A Double Dose

Today, we are sharing about something we have both been struggling with for over a year now, and we have had so many of you all reach out about it, so we are going to talk about briefly in this post, and more in an upcoming podcast episode! Before we get into that topic, we want to talk about this super CUTE white dress that is absolutely perfect for Easter coming up, or just any spring event! It also makes a perfect bridal shower dress.We paired it with some neutral accessories like these blush sandals and this studded satchel. Both great pieces for spring! The sandals are blush, but also serve as a good neutral!Now, we want to get into our health struggle with Adrenal Fatigue. As you all know, we have struggled with Hypothyroidism (more in this post), and had it under control for a while. About a year and a half ago, we started gaining weight (specifically in our hips and abdomen), feeling extremely fatigued, our hair and nails were weak and not really growing like they used, to, our hormones were out of whack, and we had major anxiety, amongst other issues. At first, we though it was our thyroid acting up again, but after some research (and listening to some podcasts), we realized we definitely had some kind of hormonal issue/imbalance. We started seeing a hormone specialist, who ordered a ton of tests, and eventually diagnosed us both with Adrenal Fatigue. You’re probably wondering what Adrenal Fatigue is. Well, since we are both not doctor’s we did some of our own research, obviously! According to James Wilson (author of “Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome”), chronic stress and lifestyle affect the body’s ability to recuperate from physical, mental or emotional stress. Symptoms of  adrenal fatigue symptoms include

• extreme fatigue
• brain fog
• weight gain
• insulin resistance

Adrenal Fatigue is an overstimulation of the adrenal glands (or “adrenals”) by chronic stress over time that could lead to an inconsistent level of cortisol (the stress hormone) in the bloodstream, sometimes far more than normal and at other times, far too low. In addition to this overload or improper cortisol level, people with adrenal fatigue often don’t have enough DHEA, the “parent hormone” responsible for the creation of many necessary hormones in the body.

Dr. Wilson describes the unique progression of adrenal fatigue throughout the day as follows: you wake up and are unable to function without a significant amount of caffeine, finally feel a boost of energy during the early part of the day, then your energy levels crash around 2 p.m., rise around 6 p.m., fall again around 9 p.m. and then finally peak again at 11 in the evening.

source Obviously, you all know that we are pretty Type-A personalities, so it is not surprise that we are suffering from this. It is frustrating, but we are glad we had some sort of answer as to why we were feeling this way. So, after doing the test with our doctor (which included blood tests, saliva tests, and a few others), we read THIS BOOK (super helpful) and started taking some of these supplements + some other vitamins:

• Adrenal Rebuilder
• Adrenal C
• Super Adrenal Stress

Not going to lie, we totally feel like grandmas taking our huge pile of pills, but we are starting to feel better slowly. In addition to the supplements, we also have been doing  the following:

• cut out all coffee
  • we only drink green tea in the mornings and decaf coffee or tea later in the day
• cut out sugars
  • we try to stick to just stevia, and the occasional sucralose
• limiting refined carbohydrates
  • we do eat some carbs like wheat, but not anything processed
• sticking to whole, natural foods
  • we eat a lot of fresh veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats
• TRY to go to bed earlier (still a struggle)
• slow down with the cardio (we used to do wayyyy too much, and this can really affect your adrenal glands)
• sleep at least 8 hours each night
• do something relaxing for yourself (also hard for us)
• take breaks from work (also a struggle, too, haha)

In addition to Adrenal Fatigue, Sam has been struggling with inflammation, which appears like it is weight gain. Honestly, it has been very tough for her, and she will probably wrote a separate post on it, but she is thinking that she has Leaky Gut. If any of you have struggled with this before, please reach out! It always helps to have a support system.

Hope this was helpful for you all, and we will definitely keep you all posted on how we are doing! We would love to hear if any of you have struggled with Adrenal Fatigue before!If you’re headed somewhere warm, or just want some cute bags and shoes,  Sole Society is hands down our fave brand for accessories and shoes. Seriously, the cutest stuff! We live in it, seriously! { Cognac Satchel Studded Bag | Blush Sandal | White Dress | Gold Earrings | Curling Iron | Sunglasses | Nail Color | Lip Color |BRACELETS: David Yurman Cable Bracelets here, here, and here and Cartier Love Bracelet | RINGS:  David Yurman Ring here and here | WATCH: Michele Deco Watch }

In partnership with Sole Society.

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