Still suffering and struggling along. I guess I have been overdoing it – again! It’s so frustrating!
The link that Jacqueline posted yesterday is excellent:
http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalfatigue/adrenalglandnutrition.aspx
The only trouble is, I really do most of those things anyway ie eat protein with meals, eat every 2-3 hours, take an adrenal supplement, etc. So, now it’s hit me I just have to ‘weather the storm’ and hope for not too much ’storm damage’! It is a real struggle to eat lower carbs, and to keep calories low – as I said, I could eat a horse. So, am doing my best. It’s very hard to explain, and unless someone has experienced it you won’t identify and many probably think ‘just get over it’ or ‘just push through it’ or ‘toughen up’ or something. I can’t work or train when this really hits me for 6. At the moment on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being bed ridden exhaustion, I’d be at about a 7. I slept well last night, and today still had a 2 hour afternoon nap. Got up and just wandering around in my fluffy dressing gown 
My blood pressure is low (always low but lower than usual) as I’m getting dizzy when I get up from sitting.
I made sure I trained today though, after having yesterday off, and I trained well – back. But cardio, nope. If I pushed myself to do it now, I would just wipe myself out even more. So, tomorrow my plan is to do a step class in the morning (provided I wake up with energy), and then have a sleep if I have to, followed by training with Jodie in the afternoon.
Diet today, really struggling with food control:
1. Oats and MRM low carb protein
2. Post workout meal – MRM low carb protein, Sultana Bran mixed with oats and 1/2 banana
3. chicken, 1/2 cup basmati rice, green beans
4. MRM low carb protein and 100g frozen raspberries
5. Planned – salmon ‘caeasar salad’ minus the croutons and cheese
Here is the interesting bit about the salt – as I said, I have massive salt cravings, which increase when I am training/dieting. I load it on everything.
Salt and adrenal fatigue
Women with adrenal fatigue often crave salt — and many of my patients are surprised when I tell them to honor this craving. Yes, salt can increase blood pressure, but low blood pressure (hypotension) is a very common sign of adrenal fatigue — at all stages. If you feel lightheaded when getting out of bed in the morning, standing up quickly, or getting up out of a bath or hot tub, you may very well have low adrenal function, and including more salt in your diet could be helpful. But try to make it good-quality, iodized sea salt.
Craving for salt in people with adrenal fatigue is complicated to explain, but in a nutshell, it’s a result of low aldosterone. Aldosterone, a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex, is part of the complex mechanism that regulates blood pressure in the body. Levels of aldosterone go up and down in much the same diurnal pattern as cortisol does, and likewise go up as a normal response to stressful situations.
Production of aldosterone by the adrenals depends on how much cortisol-stimulating hormone (ACTH) is being sent from the brain. The brain takes its signals from the amount of circulating cortisol — not circulating aldosterone — so high cortisol tends to lower the brain’s ACTH production, which in turn decreases aldosterone secretion, leading to lower blood pressure.
Another consequence of low aldosterone is electrolyte imbalance and cell dehydration, which both have negative effects on almost all physiological reactions in the body: aside from salt cravings, low blood pressure and lightheadedness, patients with adrenal fatigue often experience an irregular heart beat, lethargy, muscle weakness, and increased thirst. These are all a result of imbalance in sodium and other minerals, including potassium and magnesium. Increasing your salt intake is one way to help restore these imbalances.
I hope I emerge from the dark cloud tomorrow! Usually it takes 3-4 days to feel back to normal, so it’s been 3.
Doris, hope that knee improves soon! Glad you are enjoying the new programs!
