In my practice, we see so many people with different health conditions, and when you look at the underlying catalyst of many diseases you will find Stress or Adrenal fatigue at the core. When you here “Stress” the first organ system that you should think of is the Adrenals. These tiny organs which set above each kidney regulate many aspects of our hormone system.

Adrenal glands are two glands made up of two distinct parts.

• The adrenal cortex—the outer part of the gland—produces hormones that are vital to life, such as cortisol (which helps regulate metabolism and helps your body respond to stress) and aldosterone (which helps control blood pressure).
• The adrenal medulla—the inner part of the gland—produces nonessential (that is, you don’t need them to live) hormones, such as adrenaline (which helps your body react to stress).

I personally recognize the havoc stress can cause, especially in chronic conditions, such as cancer and other autoimmune diseases.  When I look back over my life and revisit the time period prior to having a cancer diagnosis at 33 years old, I realize that stress had a major role and contributed to my diagnosis. I have come to understand that if you look back at any disease process there is usually a stress co-factor involved previous to any diagnosis of a physical ailment.

Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue and Stress overload:

• Fatigue, Chronic Fatigue
• Depression
• Weight problems
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Digestive disorder
• Hormone imbalance
• Chronic illness
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Colitis
• Diabetes

Testing Options

The best way to evaluate stress hormonal levels – such as cortisol and progesterone – is to be evaluated by using saliva, the most accurate form of hormone testing.  Once levels are identified and the adrenal system supported. You can visit the following site to get information on the stress evaluation testing. The following link is a test we use in our practice. Please take the time to watch the informative video.

http://biohealthlab.com/test-menu/hormones/functional-adrenal-stress-profiles/#205

Your health concerns can be managed and resolved with functional lab testing and integrative approaches to treatment. Whether preventing future illness, fighting a life-threatening disease, or just trying to feel better, in general, your efforts are in vain without smart lifestyle decisions, environmental awareness, and routine lab testing. If you are wanting to discover the causes of anxiety, depression, hormonal imbalance, insomnia, indigestion, weight gain and more this is a wonderful way to understand the damaging effects of an unhealthy lifestyle and chronic stress on your health.

Recommendations

I recommend a multi-faceted approach to regain your life and reduce stress. We help you get the motivation you need to assess your life for sources of stress and take action to resolve them! Besides using lab-testing such as adrenal testing and micronutrient testing. I also use a self-empowerment program self-reclaimed which combines positive psychology, cognitive behavior therapy, and bibliotherapy to help initiate transformation by changing limiting beliefs to Limitless beliefs. If further emotional support is needed, The Olive Leaf also fosters a relationship with psychologists to provide you with a comprehensive psychological evaluation www.balanceandpotential.com