Stress…Stress kills! Stress makes you sick. Stress makes you fat! Stress makes you skinny! Stress makes you cranky – Stress interrupts your sleep. And stress makes everyone a little crazy. But how is stress defined? I’ve asked several doctors this question and I get blank stares. In truth, stress can be defined and measured quite simply. Our body responds to stressful stimulus by signaling our adrenal glands to release a chemical called cortisol. Cortisol can be measured in either saliva or urine. To best determine one’s stress, cortisol should be measured at 4 different times during the day: first thing in the morning, late morning, late afternoon and bedtime. People with a fairly normal stress level have a very predictable pattern: a rise first thing in the morning with a gradual decline throughout the course of the day. People under much stress will have a cortisol pattern that doesn’t follow the normal curve. Their cortisol pattern, along with their symptoms, will give insight into their stress level and how to best treat it. Symptoms of a cortisol imbalance or excessive stress are commonly:
Weight gain
Hot flashes
Forgetfulness
Brain fog
Hair loss
Heart palpitations
Inability to fall asleep
Anxiety
Inability to stay asleep
Fatigue
As you can see, stress is a very real problem in today’s fast paced culture. So what to do? Over the past 10 years of dealing with women and their hormonal issues, I have found that the women hardest to successfully treat with bioidentical hormones are the ones with significant stress/adrenal fatigue. I’ve learned that the brain is responsible for the signaling of the adrenals to release cortisol. There are several herbal or natural products that can have an effect on the brain. These products are called adaptogens. When used correctly, these adaptogens can both energize the brain or calm it down.
The Happy Hormone Cottage has created two separate adrenal support products using the well—studied adaptogens at the proper therapeutic dosing.
Our Adrenal Support therapy consists of proprietary formulations designed to produce a healthy cortisol curve – highest energy levels upon awakening, lowest energy levels at bedtime. We customize these supplements specifically for our clients and they can be found nowhere else. Adrenal Support 1 is taken in the evening and at bedtime to calm down the brain. It helps us fall asleep and stay asleep, and it prevents early morning awakening that so many people struggle with.
Our Adrenal Support therapy consists of proprietary formulations designed to produce a healthy cortisol curve – highest energy levels upon awakening, lowest energy levels at bedtime. We customize these supplements specifically for our clients and they can be found nowhere else. Adrenal Support 2 is used in the morning and in early afternoon to energize the brain. This product helps improve: energy, mood, and even libido.
Taken together, the goal is to normalize and recreate the natural cortisol pattern. When a normal cortisol pattern is reestablished, then all of those stress-related symptoms of weight gain, foggy thinking, etc. tend to disappear. Not only are we having success with women coming to the Cottage, but also in the men coming to our BioMale Center. For more information, or to purchase either of these products, please click on our online store, or call our compounding pharmacy at 937-773-1778.
