ADRENAL FATIGUE, SYMPTOMS- AFFECTS 10'S OF MILLIONS

your gluten and dairy/evil spirits who want you to keep your old ways.
Oh please! My cheese gene is screaming in my ear at the thought of abandonment, and my gluten gene is constantly reminding me that "bread is the staff of life" and because we have never gone longer than a week without toast in our life this is surely evidence that we will die without it! :rolleyes:

All kidding aside, thank you Psyche, Laura, and Gandalf for your support. Just getting all this emotional melt-down turmoil out here in the forum has calmed me down. Knowing that you all know what this is like, have already gone through it and come out for the better, and are giving me your support is the incentive I need to put my well-being at the top of the list of things to do and make the change in diet and detox happen today. My brown rice is cooked for tonight, and the chicken is unthawed in the fridge along with some onions and broccoli and olive oil. I am going outside for a couple of hours and play in the spring sunshine :flowers:

I still have that program running much of the time that says "I am not worthy" of this effort--that somehow my health and well being are not a priority of my life! How crazy is that?!?! Thank you again.
shellycheval
 
Psyche said:
Low dose hydrocortisone is really not meant to be taken indefinitely, it is ideally for the period of time which allows your adrenals to recover and this will variate among each person, depending on the "hits"- stresses we had endured throughout our lives and also the health problems. It can take months or so. Don't hesitate to read Detoxification and Healing by Sidney Baker to give you more background and tools on how to take care of your body.

Hi, I've been trying to find hydrocortisone at the usual vitamin websites, but nobody seems to carry it, is it only available by prescription?
 
Mrs. Peel said:
Psyche said:
Low dose hydrocortisone is really not meant to be taken indefinitely, it is ideally for the period of time which allows your adrenals to recover and this will variate among each person, depending on the "hits"- stresses we had endured throughout our lives and also the health problems. It can take months or so. Don't hesitate to read Detoxification and Healing by Sidney Baker to give you more background and tools on how to take care of your body.

Hi, I've been trying to find hydrocortisone at the usual vitamin websites, but nobody seems to carry it, is it only available by prescription?

Yes it is available only under prescription. You can talk with your doctor, referencing Sidney Baker and William Jeffries, the one who actually developed the protocol (he wrote "Safe Uses of Cortisol"), hopefully he will be open minded enough. There is more information about safe uses of cortisol here:

http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=13241.msg138687#msg138687

Safe Uses of Cortisol

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/safe-uses/

Some fibromyalgia websites may sell it and I remember reading dozens of personal accounts in them. Try fludan.com
 
Laura kindly told me:
Shellycheval, I can't emphasize enough how much better you will feel with ZERO wheat and dairy.

So I quit eating dairy and wheat that day. And low it has come to pass as you said! Since that discussion, only eighteen days ago, I have had a steady and noticeable increase in my energy, vigor, and sense of general well-being—and lost weight!

For the last several months, since last August, I had already been feeling somewhat better than I have in many years , from cutting down on wheat and dairy, adding Vit D, lowering my sugar intake, and adding the EE breathing, but since cutting out wheat and dairy entirely the energy increase has been truly amazing. I do not get those lows in the afternoon and after meals that I was getting. I am sleeping less, but deeper and do not wake up in the middle of the night. I had some slight, but near constant arthritic pain in my right hip that is now gone and has been gone since about the fourth day without wheat. I am maintaining a steady overall feeling of wellbeing, clarity, and vigor instead of just feeling that way for a few hours every other day or so.

For the last eighteen days I have had no dairy products at all except for one accidental teaspoon of butter in some rice and 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing, and no wheat. I carefully scrutinize everything I eat.

I am working my way down to the detox diet. I eat mostly chicken, fish (no tuna), some lean beef, a little ham, brown rice, any fresh fruit or vegetable—almost all organic, olive oil, some walnuts, almond and raisins, about five tablespoons of peanut butter, some ( OK—a bag!) of organic no GMO corn chips, less than a cup a day of Silk almond milk with no carrageen but a little cane sugar, a teaspoon of honey occasionally in my tea or on a banana; I drink my well water, a little organic grape or apple juice, a glass of red wine about every other day, and I’ve cut my caffeine/coffee intake by over half.

I know this diet is not perfect yet, but cutting out all wheat and dairy products is a huge change for me—what I am eating now is satisfying; I feel great, and I do not feel tempted to cheat or miss them much—an occasional thought that quickly passes. Now I am eating to feed my body in a healthier manner and not for entertainment or to sooth my emotions, so I am not overeating or eating out of boredom. I do not have this feeling that I am constantly hungry for something and never satisfied like I used to have. So, although my diet may not be perfect, it is definitely progress. I intend to cut out the corn next, and buy a reverse osmosis filter for my kitchen when I have the money.

You were right Laura, as soon as I started feeling better, I did not have strong desires for wheat or dairy—the cravings are gone.
Thank you again for your wonderful advice and support.
shellycheval
 
shellycheval said:
For the last eighteen days I have had no dairy products at all except for one accidental teaspoon of butter in some rice and 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing, and no wheat. I carefully scrutinize everything I eat.

Organic butter is okay. You can also use ghee which is clarified butter. These are good fats.
 
So the parts of the milk that cause harmful reactions are removed when the butterfat is separated from the whole milk?
sc
 
shellycheval said:
your gluten and dairy/evil spirits who want you to keep your old ways.
Oh please! My cheese gene is screaming in my ear at the thought of abandonment, and my gluten gene is constantly reminding me that "bread is the staff of life" and because we have never gone longer than a week without toast in our life this is surely evidence that we will die without it! :rolleyes:

shellycheval
I know just how difficult it is/was to give up gluten/dairy. Cheese was my favorite snack food - a quick go-to for protein. I really loved it - thought i would never be able to give it up. Sort of weaned myself with goat cheese for awhile before i gave it up. Now every time i pass the cheese in the store - I just think ' mucous...blech :P...and keep on walking past it!

Took a long time for the gluten - i did a fair amount of cheating - until I started paying attention to the knots in my stomach every time I ate it. But it has really been worth it! And it does eventually get easier - that stuff just eventually disappears from the radar!! Congratulations on your change in diet - took me a LOT longer to get It!
 
Organic butter is a good fat, but some people can't tolerate it, in that case ghee butter is the way to go.

Congratulations on the change of diet and the progress :rockon: :thup:
 
Thank You all for your support. My plan is to continue no wheat no dairy, cutting down on even the minimal amounts of corn and sugar that I am presently eating, and keep reducing the caffeine (I find I do not want or need as much as the energy is coming from eating right and getting my system in balance), then when the semester is over in about six weeks, I will have time to find ingredients, learn recipes, and begin the detox diet over the summer. With my work load the way it is right now with teaching five classes, hiring, scheduling and mentoring adjunct faculty, and additional administrative duties, I cannot afford to have bad days or other unpredictable side effects from the detox diet. I want to wait until I have time to take some down days if I need them and really focus on my well being and The Work.
Thanks again,
shellycheval
 
Dear Ronnie,

Thank you so much for starting this thread and for posting the information on Adrenal Fatigue! I remember looking up symptoms to it a half a year ago when I was overtraining in the gym and finding myself completely exhausted. I seem to have slipped back into my old habits of going to the gym every day, but I cut my workout routine down to one hour instead of two. (35 min of cardio 20+ min of weights per day) I am going to continue researching this, but thank you for laying out a lot of it for me already!! :D

Dear Shelly,

I am also a teacher and cheers to you for entering a helping profession!! :D I just read this entire thread because I was looking for information on hypoglycemia and you inspired me to write a post.

Here is some info on my health. I've seen a dozen doctors in the last year and been diagnosed with arthritis (possibly RA :cry:), hypothyroidism, migraines, eczema, a reverse curve in my neck, severe acne, and other random skin ailments. In the past I have also been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, but those symptoms have greatly improved. :) Both the synthetic and pig thyroid my endocrinologist put me on hasn't been working to treat the hypothyroidism and I'm so sleepy all the time! The 1000mg of Naproxen my rheumatologist put me on for the past half year doesn't seem to be doing much either other than taking the arthritis pain away (and possibly having damaging effects that I have yet to experience). I'm at the point where I want to quit all these drugs, but I don't know what to take instead. Maybe this info on Adrenal Fatigue is a good place to start. I stopped eating meat other than seafood a few years ago and I lost twenty-five pounds from going to the gym and from eating "right." That was also the year I got arthritis and I still don't know what triggered it. By the way, I am thirty-one years old and nobody in my family ever got arthritis at such a young age. I do my best to be healthy and am constantly attempting to improve my diet.

I have read up on the UltraSimple Diet and also recently finished the book. I would really like to know if I am allergic to food and am eager to find out. For the past week I have made the broth to practice and I'm just waiting on my rice powder and supplements to arrive in the mail before I prepare to start the program. I, like you, am fearful that I will be hungry on this diet and also have no energy, but I decided I'll just have two protein drinks or two bowls of rice or veggies if one portion is not enough. Psyche, Laura and others on here seem to have had great success with this diet and they are a lot more knowledgeable about the foods they can eat than I am. I very much look forward to having better health and I'm willing to try this diet out in an effort to achieve that.

One comment you left really caught my eye:

shellycheval said:
your gluten and dairy/evil spirits who want you to keep your old ways.
I still have that program running much of the time that says "I am not worthy" of this effort--that somehow my health and well being are not a priority of my life! How crazy is that?!?!

When I started teaching four years ago I was overweight by twenty-five pounds and surviving off of Hot-Pockets (a frozen food "meal" for people on-the-go). I consumed four cups of coffee a day and remember being filled with anxiety though I was also on 20mg of Prozac back then too. I decided one day that my students deserved to have a healthy and happy art teacher and that I really needed to get myself together. Do you think your students deserve the best SherryCheval you can give them? This means having optimal health. :D We have to help ourselves if we want to help others, don't you think? :)

Cutting coffee out of my life was extremely difficult, especially since I have to be up so early and enthusiastic about teaching at 7:30AM. Learning is FUN!! ;D I used to joke that I needed an IV of coffee, but those days are long gone now and if I have even one cup of decaf it throws my energy off and sparks up the eczema on my hands big-time! My friend suggested I drink one full glass of water when I first wake up in the morning and I found it really helped me to wake up. Sometimes I squeeze half a lemon and mix some stevia in to make a lemonade, which is very yummy..:) I used to drink lots of black tea upon waking, but then realized that black tea is highly acidic. No wonder I was getting heartburn so much! Now I drink green tea and find that has a lot of caffeine in it still. I like the immediate effects of caffeine, but it seems to make my energy levels very unstable and I experience the peak/crash cycle that is often associated with it. I am proud of you for being able to lower your amount of coffee intake, because I know it can be very difficult! Maybe drinking a full glass of water upon waking in the morning can help you too..:D

Thanks for inspiring me to not eat dairy and gluten and I'm so glad that worked for you! Laura mentioned this to me weeks ago and I have been slowly weeding them out of my diet. I stopped buying them, but still find I consume them regularly in small portions when I am eating out. I noticed your last post on here was three months ago. Have you been able to keep up with your diet that excludes both? If so, how are you feeling? Also, did you try the UltraSimple Diet? I am curious to know how you have been doing with this and I hope you are enjoying a summer off from school! :D

Best Wishes,

Scarlet

PS I like your Bob Marley quote..:)
 
I have been taking Betaine Hydrochloride for 3 years now, via parazyne a renewlife product.

When my body can keep up, I get a slight burning sensation so I just reduce from 3 pills to 2 or 1, but when I take none, it does not take long for the pathogens to recover their attack.

http://www.cocoonnutrition.org/catalog/page_betainehcl.php

Natural Stomach Acid For Healthy Digestion
Get The Best Betaine HCL

* Necessary for adequate absorption of protein, calcium, vitamin B12 and iron
* Natural plant-source hydrochloric acid
* Not animal source (which may contain prions, chemical residues, death hormones, etc.)
* Does not contain pepsin (Pepsin is derived from an animal’s intestines and may contain contaminants)
* 100% pure vegetable capsules
* No toxic tablets or gelatin capsules with undesirable binders and fillers

Do You Have Low Hydrochloric Acid?
Betaine hydrochloride is also known as hydrochloric acid (HCl) or stomach acid. It helps digest food by
breaking up fats and proteins. The low pH of the stomach’s hydrochloric acid also destroys ingested bacteria
and other microorganisms. Adequate levels of HCl are necessary for adequate absorption of protein, calcium,
vitamin B12 and iron.

Healthy stomach acid is needed for a healthy digestive tract. If you have low stomach acid, even the
best food cannot be properly digested. If you are unable to absorb nutrients properly, this can lead to terrible
health problems. Healthy stomach acid helps kill disease-causing microbes and parasites routinely found in food you eat. If you have low stomach acid, these infecting invaders may not be destroyed by your stomach’s acid bath. They can then cause many types of infections. Now you can see why low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria) is associated with so many common health problems. If these infections are not cleared, over time they can cause many symptoms, paving the way for full-blown diseases. (See charts below.)
Common Symptoms Of Low Hydrochloric Acid

* Bloating or belching, especially after eating
* Burning in the stomach, especially after eating
* Fullness or heaviness in the stomach after eating
* Nausea after eating or taking supplements
* Intestinal gas
* Indigestion
* Bad breath
* Diarrhea or constipation
* Food allergies
* Itching around the rectum
* Weak or cracked fingernails
* Dilated blood vessels in the cheeks or nose (in nonalcoholics)
* Skin break-outs or acne
* Iron deficiency
* Chronic intestinal parasites
* Undigested food in the stool
* Chronic candida infection

Diseases Associated With Low Hydrochloric Acid

* Asthma
* Diabetes
* Osteoporosis
* Arthritis
* Hepatitis
* Eczema
* Acne rosacea
* Psoriasis
* Gallbladder disease
* Herpes
* Hives
* Hyperthyroid
* Hypothyroid
* Thyrotoxicosis
* Autoimmune disorders
* Lupus erythematosus
* Myasthenia gravis
* Pernicious anemia
* Celiac disease
* Sjogren ’s Syndrome

Are You Confused?
Are you confused about pH? A healthy acid/alkaline balance of your body is the key to great health. When your body is functioning in top form, the digestive tract alternates back and forth between an alkaline and acid pH. Digestion starts in the mouth (which works optimally at an alkaline pH). Moving downwards, digestion in the stomach requires an acid pH. Next, the small intestines need an alkaline pH. Finally the large intestine
works best in a slightly acid pH. If any segment fails to keep its proper pH, then the segment before or after it can begin to malfunction. For example, the stomach works best at a low acid pH. If the stomach can’t produce enough stomach acid, then it becomes too alkaline. This in turn, can cause the small intestines (which should be alkaline) to become too acid.

Low Stomach Acid
For many people, as they get older, the parietal cells in the stomach lining produce less and less hydrochloric acid. This is especially true of those who eat: 1) heavily cooked foods (which have no live enzymes), 2) difficult-to-digest foods such as red meat or fried foods, 3) chemicalized foods, such as those containing artificial preservatives and additives, 4) soft drinks, which contain high amounts of phosphorus, white sugar, and immune-stressing chemicals and 5) barbequed foods, which cause high digestive stress. (The blackened areas of the food contain carcinogenic [cancer-causing] agents.)

People Over Age 60
Over 50% of the people over age 60 have low stomach acid. By age 85, 80% have low stomach acid. These are shocking statistics. Healthy stomach acid is crucial to digest food properly in order to maintain good health. Hydrochloric acid is one of your body’s first line defenses against disease-causing microbes. Weak stomach acid allows infecting organisms (that would normally be killed by the acid) to get past the stomach and set up infections in other areas. They can cause food poisoning and dysbiosis of the intestinal tract (abnormal overgrowth of unhealthy intestinal microbes).

For people aged 60 to 80, over 20% have bacterial overgrowth in the intestines. Over age 80, the percentage increases to 40%. This abnormal bacterial overgrowth is also common in younger people. It is linked to low stomach acid as well as eating a nutrientpoor diet, using antibiotics or pain killers, drinking excess alcohol and other factors. Thus, healthy stomach acid is a critical part of maintaining healthy intestines.

Getting The Minerals and Vitamins In
Adequate hydrochloric acid is necessary to absorb vitamin B12. B12 deficiency can cause muscle weakness, fatigue and many nervous system problems. Healthy stomach acid is also required to absorb many minerals, including iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper and most B-complex vitamins. Those with poor stomach
acid typically have low vitamin C levels.

Exhausted Stomach Acid
Adequate amounts of stomach acid are necessary to break down protein. That’s why overeating meat, especially cooked red meat, is hard on the stomach -- it uses up the stomach’s acid and enzymes
very quickly. Eating red meat day after day can exhaust the stomach’s ability to build up sufficient amounts of hydrochloric acid. Your best bet is to limit or eliminate red meat in your diet. Instead, enjoy an excellent, high quality protein source -- edible mushrooms!

Shiitake Fillet
Reinvigorate your digestion by choosing easy-to-digest protein sources. Enjoy high quality protein from mushrooms such as fresh, grade 10 shiitake or maitake. They are easy to prepare and cook, absolutely delicious and contain natural immune-boosting factors that improve your energy levels and vitality. In contrast,
red meat is difficult to digest and contains arachidonic acid which encourages inflammatory by-products which can lead to joint pain, fatigue and osteoporosis.

Acid Stomach
Low stomach acid can cause indigestion. Believe or not, too little stomach acid is the most common cause of an acid stomach, not excess acid. Some people take antacids to relieve the uncomfortable acid feeling in their stomachs (common after eating high protein or high fat meals). But the vast majority of those with an “acid stomach” suffer from not enough acid. They simply can’t digest what they’ve eaten. For some, an antacid may temporarily relieve a queasy stomach, but in the long run, regular use of antacids makes the problem worse.

Conquering The Queasy Stomach
If you suffer from an acid stomach, avoid high protein meals, especially red meat. Instead of antacids, begin taking quality digestive enzymes at the end of each large meal, whether you have pain or not. [Do not take hydrochloric acid if you have an ulcer.] Be sure you have adequate daily salt intake (from natural sea salt). The chloride fraction in salt is essential for your body to make hydrochloric acid. That’s why a low-salt diet commonly leads to poor digestion over time.

9 Steps To Super Digestion

1. To ensure a healthy digestive tract, adopt the following healthy habits:
2. Eat a diet rich in grade 10, fresh vegetables (an excellent form of healthy fiber).
3. Eat grade 10 whole starches daily, such as grade 10 brown rice and buckwheat (also excellent healthy fiber).
4. Use healthy, pink sea salt daily, added to your food.
5. Limit or eliminate your red meat consumption.
6. Enjoy high-protein, edible mushrooms, such as easy-todigest, delicious grade 10 shiitake and maitake.
7. Do not eat meals past 7 P.M.
8. Take premier quality betaine HCL at the end of each main meal with cooked food.
9. Take adequate amounts of state-of-the-art super-nutrients, including Sango marine coral minerals (rich in ionized calcium and other minerals), U.S.P. grade cod liver oil (rich in vitamin D and brain nutrients), and high quality antioxidants (potent protectors against free radical damage from pollutants).
10. Go on a one-month cleansing program by taking daily doses of two top grade 10 super-greens: sun-grown chlorella and premier quality coriander leaf powder. These can help dramatically chelate out toxic heavy metals and other undesirable contaminants that hinder and congest your digestive tract.

Quantum Betaine HCL - $14.95
Amount per Serving: 1 Vcap
Servings per container: 90

Read all you can find, then tell me what you think.

This is working for me and will work for anyone who is suffering with an un-treatable condition, I believe.
 
Great articles about the adrenals. This is really important info for so many of us. As a Pilates practitioner I recommend my clients who show symptoms of adrenal fatigue to lie on their back with their legs up against a wall for a few minutes each day (ideally about 12-18min). If this is not available to you the next option is to lay on the floor with your legs up on a chair.
Unfortunately many of us spend too much time sitting down. This puts pressure on not only our adrenal glands, but our kidney, liver, psoas, diaphragm, spine and all the nerves growing out of our vertebrae... squashed. So, laying on your back like this releases that pressure, relieves your organs and your adrenals and encourages them to function adequately... just food for thought.
 
aleana said:
shellycheval said:
your gluten and dairy/evil spirits who want you to keep your old ways.
Oh please! My cheese gene is screaming in my ear at the thought of abandonment, and my gluten gene is constantly reminding me that "bread is the staff of life" and because we have never gone longer than a week without toast in our life this is surely evidence that we will die without it! :rolleyes:

shellycheval
I know just how difficult it is/was to give up gluten/dairy. Cheese was my favorite snack food - a quick go-to for protein. I really loved it - thought i would never be able to give it up. Sort of weaned myself with goat cheese for awhile before i gave it up. Now every time i pass the cheese in the store - I just think ' mucous...blech :P...and keep on walking past it!

Took a long time for the gluten - i did a fair amount of cheating - until I started paying attention to the knots in my stomach every time I ate it. But it has really been worth it! And it does eventually get easier - that stuff just eventually disappears from the radar!! Congratulations on your change in diet - took me a LOT longer to get It!


I've found a food that substitutes for cheese, or at least it satisfies the 'cheese craving': guacamole. (Without the hot pepper, of course.) My Hubby loves Mexican food, which I no longer eat, so I suddenly began to eat the salads that used a guacamole dressing, it was delicious! (I've never eaten it before, and avoided it because my mother also avoided it, a very subtle program.) It was very satisfying.

At home, I make ground beef with onion and garlic/ghee, add cilantro and large dollop of guacamole, and that's dinner. ;) I don't eat this often, just when the Hubby is craving Mexican foods and I'm making it myself.

Just wanted to share this, before I get busy and forget it.
 
I highly recommend a product by AOR called ortho adapt....tis the cadillac of over the counter adrenal support supplements

http://www.aor.ca/html/products.php?id=83
 
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