Those of you with strong adrenal function may feel you are immune to stress. After all, stress is what the adrenal glands handle best! Adrenalin, cortisol, DHEA, pregnenolone and other adrenal hormones give a calm energy and endurance. But no one can live with stress forever. Some adrenal types devote themselves early on to a healthy life style of good nutrition, adequate sleep and minimal stimulants. Others really push themselves physically and more often than not are surprised one day by a sudden health failure. Chronic high blood pressure is one sign Adrenal types need to make adjustments. Here are ten easy things you can start doing today to compensate for adrenal weaknesses and build on your strengths as an adrenal type:

1. Reduce stress and blood pressure with meditation, relaxation, adequate rest and sleep, and exercise. Don’t indulge in excess salt. Take magnesium malate.
2. Do a variety of physical activities 1 to 2 hours per day. Drink fluids to restore lost minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium). Adrenal types gain weight if they fail to exercise, or if they eat junk food diets.
3. Practice taking hold of yourself before acting on anger. Adrenal types are competitive. Consider how an obstacle or challenge can be recruited to be on your team. Be patient with others who lack your inborn strength, stamina or energy.
4. Avoid exposure to environmental toxins, such as heavy metals, industrial chemicals, and other occupational hazards. These damage the nervous system, cause mood swings, and block mental function. You will feel better and think more clearly.
5. Reduce or avoid stimulants: caffeine, tobacco, sugar, junk foods, alcohol, party drugs, excess salt, excess fat, candy bars, and sugary power bars.
6. Eat regular meals. Emphasize protein (beef, chicken) and vegetables for key minerals. These maintain muscles, high energy, and normal blood pressure. Add more carbohydrates if you exercise a lot. Cholesterol is needed to make adrenal hormones.
7. Support low thyroid function with supplements and foods. This will improve awareness and mental ability, such as planning, studying or conceptual tasks.
8. Support low pineal function with supplements; spend time outdoors in sunlight.
9. Detoxify once a year to rid your body of heavy metals, industrial chemicals, stimulants and fat. Drink plenty of water, exercise, sweat, take detox supplements.
10. Visit your doctor for a complete physical exam and blood tests once a year, even if you feel great. Adrenal types tend to look and feel great for decades, until a sudden unknown health condition strikes them down.

It is also important to address your recessive glands – those with weak output get only weaker when you’re under stress. Many – but not all! – adrenal types have weak pineal and thyroid function. Low thyroid function may show up as slowed mental activity, a puffy face or moon-shaped face, slow speed (even with high endurance), and osteoporosis in older individuals. If any of these characteristics are present, consider visiting your health care provider to check for hypothyroidism, one of the most common glandular dysfunctions today. Low pineal function may show up as depression during the winter months, minimal or no dreaming, insomnia (so much high energy you can barely sleep) and/or lack of self-awareness. Thyroid and pineal glandulars, and foods with nutrients necessary for these glands, are one way to list up these “weakest links” in your hormonal chain.