Drenamin is my favorite Standard Process remedy for individuals suffering from adrenal fatigue. I recommend it often. It has a unique combination of vitamins, minerals, protomorphogens, and herbal extracts that help support your adrenal glands at the cellular level. The creation of healthy adrenal cells leads to optimal adrenal function, which in turn, supports increased health, energy, cognition, and wellbeing. Drenamin has a long-standing reputation for helping individuals suffering from adrenal fatigue. Practitioners have been recommending it since 1935. For me personally I credit Drenamin with my recovery from adrenal fatigue. It is a remedy I take every day. I believe Drenamin gave me my life back!

Cataplex A-C provides your adrenal glands with both vitamin A and vitamin C – nutrients your adrenal glands need to produce stress hormones and maintain their balance. These nutrients are an added bonus for your immune system too!

Vitamin A is essential to survival and it is used by your adrenal glands in the production of hormones including cortisol. During periods of stress your adrenals produce heightened levels of cortisol and for this cortisol gets a bad rap. However, cortisol is not all bad, your body elevates it naturally in the morning so you have energy for the day. Yet, issues arise when repeated stress occurs and the demand for cortisol becomes elevated – when your body is in a repeated state of “fight or flight”. Your immune system also uses vitamin A to prevent and defend against many viruses and even cancer. While vitamin A is fat soluble and, therefore, can be stored in your body, any reserves you may have are all too often depleted during periods of stress.

Vitamin C is an important nutrient your adrenal glands use in the formation of adrenal hormones and to maintain optimal functioning. When you are under chronic stress that leads to adrenal fatigue vitamin C can become significantly depleted. Ever wonder why you are more susceptible to catching a bug during periods of stress? Your body will direct its resources to your adrenal glands during stress, leaving your immune system lacking in this very important vitamin. Additionally, like B vitamins, vitamin C is water soluble, meaning it is not stored in the body. Given this, it is important to include vitamin C in your daily routine. Taking Cataplex A-C on a daily basis can help to fill in any gaps your body may be experiencing.

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Cataplex B and Cataplex G both contain core B vitamins and a proprietary blend of protomorphogens and plant extracts that help with adrenal restoration at the cellular level by supplying these nutrients. These nutrients are necessary to not only repair damaged adrenal cells, they can help boost your energy, improve heart health, and balance the nervous system. Since many of the B vitamins utilized by the adrenal glands are water soluble it is important to incorporate them into your daily routine. Additionally, it is essentially important that you take them in proper balance as is found in food – something that Standard Process does an excellent job of!

Health Tip: If you experience high blood pressure I recommend Cataplex G. If you have normal or low blood pressure I recommend Cataplex B.

Trace Minerals-B12 contains zinc, manganese, selenium, and iodine along with vitamin B12. The trace minerals in Trace Minerals-B12 are needed to keep your entire endocrine system humming along and your hormones balanced. Adrenal imbalances that can result from trace mineral deficiencies can trigger and/or worsen other problems, like low thyroid function. B12 is essential for optimal adrenal function. It’s important to supplement with these trace minerals since it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get enough through diet alone. Think of minerals as the spark that ignites your vitamins. Minerals enable your body to utilize the vitamins you ingest through diet or supplementation to its fullest.

Ashwagandha, an adaptogenic (balancing) herb, is a powerhouse when addressing stage 1 or stage 2 adrenal fatigue. This helpful herb has anti-inflammatory properties and has been used to support the adrenals, immune system, mood, and thyroid while balancing cortisol and enhancing cognition. It provides a calming effect while supporting the body’s effort to come back into homeostasis (balance). Individuals report a general sense of increased wellbeing, more energy, and greater clarity when taking ashwagandha.

However, individuals suffering from Stage 3 Adrenal Fatigue should be cautious when considering herbal support – including ashwagandha. Herbs have a medicinal quality and, given this, they can produce a stimulatory effect on the body. A weakened adrenal system needs a little tender loving care with nutrition and protomorphogens before introducing herbal support. In these cases I recommend foundational support to rebuild the adrenal system before introducing herbal remedies. These include Drenamin (contains adrenal protomorphogen), Cataplex A-C, Trace Minerals B12, Cataplex B, and Magnesium Lactate.

Magnesium Lactate supplies the magnesium needed to balance blood glucose metabolism and neurotransmitter production, helping stabilize mood and increase feelings of calm. Most of us don’t get anywhere near enough magnesium in our diets. Chronic stress further depletes magnesium, leaving you at much higher risk of deficiency. Studies show daily magnesium supplementation can improve sleep and promote relaxation.

Calcifood Wafers and Calcifood Powder both provide essential calcium for your adrenals. Calcifood Powder is a great addition to your Breakfast Smoothie! During periods of stress calcium acts like a shock absorber by assisting in restoring calm to the body after the stressor has passed.

Want to understand more about adrenal fatigue? I invite you to view a talk I offered at a local church on adrenal fatigue.

In it I discuss:

• How your endocrine glands work together to produce healthy levels of hormones.
• Adrenal hormones including cortisol, DHEA, progesterone, and adrenalin.
• The important role of cholesterol in hormonal health.
• The adrenal/thyroid/hypothalamus/pituitary connection.
• Insight into contributors of adrenal fatigue.
• Lifestyle tips to overcome adrenal fatigue.

Carolyn’s Best Adrenal Fatigue Lifestyle Tips

I have created a FREE download where I put my best adrenal lifestyle tips together in one document. Click here for your FREE download.

As a Traditional Naturopath I have been educating clients on optimal dietary choices for nearly two decades. A long list of “diets” have come across my radar – you name it, I have read and seen them all! My clinical, and personal, experience has taught me that there are three central components to making good food choices when you are recovering from adrenal fatigue.

In this video I discuss:

• Low inflammatory foods.
• Blood type compatible foods.
• Healthy fats.

These tiny little glands are your first responders and they jump into action when you are in a stressful situation (or even thinking about a stressful situation). They produce stress hormones so you can either fight, flight, or freeze. Adrenal hormones are inflammatory in nature and in the process of “fight” or “flight” your body will use these hormones to take action. Your nervous system moves into sympathetic mode and you will experience physiological changes including:

• Increase in heart rate.
• Bronchial dilation.
• Increase in cardiac output.
• Dilation of pupils.
• Blood is moved into the skeletal muscle, thus reducing blood flow into non-essential organs like those found in the digestive system and skin.

Ideally, adrenal hormones that follow stress are short lived. They become neutralized during the physical movements that follow stress (fight or flight) and your body is designed to move back into homeostasis (balance). However, in the case of the freeze response or long term/recurrent stress these hormones are not rendered neutral through the physical activity of fight or flight. The release of calming hormones that follow physical activity does not happen. Instead the inflammatory stress hormones remain in circulation setting the stage for disease. Recurrent stress of this nature can quickly contribute to a long list of diseases.

Biblical scholars tell us that in the Bible we are told to “fear not” or “do not be afraid” 365 times – one for every day. Peace is available to all of humanity, God’s hand of love perpetually extends to all human beings.

Do not fear: I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. – Isaiah 41:10

The road back to optimal health and wellbeing demands that your nervous system enters into parasympathetic mode on a regular basis– the “rest and digest” stage. During periods of prayer, meditation, relaxation, listening to peaceful music, and enjoying the company of individuals who you share a nurturing relationship with all help you move into parasympathetic mode. In parasympathetic mode your body experiences many wonderful life-giving physiological changes including:

• Lower heart rate.
• Increased digestion.
• Increased sexual vitality and anti-aging effects.
• Increase in the body’s ability to repair itself.

While adrenal fatigue is not generally classified and recognized in allopathic medicine, in natural wellness we do acknowledge, and give credence to, a group of symptoms that are found with what has been called adrenal fatigue. In adrenal fatigue we observe three stages: Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion.

Each stage has its own unique set of symptoms and will take time and care to turn around. For some individuals the fall from the Alarm phase to the Exhaustion phase can take less than a year, while in others it can take decades. Likewise, the pathway into optimal health is unique for each person, some individuals recover quicker than others.

I have a general rule of thumb I like to follow regarding recovery – for every one year you have had a health issue allow your body a month of tender loving care to recover. Your body is a beautiful creation and it can heal with the right physical, emotional, and spiritual support.

There you have it, adrenal fatigue in a nut-shell. I am hopeful you found this content helpful on your wellness journey and that you will begin to implement some of the practices and suggestions offered here. In the mean time, remember that you are here for a purpose and God has great things for you to experience. Yes, there will be struggles in this life; health issues like adrenal fatigue will arise in this stressful world. However, struggle does not have to be your life story, your were created to live a life of vitality and abundance!

“A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” – John 12:10