Sonia Jones ND from the Haven Spa and Health Clinic

Enter the pancreas and the two little adrenal glands, they are the emergency team.

What do I mean by this? Every time you eat foods that are high in sugar and/or white flour our blood sugar levels get elevated, giving us a boost and for a short while we feel better. Sounds good you think. The trouble is most foods and drinks people choose, are processed in the body too quickly and overwhelm our systems, blood sugar levels become too high, the system is flooded. This is not a good situation, especially if this is happening on a daily basis, and more so if you have a chronic disease like arthritis. You are putting your already compromised body thought needless extra stress.

At the clinic we see many people that where hooked on various foods and drinks that keep them trapped.

We have all heard of insulin, it’s a hormone produced by the pancreas. Most people think of diabetes when they hear the word insulin. The pancreas is an organ and a gland. One part of the pancreas produces digestive enzymes needed by our digestive system to continue the process of digestion after the food leaves the stomach. The enzymes enter the digestive system via a tube targeting a specific area. The part we are talking about here produces insulin which enters the blood stream where it circulates and has an effect on the whole body.

The adrenal glands produce hormones to make sure your blood sugar levels don’t drop too low, forcing the liver to get involved. While you make poor food choices your system is put under a lot of unnecessary strain, which you can ill afford with a condition like arthritis.

Sooner or later your adrenal glands will start to suffer. This is especially so, if you also lead a stressful life, eat badly and drink too much caffeine and are short of nutrients. As you start to feel worse you will end up consuming drug-like foods and drinks more often. This state of hypoglycemia is a common problem amongst arthritis suffers.

Here are some symptoms of Adrenal Exhaustion

· Sensitivity to fumes

· Mood swings

· Dark circles under the eyes

· Dizziness on standing up a little too quick

· Lack of alertness

· Tendency to catch a cold easily during the change of seasons

· Headaches

· Salt cravings

· Sleep disturbances

· Tired after a night’s sleep

· Feeling stressed

· Need for caffeine to get you going in the morning

· Startle easily

· Food intolerance

· Recurrent chronic infections such as yeast

· Low tolerance to alcohol

· Sensitive to bright light

· Feeling weak

· Chronic heartburn or other digestive problems

· Lack of thirst

· Sweet craving

· Alternating constipation and diarrhea

· Nervousness

· Exhaustion

· Depression

· Forgetfulness

· Anxiety

· Rapid pulse

· Muscle aches

· Crying spells

· Leg cramps

· Blurred vision

Our adrenal glands help us to deal with all sorts of stress. They also help the thyroid to regulate our body.

Here are some of the things that affect your adrenal glands in a negative way:

· going hungry

· skipping meals

· fasting

· eating too many refined foods

· eating too much salt

· sugar

· overworking

· drinking caffeine

· too much alcohol

· too much stress

· not getting enough sleep