Symptoms that indicate you may have Adrenal Fatigue…
Click here to take the QUIZ: Do you have Adrenal Fatigue?
- Morning fatigue — it's hard to “wake up” until 10 a.m., even if you've been awake since 7 a.m.
- Afternoon feeling of sleepiness or brain fog from 2 to 4 p.m.
- You may have a burst of energy at 6 pm
- Sleepiness at 9 to 10 pm but often you resist going to sleep and get a “second wind” at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally go to sleep.
- Cravings for foods high in salt
- Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
- Mild depression or anxiety
- Lack of energy, fatigue
- Decreased ability to handle stress,
- Feeling easily overwhelmed
- Increased allergies
- Lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or laying down position
- Decreased libido
- Frequent sighing or air hunger
- Inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they're combined with fats and protein
Dr. Jill's Top Treatment Strategies for Adrenal Fatigue
“Optimal adrenal health is one of the major keys to the enjoyment of life” If you have adrenal fatigue take these simple steps of necessary lifestyle and dietary changes to revive your adrenals and begin to enjoy life again!
LIFESTYLE TIPS
- Identify and remove stressors – this is the most important step. Emotional stressors such as relationships or financial problems needs to be dealt with and normalized. It might require a change in hours, who you spend time with, or even occupation. Make the necessary changes to restore your health.
- Go to sleep by by 10pm. You may need to set an alarm and begin getting ready for bed by 9pm.
- Whenever possible get rest in the morning from 7-9am, the optimal hours to restore adrenal function.
- Include something you enjoy every day, a leisurely walk, 30min of reading a great book, weekly massage, etc… Schedule these necessities into your calendar so that you are sure to carve out time for self-care.
- Incorporate humor into your day, laugh at comics, watch a funny video or just belly laugh about something funny with your spouse.
- Avoid becoming over-tired, by ensuring proper bedtime and avoiding activities that cut into your time for restful restorative sleep. Try red light at night and avoid computer screens, iPads or stimulating blue light after 7pm.
- Consider a melatonin supplement 3-6mg at bedtime to help regular cortisol before bed.
- Exercise gently at least 5 days per week, preferably morning and not late in the day. Try swimming, gentle bike rides, walking, yoga, stretching, or any restorative activity that incorporates breathing. Avoid high adrenaline activities, like kayaking, competitive sports, running, cross fit or high intensity training until you are well on your way to healing.
- Drink high quality, purified water with added minerals. Natural mineral waters, like San Pellegrino are also helpful to restore the missing minerals, like magnesium and have the added benefit of sulfur.
- Avoid negative people who drain your energy and instead make time for friends and family who lift you up, support you and encourage you. Life is too short to waste time on those who steal your joy.
- Consider taking specific adrenal-supportive nutrients with your doctor: Some of my favorites are Vitamin C, B complex, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and vitamin E.
- Consider adaptogenic herbs, like ashwaganda, rhodiola, ginseng, and licorice.
- You can order either of my favorite formulas Adrenal Manager or Adrenal Essence direct from Xymogen using code: DrJill and last name: Carnahan
DIETARY TIPS
- A poor unhealthy diet is a key causes of Adrenal Fatigue
- Always eat breakfast before 10am. The body's glycogen supply needs to be replenished after going through the night. Try to eat your lunch before noon and evening meal before 6 p.m.
- Avoid coffee or other caffeinated beverages. Coffee and tea act as stimulants and interrupt sleep pattern. Herbal tea is acceptable because it does not contain caffeine.
- Eat within one hour of waking. Fasting is hard on the adrenal glands so minimize time overnight fasting. Never skip breakfast and be sure your first meal contains high quality protein and no refined carbohydrates or sugar. Eat your starches in the evening and never in the morning.
- Drink a large glass of water in the morning immediately upon waking with 1 teaspoon of Redmond real sea salt and 1/2 squeezed lemon. You can also use 1 scoop of my favorite adrenal supportive electrolytes in water: Thorne Catalyte (Order online using code: HCP1004064)
- Sprinkle sea salt liberally on food to taste provided blood pressure is normal. Foods high in potassium such as banana can make the adrenals worse and should be avoided.
- Adopt a whole food organic diet, devoid refined grains and all processed food, such as breads, pastas, and rice cakes and crackers.
- Eat 5-7 servings of organic veggies daily
- Avoid high starchy foods, such as white rice and white potatoes. Some people do better with a serving of complex starch, like brown rice, quinoa or sweet potato in the evening to lower cortisol and help them sleep.
- Avoid high sugar fruits and all juices, especially at breakfast.
- Eliminate trans fats (we all should do this anyway!)
- Eat wild-caught seafood at least 3X weekly or taking a high quality mercury-free fish oil supplement.
- Eat foods rich in adrenal-supportive nutrients, such as Organic 85% dark chocolate, leafy greens, nuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, flax and chia seeds, and organic grass-fed animal proteins.
- Combine protein and fat at every meal and snack. This will ensure sustained energy is available at and between meals. Avoid eating only fruit or carbohydrates alone as this may cause blood sugar instability. Upping your total fat intake with olive oil, coconut, and avocado may also help.
- Whole fruits may be eaten later in the day at lunch and dinner except banana, fig, melons, or dried fruits. Berries and apples are wonderful low-glycemic options.
- Take small amounts of protein and fat such as nuts, cheese or nut butter before bed if you have difficulty falling asleep or awaken frequently between 2-3am.
![204: Resiliency Radio with Dr. Jill: Can our Minds Spontaneously Transform our Health? Bruce Lipton Dr. Jill 00:00 Hey guys, I am so excited to announce that the movie that you've been waiting for, the documentary Doctor/Patient, is now available for rent or purchase at DoctorPatientMovie.com. Check out the trailer here. 00:13 Dr. Jill: When I really knew something was wrong, was when I started having trouble walking up the stairs. I was supposed to be grateful and happy and healing and well and thriving, but I did not feel that way. I was so sick. Like always, I wanted to find an answer, and I had to figure it out. And I had to figure it out to save my own life. So I dove in. 00:38 James Maskell: Jill is the leading voice in biotoxin illness and chronic conditions that are driven by toxicity. 00:43 Bree Argetsinger: Oh my gosh, you're dealing with mold? You have to work with Dr. Jill Carnahan. 00:47 Patient 1: Dr. Jill is the first person that actually began to shed some light on the problem. 00:53 Dr. Jill: What I do is listen to the patient, and we together talk about what else is possible. 00:59 Patient 2: I don't know why I'm crying. 01:02 Patient 3: She saved my life. 01:06 Dr. Jill: The deepest lessons and most profound insights come in the suffering, come in the dark moments. Self-compassion is the healing transition that shifts something inside of us. It's actually the thing that we need most in order to heal. 01:26 Narrator: Doctor/Patient—available now at DoctorPatientMovie.com. Dr. Jill 01:36 Hey, welcome to Resiliency Radio, your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights in functional and integrative medicine. I'm your host, Dr. Jill. In each episode, we dive into the heart of healing and personal transformation. Join us as we connect with renowned experts, thought leaders, and innovators who are at the forefront of medical research, empowering you with knowledge and wisdom to overcome illness in your journey to optimal health. Dr. Jill 02:02 Hey guys, if you don't already know, if you've been around me at all, you know my movie, Doctor/Patient is now out. You can view it, share it, gift it, or rent it at DoctorPatientMovie.com. Be sure to check it out and then I would love to hear your feedback after you've had a chance to watch it. Dr. Jill 02:19 Today, I am deeply honored to have guest Bruce Lipton here with me. He's a PhD, a cell biologist, a lecturer, and an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit. We were just talking before we came on about how he has been a leader [for] decades before a lot of us in functional/integrative medicine came along. And I am so excited! If you're a doctor listening—and I know I have a lot of audience there—you are in for a treat. If you're a patient, you're also in for a treat. Stay tuned. Dr. Jill 02:47 Bruce was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and later performed groundbreaking stem cell research at Stanford University. He's a best-selling author of The Biology of Belief—if you haven't read that book, it's a classic now—The Honeymoon Effect, and the co-author with Steve Bhaerman of Spontaneous Evolution. Bruce received his prestigious 2009 Goi Peace Award from Japan in honor of his scientific contribution to world harmony. Bruce, it is a true honor and delight to have you here! Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 03:17 Jill, I am a happy person to be here because this audience that I get a chance to talk to, to me, is a very important audience. These are the cultural creatives that are paving the way for the future that we need to get into very soon because we're facing an evolutionary upheaval at this very moment. Whether you watch the news, surf the web, or even look out your window, the whole planet has experienced chaos at every level of it. People are focusing on the little chaos, like focusing on the trees, without pulling back to see the biggest thing that's happening and nobody's saying the words. NASA—Let me just say NASA's words. NASA has recognized that within the next 20 years, civilization is facing—and this is my emphasis here—an irreversible collapse. The reason is so mathematically simple. Let me give the math. Dr. Jill 04:16 Sure. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 04:17 Science has recognized that to continue living just the way we're living—just say, let's every day live the way we're living today on this planet—it takes 1.6 planet Earths to provide the resources for today's civilization. The simple math is this: There's one Earth subtracted from 1.6, and we're recognizing: "Where the hell are we getting the extra points?" Dr. Jill 04:39 We're in a deficit. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 04:40 And that deficit is leading to the destruction of the web of life. We have to also recognize this: Even though the Bible is giving us some fanciful story that nature was created and then humans were added on top of nature—no, we evolved from nature. We are nature. If nature goes down, humans go down, because we are part of this web of life. Our separation in our consciousness [that causes us to believe] that we can dominate nature, I say, "How's that working?" I say, "We're facing an extinction." That's a biological reality at this moment. It's called a mass extinction. It happened five times in the history of this planet: Life was thriving, [then] mass extinction. It knocked it all out and then it started again. We are there because of our behavior. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 05:33 And I say, "Our behavior is based on our consciousness." I go: "Okay, wait a second. Is that New Age?" I go: "No, let's stop. No New Age here at this moment." [In] 1927—day one, quantum physics—Max Planck, the founding father of quantum physics, states: "The mind is the creator of our life experiences." Quantum physics—the most valid of all the sciences today in the sense of its predictions and accuracy. Quantum physics. And it's still the belief in quantum physics: Consciousness is controlling this. And I go: "So if consciousness is controlling this, then why are we in such a mess?" The answer is: We have been programmed, and the programming has disempowered us all. It has disempowered us as patients. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 06:28 I go: "I'll give you a program that disempowers you right now." I say, "What is it?" "It's called genetic determinism." That was what I was teaching in medical school: Genes control the character of life. I go: "Did we pick the genes as far as we know? No. But if we don't like the characters we have, can we change the genes? No, can't do that." And then let's just add a little tidbit: Genes turn on and off by themselves. And I say: "You put those together and what have you done? You have told the patients that their lives are not in their control, they're controlled by their heredity, and that they're victims of heredity. Which is victims of what? Genetics. And what does a person know about genetics? Nothing. Who does know something? The doctor. Aha! The program is: When it comes to health, people do not trust themselves." They say: "I need an expert opinion. I'm not knowledgeable." They accept the truth from somebody else. Dr. Jill 07:28 I so love the direction that you're going here because, as a physician, one of the most important things I can do is empower the patient and make sure that they don't think that I am the end-all-be-all. [I want them to know] that we are collaborating and that I listen to them, and I say: "How do you feel about this treatment plan? Where do you want to go?" Granted, if I have wisdom, I can give them that information, but they still get to make that decision. But so many patients are outsourcing that wisdom to someone. Or, at least paternalistically and historically, that has been the way. And what we need to do is take control of our own health. Dr. Jill 08:00 How many patients have gone through a loved one with breast cancer—I'm a breast cancer survivor, so I can speak on this—and they're told, "You have the BRCA gene and you need to have a bilateral mastectomy"? I'm going to be strong about this because I disagree. That's an action out of fear. To each his own, so if you've been out there and have done something based on your genetics, there's no judgment here. But what we're saying is that you actually have control over the expression of those genes. So why don't you go into epigenetics for those who don't know what that means and tell us a little primer on epigenetics and why we have more control than we think? Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 08:34 Okay. The most important thing—and this is all scientific, so this is not any new age BS here, folks, this is science—I say: "What is it?" The belief that genes turn on and off is a completely false statement because a gene is a blueprint to make a protein. The proteins are the building blocks. Proteins wear out; you have to replace them. So you have to have a blueprint. It's called a gene. I go, "It's a blueprint!" I go, "Why is that relevant?" I say: "Go to an architect's office. She's working on a blueprint. You ask her, 'Hey, is your blueprint on or off?' She would look at you like, 'What are you talking about? There's no on and off to a blueprint.'" I go: "Aha! Aha! A gene is a blueprint. What you want to find out is: Who's the architect who reads the blueprint? The blueprint does not read itself. There's an architect." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 09:24 I saw this in my research in 1967. None of you were probably old enough to know what I'm talking about—1967! But I was cloning stem cells. Let's give the real name of a stem cell: An embryonic cell. It's an embryo's cell. It replaces things that are broken and gets a new one. I go: "So what? I clone the stem cell." I say, "What's that?" I say: "You put one stem cell in the culture dish. And then what? It divides every 10 or 12 hours." So first there's one, then there's 2, then there's 4, 8, and 16. A week later, [there are] 30,000 cells in the petri dish. What's the most important fact? They all came from one parent. I have 30,000 genetically identical cells. I split them into three petri dishes—one, two, three. Each dish has 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, all genetically the same. We grow cells in a culture medium. Ah, this is going to be the tricky part, for when you get this, the world changes. I'm going to come back to it. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 10:27 I say: "A culture medium is what the cells grow in in the lab. And I make it up by putting the chemistry or culture medium. Since I'm creating it, I can change some of the constituents. So I make three different versions of culture medium, A, B, and C." So I say, "So what?" Each one represents a different environment because the cells live in a culture medium. So I say: "Okay, dish one, environment A—the cells form muscle. Dish two, environment B—the cells form bone. Dish three, environment C—the cells form fat cells." I'm doing this experiment. I'm teaching genetic determinism, and I'm watching the cells and going— Dr. Jill 11:10 Wait a second. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 11:11 —"Wait a second, who controlled the activity?" They were all genetically the same. What was different? The environment. The chemistry of the environment selected the genes. The genes did not select themselves. Then, all of a sudden, I said, "Why is this important?" It's a revolution! I'll tell you why. Genetic determinism: Victim. The new science, epigenetics, which I'll explain: Master. Why? Because you control the environment. It's the environment that controls the cells. It's called epigenetics. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 11:48 [There's a] simple reason why the name [is what it is]. What do we call skin? Epidermis. Why? What's under the skin? A layer called dermis. What's the skin above the dermis? Epidermis. Epi: Above. Epigenetics: Control above the genes. I go, "Whoa, the control is not in the genes." I said: "No, it's to control the environment that the genes live in." I go, "Well, wait, I control the environment." Aha! If you control the environment, then you control the genetics. And that's all of a sudden where the new science comes in. The genetic determinism: Victim. Epigenetics: Master. You control your genes. So basically, what I saw back in 1967 was, "The genes didn't make this decision." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 12:48 Now let's just jump ahead a second here because that's a basic science. And then I'm going to give you this, which you're totally aware of: You are a skin-covered petri dish. You have 50 trillion cells under your skin and you have the original culture medium. What is a culture medium? I didn't say it before, but I'll tell you where it is: A laboratory version of blood. When I grow human cells, I concoct a culture medium based on the constituents of human blood or mouse blood, depending on which cells I'm growing. What's the point? You are a skin-covered culture dish with what? The original culture medium. You have the blood. The blood carries the chemistry, which activates the genes. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 13:34 So the first point: Scientifically, it doesn't make a difference if the cell is in a plastic dish or a skin dish? I said, "No, it's the environment." And I say the environment in your body is the blood for the cells. Then come two questions that blow the game into a new evolution. Question number one: What controls the chemistry of the blood? The answer is the brain. It's the chemist. The big one—here it is, hold on: What chemistry should the brain put into the blood? You know what it is? Whatever picture you hold in your mind, the brain translates the picture into complimentary chemistry that matches the picture. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 14:25 I say, "So why is this important?" The picture in your head becomes material in your body. You manifest what you're thinking. I go: "Wait a minute. Would I manifest this life? Would I manifest my cancer?" I go, "Yes." I go, "You say that so affirmatively." I go: "Quantum physics—the most valid science principle number one [is that] the mind is the creator of our experience." I go: "Well, epigenetics is the biological component of that physics mechanism." Epigenetics is how the mind adjusts the genetics of the body. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 15:05 And I go, "We're facing a healthcare crisis on this planet." I go, "Yes, we are facing a healthcare crisis." And I go, "What's responsible?" We put all the money into science. You know what we're looking for? We're looking for the gene—the gene that controls that problem. Guess what? Less than 1% of all diseases on this planet have any connection with genes. Wait, then that means only less than 1% of what we diagnose as disease is connected with genes. I go, "Yes, that's a fact." Then what is really contributing to the worldwide crisis in healthcare? The answer is: Stress is 90% the cause of disease, minimum. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 15:54 I go: "Okay, come on! How could that do that?" Let's give the biology because it's not New Age again. You're ready? When you're in stress, you're in threat. When you're in threat, you engage a protection response. I say, "What is a protection response?" The protection response is: When you perceive stress, you will release stress hormones, adrenal hormones. I go, "Yes, so what?" Well, what do you think the adrenal hormones do? They prepare the body for fight or flight. I go, "So what?" I say: "First of all, there are three stages to take a body from health, happiness, joy—I'm in the garden, I love my life—to 'Ah! A sabertooth tiger's chasing me!'" I say, "So I have to switch from growth, boom, into protection." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 16:41 How does that happen? Three steps. Number one, stress hormones cause the blood vessels in the gut to constrict. Why? Because most of the blood is in the gut. I say, "Who cares?" I say: "Ah, but the blood is a source of energy. So if you need energy, you need blood." So I say, "So what's the point?" I say: "Most of the blood is in the gut, taking care of the body, cleaning, fixing, repairing, nourishing, and doing all those things. But the moment stress hormones come in, the blood vessels squeeze shut. People feel it in the body." "It's queasy. I feel very queasy when I'm in fear like this." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 17:16 I say: "But some people say butterflies in the stomach. Why?" The fluttering of the blood vessels shutting down—you can feel it. And it's a fluttering. And what's happening? The blood is being pushed to the arms and legs, and that's where I need to run away from that damn tiger. So number one, redistribute the blood. Where do I take it from? [From] growth and maintenance to protection. So I'm not funding growth and maintenance when I'm running from the tiger. I go, "No, you're not." Number two, the immune system is to protect me on the inside. If I'm being chased by a saber-toothed tiger, then what's the value of the immune system? Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 17:55 I'll give you a scenario. Come on, doctors, listen to this. The patient's got a bacterial infection. They're going to have a real bad case of diarrhea coming up here and they're being chased by a saber-toothed tiger. How would you split the energy of the body? How much to support the immune system and how much of that energy to run away from the saber-toothed tiger? I'll give you a second. Okay, thank you. The answer is, of course, who cares about the immune system? If the tiger chased you, the bacteria are not your problem anymore, that's for sure. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 18:26 Listen, stress hormones shut down the immune system to conserve energy. And you know damn well that when people are sick, sometimes they don't even have the energy to get out of bed because the immune system uses a hell of a lot of energy. If you're being chased by a tiger: I can't support the immune system because if the tiger gets me, who cares about what's happening in the interior?—it's not mine anymore. It's so important—in fact, therapeutic—that when they transplant an organ from person A into person B and they don't want immunological rejection, they give the recipient stress hormones before the operation. That restricts the function of the immune system so it doesn't immediately reject the foreign graft. Ah, so stress hormones are used therapeutically to shut off the immune system. So I say, "Yes, what do you think stress does automatically?" That's number two. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 19:21 Number three, conscious processing is slow compared to reflex behavior. Conscious [processing] is like, "Oh, let me think." Reflex is boom! Boom! Like that. The point is, if you're running from a saber-toothed tiger, conscious processing is going to delay your nervous system because you'll be thinking. When that tiger is coming, guess what? Remember the role of the stress hormone—to squeeze the blood vessels here? They squeeze the blood vessels in the forebrain. I say, "Why?" Because it stops the blood flow from going to the conscious mind. Where's it going? The hindbrain—reflex behavior. Result: We become less intelligent in the fear process. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 20:11 So I say: "Let's put these all together. I shut down growth, I shut down the immune system, and I shut off conscious awareness." I go: "When was that system formed?" "Oh, a couple hundred thousand years ago." I say: "What was it responding to?" "The saber-toothed tiger?" I go: "So what was important?" "If you escape that tiger for five minutes or ten minutes, there's no more saber-toothed tiger, no more stress." So it was used for five to ten minutes. Shut it down [for] five to ten minutes; we'll come back later. In today's world—you know the whole thing—every day, every minute, we're in stress. The system was never designed for chronic stress. It shuts down the vitality, health, and maintenance of the body. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 21:01 The stresses of this world are responsible for over 90% of healthcare crises. This is recognized by the American Psychological Society: 95% of visits to doctors' offices [are] stress-related. I was a programmer. And I'm not proud now because, when I programmed, people used to believe in genetic determinism. I go: "No, no. I was wrong. Epigenetics, okay?" But we've been programmed to be victims. Dr. Jill 21:32 Yes. First of all, I think doctors are starting, at least in my realm of functional/integrative—we're talking epigenetics; we're using this. And I just want to share a personal example to bring home what you just shared. It's so important. Many of my listeners know that at 25, I had breast cancer, then Crohn's disease, and then autoimmunity. I'm the poster child. What I remember very clearly is that in my 30s, I got mold-related toxicity. My immune system was terribly trashed and overactive and I was under high stress. I remember one day walking along and realizing: "This stress that is in my body is actually killing me." I had the mentality [of] "beating cancer," "fighting cancer," "fighting this," "fighting that"—fighting, fighting, fighting—which is your saber-toothed tiger [description]. I was in fight or flight. Dr. Jill 22:16 The day I realized that was the day I realized I could also reprogram my immune system through my thoughts. That day I started thinking [up] a new paradigm, thinking about these little yellow minions being my immune system. They were helping escort mold toxicity out of my body without this fight because, [in] fight or flight, there's no healing. And now, today, I'm healed from that and from mold-related illness and all of this. But it's really that moment when I realized I could change my thought process, change the function of my immune system, recover from Crohn's, cancer, and toxic mold, and no longer fight. Dr. Jill 22:53 And the most important message, as you brought home, is that when I'm sitting with a patient, if they're in fear, if they are in fight or flight, and if they are feeling unsafe in their body, there is no amount of pills, supplements, IVs, nutrition, or even good advice that I can give them… Unless they go to that place of unsafeness, that place of fear, that place where they're still somatically running from the tiger. We have to change that, and it starts with this. Dr. Jill 23:22 So I love, love, love that you framed this. And I just want to give you credit because you've been doing this work for decades before anyone else was talking about it. And now we're seeing it. And finally, doctors in my field are starting to acknowledge and talk about it. But even in my field, functional medicine is a lot about supplements, diet, and lifestyle. That's all great. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 23:40 Well, that's environment! Dr. Jill 23:41 Right? Right. Actually, that's the thing I was going to mention too. My specialty is environmental toxicity, so I know the petri dish of how it affects our bodies. But I do believe, as you're saying, that this reprogramming of our mind… Do you have any stories or examples, maybe from your book, of a patient, client, or somebody who has read your book who really took this and changed from there? Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 24:03 I've got hundreds and hundreds of letters from people who've written. There were two things about this. Let me express it even in my personal life. I understood this from a scientific point of view. Man, it was in my laboratory, my research. It was repeatable; I could do this all the time. It took 23 years before science caught up with that observation. I [inaudible] a lot of other things in between to conform. And the reality is that our own understanding about our frailty—it's an understanding. And then I give an understanding of, "No, we're very powerful." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 24:42 I was so happy to go and find an audience of doctors and people: "Let me explain how to create the most wonderful life. Here's the science!" And then they'd come to my lecture and they'd look at me and go: "Lipton, your life doesn't look that good for a guy who says you know this." Oh my God, I was caught. You know what it was? Talking the talk, not walking the talk. I knew the science. It was in my head. Did I make it part of my life? No! I say: "So what was the point? I don't care how smart you are; if you don't make a part of your life, it's irrelevant." Totally! Then all of a sudden, when I caught myself going, "Oh, do as I say, not as I do," it's like, "I can't do that!" So I had to say: "Stop lecturing. Start living your life with the principles you are telling other people. Live this now." How long did it take me to change my life? Oh, within a month, my life was completely on a whole different spectrum. And it was like, "Now, of course, I start talking about it again," because it was real. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 25:47 Let me just give a simple understanding, a scientific understanding, and that is this: The mind is not one thing. "Oh, the mind." I go: "No, not the mind. There are two minds. And they're interdependent, but they have different functions." The conscious mind, the latest evolution: The prefrontal cortex, right behind your forehead, [is] the seat of the conscious mind. What's that? The conscious mind is your source, your personal identity, your spiritual place. What else is it? It's creative! That's what makes humans different than all the other animals. We can take ideas, boom, build them, and create in the conscious mind. What about the subconscious mind? Oh, the original one? Hard drive, programs, habits, stored behavior. Thinking? Uh-uh. Just behavior—program. Dr. Jill 26:38 The subconscious has no way to differentiate truth, right? It does whatever you tell it to do. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 26:44 No, well, the subconscious doesn't do what you tell it to do; it does what it tells it to do. The subconscious is the autopilot. I say, yes, the mind works, but you have to understand that when I'm in the conscious mind, that is the creative side. That's the side with wishes, desires, and aspirations. What do you want? Conscious mind. Subconscious mind: Program. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 27:09 I say, "So what's the issue with our life when it comes down to it?" The monkey wrench that blows the whole thing out is that when the conscious mind is thinking, it's not paying attention to the outer world. A thought is inside. When you're present, your conscious mind is looking at the world and engaging the world. Right now, in front of it, I'm engaging it. But if I'm thinking, my conscious mind is no longer looking out; it's looking in because a thought is on the inside. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 27:38 So I say, "Wait, what if I'm driving the car and I have a thought?" And I've got to tell you, in fact: Then you're not driving the car. "What do you mean? No accident or nothing." I say: "Driving is a program. You don't have to think about driving." In fact, most of the time, if you've been driving for a long time, you never think about the details of driving. It's an automatic behavioral program. It plays when you're not paying attention. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 28:02 I go: "Aha! When the conscious mind is thinking, it's not paying attention to the outer world. Why? It's inside." So I say: Walking, driving, talking, doing your job—hey, those are habits. You've been doing it all—whatever [it is]—for a long period of time. You don't have to re-learn it. It's automatic. Do you even have to think about walking? No, you didn't even have to say: "Oh, I'm going to walk from here to there. I'm going to get that." I say: "Walking is automatic. You don't think about it—program." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 28:37 So then comes the number and this is scientific: Ninety-five percent of the day is the average person's amount of thinking. Then what does that represent? Biologically, only five percent of the day are you creating your life with the conscious mind's wishes and desires. Ninety-five percent of the day your life is coming from programs that you downloaded mainly before age seven. And I go, "Where did I get the programs?" I go: "Before age seven, your brain is not primarily functioning at the level of consciousness, which in EEG terms is alpha, beta, and gamma. When you're under seven, you're operating primarily at theta, which is just below consciousness." Theta—imagination. Hey, the tea party: Pour nothing into the cup. Drink the nothing. "The best tea I ever had in my life!" That's imagination. That's theta. That's what kids do all the time. They can have imaginary friends. They play with them all the time. It's imagination. Theta is hypnosis. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 29:41 I go, "Why is that important?" How many rules does it take to be a member of a family? How many rules does it take to be a member of a community? Now we're talking thousands. I go, "Why is that important?" I said, "Well, teach an infant a thousand rules." I go: "They can't read a book. They can't sit in a classroom. They can't understand a video." I said: "How are they going to learn?" Nature took care of that. Nature gave the first seven years theta, which is hypnosis. You want to know the behavior? Watch your mother, watch your father, watch your community. Watch their behavior; download it. Now it's your behavior! Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 30:19 So the behavior that's in your subconscious mind didn't even come from you, did it? Nope, it came from other people. And did they answer your wishes and desires—what you'd like? Not necessarily. So then, are there programs in there that give you what your wishes and desires are? Not necessarily, no. In fact, I say, "So what about these programs?" Sixty percent of the things you downloaded as a kid—sixty percent of the subconscious programs [are] disempowering, self-sabotaging, and limiting beliefs. And you operate ninety-five percent of the day from them. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 30:53 Ah, but here's the monkey wrench you didn't catch! Why am I using my subconscious programs? Because my conscious mind's not paying attention; it's thinking. Well, then, do you see the programs when they come out? I go: "Nope! You're the only one who doesn't even see the program!" Why? Everybody else around you is responding to your program. You're not even paying attention [to] what the hell is coming out. Sixty percent of it [is] disempowering yourself. So the issue is this: We are not controlling our lives. Our program controls our lives. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 31:28 I say, "Oh, this is a new science." I go: "Scientifically, this is valid. This is understanding theta activity, downloading programs, conscious, subconscious, blah, blah, blah, blah." But the Jesuits knew about programming for 400 years. They would tell their followers, "Give me a child until it is seven, and I will show you the man." Oh my God, that's 100% right! The programming is before age seven, and 95% of the life is the program. They knew it. They created Catholic schools to help the programming go along. And that idea is never lost because if you can watch an infant today, which I've seen carrying an iPad, interacting with a program on a computer, that's far better programming than Jesuits could ever have thought of. Dr. Jill 32:17 Yes, it's clear, isn't it? That's a really good transition because one of the things I see as the biggest crisis in healthcare is environment, but it's environment that is no longer socially interactive or present. We're numbing ourselves out with machines, with iPads, and with phones. They are designed to create an addictive behavior, so they're tapping into some of those subconscious programs, right? Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 32:40 And let me just add this to that: It's not just that behavior, but it's also creating disempowering behaviors. So these programs—as you were just going to say, and I'll let you have it back again—were not designed to help us; they were designed to control us. Dr. Jill 33:05 Yes. And sell and control. Yes, so we are pawns in this new world of technology that is neurodynamically designed to be addictive. If you haven't seen The Social Dilemma, that's a great place to start in your education on social media and the impact. I do want to talk about this. One of the things you just got done saying is that before seven, we're programmed. I totally understand and believe that. But the truth is, we have the power to change that programming. Tell us about that. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 33:36 Most everybody out there has changed that programming. I say, "You've already done it." I say: "What, the movie The Matrix, being a documentary, everybody's programmed?" Yes, of course, that's the foundational belief of the movie and the reality. And in the movie, they offered the red pill. And I say: "What was the red pill? You get out of the program!" Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 33:54 I go, "Almost everybody out here right now listening has done that." I say: "What was the consequence? How did it happen?" I'm going to tell you. Falling in love is a red pill. I go, "What do you mean?" Because when you first fall in love, you stop thinking. Biologically, you stay present; you stay in the conscious, creative mind. You've waited for this person your whole life. They're there. What, you want to start thinking and then ignore them? Are you kidding me? You stay up conscious. You stay mindful. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 34:23 I say, "So what happened?" I say: "Your life up to meeting that person: Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You meet them [and] 24 hours later: 'Oh, man, life is beautiful. Life is so wonderful. Hey, the food's really good. That music is even better than I ever thought it was.'" And even the crappy job is not so crappy. I said: "What'd you do?" You made honeymoon. What's honeymoon? Heaven on earth. I said, "What was your heaven on earth?" Whatever you wished and desired. You and a partner coming together when you're both wishing and desiring, you're sharing the same wishes and desires, you manifest a honeymoon. Oops, I dropped something, but okay. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 35:01 Is the honeymoon already there? I go, "The honeymoon's always there." I said, "Then how come you don't have it?" Because when you start thinking, you then go back to subconscious control, the default. And the problem is, why do 50% of marriages end up in divorce? The answer is this: Marriage has started with the relationship of two conscious creative minds sharing together a belief in creating a honeymoon, and it ends when thinking enters into the people and they start playing their regular programs, which are 60% negative. The partner hears these programs. The one saying the thing doesn't hear it; the other one hears it. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 35:43 I love the response. When somebody comes out in a relationship and the loving partner hears some kind of BS come out of their other partner, they look at them and go: "Who are you? Where did you come from?" What? It was never part of the behavior. And then, all of a sudden, it shows up. And the more thinking, the more that negativity shows up. There's a point where a partner will say: "That's enough. That's not why I signed up here. I signed up because we had a great honeymoon." After you started thinking, this thing went right down the tube. The point is, that's what reality is about. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 36:18 So the idea then becomes simple, which is the obvious thing: "What if I created all programs that represented my wishes and desires—if I had those programs?" I said: "Oh, you know what? Whether you're consciously creating those wishes and desires or your conscious mind is off in left field, your subconscious will be manifesting the wishes and desires. And guess what? A honeymoon is not a short period. A honeymoon is every day of your life for as long as you live." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 36:46 Does it work? Personally, I had some very bad programming when I was young because my mother and father had a dysfunctional relationship. I downloaded my father's dysfunctional behavior. I played it when I couldn't see it. The result is that I couldn't get relationships off the ground. Then I understood the nature of the programming. Then I understand the nature of reprogramming. Around 50, I met my partner, Margaret. We just celebrated 28 years! And I'm not selling just a relationship; I'm talking honeymoon for 28 years. To wake up every day in my life and go: "Oh my God, I'm still here. Oh my God, I have another day to smell the roses, to have a piece of cake, to enjoy the love, watch the environment, and love my life." I celebrate life. Jill celebrates life. What's the result? Where's the illness? What illness? Dr. Jill 37:45 Yes! I love that. There are some points that I think are so crucial that you just made, number one, being present with our partners, watching them in real time and observing them. So often we create a program of them, a template, and then we don't expect them to change. Or, we expect them to behave the same. And when we're in real time, present with another person—whether it's a friend, family member, business associate, or lover—we can respond in real time. And that's part of that co-creation that you're talking about. It's crucial. Dr. Jill 38:15 The other thing is that with illness, I find one thing that was—I'm sure this is related to the program, [and] I'd love your comments—I never identified with the cancer. I never became the cancer. I never made that part of who I was. Even now, I'm like, "Oh yes, 20 years ago, I had cancer." And of course, it's real, but it's almost foreign because it was never part of me. And I really believe that's a huge part of why I overcame a very, very aggressive cancer at the age of 25—because it never was my identity. Do you want to talk about that a little bit? Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 38:44 Yes, let's just talk about this. The first thing is that I'm going to give a fact of science [to] which [a person might say], "He really said that?" And I'm going to say, yes, I'm going to say this. There's not one gene that causes cancer. There's not a gene [where], "You have this gene, you get cancer." The one scary one for women, of course, [is] the breast cancer gene. I go, "So what?" I go: "Women who carry the breast cancer gene don't necessarily have to have cancer. As a matter of fact, nearly half of them don't get cancer. But they have the gene." So then I say, "Then where did the cancer come from?"—because those who have the cancer with the gene and those who are healthy with the gene have the same gene. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 39:20 What's the difference? The answer is this: Cancer is correlated with a gene, not caused by a gene. Cancer is caused by disharmony in the system. Disharmony is the source of disease. Harmony is the source of health. Disharmony means your programming wasn't really good, and you're responding to things in a negative way that is going to cause a breakdown of the system. That's where the stress comes into it. So the concept is this: The image—even if once you tell a woman, "Yes, you have the breast cancer gene," what the hell image do you think is going to be in her head? The answer is: Cancer. I go: "Yes, but isn't the function of the mind to take the image of the head and turn it into reality?" I go, "Absolutely! What's the consequence?" Ninety percent of cancer has no genetic linkage at all. Dr. Jill 40:14 Yes. That was the biggest question I got as a 25-year-old. Every single person, to a T: "Oh, did you have genes?" No, I didn't have genes. I had a dysfunctional system when I was in my 20s. That goes into a whole other lecture that I could give, but I was not living consciously. And there were some things, stress-wise, that were contributing. And it was the environmental toxic load. So all of these things are the petri dish. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 40:38 And more than that, there must have been the two programs. Eighty to ninety percent of all people will not test positive for two beliefs. Number one, and I think the most important, is the belief, "I love myself." Eighty percent of people will not test positive for that belief. Number two, and this is the one where the healthcare crisis comes from: "I am safe." When you have a picture of fear, then the chemistry of fear is to manifest the fear. When they say "This is it" and [show you] a picture of the tumor and everything, then you make the chemistry of the tumor. Then the idea is that we have to own quantum physics. Consciousness is the source of our life experiences. We have to understand the nature of epigenetics. Consciousness is the source of what controls our genes. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 41:07 The third thing that I think is part of the Renaissance that we really must emphasize at some point is Newtonian physics, which separates physical from non-physical, matter versus energy. It's an illusion. It's not real. But it programs us in a very bad way because the program says: "Whatever is made out of matter can only be affected by matter. Whatever is made out of energy can only be affected by energy." And I say, "So what's the consequence?" I say: "The body is matter. And what do you think the whole foundation of the pharmaceutical company is? The body is matter and we make the matter to fix the matter." Dr. Jill 42:16 Yes. What's the matter with that? [laughs] Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 42:18 Three hundred thousand people die in the US every year from prescription drugs, that's what's the matter with it, when less than 50,000—I think 30,000—people die from illegal drugs. We have a war on illegal drugs, and 300,000 people dying from pharmaceutical drugs is called the cost of doing medicine. I go: "That's damn expensive! We don't need that." Simple law of science: If a drug works, it only works because you already had a receptor for that drug on you. Do you think nature put receptors on cells, waiting for the pharmaceutical company to make a drug? No, come on, man! If you have a receptor for a drug, it's because you have a receptor for a drug that you make. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 43:01 I go, "I can make any drug." Of course, because any drug works because you have a receptor to connect it. If you have a receptor, then you obviously have a signal that will bind to that receptor. Then you say, "Well, it's not working." And that's where everything gets screwed up because that system isn't working and then you go right away: "Oh, the body is defective. The genes aren't working right. There's an interference with the physical." I go, "Yes, there was an interference because it didn't start down here; it started up here." And once you start to understand this, yes, treat the body if there's an immediate need to treat the body, but the process of treating the patient is treating this part. Knowledge is power. They do not have the knowledge of who they are. They're programmed [to think]: "I'm a victim of my genes and I have no power." I go, "Well, there's your problem." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 43:54 And the issue about it is that you guys are in the front of the evolution that says: Okay, I can treat the patient, but I've really got to treat the consciousness of the patient. Why? Because, as quantum physics says, consciousness is the source of this creativity, and as epigenetics says, consciousness is the source of this expression. You cannot leave that out. Dr. Jill 44:18 You just talked about two beliefs that I think are critical and it's a great place to kind of wrap up. The first one is: Do we love ourselves? Do we really, really, truly love and accept ourselves? I have written a book and done a movie on that message. The heart of healing is: How do we show self-compassion and love? Because that is the only way that our cells will respond in health. Dr. Jill 44:41 The second thing was so crucial too, and that is the fear and the unsafety. This is where a physician in the office can make all the difference, because if they add to that fear message, guess what? That's just adding to that patient's unhealth. So one thing we are obligated to do as physicians is create a safe environment and teach that patient how to start to feel safe in their body. With those two beliefs, maybe in the last couple of minutes here, could you maybe give us some practical advice for somebody who's like: "How do I start doing that, Bruce? How do I feel safe in my body? And how do I love myself?" Because that, I couldn't agree more with you, is really the core message here. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 45:19 I'll tell you, let's get right to the root of why people do not love themselves. The answer is: Because parents act like coaches on a sports team. I go, "What does that mean?" A player isn't doing well. What does the coach say? "Oh, do better." No! The coach says: "That's not good enough. Who do you think you are? You don't deserve to be on this team." Well, a player is older than seven. They're in consciousness. They understand that the coach is saying, "You better do better!" Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 45:47 Now let's say the parent is the coach and the kid is under seven. There's no consciousness operating. What's operating? Hypnosis, programming. So when the father says, "That's not good enough, you don't deserve this, you're not lovable, you don't belong," blah, blah, blah—acting like the coach who says, "This is going to make them do better"—if the kid is under seven, you just programmed them to self-sabotage because the subconscious is going to create 95% of their life. And if I get a program "I do not deserve," when I'm thinking 95% of the day, what the hell program is running? "I do not deserve." So I could say something so stupid in my corporate structure or something, and somebody says, "That guy doesn't deserve to be here." And then, all of a sudden, I'm kicked out of the structure. Why? Because I myself made behavior to conform to "not good enough" and to not love myself. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 46:41 This is why that one's so important—because if you can't love yourself, I'm going to be honest, you can't accept love from somebody else. I go, "Why?" Because they say they love you, but in your mind, you're going: "Well, they don't know me, man. I know I'm not lovable." And you'll push them away. And then you'll find yourself with nobody around. And guess what you'll say? "You see?! I'm not lovable!" [inaudible] You just did that. And when it comes to "Do I have any power?" the answer is: No, it has been systematically deprived of them. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 46:59 I've got a minute; I've got to say this because this is really cool. There's a power struggle in the world. It's always been this way. There are three levels of power. Number one, caveman. Who's the biggest badass with the biggest club? Whatever they say, do it. They've got the power. Evolution came along. There are people then who control the resources that you need. And all of a sudden they say, "If you want those resources, you've got to give me something for this." And you know what? The ones who had the resources paid the caveman to hit you over the head if you didn't pay for the resources. Dr. Jill 47:53 A personal hitman. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 47:55 That's the king who owns the resources with an army of cavemen. Then I say, "But the last of the power struggles came down to 'knowledge is power.'" And it was recognized that, yes, that is the supreme power of everything. Knowledge is power. The first thing the church of Rome did was acknowledge: "We are the source of infallible knowledge. We are the source of truth. We say it; it's true." Well, you say, "I don't care." The point about it was that people gave up their power to the belief. And I say it here very quickly: There's a code behind the power brokers. I call it the powermongers' credo. I say, "What is it?" Are you ready? Give them the fear for free and then sell them the antidote. Dr. Jill (pre-recording) 48:46 Hey, everybody. I just stopped by to let you know that my new book, Unexpected: Finding Resilience through Functional Medicine, Science, and Faith, is now available for order wherever you purchase books. In this book, I share my own journey of overcoming a life-threatening illness and the tools, tips, tricks, hope, and resilience I found along the way. This book includes practical advice for things like cancer and Crohn's disease and other autoimmune conditions, infections like Lyme or Epstein-Barr, and mold- and biotoxin-related illnesses. What I really hope is that as you read this book, you find transformational wisdom for health and healing. If you want to get your own copy, stop by ReadUnexpected.com. There, you can also collect your free bonuses. So grab your copy today and begin your own transformational journey through functional medicine and finding resilience. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 50:59 "What do you want me to do? Put a mask on? Sure. I'll mask on. I can't visit my mom, who's dying in a nursing home?" "No, you have to give that up because you can't do that." "Really?" Dr. Jill 51:09 Yes. If you're controlled, then fear created the biology of illness. It really, really is a great analogy. Bruce, this has been so fun to dive deep. I love talking to you. I love your enthusiasm. I love your wisdom. And I love most of all that you were so far ahead of the curve because people are kind of coming along to this belief. But the truth is, you were one of the very first ones writing and talking about this. And I'm just grateful that way back in the day, in the lab, you saw this and started writing about it. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 51:44 I can't be any happier than I am for myself! I have a different life! I have a different life than before that discovery. Dr. Jill 51:53 Yes. And it transforms us all, too. I have many stories, the same thing, of me continuing to transform because of this knowledge. Thank you for the work that you do. Thank you for spending your time with us today!](https://www.jillcarnahan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Bruce-Lipton-Biology-of-Belief-Can-Your-Mind-Spontaneously-Transform-Your-Health_-WEB-1.jpg)
73 Comments
I have adrenal fatigue stage 3, I recently started a protocol to help my recovery, it seems to be helping. I wonder though, if I am slowing the process because I take a potassium supplement (99mg) for leg cramps caused, I believe, by seroquel. What should I do?
If you are low in potassium that is appropriate. You may need to increase sea salt.
May I ask what protocol you are taking?
Could you please share your protocol.
My 21 year old son has been diagnosed with”idiopathic hypersomulence” after a sleep study showing no apnea or narcolepsy. He lived in a house that had several feet of water in the basement and had black mold on the windowsills of his bedroom. He’s living with us now, but he is so tired all of the time! On weekends, he’ll sleep til 4 p.m.He will sometimes come in from work and lay on the floor from exhaustion. I desperately want to help him. He does have tonsil stones and we’ve scheduled a tonsillectomy. I don’t know if it will help or hurt, going through a surgery. If you can give ANY direction, I would be very grateful!
Yes, Ginner – find a doctor certified in Shoemaker protocol to help him get well… survivingmold.com
I’ve had my adrenals tested using a saliva test. I do have abnormal cortisol levels, low DHEA but what suprised me most was that I have much too high melatonin levels. I’ve not heard of this before. Why would this be? I thought most people with melatonin problems have too little melatonin.
Hi Claire, it is hard to give any interpretation without knowing the full history.
I’m 55 and was diagnosed with severe adrenal burnout about two years ago. I’ve slowly been getting better with my protocol, but my energy is still quite low. I’m wondering if maybe there’s some subclinical hypothyroidism going on (my blood work has been normal).
Anyway, I’ve been eating a vegan diet lately (McDougall/Esselstyn style) as there is heart disease and diabetes in my family, but seem to be be gaining weight on it, even though my calories aren’t that high. I am desperate to lose weight – I gained about 50 pounds with this adrenal thing!! I’ve tried everything and every diet out there. I found low carb dieting very difficult as my energy plummeted. I’m so confused as to what diet to follow. Any diet suggestions would be immensely appreciated!
Thanks so much.
Hi Lois,
Adrenals are the stress-response organ so if they are dysfunctional, I recommend looking for root cause – subclinical infection, toxic exposure (mold, chemicals, glyphosate), gut dysbiosis, etc. I recommend a nearly grain-free paleo diet with high healthy fats like avocado, coconut, olive oils and moderate protein (fish, chicken, eggs) and low carbohydrate with your carb intake being in the evening. For adrenals best to consume fat/protein in AM and minimal carbs. You may do ok on some cooked rice/quinoa but otherwise grain-free. It is clear that your current diet is not working if you are feeling poorly and gaining weight…
warmly
Dr Jill
Are you a proponent of green smoothies for breakfast? Most smoothies call for fruit but it seems like you are not in favor of fruit until lunchtime or later? Would you suggest adding protein (whey or plant-based) to the smoothies, since one should have protein and fat at every meal and snack?
My favorite recipe includes fruit! https://www.jillcarnahan.com/recipe/spinach-berry-smoothie/
Hi Dr Carnahan, what may cause potassium spilling in urine? I am on over 2000 mg of potassium daily and it is causing me GI problems. No one can tell me why I waste it. It seems to cause blood sugar problems too. I have low cortisol via salivary and stim testing. I will follow your suggestions. Thank you. PT
Dr. Jill, I’m awaiting adrenalcortex testing (saliva) results, but I’m fairly certain already I have adrenal fatigue and that it’s multiply-determined or caused. I’m also compound homozygous MTHFR and recovering from leaky gut due to a moldy apartment.
Is there a toxic elements or mercury testing method you prefer? Because I have a mouth full of metal and suspicions that mercury is impacting my thyroid and other issues, but the info out there on testing for these metals is way confusing.
Thanks for any help! Always taking inspiration from your story and advice,
Beth
Hi Beth,
I use Quicksilver tai-test for mercury toxicity
warmly
Dr. Jill
Hi Dr. Jill,
I was found to have adrenal fatigue a year ago via salivary 4 point testing — showed low salivary cortisol in the morning and throughout the day – 4, 2, 2, 1. total 9nM). Also mildly elevated DHEA (11 ng/mL). I am doing all the lifestyle/dietary things you list and in the past tried both adaptogenic herbs (Thorne Phytisone) and adrenal glandulars for about 6 months with little improvement. My doctor wants me to try an adaptogen again and I am wondering if either of the formulas you recommended would be worth trying. Thank you for your time.
Chris
HI Dr. Jill,
I listened to your podcast on gluten free school about adrenal fatigue. you mentioned that some herbs raise cortisol and others lower cortisol. Can you share some of the herbs that are helpful to raise cortisol?
Thank you!
Hi Crickett,
There are many and must be individualized to person. Best to discuss options with your functional medicine doctor. I do like Holy Basil Tea (Tulsi) for a bedtime treat to lower cortisol.
warmly
Dr Jill
Thank you for your response Dr. Jill! Would there be any benefit to taking holy basil if my cortisol is already low at night? My morning cortisol is also low and thought if I could raise that maybe would have some more energy during the day. or is that not a good idea?
I would recommend holy basil to patients who are under stress with high cortisol.
Hi Dr. Jill,
I know adrenal fatigue can cause sunken cheeks but what can cause sunken cheeks that comes and goes? My cheeks were full on Thursday and then tonight they’re majorly sunk in. And then they’ll go back to being full. I would think sunken cheeks from adrenal fatigue would be constant.
Hi Rachel,
I suppose it is possible but there may be something else going on…
warmly
Dr Jill
Hi Dr. Jill,
What are the common causes of adrenal fatigue for someone who has Hashimoto’s? I don’t have a lot of stress. I’m exhausted and sleep practically all day so there’s no time for stress. Thank you!
Hi Katie
There are many…. infections, toxic exposures, inflammation, stress, gut dysbiosis, hormone imbalance and many many more…..
Hi Dr. Jill,
I just had DUTCH test done that showed both high free cortisol and high metabolized cortisol, indicating overactive HPA axis. In the past had very low cortisol levels via salivary cortisol testing so I am a bit confused by this. I have been eating a fairly clean diet, reducing stress, getting enough sleep, gentle exercise, etc so I can’t imagine why my levels would be so high. What can cause overactive HPA axis? Can tapering an SSRI/SNRI medication cause this?
Thank you!
Chris
Hi Chris
The DUTCH testing is the only one I use because with other salivary testing you will not see the true picture (more here https://dutchtest.com/2016/07/05/adrenal-fatigue-is-all-in-your-head-sort-of/) About 30% of people with low free cortisol overall, have elevated levels of metabolized cortisol. Think about the implications of that. When you see low overall free cortisol in saliva (or in urine) you THINK cortisol production is low. In almost one out of three patients, they are actually making more cortisol than 80% of their peers. They make lots of cortisol! You just can’t see it in the free cortisol.
Warmly
Dr Jill
Thank you Dr. Jill. So, maybe in the past my metabolized cortisol was high but I didn’t know it. I guess that explains why the adrenal glandulars weren’t helpful. So what can cause the cortisol levels to be so high? How does one investigate that further? Thank you!
Infection or inflammation or stress can elevated cortisol levels…
Thank you again Dr. Jill. I have H. Pylori and am thinking I may have SIBO. Are either of these infections enough to cause really high cortisol or is that not likely? Can toxic mold exposure or lyme cause this? My metabolized cortisol was almost 8800, free cortisol 330.
Hi Dr. Jill,
I was wondering if you are still accepting new patients?
Thank you,
Allie
Hi Allie
We are accepting new patients by referral
warmly
Dr Jill
Dr. Jill,
Thank you for the wealth of knowledge you share in your blogs and follow-up comments. What stage of adrenal/HPA-axis dysregulation would you consider a patient with the following results? Symptoms are consistent with abnormal cortisol levels and hypothyroidism; current treatment protocol from primary includes Armour thyroid 30mg. Could Hashimoto’s (or autoimmunity) be a possible cause? Or are lifestyle factors (sleep, glucose regulation and diet, stress, etc.) more likely for the following patterns?
Serum results
TSH 0.998 uIU/mL
total T4 4.9 ug/dL
free T4 0.69 ng/dL
free T3 2.3 pg/mL
cholesterol 223 mg/dL
glucose 85 mg/dL
Salivary adrenal stress index
morning cortisol: 19 nM (13-24)
noon: 5 nM (5-10)
afternoon: 3 nM (3-8)
midnight: 2 nM (1-4)
total load: 29 (22-46)
DHEA: 7 ng/mL (Normal 3-10)
cortisol:DHEA ratio 4:1
progesterone: 23 pg/mL (Normal 22-100 pg/mL)
borderline high secretory IgA: 20 (Normal 10-20 mg/dL)
positive gliadin antibodies: 30 (Positive >15)
Thank you!
Hi LA,
The stages of adrenal fatigue terminology are a bit outdated… I prefer to use total metabolized cortisol, 24 hour urinary cortisone and 24 hour urine cortisol through Precision Analytics. By using only free salivary cortisol, you may miss the big picture. This patient seems to have a gluten intolerance that is likely stressing the HPA axis
warmly
Dr Jill
I have much of the symptoms. I had testing done and This was high Chromogranin at 56. Stayed off ppi for 2 weeks and it came down to 22. No less 15. My cortisol level is low and they suggest a stress prednisone dose. I hate steroids as I went into adrenal crisis from last time. So now what. Just vitamins
Hi Dr. Jill,
I have Hashimoto’s and adrenal fatigue. I don’t know what’s causing my adrenal fatigue or how to find that out. Is it the autoimmune attack? Gut infections? Food sensitivities? The fact that I’ve been to like 50 doctors and nobody can help and they make me so stressed I want to yell at them? I also go to bed really late like 4am. And my blood sugar is chronically low despite eating protein and fat with each meal so I have these awful blood sugar swings which I’m sure is hard on the adrenals. I just don’t know how to figure out the cause and reverse it. Can you reverse it without figuring out the cause by taking a B complex and Vitamin C?
Hi Tara,
You may need to check for HPA axis dysfunction, hidden infections or toxic exposures causing your symptoms. The gut may also be the culprit. Find a good functional medicine doctor to help you!
warmly
Dr Jill
Thank you for your article! I just received saliva test results showing that I have low cortisol throughout the day. I’m on a supplement plan, but I’m wondering about some of your other recommendations. What is the benefit of going to bed at 10 PM For the adrenals? If I am awake between 7 AM and 9 AM, what do you recommend for being restful for the adrenals? Thank you!!
Hi Erin,
Yes, getting to sleep by 10pm can be very helpful, Making sure you are eating small frequent meals to avoid hypoglycemia and higher fat/protein in AM and low-glycemic carbs at night
warmly
Dr. Jill
Dr. Jill,
Prior to having my left Adrenal Gland surgically removed last month after the recommendation of an endocrinologists, I struggled from moderate adrenal fatigue, high blood pressure, low potassium, etc. The removal of the gland was to eliminate the need for blood pressure medicines all together. It didn’t seem to work. I have sever adrenal fatigue, sever high blood pressure, continued weight gain of my mid section, and now depression. Any advice?
Hi Dennis,
Adrenalectomy is not the same as adrenal insufficiency. You will likely need to see your endocrinologist for hormone replacement in this case, hydrocortisone or similar.
warmly
Dr Jill
Hi Dr. Jill. I’m in my 60s, and about 5 years ago I was diagnosed through testing with adrenal fatigue. I have high toxic metals, very low cortisol, but thyroid is normal. I understand that more sleep is restorative, but for the last 10 years I’ve been lucky to get 4 hours per night. I can go to sleep, but I can’t stay asleep. I’ve tried prescription meds, singly and in combinations (under a doc’s care), supplements of all kinds, and I just can’t stay asleep. My latest strategy is to go to sleep around 10 pm. Then when I wake up, I take Ambien to go back to sleep. Usually I can only sleep for another 2 hours, if that. I always feel sleep deprived and fall asleep at my computer or in meetings. My questions are:
Is it better to take sleeping pills to get a cumulative 6 hours of sleep at night, or just get by on the 4 hours that are pretty good quality?
Will the medication further affect my adrenals?
And will taking other corrective measures as you outlined eventually improve my sleep?
Hi Julie
As you already know getting quality sleep is essential to health – I suggest taking sleep aids if needed in order to get restorative sleep so that you wake up refreshed and are not drowsy during the day
warmly
DR Jill
What is the difference between Candida and Adrenal Fatigue?
Candida is yeast infection. HPA axis dysfunction is related to the adrenal glands function.
Hi Dr. Jill,
I’m in my early 20’s and have severe adrenal fatigue. It’s so bad that it has caused weight gain in the belly area, fluid retention everywhere, and severe hypoglycemia. I don’t understand how I have adrenal fatigue this bad when I’m so young. I’ve been on a third shift sleep schedule for about 6 years (going to bed anywhere from 3am-6am) but despite doing that, I sleep in late so I still get plenty of sleep. But I know people who have worked third shift for decades. So I’m assuming it couldn’t have caused severe adrenal fatigue after just 6 years, especially considering I’m still getting plenty of sleep? I’m guessing there are other factors at play here?
Hi Lauren,
Yes, there may be hidden infections or toxins or other things that are also contributing to your fatigue.
Best
Dr Jill
Hi Jill, thank you for this. I have been trying to uncover the cause of what ails me, just looking at food culprit vs the underlying cause. I have reason to believe Adrenal fatigue may be an issue. I get to a point at work when stress just feels like it is literally through the roof, like there is so much pressure in my head and throat and chest with no where to go and I just can’t function. Do you have any recommendations for where can I get tested for adrenal fatigue in California? I have Kaiser and don’t want to spend a ton of time and money figuring this out, so any recommendations are much appreciate.
Hi Amanda
You can search for functional medicine trained docs at http://www.functionalmedicine.org
warmly
Dr Jill
Hi Jill. I havent had deep sleep since i took a supplement that increases dopemine, serotonin, noradreniline uptake as a pre workout stimulet. Ice been off it for a week and still cant sleep. I feel i might have a neurotransmitter inbalence/adrenal problem now. Cant sleep at all. Thanks
Hi David – these types of supplements can be too stimulating. If its affecting sleep I suggest stopping it.
Warmly
Dr Jill
Great article! Thank you for your help. Can you direct me to the type of Dr that deals with adrenal fatigue? I want to get tested to see if my adrenals are functioning correctly. I literally have every symptom you mentioned.
Hi Daniel,
Try a doctor trained in functional medicine – you can search by zip code at http://www.ifm.org
warmly
Dr Jill
Hi Dr. Jill,
I had an adrenal saliva test done with a functional medicine practitioner at the end of 2015 that showed my adrenals were not functioning highly. I took Adrenal Support supplement (with bovine adrenal cortex), made diet and lifestyle changes and over the course of a year or so my symptoms improved greatly. I am currently 28 weeks pregnant and have not been sleeping well since about 10 weeks into pregnancy due to itching all night. (I’ve had my bile acids/liver function panel run twice and it is not cholestasis). I am now feeling similar symptoms return from before because of the exhaustion/lack of sleep and wonder if you know whether the Adrenal Manager supplement by Xymogen is safe during pregnancy? Or if, there is another supplement with bovine adrenal that you would recommend for pregnancy? The supplement I took previously helped, but it also included some herbs considered unsafe during pregnancy. Thank you so much for any suggestions you can give.
Hi there,
Is there a difference in symptoms between adrenal fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome. I have really bad fatigue at the moment and still trying to find out what it is with doctor.
Thanks.
Ian.
Hi Ian,
Chronic Fatigue is a general term that describes a condition of persistent fatigue that may be caused my many different things including HPA axis dysfunction.
warmly
Dr Jill
Ive been to the doctor about my depression but i feel as if the doctor doesnt listen to me why I tell her I am tired ALL the time. i feel like im running a marathon just to get through the day. ive been eating healthier and going to the gym 2 to 3 days a week. nothing is helping . Lost 1 pound 🙁 im a horriible napper (i wake up in a bad mood) so i try not to nap . What should my next step be ? im stuck in this rut for now.
Hi Jill! I feel like I have just found gold after reading your site about adrenal fatigue. I have been doing so much testing the last year and a half as endocrinologist has been concerned about my symptoms. After the onset on some very serious stress 4 years ago I started noticing light headedness throughout day esp upon rising, crawling sensation across back and what I would call back spasms at my rhomboids that would make it difficult to breath, itching in the location, of what I know now are the adrenals, hair loss, fatigue around 3 every morning, up late at night , hard to rise or even have a functioning brain til at least 10, test resulting in inflammation, increased blood pressure (being managed), irritable bowel, Random weight gain, then lost and now sudden weight gain again and on and on and on. Every single symptom you listed. Just saw derm (referred by endocrinologist) and she said I have paresthesia. I am so thankful you have posted this information in the easiest way to understand as Ive been so concerned with what has been going on in my body and just to know that I may have an answer is such a relief (I think). I have recently started upping my vitamins worries I was deficient including ashwaganda, and starting rhodiola. I am very concerned about damage that has been done over these few years and want to immediately try to fix this. How can this affect my organs and health? And has there been remarkable damage to my body? I just was ordered to take a calcium screening and heart was great, lungs great etc. just worried. I will start following you advice and hope to get back to normal. Thank you, thank you for your education and advice.
Take care of your stress levels, eat clean food and get sleep… you will recover!
Dear Dr Jill
I live in the UK and am having great difficulty getting a diagnosis. Having read your article and taken your “quiz” I realise that I have most of the symptoms covered. My problem is to get my doctor (a General Practitioner) to recognise Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome. Do you know of anyone in the UK that I could consult? In the meantime, I will try all your Lifestyle tips, I shall enjoy the chocolate!
you might try searching at http://www.functionalmedicine.org
Hi Krysia,
I hope that you were successful in finding a Functional Medicine Doctor who was willing to treat your AF. I did find one and it has done wonders for me.
Jeanne
Hi Dr. Jill, I am confused about what you suggest for sleeping. Am I understanding correctly that you suggest to go to sleep by 10:00pm and sleep until 9:00am?
Hi Krystle – First this is to avoid a second wind and stay up very late into the wee hours. Second this is whenever possible, get sleep in the morning – average should be 8 hours per night
warmly
Dr Jill
Hi Dr. Jill,
What is it about eating cheese or nuts before bed, that helps sleep? I tend to find that eating too soon before bed keeps me from sleeping, so this intrigues me!
Thank you!
it may increase serotonin or decrease cortisol
Interesting! Thank you!
Hi Dr. Jill,
I have a functional medicine doctor that has cured my AF. I am on a restricted diet high in vegetables and proteins, low in dairy (I eat cheese) and carbs. I do eat fruit, and it is mostly dried fruit as I find it difficult to keep fresh fruit around my retirement apartment. I am wondering why you discourage dried fruit?
Jeanne
dried fruit is high in sugar, fresh fruit is lower glycemic and more nutrient dense
Hello Dr. Carnahan,
There is so much conflicting information on how to treat thyroid and adrenal issues that seems nobody is correct…every person has different biochemistry, toxic load, vitamin/mineral status and/or deficiency….
The latest people getting all the headlines are Tom Brinmeyer medical researcher, who says eating fruit throughout the day is important, and Dr. Orrechio who recommends eating fruit with honey immediately upon waking, then having honey 1 hr before bed….even the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic cannot agree on the basics of low-carb paleo….what a mess!
Chocolate is a stimulate, yet you said to avoid stimulants such as caffeine, which of course, chocolate has in loads.
Hi Bob,
There is so much conflicting data because there is no one size fits all and diet must be individualized to you personally.
warmly
Dr Jill
There is also the food combining which says NOT to eat fruit with protein or carbs, and not to eat protein with starches….there are a million studies all saying different things.
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