt so there are still some salt crystals at the bottom of the jar. Every morning the first thing I do is drink half to a full pint of lemon water with sole. Within the sole there are 80 plus trace minerals and salt is something the body tends to crave when you are suffering with Adrenal Fatigue. This is the body's way of letting you know what it needs. I have mine with lemon, but that’s not always for everyone.
Morning Sole Tonic Recipe
½ to 1 pint of water
½ to 1 lemon or lime (be mindful lemon doesn’t sit well with everyone)
1 tsp of Sole
Once I’ve drunk my sole I let it settle and then get on with a few things before having my morning smoothie. Unlike most smoothies I don’t fill mine with fruits as this just sends sugar into the bloodstream and often encourages weight gain and a vicious circle of craving food that leads to sugar drops. Instead I ensure my smoothies are full of protein by using an organic pea protein. I tend to have one or two of these a day, especially when I am feeling particularly fatigued and I can’t tell you the big difference in how I feel after just a few days of getting back into this routine.
When you feel that fatigue reappearing it’s easy to worry that you’ll go back to your very sickest but you never will because you now have the knowledge and tools to help yourself feel better. Not only that but you also have gained wisdom in awareness and can spot your flags quicker. I had to quickly make a decision to get back on track and practice all I have learnt.
Energy Reset Smoothie Recipe
Organic Protein Powder 1 scoop
Organic Super Greens Powder 1tsp
Avocado (half)
Chia Seeds 1 tbsp
Flax seeds 1tsp
Almond Milk or other type of mild
A little honey to taste
Peanut butter 1 tsp
Coconut oil 1 tsp
Prebiotics
If you are really struggling with unhealthy eating I would recommend taking a little more fibre, this is ‘Heather’s Tummy Fibre’ also a pre biotic and is wonderful for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and abdominal pain. It adds good bacteria to the gut too which is really helpful as when the gut bacteria is out of balance you often begin to start craving foods which are bad for you such as flour, carbs, sugar, coffee and chocolate. Eating these foods may further damage the gut biome and so a vicious circle can begin. Very often when you crave chocolate what you are actually craving is the magnesium. For this reason I take a magnesium supplement and taking this before bed is also great for PMS and menstruation.
Another prebiotic which really helped me when I was at my very sickest is Jerusalem Artichoke and just one tub goes a very long way. It has already been proven that the cells in the gut are actually the brains of the body and what you need to do is effectively starve the sugar craving cells. This process takes time for the bad bacteria to die off. A great book on this topic is The Clever Gut Diet by Michael Moseley. Having been through these health issues myself I understand when you are very ill the last thing you want to do is read a book. At my worst I couldn’t even order something online, think of recipes, or even chop up a carrot for that matter.
For this reason I am collaborating with my friend and colleague Gabi Forrester owner of Natural Practices, a Naturopathic Doctor, and putting something very simple food plans together which can help when you get to that point of exhaustion. This will be part of a bundle containing short lists and easy to understand information on what to do and what not to do when you are at that crisis point which may help you to heal from Adrenal Fatigue quicker.
The Role of Cortisol
Adrenal Fatigue is very much linked to hormones, particularly the stress hormone cortisol. In my new bundle I will be focusing on not only the mind component, but the body's role in this as well. When the body has too much cortisol you tend to feel anxious, and you also crave sugar too. This is why relaxation practices can actually help you to stay slim! The appearance of your body of course comes secondary to overall health and wellbeing. When I was completely fatigued I had to accept that I couldn’t exercise for a while, and so I was going to be a little bit bigger for a while too.
What is most important to me is that I wake up refreshed, I feel energised, I’m not snapping at people, and I’ve got the energy to socialise with others and be the best mum I can be to my little girl. Whenever I’m making food choices it can be really useful to get into the practice of asking yourself; what is this going to do to my gut and its brain cells? And how is this going to make me feel? Once you get to that higher understanding of what is going on in your body and how that all connects to you then it becomes less about losing the weight and more about what you want to be, and how you want to turn up into the world
Ashwagandha
If you are suffering with high cortisol in the body one of the best herbs is an adaptogen called Ashwagandha. This herb is very clever and can actually adapt to your own body and its cortisol levels - pretty amazing right! So whether you have too much cortisol or too little, Aswagandha will help you to rebalance. A big clue suggesting high cortisol in the body is feeling hyper in the evening and struggling to sleep, and then feeling groggy until 11am or 12pm the next day. If you are finding insomnia is one of your main issues I do have an Insomnia Bundle which you may find helpful. It contains two workshops, three sleeping meditations, an e-book, and lots more which incorporates the mind, body and soul. You do need to be aware of what your cortisol levels are before taking this herb. You can get yourself tested with our Saliva testing kit if you join our bundle. Along with the feedback and support advice per level of Adrenal Fatigue.
The Importance of Healthy Routines
It’s so important to maintain a healthy routine which works for you and it’s funny when you do fall off the wagon as you somehow forget all these amazing things you can do to help yourself. It is all about taking it one step at a time, doing your own research, and shopping around. But despite all of this it is also useful to remember if you ponder on something long enough whilst relaxing in nature, you will find the answers you are looking for. That’s why I always say
“Come back to yourself - silence is loaded with answers.
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If you do decide to try any of my tips and recipes please let me know how you get on. You can also join the Inspire-Rewire Tribe on facebook where you can connect with like minded people and share your own experiences. Come and take part in our free meditations and weekly talks loaded with great information from our experts.
We are running a free talk on Empaths & Adrenal Fatigue on October 15th October which will also be available free on replay on request.
Keep an eye out for our online festival around Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia, Adrenal Fatigue and healing through Mind, Body and Soul….sign up to our news letter.