DHEA and Adrenal Imbalance
- Exercise: Moving your body, even through deep breathing and mild stretching, reduces stress, oxygenates your cells, and boosts mood-elevating substances in your bloodstream called endorphins. This process can actually change your body chemistry for the better. Meditation is also useful in this way.
Spirituality: The ability to entertain the idea of some sort of larger power, be it natural or divine, is a powerful component of joy. Rituals of worship and contemplation, from a walk in the woods to yoga to prayer, helps us make space in our busy lives to focus on what is truly meaningful to us and who we really are.
- Play: Is it a coincidence that our levels of DHEA decline as we enter the grown-up world of work and responsibility? Who knows? It would be interesting to find out. But one thing is certain: playtime shouldn’t be just for kids. Sometimes I actually have to write out a prescription that reads PLAY so a patient can have fun without guilt. You too have my medical permission: go out and play. Kick up your heels — it’s good for your health!
I know none of this is easy to do in today’s non-stop world. Everything around us pushes us to have more, do more, be more — is it any wonder our bodies eventually throw up a huge stop sign? The best time to foster hormonal balance, adequate DHEA levels, and healthy adrenals is before you hit that stop sign. So give yourself a time-out and check-in. You may find, with a little help, your body and mind are more than capable of taking care of themselves.
The evolving wheel
Feelings of health and well-being are never static. Like all things natural, they depend on a kaleidoscope of moving parts — always changing, always unique. DHEA is just one part of this evolving pattern, one you can influence to create a better picture by changing your lifestyle and taking care of your adrenals. For more on this, read our many articles in our Adrenal Health section.
As with all things concerning your body, your mind, and your health, I hope you’ll learn as much as you can about yourself and find a medical practitioner you can talk openly with. DHEA should never be taken casually or unsupervised, but it’s benefits are real for the women who need it — as are the physiological benefits of cultivating joy. I encourage you to embrace the possibilities inherent in both!
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