I believe that our bodies are created to heal themselves provided the right inputs. I believe that whole unprocessed foods, low sugar, good sleep, stress management, connecting with nature, frequent movement, having some fun with the people you love, and target supplementation will yield a healthy and vibrant body. I talk in more detail about all this in my post: “The Trifecta”.

A piece of my story….

A few years ago, I suffered an adrenal crash (aka: severe HPA Axis Dysregulation), unfortunately at the time it was thought it was just my thyroid. I was given a T3/T4 combination medication called Nature-Throid. Initially it made my symptoms worse (once some time passed the thyroid medicine started to help me). This caused me to start researching about other causes for my debilitating fatigue. This is when I learned about the adrenals. During my research I learned that my hypothyroidism was secondary hypothyroidism caused by my adrenals, as they are in the endocrine system that is tightly knitted together.

After a year of living with severe debilitating fatigue and doing everything I could think of, I finally got tested and learned that my cortisol output was really low, see my results below.

If you are really suffering, like I was, and you want to do some testing there are 4 point cortisol saliva test as well as 24 hour urine tests that can be done to test your adrenal function levels. Here is an interesting podcast on adrenal testing.

What is an adrenal?

The adrenals are two small glands located just above each kidney. The adrenals are responsible for the production of DHEA, sex hormones, corticosteroids, aldosterone, adrenaline, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Dr. Alan Christianson is one of my go-to adrenal experts.

Over the past few years I’ve worked incredibly hard at healing my body and I’m still working on it! Something that I recently found that has been a needle mover for me is called Cordyceps. “Cordyceps is an adaptogen, not a stimulant, so it helps you produce and maintain steady energy levels. Cordyceps helps your body produce its own energy.”

What I’ve done and am doing….

I found Four Sigmantic through Ben Greenfield (who is a BOSS); here is the podcast. I had nothing to lose by trying out their products. Initially, I was afraid of cordyceps because I didn’t know enough about them yet to determine if they were something that I should take considering my adrenal history.

I started with drinking their 5 Mushroom Blend which has benefits of antioxidants, adaptogenic property, liver support, glycemic balance, and immune system support. I found that this one was better for me to use later in the afternoon early evening time to ready me for bed.

Then I switched to their 10 Mushroom Blend because it had cordyceps in it along with 9 other super medicinal mushrooms. It has changed my life!

I recently drank straight Cordyceps because they come in easy to carry packets. I used ½ a packet each morning.

What have cordyceps done for me?

My energy levels have been better and more consistent throughout the day. If I don’t take it, I can feel the difference. I’ve been taking ½ tsp daily for a couple of months; I think I can safely increase to the full recommended amount of 1 tsp. However, you can drink it more than one time per day if you need to.

More fantastic resources for you….

According to Dr. Jockers.com, the five benefits of cordyceps are improved kidney and adrenal health, positive effect on sex hormone production, helps with blood sugar control, and better brain health due to the anti-inflammatory properties.

I could go on and on with various resources that discuss similar finds on how healthy cordyceps are for us….but I won’t. If you want to check out what others have to say about it, check out Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Lam, as well as the previously mentioned Dr. Alan Christianson. There is also a very helpful YouTube channel called: Adrenal Fatigue Society.

Here is a podcast that I recently listened to that went into how and why not all cordycep supplements are created equal. I personally am only taking Four Sigmatic’s brand. Here is another podcast with Four Sigmatic’s Tero Isokauppila.

Where to go from here….

I think everyone is under some form or multiple forms of stress these days. It certainly will not hurt you to try cordyceps, since they are adaptogenic they will increase if you need increase or decrease if you need decrease; they adapt to your body’s needs.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask in the ‘comments’ of this post.