Hypothyroidism….. adrenal fatigue…. two conditions that I’ve been hearing about lately. Not just from my professional resources, but from clients. I don’t know if its the age of the people I’m working with or if there is an increase in these conditions, but I am hearing about how people are struggling to lose weight in addition to having hypothyroidism.
It’s not all that surprising that people with hypothyroidism struggle with their weight. If you look at the role of the thyroid gland and the hormones produced, it makes sense. When you don’t have enough hormone stimulating the thyroid, your metabolism slows down. Some other symptoms of hypothyroidism are:
– Feeling tired, weak or depressed
– Dry skin and brittle nails
– Intolerant of cold temperatures
– Constipation
– Memory problems
Your adrenal gland also has an important role. It produces the hormones associated with stress, whether it is physical, emotional or psychological. In adrenal fatigue, your adrenal gland is no longer operating optimally. What causes this to happen can vary, but the end result is the same. Some symptoms of adrenal fatigue are:
– Chronic tiredness not relieved by sleep
– Trouble thinking clearly or completing tasks
The thyroid gland and adrenal gland function differently and how they are related to each other is extremely complex. Sometimes even physicians have to use trial and error to figure out the cause of symptoms related to hypothyroidism or adrenal fatigue. To keep things simple the way I think about both hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue is that they both cause your body to slow down. This slowing down includes your metabolism.
Most people fix their problems of tiredness with caffeine, but this doesn’t get to the root of the problem. Instead it creates a “wired but tired” person. Other times people try to increase their exercise regimen thinking that this will increase their overall energy.
The truth is, to get to the root of the problem, to get more energy and to get your system moving, you need to do the opposite. You need to rest. Not just sleep more, although that is extremely important. But instead, you need to incorporate more leisure activities. I know this is REALLY hard for some of us. Our lives are so busy and chaotic; sometimes just finding the time to cook our own meals and exercise is a huge challenge. But if you really want to help yourself “fix” this slowing down of your metabolism, you need to rest. Here are some ways that you can do this:
– Take a leisurely walk for 30-60 minutes most days of the week. This is NOT power walking. It is NOT part of your exercise routine. This is time to slow down and allow the restorative hormones to be released.
– Take a gentle yoga class.
– Meditation. This is so simple to do and can be done anywhere. Most of us think of meditation as some type of spiritual experience. Yes, it can be that, but it can also be as something as simple as focusing on counting our breaths. Slowly inhale for a count of 8 then slowly exhale for a count of 8.
– Get a massage (my personal favorite)
– Take a hot bath with epsom salts. Finish the bath with a quick cold shower to help restore your thyroid
The list can go on and on.
So here’s your assignment: find a relaxing, leisure activity that you enjoy most and make time for it. You will be surprised at how powerful more R&R can do for resetting your hormones and trimming your waistline.
