Endocrine glands, coffee, and shit you should really know.

Your endocrine system secretes hormones directly into your bloodstream. These glands include: the pituitary gland, pancreas, ovaries, testes, thyroid gland, and adrenal glands. Another organ which is not known for its endocrine activity is the stomach, because it produces the hormone ghrelin.

Now before I lose you down this boring post about glands, let me ask you a few questions.

How do you sleep? Do you poop every day? If you are a woman do you have painful periods or infrequent periods? Do you gain most of you weight in your belly and hips? Loss of libido? Do you exercise and diet with no loss in weight? Do you get tired half way through your day and need to recharge with a cup of coffee/energy drink/shot/soda? If you are a man do you have enlarged breast tissue? Are you hyper-sensitive to stress? Depressed?

Any of this plaguing you? Your endocrine system works dependent upon each gland. If one isn’t working properly you will experience a whole slew of complications that I listed and more. The scary part is the chances of your endocrine system getting sick are really, really high. For instance, do you pack your lunch in a plastic container to take to work? Do you drink beverages out of styrofoam cups? Do you heat your food in plastic? Use plastic cooking utensils? Drink water out of a plastic water bottle? Is most of your food bought in plastic containers? Do you buy certified organic fruits and veggies? Do you wash them? Do you eat industrialized meats? And by industrialized I mean not grass-fed beef and certified organic poultry. Is your milk rBST free? If you answered yes to the plastic questions and you aren’t sure about the types of food you are eating then chances are you are over exposed to exogenous estrogen. What does exogenous estrogen do? It increases estrogen levels that can cause that laundry list of complications I listed above...and more.

How much coffee do you drink? How about tea? To include iced? Soda? Energy drinks or energy shots? Do you eat chocolate? How much. Sit down and figure it out. And don’t say I have one cup of coffee. One cup of coffee is 6 ounces. You would be hard pressed to get a 6 ounce cup of coffee anywhere, most coffee mugs are double and even triple that size. Why should you be concerned about your caffeine intake? Too much caffeine overworks your adrenal gland. What does your adrenal gland do? These two pretty little glands that look like walnuts produce adrenaline and cortisol. Caffeine doesn’t “wake you up” it jolts your adrenal glands into pumping out adrenaline and cortisol to put your body in the “fight or flight” mode. And the effect of caffeine can last 12 hours. The more caffeine you consume the more your adrenal glands become fatigued. The more adrenaline and cortisol you have floating in your blood stream the more insulin resistant you become; meaning your blood glucose levels remain elevated, turning your blood into sludge; increasing your risk for developing diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Do I have your attention yet?

What brought my attention to the endocrine system? In January I got my “lady friend” as my husband likes to call it. She came in with the thunder. I had pain in my hip bones so bad that it hurt to walk, I was exhausted to a point I’ve never felt and I had to leave work. Really fun telling your boss you have your period and have to leave work. What a bullshit excuse, eh? I thought this was a freak thing….until February came and the same thing happened. OK, woa, woa woa....hold up. Pain means inflammation. My diet is spot the fawk on. What is going on here? Caffeine abuse. That was what was going on. I was drinking way too much coffee with my intermittent fasting. About 60-80 ounces a day. And doesn’t count my home-made cacao fudge. (100% chocolate and heavy whipping cream…mmmm)

OK, so let’s attack this problem. I quit coffee and chocolate. Holy Chit!! I attempted to go cold turkey. Not a good plan. I got the worst migrane around the 12th hour. My beautiful daughter, Syd, came home from school saw me pathetically laying on the couch trying to sleep…it hurt to sleep….she grabbed the computer and researched caffeine withdrawal. How smart is this kid? She told me I needed to wean and made me a cup of black tea. It did slightly take the edge off, but the headache raged on…..for….nine….fawking….days.

Not only did I have a constant dull throb in the front of my head and eyes, but I also had sludge brain. Every movement was difficult. I had to push myself to do basic tasks. Working out wasn’t too bad once I got started. But here is why…..working out increases cortisol levels, which is good….unless your adrenal glands are fatigued. So I had to stop working out. It was a form of self-medication....and medication being a treatment not a cure. I had to let my adrenal gland heal. This may sound like no big deal but if you know me, working out is my nucleus. It is my best friend, my mood stablazier, my zen. I got depressed. I got pissed. How did this happen? I have a diet better than anyone I know. Why did this happen?

My best guess is I set myself up for adrenal fatigue a long, long time ago. Like...in utero. My mom is a huge coca-cola fan, and yes, she drank it while she was pregnant with me. She also gave me sprite and water in a bottle when I was a baby. I drank soda every day, several times a day growing up. As an adult my favorite pre-workout snack was a pepsi and a chocolate-chocolate chip muffin. I ran marathons, did figure competitions (excessive exercise), competitive swimming…you get the picture.

When my daughters were young I was active duty, went to school full-time, had two toddlers, my husband was working the midnight shift and running a house.....well stuff had to get done, if that meant sleep got put on the backburner well then it did. As a young 20 year old I didn't realize that the chore fairy doesn't sneak in and do the dishes and wash the floors for you....they do wait....unfortunately.

A steady stream of caffeine, stress, and overtraining set me up for failure as I hit my 30s. I am paying much more attention to my endocrine system these days. I have rid our house of as much plastic as possible. I take my food in glass containers (Bed, Bath and Beyond! Use your coupons!). I threw out plastic cups, plastic baggies (we use parchment paper now) and I try to buy as many products in glass (perrier, oils, vinegar, etc) and I don’t use convenient plastic bags at the grocery stores for produce. I quit coffee, tea, chocolate.

I will add chocolate back in one of these days.

I added wild yam extract to help off-set any extra exogenous estrogen. And I am more aware of over training and getting rest.

I know I have a tendency to be repetitive but if you live and eat by the industrialized society you will get sick and fat.

But here is another note.

"When an adult is malnourished it happens in the present. When a child is malnourished there is another dimension. It also happens in the future. For a child is potential, in the act of becoming." Sherman Apt Russell.

A child not able to reach their full potential because they aren't eating REAL food and having someone look out for their endocrine system is tragic.

You all know a kid that drinks coffee. Maybe even a caramel frapacino....still coffee.

Their growth is stunted not only in stature but organ development, bone density, hormonal function, immune system, basically a lifetime of medical challenges. It will start as smaller things. Easily breaks bones. Catches every cold that blows side ways. A young boy with too large nipples and breast tissue. This is the body...what about the brain and cognitive development? Mental health? Malnourishment shows up in a lack of memory, inability to pay attention, inability to retain general knowledge. Later depression and anxiety. The wrong food and drink choices and wrappings!! for your kids can change who he or she cold be in this world.

That is a fact.

Love your babies more!!