Stress—The ultimate energy zapper

by Barb Jarmoska

In addition to sharing the best ways to have more energy, I’d like to be very clear about what true energy is … and is not. Genuine, life-sustaining energy is not the buzz you get from Red Bull or a strong cup of coffee. It is not the short-term lift in mood and wakefulness that comes from a soda or candy bar. Healthy energy does not produce a lack of ability to sit still during the day or a lack of deep, restful sleep at night. Genuine energy is the ability to consistently work and play and learn and think in a manner that brings fulfillment and unlimited opportunities.

First and foremost, creating that kind of energy requires good fuel, but it doesn’t stop there. The ATP molecule cannot continually sever its chemical bonds for the release of energy without being given time for rest and restoration. As go your cells, so go your mind and body. In addition to a diet founded on whole foods from predominantly plant-based sources, it is a reality that nearly everyone who has too little energy has too much stress.

From a physiological standpoint, it makes absolutely no difference what type of stress you experience. The stress can come in any form. Physical stress is not only created by a poor diet, it can also come from a condition that produces chronic pain. Emotional stress can be due to grief, the burden of an ill family member, or unhealthy relationships. Mental stress can come from a fast-paced job, the pressure of deadlines and other work/school challenges. Environmental stress affects us all, as we live in an increasingly toxic world where we are bombarded with all manner of heavy metals, toxic chemicals, artificial light, and radiation/microwave-emitting devices. Relentless stress keeps a person’s mind and body in a continual state of “fight or flight.” ATP and adrenal hormones are being used but not restored and the result is a breakdown in cell function, which eventually leads to tissue, organ and complete system collapse.

When stress from any source exceeds - either cumulatively or in intensity- the body’s capacity to adjust appropriately to the demands placed upon it by stress, the result is, without exception, a condition known as adrenal fatigue.

According to Dr. James L. Wilson, adrenal fatigue, also known as hypoadrenia, is a very common 21st Century syndrome. Yet, the disorder is often overlooked or misdiagnosed by orthodox medicine. Doctors certainly diagnose the rare and extreme forms of hypoadrenia, Addison’s and Cushing’s disease. However, they are more apt to examine a patient with adrenal fatigue and prescribe antidepressants such as Prozac or Zoloft or anti-anxiety drugs such as Lorazepam.

Adrenal fatigue, like all other syndromes, is a distinct set of symptoms. As you read these over, you will see behaviors and feelings that we all have at one time or another. Certainly, no single symptom gives a diagnosis of hypoadrenia. However, if you experience a significant number of these on a daily basis, you may be suffering from some level of adrenal fatigue. Viewed collectively, these symptoms could indicate a defective adaptation of your adrenal glands to the life stresses you are experiencing.

Signs and symptoms of hypoadrenia:
• Awake feeling unrefreshed by sleep
• Continuing daytime fatigue not relieved by rest
• Craving for salt
• Decreased sex drive
• Over-reaction to stress
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Migraine headaches
• Low body temperature
• Increased recovery time from illness or injury
• Light-headed when standing up quickly
• Mild depression
• Symptoms increase if meals are skipped
• Fuzzy thinking, less ability to focus
• Poor memory
• Decreased tolerance, increased irritation
• Afternoon energy slump sometime between 2 and 5 p.m.
• Decreased productivity
• Increased effort needed to accomplish everyday tasks
• Hormone imbalances (increased PMS and menopausal discomforts in women)

It’s a rather simple corollary. Unhealthy thoughts and lifestyle choices create unrelieved stress that affects the adrenal glands and produces a lack of energy that can lead to chronic fatigue. When this occurs, stress reduction is absolutely critical to recovery. The first and most important component in adrenal restoration is positive lifestyle change. Without stress reduction, the adrenals will not be able to recover and heal. The very elements of a person’s lifestyle that caused the syndrome also stand in the way of healing from it. Just as a wound must be cleaned and disinfected before it can heal, so too must a person remove himself from the sources of stress which served to deplete the adrenals in the first place.

Long periods of bed rest are not normally feasible or necessary. If you suffer from adrenal fatigue, the rest you need comes not so much from lying down as from standing up and taking control of your life and removing or minimizing the harmful stressors.

Try taking a simple but thorough personal inventory. Take a sheet of paper and make two columns. At the top, label one column “Good For Me,” and the other, “Bad For Me.”

In the “Good” column, list all the things in your life that contribute to your health and well-being. Include a wide variety of physical and leisure activities, eating habits, relationships and friendships, work, emotional patterns, attitudes, beliefs, nutritional supplements, sleep habits, etc. Do not list ideals or those things you believe should or would be good for you. Instead list the realities in your life that are present and available and that you know are good for you.

Do the same in the opposite column, listing everything in your life that is detrimental to your health and well-being. Often, some aspects of your life are both good and bad. You may have a job you love, but the hours and fast pace are exhausting. In this case, use both columns. List the fulfilling aspects of the job in the “good” column, and the unhealthy components in the “bad” column. It is best to complete the lists over a period of several days, since you will think of more and more things as you focus on the process.

When the lists are complete, circle the five most significant entries in each column, and rank them by significance from No. 1 to No. 5. Select item No. 1 from the “Bad” column and devise a plan to eliminate that source of stress from your life. Commit to a date by which this will be accomplished. Write it down and put it in a place you will see it often. If too personal to display, create a symbol to remind you of the plan and place the symbol in a prominent place. When that negative influence has been eliminated, move to No. 2, and so forth. Do the same thing in the “Good” column. When ranked, devise a plan to increase the time spent with or in each activity, thought pattern, person, or way of eating, beginning with No. 1.

In short, diminish the Bad and make the Good bigger! It sounds almost too simple, but the resulting reduction in stress that can come from this exercise can produce amazing results in balancing your adrenal hormones.

Stress reduction techniques come in various forms and there are many paths to change. Professional help may be needed if chronic stress has reached a point where it is interfering with the quality of your daily life and health. Exercise, regular sleep (beginning prior to midnight), prayer and meditation, guided imagery, detoxification, psychotherapy, neurofeedback, massage, yoga, acupuncture, dietary supplements – the list goes on and on. Opportunities to employ these techniques as well as referrals to trusted professionals are available at Freshlife. The corollary never fails; reducing stress pays big dividends in enhanced energy.