They are calmly drinking when along comes a lion. Think of watching gazelles around a watering hole. You‘ve probably seen vivid examples of the fight or flight mechanism on the Nature Channel. Insulin, another hormone pumped out in the fight or flight response, mopped that extra mobilized blood sugar back into your cells, your breathing and heart rates went back to normal, and all was once again well in your world. Once we were safely out of harm’s way, the chemical process resolved and we went back to normal.

We breathed faster, our heart rate went up, and we got into high-energy action. When this system got activated, we pumped out a hormone called cortisol, which made our thinking sharp, gave us energy, and mobilized blood sugar to fuel our muscles. We had to, for example, run away from a saber-toothed tiger that was chasing us. Historically, as humans, the immediate dangers we faced were typically short-lived. When we are in danger, or think we are (think: worried your boss is going to fire you, worried about money, worried about your kids, your marriage…), they mobilize all of our resources to fight or get away from that danger. The adrenal glands control our fight or flight mechanism. But they can also be responsible for feeling unwell-weight gain, irritability, fatigue, and more are linked to a phenomenon called adrenal fatigue. The adrenal glands are really quite incredible in that, as a species, they are our primary survival organs. Have you heard of the adrenals? They are two tiny little glands that sit on top of your kidneys and control quite a few actions in your body including your stress response, weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, and immune system. How to Nourish Your Adrenals and Get Out of Survival Mode.Adrenal Stress: 10 Common Signs that You Might be Suffering.Adrenals: Their Role In Fight or Flight.

Causes of overactive adrenal glands