Adrenal fatigue is a common condition where the adrenal glands no longer function at their optimal level. It occurs when our physical, emotional, mental or environmental stresses exceed our body’s capacity to adjust to the demands placed upon it. This can occur slowly after weeks, months or years of exposure to a stress or it can build slowly over time without you knowing your body is only just coping, and then a major trauma or stress can tick you over into adrenal exhaustion seemingly overnight. Overproduction of adrenal hormones (particularly cortisol) can lead the body to switch off its responses to cortisol in much the same way as it does with insulin in insulin resistance. This is called cortisol resistance. Eventually the adrenals become exhausted and are no longer able to produce enough of these essential stress hormones for the body to physically cope when under pressure.

Adrenal fatigue can have a profound effect on health and may result in symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, weight gain, depression, low thyroid function, worsening of PMS symptoms, digestive complaints, arthritis and poor immunity. These symptoms can detrimentally impact relationships, careers and our enjoyment of life in general.