For those who have found the "lazy days of summer" eluding them and feel more rundown then usual you may be experiencing adrenal fatigue. Adrenal Fatigue happens when your adrenal glands cannot adequately meet the demands of stress. The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys and mobilize your body's responses to every kind of stress (whether it's physical, emotional, or psychological) through releasing two hormones, adrenaline and cortisol. They regulate energy production and storage, immune function, heart rate, muscle tone, and other processes that enable you to cope with stress.

The most common symptom of adrenal fatigue is exhaustion that is not relieved by sleep. You may look and act relatively normal with no obvious signs of physical illness, yet you live with a general sense of tiredness or "gray" feelings. Often having to use coffee and other stimulants to get going in the morning and throughout the day. Other common symptoms are:

You feel tired for no reason
You have trouble getting up in the morning
You fel rundown or overwhelmed
You have difficulty bouncing back from stress or illness
You crave salty and sweet snacks
You feel more energetic and awake after 6pm