Scene 1

FIX FOR YOVR
eon TO OVERCOME
ADRENAL FAT16VE

Scene 2

How Can This Book Help You? .......................................................................... 5

Introduction ........................................................................................................... 6

Module 1: Evaluate Your Symptoms ...............................................................13

Module 2: OK—So What, Exactly, IS Adrenal Fatigue? ..................................17

Module 3: What Next? How Do I Get Diagnosed? .........................................23

Module 4: How Can Adrenal Fatigue be  Treated

—Without Hormone-Replacement Therapy? .................................................30

Module 5: Adrenal Fatigue Diets ......................................................................39

Module 6: Natural Medicine Treatments for the Adrenals ..........................51

Module 7: Diet and Lifestyle .............................................................................65

Module 8: Misdiagnosis ....................................................................................73

Scene 3

Our hope is that this book will provide information that clearly, concisely and accurately

educates you on what adrenal fatigue is (and isn’t), what and how to talk to your doctor or

other healthcare professional about adrenal fatigue, how to assess yourself and gauge the

potential for adrenal fatigue and how, importantly, you can change and adapt some of your

lifestyle habits to address adrenal fatigue.

Knowledge is power and can allow you to be in charge of your own health, hopefully making

wise and informed choices. Included in this book is information AND how to implement

that information—it also covers botanical, vitamin and nutrient treatment as well as some

information regarding homeopathic approaches to sleep issues. The book also covers

This book is set up as readable modules—there is some repetition (I prefer to call it

reminders…) and lots of overlap—because all the pillars mentioned in the book impact each

other.  With a poor diet, you will not get better.  Without enough sleep, you won’t get better,

you won’t feel like exercising and are likely to doze off instead of relaxing or meditating….I

know, because I have been there!  There are also sets of self-assessment questions at the

end of each module…just to ensure that you have received the information in a way that

makes sense to you.  Also, each module is accompanied by a box with “key points” that

I survived adrenal fatigue—and a heart attack—and a few other things. I thought I was doing

everything right—and for the most part (except for sleep and an excessive work schedule….)

I was.  But, my body was sending signal after signal that I tended to ignore (“I’ll rest after I

take the boards” or “I have to get up early to clean the house, study, make my rounds, see

some patients, write out some reports….I’ll get to bed early tonight, no worries…”)

My most important lesson—and one I hope makes sense to you—is to be kind to yourself

but see the edge of the envelope and push towards it—with patience, self-kindness and

Scene 4

Fulfilling a life-long dream seemed to be getting harder and harder. I felt

tired ALL the time and could barely concentrate—THAT was a real problem,

because I was studying for my board exams to become a licensed

naturopathic physician.  I could barely walk up the steps to my “study”! I

kept thinking—after the boards, I will sleep then….I’ll be fine.  Well, the

boards came and went, but I wasn’t any better.  My husband (a Reiki Master)

finally took me by the shoulders and said, if you don’t deal with this and see

someone who can help you, you will be dead soon!  OK….if you put it THAT

I did go see a naturopath—and my bloodwork and other tests showed

extremely high TSH (I was seriously hypothyroid) and flat-line cortisol levels

(for now, enough to say they shouldn’t be flat-line!), very low blood pressure,

salt cravings, low blood sugar and extreme fatigue. One of the lab techs

said (though she probably shouldn’t have) that she had never seen anyone

walk in on their own power with lab results like this.  Great….

I was lucky.  Even though I had waited far too long, I got the help I needed.

It took a long time to feel better, but it did happen. Diagnosis, treatment,

patience and support—if you have adrenal fatigue (often called adrenal

insufficiency in the mainstream medical community), those are the 4 pillars

Scene 5

A Few Words about the Differences and Similarities 
between Adrenal Fatigue and Adrenal Insufficiency

Adrenal fatigue is not accepted as a real thing by many mainstream physicians—that’s

just the honest truth.  Adrenal insufficiency IS accepted as a medical diagnosis—and

there are some essentially minor differences, and lots of similarities as well.  There are

a few differences between a diagnosis of adrenal fatigue and adrenal insufficiency, but

the most critical difference is a matter of terminology and semantics.  Many mainstream

websites state that adrenal fatigue is not a real disorder—well, it isn’t until it is! The same

was said about fibromyalgia and gluten sensitivity. Lyme disease as a condition was

doubted for some time as well. No matter if we call it adrenal insufficiency or adrenal

fatigue—we do need to have some diagnostic data—symptoms by themselves are not

really good enough to let a physician know which treatment plan is best for you.

Adrenal fatigue is best discussed as a cortisol insufficiency—let the experts argue over

the semantics and how to characterize various conditions!  You need help, now!

Adrenal insufficiency, as defined by mainstream medicine can be primary (1o or Addison’s

disease), secondary (2o or pituitary adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) deficiency) or tertiary

(3o or hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) deficiency). Adrenal fatigue

should be considered whenever cortisol levels are decreased—and even when they are

not significantly decreased, a trial of treatment for adrenal fatigue should be considered.

Scene 6

Adrenal Insufficiency
Diagnosis
Adrenal Fatigue
Diagnosis

1o Adrenal Insufficiency: 
Addison’s disease where 
the adrenal glands are 
damaged and do not 
make enough cortisol. 
Occurs in about 100 to 
140 out of every 1 million 
people.

Diagnosed by 
either a single 
(low) cortisol 
blood test or by an 
ACTH stimulation 
test. May test 
for antibodies to 
cortisol.

Defined to a large 
degree by non-
specific symptoms 
of extreme fatigue, 
irritability and 
nervousness, brain 
fog, weight loss and 
others.

Diagnosed 
sometimes by 
exclusion—in other 
words, nothing else 
fits the symptoms. 
Ideally, adrenal 
fatigue should be 
diagnosed with 4 
measurements of 
cortisol levels within a 
24-hour period. Other 
tests may include 
measuring DHEA, 
cortisol precursors or 
neurotransmitters.

2o Adrenal Insufficiency: 
A deficiency of the 
pituitary hormone, 
adrenocorticotropin 
(ACTH), that stimulates 
the adrenal glands to 
produce cortisol.  More 
common than Addison’s 
disease.  Occurs in up to 
280 people for every 1 
million.

3o Adrenal Insufficiency: 
A deficiency of 
corticotropin-releasing 
hormone (CRH) from the 
hypothalamus.  CRH tells 
the pituitary to release 
ACTH—and without 
the signal to produce 
ACTH, there is no signal 
for cortisol production. 
Relatively rare.

Scene 7

We have two adrenal glands, sitting atop of each kidney. Each adrenal gland consists

of an outer cortex and the inner medulla. The cortex and the medulla have very

different function—the cortex secretes glucocorticoids like cortisol, corticosterone and

aldosterone.  The medulla secretes neurotransmitters—chemical signals that affect the

nervous system—such as epinephrine (adrenalin) and norepinephrine (noradrenalin).

The adrenal gland is part of the body’s response to stress—and at this point, lets define

stress.  Stress is anything that puts demands on your body or is a threat.  Stress can

be very unique—a daddy longlegs spider isn’t a real danger or threat to you, but if you

totally hate spiders—then your adrenal glands will react with a stress response!  Also—

any trauma affects different people differently—one person might react to the same

trauma with hypervigilance while another will react just by being a bit more careful.  Both

responses depend on a person’s history, personality and a variety of other factors.  The

point is, stress is defined by your reaction to it. One person’s stress is another person’s

good fun (Roller coasters (and spiders) come to mind….)

•
Cortisol is the primary adrenal hormone—it has many functions including the

regulation of the conversion of fats, proteins and carbohydrates from the diet into

useful energy.  Cortisol is also known as the stress hormone.  In addition to its energy

conversion functions, cortisol acts on the immune system as an anti-inflammatory

agent—this is the form of cortisol that many are more familiar with. Cortisol, in the form

of hydrocortisone, is used to treat inflammation and swelling due to inflammation.

A very important bit of information about cortisol concerns its diurnal cycle.  Simply

put, this means that cortisol in the blood normally rises and falls on a 24-hour cycle,

peaking in the mornings, around 8am and reaching its lowest daily levels at around

Scene 8

midnight.  It is important to know this because of lab tests—many physicians will

only get a single sample of cortisol—and whether this sample is obtained from the

blood or saliva, it doesn’t matter.  One single time point in a substance that cycles

through a 24-hour period doesn’t give enough information.  Getting 4 samples gives

a way to visualize how well your cortisol levels are responding in a 24-hour period. It

can allow a physician to hone in on specific issues with your adrenal gland function.

If, for example, you are low-cortisol throughout the 24-hour cycle, one treatment

approach may be useful.  If on the other hand, your cortisol increases and decreases

daily—but there is a low peak at 8am but normal for the rest of the day, that might

require a different treatment.  Different adrenal conditions have different patterns—

and different treatments. With only a single point on the 24-hour curve, this type of

specific individual treatment is not possible.

•
Corticosterone functions along with cortisol as an anti-inflammatory agent

•
DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) serves as a precursor to testosterone, estrogens

and progesterone—this can be a significant source of sex hormones, though in

general, higher levels of testosterone and estrogen are produced in the testes and

Scene 9

•
Aldosterone helps regulate blood pressure by regulating the levels of sodium and

potassium.  Aldosterone also helps regulate the blood pH level—how acidic or

The hormones of the adrenal medulla are neurotransmitters and closely linked to a part

of the nervous system known as the Sympathetic Nervous System or SNS.  And—you

might have guessed it, the SNS is related to the stress response.

•
Epinephrine is also known as adrenalin. Epinephrine release increases heart rate,

blood sugar and increases blood flow to the muscles and to the brain—and decreases

blood flow to the digestive system.  This may be one physical reason you may feel

“butterflies” in your stomach when under stressful conditions—the adrenal medulla

is discharging more epinephrine and cutting down the blood flow to your digestive

organs—possibly giving you that butterfly feeling.

•
Norepinephine (noradrenalin) functions in parallel to epinephrine—except that

noradrenaline also increases your blood pressure.

Scene 10

Adrenal glands
CRH
Hypothalamus
. Pituit.ry q-Ond

the hypothalamus which secretes Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone (CRH) which in turn, 
stimulates the release of Adrenocoticotrophic Hormone (ACTH). ACTH acts on the adrenal

• 
Adrenal fatigue is a condition of cortisol insufficiency

• 
Ideally, adrenal fatigue should be diagnosed with 4 cortisol measurements

• 
Cortisol follows a diurnal cycle and should be highest around 8am and

Scene 11

Medical students were asked in a clinic to give a differential diagnosis for a

patient coming into their office with only one symptom—fatigue.

The resulting list was long—they were stopped after listing about 15 general

categories (eg. thyroid disease, cardiac disease etc) AND over 50 specific

diseases (eg. congestive heart failure, the flu, chronic fatigue syndrome,

insomnia etc). Lifestyle issues such as shift work, diet etc. were also

mentioned. The point of the exercise was to show that one real-life symptom

could point to a vast number of conditions and that physicians had to become

detectives and tease out all the possibilities—and determine a diagnosis

from a combination of symptoms, lab results and likely conditions.

This self-administered quiz should give you a pretty good idea if your adrenal glands

are getting overworked.  If you answered with 14 or more check marks for yes, you may

have adrenal fatigue.  Keep in mind that there are many other potential problems where

the symptoms do overlap with adrenal fatigue. You should ask – no, you should insist—

that your healthcare professional provides you with a FULL workup—and include tests for

thyroid, liver and kidney function as well as the regular blood and chemistry labs. Also

keep in mind that—for women especially—thyroid dysfunction very often occurs right

along with perimenopause and adrenal dysfunction.

To give you an idea, lets just look at the symptom of “fatigue”.  Read through the True Story.

The point is—fatigue can describe just about anything—and to top it off, one person’s

Scene 12

fatigue is another person’s “I need a catnap” and then they are off and ready again.

Fatigue is known as a “non-specific symptom” and—because it can mean many, many

different things, unfortunately, it is often ignored.  It’s just considered not as “valuable” as

a lab result that shows anemia or high blood pressure.  So, when you see your healthcare

provider—try to add more specifics to your symptom list.

Check 
 for yes, leave blank for no. Count the number of  
 marks at the end.

1. Do you wake up feeling tired, un-refreshed or as if you had barely slept all 
night?

2. Do you find yourself in a slump, without any energy, fatiqued or with low-
energy during the day?

3. If yes, is this in the 
       Morning 
       Afternoon 
       Evening

4. How would you describe your body 
shape?
Apple-shaped (thicker waist)

5. What would you rate your libido as 
High

6. Do you get sick with colds, the flu or get skin infections often?

Scene 13

7. Do you need a boost in the morning—coffee or tea—to get yourself going?

9. Do you get light-headed or dizzy when you stand up quickly?

10. Does your brain or mind feel “foggy”, confused or disoriented so that you 
feel as if you can’t think clearly?

11. Are you ever frustrated because of forgetfulness or have trouble with 
your memory?

12. If you are female, do you have menstrual issues—irregularity, heavy 
bleeding, spotting between periods or signs of irritability or moodiness?

13. If you are male, do you have trouble getting or maintaining an erection?

14. Would you characterize your life as stressful?

15. Do you ever get a “second wind” in the later evening hours?

16. Are you losing your hair? (Do not answer yes if you have male-pattern 
baldness)

17. Do you have more than 2 types of allergies?

18. Do you have one or more food sensitivities?

19. Does your face feel flushed or hotter than other parts of your body?

20. Do your hands or feet get cold when the rest of your body temperature 
seems normal?

21. Are you having problems with mood swings, increased irritability, 
depression or anxiety?

Scene 14

IF YOUR SCORE IS ≥13, YOU SHOULD GET CHECKED FOR ADRENAL FATIGUE. MAKE

CERTAIN OTHER DISORDERS SUCH AS HYPOTHYROIDISM AND DEPRESSION ARE

• 
You may have many or just a few of the symptoms.  No matter your

score, if you are not feeling well, see a healthcare professional

• 
A score of ≥13 check marks is suggestive of adrenal fatigue, but is NOT

PDF-Adrenal-Program-done

Scene 1 (0s)

Scene 2 (7s)

Scene 3 (1m 30s)

Scene 4 (3m 46s)

Scene 5 (5m 25s)

Scene 6 (7m 16s)

Scene 7 (9m 8s)

Scene 8 (11m 31s)

Scene 9 (13m 6s)

Scene 10 (14m 19s)

Scene 11 (15m 8s)

Scene 12 (17m 5s)

Scene 13 (18m 31s)

Scene 14 (20m 28s)

Scene 15 (21m 1s)

Scene 16 (22m 53s)

Scene 17 (25m 16s)

Scene 18 (27m 20s)

Scene 19 (29m 53s)

Scene 20 (31m 52s)

Scene 21 (32m 45s)

Scene 22 (35m 3s)

Scene 23 (37m 16s)

Scene 24 (39m 45s)

Scene 25 (42m 1s)

Scene 26 (44m 24s)

Scene 27 (45m 59s)

Scene 28 (46m 51s)

Scene 29 (48m 27s)

Scene 30 (51m 17s)