We are a stressed nation and a stressed people. It would be hard to find someone in our society who is not affected by significant amounts of stress day in and out. This constant exposure to stress has a negative impact to your health over a long period of time. The glands in your body that regulate your response to stressors are called the Adrenal glands. The terms Adrenal Fatigue and Adrenal Burnout have been coined to describe a situation where long-term stress causes this gland to function improperly.

Adrenal Fatigue refers to a situation where your adrenal glands, due to chronic stress, do not respond with the release of an appropriate amount of hormone. One of your stress hormones is known as Cortisol. There can be times of increased cortisol released or times of decreased release during Adrenal Fatigue. So, instead of releasing a measured amount of cortisol to a stressor, your adrenal glands may release too much or too little. You are probably unknowingly aware of this problem as there are now many supplements being sold as weight loss products which are meant to normalize cortisol production in your adrenal glands. Cortisol stimulates the deposit of fat around the abdominal area. I typically refer to these supplements, however, as the Corti-Scam weight loss products. In other words, they over sell the potential benefits and quality of their products for profit.

None-the-less, it may be helpful to look at Adrenal Fatigue in the context of an analogy of running a race. Suppose you have just finished running a long distance race (chronic stress). At the completion of the race you are then asked to sprint the 50 yard dash (immediate stress). You are able to run the 50 yard dash, but not any where close to your best performance (Adrenal Fatigue).

The same analogy can be used to describe Adrenal Burnout. Suppose you have just finished running a marathon race (constant chronic stress). At the completion you are again asked to run the 50 yard dash (immediate stress). You are again able to run the sprint, however, due to being burnt out you barely are able to finish (Adrenal Burnout).

Thus, the terms Adrenal Fatigue and Adrenal Burnout refer to what I like to call functional deficiencies. In other words, you can still function, but at a much lesser rate of effectiveness. Both of these conditions can effectively be treated by natural means. I urge you to listen to or download:  Stress: It is a Killer.