Adrenal Fatigue, in a nutshell

For a while I've wanted to write up about a common but not-very-well-known problem that many people have but it remains undiagnosed or undermined by their Dr.  A couple years ago when I was struggling with depression, this turned out to be the cause.  (You can read about it here if you can't remember)  A friend told me about it, and I am so thankful she did.  I was able to get help and now recognize when I'm getting low on key "ingredients" and know what to do to get my energy and health back.  I'm going to cut and paste from various websites, which I'll list at the bottom for your own reference if you want more information.

Here's some signs and symptoms:  (while having a couple wouldn't necessary diagnose a person, having many of the symptoms would indicate adrenal stress and fatigue).

While you may “look normal” without any obvious signs of degenerative disease, your constant fatigue and lower than lowest energy levels are the dead giveaways for adrenal fatigue syndrome.

Here’s how your other symptoms might play out:

• Morning fatigue. You don’t really seem to wake up until 10 a.m., even if you’ve been awake since 7 a.m.
• Afternoon “low” (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.
• A burst of energy at 6 p.m. when you finally feel better from your afternoon lull
• Sleepiness around 9p.m. to 10 p.m. However, you resist going to sleep
• A “second wind” at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally do go to sleep
• Cravings for foods high in salt and fats
• You crave sugar
• Chronic low blood pressure
• Sensitivity to cold and feeling chilled
• Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
• Mild depression
• Mood swings
• Mental fog
• Memory problems
• Lack of energy and feeling rundown
• A decreased ability to handle stress
• A decreased ability to recover from illness
• Muscular weakness
• Increased food allergies
• Lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or lying down position
• Decreased sex drive
• Frequent sighing
• Inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they’re combined with fats and protein
• Frequent respiratory infections

Not only are your energy levels affected. Your bodily organs and functions will also reflect diminished efficacy. Your heart and cardiovascular system will be compromised; so will your immune system in fighting off infections; and other systemic functions, as well. In all, adrenal fatigue is a systemic blow to your body.

http://www.myadrenalfatigue.com/adrenal-fatigue-symptoms 

First, what are your adrenal glands and what do they do?  They are no bigger than a walnut and weigh less than a grape, but each of your two adrenal function glands sits like a tiny pyramid on top of a kidney ("ad" "renal" means "over" the "kidneys"). But don’t let their small size fool you; these powerful little hormone producing glands manufacture and secrete almost 50 different hormones, including steroid hormones such as adrenalin, cortisol, aldosterone, estrogen and testosterone that are absolutely essential to your health and vitality. They not only significantly affect the functioning of every single tissue, organ and gland in your body; they also have important effects on the fluid balance control and blood sugar regulation. They even regulate how you think and feel and determine how effective your immune system functions. Without the hormones the adrenals produce you would die very quickly, and when out of balance the quality of your health and wellbeing becomes severely compromised. Does it not make sense therefore to optimise the functioning of these tiny glands? Of course it does.

What is their purpose?  The adrenal glands keep your body’s reactions to stress in balance so that they are appropriate and not harmful. For example, the protective activity of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant adrenal hormones like cortisol helps to minimise negative and allergic reactions, such as swelling and inflammation, to alcohol, drugs, foods, environmental allergens, cancer, infection, and autoimmune disorders (like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, and the 70 odd other auto-immune conditions). These hormones closely affect the utilisation of carbohydrates and fats, the conversion of fats and proteins into energy, the distribution of stored fat (especially around your waist and at the sides of your face), normal blood sugar regulation (hypoglycemia is one of the problems related to poor adrenal function), and proper cardiovascular and gastrointestinal function.  After mid-life (menopause in women), the adrenal glands gradually become the major source of the sex hormones circulating throughout the body in both men and women. These hormones themselves have a whole host of physical, emotional and psychological effects, from the level of your sex drive to the tendency to gain weight. Every athlete knows that steroids (adrenal hormones) affect muscular strength and stamina.  Even your propensity to develop certain kinds of diseases and your ability to respond to chronic illness is influenced significantly by the adrenal glands. The more chronic the illness, the more critical the adrenal response becomes. You cannot live without your adrenal hormones and, as you can see from this very brief overview, how well you live depends a great deal on how well your adrenal glands function.

(http://www.adrenalfatigue.co.nz/adrenal-gland-function/)

How do you know if your adrenals are fatigued or overworked?

1. Ragland's sign (blood pressure test) -- (Equipment required: Home blood pressure kit) Take your blood pressure while sitting down. Then, stand up and immediately take your blood pressure again. Your systolic (first) number should have raised 8 to 10 mm. If it dropped, you probably have adrenal fatigue.
2. Pupil dilation exam -- (Equipment required: Flashlight and a mirror) Look into the mirror and shine the flashlight into the pupil of one eye. It should contract. If after 30 seconds, it stays the same or, even worse, dilates, you most likely have adrenal fatigue.
3. Pain when pressing on adrenal glands (located over kidneys)

Though the ACTH laboratory exam doesn't effectively test for adrenal fatigue, a salivary cortisol test can. You don't need a prescription for the exam. In fact, you can even buy the test online, do it at home and send in your sample to a lab for the results. Dr. Wilson is very positive about the effectiveness of the salivary cortisol test in diagnosing adrenal fatigue. It is so valid and accepted that Plan B Medicare covers it and "they don't want to cover anything they don't have to," he quips. If you don't have insurance, rest assured that this non-invasive test is also very affordable.  Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/019339.html#ixzz1vYCY24yH

Causes:  (**another blogger's words, not mine!)

Lifestyle

To quote, "Too much stress. {rant warning}…This seems to be one of the primary factors in adrenal fatigue. One of the problems is the hectic modern lifestyle. The lust for more (stuff, promotions, entertainment, etc., etc.). We are always going, but never asking "what manner of persons ought ye to be?"

Not enough sleep. This is more a product of the lifestyle I just mentioned than anything. Also was made a good point about the high rate of adrenal fatigue among new moms and midwives. One thing that neither of them get is consistent, adequate sleep.

Environmental Toxins. There are many new man made foods, drugs and chemicals that can throw our hormones out of whack. Soy is one that we have been told is really good for us, even though it can cause estrogen dominance and is not very well suited for human consumption. Birth control pills and patches are another unnatural hormone we put into our bodies. Their is chlorine and fluoride in our water – both of which are toxic, and yet we are told that they are necessary. There are hormones added to conventionally raised meat and yes studies have shown that these hormones are then transferred to humans. All this to say their are many environmental reasons that our adrenals and overall hormonal balance have been thrown out of whack.

Nutrition

Excessive carbohydrate intake. I seem to be on a ranting roll today so let’s just talk about the food pyramid. Thankfully it has been toned down a bit, but at one point they were recommending 6-11 servings of grains per day! Did you know that the pyramid was created by a mega-PR firm, Porter Novelli International. Their past clients include McDonald’s and the Snack Food Association. Hmmm… something tells me they aren’t really looking out for our health. Back to the adrenals…Carbohydrates produce excessive amounts of insulin, which the body reads as stress. This then forces the adrenal glands to release cortisol, even though there is no environmental stress to be seen. When this happens over and over again through out the days and weeks our adrenal glands become exhausted. (30 symptoms of adrenal fatigue)

Not enough cholesterol and saturated fat in the diet. Everyone says that saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for us, but did you know that dietary cholesterol is absolutely necessary for the production of hormones? And did you also know that studies have shown that infertility has been "cured" when women switch to full fat dairy instead of fat-free? Amazing, but common sense.  (**Good fats are animal fats, dairy, coconut oils, and olive oils.   Good fats are necessary for immunity and brain health.  Don't avoid them in an attempt to lose weight.  More problems will arise.  Bad fats are soy, corn, anything hydrogenated (margarine).)

Caffeine. Too much caffeine can overstimulate us to the point where we are calling on our adrenals to deal with the stress of a caffeine buzz. I had a brief addiction to coffee last year and have since given it up, but it wasn’t until I quit drinking coffee and then have the occasional cup that I realized how poorly my body responds to it.

Zinc deficiency. Apparently the adrenal gland functioning is dependent on the levels of zinc in our body. There is something called a copper-zinc imbalance which you can read more about here. Zinc deficiency can be caused by many things, but it appears that improperly prepared grains and vegetarianism can be a problem. Consider using sprouted or soaked grains and eating clean, pastured meats.

Lack of Good Salt. Sodium levels are crucial to the functioning of the adrenal glands. But not all salts are created equal. After I had my last baby part of my recovery recommended by my osteopath was to drink salt water made from good sea salt. There are many other things, which I will probably cover next in my recovery plan. For now I will leave you with some really great articles that were part of the basis of my research."  from  http://www.nourishingdays.com/2010/07/adrenal-fatigue-causes/

Treatment

There are many treatments for adrenal fatigue, but here's a few of the main ones.

• Lying down during your work breaks (preferably at 10 a.m. and again anytime from 3 to 5 p.m.)
• Sleeping until 9 a.m. as often as possible
• Laughing
• Exercising gently (overexerting taxes them more)
• Minimizing stress
• Taking negative people out of your life
• Eating regular meals
• Chewing well
• Doing something fun each day
• Combining unrefined carbohydrates with protein and oils
• Avoiding junk food
• Eating five to six servings of vegetables each day
• Taking calcium and magnesium supplements
• Adding sea salt to your diet
• Taking 2,000 to 5,000 milligrams of vitamin C each day
• Supplementing vitamin E with mixed tocopherols
• Taking B-complex supplements that are high in B6 and pantothenic acid
• Adding licorice root extract to your dietary supplement regimen

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/019339.html#ixzz1vYCxTtfK

I used different herbal remedies than these mentioned, and was back to myself in 4 days of treatment (although I needed to stay on them for an extended period of time).  Now I try to get plenty of vitamin B's and C, as well as staying home as much as I can, especially when baby is little.  Recognizing normal from abnormal has been vital now too, so that symptoms don't get out of control.  Feeling crummy (in whatever way, shape or form) is NOT normal.  Pray about it too.  God knows your needs and can supply direction and healing for whatever may be causing illness. 

More on adrenal fatigue

More information on adrenal fatigue.  Some sources say that 80% of people are affected these days due to lifestyle, food and stresses that we all encounter.  If you missed my original post, it's here.

Here's Eighteen Overlooked Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue

Here's a good website with lots of info.  http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/

How to get tested to see what your cortisol levels are (the indicators of adrenal fatigue)
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/saliva-testing-for-adrenal-hormones

What to eat to help: http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/adrenal-fatigue-diet

I've got kids needing some stories read, so there's a start...
~R

Depression (in one big, huge nutshell)

When I thought about writing about all I've learned about depression, I thought it would be easy.  Tell my story and leave a few resources.  But as I started to write, it got longer and longer as there are so many other aspects to the causes, so many types of treatments and so many other variables, that then the subject became very daunting.  Greg and I have both suffered with it, but our paths of healing were different because our causes were different, and leave lots of links so you can look into each thing more yourself, since your story is going to be very different from mine (or my husbands).  If you just don't want the story and just the resources, skip down to the end.  Any links for more information are in turquoise so you can just click on them.

All through my 20s, I felt great.  I always had lots of energy, exercised frequently, was easily motivated and almost always in a good mood.   The only thing that was a negative was that I needed a lot of sleep each night, more than everyone else.  Even after we got married and throughout my first pregnancy, I still worked full-time 12 hour days as an ER tech and did fine.  I did start having chronic neck pain during this time which was unresolved through chiropractors (plural), massage, and all kinds of other treatments.  By this time we had moved to WA where I tried another couple of chiropractors, to no avail.  I remember just going in to the one of them crying and telling him that I couldn't even hold my baby because my neck hurt so bad.  He had me taking some herbal muscle relaxants (which took the edge off) and said, "well, at least you're taking these and not wrecking your liver with Tylenol.  Look on the bright side."  Ugh!

Soon I became pregnant with James and we went through 5 different mattresses during that pregnancy trying different things to get me comfortable enough to be able to sleep at night (even just a little).  I also found out about our now-chiropractors Dr. Darin and Dr. Anik when I was 7 months pregnant who were able to give me the best relief I'd found so far.   But still, my neck always hurt and I spent most of my time with new baby James in the LaZBoy because I hurt so bad to hold him without support.  He was a very fussy baby with a body full of eczema, so needed a lot of holding.

When he was 18 months old, we were up in Canada and my Mom suggested that I take James to the Master Herbalist that she and my Dad go to and see if we could find some answers for his health (he was still very fussy, very itchy and struggling).  We went to see her and then I decided at the last minute to see her myself to see if there was something missing in my diet/nutrition that was causing his health issues (so that if we had more children, we could prevent all this chaos).  She uses a technique called Live Blood Analysis which basically is just taking a drop of blood and looking at it under the microscope and is able to tell an insane amount of things about your health. She found out that James was not digesting his proteins and carbs, and that I had parasites very badly.  She said they were definitely from living on the farm and that I'd had them for at least 20 years .  She then said, "you must eat pretty healthy, because with these as bad as they are, you shouldn't even be able to get out of bed each day".  She also was able to pinpoint my neck pain and said that after a parasite cleanse, my neck pain would clear up in 6 weeks (the length of time it takes the body to get rid of them after a cleanse).  She said that the parasites settle in your weakest area and when flushed out, the pain will go away.  And it did.  In 6 weeks, just like she said.  I was frazzled and tired at this point (mostly due to James' sleeplessness) but still in good spirits.  No depression yet.

I was then optimistic that we were on the healing journey.  The Herbalist had gotten James feeling better (her treatment plan for him worked as well (digestive enzymes and probiotics 3x day) to give his liver a chance to heal and get back on track.  I was expecting Elise by now and felt pretty good throughout her pregnancy.  My neck pain was gone and I could sleep again.  But then when she was born, she cried and cried and cried.  She didn't sleep worth a hoot (I often would spend 8 hours of my day getting her to sleep- she'd sleep for 5-10 minutes, wake up and cry until I got her to sleep again and again). Nights weren't any better.  I tended to hers (and the other kids) needs, but my mental state was pretty poor.  As time went by, the lack of sleep from 2 fussy kids drug me down.  I had no idea where to turn, didn't have the energy to try anything new and plunged downward mentally.  The vast amount of crying she did frazzled my nerves even further.  By the time she was 18 months old, she was still not sleeping much in the day nor at night and I was pretty low.  Greg was in no better shape due to his stressful job and having to get to bed so early for it that we both were just kind of in a stupor most of the time.  I'd been depressed for at least a year by now.

We had been praying about what to do with her, with us, and with our health when I remembered about Sonja (the vitamin lady) out in Clatskanie.  I made an appointment to see her and Greg came along.  She does muscle testing (applied kinesiology) and I tested low in my thyroid, my adrenals and essential fatty acids.  She gave (sold!) me some vitamins and in 4 days I was back to my old self again.  I had had lab work done on my thyroid and it had tested out fine, but obviously it was not.  I've since learned that lab tests are only sort of reliable (more about that later).  Since then, I've either been on supplements to boost my thyroid or my adrenals or both and have felt back to what I should.  I've also had 2 healthy babies now that my own health is back to where it should be.  I've since also since discovered that both James and Elise's health issues/allergies were due to the stress in my body from all the lack of nutrients (that the parasites stole) and also hormone levels out of control. (A mom will even rob from the adrenals of her unborn baby once theirs are developed, which is probably what I did to Elise, and why her coping skills then were shot when she was born).

Greg took a different route and went to our local Naturopathic Doctor Dr. Briggs (in Clatskanie) and followed his adrenal fatigue protocol.  It took about 2 years of healing with random saliva cortisol levels.  When he started, his cortisol was flat lined on the bottom of the graph and when he was finished it had peaks where it should have.  He also had to change jobs due to the stress at his old one became too much.  It's good to see him laughing again...I missed my good-natured husband, although his now-boss likes to pile on the stress heavily too.  Still working on that one.

So, after that lengthy saga, here's a few ideas of what to do for yourself if you (or your loved ones) are struggling with depression.  There are many root causes, so I'll try to list the ones that come to mind so that you can delve into them more yourself.  This list is certainly not even the tip of the iceberg!  And you'll have to take your health into your own hands.  A medical Dr. will be no help to you in these areas, except to order some lab tests (which you'll likely test fine for).

1) Parasites/Yeast overgrowth-  Do you have bugs in your belly?  Parasites steal your nutrients and excrete ammonia and clog up your liver.   Who wants that?  A cleanse is easy, non-invasive and no trouble at all.  Most people de-worm their pets, but don't consider doing one themselves, although through the ages, people have always fasted seasonally which does the same thing.  If you've ever have/had animals/pets, garden, have been to a third world country, have ever eaten slightly raw meat, eaten sushi or live on a farm you likely have parasites.  If you can find someone who muscle tests or does live blood analysis to find out for sure, do so.  If not, just do a cleanse.  Here's a few reputable companies as well as more info. Renew Life, Mountain Meadow Herbs, Humaworm (symptom list also), Standard Process.  If pregnant or nursing, you can use olive leaf extract (Mountain Meadow Herbs).   Candida yeast overgrowth goes hand in hand with parasites, and often if you have one, you have both.   The symptoms can be similar too.  Tackling candida can be more challenging, but feeling better is worth it!  **Make sure your spouse does a cleanse too, or you'll just keep getting reinfected.

2) Low Magnesium- because of our high stress, poor soil (nutrients), and bombardment with things that deplete magnesium, low magnesium is almost endemic.  It's such an easy fix too.   All of these things will help ease depression.  Because...Magnesium regulates cortisol.  Magnesium lowers blood sugar.  Magnesium supports thyroid.  Magnesium aids sleep. Magnesium fuels cellular energy. Magnesium makes hormones.  Magnesium activates vitamin D.  Magnesium is anti-aging. (source)   A product like Natural Calm is easy to start with.  Start out on a low dose and gradually work up to more.  Epsom salts baths will help too.

3) Poor Nutrition (even with excellent diet)- There are many reasons our bodies aren't getting the nutrients we need for a healthy mind and body.  Sometimes it's diet (not enough vegetables, too many grains/carbs and sugar, poor soil quality or long shipping times so the nutrients aren't even in the food by the time we get them, etc.), but often it's that our digestion is poor and we aren't digesting or absorbing the food we're eating.  This may be due to stress, allergies/food sensitivities (diagnosed or not), eating too fast (we moms don't do that do we?), low stomach acid (from low mineral levels), poor gut flora (bad bacteria outnumber the good), or poor liver function (below).  If you didn't read my recent post on improving your digestion, here it is.  Poor nutrition also equals low serotonin, which is your feel good neurotransmitter. Serotonin is produced in the gut, so poor gut health results in low serotonin.  Beets are great for increasing serotonin in the gut, cleansing the liver, as well as probiotics.  Focusing on B vitamins, probiotics and essential fatty acids will help your nutrition dramatically, as well as taking digestive enzymes to help digest what you do eat.   The gut-brain connection goes both ways.  Poor gut function=poor brain function and vice versa.  

4) Poor Liver Function- Your liver is your big huge filter and if it gets clogged, everything downstream will suffer.  And that would be your heart, your brain and your hormones.  Think of a car's oil filter.  If it gets clogged up, how well does it work?  Your body is the same way.  Environmental toxins, prescription meds, smoking or alcohol intake, ammonia (from parasites), hormones (especially birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy), and poor nutrition can all clog up your liver.  Read my post here about liver health and start taking steps to clean your clogged filter!  Here's a list of symptoms to see how healthy your liver is or isn't.  Here's foods to help clean it.   There are also several kinds of gall bladder flushes to help get rid of any gall stones that may be impeding liver function. Here's one kind and here's another.  This is a long geeky article on the long reaching effects of a good vs. bad liver if you want to read more.  Look for liver supplements with milk thistle and dandelion in them as they will do wonders for a sluggish, over-worked liver.  If you have any hormone imbalances, you likely have liver congestion.  Although your liver doesn't produce most of these hormones; it is what regulates the sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, etc.), aldosterone (fluid balance hormone), insulin/glucagon/glucose (blood sugar), testosterone, and cortisol (stress/fight & flight) and the liver are closely entwined as well.

5) Adrenal Fatigue- your adrenals are what help you deal with stress.  They get taxed and don't work effectively if stress isn't eliminated or dealt with.  Many of us have high levels of stress in our lives and aren't able to eliminate them (jobs, caregiving, family problems/worries, etc.), so our adrenals take the toll.  My blog posts about it tells a lot more, but Dr. Wilson is one of the most well-respected experts on the subject.  The medical doctors dismiss such a thing as adrenal fatigue and it is not even a medically diagnosible disease, even though it afflicts so many thousands of people.  The saliva cortisol test is the best test possible for seeing if your adrenals are doing what they're supposed to be, but you'll likely have to find a Naturopath to get it ordered.  

6) Over or Underactive Thyroid- The thyroid and adrenals go hand in hand.  They help each other.  If one is stressed, the other will be also.  If your thyroid is low, you'll feel sluggish and dreary.  The problem is that ordinary lab results rarely diagnose thyroid problems, because the range of what is "normal" is so huge.  The doctor sees the numbers and dismisses it right away if they are within range.  If you feel your thyroid isn't doing what it's supposed to be, find a new doctor.  A Naturopath or Integrative/Functional Doctor will look deeper into the root of your problem more than a medical one will.  They just will.  Dr. Sara Gottfried has lots of good information too.

7) Low mineral levels- pregnancy depletes 4 lbs of minerals PER BABY, so many of us moms are really low.  The books The Calcium Lie II and The Post-Natal Depletion Cure are both good resources to see how much of each mineral we need, and how to get more.  Minerals have taken the back seat to all the other supplements these days, but are now being seen as vital to all health imbalances.  In the post-natal book, he explains the symptoms that come with too high or too low levels of each major mineral in our bodies.  If our minerals are balanced, our symptoms will go away.  I like nettle/alfalfa/oatstraw infusions for my mineral dosages each day (cheapest option), or Concentrace drops, Real Salt or Bioplasma homeopathic cell salts.  Can get the herbs for the infusion at Natural Grocers (for those with one of those nearby on the West Coast/AZ). 

8) Emotional/Spiritual/Physical stressors (finances, health, etc.)/Grief not dealt with. I won't go into these one as I don't have a lot of resources for it.  But they're very real.  And they need to be addressed and dealt with just like physical symptoms, even if it happened decades ago.  And there's always hope and healing through Jesus Christ, as well as forgiveness and redemption.  There are many forms of counselling and avenues to help you if this has been your root cause of depression.

Medications should only be used on a short term basis WHILE the root cause is being investigated.  They are not helpful in the long run, as they do not solve the root problem, but just mask it.  If you end up with a heart attack or stroke in the future because your liver congestion was never addressed, that's a huge problem.  But nobody will tell you there is a correlation, when there really is.  When your heart can't get good, clean, healthy blood because your liver (filter) is clogged up, no amount of antidepressants will solve that problem.  Here's some herbs and supplements we've used with good results for mood as an alternative to medication.  Do not stop medications quickly though!  And find out what is compatible and what are not.  Some medications cannot be mixed with these herbs/supplements.

~NutriCalm  Lots of B vitamins and calming herbs for your nerves.  Makes you feel better right away.  Safe for pregnancy/nursing.
~Suma This is what I started with from Sonja and felt better right away.  Not safe for pregnancy or nursing though so I've had to find other things.
~Green Vibrance This was my next go-to and is still what I take each day.  It has digestive enzymes, liver support, adaptogens (adrenal support), thyroid support, probiotics and more in it.  Tastes best mixed in a bit of orange juice, but still is very "green".  You can even buy single dose packs just to try a few if you don't want a big jug.  
~5-HTP  This is going to be your cheapest supplement.  I've taken it to help with sleep, but it also helps calm your nerves throughout the day.  If your serotonin is low, this is the one you want.
~St. John's Wort- This is what Greg took for the longest time, although he took Nevaton (listed below) which has it in it.  Get a good quality one, as the cheaper ones don't work as well.
~SAM-e This is what my midwife recommends for post-partum depression.  Greg took this as well and had good results with it, but it is more expensive.  You want at least 400mg. for depression (it's also great for joint pain, so lower doses are available for that).
~Nevaton This is what our Naturopath had Greg on for a long time as well.  It works very well at keeping moods balanced.
~GABA This is great for calming and anxiety.  We haven't used it a lot, but occasionally and it works well.  It's an amino acid.
~True Hope vitamins.  This company was started back in the 90s when a father lost 2 of his children to suicide from Bipolar Disease.  They are a vitamin company based in Alberta, Canada but are also available in the U.S.  I've had several family members have profound results from using these vitamins.  They have counselors to help work with your doctor to reduce your meds so that you can only take the vitamins and get rid of the meds.  If you aren't on meds, they can help tailor your dose to fit your needs.   Awesome resource and amazing results.  We take these still as a multivitamin.  The vitamins are mostly Bs and amino acids and trace minerals but there are other products available too, depending on your symptoms.

Kelly Brogan M.D., Holistic Psychiatrist is my go-to for anything to do with depression.  She has a great website  full of information and lots of articles that are helpful.  Here's one of her articles:
3 Dietary Changes to Make Before Starting an Antidepressant

Most of all, I would encourage you to seek your own answers.  Don't be satisfied with a prescription for meds for the rest of your life or a diagnosis that your illness is "genetic".  That's just an excuse for not caring enough to find the true cause and a true solution.  Try all sorts of treatments until you find one that works.  Yes, it will likely cost you money out of pocket (you can claim any Naturopathic visits, treatments or supplements on your taxes though).  Yes, you'll find some things don't work at all.  But yes, you can be healed also.  Not just a Band-Aid fix, but healed!  Not too many medical doctors can offer you that.  

Recommended Books to Read:
A Mind of Your Own - Dr. Kelly Brogan (healing depression and getting off meds)
The Mood Cure -talks about amino acids, self tests and lots of good information
The Hormone Cure -all about female hormones
Stop the Thyroid Madness -all about the thyroid
Potatoes Not Prozac -alternatives to medications
Adrenal Fatigue-21st Century Stress Syndrome -all about adrenal fatigue
The Liver and Gall Bladder Miracle Cleanse -explains how the liver/gall bladder and heart are closely intertwined and how to improve their health
Physical Nutrition and Degeneration -how nutrition impacts a society for better or worse
Nourishing Traditions -getting back to eating like generations past for improved nutrition, health and happiness
Magnificent Magnesium- the benefits of getting enough magnesium.  All the things magnesium does in the body (there's over 300!)
The Magnesium Miracle- even more about magnesium- the miracle mineral
The Calcium Lie II- more on minerals
The Post-Natal Depletion Cure- how being pregnant with our precious babies drains our bodies of nutrients, causes health issues and how to replace them.  For some women 1 baby will totally deplete, with others it may be more babies.

On expecting a new baby

My older sister recently sent me a text saying something to the effect of, "saying you are pro-life is one thing, actually living pro-life is completely another".  She has birthed 11 children and has had some pretty rough challenges along the way.  She went on to say how in the Bible, child bearing is never portrayed as easy or to be taken lightly.  Sometimes, it's just hard.  I have not experienced some of the many other difficult challenges that pregnancy has to offer, but it's definitely not been easy either.

With our first baby, I had what the ultrasound people called an "incompetent cervix", and was scared by them into thinking that my baby could just fall out at any given time and die.  Thankfully my doctor was more reasonable and reassured me, but did advise me of all the things that could happen with such a condition.  Nothing ever came of it, but it did cause me to worry needlessly.  With baby #2 I was in neck pain continually, which meant I never got decent rest.   With baby #3 my adrenal fatigue was at its peak, so my energy was low and non-existent, plus I was still dealing with/trying to figure out what was going on with baby #2.  Baby #4, things were getting better, but I still had bursitis in my hip (and had had it for the past 2 babies as well), so I had hip pain with every step I took and every time I laid on my left side (which all the experts tell you you're supposed to do!). He also dropped down into position 6 weeks early, so I basically couldn't walk more than a few steps at a time for those last 6 weeks.  Baby #5 I was just plain tired all. the. time.  More than your average tiredness.  I did learn a few things with her, and that was to take enough magnesium to combat the morning sickness, and later about Green Vibrance to give my energy a boost.   She was also breech which caused some stress until she got turned.

Now with baby #6, it's low iron that is giving me a challenge and my tiredness has reached an all-time new low level.  I didn't even know that was possible, until here it is.  I'm glad I have been able to figure out what it is so that I can work on bringing it up, but it still is a long haul.  I can't exercise or even go for a walk because the energy just isn't there.  I even get lightheaded in the shower as that is too much exertion.  Just not enough red blood cells present, so sucking it up isn't even an option.  Christmas left me on the couch for 3 days after.  So did Thanksgiving.  I'm learning a new level of taking it easy.  I can slowly feel my levels coming back up, so will get them tested again to see where I'm at, but it's a long haul.  When my physical energy is so low, then my mental and emotional energy are too.  My fears (real and imagined) overwhelm me, my neediness does too (a problem I've never dealt with).  My insufficiencies blatantly stare me in the face and mock me while I lay on the couch and do nothing.  

But, the "nothing" I do is doing something.  It's growing a whole new person.  It's organizing (mentally) my family of 7 and striving to meet their needs.  It's reading many more books to my kids than I ever  imagined I'd have time for.  It's helped me read my Bible more, talk with my husband more and cuddle on the couch with whoever needs one.  It's made me pray more and seek God's strength more when my own is so weak.  It's made me call on others for help as well, which is hard for my pride to do.

For the past week I've been feeling far better than I have this whole pregnancy, so this is also a praise report.  God is faithful at carrying me (us) through the low times, and I know He will give me strength for the challenges yet to come.  I still need to stay home as much as I can, pace myself for each day (I'm experimenting with using a day timer and so far it's working well) and still trying to keep school, church and family priorities in line.  I hope to start exercising a bit now that my energy is starting to come up so that I can get stronger for labor and birth, as a weak wimp trying to deliver a baby is kind of a disaster waiting to happen.  So far it's been 5 months of no exercise.  Ugh!

Because of the baby kicking me, hiccuping, tossing and turning, and the plain old uncomfortableness of pregnancy itself, it's hard to forget about him/her for even more than a minute.  This also leads to continuous thoughts of the future of awaiting their arrival (fearing labor once again), wondering how the family dynamics will change, and also the logistics of a larger family.  I have a hard time seeing above and beyond all these realities to see the poetry and beauty in it all.  I know all of it in the big picture and the whole life scheme of things, I just can't see it for myself very often.  More often than not, the negatives get me down.  My faith just isn't very big these days.  I wish it was, but it just isn't.

Living pro-life just isn't all that easy.  For me anyhow.

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ my rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake:  for when I am weak, then am I strong."  2 Cor. 12: 9,10

Random September Update

I'll tell you, there is absolutely nothing exciting about this post.  I just haven't written in a while and figured I should.  Our laptop needs a new power cord, and it's not exactly on the top of the financial priority list, so I have to type on our desktop which isn't the most comfortable. (such hardships, I know!)  Anyhow, we've been working on getting our little Mr. 1 year old to sleep better, which has meant that I've been sleeping better too (sometimes) but am still in need of a good many hours to reach my quota from a year of deprivation.  I'm back taking my adrenal support vitamins too, as I could feel myself back into the lacking area there as well.  Hopefully we'll get back on track here again! (I usually write my blog posts after everyone is in bed for the night, but sleep has been calling me first lately)

We started school again this fall, and are trying to figure out what schedule works the best.  The kids think their best in the morning, but also need to be active in the morning (aka. working) or else they're bored and fighting all afternoon and evening.  We also should be outside in the morning when the weather is so nice, as it has been getting almost hot in the afternoon.  And, I need to get my work done in the morning too.  So, I've been juggling different schedules to see what works best when for this stage of life.  Also, trying to get them to realize that playing isn't all there is to do each day, and that kids need to learn math and phonics, boring as it may seem sometimes.  I try to make it fun and break it up, but sometimes they also just need to buckle down and do it!  ( I told them Dad doesn't exactly like to get up at 0500 every morning for work, and doesn't love all the things he does in a day but still has to do it.  And my job isn't exactly a bed of roses much of the time either, but I still have to do it- not sure if they get the concept though!)  I guess that's what we get after a summer of fun times and lack of work altogether (pretty much so for them, that's for sure).

Greg also hurt his back pretty bad (twice) and has been out of commission for a good amount of time this past month.  Hopefully he's on the mend, but it's been a bit nerve wracking and frustrating for him (and me) not knowing what would/could happen (could he work? would it get better? how long?) in the future.  So far he's missed minimal work, but has to be really careful to lift correctly and stretch properly and go to the chiropractor when needed.  He also is supposed to exercise it a great deal and also rest it a great deal, so finding that balance is difficult.

My cousin's daughters were also in a serious car accident, which threw my head in a whirl for a while there.  The whole week after it happened I was only able to think about them and pray for them.  We were supposed to go to a homeschool workshop and I could barely get food on the table that week.  Thankfully the girls are recovering slowly (the younger girl is now just coming out of her coma, a month later), but it's taken a toll on me (and our whole family) emotionally and spiritually.  Maybe even more so than I had realized.  Greg's Papa is also going downhill health-wise, and he (Greg) has been having a hard time being away from him at this time.  Greg was their first grandchild and has had some pretty special treatment from his grandparents over the years. 

Well, I should get off to bed before my littlest waker-upper wakes me up for the first time tonight.  We've been having sleep issues with 3/4 kids (all the boys) these days so I'm really puzzled what that's all about.  Not sure what's causing it, and not sure what to do about it either.  So, I'll just let them sleep out on the couch if that's what makes them sleep! (well, not the baby...but you know what I mean)

Top Supplements for health and happiness

For a while I've been trying to compile a list of my top supplements.  After much deliberation, this is what I've narrowed it down to.  This is, of course, only what I've found works for our family, and may not be the best choices for your specific health issues.  I'll try to list links so that you can get more information, should you desire.

1) Things that aid digestion.  If you aren't digesting your food well, then you aren't absorbing your food well either, which means you aren't getting your nutrients to nourish and heal your body, and then a myriad of problems can arise.  Poor immunity, poor coping skills, allergies, leaky gut, cancer...you name it.  There are several ways to approach this.

   a) digestive bitters- these help stimulate digestive juices to help your body digest better on its own.  Some brand names are Urban Moonshine and Mountain Meadow Herbs Liver Glow (II for kids/nursing/pregnancy).  Our James has used the LiverGlowII for a couple years now (off and on, as we take breaks), and his liver is doing better than it ever has and his eczema is gone.  Ingredients like milk thistle and dandelion are in them, and they strengthen and cleanse the liver at the same time, while providing minerals.

   b) digestive enzymes- there are complete books written on enzymes, but basically they help your body break down food when it is unable to on its own (most commonly due to stress which lowers our body's natural ways of working).  There are many good brands, here's the one our Naturopath recommends( Pure)   Look for both plant, animal and Betaine HCl for optimal digestion.  

   c) diluted HCl- this is just diluted stomach acid itself, and by using it, your body will produce more of its own as well as help your food digest better also.  Low stomach acid is usually caused by stress also. Have you ever not felt like eating when you're under heavy stress?  That's why.  Constant low grade stress does the same thing on a long-term basis.  If you suffer from heartburn, this would be what you want.  Typically heartburn is your body pumping out continually (instead of just at mealtime) HCl because the levels are too low, not too high (as most would believe).  The only reasons not to take HCl is if you are on corticosteroids (eg. Prednisone) and/or anti-inflammatory NSAIDS (eg. Motrin) as both of these type of drugs irritate the stomach lining already, and the added acid can cause ulcers.  We give this to a couple kids and they are less ditzy and can think/learn more clearly when they take it.  Our Naturopath says that kids can heal themselves by just adding this to their diet.  I haven't seen healing yet, but I have seen happier kids who are able to focus (and less digestive issues) and that is nice for everyone around!

2) Things that replace the bad bacteria with good.  Most of us have either been on antibiotics at least once in our life (or like me- many, many times ever since my bouts with tonsillitis as a small child, or my husband who was born via C-section and then had strep many times as a child).   Anyhow, our gut flora is pretty much nil.  Other ways we destroy our gut flora. 

   a)  Probiotics-  things like kefir, kombucha, kimchi, raw sauerkraut and probiotic pills will all help.  This is a lifestyle change, not just a one-time-eat-some-yogurt-because-you-were-on-antibiotics type deal.  Add these things in when you can, and slowly incorporate them more and more.  Kefir can now be bought at Walmart and WinCo.  Kimchi is at WinCo, raw sauerkraut or pickles (Bubbie's) are at most grocery stores too (in the refrigerated section).  If your store doesn't carry these items, email/call them and ask them too.  Or learn to make your own.  Wellness Mama (my favorite health blog) has instructions for most.

   b)  Prebiotics- these I have not taken myself, but have family members benefit from them.  These help the probiotics work better, and help replace bad bacteria with good.  These are not as common as probiotics, but just as important.  Mountain Meadow Herbs  also carries them.

3) Greens, greens, greens.  I don't know anyone who lives in this day and age who eats enough greens.   So, supplementing is crucial.  These help nourish our bodies, provide fiber to move things through our system, detoxify chemicals/medications, provide oxygen to our cells all of which help prevent disease.  They are the most nutrient dense vegetables, in yet they taste the worst so we rarely eat them, right?  Here's a few more reasons to eat greens.  My favorite is of course Green Vibrance.

   a) green vegetables-Whether you buy them and make juice or smoothies, steam or roast, or simply buy a green powder or capsule to take, try to do what it takes to get more green vegetables into your diet.

   b) green seaweeds- this consists of spirulina, kelp, dulse, chlorella, etc.  These are full of minerals and also full of green which can really benefit the body.  Most of them also benefit the thyroid, which is low in many people these days.  Even if the Dr. says yours is fine, that often means that it is in "normal range", not in optimal range.  Check the numbers and see if yours is in the top 25% of the range, rather than just within normal.  According to my Naturopathic Dr., people don't feel good unless their numbers are in that top range.  Chlorophyll is not a seaweed, but another great green for deodorizing the body and flushing out toxins and oxygenating your cells.

4) Essential fatty acids (EFAs)- this is all those good oils we hear about which do all kinds of things.

These EFAs are necessary for the following processes:

• Formation of healthy cell membranes 
• Proper development and functioning of the brain and nervous system
• Proper thyroid and adrenal activity
• Hormone production
• Regulation of blood pressure, liver function, immune and inflammatory responses
• Regulation of blood clotting: Omega-6 FAs encourage blood clot formation, whereas Omega-3 oil reduces clotting. The ideal is to achieve a balance between omega-6 and omega-3 FAs
• Crucial for the transport and breakdown of cholesterol
• Support healthy skin and hair
  (source)

Fish oils, flax oils, nut oils, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, real butter, chia/hemp seeds, cod liver oil, fat from grassfed beef/pasture raised chicken, etc.  Avoid anything hydrogenated, or chemically altered or heat treated (for shelf life), and you should be fine.  After decades of low-fat mantra, it's time to replenish all those good oils and fats again.

Interestingly, it seems that many gluten sensitivities can be traced to a lack of good essential fatty acids.  Sometimes the person isn't getting enough EFAs, but often it is because their body isn't breaking down the ones they are getting (refer to my #1 above).  Adding digestive enzymes can help the body heal the fatty acid deficiency and the gluten sensitivity in the process.  Yay!  

5) Calcium/magnesium/phosphorus/boron/vitamin D- although magnesium is the one often lacking the most, all of these minerals and vitamins work together for healthy teeth and bones.  You need all of them together for your body to be able to utilize them effectively.  Soda sucks the first three out of bones and teeth as it is so acidic that your body needs 32x more of them to replace what you drank.  Yikes!  Growing babies is hard on teeth and bones too.  Celeste has been teething lately, and it's made my own teeth ache (she's nursing way more), and they ache even if I only eat a bit of sugar.  I've been upping my intake of these vitamins, because I really don't need (or want) teeth problems if I can avoid it.  The brand that works best for me is Nature's Sunshine Skeletal Strength and it has calming and digestive helps in it too.  Here's a good article on how these all work together and the importance of them.  The book The Magnesium Miracle is good too.

6) Bone broth and gelatin- bone broth has gelatin in it, both which help heal and nourish the body.  Because our society eats mostly muscle meats, we are severely lacking in collagen and minerals and amino acids for healing most ailments.   Bone broth can heal a leaky gut, overcome food intolerances and allergies, improve joint health, reduce cellulite and boost the immune system.  Slow simmering bone-in meat is one way to do this easily, and then making gravy from the drippings or using broth for soup.  Here's a good article about the benefits of bone broth.  You can learn to make your own, or now you can even buy it premade.

Although often health solutions can start at home; nutritionists and Naturopathic Dr.'s are needed also to pinpoint problems if they are more deep rooted and not easily solvable.  This website below is my favorite for at-home things you can do to improve your health.  She has easy tests to do to help determine different things, how to make healing foods and such.  Below is a screen shot of her healing food list which we strive to do when we can.  Sometimes food isn't enough to heal, and supplements are needed to boost health (in specific areas) before the food can heal (we've found this true in our house).  

http://heal-thyself.ning.com/

Here's Wellness Mama's list of supplements she recommends also.  I wrote my own list without looking at hers, but they ended up pretty similar.

Any that I forgot??