Fat Loss Barriers - pt3:
The Adrenal System

Okay, so if you're like most people, you've either never heard of your adrenal glands, or you really haven't given them much thought. After all, not many of us sit and meditate on these small members of our endocrine system. But these two small glands may be causing big problems in your ability to burn fat.

While I'm not saying you do need to meditate on these glands, just a little working knowledge of them can help you better understand how your body works in general and how your system burns fat in particular.

First, you have two adrenal glands, each of them no larger than the size of a walnut and each sitting nicely atop a kidney. They may be small, but they are the powerhouses of energy in your body.

The main task of these little glands is to manage your daily stress.

And that's great except for one small factor: we are more stressed out than ever before. I know. I know. You've heard it before. But it's true. And if you're suffering from a series of seriously stressful problems -- serious illness, your own or that of a loved one, for example, an economic downturn that threatens your financial future, or any other ongoing problems -- then you are probably taxing your adrenal glands for all they're worth.

When your adrenal glands get that stress signal from your system, they produce the hormone cortisol, which in turn increases your blood sugar level to your brain, your muscles, as well as other organs of your body. This provides you with plenty of fuel, ensuring that you'll get through the stressful situation.

Stress, though, is chronic. Our systems were created to handle the chronic stress that we're up against. Not only that, but our systems are being blasted with stress not only emotional, but through the physical world as well.

It's far too easy to in a very real sense "burn" your adrenal glands out. This means that when they call on the cortisol to come help in the situation, there may not be anything to produce.

That's what referred to an adrenal fatigue.

It really does make you wonder how a tiny gland no larger the size of a walnut and weighing less than a grape can so adversely affect the very fiber of your vibrancy and energy level. Oh yes, you look like everyone else on the outside, but deep inside you there’s a weariness, a heaviness, that you just can’t shed no matter how much sleep you get at night. And that fatigue is, without a doubt, the main symptom of this syndrome.

Adrenal fatigue isn’t really a disease, but a syndrome – a collection of signs and symptoms. It appears when the adrenal glands are functioning below what’s normally considered healthy. Adrenal fatigue isn’t necessarily something that just appeared one day, it may have slowly crept up on you following prolonged stress, or even after that bout of pneumonia or bronchitis you had last year. And in the process, you'll notice that your ability to burn that fat from your body is greatly diminished. Notice you haven't been losing weight lately? Wondering why you're a little more tired than usual? Think now, have you been under unusual stress lately? Or have you been continually barraged with some form of stress?

There’s no way to know for sure if you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue, but if you need to use coffee, cola or other caffeine –laden or energy-producing drinks – to keep yourself moving throughout the day you may be a good candidate for it.

Adrenal Fatigue: More Than A Nuisance

But adrenal fatigue can be more than just a nuisance – it can actually interfere with your daily life. If you allow this small powerhouse of natural energy to get too depleted, then you’ll soon discover that you can’t even make it out of bed in the morning – let alone go about your daily routine.

You’ll also notice eventually changes in the way your diet metabolizes; your body uses carbohydrates, proteins and fats different. Your fluid and electrolyte balance changes. You may even begin to detect subtle (and eventually not so subtle) changes in your heart and cardiovascular system. Eventually you’ll even experience a diminished sex drive.

Do you have it? There’s only one way to know for sure. That’s to visit to a doctor who can help you not only identify the symptoms, but help you find the proper and effective treatment.

And wouldn’t it be great not to need to rely on that mid-afternoon shot of caffeine to make it through the day?

Top

Enter your search terms Submit search form