Millenium endurance summit 2015, adrenal stress.

Most people have the motivation to exercise and be healthy but what we believe makes a difference at Mold is that we can find the exercises and healthy choices that suit you. Each person is different and each has different ideas and goals. In other words there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach. No, each exercise is as individual as you are.

We also like to pride ourselves on keeping abreast with the latest research (or what works best) in the world of health and fitness and then passing our knowledge onto you. So, with that in mind it was great to hear some of the countries best minds talking about exercise, nutrition and lifestyle at the recent Millennium Endurance summit in Mairangi Bay Auckland and we’d like to pass on some snippets of information on. Over the coming weeks we will cover such subjects as adrenal stress (what it is and how to manage it). The benefits of both high intensity and low intensity exercise. How training in the heat affects the body and why different running styles affect pain and performance.

We’ll start today at the top, with a subject I believe will soon be responsible for almost as many sick days as the common cold. Adrenal gland stress. But let’s step back a bit first and do some basics. What is the adrenal gland?

The adrenal gland is in fact two glands, with one sitting on top of each kidney. They are are about the size of your thumb and are principally responsible for the secretion of adrenaline. Adrenalin has been an important hormone for thousands of years and the key instigator of our primal ‘flight, fight fright’ response which has been-and still is-very important for normal human function. But if we break it down, how often do we actually have to take flight or flee from something? How often do we fight and how often are we frightened? Probably (and hopefully) not all that often. But as we have evolved and adapted to our changing world, we have started to see an increased amount of adrenalin production in our day-to-day lives. The ‘flight, fight fright’ response has now been stimulated to depletion by increasing amounts of daily stress, high expectations from ourselves (perfectionism) and distinct work/play imbalances. Let’s look at some of the key symptoms to adrenal stress.

• Fatigue (even when waking from sleep).
• Craving salty foods.
• An increasing difficulty handling stress.
• Upset stomachs and digestive problems.
• Undiagnosed aches and muscle pains.
• Irritability and a difficulty in enjoying normal, pleasurable tasks.

These are just a few of the general symptoms. However, here are some practical tips on how to manage adrenal stress.

• Eat earlier in the evening, ideally finishing 3 hours prior to bed and avoiding processed foods.
• Cut out caffeine, sugar and avoid fruit in the morning.
• Eat broth based soups prior to main meal. Try smoothies with hemp, pea, rice and whey based protein.
• Eating steamed vegetables first and rotate the sources of protein you eat.
• Eat chosen sources of starch only if still hungry.
• Chew till your food until it is liquified.
• Technology-track and limit usage of devices. Shut down your device at 9pm at the latest.
• Watch 30 minutes of comedy a day.
• Surround yourself with positive people and avoid or limit your time with people that drain your energy.
• Stop being hard on yourself.
• Cultivate healthy play and rest and be in bed by ten.
• Get out in the morning for a few minutes and get some early sun.
• Practice deep breathing.
• Get clear about what you need and have boundaries.
• Set time for self growth and development.

If you believe you may be suffering from adrenal fatigue speak to a doctor, specialist or even a close friend about it. You can even contact us here at Mold.

Our next publication will be about high intensity and low intensity cardio vascular exercise and the benefits of both to your mind and body. Thanks for your time!

Paul.

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