I love when a client comes and says "I think I have chronic fatigue and I told my doc and they literally rolled their eyes". Want to know why I love it? Because the doctor is: 1) acting like a, pardon my language, ass for reacting in that manner and 2) should know better that at this point almost everyone in the post-industrial "modern" world is chronic fatigued. So yes, I say, you are. But let's dig a little deeper and really understand what that means before we indulge every persons need to excuse their every problem with the phrase "chronic fatigue".
The Adrenal glands are located above the kidneys (used to be call "Suprarenals") and they do many things.
I characterize them as the "Queen piece". If you know a little about chess, you'll understand the reference. The Queen on a chess board can do many things and is a pretty powerful and integral part of the game. That's the adrenals. They are multifaceted and dynamically integrated to the function of literally all the systems of the body. Ok, so here comes an anatomy & physiology lesson:
So the Adrenals are laid out similar to a tootsie roll pop, except it's 3 layers before you get to the center. Each layer is doing something almost completely different.
The outer most layer produces aldosterone (hormone) and several other types of mineral-corticoids. These help, along with other organs in the system, regulate sodium, potassium, and other minerals along with the balance of fluids all over the body. So, yes, urinating too frequently or not enough, retention of water, even glaucoma can be largely influenced by this part of the adrenals.
The next layer going inwards, is the the second layer which produces cortisol (yup, that's the cortisol you famously know) and several other gluco-corticoids. It, along with other organs, regulate blood sugar, weight-loss and gain, anti-inflammatory actions, and several other immune modification responses. So craving sweets, hypoglycemia, belly fat, constant pain, constant inflammation, etc. all can be caused by this layer not functioning up-to-snuff. Problems with the Pancreas such as diabetes, eating too much refined sugar (or even to much fruit), consuming excess alcohol, etc., can really tax this area further.
The last layer, before we get to the middle of the adrenals, is a pretty important layer. This is where you find DHEA, Pregnenolone, Progesterone, Estrogen, and Testosterone along with other sex hormone regulators. This layer also helps with tissue repair, rebuilding of structural cells, such as bone, and it creates regulatory mechanisms for cellular aging. So problems with libido, menopause, periods, hormone conversions, etc. can be coming from here if, once again, the layer is not being fed the precursors it needs to help produce all those things. Or the body is over stressed.
My mama always told me - can't make something from nothin'
Now we are at the center of the tootsie, so to speak. The center of the Adrenals is called the Medulla. This is where you produce you Epinephrine and Norepinephrine (also called Adrenaline and Noradrenaline). This is what responds to your stress, your "fight or flight". This is part, if not the core, of your sympathetic Nervous system.
So, back to the initial conversation about "chronic fatigue". Understanding the parts of the adrenals helps you understand how, if that organ doesn't get the fuel/precursors it needs to do what it needs to do, lots of the tasks that the adrenals have to do will be under-regulated. Not to mention you consume stimulants such as caffeine or synthetic vitamins that over stimulate the Medulla, you can run that organ ragged. And when you make something that's low on fuel constantly run or work (translation: chronic), you'll "fatigue" the mechanism, just like an engine or machinery in a car, plane or train. With everything that goes on around us, lack of proper nutrition, over-consumption of sugar, heavy coffee or alcohol drinking, chemicals in the air or water, and exposure to mental/emotional stress (even working out too much), our adrenals are constantly engaged to balance our bodys or in other words, produce something called "Homeostasis". This will make things very tiring for the adrenals and eventually they will not do 100% of what they are meant to do, thus creating a great spectrum of problems pandemically in the body.
Therefore, yes you do have chronic adrenal fatigue.
In part 2 we'll talk about all the things that can lead to adrenal fatigue.
