ADRENAL COCKTAILS
The adrenal cocktail is all about building and maintaining energy. After all, what is life if you don't have the energy to fully embrace it and experience it?
The adrenal glands are part of the endocrine system. They are responsible for producing our stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline. Under stress (fight/flight) our bodily response is widespread and this can lead to micronutrient depletion and imbalance. Our adrenal glands are responsible for replenishing those key micronutrients. Adrenal glands are also involved in sex hormone production. Important to note here, that stress hormones compete with sex hormones — so in times of stress, sex hormones will often go ‘offline’. This is why many people struggle with lowered fertility during highly stressful seasons of life. Back to the adrenal glands. These two little walnut shaped glands sit right on top of your kidneys.The adrenal glands are part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The HPA axis plays a massive role in regulating the stress response. These three glands in the body work together and communicate with each other. The adrenal glands produce hormones based on signals from the pituitary gland in the brain, which is responding to signals sent from another part of the brain called the hypothalamus. It's an intricate process.
“A major component of the homeostatic response is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, an intricate, yet robust, neuroendocrine mechanism that mediates the effects of stressors by regulating numerous physiological processes, such as metabolism, immune responses, and the autonomic nervous system (ANS)” (Frontiers 2020)
The adrenal glands make more than 30 hormones daily. The glands are primarily regulated by the balance of sodium and magnesium. This is an important point, because many people want to just jump straight into taking tons of magnesium to manage the stress response. However, if we don't address the sodium side of it (along with potassium, it's partnering electrolyte), we can overwhelm the body which will negatively affect the functionality of the adrenal glands. Sodium and Potassium maintain fluid balance and make up the pumps on our cell walls. Therefore, it is with this appropriate ratio in mind that we enable to body to take in more magnesium. This is something I closely monitor with my clients, as magnesium is the first mineral lost to stress, but we have to keep this balancing act in mind. Because of the electrolytes it contains, an adrenal cocktail really sets the stage for your body to be able to take in adequate levels of magnesium - I like to think of it as the ‘mineral welcoming committee’
95% of the body's vitamin C stores are found within the adrenal glands. Vitamin C is an essential part of the adrenal gland function. Vitamin C is a critical anti-oxidant in the body, which trust me, we need plenty!
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF ADRENAL FATIGUE:
excessive, unexplained fatigue
weight gain (specifically abdominal)
brain fog
mood swings
sleep difficulties
THE IDEAL ADRENAL COCKTAIL:
200-400mg Whole Food Vitamin C, 490mg sodium (¼ tsp of sea salt), 375mg potassium
Once you're comfortable with a basic recipe, you'll get good at eye-balling what it is your body really needs.
WHAT'S THE BEST TIME FOR AN ADRENAL COCKTAIL?
The answer to this question is very bio-individual. For me, I adjust depending on stress/busyness. Approaching holiday season I aim for 2x per day. Wink wink.
One in the mid morning (10-11am) and another in the mid-late (2-4pm) afternoon.
A good thing to think about is, when do you usually ‘crash’?
Work up to your ideal dose slowly and steadily.
Fun fact: adrenal glands naturally have lowered activity during these times (mid morning/mid afternoon), so this is part of the reason we can feel the slump in energy. Let me know if you give this a try! Here is my favourite recipe:
1/4 C Orange Juice (fresh squeezed ideally)
1/2 C Coconut Water (organic)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp sea salt
I’ve been lately adding one scoop of vanilla colostrum to mine and it’s like a creamsicle in a cup. Enjoy!!
