Are you tired of feeling burnt out, frazzled, and one step away from losing the plot?

​Symptoms of adrenal fatigue or adrenal exhaustion include fatigue not relieved by sleep, cravings for salty food, difficulty getting up in the morning, increased effort to do everyday tasks, feeling frazzled or burnt out, decreased ability to handle stress, increased recovery time from illness, injury and trauma, mild depression, less enjoyment of life, brain fog, memory issues, and not feeling awake until later in the morning yet feeling full of energy after dinner and really focused after 11pm.

Cortisol is an important anti-inflammatory steroid hormone.  If the adrenal glands aren’t producing enough, the entire hormonal system is affected.  The stress response in the brain fails to be switched off causing anxiety and eventually depression, the liver isn’t triggered to release glucose from storage disrupting blood sugar, the thyroid can become under active because it needs cortisol to convert thyroid hormones into their active form, and inflammation continues in the body unabated.   Symptoms of an under active thyroid include weight gain, hair loss, sleepiness, tiredness, chronic fatigue, decreased appetite, dry skin, infertility and menstrual disturbances. 

Blood sugar stability is key to keeping our hormones stable, our emotions stable, and feeling in control.

Poor diet, poor lifestyle choices and stress are common causes of unstable blood sugar.  Symptoms of high blood sugar include increase thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, and weight loss.  Symptoms of low blood sugar include fatigue, irritability, anxiety, allergies, nausea, headaches, migraines, fainting, palpitations, weight gain and poor concentration.  Frequent hunger and needing to eat every couple of hours are classic signs of blood sugar instability.

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It's the consumption of sugar, or simple and refined carbohydrates in the diet that causes blood sugar levels to rise suddenly because they are broken down very quickly in the small intestine and absorbed into the blood.  If significant amounts of sugar, simple or refined carbohydrates have been consumed, the sudden uptake of glucose by the cells can cause a dramatic drop in blood sugar.  A sudden drop in blood sugar causes fatigue, irritability and moodiness which typically triggers consumption of more simple or refined carbohydrates or other stimulants such as tea, coffee, alcohol, and cigarettes to relieve the unpleasant feelings associated with low blood sugar.   

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Stimulants such as tea, coffee, alcohol, and cigarettes raise blood sugar through the stimulatory effect they have on the adrenal glands.  When stimulated, the adrenal glands release adrenalin and the liver responds by releasing stored glycogen and converting it into glucose raising blood sugar again.  If blood glucose levels are continuously spiking and falling our cells eventually become resistant to insulin because too much is circulating and so the pancreas produces even more increasing the risk of developing metabolic syndrome.  Eventually the pancreas becomes exhausted and fails to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar leading to the development of type-2 diabetes.

Women experience an incredible hormonal journey throughout their lives governed by natural rhythms.

If hormones go out of balance, the journey can be challenging and draining causing symptoms such as PMT, heavy or irregular periods, mood swings, headaches, migraines, irritability, lack of patience, sugar cravings, weight gain, feeling tearful, overwhelmed, and lethargic. 

Most people are aware of the connection between uncontrolled blood sugar, the hormone insulin and diabetes, but less aware of the connection between uncontrolled blood sugar, insulin, testosterone, oestrogen and sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), a protein found in the liver that transports inactive sex hormones in the blood, activating small amounts as required to keep hormone levels stable and therefore our emotions stable.  As blood sugar rises, the amount of hormone regulating SHBG falls causing testosterone levels to rise knocking hormones out of balance.  Over time, this increases the risk of developing acne, hirsutism, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and ovarian cysts.

As women approach the menopause, oestrogen and progesterone levels naturally begin to fall causing symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, heavy, short or long periods, loss of libido, anxiety, mood swings, and brain fog.  Although this is a natural process, many women experience debilitating symptoms that make normal life difficult. 

Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy can support the Hormonal & Reproductive systems including Women's Health through the life stages using diet and lifestyle as medicine offering an alternative approach to conventional hormonal treatments such as steroids and HRT.