The Adrenal Health Protocol_Final
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>> Hi there.
It's great to see you again.
So far, we've talked quite a bit
about how adrenal dysfunction,
and particularly, HPA axis dysfunction impacts the body.
By now, you should have a pretty good idea
over the processes that occur
and the consequences that result in the body
from chronic stress.
We know how frustrating this can be for your clients
and how that frustration just causes more stress.
So in this lecture, we're going to introduce
the adrenal health protocol,
which includes a specific set of recommendations
for your clients to get their stress under control
and take care of their overworked bodies,
without causing more stress in the process.
Have you ever worked with a client
who is caught in the cycle of perfectionism?
This is the person who has too much on their plate,
but they won't ask for help
because nobody gets things done as well as they do.
Yet of course, since they're taking on the world,
nothing turns out quite right anyway.
Does this sound familiar?
This protocol will be especially helpful
with clients like these.
Since HPA axis dysfunction
is closely related to chronic stress, stress-relief tools
and techniques are a very important part
of reclaiming hormonal health.
There are a number of ways your clients
can step off the stress rollercoaster
and get back on track to living a happier,
longer, and less stressful life.
The Adrenal Health Protocol recommends two crucial ways
for clients to better support their adrenals,
nutritional support and self-care and lifestyle practices.
Let's explore nutritional support in more detail first.
The first phase in the Adrenal Health Protocol
is to get that diet cleaned up.
It won't surprise you to hear
that diet can make a big difference
when it comes to managing stress.
There are a lot of foods in the standard American diet
that increase the impact that stress has on the body.
Processed foods, pesticides, toxins, added sugar, gluten,
antibiotics, and hormones
can all increase the burden on the body.
For clients who are used to eating
the standard American diet,
it can be overwhelming to transition
to a clean way of eating.
This should always be done as a step-by-step process,
not an instant overhaul in diet.
Lasting changes made in increments
to help guide the process,
I'll now share with you the four simple steps
your clients can take to create a diet
that supports adrenal healing.
One, eat regular meals, especially breakfast.
How you eat is as important as what you eat.
There are numerous benefits to be gained
from supporting your body's natural rhythms
and properly timing meals
to prevent dramatic dips in blood sugar.
Doing so minimizes cortisol output
and freeze up the adrenals
to perform their secondary functions.
It also provides more sustained energy throughout the day.
Properly timed, adequate nutrition will make a person
much more resilient to their daily stressors.
Curious about what proper timing looks like,
here is the recommended timing for meals
to keep blood sugar stable.
Eat within one hour of waking up.
Once your client has stabilized their blood sugar,
space meals five to six hours apart.
In the beginning, meals may need to be spaced
three to four hours apart,
no snacking before bedtime,
fast from dinner time until breakfast,
and drink plenty of water, but not during meals.
Number two, meals should include
high quality protein, good fats,
unrefined carbohydrates, and fiber.
Combining protein, fat, and carbohydrates in each meal
will prevent unwanted blood sugar spikes and crashes.
Avoid eating carbohydrates alone and instead,
always add protein and fat, even when snacking.
Here are four ways to eat an ideal diet
that will help heal the adrenals.
One, eat low glycemic.
Two, avoid alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco.
Three, get plenty of omega-3's.
And four, consume a widely-colored diet,
including dark-colored fruit and vegetables.
These four steps are simple ones your clients can take,
but don't give them all at once.
This could be overwhelming.
Have your clients add these into their routine
one step at a time.
You can introduce a new one for them to try each session.
Being sure to check in on how they are doing
with sustaining the previous recommendations.
Let's take a closure look at each of these recommendations.
First, keep the glycemic load low.
Cortisol raises insulin and insulin raises cortisol.
The best way to address high cortisol
is to incorporate low-glycemic foods
or foods that don't raise blood sugar when eaten.
The concept of glycemic load, GL for short,
was developed by scientists to simultaneously describe
the quality and quantity of carbohydrates in a food serving.
The glycemic index, or GI, of a particular food
refers to the quality of carbohydrates it contains.
The glycemic load of a single food is calculated
by multiplying the glycemic index
by the amount of carbohydrates in grams
provided by a food serving,
and then dividing the total by 100.
For a typical serving of a food, GL would be considered high
if it's greater than or equal to 20,
intermediate, if it's between 11 and 19,
and low, if it is less than or equal to 10.
Using this system, one serving of watermelon has a GL of 8,
while a medium sized donut has a GL of 17.
This might seem like a complicated way
to figure out what to eat,
but spending a little time with your clients on this
can reap big rewards.
For people who are numbers-minded,
this system provides a concrete way of showing
how it makes a difference, which carbohydrates they choose.
For more detailed information on determining glycemic load,
be sure to check out the link
we've provided in the recommended reading section
of this module's skill building activities.
Second, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine
should be greatly reduced or eliminated.
These substances are all highly toxic to the adrenal glands.
Your clients who drink, smoke,
or have a morning coffee habit
will be really bummed out to hear this information.
But once these things are out of their system,
they will likely feel much better.
Both alcohol and caffeine can cause
mild to moderate dehydration,
which is considered a physical stressor
and can worsen HPA axis dysfunction.
Alcohol inhibits immune system function, raises blood sugar,
and impairs liver function.
There's also evidence that histamines stimulates
the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol.
Wine and beer are high in histamines
and can further exacerbate adrenal dysfunction.
If a client is already dealing with HPA axis dysfunction,
the effects of alcohol
can be really detrimental to his or her health.
This can feel even more stressful at first
since many adults rely on a glass of wine or a beer
to wine down after a stressful day.
If you don't drink alcohol,
don't forget that this can feel
like a really difficult sacrifice for your clients to make.
It's important to show them that you understand
while encouraging them
to slowly work toward crowding drinks out
with healthier activities that will support their adrenals.
Caffeine artificially stimulates the adrenals,
which puts your clients on an energy rollercoaster.
Once the caffeine high wears off,
they're likely reaching for another cup of Joe
or a sugary muffin to carry them through to lunch.
Help your clients wean off of these stimulants
by having a coffee with half decaf
or introducing yerba mate or dandy blend,
which are coffee substitutes.
These are great ways to start cutting back
without feeling the loss of going cold turkey.
Smoking, in addition to all of the negative effects
on heart and lung health,
has been associated with higher cortisol levels.
This may seem counter-intuitive
because most people who smoke will light up
as a way to soothe their stress.
But smoking artificially stimulates the adrenal glands,
leaving your body even more stressed out.
Not that anyone needs another reason to quit smoking,
but if your client has adrenal dysfunction,
this is a great reason to assess their readiness to change
and perhaps look into some smoking cessation methods.
Third, including omega-3 rich foods in the diet
can help to lower cortisol.
Omega-3 fatty acids are excellent
at cleaning up inflammation caused by chronic stress
and helping the cells to function better.
The brain is extremely sensitive to the inflammation
caused by stress.
Something else that contributes to this inflammation
is a high level of omega-6 fatty acids.
Balancing those high levels with a healthy amount of omega-3
helps to relieve the inflammation.
There are two components to omega-3, EPA and DHA.
DHA is used as a structural component of the brain.
EPA is a powerful anti-inflammatory
and is required by the body to clear brain inflammation.
A low level of omega-3 in the blood
means the brain has less ability to cope with stress.
Animal sources of omega-3 are more easily used by the body
since they don't require any processing.
So meat eaters will have an easier time
in getting adequate omega-3's.
Vegetable sources contain alpha linoleic acid, or ALA,
which has to be first broken down by the body
into DHA and EPA.
The body isn't very efficient at this process.
Less than 5% of ALA gets converted to EPA
and less than 0.5% of ALA is converted to DHA.
So when possible, fish is still the best source of EPA
for brain health.
If their diet allows, you can recommend
that your clients incorporate
4 ounces of wild-caught fatty fish
into their diet a few times a week.
This has been shown to decrease body fat,
increase lean muscle mass, and lower cortisol levels.
They can also add in other great sources of omega-3's,
such as, sardines and grass-fed beef.
The best sources for plant-based eaters
are avocados, walnuts, and chia seeds.
Fourth and finally, a multicolored diet,
rich in nutrients will support
optimal adrenal gland function.
Dark-colored foods in particular,
such as, blueberries, blackberries, beats, black beans,
and kidney beans are especially nourishing
to the adrenal glands.
Many of these foods are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants
which are crucial to adrenal health.
Pastured beef, chicken, or pork liver
are excellent sources of bio-available
vitamin A and B vitamins,
which are essential for adrenal health.
Sea vegetables like, kelp and homemade bone broth
are an exceptional source of trace minerals
and should also be incorporated to support
optimal adrenal function.
Other vegetables that deeply nourish the adrenals
include celery, escarole, asparagus,
and bitter-dark leafy greens.
These are packed with magnesium and fiber
as well as antioxidants which can help to maintain
stable blood sugar
and keep toxins out of the digestive tract.
Celery also has a healthy form of sodium
that can help with the dehydration
that is common in HPA axis dysfunction.
Help your clients to incorporate these super foods
into their diets on a daily basis.
And in time, they'll begin to feel more resilient to stress.
Okay, did you get all of that so far?
The first phase of the adrenal health protocol
involves eating breakfast, regularly spacing your meals,
and filling your plate every meal with high quality protein,
good fats, unrefined carbohydrates, and fiber.
Next, we discussed eating a low glycemic diet,
cutting down on sugar,
avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco,
including omega-3's, and eating a colorful diet.
Phase two of the adrenal health protocol
involves integrating lifestyle practices
to restore healthy adrenal function.
The big picture idea here is to help your clients discover
how they can work smarter, not harder.
This is because often when we're faced with stress,
we tend to do the opposite.
During a hectic point in your life,
have you ever thought to yourself,
"If I just work a little harder, push a little more,
I'll get through this, and the stress will die down?"
If you have, you probably learned
that the more you pushed, the more you wear yourself down
and the harder it was to get through things.
Your clients who are living in a state of chronic stress
likely feel this way,
but they may not even realize it.
After a while, feeling frazzled starts to feel like baseline
and your clients may not even realize
how stressed out they truly are.
From this space, looking at the big picture of stress
in one's life can feel complicated and overwhelming.
Clients may get very emotional
or they may shutdown and not want to go there at all.
But if a client is in a state of adrenal dysfunction,
this is a good time for them to examine their lives
and evaluate the stressors
that are infringing on their quality of life.
As their Health Coach, you can help them take a look
at what they can modify or take off their plate
and help them create a system for accountability
for following through with these shifts.
Maybe your client is totally overwhelmed with work
and they come home to a messy house every day.
The piles of laundry and dishes
are making their home environment feel chaotic,
but no matter how much they try to get done in one day,
they can never seem to get around to the chores of the home.
So this stresses them out even more.
Guiding your client to get up an hour earlier twice a week
to clean would be working harder.
Their house maybe cleaner,
but they'll be too tired to enjoy it.
But what about the value of paying someone to come in
and clean the house once a week,
often we have a hard time justifying expenses like these,
but the removal of the stressor
and the improved energy of a tidy home
might be totally worth a monetary investment
in your client's self-care.
This is an example of working smarter.
Consider this analogy, at the end of the day,
you plug your cell phone into the wall to recharge it.
What do you plug in to?
Where are your clients getting their energy from,
and what's sucking their energy stores?
One of the biggest drains to a cell phone battery
are the apps that run quietly in the background.
What are the "apps" that drain your client's energy
and what can they eliminate to conserve their energy supply?
Help your clients brainstorm ways
they can start to recharge their batteries.
Ultimately, the goal is for them
to release the illusion of control
and surrender to the idea that what is meant to be will be.
To help them do this,
I'll share with you four practical lifestyle shifts
to combat stress.
These may seem obvious, yet chances are
they're probably lacking in your client's lives.
First, show your clients how to take a pause.
One of the greatest tools
for fighting the detrimental effects of stress
is the "pause."
When tasks and decisions pile up,
it's tempting to agree to take on everything
and let yourself be overwhelmed.
As you can imagine, this sets off the adrenal alarm bells
and puts a person into a state of panic, anxiety,
irritability, and anger.
This is particularly true for women
who are natural givers and tend to push through
to take care of work, home, family, and friends,
even when they're running on empty.
Instead of pushing forward
at the expense of their physical and emotional health,
open your clients up to the magical possibility
of giving themselves permission to take a pause.
Remind them that when asked to make decisions
or do a million things at once,
no matter how busy life can be,
they're always allowed to stop, breath,
and hit the pause button for 10 to 30 minutes.
If you are a type A personality,
you know how hard this can feel at first.
But it's so important to learn to just sit with yourself
and step outside of the chaos when life gets overwhelming.
Taking a break from the madness
to do a 10-minute guided meditation audio
or taking a walk around the block
to get some fresh air, for example,
is like a reset button for a system that's an overdrive.
Your clients may feel like they're wasting time,
but they'll soon find out
that they'll be more productive in the long run
and they'll learn how to prioritize
and choose what will serve them best in that moment.
Next, create clear priorities and boundaries.
An important piece of doing what we just talked about
involves creating clear priorities
and then putting boundaries in place.
This act of self-preservation helps to mitigate stress.
It's tempting to do everything
and be everything to everyone,
but without priorities, it's hard to actually make decisions
and stick with them
because other unimportant tasks end up taking precedence
over previously important tasks.
One way to help with this
is to challenge your clients to create a concise list
of all their activities and to-dos.
Ask them to circle what's important to them, and by that,
I mean, what's actually intrinsically important to them.
Now what they think they "should or must" do.
Once they can identify what's less important
or not important to them at all,
explore how they can delegate
or give up these tasks all together.
Before adding a new task or a commitment to their life list,
they can ask themselves this powerful question,
"Will doing this recharge my batteries or deplete them?"
If the activity will deplete them,
then it's up to them to either say no
or find a smarter way of doing it.
This might include splitting the responsibility
with the partner,
asking the kids or a family member to help out,
enlisting the help of a friend or neighbor,
or outsourcing to a professional.
On that note, the third step is to remind your client
that it's okay to ask for help.
As I mentioned earlier, many people, especially women,
struggle with perfectionism.
They may not realize this,
but you'll be able to pick it out quickly
by seeing how willing and able they are to accept help
or advice from others.
If they're resistant or believe
that no one can do what they do,
they're probably afflicted with the perfectionism bug.
Perfectionists are skilled, driven,
and often quite accomplished,
but this comes at the expense of their own wellbeing.
Help your perfectionist clients,
see that asking for help doesn't mean they are weak.
Remind them that progress is more important than perfection.
And that a satisfactory finished job
is better than an unfinished job with perfect details.
Once they get passed the discomfort of asking for help,
your client may be pleasantly surprised
to feel the weight of lifted burdens,
while seeing that the world didn't crash down around them
as a result of relinquishing a task
to someone who may not do as good a job as them.
Finally, help your clients crowd out the stress
by adding relaxing and restorative activities
into their routines.
Here are four stress-relieving activities
to suggest to your clients.
One, a floatation tank.
This is also known as a sensory deprivation tank.
It's basically a large tub of water that contains
about a thousand pounds of Epsom salts.
Due to the high salt content in the tank,
you float on top of the water,
giving you a sense of weightlessness.
It is a deeply relaxing experience
that creates a profound sense of calm and contentment.
Two, try an earthing sheet.
This may sound a little woo-woo,
but there is scientific evidence
that directly connecting to the earth
can help reset adrenal function and improve chronic fatigue.
If your clients don't regularly walk on the grass
or the beach barefoot,
suggest they try an earthing sheet on their bed
to help them sleep better.
Number three, lay on an acupressure mat.
This is a mat with a bunch of small plastic spikes on it.
It may not look very comfortable at first glance,
but acupressure mats are incredible tools
for eliminating pain and improving sleep.
Encourage your clients to purchase an acupressure mat
and lay on it for 10 to 15 minutes a day.
Bonus points, if they use this time for meditation.
That sums up the second phase
of the adrenal health protocol.
We discussed a range of stress-relieving practices
including taking a pause,
creating clear priorities and boundaries,
and asking for help.
We also covered stress-relieving activities
including floatation tanks, using an earthing sheet,
and lying on an acupressure mat.
These recommendations coupled with the dietary guidelines
in the first phase of the protocol
can help your clients to repair and restore
their overworked adrenals
and improve their overall quality of life.
It's obvious that humans can't continue to ignore
the laws of nature
in pursuit of society's definition of success.
Perfectionists and overachievers
tend to beat themselves up for not measuring up.
But it's important to keep in mind
that the current system of overachievement
isn't working too well for most of us.
A better solution for stress management
and mitigation does exist.
The adrenal health protocol
is a way for you to help your clients
stand up to their stressors,
becoming more resilient and adequately equipped
to manage stress in the process.
As a busy professional,
you too are likely faced with a high level of stress.
And so, we hope that you pay special attention
to this content
on stress management and apply it to your own life.
So now, we pose the question directly to you.
What things in your life drain your battery
and what do you do to plug in and recharge?
This is a great opportunity to share our experiences
and support one another,
so let's take this discussion over to the Facebook group
and discus our personal observations.
See you over there and bye for now.