My adrenal glands don’t work right. When it comes to stress, I must care for myself. Otherwise, my well-being rapidly declines. Wish I realized this sooner.
Disclaimer:
The following is intended as a discussion and exploration of my health and my experience with a carnivorous way of eating and is not meant to be taken as medical advice or to suggest a cure or treatment for any disease or illness. The positive benefits listed are not guaranteed and should not be expected. This blog shares my n=1 experiment. All discussion is for informational purposes only. If interested in this practice, please educate yourself thoroughly. Also, seek advice from a qualified holistic or medical professional. We do not accept liability for damage or injury that may allegedly arise from any information or suggestions herein — as with anything, taking yourself to extremes can be very dangerous unless you are well trained and know what you’re doing.
Care For Myself – Fitness
For a long time, I worked out beyond what my body handled well. Imagine the frustration of working out at a high level six days per week to see no positive physical results.
Adrenal-ly Fatigued
That was the world in which I lived. Daily, I overburdened my body between work and gym time. I pushed as hard as I could from the moment I woke up until I lied down to bed at night. Several times this resulted in gaining significant weight rapidly. Yes, I am saying I gained weight working out.
Ok, before anyone loses their mind or gets way too excited – No, permanently quitting working out doesn’t work either.
I pushed myself further than what my adrenals and resulting body processes could handle. At times, I held easily 100 pounds of extra body weight – fat, water retention, and inflammation. For years, I would succeed than landslide back without warning and, even, without a change in activity or food choice.
Heart rate over 200 gasping for each breath, but I kept going. Thinking back, I wonder how close I’ve come to dropping dead on the gym floor. At the time, I believed I could do anything others could do or more. I lifted heavy weights with ease and ignored my aches and pains in other areas of my body.
Strong as hell, but not physically fit.
Change of Focus
Today, I joined the gym again with a whole new mindset toward my health. My new mindset focuses on adrenal health and de-stressing my mind and body. When in the past, I concentrated on crushing my limits, which damaged my body and health as a result.
I discovered first hand that a manageable workout where I keep my heart rate at a healthy level makes me feel energized rather than beat up. Of course, I am far healthier now than I ever was when going to the gym in the past. But, even with that, I made sure not to get winded or make my heart pound. As a result, I poured out sweat and gained momentum as I progressed.
My First Gym Session
For my first real cardio session in a long time, I completed 45 straight minutes on the elliptical. The machine read slightly under three miles with over 400 calories burned.
I stopped when I did to ensure I didn’t overburden myself. It’s more important that I am not sore or worn out so that I can continue tomorrow. Again, it’s my goal to address my long-term adrenal issues.
Immediately after the elliptical, I did some stretches. Then, I moved into the sauna which felt amazing. In the past, I’ve tried the sauna once or twice, but I never appreciated it until today.
During today’s workout, I noticed that I sweat more than average and stayed cooler overall, where I usually turn bright red, feel overheated, and sweat only minimally. Slowing my pace down seemed to help my body self-regulate. This session felt like the best workout of my life so far.
Care for Myself with Food
For me, the foods I consume make a massive difference in my health. For the past six months, I struggled with maintaining a strictly, carnivorous diet. Most days, I consumed only meat, but others, I failed to even stay within the realm of “ketogenic.”
When I Don’t Care for Myself
Until this past week, my weight remained relatively steady within a five-pound range. Somehow content in my mediocrity, I gave myself leeway on weekends, which occasionally ran into weekdays.
My body started to ache again, my sleep reverted, while my energy depleted. Little by little, but still in a short amount of time, I feel crappy, less than optimal, again.
When environmental stress increased, I gave into my weaknesses with food. Peer pressure also played a part, but I accept full blame for what I eat.
The Double-Edged Sword of Stress
Knowing for a while now that stress negatively impacts my body, I determined it better to care for myself mentally and have the treat rather than deprive then overindulge later.
Turns out, I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t.
I didn’t feel deprived at all when I was eating strict carnivore. The deprivation feelings started after I decided to eat a treat of my own accord with no real desire other than the moment.
Back to Basics
Over the next few days, I am weaning myself off of caffeine. I cut the amount in half already, so hoping my body adjusts peacefully. I want to avoid the expected caffeine-deprivation headaches since I don’t drink that much caffeine anyway.
For now, the goal is to maintain a carnivore way of eating, but also to listen to my body in terms of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. I prefer natural sources over extreme supplementation.
Today is June 11th, 2019 – Day One of addressing my adrenal issues in a holistic manner.
Talk To Us
Share with us how you will start to care for yourself and your health in the comments below or email us at emails@dirtywindshield.com.
Each week, I provide an update on my carnivore and personal development journey and information relevant to those curious. Please subscribe to our email list for notifications on the latest articles.
Links:
Dirty Windshield T-Shirt Store on Amazon
DirtyWindshield Merchandise Shop on RedBubble
Featured Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay