Omg...i Might Be On To Something

[Green12]

Dealing with Adrenal Fatigue

Leigh Ann Garsteckil

Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach

Do you always feel fatigued? Are you overwhelmingly stressed? Do you suffer from frequent illness, anxiety, or poor concentration? These are all signs of adrenal fatigue and by eating properly you could alleviate some of your symptoms.

If you suffer from adrenal fatigue, which means the ability of your adrenal glands to carry out their normal functions has decreased, usually due to over stimulation, you may also tend to be hypoglycemic. In order for hypoglycemia to be diagnosed, our doctors typically run a modified glucose tolerance test. If you took the testing one step further and received the whole Diet Typing package (additional pH testing and nutritional evaluation), many people with hypoglycemia tend to type out as a Otters or Lions on the Hauser Diet scale.

Hypoglycemia can cause a person to feel tired and consistently hungry. The combination of low energy and high hunger is not a good one for losing weight or maintaining health. Although a person suffering from this may also need to be on a supplement program to help the adrenal glands, incorporating the right foods and eliminating the wrong ones can provide huge benefits. When we’re tired, sugary foods and caffeine are the usual choices we grab for a quick “pick me up”. However, these are the worst possible choices for a person with adrenal fatigue. Below is a list of foods to choose, foods to avoid, and why to do so.

Foods to Avoid:

1. Coffee-contains caffeine which will stimulate your adrenal gland even more.

2. Fruit-contains sugar, it may be natural sugars, but sugar is sugar in this case. Especially try to eliminate from breakfast when blood sugars tend to be their lowest.

3. Sugar-will increase hypoglycemia

4. White flour products-will increase hypoglycemia.

5. Cola-contains caffeine and unnatural substances, as well as sugar.

6. Chocolate-also contains caffeine and sugar!

Foods to Choose:

1. Foods high in protein-will help stabilize blood sugars.

2. Healthy fats (essential oils and nuts)-will help stabilize blood sugar and provide necessary nutrients.

3. Natural/Organic foods-will decrease the amount of toxins the body has to handle.

4. High fiber foods-can help alleviate constipation which can occur during stress.

5. Complex Carbohydrates - are a better carbohydrate choice for blood sugar stabilization, try to pair it up with a protein source.

6. Bright colored vegetables - great source of antioxidants.

By incorporating the right foods into your diet you can not only improve your adrenal fatigue, you can also see an improvement in your overall health. Although many of the “foods to avoid” are not typically recommended on any of the Hauser Diets, it is important for a person suffering from adrenal fatigue to know why they specifically should not eat them! As previously stated, diet alone may not be the answer to adrenal fatigue. If you think you suffer from adrenal fatigue come and see us at CMRS. The doctors would be happy to educate you on what your plan of action should be and I am ready to discuss dietary changes that you would like to make!

This is great info Andrea. I had been following an adrenal healing program for a little while, my acupuncturist suggested I read the book of one of his collegues, Dr Swartzbein (sp?) I believe she is an endocrinologist. She has a lot of the same ideas, the only thing is she suggested that we eat fruit to get off the sugar. I haven't read the book (the Swartzbein Principle II) in a while, so I would have to go back to it to refresh my memory.

[lindalee]

Thanks Andrea, I needed to see that again.

[Guest ~jules~]

Wow, I have soo been in your shoes. I just very recently got my diagnosis, and have started my diet. So far so good, I feel really good. I'm just saying that I know how you have to almost become sherlock holmes for your own body! My docotor was a total quack, who sent me to a g.i.doc, and he was the GREATEST! Even though he was the greatest doc for me, he still sent me home with "start a gluten free diet" on the instruction page! Okay I'll do that bozo.. My point here is if you have noticed your body reacts, don't wait for a dr. to tell you so, avoid it. I remember when I was a small child I couldn't eat popcorn, or corn, every time I ate either of them I got violently ill. Now I can eat that, but not gluten. I am totally convinced at this point that medicine has very little bearing on the actuall food allergy, it is so different from a case to case basis, you just have to watch your own body. If the body says no, don't eat it...I just wish I knew what my specific allergy or in this case "disease" was, I would have quit eating the crap along time ago! Hang in there! ~jules~

[VydorScope]

Rach...

If your trying to aviod sugar, Agave is a poor choice, so is honey, etc. Instead try Stevia or even Xyitol (though I do not know much about it). Agave is a beter choice then white sugar, but it still is a sugar. Same with honey, etc.

And that post by Andrea has a lot of good info in it. (though I cheat and drink diet caf free soda, hey no one is perfect! ) As for the test for hypoglycemia, you do not do a oral glucouse test, you do a 4 hour blood sugar monitoring, I can post how to do it again if you want it, its in the back pages.

Realy EVERYONE should aviod that white crap that ppl call sugar.. but the secret sugar mafia on this board usally comes up piles hate on me everytime I mention that.

Protien and Fat are much better sources of energy then cafine, and sugars (or other stimulants).

[dlp252]

I know that Agave is supposed to be low glycemic, but I too find myself Rachelling it, so I've cut it and all sugars out for this week and next, and LET ME TELL YOU....I AM SEVERELY CRAVING IT! Must be on to something cuz hardly a minute goes by without me thinking of what I can have that is sweet, lol. Just call me sugar junkie. Two days down and the third is beginning nicely. No sugar, but I have been having some starchy veggies...corn mostly, but not a lot of it. So, just meats and veggies. Boring, but hopefully effective.

Xylitol is made from corn I think, so that might not work for some. I've been trying Stevia too...the kind I buy is in packets so it has maltodextrin in it, but the maltodextrin is made from rice. I've also cut that out this week.

If I can get to a point where I don't itch for several days in a row, I'll know I'm on to something...then will try adding things back one at a time.

I am experiencing a little herxiemer effect though...I was so congested yesterday...it was almost like old times when I was getting sinus infections all the time. I'm not getting one, but I sure was congested last night and this morning. Hopefully this will only last a day or two...hopefully the itching will go with it.

I also realized on the way home last night that I was supposed to get my allergy shots last Thursday, lol. Forgot. It's been a month since I've had them so maybe that will help too.

Oh and on the beans thing...I didn't eat them for years because it seemed like they gave me problems, but within the last few months I've been eating them here and there and haven't noticed any extra gas or problems from them...also eat peanuts without obvious affects, but I'm wondering if it's a synergistic thing in my case...too much of little bits of a lot of different things.

[VydorScope]

I know that Agave is supposed to be low glycemic,

Well LOWER not low...

[dlp252]

Well LOWER not low...

Ha, it says right on their label...low glycemic...we ALWAYS believe everything on a label, right!?! (pssst, I didn't believe it).

[CarlaB]

Rach...

If your trying to aviod sugar, Agave is a poor choice, so is honey, etc. Instead try Stevia or even Xyitol (though I do not know much about it). Agave is a beter choice then white sugar, but it still is a sugar. Same with honey, etc.

And that post by Andrea has a lot of good info in it. (though I cheat and drink diet caf free soda, hey no one is perfect! ) As for the test for hypoglycemia, you do not do a oral glucouse test, you do a 4 hour blood sugar monitoring, I can post how to do it again if you want it, its in the back pages.

Realy EVERYONE should aviod that white crap that ppl call sugar.. but the secret sugar mafia on this board usally comes up piles hate on me everytime I mention that.

Protien and Fat are much better sources of energy then cafine, and sugars (or other stimulants).

Andrea, can we add Sugar Police to Vincent's job description?

PS, Vincent the sugar mafia doesn't tease you because it hates you ... you only tease those you love!!

I used to be a sugar addict, much like my daughter ... once I got off it when I did a candida cleansing diet for six months, I've never craved it again. I eat it ocassionally, but I feel like I'm in control, I don't "have to eat it now" like I used to. In fact, I'll often choose to eat something else when others are eating something sweet ... except last night, I had to help polish off those meringues so Morgan wouldn't eat them today on her sugar-free day!! Yea, it was to help Morgan! I pretty much rotate sugar like I rotate other things that bother me but aren't an intolerance -- like beans, peanut butter, fruit juice, etc.

[VydorScope]

Ha, it says right on their label...low glycemic...we ALWAYS believe everything on a label, right!?! (pssst, I didn't believe it).

Well depends on who is measuring it and what thier opinion of low is and what kind of agave it is. It is lower then Honey, but last number I saw was 48 (58 is honey, 100 is pure glucose). But I have not spent to much time researching it out. Many ppl will label anything below 55 "low" , but even on that scale, that a very high low

[Jean-Luc]

Drive-by posting --

Here is a question are carrots considered nightshades?

[CarlaB]

Drive-by posting --

Here is a question are carrots considered nightshades?

I don't think so. I think it's just peppers, potatoes, eggplant and tomatoes.

[morganb]

Andrea, can we add Sugar Police to Vincent's job description?

PS, Vincent the sugar mafia doesn't tease you because it hates you ... you only tease those you love!!

I used to be a sugar addict, much like my daughter ... once I got off it when I did a candida cleansing diet for six months, I've never craved it again. I eat it ocassionally, but I feel like I'm in control, I don't "have to eat it now" like I used to. In fact, I'll often choose to eat something else when others are eating something sweet ... except last night, I had to help polish off those meringues so Morgan wouldn't eat them today on her sugar-free day!! Yea, it was to help Morgan! I pretty much rotate sugar like I rotate other things that bother me but aren't an intolerance -- like beans, peanut butter, fruit juice, etc.

Mmmmhmmm, to help me

[Rachel--24]

Rach...

If your trying to aviod sugar, Agave is a poor choice, so is honey, etc. Instead try Stevia or even Xyitol (though I do not know much about it). Agave is a beter choice then white sugar, but it still is a sugar. Same with honey, etc.

Thanks Vincent,

I guess just cuz something is organic and natural...doesnt mean I can eat all of it at once. I'm gonna stay away from high sugar stuff and if I do end up eating it again...it'll be a tiny amount. Although a tiny amount just doesnt do anything for me so I might as well leave it out altogether.

[VydorScope]

Thanks Vincent,

I guess just cuz something is organic and natural...doesnt mean...

...does not mean its good, or safe. Ppl seem to forget that, its like those magical words "organic" and "natural" make all things good, and "artifical" or "chemical" makes all things bad. heh.

[Jean-Luc]

I don't think so. I think it's just peppers, potatoes, eggplant and tomatoes.

thanks

[diamondheart]

Ovarian Cyst update

I finally talked to the OBGYN...we played phone tag for a couple weeks.

She said my fibroid and cyst are still there...the cyst is small. It was first seen in a CT scan and now in 2 ultrasounds. This last ultrasound was done a week after my period so it should have been gone if it were a normal cyst. It doesnt seem to be leaving so she said at this point they would normally try birth control pills. She said we cant do that for me because of my sensitivities.

She said the only other option would be surgery to take a look around and get rid of the cyst. She mentioned the procedure...it started with an "L"...cant remember the word but we've discussed it here before. I think maybe Patti knows??

Anyways...she said maybe I have Endometriosis...which I know nothing about. I do recall reading it could cause food sensitivities though. She said there is no guarantee that they could diagnose it with the surgery...even if I had it. There is also no guarantee that the cyst wont come back after they remove it either.

She doesnt think the cyst is causing my abdominal pain....she made that clear. Its not really the occassional abdominal pain that concerns me though....its mainly the other stuff I'm dealing with. I asked her how they normally diagnose Endometriosis...she said they usually put the patient on hormones and if it works they diagnose based on that. I dont want to try hormones or BC or anything like that. I'd rather go ahead with the surgery.

She said they can do the surgery and get a good look around but she is going on maternity leave and wont be back until November. I need to set up an appt. with her in Nov. for a surgery consult where she said we can discuss all of this stuff in more detail. It sucks to have to wait that long but I figure I'll get another ultrasound around that time to make sure the cyst is still there before we do surgery.

I dont know if any of this will help but I'm willing to try anything. Its process of elimination...if I dont do anything about it...I'll always wonder if its causing me problems. I know we've talked about all this before but what do you guys think about the cyst and does anyone know about Endometriosis?? Could any of this be causing sensitivities in your opinions??

Hello, I'm new here, but have frequented other boards. I've been intrigued by the Rachelville discussions, and leaky gut discussions. It would take me forever to get through this whole thread, so I skipped about 380 posts. Forgive me if I've missed something, but I couldn't pass up responding to Rachel's post above.

A little bit about me: I've known I've had a gluten sensitivity for sometime, but never completely cut it out until last September. I'm 40 and I want to get pregnant sometime in the near future. I was having problems with my cycle for 5 years. I had 3 fibroids that were causing my bleeding problems. Of course I didn't know that for sure until I had my fibroids removed this past April. To make a very long story short, I am not the kind of person who takes surgery lightly. Last September, I embarked on a holistic healing quest to try to get rid of my fibroids naturally. I stopped eating gluten, dairy, corn, quinoa, and sweets (the "no fun" diet) at the advice of my acupuncturist. After flying to NYC from Colorado to see a gyno who specializes in holistic treatment of fibroids, I decided to have my fibroids removed laparoscopically because the holistic methods where going to take too long. It would have taken years to get rid of my fibroids naturally, and I don't have years at my age to get pregnant.

The surgery and recovery went pretty smoothly, but it did not make my digestive problems go away. In fact, if anything, it made it worse. I also had the Enterolab test done right before my surgery, and all my stool tests were negative for gluten and casein, but that wasn't surprising to me as I had been off all gluten and dairy for 7 months. I do have two copies of the DQ1 gene (HLA DQB1 0501), which predisposes me to gluten sensitivity. I cut out all hidden sources of gluten, and was still having problems. I started the SCD diet, and was still having diarrhea. I was tested for parasites, and was negative. I then requested a food intolerance panel (IgG antibodies), and discovered I was moderately reacting to lamb, soybeans (which I already suspected), almonds, and sesame. I cut those out of my diet, along with the foods I was mildly reacting to, including peanuts, sunflower seeds, and cashews. I stopped SCD. I have been fine since, and it's been a couple of weeks.

Back to Rachel's post: Rachel, I think you should be glad your doc is on maternity leave because it will give you a chance to get a second opinion. I got 5 opinions (no lie, all different doctors) before I decided to do surgery. Every doctor told me something different. I went with doctor #2, who was the only of all the doctors I saw who could do my procedure laparoscopically, which gives you and idea of how complicated my surgery was. Actually, for him, it wasn't that bad, because he was specially trained in laparoscopic procedures for women. If your cyst is small, I think you have a good chance of having your body heal it naturally. You might want to try acupuncture and Open Original Shared Link. I wonder how big your fibroid is? I think that's going to be your bigger problem. You can have abdominal pain from your fibroid. I did, but it was mild and was always in the same place. "The Infertility Cure" by Randine Lewis is a great place to start to get acquainted with Chinese medicine and how it treats ovarian cysts and fibroids. It might give you some insight to your thyroid issues as well. It's all connected.

What does ovarian cysts and fibroids have to do with digestive problems? I am beginning to think that the digestive problems are the root of the gynecological problems. Do not take birth control pills or any female hormones to try to figure out if you have endometriosis. I don't know how you figure out if you have endometriosis, but this seems like a ridiculous way. On second thought, I think you should ditch your current gyno, because she should know that any excess estrogen or progesterone is going to cause your fibroid to grow. Check it out for yourself (click on "About Fibroids", then "#7. Theories of Fibroid Formation"):

Open Original Shared Link

Also check out this interesting piece written by an acupuncturist on how if a woman has leaky gut syndrome, she can reabsorb estrogen she is trying to excrete, thereby causing fibroids (click on "Leaky Gut Syndrome"). It's long, but worth the read:

Open Original Shared Link

My estrogen levels had been very high on one test I had done for estrogen metabolism, and I always wondered where all this estrogen had been coming from? I think cutting out dairy helped with that, since dairy has a lot of estrogen, even if it is organic/growth hormone free. I think my next move is to go see this doc, who happens to be in my town.

You may want to thoroughly research your conditions before agreeing so readily to have surgery. After reading this article, I wondered if all the ibuprofen I had taken after my surgery had damaged my intestines. I took a lot of ibuprofen for a couple of weeks.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions about fibroids.

Claire

[dlp252]

Welcome Claire!

[Green12]

I am beginning to think that the digestive problems are the root of the gynecological problems.

Welcome Claire, good information and insight.

I believe strongly in what you said that I quoted, a wise man once told me "health begins in the gut".

[Rachel--24]

Thanks for your post Claire...I would like to respond to some of what you've written but I'm way too tired tonight. I think I may just get a good nights sleep for once.

I'll be back tomorrow....I also have some new scientificness I'd like to share.

[Judyin Philly]

Welcome Claire

Very informative Post, thanks

Rachel,,,hope you get a good nite sleep. think it's what i need too

hugs

judy

[miamia]

I think it was donna who had talked about refllux but I thought this would be of interest it has to do with the cause of intestinal periability and leaky gut

The body's first line of defense against intestinal infection is the acid produced by a healthy stomach. Stomach acid kills most of the bacteria and parasites that are swallowed along with meals. Strong suppression of stomach acid increases the risk of intestinal infection. The widespread use of antacids is, therefore, a reason for concern, and the FDA's recent decision to make the acid-lowering drugs Tagamet and Pepcid available without a doctor's prescription is a terrible disservice to the American people. Most people who take treatments to buffer or reduce stomach acid do not need acid reduction and should avoid it. Tagamet and Pepcid are called H-2 blockers because they block certain effects of histamine in the body. (Conventional "anti-histamines" used for treating symptoms of allergy are called H-1 blockers). They were originally developed for the treatment of ulcers and they made huge profits for the companies which owned them. Doctors soon began using H-2 blockers for relieving stomach pain which was not caused by ulcers (this pain is called "non-ulcer dyspepsia"), even though their efficacy for non-ulcer pain was disputed. The most common cause of non-ulcer dyspepsia, by the way, is taking NSAIDs. If NSAID use were markedly reduced, the frequency of stomach pain and the need for H-2 blockers would also be reduced. Recently, it has become quite clear that most ulcers are triggered by a bacterial infection of the stomach and that antibiotics are superior to H-2 blockers for treating ulcers. As the need for H-2 blockers in the treatment of ulcers just about vanished, the FDA suddenly approved their non-prescription use for the treatment of heartburn. The truth is that H-2 blockers are rarely needed to treat heartburn, because heartburn is not caused by excess stomach acid. It is caused by reflux of normal amounts of stomach acid into the esophagus, which occurs when the valve responsible for preventing acid reflux is not working properly. The usual reason for valvular incompetence is dietary. Coffee, alcohol, chocolate and high fat meals prevent the valve from closing properly. Calcium, in contrast, makes it close more tightly.

[queenofhearts]

I think it was donna who had talked about refllux but I thought this would be of interest it has to do with the cause of intestinal periability and leaky gut

The body's first line of defense against intestinal infection is the acid produced by a healthy stomach. Stomach acid kills most of the bacteria and parasites that are swallowed along with meals. Strong suppression of stomach acid increases the risk of intestinal infection. The widespread use of antacids is, therefore, a reason for concern, and the FDA's recent decision to make the acid-lowering drugs Tagamet and Pepcid available without a doctor's prescription is a terrible disservice to the American people. Most people who take treatments to buffer or reduce stomach acid do not need acid reduction and should avoid it. Tagamet and Pepcid are called H-2 blockers because they block certain effects of histamine in the body. (Conventional "anti-histamines" used for treating symptoms of allergy are called H-1 blockers). They were originally developed for the treatment of ulcers and they made huge profits for the companies which owned them. Doctors soon began using H-2 blockers for relieving stomach pain which was not caused by ulcers (this pain is called "non-ulcer dyspepsia"), even though their efficacy for non-ulcer pain was disputed. The most common cause of non-ulcer dyspepsia, by the way, is taking NSAIDs. If NSAID use were markedly reduced, the frequency of stomach pain and the need for H-2 blockers would also be reduced. Recently, it has become quite clear that most ulcers are triggered by a bacterial infection of the stomach and that antibiotics are superior to H-2 blockers for treating ulcers. As the need for H-2 blockers in the treatment of ulcers just about vanished, the FDA suddenly approved their non-prescription use for the treatment of heartburn. The truth is that H-2 blockers are rarely needed to treat heartburn, because heartburn is not caused by excess stomach acid. It is caused by reflux of normal amounts of stomach acid into the esophagus, which occurs when the valve responsible for preventing acid reflux is not working properly. The usual reason for valvular incompetence is dietary. Coffee, alcohol, chocolate and high fat meals prevent the valve from closing properly. Calcium, in contrast, makes it close more tightly.

That's very interesting. I was given Tagamet for a severe case of hives, which I didn't understand at the time, but now I see the histamine connection. More recently my GI gave me Prevacid, & the rebound burrning when I stopped was horrific. I ran out when away from home so stopped suddenly. If I take it again I'll know better than to do that, but I'm not really eager to take it again, especially after this info. I should add though that reflux is not my problem-- the doc saw irritation in the endoscopy. Does that change anything in your opinion?

[Green12]

I think it was donna who had talked about refllux but I thought this would be of interest it has to do with the cause of intestinal periability and leaky gut

The body's first line of defense against intestinal infection is the acid produced by a healthy stomach. Stomach acid kills most of the bacteria and parasites that are swallowed along with meals. Strong suppression of stomach acid increases the risk of intestinal infection. The widespread use of antacids is, therefore, a reason for concern, and the FDA's recent decision to make the acid-lowering drugs Tagamet and Pepcid available without a doctor's prescription is a terrible disservice to the American people. Most people who take treatments to buffer or reduce stomach acid do not need acid reduction and should avoid it. Tagamet and Pepcid are called H-2 blockers because they block certain effects of histamine in the body. (Conventional "anti-histamines" used for treating symptoms of allergy are called H-1 blockers). They were originally developed for the treatment of ulcers and they made huge profits for the companies which owned them. Doctors soon began using H-2 blockers for relieving stomach pain which was not caused by ulcers (this pain is called "non-ulcer dyspepsia"), even though their efficacy for non-ulcer pain was disputed. The most common cause of non-ulcer dyspepsia, by the way, is taking NSAIDs. If NSAID use were markedly reduced, the frequency of stomach pain and the need for H-2 blockers would also be reduced. Recently, it has become quite clear that most ulcers are triggered by a bacterial infection of the stomach and that antibiotics are superior to H-2 blockers for treating ulcers. As the need for H-2 blockers in the treatment of ulcers just about vanished, the FDA suddenly approved their non-prescription use for the treatment of heartburn. The truth is that H-2 blockers are rarely needed to treat heartburn, because heartburn is not caused by excess stomach acid. It is caused by reflux of normal amounts of stomach acid into the esophagus, which occurs when the valve responsible for preventing acid reflux is not working properly. The usual reason for valvular incompetence is dietary. Coffee, alcohol, chocolate and high fat meals prevent the valve from closing properly. Calcium, in contrast, makes it close more tightly.

Hi mia mia , how have you been feeling??

This is great information, thanks so much for posting it. This is exactly what I am trying to figure out, what is happening in my gut that is causing excessive histamine release/or lack of dietary histamine degrading, reflux, infection, and slow digesting.

This post gave me a lot of clues.

[miamia]

Hi mia mia , how have you been feeling??

This is great information, thanks so much for posting it. This is exactly what I am trying to figure out, what is happening in my gut that is causing excessive histamine release/or lack of dietary histamine degrading, reflux, infection, and slow digesting.

This post gave me a lot of clues.

Julie-

I am so glad you found it helpful!!! It is part of a larger article I will try to locate it or find you the link.

I have not been great that is why I have not been posting so much. I just feel overwhelmed I don't know anymore what to cut out or put in- its all so confusing. I am just trying to listen to my body and give it what it asks for. Sometimes I think thats the best thing I can do for myself.

I got some of the test results back I have a high iron count so I have to do further testing for that becaus eit can afffect the liver and the pancreas it could also explain some of my symptoms though not all. I would love it though if it turned out to be something at least it would give me a proactive direction to move in.

again I am glad the info was helpful .

miamia

[rinne]

Thanks for the post Miamia, very informative.

I find myself thinking about all of you and wondering how you are doing.

I've been trying the Salt/Vitamin treatment that has been used successfully for Lyme Disease. I am taking a 1/4 teaspoon of Real Salt and Vitamin C twice a day in a glass of water and have been doing so for the past twelve days. I will post more about it later.