Posted by Dr. Della Parker on June 1, 2016
Hang in there Mommies! You are in the home stretch. The school year, with all its activities and obligations is about to come to an end. Then you can take a deep breath and relax! Wait… just joking. The reality is that it is time to gear up for a new kind of stress. Not the wake the kids up and get em dressed, fed and outta the house by 8am kinda stress. But the mom! I’m bored, I’m hungry, now I’m bored again, mom! Mom! MOM! all day long kinda stress. Everyone relies on mom. And everyone knows the house just doesn’t function without you. So what happens when you get over stressed, tired, and just burnt out? Nothing! You probably already are, yet you still take care of everyone but yourself. The problem is, that you are burning out your adrenal glands big time! When these little stress handlers take a dive so does your health. It may start out as just feeling wiped out, all the time! But it can progress to much worse. We are talking about crazy things like disease and cancer. Uncontrolled stress leads to these things more frequently than you probably realize. So let’s help you get your body back to health so you can stay around to keep that house a float!
First off, are you not sleeping or are your kids not sleeping? If your mommy spidey senses are so tweaked out, that your eyes pop wide open at the sound of your child sneezing or coughing then you got some cortisol issues girl! Your nervous system is stuck in overdrive. You aren’t being chased by a saber tooth tiger, I promise! So let’s chill out that sympathetic response so you can rest and have things like cellular repair take place while you sleep. Properly supporting your adrenal glands can help you fall into a deeper sleep earlier and also help you wake up feeling more refreshed. Can you even imagine?!
I get it, kids want mac and cheese and cereal all day. Sometimes you just make the stuff for ease of the day. It saves you from fighting one more battle, so why not? Well, cause you end up eating that crap too. It really is a vicious cycle. When we feel like crap, we crave crap! Sugar cravings? Salt cravings? Both can contribute to adrenal fatigue and are also caused by it too! When we fix those darn things we can break the cycle! Let’s get you craving things like water and kale. Ok that might sound crazy but it could happen! Also, by testing for food intolerances we can figure out what foods are causing the most problems. Maybe your body responds better to grains than dairy, or vice versa. Let’s figure it out!
I generally see 2 types of Mommies. You are either too tired to exercise or you are a severe over trainer. One is not better than the other. They both contribute to increased stress in your system equally. Nudging the adrenals can give you that little boost you need to pop in that DVD and do a morning workout. It just takes a spark to ignite a flame, right!? Moderate exercise is great for stress management and whole body health! If you are trying to be super mom and do cross fit 7 days a week while training for a marathon, then this is no longer a means to manage stress. We need to get you doing some meditation so you can chill out lady! Overdoing exercise damages tissues and creates more stress on your body. This is all in the name of health, decreasing inflammation, and preventing disease! Your household needs you remember!
I bet you spend more time wiping your kid’s butts then you do your own, am I right? Listen, I get it, it takes a lot of time to sit down and allow everything to make an orderly exit. But this is super important! If you are not pooping 1-2 times a day, then all those toxins intended for elimination are resorbed into your body, creating more inflammation and more adrenal fatigue. Remember that sympathetic dominance we spoke of? Right, well if you are stressed out, like running from a tiger, your body literally will not relax enough to let that digestive process do its thing. Momma, we got this, let’s fix your adrenal glands, your stress response, and your ability to poo on the daily!
Pretty much the last thing on the mind of most mom’s. Well, if it weren’t for their husbands reminding them that is! You are tired… I get it! Low progesterone or estrogen dominance is often to blame for low libido. But where do you think the backbones of all hormones are made? You guessed it, adrenal glands! After you gave birth to those wonderful little monsters, things have gone awry. Yep, your system is basically a wreck, especially if you had tanked adrenals going into your pregnancy. Now the last thing on your mind is sex. Well, listen up! It is actually a pretty important thing. Truth of the matter is, that by bonding sexually with your partner you are able to get along better. This not only comes across as a good example of loving parents for your kiddos but also decreases overall relationship stress. And to be real, how much easier is it to get your husband to help with the dishes if you just put out ;) We gotta get you there though. This activity does require energy!
I am a busy and often wiped out mommy myself. But when I keep my adrenals in check and make sure to check in with numbers 1 through 5, I find that life just runs so much smoother.
If Mommy isn’t happy, no one is happy! Let’s get your energy back!
Learn more about Adrenal Fatigue at: www.drdellaparker.com/adrenal-fatigue/
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