When I think of adrenal exhaustion, this quote by Lewis Carroll (Through the Looking Glass) springs to mind: “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”  Isn’t that the perfect summary of how most of us feel on an ongoing basis?  It’s as though there just isn’t enough time to get through all of the things we have to get through in a single day.  This pervading sense of the need to hurry, to get on top of an insurmountable heap of tasks, naturally creates stress.

The adrenal glands have the job of helping us to deal with this stress and keep things in perspective.  Considering their relatively small size - each adrenal gland is a small, flat, triangular shape with sides of about 2 inches in length - this is a pretty tall order.  Looking deeper, it’s easy to see that we add to our stress levels by consuming junk food, partaking of alcohol and tobacco, keeping erratic schedules (for eating, sleeping etc), and watching depressing or even terrifying images on television - during our relaxation time no less!  When the adrenals are functioning optimally, they help us to maintain a positive outlook and relaxed yet vital energy levels.  However, given the fact that we live in such high stress times, it is no wonder that we are seeing adrenal exhaustion in almost epic proportions.

When your adrenal glands become over used, they are not able to protect you from the debilitating effects of ongoing stress.  This can show up in your life as irritability, a general feeling of ongoing overwhelm, disrupted sleep patterns, lack of motivation, and general fatigue.  When you start noticing that you feel out of balance, perhaps it’s time to stop and take stock of how you have been living your life and which areas you can improve on in order to come back to balance.  How can you modify your daily routine, are there any products that might support adrenal health, what can you change in your diet and what practices might enhance your lifestyle?

As always with a holistic approach, it is important to remember that there is no ‘magic bullet’ – true health should be approached on many levels.  Practice yoga, walk in nature, focus on healthy, deep breathing, meditate, consume plenty of fresh, local organic fruits and vegetables and try to eat and sleep at regular times each day.  These are a few of the things you can do to support the work of your adrenals.  In addition, consider adding MegaFood Adrenal Strength^® to your supplement program.  One of the key features of this formula is the inclusion of Sensoril^® which is a clinically studied extract of Ashwagandha root shown to promote emotional balance, energy levels and well-being.* In addition Medicinal mushrooms, Astragalus and Schisandra  help to strengthen the adrenals and support immune health.*  Adaptogenic botanicals to promote healthy endocrine function and whole food nutrients provide additional antioxidant support.*  It’s the effective combination of nourishing botanicals that earned this product Better Nutrition's Best Herbal Supplement Award for 2010!

On a final note, I encourage you to use your imagination.  Visualize yourself in a peaceful, relaxing environment or see yourself sailing through your day, handling problems with ease and grace and letting them go fully when it is time to relax.  Sometimes, seeing yourself as you wish to be is the first step toward achieving it.  The more relaxed and peaceful you are the more relaxed and peaceful those who come into contact with you will be – and pretty soon adrenal glands everywhere will be enjoying some relaxation time and breathing a sigh of relief!