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drlaurynlax · 6 years ago

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The Most Comprehensive HPA Axis Dysfunction Guide

HPA Axis Dysfunction affects many people and having the right treatment could help them live fuller lives.

Stress is “normal.”

…So is feeling imbalanced. At least for approximately 3 in 4 Americans who will experience “adrenal fatigue” in their lifetime, according to Dr. James Wilson, author of Adrenal Fatigue: the 21st Century Stress Syndrome (2001).

Stress: Mental & Physical

Most people think of stress as psychological and emotional stress.

Technically, however, stress is defined as:

“Any event in which environmental demands, internal demands, or both, strain or exceed the adaptive resources of an individual.”

(In other words: Stress is a demand on our mental or physical body that we can’t handle well).

Stress (both mental and physical) is the “elephant in the room,” that sets the stage for all sorts of disease and health problems we experience in our lifetime.

Common Stress

You and I encounter hundreds—if not thousands—of stressors in our daily lives, some that happen in the blink of an eye, and others that linger for years.

Common daily stressors include:

Gut-irritating foods, like chocolate-glazed donuts, beans or even difficult-to-digest raw broccoli in your gut

Getting stuck in rush-hour traffic

An e-mail exchange where the person’s tone on the other end seems tense

A spat with your significant other

Negative news headlines on our notifications throughout the day

Running late

Drinking 2-3 cups of coffee to tide you over after 4 hours of sleep

A 3 pm sugar binge when a sugar crash strikes

Accidentally overeating or feeling really hungry before a meal

Pushing ourselves hard in an intense workout

Feeling the crunch of a tight deadline at work

Lack of sleep one night

Saying “yes” when you really wanted to say “no”

Getting over-heated in the sun

Generally, daily, or “acute” (short-term) stressors are things we quickly adapt to—

If you get hot for instance, you naturally seek to cool your body off with some AC. If you ate too much, you may not feel like eating as much the next meal; or if your body is ‘stressed’ with hunger, you typically eat something to ‘adapt’ and calm the stress.If you didn’t get much sleep last night, you may try to find time to take a nap, or to get to bed extra early tonight.

With short term stress, your body and mind is innately wired to learn how to deal with the stress.

However, when stress lingers and remains (with little to no relief in sight)…

Houston, we have a problem!

Some examples of chronic—lingering—stress may include:

A rocky or strained relationship with a significant other, business partner or best friend

Financial pressures

An autoimmune condition—that won’t go away

Years of eating a processed food diet or disordered eating habits

Daily (constant) demands of a boss we can never please or a job we hate

Trying to do everything—and not being able to do any one thing really well

Not eating enough (every day), dieting or restriction

Drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee (every day)

Burning a candle at both ends—every day

Sleeping 5-6 hours most nights

Staring at screens fo 8-10 hours per day

Overtraining (Chronic cardio with little to no rest for recovery)

Overwork and little to no play

Staring at computer screens while hunched over—every day

Try as we may to adapt, relief doesn’t come, and if chronic stress persists, things go awry BOTH physically and mentally.

Hello SUPER STRESS!!!

Technically we call this “HPA Axis Dysfunction.”

HPA Axis Dysfunction 101

HPA Axis Dysfunction is another word for what’s come known as “adrenal fatigue” or “poor stress management” in laymen’s terms. Mental and physical stress triggers the hypothalamus in your brain to activate two distinct pathways of the stress response:

1.) The “Fight or Flight” System (“Sympathetic Medullary System”): the system the responds IMMEDIATELY to stress, like increasing your heart rate, blood pressure, alertness, and metabolic rate; and,

2.) Your HPA-Axis (Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis): the “mothership” of all things stress related in your body.

HPA Axis Anatomy

The HPA-Axis involves three key parts of your brain and body:

Hypothalmus. The region in your brain that controls the “automatic” (autonomic) functions like: metabolism, body temperature, thirst, hunger, sleep and emotional activity.

Pituitary. A “hormone regulating” gland, in your forehead, that helps your body feel, helps you manage stress, and stimulates growth, hormone balance, reproduction, and lactation.

Adrenal Glands. Two pea-sized endocrine (hormone) glands that produce a variety of hormones including adrenaline, aldosterone and cortisol (your stress hormone)

If your HPA-Axis takes a hit from LOTS of stress or chronic (ongoing) stress, then it leads to “HPA Axis Dysfunction,” resulting in an assortment of side effects, including:

Inflammation

Blood sugar imbalances

Most all disease: Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.

Mood imbalances, like depression

psoriasis or eczema;

IBS, bloating, or other digestive symptoms

Brain fog

Hormone imbalances

Infertility

ADD/ADHD

And (you guessed it) chronic—ongoing anxiety—that anxiety you seemingly can’t control, no matter how hard you try to think about controlling it.

“HPA Axis Dysfunction” is simply another way of saying, “chronic” stress.” Chronic stress is the root of all imbalance in the body.

And tying back to our gut-brain-body connection, chronic stress often stems back to the gut. It’s all intertwined!

HPA-Dysfunction vs. Stress

But don’t we all experience stress in our lives? Shouldn’t we just be able to deal with it?

What’s the difference in every day stress vs. “HPA Axis Dysfunction?”

Good questions!

True, our bodies DO deal with A LOT when it comes to stress; and your body (and brain) can take A LOT (“bring it on!”). But when stress goes overboard, or lasts for a long time (without proper recovery) our body can only handle so much.

Example: the Poptarts and Cheetohs I ate daily as a kid, and artificial sweeteners and additive-filled protein powders I ate for years in college and young adulthood.

The result from these chronic stressors in my life? Frequent bloating, constipation, bacterial overgrowth, and the anxiety I battled in my teens and young 20’s. My body was not designed and wired to eat Silicon Dioxide, aspartame, corn solids or high-fructose corn syrup.

Gone are the days of our ancestors who lived in the natural (toxin-free) environment, ate nutrient-rich foods, and spent their days in accordance to the rhythms of the sun. Eventually my repetitive poor quality foods led to poor gut health, which then led to stress and a variety of symptoms.

Consider the variety of stress your own body encounters on a daily basis:

Working a job you don’t love, staring at a screen for 8-hours and staying stuck in your cubicle;

Barely getting 6-hours of sleep

Running off 2 to 3 cups of coffee every day

Eating ketchup, pasta sauce, yogurt and deli meat—laden with hidden sugar

Forgetting to eat, or subsisting off of chicken and broccoli—not eating enough

CrossFitting, spinning or running miles upon miles 5 to 6 days per week with little attentio to your recovery

If this becomes your “norm,” that HPA-Axis of yours also takes a hit. And when your HPA-Axis takes a hit, a “normal stress” response no longer remains.

Cortisol Conundrum

Speaking of “normal stress, “ever heard of the hormone cortisol?

Cortisol is your “stress hormone” that helps you deal with “normal stress.” In the good ol days, it helped humans run really fast from bears chasing them in the woods; and it helped you “suck it up” when the mean girls left you out at the lunch table in middle school.

Cortisol is directly produced and regulated by the HPA-Axis.

Higher amounts of stress produce more cortisol.

If cortisol levels are constantly produced and pumped out (with little to no recovery or rest from the stress), then the HPA-Axis gets pooped out!

And we are right back to square one: Imbalance and inflammation (think: mood swings, sugar cravings, racing thoughts, disrupted gut flora leading to disrupted serotonin in the brain, increased or decreased respiration rate, elevated blood pressure, etc.).

Without the ability to regulate stress (normally), your body and mind naturally become more sensitive and fragile to respond to even little stressors (like a loud noise, the lack of control, a comment someone said, the effects caffeine, etc.).

Again: stress is more than just a mental battle, it is also a physical battle.

How do I know if I have HPA Axis Dysfunction?

It’s not always easy to “see” or diagnose—especially if your “subpar (stressed out) norm” has become your norm.

Common signs of an out-of-whack HPA-Axis include:

Anxiety—that doesn’t go away

Panic attacks

Feeling wired and tired at night

“Waking up” when you workout—and needing the highs of workouts to keep going

Plateaus in training, “gains” and physical goals

Muscle weakness or wasting

High or low blood pressure

Suppressed respiration (needing “more air” during training)

Subpar performance “Crazy fast” metabolism or super slow metabolism

Telling your body to “work harder” or “push more”—with difficulty implementing it

Digestion difficulties (bloating, gas, IBS, constipation)

Suppressed appetite

Hormone imbalances (low testosterone, loss of period, infertility)

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

Unable to go long between meals without getting a headache/shakey

Dependence on coffee, sugar or artificial sweeteners

Never feeling 100% rested

Apathy and/or burnout

Feeling emotionally “flat”

Falling asleep if you sit anywhere for too long

Insomnia

Weepy for now reason

Inability to lose weight

Mood swings

Fatigue

Anxiety or Depression

Autoimmune conditions

Food intolerances

Headaches

High blood pressure

Low or high heart rate

Feeling dizzy when standing up

Inability to concentrate/focus or memory loss

Lyme disease

Catching colds, flus or illnesses easily

Not “feeling like yourself”

Skin breakouts or acne

Feeling burned out or unable to do your usual basic “to dos”

Inability to tolerate exercise like you once did

Random allergies

“Diabetes”

Thyroid issues/hypothyroidism

Unwanted weight loss and inability to gain weight

Feeling “wired and tired”

Shortness of breath

Hormone imbalances

Apathy about my work

IBS

Poor workout performance

Electrolyte imbalances

If any of these factors are ongoing (lasting more than 7 days), then it may be worth at least exploring if you could benefit from “resetting” your HPA-Axis (i.e. targeting stress).

What to Do About It

Address stress—the elephant in the room.

Not just mentally, but physically.

Remember: While talking about your anxiety and counseling with someone around your anxiety can be two HUGE PIECES of the anxiety puzzle, if your physical well-being goes unaddressed (targeting stress reduction and improving gut health), then you are only treating half the “problem.”

How to do it?

Here are some basics to start:

1. Assess Your Own Stress.

What are the top stressors in your life right now, and what stressors have you dealt with in your past? Surgeries? Medications? Light exposure? A job you hate? Food intolerances? Gut issues? Make a list of both psychological and physiological factors that may be contributing to your current state of stress.

2. Test Don’t Guess.

Many people read about “adrenal fatigue” or HPA Axis Dysfunction on Google and immediately turn to self-treating—buying supplements and tea labeled “adrenal support” at Whole Foods, downloading the Headspace meditation app, and diffusing lavender in the air. However, without understanding a full picture of the cortisol imbalance in your body (if at all), you may be under treating or over treating. For instance, your cortisol may be high or low, melatonin may be suppressed or perfectly normal, estrogen may be nonexistent or extremely elevated.

In addition, cortisol imbalance may be triggered by the gut, the hypothalamus or your thyroid, or a mix of all three. The problem is, if you treat your “issue” inappropriately you risk not getting to the “root” or potentially making the problem worse. A comprehensive saliva/urine test like the DUTCH test can help you get a clearer picture of your unique cortisol story. Consider working with a functional medicine practitioner to navigate test results, as well as address any other underlying health imbalances contributing to your condition.

3. Eat a Nutrient Dense Diet

Balance your meals with protein, healthy fats and moderate carbs. No extremes.

Protein, particularly in the morning, has a balancing effect on blood sugar.

Avoid foods with fillers, sweeteners and unknown ingredients.

For a time, avoid caffeine and alcohol.

Prioritize clean filtered water (Tip: Add a pinch of sea salt to 12 to 16 ounces of water in the morning. Sea salt is a natural electrolyte to balance sodium levels).

Also don’t neglect mindful eating (chewing your food well, slowing down at meal times, not eating on the go or while watching TV, etc.). Mindfulness is a game changing practice your body appreciates.Reset Your Circadian Rhythms

Eliminate blue light exposure at night (blue-blocking glasses, nightshift apps on your phone),

Get back to nature (aim for 30-60 minutes at least of fresh air)

Eat at regular intervals

4. Catch Enough Zzzz’s

Sleep at regular times (keep a schedule). Speaking of sleep is essential to just about every type of “wellness” protocol, but it is particularly essential for HPA Axis Dysfunction recovery. Prioritize 7 to 9 hours each night.

5. Move Your Body

Overtraining is a common cause of HPA Axis Dysfunction. Common signs of overtraining include difficulty recovering from workouts, increased gut issues or loss of appetite, a plateau or decrease in performance, increased body fat despite regular exercise and “eating clean,” poor sleep, restlessness, anxiety, fatigue, muscle or joint pain, suppressed immune system, and low mood.

The best exercise? In the immediate recovery period, opt for lower intensity exercise such as walking, cycling (not cranking up the notch on your spin bike), strength training, swimming, or yoga over high-intensity activities like CrossFit WODs, Orange Theory workouts or straight-up cardio training. Just Say No.

What’s filling your life and what’s draining you? Take a thoughtful inventory of what’s crowding your space. Cut out the things on your plate that are weighing you down.

6. Relax

As cheesy or overrated as it sounds, take time out to settle your mind and integrate mindful activities through mental and physical (intentional) relaxation.

Consider these:

Prayer

Journaling

Meditation (Try Muse, or Headspace)

Biofeedback/Heart Math

Yogi Breathing

Yoga

Tai Chi

These are just a few ways people actively seek to “relax” more. Although it will probably be “awkward” at first, by starting small and prioritizing relaxation (even 5 minutes in the morning) make a difference.

7. Supplement Smart

A big mistake people make is taking random supplements that can actually make your adrenal fatigue worse, not better, if not careful. As mentioned, testing and not guessing helps prevent over-treating or under-treating with supplements. However, there are some natural and gentle supports for HPA Axis Dysfunction that can work for many people as your figuring out your unique picture including:

Liposomal Curcumin + Boswellia AKBA

Lavender & Peppermint essential oils

Adrenal Calm Cream by Apex Energetics

HPA Axis

The post The Most Comprehensive HPA Axis Dysfunction Guide appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/hormones-metabolism/hpa-axis-dysfunction-guide/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/

#Holistic #Nutrition #Therapy #Recovery #Functional #Medicine #Dr. Lauryn Lax #Dr.Lauryn

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unoffical-marvel · 5 years ago

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Hi guys, I know this is not like what I usually post but, i literally started crying when I saw this on my feed.

As a person who has been living with dysautonomia and POTS for years I can't even begin to tell you tell you how much it means to me that people are becoming informed of its exsistance.

I can tell you that sadly every one of these facts is true and I expireanced quite a few of them myself. I am currently unable to go to school because I am unable stand up or even to lift my head some days.

For the first year that I had it, I missed over half the school year and became extremely depressed, for I was unable to do anything that I used to. (Yes I am one of those kids who enjoys school.)

My teacher's were (along with my family) some of my biggest supporters, they helped me to catch up and do everything that I could to pass. In the end I passed school despite missing so much.

I can not say the same for the management of the school though. The second that I missed one of my Standard tests (which they get paid for) I was public enemy number one.

They made my life even more of a hell than it already was when I came back to the school.They refused to believe that what I was going through was real, despite having passed out in front of them before and had numerous other POTS episodes (episodes are what I call it when I feel bad, they can be anything from fatigue and brain fog to a full on migraine and the inability to stand up). They fought us every step of the way but, I still managed to do everything that was needed of me.

I was finally offically diagnosed about a year and a half ago despite knowing long before that. The reason I wasn't diagnosed earlier is because, just like the post said my doctor told me that it was in my head, that it was just my depression.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT, YOU ARE A DOCTOR!! DEPRESSION DOES NOT CAUSE MOST OF THESE SYMPTOMS!! YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS!!

I went through more than a dozen doctors, all of them said that it was just my anxiety, my depression, my stress, etc....

In the end I was diagnosed by a Doctor that specializes in Dysoutonmia (which is an umbrella term that includes many problems including POTS), and I can tell you that I have never felt more relieved, I finally knew that I wasn't just crazy! I know that I'm stupid for thinking this but, I had even started to believe the doctors after hearing the same thing so many times.

The doctor that diagnosed me is one who travels around the country to inform people of this and other things that aren't widely accepted as real in the medical community, talking to whoever will listen.

Today I am doing a little bit better. I still cant go to school and I still have my bad days but, I learned how to help make it better for myself.

If any of you who also have this (or are just curious) here are some tips on what helps:

Eat a lot of salt. This increases blood volume and can make you feel better fast.

Drink a lot of water (POTS patients dehydrate quickly..) I have to drink two to three times the amount of a normal person to be a functioning member of society. You can also drink certain drinks that will help with salt intake as well, the best for me tends to be liquid IV. Which contains salt and potassium (which is also vital to us)

Compression garments! Anything works socks are okay but the more the better. This prevents pooling of the blood when you stand.

Exercise. When you can do it, do it. I know it may suck (and if your case is like mine it will cause you pain and make you want to stop) but, keep going. This will train your heart and help you in the long run.

Ohers who I have met with this say that I am lucky for getting diagnosed this quickly... To them what I waited was nothing. Some of us are in their forties and just getting diagnosed (having tried for most of their life to get diagnosed) And some of us are still waiting for that official diagnosis! Which is why this needs to be common knowledge.

There is no cure for this and even treatments are extreme and only help a little (one of these treatments is a weekly eight hour infusion of salt and liquids). But, if we can get out there that this is real, maybe we can devote more time and money to research and try to find a cure!

Now, that I am done ranting I just want to say thank you to all those who Reblog and have reblogged this post. This means a lot to me personally and I can bet that others with this feel the same.

We need to get the word out there and let others know we are real!

(If any of you with this want to talk or if anyone has questions feel free to message me or send me an ask)

Did you know October is Dysautonomia awareness month? Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is the most common type of dysautonomia, yet hardly anyone, including doctors, knows about it!

Reblog to spread awareness!

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clarencebfaber · 6 years ago

Text

The Most Comprehensive HPA Axis Dysfunction Guide

HPA Axis Dysfunction affects many people and having the right treatment could help them live fuller lives.

Stress is “normal.”

Stress: Mental & Physical

Most people think of stress as psychological and emotional stress.

Technically, however, stress is defined as:

“Any event in which environmental demands, internal demands, or both, strain or exceed the adaptive resources of an individual.”

(In other words: Stress is a demand on our mental or physical body that we can’t handle well).

Stress (both mental and physical) is the “elephant in the room,” that sets the stage for all sorts of disease and health problems we experience in our lifetime.

Common Stress

You and I encounter hundreds—if not thousands—of stressors in our daily lives, some that happen in the blink of an eye, and others that linger for years.

Common daily stressors include:

Gut-irritating foods, like chocolate-glazed donuts, beans or even difficult-to-digest raw broccoli in your gut

Getting stuck in rush-hour traffic

An e-mail exchange where the person’s tone on the other end seems tense

A spat with your significant other

Negative news headlines on our notifications throughout the day

Running late

Drinking 2-3 cups of coffee to tide you over after 4 hours of sleep

A 3 pm sugar binge when a sugar crash strikes

Accidentally overeating or feeling really hungry before a meal

Pushing ourselves hard in an intense workout

Feeling the crunch of a tight deadline at work

Lack of sleep one night

Saying “yes” when you really wanted to say “no”

Getting over-heated in the sun

Generally, daily, or “acute” (short-term) stressors are things we quickly adapt to—

With short term stress, your body and mind is innately wired to learn how to deal with the stress.

However, when stress lingers and remains (with little to no relief in sight)…

Houston, we have a problem!

Some examples of chronic—lingering—stress may include:

A rocky or strained relationship with a significant other, business partner or best friend

Financial pressures

An autoimmune condition—that won’t go away

Years of eating a processed food diet or disordered eating habits

Daily (constant) demands of a boss we can never please or a job we hate

Trying to do everything—and not being able to do any one thing really well

Not eating enough (every day), dieting or restriction

Drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee (every day)

Burning a candle at both ends—every day

Sleeping 5-6 hours most nights

Staring at screens fo 8-10 hours per day

Overtraining (Chronic cardio with little to no rest for recovery)

Overwork and little to no play

Staring at computer screens while hunched over—every day

Try as we may to adapt, relief doesn’t come, and if chronic stress persists, things go awry BOTH physically and mentally.

Hello SUPER STRESS!!!

Technically we call this “HPA Axis Dysfunction.”

HPA Axis Dysfunction 101

2.) Your HPA-Axis (Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis): the “mothership” of all things stress related in your body.

HPA Axis Anatomy

The HPA-Axis involves three key parts of your brain and body:

Hypothalmus. The region in your brain that controls the “automatic” (autonomic) functions like: metabolism, body temperature, thirst, hunger, sleep and emotional activity.

Pituitary. A “hormone regulating” gland, in your forehead, that helps your body feel, helps you manage stress, and stimulates growth, hormone balance, reproduction, and lactation.

Adrenal Glands. Two pea-sized endocrine (hormone) glands that produce a variety of hormones including adrenaline, aldosterone and cortisol (your stress hormone)

If your HPA-Axis takes a hit from LOTS of stress or chronic (ongoing) stress, then it leads to “HPA Axis Dysfunction,” resulting in an assortment of side effects, including:

Inflammation

Blood sugar imbalances

Most all disease: Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.

Mood imbalances, like depression

psoriasis or eczema;

IBS, bloating, or other digestive symptoms

Brain fog

Hormone imbalances

Infertility

ADD/ADHD

And (you guessed it) chronic—ongoing anxiety—that anxiety you seemingly can’t control, no matter how hard you try to think about controlling it.

“HPA Axis Dysfunction” is simply another way of saying, “chronic” stress.” Chronic stress is the root of all imbalance in the body.

And tying back to our gut-brain-body connection, chronic stress often stems back to the gut. It’s all intertwined!

HPA-Dysfunction vs. Stress

But don’t we all experience stress in our lives? Shouldn’t we just be able to deal with it?

What’s the difference in every day stress vs. “HPA Axis Dysfunction?”

Good questions!

Example: the Poptarts and Cheetohs I ate daily as a kid, and artificial sweeteners and additive-filled protein powders I ate for years in college and young adulthood.

Consider the variety of stress your own body encounters on a daily basis:

Working a job you don’t love, staring at a screen for 8-hours and staying stuck in your cubicle;

Barely getting 6-hours of sleep

Running off 2 to 3 cups of coffee every day

Eating ketchup, pasta sauce, yogurt and deli meat—laden with hidden sugar

Forgetting to eat, or subsisting off of chicken and broccoli—not eating enough

CrossFitting, spinning or running miles upon miles 5 to 6 days per week with little attentio to your recovery

If this becomes your “norm,” that HPA-Axis of yours also takes a hit. And when your HPA-Axis takes a hit, a “normal stress” response no longer remains.

Cortisol Conundrum

Speaking of “normal stress, “ever heard of the hormone cortisol?

Cortisol is directly produced and regulated by the HPA-Axis.

Higher amounts of stress produce more cortisol.

If cortisol levels are constantly produced and pumped out (with little to no recovery or rest from the stress), then the HPA-Axis gets pooped out!

Again: stress is more than just a mental battle, it is also a physical battle.

How do I know if I have HPA Axis Dysfunction?

It’s not always easy to “see” or diagnose—especially if your “subpar (stressed out) norm” has become your norm.

Common signs of an out-of-whack HPA-Axis include:

Anxiety—that doesn’t go away

Panic attacks

Feeling wired and tired at night

“Waking up” when you workout—and needing the highs of workouts to keep going

Plateaus in training, “gains” and physical goals

Muscle weakness or wasting

High or low blood pressure

Suppressed respiration (needing “more air” during training)

Subpar performance “Crazy fast” metabolism or super slow metabolism

Telling your body to “work harder” or “push more”—with difficulty implementing it

Digestion difficulties (bloating, gas, IBS, constipation)

Suppressed appetite

Hormone imbalances (low testosterone, loss of period, infertility)

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

Unable to go long between meals without getting a headache/shakey

Dependence on coffee, sugar or artificial sweeteners

Never feeling 100% rested

Apathy and/or burnout

Feeling emotionally “flat”

Falling asleep if you sit anywhere for too long

Insomnia

Weepy for now reason

Inability to lose weight

Mood swings

Fatigue

Anxiety or Depression

Autoimmune conditions

Food intolerances

Headaches

High blood pressure

Low or high heart rate

Feeling dizzy when standing up

Inability to concentrate/focus or memory loss

Lyme disease

Catching colds, flus or illnesses easily

Not “feeling like yourself”

Skin breakouts or acne

Feeling burned out or unable to do your usual basic “to dos”

Inability to tolerate exercise like you once did

Random allergies

“Diabetes”

Thyroid issues/hypothyroidism

Unwanted weight loss and inability to gain weight

Feeling “wired and tired”

Shortness of breath

Hormone imbalances

Apathy about my work

IBS

Poor workout performance

Electrolyte imbalances

If any of these factors are ongoing (lasting more than 7 days), then it may be worth at least exploring if you could benefit from “resetting” your HPA-Axis (i.e. targeting stress).

What to Do About It

Address stress—the elephant in the room.

Not just mentally, but physically.

How to do it?

Here are some basics to start:

1. Assess Your Own Stress.

2. Test Don’t Guess.

3. Eat a Nutrient Dense Diet

Balance your meals with protein, healthy fats and moderate carbs. No extremes.

Protein, particularly in the morning, has a balancing effect on blood sugar.

Avoid foods with fillers, sweeteners and unknown ingredients.

For a time, avoid caffeine and alcohol.

Prioritize clean filtered water (Tip: Add a pinch of sea salt to 12 to 16 ounces of water in the morning. Sea salt is a natural electrolyte to balance sodium levels).

Eliminate blue light exposure at night (blue-blocking glasses, nightshift apps on your phone),

Get back to nature (aim for 30-60 minutes at least of fresh air)

Eat at regular intervals

4. Catch Enough Zzzz’s

5. Move Your Body

What’s filling your life and what’s draining you? Take a thoughtful inventory of what’s crowding your space. Cut out the things on your plate that are weighing you down.

6. Relax

As cheesy or overrated as it sounds, take time out to settle your mind and integrate mindful activities through mental and physical (intentional) relaxation.

Consider these:

Prayer

Journaling

Meditation (Try Muse, or Headspace)

Biofeedback/Heart Math

Yogi Breathing

Yoga

Tai Chi

7. Supplement Smart

Liposomal Curcumin + Boswellia AKBA

Lavender & Peppermint essential oils

Adrenal Calm Cream by Apex Energetics

HPA Axis

The post The Most Comprehensive HPA Axis Dysfunction Guide appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/hormones-metabolism/hpa-axis-dysfunction-guide/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/

The Most Comprehensive HPA Axis Dysfunction Guide via https://drlaurynlax.weebly.com/

#Clarence B. Faber #ClarenceFaber #Holistic #Nutrition #Therapy #Recovery #Functional #Medicine

0 notes

brian-cdates · 6 years ago

Text

The Most Comprehensive HPA Axis Dysfunction Guide

HPA Axis Dysfunction affects many people and having the right treatment could help them live fuller lives.

Stress is “normal.”

Stress: Mental & Physical

Most people think of stress as psychological and emotional stress.

Technically, however, stress is defined as:

“Any event in which environmental demands, internal demands, or both, strain or exceed the adaptive resources of an individual.”

(In other words: Stress is a demand on our mental or physical body that we can’t handle well).

Stress (both mental and physical) is the “elephant in the room,” that sets the stage for all sorts of disease and health problems we experience in our lifetime.

Common Stress

You and I encounter hundreds—if not thousands—of stressors in our daily lives, some that happen in the blink of an eye, and others that linger for years.

Common daily stressors include:

Gut-irritating foods, like chocolate-glazed donuts, beans or even difficult-to-digest raw broccoli in your gut

Getting stuck in rush-hour traffic

An e-mail exchange where the person’s tone on the other end seems tense

A spat with your significant other

Negative news headlines on our notifications throughout the day

Running late

Drinking 2-3 cups of coffee to tide you over after 4 hours of sleep

A 3 pm sugar binge when a sugar crash strikes

Accidentally overeating or feeling really hungry before a meal

Pushing ourselves hard in an intense workout

Feeling the crunch of a tight deadline at work

Lack of sleep one night

Saying “yes” when you really wanted to say “no”

Getting over-heated in the sun

Generally, daily, or “acute” (short-term) stressors are things we quickly adapt to—

With short term stress, your body and mind is innately wired to learn how to deal with the stress.

However, when stress lingers and remains (with little to no relief in sight)…

Houston, we have a problem!

Some examples of chronic—lingering—stress may include:

A rocky or strained relationship with a significant other, business partner or best friend

Financial pressures

An autoimmune condition—that won’t go away

Years of eating a processed food diet or disordered eating habits

Daily (constant) demands of a boss we can never please or a job we hate

Trying to do everything—and not being able to do any one thing really well

Not eating enough (every day), dieting or restriction

Drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee (every day)

Burning a candle at both ends—every day

Sleeping 5-6 hours most nights

Staring at screens fo 8-10 hours per day

Overtraining (Chronic cardio with little to no rest for recovery)

Overwork and little to no play

Staring at computer screens while hunched over—every day

Try as we may to adapt, relief doesn’t come, and if chronic stress persists, things go awry BOTH physically and mentally.

Hello SUPER STRESS!!!

Technically we call this “HPA Axis Dysfunction.”

HPA Axis Dysfunction 101

2.) Your HPA-Axis (Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis): the “mothership” of all things stress related in your body.

HPA Axis Anatomy

The HPA-Axis involves three key parts of your brain and body:

Hypothalmus. The region in your brain that controls the “automatic” (autonomic) functions like: metabolism, body temperature, thirst, hunger, sleep and emotional activity.

Pituitary. A “hormone regulating” gland, in your forehead, that helps your body feel, helps you manage stress, and stimulates growth, hormone balance, reproduction, and lactation.

Adrenal Glands. Two pea-sized endocrine (hormone) glands that produce a variety of hormones including adrenaline, aldosterone and cortisol (your stress hormone)

If your HPA-Axis takes a hit from LOTS of stress or chronic (ongoing) stress, then it leads to “HPA Axis Dysfunction,” resulting in an assortment of side effects, including:

Inflammation

Blood sugar imbalances

Most all disease: Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.

Mood imbalances, like depression

psoriasis or eczema;

IBS, bloating, or other digestive symptoms

Brain fog

Hormone imbalances

Infertility

ADD/ADHD

And (you guessed it) chronic—ongoing anxiety—that anxiety you seemingly can’t control, no matter how hard you try to think about controlling it.

“HPA Axis Dysfunction” is simply another way of saying, “chronic” stress.” Chronic stress is the root of all imbalance in the body.

And tying back to our gut-brain-body connection, chronic stress often stems back to the gut. It’s all intertwined!

HPA-Dysfunction vs. Stress

But don’t we all experience stress in our lives? Shouldn’t we just be able to deal with it?

What’s the difference in every day stress vs. “HPA Axis Dysfunction?”

Good questions!

Example: the Poptarts and Cheetohs I ate daily as a kid, and artificial sweeteners and additive-filled protein powders I ate for years in college and young adulthood.

Consider the variety of stress your own body encounters on a daily basis:

Working a job you don’t love, staring at a screen for 8-hours and staying stuck in your cubicle;

Barely getting 6-hours of sleep

Running off 2 to 3 cups of coffee every day

Eating ketchup, pasta sauce, yogurt and deli meat—laden with hidden sugar

Forgetting to eat, or subsisting off of chicken and broccoli—not eating enough

CrossFitting, spinning or running miles upon miles 5 to 6 days per week with little attentio to your recovery

If this becomes your “norm,” that HPA-Axis of yours also takes a hit. And when your HPA-Axis takes a hit, a “normal stress” response no longer remains.

Cortisol Conundrum

Speaking of “normal stress, “ever heard of the hormone cortisol?

Cortisol is directly produced and regulated by the HPA-Axis.

Higher amounts of stress produce more cortisol.

If cortisol levels are constantly produced and pumped out (with little to no recovery or rest from the stress), then the HPA-Axis gets pooped out!

Again: stress is more than just a mental battle, it is also a physical battle.

How do I know if I have HPA Axis Dysfunction?

It’s not always easy to “see” or diagnose—especially if your “subpar (stressed out) norm” has become your norm.

Common signs of an out-of-whack HPA-Axis include:

Anxiety—that doesn’t go away

Panic attacks

Feeling wired and tired at night

“Waking up” when you workout—and needing the highs of workouts to keep going

Plateaus in training, “gains” and physical goals

Muscle weakness or wasting

High or low blood pressure

Suppressed respiration (needing “more air” during training)

Subpar performance “Crazy fast” metabolism or super slow metabolism

Telling your body to “work harder” or “push more”—with difficulty implementing it

Digestion difficulties (bloating, gas, IBS, constipation)

Suppressed appetite

Hormone imbalances (low testosterone, loss of period, infertility)

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

Unable to go long between meals without getting a headache/shakey

Dependence on coffee, sugar or artificial sweeteners

Never feeling 100% rested

Apathy and/or burnout

Feeling emotionally “flat”

Falling asleep if you sit anywhere for too long

Insomnia

Weepy for now reason

Inability to lose weight

Mood swings

Fatigue

Anxiety or Depression

Autoimmune conditions

Food intolerances

Headaches

High blood pressure

Low or high heart rate

Feeling dizzy when standing up

Inability to concentrate/focus or memory loss

Lyme disease

Catching colds, flus or illnesses easily

Not “feeling like yourself”

Skin breakouts or acne

Feeling burned out or unable to do your usual basic “to dos”

Inability to tolerate exercise like you once did

Random allergies

“Diabetes”

Thyroid issues/hypothyroidism

Unwanted weight loss and inability to gain weight

Feeling “wired and tired”

Shortness of breath

Hormone imbalances

Apathy about my work

IBS

Poor workout performance

Electrolyte imbalances

If any of these factors are ongoing (lasting more than 7 days), then it may be worth at least exploring if you could benefit from “resetting” your HPA-Axis (i.e. targeting stress).

What to Do About It

Address stress—the elephant in the room.

Not just mentally, but physically.

How to do it?

Here are some basics to start:

1. Assess Your Own Stress.

2. Test Don’t Guess.

3. Eat a Nutrient Dense Diet

Balance your meals with protein, healthy fats and moderate carbs. No extremes.

Protein, particularly in the morning, has a balancing effect on blood sugar.

Avoid foods with fillers, sweeteners and unknown ingredients.

For a time, avoid caffeine and alcohol.

Prioritize clean filtered water (Tip: Add a pinch of sea salt to 12 to 16 ounces of water in the morning. Sea salt is a natural electrolyte to balance sodium levels).

Eliminate blue light exposure at night (blue-blocking glasses, nightshift apps on your phone),

Get back to nature (aim for 30-60 minutes at least of fresh air)

Eat at regular intervals

4. Catch Enough Zzzz’s

5. Move Your Body

What’s filling your life and what’s draining you? Take a thoughtful inventory of what’s crowding your space. Cut out the things on your plate that are weighing you down.

6. Relax

As cheesy or overrated as it sounds, take time out to settle your mind and integrate mindful activities through mental and physical (intentional) relaxation.

Consider these:

Prayer

Journaling

Meditation (Try Muse, or Headspace)

Biofeedback/Heart Math

Yogi Breathing

Yoga

Tai Chi

7. Supplement Smart

Liposomal Curcumin + Boswellia AKBA

Lavender & Peppermint essential oils

Adrenal Calm Cream by Apex Energetics

HPA Axis

The post The Most Comprehensive HPA Axis Dysfunction Guide appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/hormones-metabolism/hpa-axis-dysfunction-guide/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/ The Most Comprehensive HPA Axis Dysfunction Guide via http://drlaurynlax.tumblr.com/

#Brian C. Dates #BrianDates #Holistic #Nutrition #Therapy #Recovery #Functional #Medicine

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elizabethbgrimes · 6 years ago

Text

The Most Comprehensive HPA Axis Dysfunction Guide

HPA Axis Dysfunction affects many people and having the right treatment could help them live fuller lives.

Stress is “normal.”

Stress: Mental & Physical

Most people think of stress as psychological and emotional stress.

Technically, however, stress is defined as:

“Any event in which environmental demands, internal demands, or both, strain or exceed the adaptive resources of an individual.”

(In other words: Stress is a demand on our mental or physical body that we can’t handle well).

Stress (both mental and physical) is the “elephant in the room,” that sets the stage for all sorts of disease and health problems we experience in our lifetime.

Common Stress

You and I encounter hundreds—if not thousands—of stressors in our daily lives, some that happen in the blink of an eye, and others that linger for years.

Common daily stressors include:

Gut-irritating foods, like chocolate-glazed donuts, beans or even difficult-to-digest raw broccoli in your gut

Getting stuck in rush-hour traffic

An e-mail exchange where the person’s tone on the other end seems tense

A spat with your significant other

Negative news headlines on our notifications throughout the day

Running late

Drinking 2-3 cups of coffee to tide you over after 4 hours of sleep

A 3 pm sugar binge when a sugar crash strikes

Accidentally overeating or feeling really hungry before a meal

Pushing ourselves hard in an intense workout

Feeling the crunch of a tight deadline at work

Lack of sleep one night

Saying “yes” when you really wanted to say “no”

Getting over-heated in the sun

Generally, daily, or “acute” (short-term) stressors are things we quickly adapt to—

With short term stress, your body and mind is innately wired to learn how to deal with the stress.

However, when stress lingers and remains (with little to no relief in sight)…

Houston, we have a problem!

Some examples of chronic—lingering—stress may include:

A rocky or strained relationship with a significant other, business partner or best friend

Financial pressures

An autoimmune condition—that won’t go away

Years of eating a processed food diet or disordered eating habits

Daily (constant) demands of a boss we can never please or a job we hate

Trying to do everything—and not being able to do any one thing really well

Not eating enough (every day), dieting or restriction

Drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee (every day)

Burning a candle at both ends—every day

Sleeping 5-6 hours most nights

Staring at screens fo 8-10 hours per day

Overtraining (Chronic cardio with little to no rest for recovery)

Overwork and little to no play

Staring at computer screens while hunched over—every day

Try as we may to adapt, relief doesn’t come, and if chronic stress persists, things go awry BOTH physically and mentally.

Hello SUPER STRESS!!!

Technically we call this “HPA Axis Dysfunction.”

HPA Axis Dysfunction 101

2.) Your HPA-Axis (Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis): the “mothership” of all things stress related in your body.

HPA Axis Anatomy

The HPA-Axis involves three key parts of your brain and body:

Hypothalmus. The region in your brain that controls the “automatic” (autonomic) functions like: metabolism, body temperature, thirst, hunger, sleep and emotional activity.

Pituitary. A “hormone regulating” gland, in your forehead, that helps your body feel, helps you manage stress, and stimulates growth, hormone balance, reproduction, and lactation.

Adrenal Glands. Two pea-sized endocrine (hormone) glands that produce a variety of hormones including adrenaline, aldosterone and cortisol (your stress hormone)

If your HPA-Axis takes a hit from LOTS of stress or chronic (ongoing) stress, then it leads to “HPA Axis Dysfunction,” resulting in an assortment of side effects, including:

Inflammation

Blood sugar imbalances

Most all disease: Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.

Mood imbalances, like depression

psoriasis or eczema;

IBS, bloating, or other digestive symptoms

Brain fog

Hormone imbalances

Infertility

ADD/ADHD

And (you guessed it) chronic—ongoing anxiety—that anxiety you seemingly can’t control, no matter how hard you try to think about controlling it.

“HPA Axis Dysfunction” is simply another way of saying, “chronic” stress.” Chronic stress is the root of all imbalance in the body.

And tying back to our gut-brain-body connection, chronic stress often stems back to the gut. It’s all intertwined!

HPA-Dysfunction vs. Stress

But don’t we all experience stress in our lives? Shouldn’t we just be able to deal with it?

What’s the difference in every day stress vs. “HPA Axis Dysfunction?”

Good questions!

Example: the Poptarts and Cheetohs I ate daily as a kid, and artificial sweeteners and additive-filled protein powders I ate for years in college and young adulthood.

Consider the variety of stress your own body encounters on a daily basis:

Working a job you don’t love, staring at a screen for 8-hours and staying stuck in your cubicle;

Barely getting 6-hours of sleep

Running off 2 to 3 cups of coffee every day

Eating ketchup, pasta sauce, yogurt and deli meat—laden with hidden sugar

Forgetting to eat, or subsisting off of chicken and broccoli—not eating enough

CrossFitting, spinning or running miles upon miles 5 to 6 days per week with little attentio to your recovery

If this becomes your “norm,” that HPA-Axis of yours also takes a hit. And when your HPA-Axis takes a hit, a “normal stress” response no longer remains.

Cortisol Conundrum

Speaking of “normal stress, “ever heard of the hormone cortisol?

Cortisol is directly produced and regulated by the HPA-Axis.

Higher amounts of stress produce more cortisol.

If cortisol levels are constantly produced and pumped out (with little to no recovery or rest from the stress), then the HPA-Axis gets pooped out!

Again: stress is more than just a mental battle, it is also a physical battle.

How do I know if I have HPA Axis Dysfunction?

It’s not always easy to “see” or diagnose—especially if your “subpar (stressed out) norm” has become your norm.

Common signs of an out-of-whack HPA-Axis include:

Anxiety—that doesn’t go away

Panic attacks

Feeling wired and tired at night

“Waking up” when you workout—and needing the highs of workouts to keep going

Plateaus in training, “gains” and physical goals

Muscle weakness or wasting

High or low blood pressure

Suppressed respiration (needing “more air” during training)

Subpar performance “Crazy fast” metabolism or super slow metabolism

Telling your body to “work harder” or “push more”—with difficulty implementing it

Digestion difficulties (bloating, gas, IBS, constipation)

Suppressed appetite

Hormone imbalances (low testosterone, loss of period, infertility)

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

Unable to go long between meals without getting a headache/shakey

Dependence on coffee, sugar or artificial sweeteners

Never feeling 100% rested

Apathy and/or burnout

Feeling emotionally “flat”

Falling asleep if you sit anywhere for too long

Insomnia

Weepy for now reason

Inability to lose weight

Mood swings

Fatigue

Anxiety or Depression

Autoimmune conditions

Food intolerances

Headaches

High blood pressure

Low or high heart rate

Feeling dizzy when standing up

Inability to concentrate/focus or memory loss

Lyme disease

Catching colds, flus or illnesses easily

Not “feeling like yourself”

Skin breakouts or acne

Feeling burned out or unable to do your usual basic “to dos”

Inability to tolerate exercise like you once did

Random allergies

“Diabetes”

Thyroid issues/hypothyroidism

Unwanted weight loss and inability to gain weight

Feeling “wired and tired”

Shortness of breath

Hormone imbalances

Apathy about my work

IBS

Poor workout performance

Electrolyte imbalances

If any of these factors are ongoing (lasting more than 7 days), then it may be worth at least exploring if you could benefit from “resetting” your HPA-Axis (i.e. targeting stress).

What to Do About It

Address stress—the elephant in the room.

Not just mentally, but physically.

How to do it?

Here are some basics to start:

1. Assess Your Own Stress.

2. Test Don’t Guess.

3. Eat a Nutrient Dense Diet

Balance your meals with protein, healthy fats and moderate carbs. No extremes.

Protein, particularly in the morning, has a balancing effect on blood sugar.

Avoid foods with fillers, sweeteners and unknown ingredients.

For a time, avoid caffeine and alcohol.

Prioritize clean filtered water (Tip: Add a pinch of sea salt to 12 to 16 ounces of water in the morning. Sea salt is a natural electrolyte to balance sodium levels).

Eliminate blue light exposure at night (blue-blocking glasses, nightshift apps on your phone),

Get back to nature (aim for 30-60 minutes at least of fresh air)

Eat at regular intervals

4. Catch Enough Zzzz’s

5. Move Your Body

What’s filling your life and what’s draining you? Take a thoughtful inventory of what’s crowding your space. Cut out the things on your plate that are weighing you down.

6. Relax

As cheesy or overrated as it sounds, take time out to settle your mind and integrate mindful activities through mental and physical (intentional) relaxation.

Consider these:

Prayer

Journaling

Meditation (Try Muse, or Headspace)

Biofeedback/Heart Math

Yogi Breathing

Yoga

Tai Chi

7. Supplement Smart

Liposomal Curcumin + Boswellia AKBA

Lavender & Peppermint essential oils

Adrenal Calm Cream by Apex Energetics

HPA Axis

The post The Most Comprehensive HPA Axis Dysfunction Guide appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

#Elizabeth B. Grimes #ElizabethGrimes #Holistic #Nutrition #Therapy #Recovery #Functional #Medicine

0 notes