#Adrenalbrag

I want to start a new hashtag: #adrenalbrag. It’s like #humblebrag, but instead of a material brag, this hashtag will deal with all things related to the seemingly endless amount of glorifying the burnout of our lovely HPA (hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal) Axis.

An adrenal brag is simple to spot; it has the element of a compliment paired with a exuberant declaration of exhaustion.

Here are two examples:

“Wow, you get 8 hours of sleep?! You must feel so refreshed—I only get 4 hours of sleep per week!” or “It must be so nice eating three square meals a day; I work 90 hours a week and have an all smoothie diet, because I can’t waste the time to sit down and eat a meal.”

Basically, it’s a backwards brag about how overworked and tired you are.

Here’s my #adrenalbrag; for years I thrived on 3 venti coffees a day, 8pm hot yoga classes followed by carb heavy fueling sessions—and my body could keep up with the demand, in fact, I relished the rush of it all.

But, as it turns out that “rush” was my body entering a severe flight or fight with a blood sugar crash and delivering an emergency dose of cortisol to my system to revive it. And that’s great—that’s what cortisol is there to do, but only in times of pure emergency, not every day at 3:30pm.

Also of note is that cortisol is addicting…so…… yeah……..not my greatest health escapade.

Okay, that’s cool, Kendall but WTF are we supposed to do about it?

There are a multitude of supplements on the market that go into great depth about how they help the HPA axis (and a lot do help!), but my philosophy is: if the wrong food choices can get me into this mess, the right choices can get me out of it, which is how I came across Zesty Ginger’s Adrenal Cocktail.

With a balanced ratio of carbs, protein and fat, this cocktail will give your liver the glucose (sugar) it needs to regenerate all while keeping your blood sugar stable with the protein and fat present. The salt that is added to the drink delivers minerals that can be used in a multitude of functions to maintain energy levels and nourish your adrenal glands. I drink this when I feel my first energy slump in the morning and then again sometimes in the afternoon if I need another boost.

And, to take it step further and make this cocktail a bit more portable I created the Adrenal Cocktail Gelly.

This adrenal gellie has approximately the same ratio of carb/fat/protein, but is a fun diversion from the original drink!

Adrenal Gellies

16 oz fresh squeezed organic orange juice

1 1/4 cup coconut cream

4 tbsp beef gelatin

Celtic sea salt for garnish

1. Add coconut cream to a medium sized saucepan and gently heat.

2. Once coconut cream has thinned and looks heated, (not boiling!), gently stir in gelatin one tablespoon at a time with a whisk.

3. After all gelatin has been added, keep gently stirring and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then, add in orange juice. (I like to add the most heat to the coconut cream, since it has already been pasteurized and try to keep as many of the fresh enzymes and nutrients from the OJ intact by adding it to less heat)

4. Once combined, pour into candy molds or casserole try of choice and allow to set in the refrigerator.

5. Garnish with copious amounts of Celtic sea salt and enjoy!

Makes approximately 4 servings. Store in refrigerator.

So there you have it! A simple recipe that might help keep your energy levels at an even keel and keep you from reaching for that afternoon coffee. This would also be a great addition to a stressed out kid’s lunch or afternoon snack. And even if you don’t have fatigue—it’s just a great snack in general.

DISCLAIMER
The information on this website is intended as educational advice only and should not be used in place of a medical provider to diagnose or treat any illness.