Your adrenal glands are two small glands that sit right on top of each kidney, and the job they do is far bigger than their size. They make the hormones the body relies on to handle stress: adrenaline for fight or flight, cortisol to regulate blood sugar and inflammation, and aldosterone to balance sodium, fluids and blood pressure.
When stress is constant instead of occasional, from illness, overwork, poor sleep or emotional strain, the adrenals wear down trying to keep up. That’s when people notice a tiredness that doesn’t lift with rest, a harder time handling stress that used to be manageable, and a heart that feels like it’s working overtime.
Feeding these glands, rather than pushing them harder, is what gives them the chance to rebuild. And because the adrenals and the heart carry the load of stress together, a good adrenal formula supports the heart as well.
What a Good Adrenal Formula Contains
A good formula for tired adrenals might contain these seven herbs:
- Mullein, 4 parts, and Lobelia, 4 parts. Together they are considered the perfect food for the glands, long paired to nourish and rebuild an overworked, run-down gland.
- Ginseng, 4 parts. A mix of American and Siberian. American Ginseng is the gentler of the two, well tolerated over time; Siberian Ginseng is the classic herb for stress and endurance.
- Gotu Kola, 4 parts. In small amounts it relieves fatigue and wakes up the brain, and it supports the pituitary, which directs the adrenals.
- Hawthorn Berries, 4 parts. A heart tonic for centuries. Under stress the heart often works overtime, and Hawthorn steadies it, soothes the nerves and helps with nervous sleeplessness.
- Ginger Root, 4 parts. Carries the formula into the abdomen, where the adrenals sit, and clears congested capillaries.
- Cayenne, 1 part. Nature’s finest stimulant for the circulation, bringing oxygen and nourishment to the cells that need repair.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 4 ounces each of the first six herbs and 1 ounce of Cayenne.
Putting It Together
Put the dry herbs in a glass jar and pour in 80-proof vodka. Once the herbs have settled, you want about 60% herb sediment on the bottom and 40% liquid on top. Shake the jar every day. The traditional timing follows the moon, from the new moon to the full moon, about two weeks. I prefer to let my extracts sit a full three months, which makes them good and strong. Then strain and bottle the liquid.
How Much and How Often
2 to 4 droppersful (½ to 1 teaspoon) three times a day, six days a week.
It took years for the body to get into this condition, and it takes steady nourishment to rebuild. While it does, avoid the foods and activities that add stress to a tired gland. And remember, a merry heart does good like a medicine.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
