Lessons from My Recovery
It’s been a while since I’ve gotten tested inside out , so just before the end of the year, I spent a few months checking back in with my doctors and I’m happy to say my levels all came back within range or high within range (aside from a couple vitamins)... My hormones specifically were PERFECT. I am 100% recovered from adrenal fatigue!
So... other than coming here to gloat, I wanted to share a few key things I noticed on my journey that were surprising, yet unexpected, but important. And I hope that by sharing these things you can identify what that means for you and where you’re at on your journey... and hopefully help prevent any unnecessary lag in your own energy improvement.
Now this goes without being said (and I know I’m a broken record) but if you haven’t yet... get tested. If it’s been over a year, get tested again. A lot can change in a short amount of time. Even after starting a newly prescribed regimen, doctors recommend testing again. This is to make sure the body is responding to the treatment positively.
Getting tested regularly is SO IMPORTANT. I cannot stress that fact. It is the most accurate way to measure progress.
That said... the first thing I noticed since recovering from Adrenal Fatigue is that while I noticed my energy levels improved, I still felt fatigue. Not horrible - life debilitating fatigue... but I still felt fatigue on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis. And I wasn’t sure if that was normal or if I was missing something.
Before I explain what was going on, let me clarify, when your body starts to come out of a deficit or when you start making healthier choices for yourself, your body may develop more of a sensitivity to what it needs. An example you might be able to relate to is getting extra sleep, or sleeping in. I often hear people say to me, “I can’t sleep in because when I sleep more than 8 hours I feel like I drag all day.”
Here’s the thing... your body is like “Whoa! Extra sleep? Give me more!” And it signals the body to be tired so that you’re motivated to get more sleep. So when you start sleeping more, it becomes hard to stay awake past midnight. When you start eating healthier, you start to feel the effects of processed foods and refined sugar. When you become more balanced, your body starts to communicate more precisely when things fall out of alignment.
What’s interesting about all this, is even though I no longer have Adrenal Fatigue or a hormone imbalance, I still feel that same “warning signs” of fatigue when I need something like a nap, more food, hydration, or just some quality rest and relaxation.
So back to that fatigue I was feeling after I was officially recovered... getting re-tested from multiple doctors who specialize in different areas of the body revealed a couple “holes” in my health. Small holes, but still leaking points of energy, and because our bodies are pretty dang smart, my body was “complaining”.
In my case, it turns out I’m pretty allergic to just about everything. And while I am fortunately not deathly allergic, the doctor explained that there is not a moment of the day my body isn’t fighting against or reacting to something. Now, that’s a lot of work, energy, and stress being imposed on my system. So making a few simple adjustments to my spaces, like changing the type of bedding I use, adding a HEPA filter to my room, and disinfecting my pillows weekly - changed my life!
We also tackled food sensitivities, and I realized that while I’m not gluten intolerant, simply taking gluten out of my diet dramatically increase my energy and mood throughout the day.
Another thing I noticed is that once I started to feel better, it was easy to be fooled by this idea that “I had arrived” to some sort of destination point where all this self-care was no longer needed. Wrong. So, so wrong. Feeling better is just the first part! The great news is there so much more to go!
Like a bank account, if you’ve been at a deficit, coming back to and even balance isn’t necessarily optimal. You still risk falling back into a deficit. I discovered that if I kept up with this recovery lifestyle my energy would only continue to improve and grow. The crazy part is, with some adjustments to pregnancy, I still feel better being pregnant now than I have in over 12 years!
So in a way, the goal, is to live in a surplus. To live and feel optimal, on a daily basis, regardless of what curveballs life throws our way. In conclusion, it means that the skills and lifestyle balance needed to improve and increase energy are the same skills and lifestyle balance needed to continue to level up our resilience and experience in life.
And if you ARE in the Level Up Program or Everyday Vacation Course, you’ll know very well that I firmly believe, your health (of mind, body, and spirit) is essential to living your best life and being your best self. So it’s a study, a life-long journey, of getting to know yourself, your body, and continuing to grow a personal understanding of what health means to YOU. Never stop improving!
Take the time to reflect on your life and notice the times you’ve felt energetic or resilient. Can you recall the balance of your lifestyle versus the imbalance during other experiences of feeling stressed and overwhelmed? How can you incorporate more of that similar balance now?