Fighting fat & fatigue in one fell swoop

Have you heard of insulin resistance?  Metabolic syndrome?  Do you know the function of the adrenal glands and where they are in your body?  Let's take a brief moment to go over these items so you can better understand how to fight fat and fatigue. 

The adrenal glands are part of the endocrine system and sit on top of your kidneys.  They produce several hormones: adrenalin, ACTH, DHEA, cortisol.  By restoring adrenal fitness we can then correct insulin resistance, also known as metabolic syndrome...this phenomena can and will deposit fat around your middle that you can't seem to take off no matter what you do.  When we are faced with stress, our adrenals kick into high gear to produce the hormones so that we can deal with the daily stressors in our lives.  Time and time again as stress occurs, the poor adrenals become exhausted. 

Does cortisol make you fat?  The main function of cortisol is proper glucose metabolism, regulation of blood pressure, insulin release for blood sugar maintenance, immune function, and inflammatory response.  One of the effects of cortisol is to increase the breakdown of stored adipose tissue (fatty tissue) into glycerol and fatty acids, and cortisol also inhibits the conversion of T4 to T3 (thyroid hormones).

Higher & prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream (chronic fight or flight) can impair cognitive performance, suppress thyroid function, cause blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia, decrease bone density, decrease muscle tissue, elevate blood pressure, lower immunity and inflammatory response, and increase abdominal fat. 

Abdominal fat is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body.  Some of the health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, the development of higher levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL), which can lead to other health problems. 

Some symptoms of adrenal fatigue:
* morning fatigue - you don't really seem to "wake up" until 10 a.m., even if you've been awake since 7 a.m.
* afternoon "low" (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.
* burst of energy at 6 p.m. - you finally feel better from your afternoon lull
* sleepiness at 9 to 10 p.m. - however, you resist going to sleep
* "second wind" at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally go to sleep
* cravings for foods high in salt and fat
* increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
* mild depression
* lack of energy
* decreased ability to handle stress
* muscular weakness
* increased allergies
* lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or lying down position
* decreased sex drive
* frequent sighing
* inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they're combined with fats and protein

The various phases of adrenal dysfunction can all look alike, so to more accurately take a "picture" of how your adrenal glands are functioning, we do a saliva hormone panel.  Saliva testing requires four saliva samples throughout the day because cortisol is on a 24-hour clock and we want to know levels as well as patterns of secretion. 

DHEA is tested in the same test of salive sampling.  What is the role of DHEA?  In a word: stress management.  DHEA has been shown to elevate mood, calm emotions and increase alertness, all very important qualities to have during stress.  DHEA helps our mind cope more evenly with stress and helps improve memory. 

It is not recommended here to run out and get this at your local health food store.  You may not need extra DHEA, it is best to have these hormones tested with our simple saliva test, done using a simple take-home saliva test kit that is then sent off to our lab using the pre-paid UPS packaging. 

So how long does it take to recover optimal adrenal health?  Here are some basic guidelines, every person responds differently, so these are general guidelines:
* 1 to 6 months for correcting dysregulation of the gland
* 6 to 9 months for early adrenal fatigue (it took 1-2 years to get there)
* 12 to 18 months for evolving fatigue (it took 2-5 years to get there)
* up to 24 months for established adrenal fatigue (it took 5-10 years to get there!)

Have you seen the photo of Michaelangelo's David circulating on the internet that showed his picture AFTER his visit to the U.S.?  That fat belly is a prime example of what happens to you with uncorrected adrenal fatigue.  You try every diet, go to the gym and do everything you know to do, yet you STILL can't seem to lose the weight! 

Check my website at http://www.drsylviacallahan.org/ to read more about bioidentical hormones...

Here's to your successful journey on your Highway to Health!