One of the major solutions to all the problems that our world is facing right now is to give society healthy individuals. People who are healthy; physically, emotionally and who can live up to their true potential. Right parenting gives this society emotionally healthy individuals and the right education will train those minds to be the problem solvers and how to give back to the community. ‘Right eating’ and right kind of lifestyle is as important as the right education and right parenting.

People who are trying ‘to be the change they want to see in the world’ live in a different world. Let’s see what the brains & bodies of change makers go through and what kind of diet & lifestyle  they should have to reach their maximum potential.

Inside the brains of change makers

The life of change makers is very different from those who are going ‘with the flow’. The conditions in which they are ‘trying to be the change they want to see in the world’ (Gandhi) sometimes become so stressful that it leaves them overwhelmed. Their brains are constantly involved in problem solving.

So first of all we need to understand what happens when one someone ‘questions his/her reality’.

When s/he is looking for answers.

When they are thinking about the ‘right path’ all the time.

This kind of hyper vigilance puts a human being into a fight/flight mode. The body goes into intense stress. The body which was in ‘parasympathetic mode’ that was called ‘rest and digest’ now is into ‘sympathetic mode.

Parasympathetic mode verses  Sympathetic nervous system

 

Here (The Stress Response- Fight or Flight)

you can understand what Fight or Flight mode is.

 

STRESS AND ADRENAL FATIGUE

Experts on alternative medicine say that a person suffers from adrenal fatigue when s/he experiences a small episode of acute stress or prolonged chronic stress.Anyone who has suffered from,

-Loss of a loved one, divorce, emotional trauma

-Exposure to pollution

-Financial problems, work problems

-Lack of sleep

-Negative thinking

-Poor diet and lack of exercise

People having these issues in life will suffer from Adrenal fatigue.Researches suggest that 80% people are suffering from Adrenal Fatigue but it affects the ‘change makers’ in the worst ways. Their quality of life is affected leaving them overwhelmed and in most cases they don’t know what to do about it.Now many of us are suffering from adrenal fatigue but in this post I’ll be focusing on the ‘stress change makers go through.’

SYMPTOMS:

Adrenal Fatigue happens when the body remains in the constant fight or flight response and doesn’t shut its mode.

-Person won’t be able to sleep.

-S/he  will acne and other skin problems

-Hair fall

-Will have digestive problems

-Low immunity

-Problems with blood pressure

-Cholesterol

-Weight gain especially in the belly area

-Insomnia

-Wide awake at 2 am in the night

-Tired in the day

-Achy (Pain in the whole body)

-Brain Fog  (Cant focus ,cant read a book, forget things )

-Low Tolerance (especially to incompetence people)

-Breathing Problems

-Decreased libido

-Dizzy when you stand up

-Will have Intense craving for sugar

LET’S TALK SOLUTIONS

If you have any of these symptoms, let’s explore how we can combat adrenal fatigue by some lifestyle changes. Many people have cured not only their acne, weight gain and hair loss problems but even reversed their cancer and autoimmune diseases with just changing their diet & lifestyles. Organic Olivia is one of the thousands such success stories.

Manage Stress

Whether it is weight loss, acne, hair fall, memory loss or any other issue, the first and foremost thing is to manage stress. You need to understand this that emotional pain is as bad as physical pain and as the wound on your arm needs proper care similarly emotional wounds also need care and sometimes professional help. You need to acknowledge the pain in your life and accept that it needs to be ‘treated’. It can be a childhood trauma, it can be bullying you faced school that wrecked your self esteem. It can be  heart break.It can be people around you telling you are not pretty or ‘macho’ enough .It can be not getting into the college you wanted. Failures that we face ‘on the way to our successful ventures’ also exhaust us and break us. All of these things scar us .You don’t have to handle it alone. Seek the help of professionals. If you went through something major like child sexual abuse, make sure you go to a certified psychotherapist/expert.

Therapy Works is one such Karachi based institute.You can contact them and get help.

You Matter Is also one such amazing initiative. Join the group to explore how you can take care of the pain that you are in.Help is really easy to find you just have to make it a priority and look for it.

 Adrenal Fatigue and Diet:

Stress can also be managed through diet. Processed food, sugar and all such things add to your stress levels. A lot of studies have been showing that how sugar, caffeine, bad oils, hormone loaded diet is contributing to the stress levels that is resulting into so many problems such as acne and weight gain.  Can sugar make you stress?

Haryali Store, The Organic Shop, N’eco’s Natural Store and Cafe are such amazing stores that provide products that healthy hormone free as original as possible. It is very easy to access original healthy diet these days but again you just have to look for it.

Here is a list of what you should and should not eat if you have this adrenal fatigue or even if you don’t this is the kind of diet all of us should be on for the better quality of life.

 

There are some essential oils and herbs are spices that can help with adrenal fatigue such as licorice root, nutmeg, ashwagandha, rhidiola, ginseng, Holy Basil, Lavender & Rosemarry but I’ll be covering them in the next post inshaAllah

Adrenal Fatigue & Weight Loss

One of the best books related to weight loss that I have ever come across is “The Seven Principles of Fat burning” which talks about four body types with an amazing explanation of weight gain problems that how it is a hormonal problem and a symptom of what’s going wrong with your body. Head over their website and see for yourself the amazing transformation of weight loss of people.

The diet given above is all okay of you are have got Adrenal Body (fat only on your belly caused by adrenal fatigue) but if you are a Thyroid body type (fat all over that body) or Ovary body type (weight gain because of the imbalance of  estrogen hormone) then you’ll need customized diet for your body type.

Adrenal Fatigue & ACNE

Assuming that you are on all organic-clean-healthy diet for 6 months now

You are trying to manage your stress

You are getting proper sleep

Here are some things that you should also do.

(a) Take care of hygiene. Don’t touch your face, Change pillow cases daily or every next day. Take care of the pillow that you’re put your face on and make sure it is clean all the time.Try not to use make up if you do make sure you cleanse properly before going to bed.

(b) Get to know skin type and then try certified organic natural products on skin. Avoid whitening creams and cheap facials. Here you can learn what product is good for your skin. Try to get a hold of the minds behind such organic products. One such amazing brand is Mana Beauty Spirit. If you have severe acne try getting appointment from such beauticians who are passionate about what they do and their approach is holistic. If you cant afford the right product or don’t believe in spending this much on a product for your face just don’t go for any cheap facials or any other skin treatments. This will make things so much worse for your skin.

As one of the famous quotes by Red Adair.

If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.

Try organic natural face washes, organic soaps, face serums, toners, scrubs and masks that have essential oils. These things will take time in some severe cases of cystic acne up to 2 years but if you go down this road the acne will vanish forever.

(c) Avoid direct exposure to sun

Always use only organic sun block when going out. You can make your own using coconut oil or also order it on Mana Beauty Spirit.

(d) If taking medication

If you are on a medication for acne and you are planning to leave it consult with your doctor first so s/he manages the dosage accordingly. Most of these medicines are steroid based and it can affect you badly if you don’t follow the protocol. Medication and conventional treatments definitely improve the condition of skin but TEMPORARILY because the dermatologists are not working on the causes. In most cases acne comes back and the breakouts are even stronger.

(e) For facials, try Cupping Therapy & Acupuncture from  ICAM These facials have even helped in healing acne scars and blemishes. ACUPRESSURE is a practice where pressure is applied manually on a certain point of the body and it’s been practiced for years to release muscular tension, improve circulation and help the body heal.Here’s a link for for Acupressure Points for Pimples and Acne but make sure that you wash your hands before touching your face.

Acupressure Points for Pimples and Acne – Massage Monday #246

Note: Acne is also because of some other hormone imbalances but here I just talked about acne related to stress. If your acne is because of estrogen imbalance or some other reason, try consulting with the experts at ICAM to figure out how it can get better.

Adrenal Fatigue & Hair Loss

Hair loss is caused by higher levels of cortisol, stress hormone produced by Adrenal Glands. The idea to reverse hair loss is not getting the ideal length that we have ever wanted because it is determined by genes and some of us heave gorgeous hair and some of us don’t. The idea is to get our hair as healthier as possible. After taking care of the stress and the diet, avoid conventional shampoos and hair treatments. Avoid hair straighteners, hair gels on a regular basis. Get to know your hair type and get certified organic shampoos for your hair. Another suggestion is to opt for Shower Filters and wash your hair with clean water.

Hijama (cupping therapy) and acupuncture’s helped in reversing hair loss for countless cases.

Here are the acupressure points for hair growth and some massage techniques to improve the circulation in the scalp.

Acupressure for Hair Growth – Massage Monday #264

Scalp Massage for Hair Growth – Massage Monday #270

 

Adrenal Fatigue & Exercise

You’ll be surprised to know that exercise is no good if you are not getting enough sleep especially the right kind of rejuvenating sleep because you burn a lot of fat when you are in deep sleep. For you, daily 45 minute walk in nature would be fine. The challenge for you is to find that constructive balance between the extreme stress and the right kind of of stress that’ll keep you going. The more you relax and manage your stress levels and diet the sooner your weight will go down, solving all other problems along the way. Don’t worry about other hard core workouts to reduce the belly fat.

Adrenal Fatigue & ‘RELAXING TIME’

Take time out to RLAX. If playing a video game relaxes you or solving a puzzle calms you down DO NOT RELAX LIKE THIS.We need that problem solving mind to stop and those adrenals to rest. Take one hour daily or 15 minute breaks during the day to do things such as acupressure or try self massage techniques.

Acupressure for Stress

Massage Therapy is also another technique that can help you with stress.

Massage for Stress

Namaz/Praying five times a day will help you with stress tremendously. Learn the translation of Namaz and try to release all your anxiety into the meaning of prayers.

For the ‘ladies time of the month’ (when women are on their period) and cant offer prayer, try basic yoga and keep taking those relaxing breaks five times a day.

Adrenal Fatigue & ‘SLEEP’

Sleep is one the biggest challenges. Here’s a link to one such training by Timlenders on ‘Sleep Management’. Combine this with the managing stress, diet , acupressure, namaz and you’ll never have to worry about your sleep ever again. Here’s what you can do right before going to sleep.

The Ultimate Stress Lowering Technique

Note: The term ‘adrenal fatigue’ is not acknowledged by medical doctors. They dismiss this term. I am studying Psychotherapy and Alternative Medicine. I  have written what I have understood and experienced so far.