Q: With the busy holiday season I am having a difficult time handling stressful situations. I am also suffering with insomnia where I can fall asleep just fine but wake up several hours later and can’t get back to sleep. Can you help?

A: If you are like most Canadian women you are working full time, looking after your children and partner, cleaning, cooking and shopping to the tune of 120 hours per week. Add in the number of things you are responsible for in the holiday season, and stress seems inevitable. Exhausted adrenals are the result of too much work and not enough play. Common symptoms include: difficulty handling stress; salt cravings; fatigue; insomnia—where you easily fall asleep but wake up several hours later and can’t fall back to sleep; feeling like you are pushing yourself through the day; dizziness; abdominal weight gain; no sex drive and hormonal imbalances.

The adrenals are the glands that help us deal with stress. They are also directly linked to the thyroid gland and exhausted adrenals often lead to low thyroid symptoms. Many female hormones are also manufactured in the adrenals making these glands especially important. Herbs including Rhodiola, Suma, Siberian ginseng, Ashwagandha and Schizandra berry found in AdrenaSense support and nourish the adrenals.

Stress reduction, especially during the holiday season is important. Delegate tasks, start holiday preparations early, reduce alcohol intake (drink mineral water spritzers), fill your plate with dark-coloured veggies. If you are not sleeping take SleepSense under your tongue at bedtime. Remember a massage is a great gift to give and receive. Be sure to schedule time for yourself.