Adrenal Fatigue

I had a bout with adrenal fatigue last summer. It lasted several weeks. I didn't know it was adrenal fatigue until I was diagnosed. What I did know was that I was tired, because I had insomnia like never before, I was waking up between 1AM and 2AM daily, ready to start my day, and I experienced heart palpitations that were scary. I even fainted one afternoon due to low blood sugar levels. I simply wasn't myself and I was living life in a haze. The brain fog was horrific!

Adrenal fatigue, as I describe it, is a purse full of symptoms, similar to those I described above, in addition to tired and stressed adrenal glands, and whack blood sugar levels.

The adrenals sit over the kidneys and  produce hormones, are responsible for several bodily functions, and help balance your blood sugar, so that you can get through the day with decent energy levels. When your blood sugar drops, the adrenals release hormones that cause your blood sugar to rise and increase your energy. When functioning properly, they keep you going, and support you and your crazy, busy lifestyle.  Fight or flight response often comes into play when discussing the adrenal glands. When you are stressed or in a situation which calls for you to move at full speed ahead or think fast, that fight or flight energy kicks in. Our adrenals are responsible for this. But, if your adrenals aren't functioning properly, you can end up in a hot mess!

My chiropractor, who is also a doctor of naturopathy, treated me successfully for my adrenal fatigue, and educate me on the condition, in addition to estrogen dominance. Stay tuned for my treatment information and additional notes regarding adrenal fatigue.

Greatest Love of All

Whitney Houston, a legend, a gem, will forever be remembered as a phenomenal woman by me, and by countless others. Last night I went out with a group of my girlfriends and we danced the night away. Last night was different, because in memorial of Whitney Houston, we belted out the lyrics to "I wanna Dance With Somebody" as we hopped about singing to one another and strangers. Whitney Houston is a part of our culture, our childhood. Sending my deepest sympathies to Whitney Houston's family, friends and fans...

Friends

I love my friends! Do you love yours? Friendship is serious business. It’s about commitment, bonds, love, humor, shared dialogue…it’s what YOU make it. Sometimes strife, jealousy, anger and rage enter into a friendship. We’re all imperfect. But when you realize that things of this nature are creeping in on your friendship, wake up and snap out of it, because for many, friends are family. For many, we have friends for different needs, or friends who are stars. I love all of my friends, but I’ve a few stars who just stand out among the rest. I’m keepin’ it real.

Think about a friend or two of yours that you have. Think about that friend, is it a friend that that you rarely see or talk to, but when you sync up, you haven’t skipped a beat, nothing’s changed, you’re still bonded and forever connected? It’s those special friends that you form relationships with in life that provide support, sound advice, are lovingly objective and simply stated – keep things real. Love those friends, cherish them, just like the others. But let them know who they are to you and what they mean to you, because they deserve to know it.

Weekend Remix

I love my weekends, but don't you? I look forward to shopping with and being styled by my sister Whitney, brunch with my extended family, brewery tours with buddies, and my Saturday morning wakeup call from Marissa and Whitney. My sisters always are the first to hit me up on a Saturday morning. We also workout together, have java with the Ps and count our blessings because we are truly thankful for one another and the lives we have been blessed with. My family is amazing.

It's time I fluffed my pillows, throw my hair up and grab a tote so I can make some daytime moves. Thank you for the java break, have an enlightening weekend and enjoy your family, your friends. 

Goitrogens

Merriam-Webster’s definition of goitrogen is, a substance that induces a goiter. A goiter is the enlargement of the thyroid gland, visible as a swelling of the front of the neck. Goitrogens are substances that suppress the function of the thyroid gland by interfering with iodine uptake. There are several vegetables and raw foods that are on the list of goitrogenic foods. I encourage you to do some research to find out what these are in their entirety, because the debate is still out on whether or not an excess of such substances can contribute to a complete attach on the thyroid gland. Some of the foods that may appear in your reading and research include soybeans, broccoli, spinach and cabbage, to name a few.

For me personally, I spent several years as a vegetarian, and I wonder if I didn’t indirectly contribute to this hypothyroid condition that I now have due to the diet I lived by. I’ll speak more to that in my book. And note, there is life after the death of a thyroid. And I still eat soy based foods on the regular.

Prior to being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I was diagnosed as having a non-toxic multi-nodular goiter. That’s a mouthful…literally a throat full, to be precise. What this means, is, that I had multiple growths (nodules) that had caused my thyroid to become enlarged. These nodules were not throwing my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level off, so they were nontoxic. However, they were still casing problems for me, such as anxiety and I was constantly choking on my food, and had grown accustomed to carrying bottled water everywhere I went for fear of choking to death. I was a nervous wreck. So, in essence my TSH had been disturbed, but not to the level at which a toxic definition was given to my diagnosis.

This diagnosis led to the removal of my thyroid gland. Which in turn led to the diagnosis of hypothyroidism for me. Which has led me to this point – education. You have to educate yourselves on thyroid conditions, and others at that, especially when they are regarding your health and the health of those you love. You don’t know what you don’t know. I hope you learned something new today about goitrogens.

TGIF,

S;)

BlogLovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Thyroid Awareness Month - Let's Discuss Constipation

Happy Thyroid Awareness Month! This year I want to discuss symptoms and how they relate to me. I encourage you to join a on the conversation and share dialogue with me. I'm going to throw the first symptom out there right now. 

Constipation. I said it. Things slowed considerably down for me when I began my struggles with hypothyroidism, and they never really picked back up. I'm lactose intollerant, so from time to time, I'd have a scoop of ice cream or yogurt and that would send me to the bathroom in a matter of seconds. That is no longer the case. That creamy goodness is horrible and wouldn't move for me even if I prayed, without a little stimulant boost.

When you have hypothyroidism, several of your body's functions slow down. I have days when I feel like I'm moving in slow motion. My mind even slows down. Constipation is one of those symptoms that has been long standing for me, I've come to terms with having it as a lasting symptom, but I try to fight it. Sometimes, it beats me. However, on the regular, no pun intended. Trust me, my regular is another woman's insanely irregular.

I try these things to get things moving:

Water - A lot, daily.

Exercise - Think about walking. If you walk for about 20 minutes, you can get things moving. Be regular in walking, or moving around, and that can spark something for you, something inside you!

Veggies & Berries - I love all vegetable. I am selective when it comes to fruits. Raspberries and blueberries are delicious and fiberlicious! Your colon will love you.

Spinach - I love spinach, whether it's served hot or cold. I usually eat it with salmon a few times a week, paired with a brisk walk and at least 72 ounces of water on those salmon and spinach days, and I get things moving, pun most definitely intended!

Fiber supplements or stimulant and herbal laxatives: Depending on what type of despair I am in, these are my alternative options. If I am feeling sick, bloated, and begin experiencing headaches and start having nightmares about toxic overload, then I reach for something in this selection. Don't overuse or abuse. Seek relief, and do so with discretion. Love yourself first and when you do, you will see that your body will love you in return, even on those days that it's a definite struggle.

Do what works for you. Tell me what you have noticed in your thyroid health in the area of constipation. I've read that people aren't talking about it. Let's make it a symptom that people start talking about. Excuse me, I need to run to the ladies room.

Good day!