There is probably no subject that attracts more attention in nutritional, functional, biological and energetic medicine than the health and functioning of the adrenal glands.
How many courses, seminars and books have most of us read on these two tiny glands—the gateway of vitality, or Ming Men in Oriental energy medicine— perched atop the kidneys?
There are many connections between these two especially important glands that have many core, central functions, including regulating blood pressure and helping the body and mind to adapt to the stress from our internal and external environments.
All glands, organs and tissues in the body respond to internal stimuli, including our emotions and the ensuing thoughts they evoke. Perhaps in no other organ do we see the overt effects of the Mind/Body connection than in the in the adrenal glands; life events stress and age the adrenals and more.
One of my assignments in a Mind/Body endocrine class in Naturopathic College became an especially enlightening direct and vivid experience. The assignment was to not exceed the speed limit while driving anywhere for one week. The result I attained from this exercise was a better level of peace of mind and body relaxation.
This reduction in stress came from non-worry about radar traps as well as knowing I was going a little safer speed for defensive maneuvers and car control. Shutting off my normally loud music experience, I noticed another step down in adrenaline and, hence, cortisol levels. Many of us forget that loud music will also cause adrenals to go into flight or fight mode easily, so maybe we should drive in silence more. What a novel idea! Being mindful while driving.
So, our adrenals are affected in a big way directly and indirectly by the choices we make, from what foods we choose to our everyday conditioned activities.
We all know that wacked, revved, and stressed adrenals can manifest in anxiety, sleeplessness, swinging blood sugar levels, weight gain, food and alcohol binging, headaches, fatigue and more emotional stress, which then feeds the vicious cycle.
Before supplementation, addressing dietary and emotional stress factors is a great starting point in restoring normal adrenal function. I have found addressing toxicity issues—including EMF, infections, internal metabolic and external toxin load—to be secondary in most cases to diet and emotional stress.
Anova Health product offerings to counter adrenal stress in patients begins with Adrenal Response from Innate Response. Adrenal Response has always been a top adaptogenic formula, as it includes a variety of adaptogenic herbal compounds. The effectiveness of Adrenal Response has recently been improved with an even higher amount of the withanolides extracted from Ashwagandha.
For broader-based, whole-body deep endocrine balance and support, we like AvinoCort. AvinoCort repairs many biochemical pathways in the body, but especially the cortisol/DHEA balance. It is rapidly becoming the favorite superfood supplement for many practitioners who specialize in endocrine restoration. Patients supplementing with AvinoCort routinely report improved sleep, mood, stamina and mental clarity in a very high number of cases.
To help relieve mild stress during the day, Calm Response from Innate Response or CalmZyme from Transformation are very effective. Next week, we will highlight some additional strong herbal and homeopathic formulas for relieving stress and anxiety affecting your patients.
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