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The Adrenal CodeUnlocking the “Secrets” to Boosting your

Energy, Improving your Vitality, and Obtaining the Body you Desire!

By: Dr. Tunis Hunt Jr

Copyright © 2014 by Hunt For Wellness Inc. All Rights Reserved

Reproduction or distribution in any way shape, or form is forbidden. No part of this book is to be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any other

means, electronic, mechanical, via photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author.

________________________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer

This information and advice, published or made available through the www.DrTunisJr.com website, is not intended to replace the

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purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosis

or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, and particularly in

respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. Any action on the reader's part in response to information

provided on the website is at the reader's discretion. Readers should consult their own physician concerning the information on the

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regarding treatment, action, or application of the information discussed in the eBook. We are not liable for any direct or indirect claim,

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Introduction

If you are like the many men and women who have consulted with me over

the years, there is a good chance that you may be struggling with one, if

not all, of the following symptoms:

• Inability to Lose Weight

• Fatigue

• Depression

• Hormonal Imbalances

• GI Issues

And, like most of the women and men that end up in my office, you have

searched for answers, visited doctors, taken medications or supplements

and yet continue to struggle with these health concerns.

I wrote The Adrenal Code because I wanted to give individuals like you

hope that despite struggling with these symptoms for years, visiting

countless doctors and health professionals, and trying multiple medications

or supplements, you can regain the health status you desire.

Over the last decade I have dedicated my practice to helping individuals,

just like you, breakthrough weight loss plateaus, boost energy, improve

vitality, eliminate digestive issues, and get their hormonal symptoms under

control. I have been able to do all of this without the use of dangerous

drugs or radical surgery. The method I use is based on functional medicine

which utilizes the latest lab testing, lifestyle modification, and simple dietary

recommendations.

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Functional medicine is unique in that it evaluates your health from a

perspective of “how” your body is functioning. These specialized labs allow

us to uncover health issues at a much deeper level and offer answers

where conventional testing has failed. This approach allows insight on

trends occurring inside your body so that changes can be made before a

symptom or disease is manifested. Contrast this to the conventional

medical approach which simply uses lab testing to identify a disease after it

is already present.

I wrote The Adrenal Code to share with you what I share with my patients

to help them uncover their underlying health issues and what steps to take

to regain their health. This tool, however, isn't for everyone. I am not

claiming to cure cancer, reverse bone loss, or eliminate dementia. But for

those of you that are struggling with losing weight, low energy, feelings of

depression, acid reflux, constipation, irritable bowel, or hormonal

imbalances resulting in PMS, hot flashes, PCOS, and others---this can be a

game changer for you.

Over the years I have had an opportunity to work with countless men and

women who have suffered with these symptoms and, as a result, have

mastered protocols and recommendations to help them. In this book I will

discuss with you what I have found to be the #1 underlying cause of these

symptoms and what I recommend to address it. We will discuss your

endocrine, digestive, and neurological systems and what must be done to

improve your health in these areas.

My hope for you is that by the end of this book you will have the hope and

confidence of regaining the energy, vitality and the body you desire. No

matter how severe your symptoms are or how many years you have been

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struggling with your health, the strategies discussed in this book and the

method I use with my patients can offer results where others have failed.

Imagine a life where you can easily loose weight, wake up with and

maintain abundant energy throughout the day, enjoy days without anxiety

or the heaviness of depression, socialize around meals without digestive

complications, and where you no longer suffer from the symptoms of

hormonal imbalances. This can and should be your reality!

Improving your health can be a very successful endeavor with the

recommendations presented in this book and with the guidance of

professionals such as myself. But before any healing can take place , you

must be realistic with yourself. In my clinical experience the health issues

most individuals struggle with are a direct result of years of poor eating

habits, lack of sleep, too much stress, and other lifestyle choices. And just

as your choices have resulted in your current health status, making better

and more informed choices have the power to help you regain your health

as well. Keeping an open mind, staying positive and allow professionals

like myself to guide you in this process are all necessary to successfully

completing this journey.

Having more energy, vitality, and the body you desire is within your grasp.

All you need to do is follow the advice in this guide and confidently take the

steps that so many before you have already successfully taken.

So grab my hand and let me Guide YOU on YOUR Hunt For Wellness....

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Contents…...............1 The Epidemic: 7

2 Adrenal Glands and

Your Health: 15

3 Stress and Adrenal Health: 33

4 Adrenals? Why haven't my “other”

doctors mentioned it?: 47

5 Testing Your Adrenal Glands: 53

6 Adrenal Fatigue- Now What?: 61

7 Start your Adrenal Recovery Today!: 86

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An all too familiar story....

Sara was a powerful career woman who was moving up the ranks of her

organization, or at least she used to be. Ever since Sara graduated from

college with a degree in business management her goal was to reach an

executive position at a fortune 500 company.

Her personal drive and motivation skyrocket her past many of her peers

and she was soon recognized by management as a hard worker who

could get the important tasks done. Sara would often be the first at her

office and stay at work long after everyone would leave. In fact, she

quickly gained the reputation of the hardest worker at her office which was

something that she was very proud of.

Sara's career advancement continued moving right along until one day

she caught the flu and had to stay at home for over a week. After that she

found it difficult to regain the speed that she once had and experienced a

handful of illnesses over the next couple of months. Nothing was ever

considered very serious but with each episode she could feel her energy

slowly fade away.

Even when she wasn't sick, she noticed that it required more effort to do

the very work that used to seem so easy to do. In addition, she found it

more difficult to concentrate because her head often felt “cloudy”. Sleep

also became an issue and she often would wake up “tired” despite a good

night sleep. She started to rely on more and more coffee to get going in

the morning and even then never really felt awake until closer to noon.

Worst of all, she would often crash in the mid-afternoon and have to fight

the urge to just lie down and rest. Overall, Sara notice that she was

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becoming more irritable and impatient with everyone and everything,

including herself.

During the evening hours after dinner Sara would often feel better than

she had all day, especially if she ate a good super. This surge of energy

would last several hours until closer to 9:30 she would start to feel tired

again. Needing to catch up from work however, Sara would often find that

if she would drink a cup of coffee she could power through and often

found that she would catch a second wind that would take her to 1:00 or

2:00 AM. She found that she did her best work during those early morning

hours.

Another change that Sara began to notice was her food habits. She often

found herself craving sweet snack such as donuts and pastries with her

coffee in the morning. And in the afternoon she would desire something

salty and often found herself indulging on potato chips and pretzels. Due

to her demanding work schedule, she would often find it difficult to break

for a proper meal but now that seemed to come with more consequences

than it once did. In the past, she could often get away with skipping a

meal but now she found that she would often get brain fog, fatigue and

other disturbing symptoms.

At the end of most days Sara often felt exhausted, even if her day wasn't

very productive. She began to experience some mild depression and

where she used to be optimistic, she was now discouraged. She no

longer had the drive and ambition she once had and simply was now just

trying to make it through the day.

Concerned about her lack of energy and mental lows, she consulted her

primary physician. Her doctor evaluated her and did some blood work to

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determine her health status. On her follow up visit, Sara was informed

that her labs looked normal and that nothing was wrong with her. She

was encouraged to stop worrying so much and to maybe take it easier at

her job. Sara quickly pointed out that her job was very demanding and

that working less was not an option for her. As a result, her doctor

prescribed an anti-anxiety drug to help her calm down and cope with the

demands of her job.

Unfortunately, the medication only made Sara feel worse and she ended

up consulting with several more physicians. The diagnosis was always

the same, nothing was wrong with her labs and her main problem was

simply “in her head”. Eventually Sara ended up with a referral to a

psychiatrist and a cabinet full of prescriptions. Discouraged, Sara gave up

looking for answers and resigned to just dragging herself through life,

discouraged, depressed and continually fatigued.

As tragic as this story is, it is a common one that I hear from the patients

that I consult with in my practice. Too many talented ambitions women and

men are experiencing these very symptoms and are left without an

explanation or a guide on how to regain their health.

The most common symptoms that I see in my practice are an inability to

lose weight, fatigue, depression, GI issues and hormonal imbalances. And

despite our medical advancements and billions of dollars spent on research

annually, our population as a whole continues to become sicker and sicker.

Today, more people are being diagnosed and are suffering with chronic

diseases than at any other time in history. Diseases that were non-existent

during our parents and grandparents lifetimes are now affecting large parts

of our population and bankrupting us financially.

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Although we have made many positive medical advancements, those

suffering with weight struggles, fatigue, depression, hormonal imbalances,

and GI issues remain at an all time high.

And like Sara, if you are someone who is suffering with any of these

symptoms, chances are you have looked for answers, visited healthcare

providers, and even tried medications or supplements. And like the many

patients I encounter, you were most likely told that your labs looked fine,

had your symptoms dismissed, and possibly prescribed a form of an anti-

anxiety medication. Of course, this only further concerned you because

you know something is off and you end up leaving with additional concerns

and without the answers you were seeking.

Or, if your doctor happened to be a little more thorough, they may have

tested your hormones or your thyroid gland and discovered that some of

your levels were not optimal. If this was the case, chances are you were

put on some sort of thyroid medication or hormone replacement and were

not only told that you would need to be on it for the “rest of your life”, but

you would need to routinely have the doses monitored and changed.

If this sounds at all familiar, you are not alone! As I previously stated, this is

an all too common story and unfortunately are the results of an

overwhelmed medical system, special interests, and outdated dogma.

Today's medical professionals are in a tricky position. They are often

overworked with high volumes of patients and are simply unable to devote

the necessary time to discuss your health status in detail. Of course they

have a true desire to see you healthy, but the luxury of learning about your

unique health status is just not realistic. Instead, they are forced to work in

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a system with strict guidelines when it comes to time restraints and

protocols they must follow when evaluating and treating your symptoms.

Speaking of symptoms, treating and eliminating your symptoms is the

primary goal of most doctors. If your presenting complaint is eliminated as

a result of the medication they prescribe you, it is deemed a success and

their job done. This is exactly what medication is designed to do. It is a

chemical agent that creates a physiological change in your body to make a

particular symptom disappear. Have pain, take an anti-inflammatory. Have

high blood pressure, take a beta blocker. Have high cholesterol, take a

statin. Your progesterone is low, simply add more to it. Unfortunately,

however, the true underlying cause is never evaluated and is why you find

yourself dependent on these drugs for the rest of your life.

When you present to your doctor complaining of fatigue, weight gain,

depression, hormonal imbalances, or GI issues they will run labs that have

been “determined” to be best to evaluate your health. Typically this

consists of some basic blood markers, as well as, a weight and blood

pressure reading. Rarely is any comprehensive testing ordered that may

provide a more complete look at what your underlying issues may be.

Instead they follow the guidelines and order the labs which have been

determined to be the standard of care. And who determines the standard

of care and what the best labs are? Most of the time it is insurance

companies, HMO's, and guidelines that were established decades ago. In

other words, it is not usually based on the latest clinical journals or

breakthroughs in lab testing.

Again, it is not always the doctor's fault. Many are simply trapped in a

system with guidelines and parameters that often highly scrutinize doctors

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who “think outside the box”. I hear this all the time from my medical peers

and from patients who are refused certain labs by their doctors because

their network would frown on them for going outside the norm. As a result,

many patients are left suffering with symptoms despite “normal” lab results

and faithfully taking medications and supplements.

In my clinical experience I have found that, in many cases, the number one

reason that most people suffer with an inability to lose weight, fatigue,

depression, hormonal imbalances, and GI issues can be traced back to a

very common culprit in our society. This culprit is single handily

responsible for disrupting your endocrine system, destroying your GI tract,

and negatively effecting your neurotransmitters.

Who is this master destroyer of health? STRESS! That's right, stress is

the #1 destroyer of health in our modern society and is responsible for

creating a cascade of negative effects in your body. As a result of stress,

your adrenal glands must produce a certain hormone and the abundance of

this hormone is what wreaks havoc on your body.

In severe cases, like Sara's, too much stress over a long period of time

actually drains your body of this natural hormone and leads to a condition

known as Adrenal Fatigue. Adrenal Fatigue is a very serious health

condition, and in my clinical experience, has been a contributing factor to

almost all of the individuals that I have helped.

Learning how to measure the affects of stress on your body and how to

properly support your body so that healing can occur, is fundamental to

regaining your health. In this guide I am going to explain exactly what

Adrenal Fatigue is, how your hormones play a role in your health, and

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strategies you can use to support and heal your body.

If you have never heard of Adrenal Fatigue before you are not alone. In

fact, most of my clients had never heard of it either before coming into my

office. After explaining to them exactly what it was and how it effects their

health, however, they realized quickly that it was definitely a root cause to

their health concerns. So let me explain to you what it is now......

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Although the term Adrenal Fatigue may not be “mainstream” or something

most doctors discuss or even know about, the common symptoms that it

manifest certainly are. So many people suffer with the common symptoms

of Adrenal Fatigue that I and other healthcare practitioners have dedicated

our entire practice on treating them.

The most common signs and symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue are:

• Difficulty getting up in the morning. No matter how many alarms or

how loud they are- you don't feel awake enough to lift your head off

the pillow.

• Feeling “tired” despite getting sleep. Despite getting a good night's

sleep, you still feel tired when you wake up. Refreshed is a foreign

word to people with adrenal fatigue.

• Can't get enough salt or salty foods. You find yourself eating the

whole bag of chips or adding salt to already salted foods.

• Lack of energy (Lethargy). Everything seems like a chore, even the

things you used to enjoy. Frequently, just getting up out of the chair

requires too much energy.

• Every day tasks seems to require increased effort. Everything

seems to required ten times as much effort as it should.

• Decreased sex drive. Sex is the last thing on your mind when you

hardly have the energy to keep your head up.

• Decreased ability to handle stress. Little things seem like a big

deal. Road rage, constant anxiety, yelling at your kids, and

compulsive eating, smoking or drug use let you know your adrenals

are crying out for help.

• Decreased Immune system. The cold you got in October is still

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hanging on in November. The cut on your finger takes weeks to heal.

Two years after your father died you are still incapacitated by grief.

• Standing up too quickly causes you to feel light-headed. Sometimes you feel like you are going to pass out when you get up

from the bed or a chair.

• Mild depression. Why bother making an effort, it all seems so

pointless?

• Less enjoyment or happiness with life. Not much seems to interest

you any more. Work and relationships feel empty and you almost

never do something just for fun.

• Increased PMS. Bloated, tired, crabby, cramping and craving

chocolate- does it get any worse than this?

• Symptoms increase if meals are skipped or inadequate. You have

to drive yourself with snacks, colas and coffee just to keep from

collapsing.

• Fuzzy headed. You frequently lose track of your train of thought and

it is harder to make decisions, even about little things like what to

wear.

• Memory less accurate. You've lost the keys so many times your

spouse is threatening to attach them to you.

• Decreased tolerance. People seem a lot more irritating than they

used to.

• Don't really wake up until 10:00 AM, you “crash” between 3:00 and 4:00 PM, you feel better after evening meal. You shuffle

through your morning routines with the help of coffee and sugar until

around 10 AM when you feel productive. This lasts until you eat

lunch, and then your ready for a nap around 3 pm. You can't seem to

wind down after dinner often making it difficult to fall asleep.

• Decreased productivity. It takes you longer to complete tasks and it

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is harder to stay on task.

No single one of these symptoms gives a definitive diagnosis of Adrenal

Fatigue, but taken collectively as a syndrome, they strongly suggest its

presence. If you are currently suffering with one or many of these it is a

clear sign that something needs to change if you want to feel well again.

To better understand how the adrenals are related to your specific

symptoms I am going to explain their role in the five most common

symptoms that I see in my practice.

Weight Loss Struggles

I can't tell you how many times I hear

patients explain to me the their weight

just seems “stuck” on them. They

exercise and diet but, for whatever

reason, they just can't break through

that weight loss plateau. They may

have never struggled with weight in the

past but now, all has changed and they

are slowly gaining weight and don't know what to do about it.

If this sounds familiar to you- you're not alone. In fact, your weight issues

are probably not even your fault! There is a very good chance that your

inability to lose weight has a very real cause that simply needs to be

addressed. In my experience, most of the time the cause has to do with

your cortisol levels and your body's ability to break down fat and use it for

energy.

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Cortisol is a “gucocorticosteriod” which is a fancy name to say that it assists

insulin with blood sugar handling. Cortisol is responsible for breaking down

fat cells and other cells in the body to convert into energy. Let me explain...

When you eat food your body has several options as to what to do with the

sugar (glucose) that enters your blood. Sugar is toxic to blood, so the body

must either utilize it immediately for energy, or remove it and store it in a

safe place for future needs. The three storage options that the body has is

the Liver, Muscle cells, and Fat cells. After the body converts glucose into

the storage form called glycogen it will shuttle it to either the liver, muscle

cells, or store it as fat. Both the Liver and the muscle cells have somewhat

of a limited storage capacity so once they are full your body will store the

remainder as fat (some of us have more of this storage place than we

would like).

When your body demands energy it will require of you one of two things. It

will either demand that you feed it or it will go to one of the storage tanks

that you have and convert its contents to glucose. The storage tank of

preference is your fat cells (yeah!) but it can only utilize its contents if there

is an adequate amount of cortisol available.

When your body has been burdened by chronic stress (chemical,

emotional, or physical) your adrenal glands have to produce large amounts

of cortisol. The longer the stress is present the longer the adrenal glands

must produce the cortisol. Eventually, your adrenal glands will fatigue and

your cortisol production will go down. With low cortisol levels now, your

ability to break down the fat cells and use them for energy is virtually non-

existent. Regardless of your exercise intensity or your diet restrictions, you

will struggle to burn fat.

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To make matters worse, you actually begin to store fat! Because your body

“believes” that you do not have enough fat cells for energy- because your

body isn't using them as a result of low cortisol- it will help you out by

storing fat. Of coarse this is no good to you because lack of fat is not your

problem, lack of cortisol is. Not until you allow your adrenals to properly

rest and repair, allowing your cortisol levels to increase, will you ever

successfully lose fat and keep it off.

Fatigue

One of the most common complaints that I hear with my patients is that

they are “tired” all of the time. No matter how much sleep they get or what

time they go to bed, they just can't “catch up” on their sleep and constantly

feel tired. If this sounds like something you would say then your adrenal

glands definitely need to be checked.

I like to view Cortisol as units of energy. The more cortisol- the more

energy you have. Individuals who are chronically tired and fatigued

typically suffer from low levels of cortisol. As a result of our hectic lifestyles

and schedules, our adrenal glands are constantly in overdrive trying to

keep up with the demands that we place on them. Just like a tank of gas

that will run dry if the accelerator is constantly pressed, your cortisol levels

will deplete as a result of chronic stress in your life.

Cortisol operates on what is called a circadian cycle.

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Cortisol is highest in the morning in order to wake you up and give you the

energy necessary to hit the ground running. As the day progresses these

levels decrease until evening where the lower levels allow you to go to

sleep. The cycle repeats itself by rising throughout the night until you wake

up again and a new day is started.

If you find that you need coffee, energy drinks, or a shot of sugar in the arm

just to get up and moving in the morning- chances are your cortisol level is

too low.

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Gastrointestinal Issues It is becoming more and more prevalent in my practice to encounter

individuals with some sort of gastrointestinal complaint. Between acid

reflux, constant bloating, constipation, irritable bowl, and frequent gas,

almost all of my patients inform me that they suffer with something related

to their digestion.

Certainly the Standard American Diet (SAD) is a contributing factor to many

of my patient's ailments, but is that the only thing affecting their health?

Apparently not.

In response to stress your adrenal glands secrete cortisol. When you are

under chronic stress (like most Americans today) your adrenal glands

secret tons of cortisol. Cortisol itself is not a bad thing, in fact it is used in

many very important processes in the body, but too much of it can be.

Cortisol has many functions in the body but mainly it helps us with the

necessary energy to Fight or Flight. In other words, it provides the

necessary energy for us to either fight a threat or run from a threat by

utilizing certain organs and muscles and shunting others.

One of the organs that doesn't get proper blood supply during a high stress

situation is your gastrointestinal tract. If you think about it, it makes perfect

sense. Why would your body care about properly digesting your food if you

had to either fight for your life or run for your life? It wouldn't!

Have you ever heard that you shouldn't swim or do other strenuous

exercises directly after eating? Ever wondered why that was? It is

because after you eat, in order to properly digest your food your body must

send large amounts of blood to your gastrointestinal tract. Not only does

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this makes your body properly propel your food along the intestines, but

also allows for proper absorption of nutrients.

When you are engaged in intense activity such as swimming or running,

large amounts of blood must go to your skeletal muscles instead. As a

result, less blood is available for other organs like your gastrointestinal tract

and can cause cramping in the stomach and disrupt the proper digestion of

your food. Improperly digested food can irritate the cell lining of your

gastrointestinal tract which will disrupt your natural flora and make you

more susceptible to invaders such as bad bacteria, yeast, and parasites.

Irritated intestinal cells are the leading cause of the most prevalent GI

symptoms like bloating, constipation, acid reflux, cramping, and irritable

bowel. As I mentioned above, the leading cause of irritated intestinal cells

is improperly digesting your food. And although many of us don't swim or

go running directly after a meal, most of us do not take the proper amount

of time to eat and are constantly bombarded with constant stress.

See, your body can't decipher between you fighting a bear to stay alive and

you juggling a work and carpool schedule. Nor can it determine if you are

running from a tiger or dealing with the death of a loved one. In all of these

cases your body is secreting large amounts of cortisol and disrupting your

body's ability to properly digest your food. As a result, your intestinal cells

will become irritated and symptoms will develop.

Without properly addressing your stress levels and providing the necessary

support for your adrenal glands, your ability to eliminate many of your

gastrointestinal issues will not exist. This is why proper testing and healing

is key to a full recovery.

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Depression

Statistics show that approximately 1 out of

every 10 adults are diagnosed with

depression. Of adults, women ages 45-64

years of age seem to be affected the most.

Based on my clinical experience, I can attest first hand to this.

It seems that more and more of my patients are experiencing depression

like symptoms and many of them have been prescribed an anti-depressant

or at least discussed it with their doctor. Why the sudden increase of

depression in our society? Are things really that bad? Are we just not

capable of handing the demands of daily modern life?

In some instances I strongly believe that individuals truly have an

imbalances that must be addressed with medication. Having said that, I

also believe that the majority of individuals who are suffering with

depression-like symptoms can actually fully recover without the use of

medication.

Let me explain. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that is associated with

mood and well being. When our brain has an ample supply of it we have

the perception of feeling good and when it is in lower concentrations we

develop the common symptoms associated with depression. What

happens to individuals who begin to experience depression-like symptoms

is that their production of serotonin has decreased. What most individuals

and many doctors don't realize is, the majority of serotonin that an

individual makes occurs in their gastrointestinal tract. Special cells called

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enterochromaffin cells are responsible for producing over 90% of your total

serotonin level. What this means is that the real cause of most depression-

like symptoms is a gastrointestinal disturbance!

This is very important to know because unless you address the

gastrointestinal issues, you will never fully recover from depression. This is

why so many individuals on anti-depressants don't ever get lasting results.

They either have to up their dosage or switch drugs in order to maintain

results. The drugs most commonly prescribed for depression do nothing to

address the gastrointestinal tract and only mask the problem by tricking the

brain into thinking it has enough serotonin supply.

As stated earlier, one of the biggest culprits to gastrointestinal issues is

high Cortisol levels. When we are under large amounts of stress, cortisol is

released in large amounts and disrupts the natural flora of our gut. This

chronic inflammation wreaks havoc on the cells including the

enterochromaffin cells responsible for serotonin production. As a result,

you produce less serotonin and the symptoms of depression ensue.

For lasting results you must first test and support your adrenal glands.

Only then can your correctly address your gastrointestinal issues, heal the

enterochromaffin cells and return your serotonin levels back to normal.

Hormonal Imbalances

This by far is the most prevalent complaint that I receive from my patients.

Women (and men) often tell me that they don't believe that their hormones

are properly working. Many of them, however, have brought this concern

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up to other doctors, and in many cases have had them tested, but have

simply been told that their hormones were fine.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard a woman say “I definitely feel

that my hormones are disrupted but my test results said everything is OK”.

My follow up question is always “how” was your hormones tested and

exactly what did they test for?

Most doctors when looking into hormone disruptions test a couple very

distinct hormones. Typically, they will take a blood sample and test your

levels of Etradiol (estrogen), Progesterone, and Testosterone. I call these

the Big 3, and they are very important in both men and women.

When these hormones are not in proper balance they can cause a myriad

of different symptoms including:

• Fatigue

• Depression

• Irritability

• PMS

• Infertility

• Night Sweats

• Weight gain

So it is no surprise that many doctors are quick to check these levels.

Unfortunately, however, these levels are just part of the story and a bigger

factor is being ignored.

As you can imagine, your endocrine (hormonal) system is very complex

and is comprised of many different hormones and processes that make it

work. Take a look at the hormone cascade:

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My question to you, “Is it possible that your Estrogen levels (Estriol,

Estrone, Estradiol) could be affected by your DHEA levels? What about

your Testosterone levels or your Pregnenolone levels?”

You should have answered with a resounding, Yes!

Often, the first thing most patients say when they see this is “look how

everything is connected.” If you study it for any length of time it will

become very obvious that each hormone affects at least one other

hormone if not all of them. This is an important point because if your doctor

just simply checked your estrogen levels or your progesterone level is it

possible they are missing other important data?

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One of the biggest culprits of hormonal imbalances is excessive cortisol

production. As you can see, cortisol is located at the bottom left corner of

the Hormone Cascade.

In order for your body to produce cortisol it has to convert your

Pregnenalone into Progesterone and then into Cortisol. During times of

stress your body diverts your hormones in favor of producing more cortisol.

Unfortunately, however, if you are under chronic stress or have been under

chronic stress in the past, your other hormones become negatively

effected.

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As you produce more and more cortisol, as a result of chronic stress, the

pregnenolone supply is diverted into that pathway.

As a result, your other hormones like Progesterone, Estrogen, and

Testosterone are compromised. Now, when you are tested by your doctor

they may discover a deficiency in those hormones and recommend some

sort of hormone replacement therapy. But if you just add some

Testosterone or Estrogen into your system are you truly addressing the

underlying problem?

What most women (and men) discover with hormone treatment is that it

seldom gives lasting results. In fact, they often find that they must

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continually have their doses change as symptoms plateau or return. This is

primarily because the “true” underlying cause was never addressed.

Rarely do doctors properly address the complete hormone cascade and the

role that cortisol plays on it. As I mentioned earlier, adrenal testing is

seldom done in mainstream medicine and, as a result, is often ignored.

What about your Thyroid? Many hormonal symptoms can be a result of

a Thyroid that is not working properly. Having said that, many women get

their Thyroid tested only to be told that everything is fine. Those that do get

a diagnosis of a Thyroid problem are offered medication for the rest of their

lives.

According to the Physician’s Desk Reference, when addressing a thyroid

problem one should also first consider adrenal involvement. What this

means is that before your doctor works on your thyroid they should first

look at your adrenal glands! How many doctor's do you think actually do

this?

In my clinical experience, almost every patient that enters my office with some sort of thyroid dysfunction also has an adrenal issue. This

is because these two glands are so closely tied together. In fact, in my

office most thyroid issues are corrected simply by supporting and healing

the adrenal glands. Even women who have been on thyroid medications

for years can often regain enough thyroid function to discontinue their

medication.

If you are currently suffering with hormonal issues you must get your

adrenals properly tested. Without first addressing this underlying issue

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your hope of regaining proper hormonal balance is non existent.

Are you starting to see how Adrenal Fatigue plays a very big role in the

current epidemic plaguing so many women in our society. Can you see

how your adrenal health could be the underlying factor in your current

symptoms? Next I am going to discuss exactly what the adrenal glands are

and how stress plays a role in their health and function....

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Thyroid improved with Adrenal Testing

Sally had been battling Thyroid issues for over 10 years. She had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism by her previous doctor and had been taking a popular thyroid medication.

Initially, after being diagnosed, she saw some improvement with her energy and mood with the medication. This, unfortunately, was short lived and she began to feel the same way she had been before within a month or two. When talking to her doctor about it she was simply told to “stick to the coarse” because her labs appeared to be normal now. Sally accepted this explanation and continued taking the medication despite suffering from decreased energy, increased anxiety, and weight loss struggles.

Per a recommendation from a friend and patient of mine, Sally came in to see me. I explained to Sally how the thyroid works and why most conventional testing approaches often miss the big picture. I also explained how the adrenal glands closely work with the thyroid and how stress can cause the endocrine system to work improperly. She agreed to have an adrenal lab done, as well as, a comprehensive thyroid panel.

Her lab reports indicated that she was not only in Stage 2 Adrenal Fatigue, but that her thyroid problems were a result from an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's. Because she had an underlying autoimmune issue, our focus was to support her immune system first. I put her on an immune supporting diet and began to support her adrenal glands. Within the first three days of the diet Sally stated that she already felt more energy than she had in years and by the end of 60 days, she had finally lost the 15 lbs that had seemed “stuck” on her. Sally told me that she finally felt like she could be the mother that she had always wanted to be.

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Anatomy of the Adrenal Glands

The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys

near the spine, just underneath the last

(twelfth) rib and extending down about an

inch. Each is only about 1” high by 11/4 “to 2”

wide by 1/4” thick, and weighs just 31/2 to 5

grams, with the males' adrenals usually being

slightly large rand heavier than the female's.

Both adrenal glands are only a very short distance from the aorta, the

major artery of the body, and the vena cava, the major vein. This strategic

placement allows for a very rapid adrenal response to hormonal messages

transported via the blood. In the tremendous wisdom of the body, the

adrenals are also placed in close proximity to the liver, pancreas, major fat

storage areas and the kidneys, as these are the organs that need rapid

communication with the adrenals in situations requiring their immediate

response to adrenal hormones.

Physiology of the Adrenal Glands

The adrenal glands are responsible for the release of cortisol, as well as,

other important hormones. The amount of cortisol circulating at any

particular moment is regulated by a complex interaction between the

hypothalamus (part of the brain), the pituitary gland at the base of the brain,

and the adrenal glands. This regulatory trio operates through a negative

feedback system and is referred to as the Hypothalamus/ Pituitary/ Adrenal

(HPA) Axis or HPA System.

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A negative feedback system works like the thermostat in a house or

apartment. The thermostat senses the heat in the room and compares it

with the desired temperature it has been set to. When the heat gets too

low, the thermostat signals the relay switch to tell the furnace to ignite,

sending out hot air into the room and raising the heat. When the heat has

risen to the desired level, the thermostat signals the furnace to quit until

more heat is needed. This cycle is called a negative feedback system

because when enough heat is released, a negative signal is sent to slow or

stop the input.

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In your body, your hypothalamus is like a thermostat, your pituitary like a

relay switch, your adrenals like the furnace, and your body is the room.

The amount of cortisol released is comparable to the heat released from

the furnace. To a large extent you control the thermostat through the

demands you place on your body. These demands arise from the physical

situations your body has to deal with (diet, exercise, work, climate, etc.)

and your reactions (emotional and physiological) to them.

We Don't Just Hunt and Gather

The release of cortisol in response to stress is a very important function

that was intelligently designed. As our bodies perceive stress, cortisol does

a myriad of important functions throughout the body to help us deal with it

(more detailed explanation later). After the stress is gone or removed,

however, the cortisol levels in our body naturally decrease back to normal.

In early human times we were a species of hunters and gatherers. We had

to physically go out and kill our food in order to survive. As you can

imagine, fighting beasts and other prey required great energy and

concentration. The cortisol would spike during these hunts to give our

ancestors the greatest advantage to achieve their goal of killing their prey.

After the hunt, however, they would return to camp, cook the food, and

enjoy a period of rest. Naturally, their cortisol levels would decrease, their

adrenals would rest, and they would be ready for the next big task at hand.

Today we don't have to necessarily hunt our foods or do we regularly come

in contact with dangerous animals that threaten our lives, but our adrenal

glands are often in “over-drive”. Due to our hectic schedules and the

demands of modern life we seldom find the necessary down time required

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to allow our adrenal glands the chance to rest and repair. As a result, our

body is disrupted by abnormal cortisol levels and the myriad of symptoms

associated with it.

So often in my practice I hear the stories of men and women who are

constantly attempting to keep their head above water. They are pulled by

personal obligations and professional drives in so many directions that they

can't seem to keep up anymore. Despite their attempts of “rest” they never

feel like they catch up and the things that they once found easy to achieve

are much more difficult now. They are often “tired” all of the time-

regardless of the amount of sleep, struggle with weight loss- despite diet

and exercise, many develop feelings of depression, and almost all of them

have symptoms of hormonal imbalances.

It's All About the Stress

The major sources of stress can

be classified in three primary

categories: Emotional, Chemical,

and Physical. Almost every single

one of us deal with at least one of

these sources daily and in many

cases all of these.

Emotional Stress

Every single one of us has had to deal with some sort of Emotional stress.

The top sources of emotional stress are:

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• Death of a loved one

• Divorce or end of relationship

• Relationship difficulties, frequent

arguments

• Change in residence

• Overwork, or termination of

employment

• Pregnancy

• Addition to family

• Outstanding personal achievement

(graduation, promotion)

• Financial stress (mortgage, loans)

• Personal injury or illness

If you are like most of the people I work with in my practice you probably

have had to deal with several of these if not most of them. Every time you

deal with one of these sources of stress your adrenal glands must go into

over-drive in order to combat the demand on your body. If you chronically

have to deal with one of these sources then your adrenal glands never get

the required rest to repair and will eventually lead to Adrenal “Burn-out” or

Fatigue.

Chemical Stress

We live in a world of synthetic chemicals and toxins. According to the

Environment Protection Agency (EPA) there are over 80,000 registered

chemicals used in our daily products with over 1,500 new chemicals

introduced every year. And to make matters worse only approximately

15,000 of them have ever been tested for safety! As a result, we are

constantly bombarded with chemicals that our bodies have to deal with.

Our livers and other organs, such as the adrenal glands, must work longer

and harder to deal with this constant toxic demand. Just like anything that

is overworked, your liver becomes sluggish and your adrenal glands

become fatigued, resulting in symptoms such as weight gain and other

hormonal imbalances.

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Another form of chemical onslaught comes in the form of our food choices.

Sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and substances such as food dyes and artificial

sweeteners all put burdens on our bodies. Sugar and caffeine are two of

the biggest culprits when it comes to affecting your adrenal glands. Sugar

spikes your insulin and cortisol demands when consumed. The more sugar

you consume the more demand for your adrenals to produce cortisol.

Similarly, caffeine triggers the adrenal glands to release cortisol to

artificially high levels. These high demands tire and fatigue the adrenal

glands and result in those mid-morning and afternoon “crashes”.

Physical Stress

Our bodies produce a natural anti-inflammatory called cortisone. You're

probably familiar with this name as it is the same substance that physicians

use to inject and prescribe for pain. Your adrenals produce cortisone along

with cortisol in response to pain and inflammation that is occurring in your

body. When injury occurs in your body your adrenal glands will release

cortisone to decrease the immune response and lessen the inflammation

and pain. If you suffer from a chronic knee, neck, wrist, shoulder, or any

other type of pain, your adrenal glands are constantly having to produce

high levels of cortisol and cortisone. Do this long enough and the supply

tank will run dry leaving you in a constant state of pain and inflammation.

This is often why so many people suffer from chronic neck, back and joint

pain despite the medications and treatment options that they have tried.

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Three Stages of Burnout

As you can see, stress is extremely

prevalent in our modern society and is a

leading cause to many of the chronic symptoms that plague our population.

When stress isn't properly dealt with and eliminated our adrenal glands are

negatively affected and eventually become “burn out” or “fatigued”. There

are 3 stages of adrenal burnout.

Stage 1 — Stress Overload

Whatever the source of stress, your body’s initial reaction is the same: the

adrenal glands make more of the stress hormones cortisol and DHEA. This

first stage of hormonal maladaptation is called hyperadrenia, or over

activity of the adrenal glands. Normally, when the stress dissipates, the

glands have time to recondition and prepare for the next stressful event.

However, if your stress levels remain high, your body will remain locked in

this first stage of adrenal stress. If your stress hormone levels remain

elevated for extended periods of time, your body’s ability to recover can be

reduced and the ability of your adrenals to make cortisol and DHEA can be

compromised.

Another way to look at this is to think of your adrenal reserve as a savings

account. If you continually withdraw money from savings and don’t replace

it, you are eventually unable to recover financially. Fatigue and other

adrenal symptoms are signs that your body’s reserve has been overdrawn

and your adrenals are becoming exhausted. If the stress continues, the

high levels of cortisol and DHEA begin to drop. As the high levels of these

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hormones can no longer be sustained, a person enters into stage two of

adrenal exhaustion.

Stage 2 — Fatigue

Some individuals have genetically strong adrenal glands and can maintain

health under high levels of stress for many years. Others may enter into

stage two more quickly. Eventually, if we continue to experience excess

stress, we enter into stage two of adrenal exhaustion. This transition period

usually lasts between six and eighteen months during which the stress

response of the adrenal glands is gradually compromised.

Under chronic stress conditions the adrenals eventually “burn out.” At this

point the glands become fatigued and can no longer sustain an adequate

response to stress. This condition ultimately leads to stage three or

hypoadrenalism.

Stage 3 — Exhaustion

In stage three of adrenal maladaptation the glands have been depleted of

their ability to produce cortisol and DHEA in sufficient amounts and now it

becomes more and more difficult for the body to recover. Constant fatigue

and low-level depression can appear in otherwise emotionally healthy

people because cortisol and DHEA help maintain mood, emotional stability

and energy levels.

As cortisol and DHEA levels are depressed, people experience depressed

mental function. Brain function suffers as these hormones are depleted.

Both poor memory and mental confusion can be a direct result of adrenal

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hormone depletion.

Cortisol and Your HealthHaving proper amounts of cortisol in your body is essential to your health.

If you have too much due to chronic stress it will wreak havoc on your body

such as immune suppression, GI irritation, and high blood pressure. If you

have too little due to your adrenals being overworked and fatigued then you

will have hormonal imbalances, fatigue, depression, and weight loss

issues.

Over the years of working with patients it has become apparent that with

most individuals the health of their adrenal glands are the underlying

source of many of their symptoms. Without fail, after properly evaluating

the adrenal glands and providing the necessary support, these symptoms

disappear and stay away for good.

As you can imagine my patients are thrilled with these results but often

struggle to understand why their “regular” doctor or other specialist never

evaluated or even mentioned their adrenal glands. There is a very good

explanation and I am going to explain it to you in the next chapter.

If you are curious as to if your adrenal health may be an underlying cause

to your symptoms complete the Adrenal Stress Questionnaire on the next

page.

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ADRENAL STRESS PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE

Next to each question assign a number between 0 and 5. You should assign values as follows:

0 = Not true 3 = Somewhat true 5 = Very true

Once you have completed the questionnaire calculate your total and locate the range you fall under on the next page.

1. I experience problems falling asleep. 2. I experience problems staying asleep.

3. I frequently experience a second wind (high energy) late at night. 4. I have energy highs and lows throughout the day. 5. I feel tired all the time. 6. I need caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, etc) to get going in the morning. 7. I usually go to bed after 10 pm. 8. I frequently get less than 8 hours of sleep per night. 9. I am easily fatigued.

10. Things I used to enjoy seem like a chore lately. 11. My sex drive is lower than it used to be.

12. I suffer from depression, or have recently been experiencing feelings of depression such as sadness, or loss of motivation.

13. If I skip meals I feel low energy or foggy and disoriented.14. My ability to handle stress has decreased.

15. I find that I am easily irritated or upset.16. I have had one or more stressful major life events. (ie: divorce,

death of a loved one, job loss, new baby, new job)17. I tend to overwork with little time for play or relaxation for

extended periods of time. 18. I crave sweets.

19. I frequently skip meals or eat sporadically. 20. I am experiencing increased physical complaints such as muscle

aches, headaches, or more frequent illnesses.

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Scoring Your Adrenal Stress Profile:

It is important to note that this is not a diagnostic test and should not be used to diagnose any conditions. It is simply a tool to help assess your likely level of adrenal burnout.

If you scored between:0 – 30 You are in good health.30 – 40 You are under some stress.40 - 50 You are a candidate for adrenal burnout.50 – 60 You are in adrenal burnout.60 + You are in severe adrenal burnout. *

*If you scored 60 or higher it is important that you take immediate steps to correct this condition before your health is adversely affected.

If you have scored 40 or higher you are in adrenal burnout and will at some point experience the symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, irritability, and mood swings.

Everyone is under one form of stress or another and a certain amount of stress can be healthy and keep us productive. However, extreme stress can accumulate and start to negatively impact our health, leading to adrenal burnout.

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Hormones Balanced with Adrenal Improvement

Jessica was tired of suffering with hot flashes, night sweats, and an overall feeling of tiredness. She had been searching for answers to her perimenopausal symptoms for several months and had visited several practitioners looking for relief.

When she finally came into my office she had already had a complete hormone workup and was currently using bio-identical estrogen and progesterone. She was frustrated with the fact that, despite using these creams, that her symptoms had not gone away. She had been back several times to discuss her health with her doctor who simply just changed the doses she was using.

I showed Jessica the hormone cascade chart and she agreed with me that the underlying cause of her symptoms were being ignored. Jessica had been through a nasty divorce several years earlier which she admits took a lot out of her. I explained that unless her adrenal health was evaluated she may continue to suffer with hormonal issues. Her adrenal lab showed that she was in Stage 3 Adrenal Fatigue. Because she had been on some high doses of hormone replacement, I had her do a 30 day detox protocol to expel some of the extra hormones and to clean out her liver. This protocol alone made her feel like a new woman and she lost 15 lbs in those 30 days. After her detox I began to support her adrenals and she continued to have more energy and she noticed that her night sweats and hot flashes were cut in half.

It took several months before she was finally able to eliminate most of her symptoms. Today, she is excited that she is able to wake up with plenty of energy and she is back to a weight that she feels confident with.

“

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Why hasn't my other doctors mentioned my adrenal health or testing my

cortisol levels.”

I can't tell you how many times I have been asked this question over the

years. Many of my patients are individuals who are suffering from weight

loss struggles, fatigue, depression, and hormonal imbalances and have

most likely been to numerous doctors and specialists. They have had

testing done and has often been given “explanations” for their problems but

have never been told that they may be suffering from a cortisol imbalance

and Adrenal Fatigue.

Why? Let me explain....

Adrenal fatigue has been recognized, written about, discussed and treated

for over 100 years. It has been dealt with by thousands of doctors, both

personally and clinically. Yet today, it is still not taught in medical schools.

The average physician is therefore unaware of it s presence and so, not

surprisingly, seldom looks for it. Even specialist like endocrinologist rarely

recognize adrenal fatigue as a distinct condition or are prepared to treat it.

Low adrenal function is one of those problems that have become invisible

to modern medicine. Despite the fact that subclinical hypoadrenia was

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recognized as a distinct syndrome earlier in the 20th century, there is little

acknowledgment of it today. With only a few rare exceptions, the only form

of hypoadrenia recognized by medicine is Addison's disease. Addison's

and Cushing's disease (extremely high levels of cortisol usually caused by

drugs) are covered in medical texts and lectures, but adrenal fatigue, a

condition that affects many more people than Addison's and Cushing's

combined, is rarely, if ever, mentioned.

Big Pharma & Big Corporation

To find one of the biggest reasons that modern medicine has forgotten or

dismissed this low adrenal syndrome as non-existent you need not to look

further than the pharmaceutical and insurance companies. Over the last

half decade the tremendous influence of these entities has completely

altered the practice of medicine and, as a result, the emphasis in physician

training and health care as a whole.

What used to be considered a doctor's most essential diagnostic tools-

acute skills of observation, physical examination and deductive reasoning,

has now been replaced by reliance on narrowly interpreted lab tests and a

lists of numerical diagnoses allowable by insurance plans.

The health insurance industry has forced the entire practice of medicine to

restrict itself to pre-approved numbered codes for both the diagnosis and

the treatment of all health conditions. As a result, drugs and surgery are

usually the only therapies offered by modern medicine, even when they are

inappropriate. So if an illness does not show up clearly on a lab test or fit a

diagnostic code, and if there is no known surgical or drug treatment for the

symptoms, then it is as though the problem is not real.

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The sad reality is that modern medicine is in the stranglehold of the

insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. Pharmaceutical

companies are the primary donors to many medical schools and sponsor

the majority of the post-graduate education that doctors are required to

accomplish. As you can imagine most of the information taught is highly

correlated with their “wonder drug” and many physicians are never exposed

to alternative testing and treatment options.

On the other hand, most physician incomes are directly dependent on

reimbursement from the insurance companies. This system is complete

with complicated paperwork and coding that limits and restricts a doctor's

ability to diagnose and treat their patients. Every patient must be given an

“ICD” (International Classification of Disease) code for their medical

condition. No one can fit in the cracks. You must have an ICD code to

classify your illness or the financial medicine wheel quickly comes to a halt

for that patient and for the doctor treating them. What this means is that

your doctor must “label” you with a code that describes a disease- even if it

is not an exact match to your condition, or they will not be paid for seeing

you and your insurance coverage will not cover your visit. And yes, there is

no ICD code for adrenal fatigue and the code for hypoadrenia is usually

reserved for Addison's disease. As a result, adrenal fatigue is never

diagnosed and treated even if the physician knows it exists.

Wrong Test = Wrong Diagnosis

To most doctors, hypoadrenia means Addison's disease and not adrenal

fatigue. Consequently, the only tests they run to detect hypoadrenia are

the tests for Addison's disease. This puts you in a “no-win” situation. If you

present to your doctor with symptoms of adrenal fatigue such as weight

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loss struggles, fatigue, depression, or hormonal imbalances, chances are

they will think your symptoms do not justify running a lab for Addison's

disease. And if you were lucky enough to have a doctor who would run the

test, you most likely will not test positive for Addison's disease and would

be dismissed with a “healthy” diagnosis.

What if you suggest an alternative test like saliva to detect non-Addison's

hypoadrenia? Unfortunately, most doctors are not aware of these options

and you will be discouraged in pursuing them. And if they are aware of

these options most don't understand the reliability that these tests

demonstrate in scientific journals or the industry acceptance they have

gained over the past 10 years. Either way, most doctors will convince you

to forget this “crazy” notion and you will walk away discouraged, doubting

your own symptoms, humiliated for having taken any initiative concerning

your health, and possibly with a prescription for tranquilizers or an

appointment with a psychiatrist.

Despite the fact that every doctor's office frequently sees patients

presenting with symptoms of low adrenal function, doctors do not check for

it. If it has no ICD code, it simply does not exist. Every day I hear stories

from patients who have had their symptoms “dismissed” by their medical

providers. They are told that their symptoms are “in their head” or that they

are depressed and need an anti-depressant. As a result, thousands of

people are suffering undiagnosed and without proper guidance on what to

do.

So now that you are sure that your adrenals should be evaluated...how do

you do that? In the next chapter I am going to discuss some of the most

common testing you can do.

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Gastrointestinal Problems linked to Adrenal Glands

Barbra came to my office because she was experiencing severe gastrointestinal issues. She had a bought of diarrhea and extreme stomach pain several months ago that rendered her incapacitated. She went to her primary care physician who suspected that she may have Chron's disease.

Testing confirmed his diagnosis and Brenda was placed on several medicines and advised not to eat any gluten. Over the coarse of several months her health did improve and she was able to eat solid foods again. As long as she avoided gluten she seemed to be fine, but whenever she would be exposed to it “accidentally”, she would notice extreme bloating and stomach pain.

Despite feeling better, Barbra noticed that her overall energy was continuing to decline. In addition, the initial weight that she lost due to being sick was coming back and she wondered if her hormones were being affected.

During our consultation I learned that she had a very demanding job that she had been at for many years and that she had noticed increased stomach pain, anxiety and overwhelm over the last couple of years. I explained to her how the adrenal glands released cortisol in response to stress and that too much of it over a period of time can destroy the lining of the stomach and disrupt hormone production. She agreed to have her adrenals tested, as well as, a higher sensitivity food test that looked at cross reactive foods to gluten.

Her labs revealed Stage 3 Adrenal Fatigue and that she was not only sensitive to gluten, but she couldn't tolerate many of the other substances that are found in so many “gluten-free” foods. We modified her diet to eliminate those other foods and put her on an adrenal support protocol. Immediately, Barbra began noticing improvements in her energy and anxiety. Within several weeks she had lost over 10 lbs and is excited about resuming exercise for the first time in several years.

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Now that you realize that it is imperative to test your adrenal glands if you

are suffering from either:

• Inability to Lose Weight

• Fatigue

• Depression

• GI Issues

• Hormonal Imbalances

But how do you test them?

There are a handful of ways to evaluate your adrenal glands. Some of

simple and can be done at home, others require the assistance of someone

else or a healthcare practitioner.

Iris Contraction Test

For this test you will need a weak flashlight or penlight, and a mirror. In a

dark bathroom or closet, wait a minute for your eyes to adjust to the dark.

This will allow your pupils to dilate (open) fully. Then, shine the flashlight

into your eyes, and watch the reaction of your pupils for at least 30

seconds.

The light should cause your iris to contract, making your pupils (the dark

spot in the center of your eye) smaller. Normally, they should stay that way,

but if you have adrenal gland fatigue, the iris will be weak and will not be

able to hold the contraction, it will either waver between contracted and

relaxed, or will contract initially, but then open up after 10-30 seconds.

As with the postural hypotension test, the degree to which you "fail" this

test is an indicator of the degree of adrenal insufficiency you are

experiencing.

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Postural Hypotension:

Postural hypotension (also known as orthostatic hypotension) is a drop in

blood pressure that occurs upon rising from a horizontal position. It is

commonly expressed as a feeling of dizziness or lightheadedness, a "head

rush", or "standing up too fast".

To do this test, you will need a blood pressure cuff. Lie down and rest for 5

minutes. Take a blood pressure reading while still horizontal. Then, stand

up and take another reading.

Normally, your blood pressure should rise 10-20 points. If it drops,

particularly by 10 points or more, hypoadrenia is indicated. Generally, the

bigger the drop, the greater the adrenal insufficiency.

It should also be mentioned that low blood pressure in general is also an

indicator of exhausted adrenals when present in conjunction with the other

symptoms of adrenal gland fatigue.

Sergent's Adrenal White Line

With your fingernail or the dull end of a spoon, draw a line across your

belly. In moderate to severe cases of adrenal fatigue, the line will stay

white, and even get wider over the course of time, while a "normal" reaction

would be for the line to almost immediately turn red.

This test has historically been used to indicate severe adrenal fatigue and

Addison's Disease, milder cases of adrenal fatigue may not exhibit this

sign.

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Saliva Testing

In recent years saliva testing has become

the “gold” standard in evaluating hormone

levels. This type of testing offers some

unique advantages compared to standard

blood testing.

Hormones can exist in your body either

bound to a transport protein or “unbound”.

The unbound form of the hormone is the

bio-active form that your tissues actually use. Knowing those numbers are

essential to understanding how your hormone levels are functioning in your

body.

Saliva testing evaluates the unbound hormones in your body and provides

a functional look at how your body is working. In addition, when it comes to

Cortisol, saliva testing is the very best medium to check your Cortisol

levels. As I mentioned before, Cortisol is on a Circadian rhythm and

fluctuates during the day (highest in morning--lowest at night) so knowing

what your levels are at certain times of the day is extremely important in

evaluating your levels and how your adrenal glands are working.

Many “natural” or “alternative” healthcare practitioners carry this type of lab

in their offices. It is a simple take-home test that you complete over the

coarse of the day and mail off to a lab. Typically these labs are

inexpensive and provides you and your doctor great information about your

health.

The testing kit that we utilize in our office looks at key aspects of your

adrenal health. In addition to looking at your cortisol levels, it also

evaluates your DHEA level and your Circadian rhythm. This is vital in

helping us design the best and most accurate treatment plan for your

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specific condition.

Here is an example of a lab of one of my patients:

Explanation:

As you look at this lab it becomes very clear that this person is in a state of

Adrenal Fatigue. I would classify them as being in Stage 2- Adrenal

Fatigue. (The stage of Adrenal Fatigue is determined by the overall cortisol

level and the DHEA-S Average.)

Draw your attention first to the the graph. The yellow line represents the

patient's cortisol levels throughout the day. The red and green lines

represent the high and low values of “normal”. As you can see, this

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person's graph is not ideal because their yellow line is rarely in between the

red and green line and instead of having their highest level of cortisol first

thing in the morning, they have one of their lowest readings. (only 6 nM/L).

I mentioned earlier, cortisol can be looked at as units of energy so the more

cortisol the greater the energy. I ideally like to see cortisol readings of at

least 18 nM/L or higher first thing in the morning so 6 nM/L is extremely low.

It probably wouldn't surprise you that this person had a very difficult time

getting out of bed in the morning.

Looking closer at the graph you will notice that their cortisol level does

increase during the morning hours and actually rises too high by noon.

This is classic example of poor blood sugar regulation and, as a result, this

person will typically begin to feel jittery and lightheaded if a meal is skipped

or delayed. The cortisol does seem to regulate toward the evening hours

and is why this person, like Sara, seemed to consider the evening hours

their best time of the day.

Having your cortisol levels mapped out like this is very useful because it

allows you to not only know what your overall cortisol level is but when

during the day it is the most disrupted. This insight allows you to now use

very specific strategies to raise cortisol at appropriate times and lower them

at others.

In addition to having an overall low cortisol sum (only 25.1 nM/L), this

person has a low DHEA-S Average of only 2.60 ng/ML. This is actually the

deciding factor of why this person is in Adrenal Fatigue vs. simply under

some acute stress. Both the cortisol sum and DHEA-S are considered low

despite being in the “normal” ranges posted on the lab. Ranges simply

exist due to population statistics and are typically much larger than the

“ideal” range one should fit in. I personally like to see a Cortisol Sum of 35

nM/L or higher and DHEA-S of 7 ng/ML or higher.

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Because the DHEA-S Average is so low it isn't hard to imagine that her

other hormone's were negatively affected. As you can see DHEA is the

precursor to Testosterone and all three types of Estrogen.

In fact, this patient came to me after being on some hormone replacement

therapy for over 8 months. Her initial labs, which only looked at her

estrogen and progesterone levels, noted some deficiencies and she was

placed on hormone replacement therapy. Unfortunately her symptoms

were only relieved for a short period of time before returning. They

returned because her underlying issue of chronic cortisol production and

weakened adrenal glands were never addressed.

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Testing Your Adrenal GlandsAs you can see, it is very important to know the state of your Adrenal

health. Several of the methods I discussed can simply be done in your

home with the use of a few items. The saliva testing, however, should be

conducted under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Many

"natural" and alternative healthcare professionals offer this type of testing

and I encourage you to seek these individuals out.

If a local healthcare professional cannot be located, we work with

individuals all over the world in helping them regain their adrenal health.

For more information about our office and services please visit:

www.BioSpecificHealth.com.

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As previously mentioned there are several stages of Adrenal Fatigue and

the severity of how it affects individuals varies. The good news is,

however, no matter what stage you may find yourself in or what symptoms

you may be suffering from, a full recovery is possible.

Like many healing processes, healing from Adrenal exhaustion takes time,

as well as, a specific coarse of action. Knowing and understanding this

coarse of action is crucial to experiencing a full recovery and I want to

share with you the details involved.

One of the few good things about adrenal fatigue is that you can do most of

what is necessary to recover and regain your adrenal health, yourself. You

do not have to give your power away to someone else hoping they know

what to do or rely on a magic pill to make you well. Recovering from

adrenal fatigue requires key lifestyle changes and nutritional supplements

that will greatly facilitate your recovery.

The most important aspect of healing form adrenal fatigue has to do with

lifestyle. Chances are, it was your lifestyle that contributed to this condition

in the first place and now it is the most important thing to help you fully

recover.

Lifestyle choices are choices that are 100% up to you and in your control.

This is an important point because what this means is you have ALL the

power to fully recover. You must understand this and embrace it. Being in

charge is actually important for adrenal health. Research shows that

rendering an animal helpless is one of the most rapid ways to deplete its

adrenals. There is nothing worse than having no control or being helpless

in a situation.

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Just because you have all the control, however, doesn’t mean you should

do it all by yourself. Soliciting help from anyone or anything that will lead to

your healthy recovery is highly advisable.

The role of lifestyle in health has been well documented since the early

1900's. Even in the earliest medical cases, physicians noticed that without

proper lifestyle modification, most patients seldom experienced complete

improvement in their health. In my practice I can attest to this fact as well.

Patients that are able to make the necessary changes to their daily routines

not only recover much faster but experience lasting results.

Daily, we all make decisions that affect our health. Some choices improve

and strengthen our health, and others compromise and weaken our health.

When we make more poor choices than good choices our health

deteriorates and when we make more good choices than poor choices our

health increases. Throughout this chapter I will be sharing with you the

good choices that you must make to allow your adrenals to heal.

The number one thing that you must do to start your road to Adrenal

recovery is to identify the factor(s) that are straining your adrenals. There

will be no need to change your diet, take supplements, or even practice

other lifestyle changes unless you are able to first stop the drain on your

adrenal glands. Just like a wound needs to be cleaned prior to applying a

band-aid, your adrenals need to rest to fully recover.

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Some of the most prevalent things that impact our adrenal glands are:

• Energy

Robbers

• Chronic Pain • Coffee • Alcohol

• Soft Drinks • Tobacco • Unhappy at

Home

• Lack of Fresh Air

• Chemicalized

Water

• Financial

Pressures

• Sickness • Lack of Sleep

• Overwork • Chemical

Pollutants

• Mental

Traps

• Prescription and Non

Prescription Drugs

Allowing your adrenals to rest from these and other negative factors in your

life will be pertinent to your recovery. Learning how to address these and

eliminate them from your life will empower you to take control of your health

and allow you maximize your health moving forward.

Separating the Positive from the Negative

It is important to distinguish which things in your life are contributing to your

health and which things aren't. An exercise that I have found to helpful with

my patients is to have them write out a list of all the beneficial things in their

life and all the detrimental things in their life. I simply have them use a

plain piece of paper and have them draw a line down the center. On one

side label it “Positive” and on the other side label it “Negative”.

Then I instruct them to list the things in their life that positively affects them

and those that negatively affect them. Positive things can include things

such as leisure activities, eating patterns, exercises, relationships, work,

family attitudes, beliefs, dietary supplements, etc. In the “Negative” column

write down everything that seems detrimental to your health and well being.

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Again, they can be physical, emotional, chemical, family related, eating

habits, drinking habits, or anything else that may not be serving you.

*Note: You may find that one particular thing in your life may have both

positive and negative aspects to it. For example: Your Job- you may love

what you do, but hate the grueling schedule it demands. In this case

separate your job out, put job on the positive side and grueling work hours

on the negative side.

It is important that you take as long as you need for this exercise. This may

take your several sessions or days to complete. Don't rush it and try to be

a thorough as possible. There is no right or wrong answers so be as

forthcoming as possible.

After you have completed your lists of both Positive and Negative go over

the lists and circle the five most significant entries in each column. Now

rank each of those five from 1 to 5, with 1 being the most important and 5

being the least. Next go back to the top 5 in the Negative section and

identify exactly what about these items is so hard on you. Really evaluate

them under a microscope until you have a clear picture of the main things

in your life that are negatively affecting your health.

Now select the one that you ranked #1. Commit to eliminating it from your

life. Devise a plan and a date of accomplishing removing this negative

aspect from your life. Be reasonable with your plan and expectations but

definitely be committed to doing what it takes to regain your happiness.

Once you have successfully eliminated #1 on your Negative list then it is

time to move onto #2 on the list. Once again, devise a plan and time frame

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to accomplish your goal of eliminating it from your life. You will repeat this

exercise until all 5 are removed from your life.

In addition to removing the Negative things in your life, we want to increase

the Positive things. You will want to evaluate the top 5 things that you

identified in your life and increase their prevalence in your life. Identify

action steps that you can do to increase the quantity and frequency of

these things in your life. Write these actions down and review them daily

so you will stay on track.

Sleep

One of the most important tools to improve your adrenals is to get

adequate amounts of sleep. Sleep is our body's way of healing and

restoring. Without sleep we cannot properly recover from our daily

activities and will result in a constant strain on your adrenal glands.

Now, I know what you are thinking... “I want to sleep but I can't!” Sleep

issues are one of the biggest complaints that I hear from my patients.

Either they have trouble falling asleep or if they fall asleep-- they have

trouble staying asleep. Sound familiar?

There are several possible scenarios of why this may be happening. First,

if you find yourself waking between 1:00 and 3:00 AM, your liver may be

lacking the glycogen reserves needed for conversion by the adrenals or the

adrenal themselves are too weak to produce enough cortisol to keep the

blood glucose levels high enough during the night.

See, our cells are constantly demanding energy to function. Our body is

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designed to have our liver store energy (glucose) in the form of glycogen.

When our cells demand fuel our liver will breakdown that stored glycogen

and convert it into usable energy (glucose). This process requires the

hormone cortisol, the main hormone released by your adrenals, and if you

are suffering from adrenal fatigue your adrenals are too weak to make the

appropriate amount of cortisol necessary. As a result, your liver is unable

to breakdown the glycogen, your cells go hungry, and your body wakes

you. This is often the case if you have panic or anxiety attacks,

nightmares, or toss and turn between 1:00 and 4:00 AM.

A simple trick I teach my patients is to have a small snack prior to going to

bed. The snack needs to contain a good source of protein and fat and

cannot be too sweet or sugary. Some peanut or almond butter on some

sliced celery, carrots or cucumbers or a small protein shake are good

choices.

Both too high and too low nighttime cortisol levels can cause sleep

disturbances. One of the reasons people struggle with falling asleep is that

they have too much cortisol in the evening hours. Remember, cortisol are

units of energy so if your levels are high you will have trouble falling asleep.

This typically occurs with individuals who exercise too late in the evenings

or “push” themselves to stay up after 11 pm. Exercise increases cortisol so

if you exercise too close to bedtime the spike in your cortisol levels may

prevent you from falling asleep. Similarly, when you stay up past 11 pm

your adrenals will often produce a cortisol surge, as well as, an adrenaline

surge and give you that “second wind” which will often make it difficult to

fall asleep.

When it comes to evaluating your cortisol levels at night so that you can

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devise a plan to improve your adrenal glands, the best strategy is to do a

salivary cortisol test. These tests often evaluate your levels throughout the

day including bedtime. If your levels are too low you can devise a plan to

raise them, and if too high you can do techniques to lower them. To raise

them you could do a short exercise routine in the evening and to lower

them you could chose a variety of relaxing techniques such as a warm

bath, meditation, or the yoga posture known as the alternate leg pull.

Tips to better sleep:

• The best time to sleep is between 10 pm and 6 am.

• Have an electronic curfew of no later than 9 pm. (that means no

email or Facebook while lying in bed)

• Spend the last hour prior to bed reading, meditating, soaking in a

bath, or listening to calm music

• Sleep in complete darkness- No nightlights, TV and computers off,

Blackout shades

• Research indicates that the ideal sleep temperature is 68° F (don't

make it too hot or cold in your bedroom)

• Exercise or do some physical activity during the day

• Eat a small protein and fat rich snack prior to bedtime

• Stop drinking water at least 1 hour prior to bed (prevents nightly

bathroom breaks)

• If you find yourself waking in the night don't just lay in bed. Get up

and sit somewhere else until you feel tired again. Eat a small protein

snack like a handful of almonds.

In addition to these helpful tips some patients find that using natural

supplements are very useful in helping them sleep. If you have your

melatonin levels checked and they are low, you can use melatonin before

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going to bed. Caution: I highly recommend that you have your melatonin

levels checked prior to using it as a supplement. Often it is not the

melatonin that is too low and adding more to your system actually makes

your condition worse.

Several herbs can commonly be used to promote better sleep such as

hops (whole plant), catnip (leaves), valerian (root) and licorice (root).

Although not known as a sedative, the herb ashwagandha can help

indirectly through its ability to normalize cortisol and sex hormones, both of

which can produce sleep disturbances.

Exercise

When it comes to strategies to improve your health, exercise is definitely

one of the best. Whether you are currently exercising or you are just

“planning” on getting started, having a good strategy is necessary for

success.

Those of you who are struggling with the most severe adrenal fatigue may

actually have tried to exercise only to feel worse when you do. This is a

common complaint I hear from many of my patients and learning how to

effectively exercise for maximum results is a key to being successful.

Exercise is absolutely necessary for adrenal recovery so it is not a matter

of whether you should or not, it is more a matter of what type and how

often. One size does not fit all! Please don't assume because your

girlfriend exercises one way that it will be a good fit for you. In addition,

many of those exercise experts promoting their latest fat burning methods

aren't going to serve you well.

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When it comes to exercising to improve your adrenals less is actually more.

What I mean by this is that lower intensity will actually serve you better than

going out and training for a 5K. Exercise needs to be enjoyable. This

should be an activity that adds value to your life and not a daunting task

that adds additional stress. Some of the best ways to begin exercising is

walking, yoga, stretching, Tai Chi, swimming, and water aerobics. The key

here is to pick an exercise and be CONSISTENT. By doing something on a

regular basis you will begin to experience the benefits that exercise brings

to your health like increased oxygen and blood flow.

If you find yourself too sore after exercising or the next morning take note

of the previous day's activities. This may be a good indication that you

have pushed yourself too fast too soon. Simply decrease the intensity a

little and keep moving. Don't give up, however, and use a little discomfort

as an excuse to quit. Some soreness and discomfort will be expected as

you train and strengthen your body.

As your body becomes stronger (usually takes about two weeks of

consistent exercise) you will find the need to push yourself a little harder.

Again, add intensity slowly allowing the body time to adapt with each level.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when adding exercise to their

lifestyles is to go at it too hard too fast. Not only do they set themselves up

for further burnout, but they often disrupt their hormones further by eating

improperly. A common myth is that you should Increase Exercise while

Decreasing Calories to lose weight. And although that strategy will

certainly provide some short term results, lasting results rarely occur.

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It is always better to start off at a slower intensity while cleaning up your

diet and eliminating some unessential calories first. As your body begins to

change and your strength increases that is when you will actually want to

increase both your calories and intensity of your workout. This has been

the single most successful strategy I have found with my patients when it

comes to loosing weight and why so many are able to breakthrough those

stubborn weight loss plateaus.

Food

“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” - Hippocrates

When it comes to regaining your health and improving your adrenal glands

nothing is more powerful than the food choices you make. Unfortunately,

for many of you, your food choices have been one of the biggest culprits in

producing your current health status. Eating foods that add essential

nutrients and minerals is paramount when it comes to restoring adrenal

function.

To restore your health and allow your adrenals to heal I believe that there

are 3 fundamental eating changes that you must make. Without these

changes the likelihood of your adrenals healing are very slim.

The 3 changes are:

• Eliminate Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates

• Eat Healthy Fat

• Change the Meat that you Eat

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Sugar

The biggest health robber of today's food industry is sugar. This is

probably no surprise to you but the amount that the average American

consumes may be. Did you know the average American consumes

approximately 140 lbs. of sugar per year! Compare this to the 5 lbs. the

average family consumed at the beginning of the 20th century.

Sugar is everywhere and, in most instances, hidden. Here is a guide you

can download with all of the different names for sugar.

Because sugar is so prevalent, it is usually the hardest thing that my

patients find to eliminate from their diet. I am often told by patients that

they didn't realize that they consumed so much sugar until they went home

and began to read product labels. They are shocked to see sugar in their

pizza, sauces, breads, soups, crackers, fruit drinks, canned foods, yogurt,

ketchup, mayonnaise, luncheon meat, ect.

1/3 of an average person's sugar comes form soft drinks and other

sweetened beverages. One can of soda has approximately 9 to 11

teaspoons of sugar in it! And if you drink sweetened tea or add sugar,

sugary syrups or creamers to your coffee then you are packing on the

grams of sugar as well.

Sugar is a constant drainer of your adrenal glands requiring your body to

produce insulin and cortisol in the response to spikes and drops of glucose

in your blood. The more sugar you consume the harder your body must

work to keep your blood sugar at a healthy level. In addition, sugar

weakens your immune system making you more susceptible to sickness

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and is also the underlying cause of most the yeast and bad bacteria in

your gut. This often results in bloating, constipation, gassiness, and

irritable bowel symptoms. Decreasing your sugar content must be a top

priority when it comes to improving your health and the function of your

adrenal glands.

Refined Carbohydrates

Another major culprit when it comes to your adrenal health is refined

carbohydrates. These are carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, and

cereal. The inherit problem with these types of foods is that they convert

very quickly to sugar in your body. (within 4 seconds!) As a result, they

cause your glucose levels to spike and your insulin and cortisol levels to

surge in response. Eating refined carbohydrates is very similar to eating

sugar. The more you eat of it the worse your adrenals will be. Healing can

only exist when you give your body the appropriate rest from consuming

these foods.

What about “whole” healthy grains? Although an argument could be made

that some may tolerate eating “healthy” grains like whole wheat, most of my

patients find that eliminating even the healthy whole grains are necessary

to see significant changes. The biggest reason for this is that gluten in

these grains cause undesirable responses in the body which leads to

cravings, fat storage, and spikes in insulin. The sad reality is that we have

destroyed most of the grain that is available to us with the practice of

hybridization and the introduction of genetic modification. Today's grain is

a far cry from what your great grandparents consumed and more and more

research is being released to show the connection of eating grain and poor

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health. A good book to read on this subject is “Wheat Belly” written by Dr.

William Davis.

Healthy Fats vs. Bad Fats

The second change you must make is to eat plenty of GOOD fat. Did you

know that the #1 deficient nutrient in the Standard American Diet is good

fat? Think about it. How many products do you see on the shelves of the

supermarket that claim Low or Non-fat? How many billions of dollars does

the diet industry make with the anti-fat products they promote? We are a

society of Fat phobics! The irony is that we are fatter today than at any

other time in history. And this is despite our 30+ year “war on fat”!

Myth: Eating Fat makes you fat.

Truth: The inability to burn fat makes your fat.

Our bodies are designed to run on fat. Our body's preferred source of fuel

is fat and when we lack a good dietary source of it, our bodies do some

amazing things to keep us alive. Fat is the slowest digestible source of

energy and lasts the longest in our bodies. What this means is when we

eat it we have more energy and stay satisfied longer. Fat is essential for all

of the cell membranes that you have and is key player in keeping your

blood sugar regulated.

As wonderful as fat is for your body, I must warn you that not just any type

of fat will do. You must consume good healthy fat and not the rancid

vegetable oils that are prevalent in so many products on the shelves today.

You must change from Bad fats to Good fats.

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Bad fats are trans fats, hydrogenated fats, partially hydrogenated oils, and

most vegetable oils like margarine, Canola oil, and Crisco. These types of

fats negatively affect your body by disrupting the fatty acid metabolism and

preventing your body from creating quality cell membranes and nerve

sheaths. These types of fats are typically found in cookies, crackers, chips,

and anything else with a shelf life. In addition, these are the type of oils

that are used in deep fried foods and fast food restaurants. You will want to

avoid consuming these foods.

Good fats, on the other hand, are fats that promote cell membrane

production and fatty acid metabolism. Good fats consist on olive oil,

coconut oil, avocado, raw nuts, and the saturated fats found in grass-fed

beef and wild caught salmon. You should consume these types of fat on a

daily basis.

Cooking with oil. When it comes to cooking I recommend that you use

organic coconut oil. Coconut oil is a medium chained saturated fat and is

excellent for high heat conditions. Olive oil, on the other hand, should not

be used for cooking. Although very healthy, it does not do well with heat

and will become rancid very quickly when heated. This will negate any

positive benefits of the oil. Instead, use olive oil for dipping and for salad

dressings.

Change your Meats

Meat is one of the healthiest and nutritious things that you can eat. (sorry

vegans and vegetarians). Meat contains essential vitamins like B12 and is

a great source of protein. Protein consumption is essential for proper

digestion and a great source of lasting energy.

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Although meat is a very healthy and useful food, we have done a great job

in destroying our current meat supply. Today, we jam pack cattle, chickens,

turkeys, and even fish into artificial living environments and force feed them

unnatural diets. As a result, the animals that we are raising are becoming

sicker and the meat we are eating less healthy.

When it comes to meat you must choose to pick a healthy source.

Examples of this are grass-fed cows, free range chickens and turkeys, and

wild caught fish. Cows are designed to eat grass not grain, chickens and

turkeys designed to eat bugs and roam around, and fish were never meant

to live in big tanks and fed pellets.

When animals eat these unnatural diets their health deteriorates. As a

result, they are pumped with antibiotics and growth hormones to keep them

alive and help them grow. Unfortunately these drugs are then passed

down to our dinner plates. One study showed that the #1 reason for early

puberty in girls are the hormones found in the meat and dairy products!

Buying organic grass-fed beef, free range chickens and turkeys, and wild

caught fish will allow you to enjoy these great health promoting foods

without the harmful chemicals and hormones. As a result, your body will

not have to deal this toxic burden and can properly heal.

If you happen to be a vegan or vegetarian I ask you to reconsider the many

benefits of eating healthy meat. If you have chosen this lifestyle as a result

of a religious or political belief I am not here to change your mind or argue

my case. I respect your beliefs and encourage you to continue to eat as

you feel led. Having said that, let me caution you on the dangers of

avoiding healthy meat in your diet. Certain essential vitamins like B12 are

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only found in animal products and often many vegetarians and vegans are

deficient in these nutrients. In my clinical experience some of the sickest

“healthy” eaters I encounter follow a strict vegetarian and vegan diet. If you

are a vegetarian or vegan please routinely get checked for your nutrient

levels and supplement appropriately.

For those that just don't like the taste of meat or the way you feel after

eating meat, let me encourage you to reconsider eating meat in your diet.

One of the most prevalent symptoms of a low functioning adrenal gland is a

lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Hydrochloric acid is essential for

breaking down protein and, when in short supply, results in undigested

food. This will lead to symptoms of acid reflux, bloating, constipation and

other gastrointestinal issues.

I find that with my patients if we can improve the hydrochloric acid in their

stomach and help heal their adrenal glands that their experience with

eating meat completely changes. One small trick I tell my patients to try is

to buy some organic apple cider vinegar and take a small shot of it at the

beginning of each meal. The natural acidity in the vinegar will help break

down the food and improve your digestive processes. This is a simple trick

anyone with digestive issues can try!

What a about soy?

Soy is one the most controversial topics in health and nutrition. A quick

search on the internet will provide you enough pro and anti soy sediment to

keep you busy for the next 5 years. But what is the truth about soy and

should you be eating it?

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First, let me say that I believe soy can be a good quality source of protein.

Certainly many Eastern cultures have consumed it for many years and

have seen great health benefits. Having said that, the unfortunate truth

about the majority of the soy available today is that it has been stripped of

its health promoting aspects and instead promotes disease.

The genetic modification of soy has single handily destroyed the potential

health benefits of soy and is why I advise the majority of my patients to

avoid it. Almost all the soy now grown in the United States is genetically

modified and is what's most available for consumption. What this means is

that the majority of soy products sold and that you consume contain

harmful chemicals that can lead to estrogen dominate cancers and

hormonal imbalances.

Because the majority of the patients I see have some sort of adrenal

insufficiency or hormonal imbalance, I always suggest a soy-free diet for at

least 90 days. I found that the elimination of soy, gluten and cow's dairy for

at least 90 days have tremendous health benefits for my patients and

allows them to “jump start” their road to recovery. After the 90 days some

patients are capable of adding these food items back into their diet but

many choose not to due to the incredible way they feel after avoiding them.

What about organic non-GMO soy products? Obviously if you can find a

good source of non-GMO soy then consuming it could be beneficial to your

health. Unfortunately, in many instances labeling is not always 100%

accurate and because of cross contamination on farms and processing

plants many of the non-GMO soy products aren't exactly 100% GMO free.

As a result, you are gambling with your health in my opinion when you eat

it. I personally choose to play it safe and avoid it all together.

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If you do consume soy I encourage you to avoid forms such as soy protein

isolate, soy protein concentrates, hydrolyzed soy protein, partially

hydrogenated soy oil, etc. Whole soy foods made from organic or non-

GMO soybeans are more natural and are the soy foods that have

nourished entire civilizations for centuries. Edamame and fermented soy

products such as Miso and Tempeh are examples of healthier soy options.

A Quick note about fruit

Fruit is one of the healthiest foods that you can consume. Unfortunately,

however, because of the natural sugar found in fruit, certain fruits need to

be avoided when adrenal healing is taking place. These are also the types

of fruit that you should avoid if weight loss is a goal of yours.

The best type of fruits you should consume are berries. Berries have a low

glycemic index and therefore do not spike you insulin as much when you

consume them. Good examples are blackberries, raspberries,

strawberries, elderberries, and blueberries. Cherries, pears and Granny

Smith apples can also be eaten in moderation. The best time to consume

fruit is immediately after exercising. Your body is capable of absorbing the

glucose rush much better after exercising because of better insulin

sensitivity. Do not eat fruit at night or before going to bed.

Fruits like bananas, raisins, dates, figs, and oranges should be avoided due

to their high sugar content. Avoid all types of dried fruit and fruit juices.

Again, these items have large quantities of sugar in them.

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Caffeine

Caffeine artificially raises your cortisol levels and is one of the biggest

assaulters of your adrenal glands. Elimination of caffeine must occur if you

are to regain your adrenal health. I know what you are thinking-- “I can't

function without my coffee!” And although this may seem true, I promise

you can start your day off with plenty of energy without the use of caffeine.

Quitting coffee is no easy task and there is a reason that caffeine is the #1

consumed drug in the world. As a previous daily coffee drinker myself, I

can empathize with your dilemma. The encouraging news is that not only I

was successful, but everyone of my patients have been successful at

eliminating coffee from their diets! This means I know you can do it too!

The best strategy for eliminating coffee is to do it slowly by weaning

yourself off of it. I suggest that you go buy a bag of decaf coffee and slowly

begin to titer it in your morning routine. If you currently have 2 cups of

coffee, make one regular and the other decaf. Do this for about a week

and then decrease it down to one decaf cup and the other cup half regular

and half decaf. After another week try going 1/3 regular and 2/3 decaf.

Finally, make the leap to completely decaf. Decaf coffee does still contain

some caffeine so stopping decaf coffee will also be the ultimate goal.

Switching to green tea would be the next logical step and then to other teas

such as Oolong or chamomile teas.

“But I just love the smell and taste of coffee”. I hear ya! So do I and is why

I will indulge in a cup on occasion. Having said that, I did quit for about a

year so that my adrenals could heal. To this day I will not drink coffee more

than a couple days in a single week and many times I will go without it for

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months at a time. In other words, I am no longer reliant on it to get me

going in the morning and only consume it as a “special” treat. If you do

drink coffee you should consider buying organic, drink it black or with a

small amount of coconut or almond milk, and with no sugar. I use stevia if I

want to sweeten my coffee. I suggest you use a natural source of stevia

and avoid products such as Truvia, Pruvia, and Stevia in the Raw.

Alcohol

One of the largest sources of sugar is found in alcohol. Alcohol quickly

coverts to sugar when consumed and will constantly cause blood sugar

issues. In addition, alcohol disrupts your liver enzymes and hormones.

Avoiding alcohol is suggested if you truly wish to regain your health and

boost your fat burning potential. I always suggest that my patients avoid

alcohol for at least 90 days to allow their bodies to heal and adrenals

recover. After that, consuming small amounts of alcohol on occasion is

typically tolerated.

When it comes to alcohol the “best” sources are: Red wine, Gin, Rye,

Scotch, Bourbon, Tequila and Vodka. Ideally, you will want to drink these

without sugary mixers and preferably with water, sparkling water, real

cranberry juice, or simply “up” or “on the rocks”.

Alcohol with the most sugar are: white wine, liqueurs, brandy, sherry, and

rum. These types of alcohols should be avoided or consumed very

sparingly.

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When should you eat?

Because most individuals suffering with adrenal fatigue are also battling

blood sugar issues I find that it is most strategic to eat periodically

throughout the day. I always suggest that you eat within 1 hour of waking

up and to start your day off with a good hearty breakfast complete with

protein and fat. By eating a breakfast with plenty of protein and fat it will

satisfy your food cravings, balance your blood sugar ,and provide you with

energy to start the day. Unfortunately, many individuals either skip

breakfast or eat a breakfast full of refined carbohydrates and caffeine. This

certainly will boost your blood sugar and get you going, but is also why you

find yourself “crashing” at 10 am and grabbing that extra cup of coffee or

office donut and snack.

A great breakfast food is the incredible egg. Eggs are versatile and can be

prepared in a variety of ways and does not take much time to prepare.

One strategy for busy people is to hard boil a dozen eggs and keep them in

the fridge. This way every morning you can either eat at home or grab it

and eat it on the go. One of my favorite things to do for breakfast is to

scramble 3 eggs and chop up some broccoli, peppers, and mushrooms and

make an omelet. I then slice ½ an avocado on it and add a little

homemade or organic fresh salsa.

Another great option is to make a breakfast smoothie. I typically have a

smoothie at least 3 days per week and is great way of jam packing some

nutrients on the go. You can use a good quality rice, pea or whey protein

powder. I typically use a cup of water, scoop of protein powder, cup of

organic berries, raw egg (on occasion), and scoop of a super green

powdery mix (this is typically a vegetable powder mix that can be found in

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most health food stores or through health professionals). I simply blend all

the ingredients and then I have a nutritious breakfast on the go.

Snacking is often important for those suffering with blood sugar issues and

I advise you eat a small snack in the mid morning and afternoon. Great

snack options are a handful of raw nuts, carrots with humus, and almond

butter on celery sticks. Avoid eating crackers, cookies, pretzels or chips.

These items will only spike your blood sugar momentarily and set you up

for a future crash.

The rule of thumb with every meal and snack is to have some protein and

fat. These two sources of calories are best for your blood sugar and will

provide you with lasting energy that carbohydrates alone will not.

Dinner should not be eaten too late in the evening and should consist of a

good protein source. A lean piece of meat with a non-starchy vegetable

should make up the majority of your dinners. On occasion, having starchy

vegetables like sweet potatoes, rice, or quinoa are acceptable but certainly

shouldn't be eaten every night. You will want to completely avoid refined

carbohydrates such as pasta and bread.

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Approved Food ListEat as many single portions from this

category on a per meal basis as needed to create a feeling of fullness.

Alfalfa Sprouts 2-4 ozArugula 2-4 ozAsparagus 2-4 ozAvocado ½ AvocadoBean Sprouts 2-4 ozBroccoli 2-4 ozBrussels Sprouts 2-4 ozCabbage 2-4 ozCarrots 2-4 ozCauliflower 2-4 ozCelery 2-4 ozCilantro 2-4 ozCucumber 2-4 ozGarlic 1 CloveKale 2-4 ozLettuce 2-4 ozMushrooms 2-4 ozMustard Greens 2-4 ozOnions 2-4 ozRadish 2-4 ozSnow Peas 2-4 ozSpinach 2-4 ozSquash -acorn, butternut

½ cup

String Beans 2-4 ozSweet Potato/ Yam ½ Potato/daySwiss Chard 2-4 ozWater Cress 2-4 ozZucchini 2-4 oz

Dairy Alternatives

Portion

Coconut Milk 4-6 ozHemp Milk 4-6 ozRice Milk 4-6 ozAlmond Milk 4-6 ozRice Cheese 2 oz

Starch / Grain* PortionQuinoa ½ CupRice -Brown, Wild

½ Cup

Amaranth ½ CupMillet ½ CupBuckwheat ½ CupRice Crackers 2-3 crackersRice Pasta ½ Cup cooked*not more than 1 serving per day

Fats PortionAvocado ½ AvocadoCoconut Oil 1 TbspFlax Oil 1 TbspGrape seed Oil 1 TbspOlive Oil – Extra virgin

1 Tbsp

Omega-3 Oil 1 Tbsp

Beverages PortionGreen Tea - unsweetened

3 Cups/day

Herbal Teas 2 Cups/dayMineral Water 3 Cups/daySoda Water 3 Cups/day

Sweeteners PortionStevia To Taste

Protein PortionBeef – ground/steak (grass fed only)

2-4 oz

Bison 2-4 ozChicken (organic) 2-4 ozCod 2-4 ozEggs- free range 2 eggsHaddock 2-4 ozHalibut 2-4 ozLamb 2-4 ozLentils 2-4 ozPinto Beans 2-4 ozRed Beans 2-4 ozRed Snapper 2-4 ozSalmon (wild caught only) 2-4 ozTurkey (organic) 2 slicesWhitefish 2-4 oz

Fruit* PortionBlackberries 2-4 ozBlueberries 2-4 ozElderberries 2-4 ozGranny Smith Apples 1 per dayGrapefruit 1 per dayLemons 2-4 ozLimes 2-4 ozRaspberries 2-4 ozStrawberries 2-4 oz

* NO dried fruit should be eaten, as dried fruit has a much higher sugar

concentration.

*You should eat twice as many vegetables than fruit.

Choice of dressings: Extra-virgin olive oil with lemon or lime and dry herbs, including oregano and basil or flax seed oil dressing

Additional Condiments: Bay leaf, Dry mustard, Poppy seeds, Curry, Dill, Nutmeg, Cinnamon,

Chives, Ginger, Tahini, Garlic

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Overall health improved with Adrenal recovery

Robert was a young and “healthy” 31 year old when he came into my office. He came to see me because he was feeling extremely tired all of the time, he had lost his libido, and was feeling an overwhelming sense of anxiety.

He had visited his primary care doctor who ran a blood test which showed that he was extremely healthy. Robert knew that something was off and that there had to be a better answer.

It wasn't long into our consultation that I immediately began to suspect that he had an underlying adrenal problem. Robert had made some smart real estate investments in his young life and now found himself not having to hold a 9-5 job. Instead, Robert spent most of his evenings playing online poker until 5 or 6 in the morning while consuming up to a 12 pack of beer and eating handfuls of candy and other snack food. He would have the luxury of sleeping in the next day but doing this on a consistent basis was starting to take its tole. Robert admitted that he suspected that his dietary and lifestyle habits were probably contributing to his symptoms but when his blood work turned out to be so good and his other doctor didn't seem to comment on it, he simply brushed it off.

I explained to Robert the role of the adrenal glands and how when we deprive ourselves of proper sleep and nutrients our body begins to breakdown. He agreed to an adrenal lab and his lab results indicated that he was in Stage 2 Adrenal Fatigue and that is circadian rhythm was completely backwards.

I suggested that he do a 30 day detox program and to begin to support his adrenal glands. We also talked about sleeping and how the circadian cycle works. He agreed to go to bed at a reasonable hour and to avoid alcohol and other junk food. W

When I saw Robert 30 days later he was a completely new man. He explained that he now had plenty of energy and that his libido had returned. He continued supporting his adrenals for another 6 months until we retested them. Not only had his cortisol levels returned to normal, but his circadian rhythm had as well.

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I hope you truly enjoyed this eBook and were able to obtain some valuable

information to improve your health. My main goal of writing this eBook was

to share the epidemic that chronic stress has caused in our society.

Unfortunately, many of the mainstream medical providers are not

addressing it and, as a result, so many people like you have been left

without answers and a life of symptoms and medications.

The good news is that this no longer has to be your future! You now have a

great resource to use to address the underlying cause of the most

prevalent symptoms that plague so many people. If you currently struggle

with any of the following:

• Inability to lose weight

• Fatigue

• Depression

• GI Issues

• Hormonal Imbalances

I encourage you to take this guide and get started today. I have already

given you the tools to begin to make some of the necessary lifestyle and

eating changes. Making these changes alone will have profound impact on

your health.

If you are truly serious about your health, however, let me encourage you to

get your adrenal glands tested. In the decade that I have been doing

adrenal testing, I have only run across a very small handful of people that

actually had normal lab results. This means that almost every single one of

my patients have seen dysfunction on their lab results. More importantly,

they have been given answers to the underlying cause of their health

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concerns.

In my practice I do much more than just adrenal testing but it is an excellent

place to start and certainly a lab that almost all of my patients receive.

Why? Because almost everyone benefits from it and it ties together many

of the other lab results we look at including, blood sugar, anemia, thyroid,

other hormones, and gastrointestinal markers.

If you are interested in having this simple test done we would love to assist

you in achieving that. We work with clients all over the world and with

technology like Skype and online conferencing we can connect with you as

if you were sitting in my office. In addition, we can drop ship lab kits and

other products directly to your door.

Regaining your health can be an extremely daunting task, especially if you

have struggled with many of these symptoms for a long time. Having

someone that knows exactly what to do and can guide you in this process

will not only speed up your recovery but save you time and money.

For more information on how to work with Dr. Tunis Hunt Jr please visit

www.BioSpecificHealth.com

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