me Archives - Page 2 of 15 - Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Oct 27 2017

Adrenal Fatigue: What it is and how it happens

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I recently wrote an article about adrenal fatigue (here). In it, I revealed how I had suffered with adrenal exhaustion years ago, and I listed some of the symptoms I had when my adrenal fatigue was at its worst. The article is being shared rather widely, validating once again how many people suffer from adrenal issues and are searching for a cure. The information I shared wasn’t readily available when I looked for it in my 30’s and 40’s. That’s part of why I decided to share more about this problem with you today.

Though my adrenals have been fine for a long time, I began noticing they needed attention again this year. After dealing with a difficult problem over the last 10 months, I can’t say I’m surprised my adrenals began to speak out. If you think of the adrenal glands as the “first responders” of the body, it’s easy to see how they produce some of the first noticeable signs when the body falls out of balance again. Because the adrenals are quick to react but slow to calm down once they’ve been stressed too long, they produce a range of uncomfortable symptoms that are just too hard to ignore.

I’d like to offer a short anatomy lesson, for those who aren’t familiar with the location and job of the adrenal glands in the human body.

Learn what the adrenals do and how they do it #adrenalfatigue #notlazyorcrazy

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Adrenal Glands: A Quick Overview

Every one of us has 2 adrenal glands, each about the size of a thumb, which are located on top of each kidney on either side of the body. The primary job of the adrenal glands is to produce a variety of hormones (more than 50 I believe) that are necessary for human life. Most people have probably heard of the adrenal hormone called “adrenaline”, which is the one that comes to our rescue during times of extreme fear or situations requiring quick action. Adrenaline is the hormone that rushes blood to our heads so we can think clearly in emergencies. It also rushes blood to our hearts and muscles so they can briefly become super-powerful and quickly react to whatever emergency situation is at hand (think of the parent able to lift a vehicle off a child after an accident).

Another hormone released by the adrenals is “cortisol”. In a perfect world, cortisol would be released in precise dosages into the body throughout the day, helping us rise in the morning, perform our daily activities with an appropriate amount of energy, and feel ready to go to sleep at night. Cortisol function is disturbed when the adrenals are severely under stress, however. What would normally proceed like clockwork becomes greatly out of balance, and the changes in cortisol levels are felt as the various symptoms we commonly associate with adrenal fatigue or exhaustion. (See this list of symptoms.)

Typically, this excess cortisol produces a feeling of being on constant “high alert” without the ability to calm down. With the adrenals overloaded and hormone levels unregulated in the cyclical way I described earlier, the body remains in a continually heightened state (some call it fear, nervousness, stress, or anxiety). It’s like the high alert can never be turned off. Which is why adrenal fatigue sufferers always feel so wired, so anxious, so nervous, and so jittery all the time; or in contrast, so utterly exhausted and practically unable to move when the alert has finally ended.

Fight or Flight Response

In reality, the stress response I’ve just described is life-saving and necessary for humans to react to real emergencies. If we look back in time to when humans would flee from wild animals or, later, human predators, we can understand why “fight or flight” is necessary for actual survival.

[An easy book for learning about stress and relaxation is, “The Relaxation Response” by Dr. Herbert Benson. If you’re interested in learning more, even though it’s an older book, it’s a good one to start out with.]

A problem today is that the human body hasn’t quite adapted to face the situations it’s living under in modern society. We are constantly bombarded with information and other stimuli, and we’re surrounded by mock emergency situations, or at least those we perceive as being urgent RIGHT NOW. The typical American lifestyle can wreak havoc on a body not designed to handle the overload of modern western culture. Our bodies lose the ability to chill out between episodes of stressful activity and bounce back to its naturally restful state.

Here’s a simple equation representing what I’ve just said:

Modern living = too many emergencies = adrenals can’t rest = bodies unlearn how to calm down.

Here’s the translation:

The adrenals get fooled into thinking there’s an alarm going off all the time.

The adrenals get fooled into thinking there’s an alarm going off all the time. #adrenalfatigue…

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I’ve learned so much by healing myself and helping others over the years. In the next installment I’ll begin sharing specifics to start healing the adrenal glands. There’s a subscribe button at the very bottom of my home page if you want to follow along.

Here’s that book by Dr. Benson again (affiliate):

To your health and healing,

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!

Oct 23 2017

Adrenal Fatigue: Symptoms List (plus a little about my journey)

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I was first introduced to the adrenal glands by reading Dr. James L. Wilson’s book, “Adrenal Fatigue: 21st Century Stress Syndrome” (see it here). The first to discuss adrenal fatigue to my knowledge, Dr. Wilson’s words spoke to me like he was reading my mind. I had been struggling with a strange (and seemingly unrelated) set of symptoms for at least 15 years, probably longer since I’d ignored so many subtle signs prior. Aside from constantly feeling crummy, I was tired of being misunderstood by doctors who did nothing but hand me prescriptions for drugs to shut me up.

That feeling when you find proof you’re not making stuff up #adrenalfatigue #notlazyorcrazy

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You know that feeling when you finally find proof that you’re not making stuff up? That book was the first time someone validated my intuition and told me to listen to what my body had to say. It was, you might say, my first step to freedom. (I just bought another copy as a kind of memorial to my health journey. I’d loaned my original copy so many times, it finally disappeared.)

The Start of My Journey

Before learning adrenal exhaustion was real, I had reached the point where if one more person told me I was making it up, needed more exercise, needed to relax, needed a pain pill, needed an anti-depressant, needed to stop eating so much, needed to have more sex, or needed to get my head examined, I would explode. Believe me when I tell you I would’ve tried anything to feel better, but I was an educated woman who’d lived in this body a long time — I knew those weren’t what I needed to fix me.

I found zillions of people on the internet (usually women) who felt like I did. Knowing I wasn’t alone was incredibly empowering, since I had no idea this was even going on. By reading their stories and reflecting on my own, I grew in knowing there had to be answers beyond what traditional medicine currently understood. So began my journey to learn as much as I could about adrenal fatigue and restore myself once and for all.

In this article and others to come, I’ll talk more about my journey to solve adrenal fatigue. I plan to be transparent hoping my findings will also help you, too. Please remember I’m not a medical doctor so you’re agreeing to read/apply this information at your own risk. I’ll be brutally honest, though. After years of going to doctors, I’m confident I know more about the adrenals than most of the doctors you’ll ever meet.

Symptoms Inventory

I’ll begin by listing common symptoms. There are more than the ones on my list, but I’m naming some of the symptoms that personally affected me and I’ve observed in other women I know.

Also know the language I’m using isn’t clinical, but I’m writing this for real women to relate to right away.

Finally, understand these symptoms alone don’t necessary indicate adrenal exhaustion and could each have other causes. It’s the combination of a bunch of these symptoms together that likely indicates the adrenals are on the way out, or shot altogether. The grouping of these symptoms is what you want to pay attention to.

Common symptoms of adrenal fatigue/exhaustion/total wipeout:

Stress and anxiety, often extreme, and at unwarranted times (like when you’re relaxing or doing something fun, or when you know there’s not really much stress in your life)
Dizziness or faintness, like waves that strike for no reason at all
Inability to bounce back after emotional or psychological pressure (not like you used to anyway)
Excessively moody, weepy, touchy, or emotional (more than is usual for you)
Mental confusion, hard to focus, “brain fog” (having to re-read paragraphs several times, not able to think crisply and clearly)
Anger, irritability, argumentative (even when you know it’s not appropriate, but you can’t help it)
Fatigue during the day, especially in the afternoons (crawling up the stairs on all fours <sigh> as I did)
Wide awake at night when you need to go to bed, but staying up just to get some “me time” or to finally get things done
Neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, pain in the trapezius or other muscles in those areas
Unexplained cough
Low blood pressure, or BP that doctors say is “low-normal” even if it isn’t normal for you
Feeling of hopelessness, despair, general depression, even though logic says you have a wonderful life
Low tolerance for people, stuff, and anything you used to be able to handle before
Autoimmune issues, like Hashimotos, or being told you have Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue
Skin issues, like rashes or hives, when they persist for years with no known cause
Excess fat storage, especially around the middle, and especially when you’re eating relatively well
Food cravings, for sweets, or for sweets that just don’t satisfy
Food cravings, for salty snacks, or some feeling you need extra salt
Food cravings for high fat foods, which fuel you for a little while until you crash again
Feeling better after a meal, or feeling worse after a meal
Over use of coffee or alcohol, more than you know you should (sometimes with guilt attached to using these substances to get through the day)
Crashes in between eating, and urgency to eat soon (scrambling to stuff something in your mouth)
Heartburn or indigestion
Gum bleeding or swelling
Sighing, gasping for air, feeling like you can’t fill up your lungs or get a full breath of air, but you keep trying anyway, so much it becomes an obsession
Blurry vision that comes and goes with no apparent cause, rubbing your eyes to clear them, getting glasses
Jaw pain, TMJ, teeth grinding at night, face tension or headaches from clenching so much
Heart pounding, racing or rapid heartbeat, even when resting, and especially when getting out of bed in the morning
Muscle cramps, “charley horses”, during the day, in bed, when you haven’t done any exercise or anything else to cause it
Constipation, irregular bowel movements, or different stools than you know is normal
Shaking or trembling, like having slightly shaky hands or an internal trembling in your mid-section
Low or no libido
Feeling like nothing is ever fun any more, you’re no fun, or there’s just no joy in life left

If you have these symptoms, you may have adrenal fatigue

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In future articles, I’ll describe some of the things that helped me and specific techniques that healed my adrenals for good. If you’d like to follow along, there’s a box where you can subscribe at the very bottom of my HOME PAGE.

Meanwhile, if you want to grab a copy of Dr. Wilson’s book, click the image (affiliate) below:

To your good health,

Sep 13 2017

Positive Things Cause Stress, Too

I remember like it was yesterday. Expensive coffee in one hand, deals and coupons in the other, I looked forward to Christmas shopping all year. Black Friday always kicked off the holiday season for me. It was the one day all year that was virtually guaranteed to put me in a good mood for weeks to come, so I’d never miss it, no matter the ridiculous amount of planning it sometimes took to get the morning off.

If I was so happy, then why did I feel so run down? And how was I suddenly blind-sided with panic without a clue there was anything wrong? I can almost recreate the dizziness, the heart palpitations and feeling drenched in my own sweat. I remember thinking I might actually tip over, and how embarrassing that would be in the middle of J.C. Penney. Finding a place to sit down in the bedding department, I called my husband, who talked me through it until I caught my breath. The attack caught me utterly by surprise, as I hear from so many other women who report experiencing exactly the same thing.

Miserable as that was, I gained some big understanding that day. I had a real awakening about stress, dominating the lies I’d heard for years from doctors and drug companies. I realized that positive life experiences can be stressful, too. It doesn’t just take negative stuff to earn a stress response.

It doesn’t just take negative stuff to earn a stress response.

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This is a really big idea actually.

It’s not what you believed about stress just a few minutes ago, is it?

See, I assumed relaxation and fun were antidotes for my stress, like some automatic way to cancel my symptoms. But what’s really true is that all kinds of experiences can be stressful, even positive ones. My body had just been on high alert so long, anything could have set me off — so it did.

Do you think you might be near a breaking point, too?

Have you considered where your stress is actually coming from?

Most of us think stress is a response to unpleasantness in our lives. But, if you think back to the last time you planned a party/welcomed a new baby/began an exciting new job, I think you’ll see what I mean.

Since that time, I’ve made life changes. Major ones. If you experience stress, you can make life changes, too.

Even a happy life can make us stressed out. Remember it’s the stacking of many things that make us overloaded.

To your health and healing,

Mar 10 2017

Supplements for new Florida book

If you were wondering where to grab more information about my new homeschooling book, this notice is for you.

So, the book is called, “The Ultimate Guide to Florida Homeschooling” (Moreau, 2017) and it’s available on Amazon today! You’ll find it in PAPERBACK or in KINDLE and it’s all buttoned up and ready to help support you on your home ed journey.

One of the promises I made to those buying the book is to provide updates from time to time. Updates will not only help keep you informed, but they’ll provide extra little goodies I just didn’t have room for in the book itself.

Today’s updates include snapshots from the Florida Statutes. They’re the laws homeschoolers need to follow when establishing and maintaining a home education program in Florida. (Why is this important?) Future updates will be posted as I have the time, and will be available free of charge for purchasers of the book.

You’ll find today’s updates here. (Need a password? Use: sunshine)

Tell your friends about the book, and remind them to pick up their own copies, too. Your friends can then subscribe to my newsletter so they can get their own freebies, too.

Happy homeschooling!

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschooling pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, is industry-acclaimed as it illustrates how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.

Mar 04 2017

A natural hand sanitizer you can make at home

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When I made the commitment for my family to live healthier, I was overwhelmed with the number of things I had to think about. There was diet and nutrition, physical and mental exercise, examining lifestyle, and so much more. This would be a new way of thinking and acting — for the rest of our lives! Because of my tendency to seek perfection and want things all at once, I knew this would make me crazy if I didn’t pace myself right from the beginning.

I found that taking individual steps, and focusing on a couple of things at a time, was more manageable for me. Baby steps made it easier on my [reluctant] family, too. Swapping just one habit, or one group of products at a time helped us make progress without me feeling overwhelmed. The progressive approach also helped my family adjust, without as much grumbling as I think would’ve happened all at once.

It took a couple of years, but we were finally able to implement the healthier, more natural lifestyle we lead today. Looking back at where we started, I’m proud of how far we’ve come on our “greening journey”, as I like to call it.

The earliest changeovers we made included the foods we ate (or stopped eating), cleaning up our drinking water, choosing smarter cleaning products, and making changes to our home to eliminate toxins and irritants (read about that journey here). Later on, I began switching out personal care products, focusing on natural first aid and healing remedies, filtering our air, and researching ingredients to make certain products on my own.

One of the things I had forgotten about were those commercial hand sanitizers and wipes that were in the car. We were still using them after pumping gas, before eating in the car, or in place of washing our hands when that just wasn’t possible. I still had those purse-sized bottles hanging everywhere, and we’d easily go thru several of them at Disney, during a day of volunteering, or when my kids were working their part-time jobs.

When the FDA finally banned triclosan, a dangerous ingredient in anti-bacterial products, it finally got me thinking about what else was lurking in those bottles. I guess it was the push I needed to come up with a healthier way of cleaning our hands in the car, safer than absorbing chemicals into our skin like before. We used to hate the stink of those hand sanitizer products, and would always have to open the car windows when using them! I can’t believe I didn’t think about the consequences sooner, but no regrets, and glad I moved onward…

I love that we’re not only cleaning our hands*, but also naturally moisturizing them at the same time. My current blends are based on recipes found on the internet, with changes I made on my own. I’m sure there are other blends that work well, too, but here are our recipes if you want to give them a try.

Make your own [natural, healthier] hand sanitizer / liquid or gel:

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I’m giving you my simplest recipe and my super-duper one, so you can choose based on what you have on hand. Pay attention to the thickness before deciding whether to store it in a spray or squirt bottle.

* Disclaimer: This article is for education and information only, and is not a substitute for medical advice or scientific information. Always consult a professional and/or do your own research. Use these products at your own risk. I make no scientific claims about this product’s effectiveness against bacteria or viruses

Homemade Hand Sanitizing Liquid

Simplest Recipe

Fill a spray bottle with:

a couple of Tablespoons of any witch hazel without alcohol, I use THIS or THIS

a few drops of almond oil (test it to see how much moisturizing you like) I use THIS

tea tree oil (depends on bottle size, maybe 10-20 drops) I use THIS

water to the top

Add-Ins for Super-Duper Recipe

May need to transfer to a squeeze bottle:

lavender essential oil (depends on bottle size, maybe 5-10 ten drops) I use THIS

more essential oils (I recommend rosemary, thyme, peppermint, clove, or others to match scent)

vitamin E oil (break open a gel cap or two)

*pure aloe vera (liquid or gel) I use THIS

I don’t use the most expensive oils for this recipe, saving those for other uses; but by all means, use the oils you’re most comfortable with.

If I’m making a liquid recipe, I use either old spray bottles, or ones I buy at the dollar store. If I’m making a gel recipe, I’ll re-purpose old shampoo bottles with tight-fitting caps. (*Ours is usually runny because I use the same aloe liquid I put in my daily drinks.)

If you like the convenience of wipes, you can fill an old baby wipes container (with the pop top) about 1/8 full with the liquid recipe, then stuff as many crumpled up paper towels as you can fit in there. And if you’re feeling really ambitious, you can saw (yes, saw) a roll of paper towels in half and put the half roll in there. I only do that when I’m feeling really ambitious, but if you play your cards right, the pop top works remarkably well for pulling wipes out from the center of the roll.

Finally, I’ve noticed aloe doesn’t stay fresh forever, so if you use aloe, I wouldn’t make a huge batch at one time. If you eliminate the aloe, though, it will last much longer, especially if the bottles are dark or you keep it out of the sun.

To your good health,