https://www.dinavalerie.com/blog/living-with-mindfulness

Little did I know that the day this picture was taken on Friday July 4 2025 would completely change the next several weeks of my life. As I lay here on the couch writing this, having devoting the past several days to research, rest and overhauling my life in order to heal from burnout, a complete exhaustion that put me out of commission. Going from cardio, lifting heavy at the gym, yoga and almost daily bicycling rides to getting out of breath walking to the top of the stairs. I’m fit so know there are other issues, with blood tests coming back with low iron, my iron not absorbing because I eat a ton of spinach, grass fed filet in an iron skillet and spirulina yet Without enough iron, your red blood cells can’t carry oxygen efficiently, leaving you short of breath with even mild exertion. With low cortisol, your body can’t mount a proper blood pressure or oxygenation response. Also having a low WBC count(white blood cell) and pre-diabetes level of glucose(120) None of this made sense to me considering my active and uber healthy lifestyle. Nutrient rich foods, superfood smoothies w/spirulina, wonderful organic and colorful veggie salads, nuts, seeds, sprouts etc. Until I did my research and dug into my history with stress, running on adrenaline, fasting before an intense and heavy workout and little recovery and rest periods. I set myself up and all came crashing down in the 4th of July when I did an intense work out at the gym in the morning and then at least an hour bicycle ride in Gettysburg in the sun and a little hike to the top of Little RoundTop to see the “Castle”. The having to ride back to the truck with a big hill I had to stop half way up just to catch my breath. Little did I know what was right around the corner… me feeling completely depleted. For the next two days I had very little to no energy to do anything. Sunday I was completely out of commission after an intense deep tissue massage that I thought would help but left my entire body aching and drained, depleted beyond I ever thought possible. I know something was seriously wrong so went to the Dr. and doctor telling him all my symptoms he ordered blood tests. Still currently without a diagnosis all research, I have done on my own as well as knowing my body. The following (I am not a doctor but this has been acquired during my research) I hope can help bring clarity to those who also feel frustration with the medical field. The doctor that I saw told me he has never seen any type of adrenal fatigue in his 30 years of practice. I am hoping to change this and open his eyes to the very reality of it all. This affects me to my core.

A functional, holistic, and Eastern medicine-based guide to understanding and healing HPA Axis Dysfunction, tailored especially for high-performing women in their 50s.

🧠 What is HPA Axis Dysfunction?

The HPA axis (Hypothalamus–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis) is your body’s core stress response system. It connects the brain (hypothalamus and pituitary) with the adrenal glands, which produce key stress hormones like cortisol, DHEA, epinephrine, and aldosterone.

🌡️ Function:

Regulates energy, sleep, blood sugar, immune function, mood, hormones, and blood pressure
Helps you adapt to daily stress—emotional, physical, environmental, or metabolic

When you experience chronic or cumulative stress, the HPA axis becomes dysregulated, leading to a cascade of dysfunction throughout your body.

🧬 How HPA Dysfunction Develops in Your 50s

By your 50s, especially for active, high-achieving women, the “stress bucket” often overflows due to:

Decades of physical overdrive: overtraining, under-recovery
Emotional trauma: unresolved grief, loss, betrayal
Poor blood sugar stability: fasting + stress = cortisol dysregulation
Stimulant history: fat burners, excessive caffeine, pre-workouts
Perimenopause/Menopause: estrogen drops → cortisol compensates → adrenal strain
Sleep debt + circadian disruption
Caregiver burnout or emotionally suppressive roles

All of this taxes your HPA axis until it starts malfunctioning—initially overproducing cortisol, then eventually under-producing

🔎 4 Stages of HPA Axis Dysfunction: Signs & Symptoms

Stage 1 – “Alarm Phase” (Hyper-cortisolism)

“Wired but tired”

🧠 Initial overproduction of cortisol due to high stress

Symptoms:

Anxiety or irritability
Trouble falling asleep (racing mind)
Sugar or salt cravings
Belly fat accumulation
High blood pressure, elevated glucose
Overexercising but not recovering well

Stage 2 – “Resistance Phase” (Dysregulation begins)

“Running on adrenaline”

🧠 Cortisol rhythm begins to flatten and become erratic

Symptoms:

Fatigue in the afternoon, second wind at night
Increased infections or allergies
PMS, perimenopause, thyroid issues begin to show
Energy crashes between meals
Brain fog, poor short-term memory

Stage 3 – “Exhaustion Phase” (Hypo-cortisolism)

“Burnout, drained, no reserve”

🧠 Cortisol is low all day, DHEA also low

Symptoms:

Constant fatigue even after sleeping
Dizziness when standing (low BP)
Low libido, depression, poor motivation
Sore eyes, feeling “flu-ish” or weak
Breathless going up stairs
Craving salt, dry skin, thinning hair

Stage 4 – “HPA Axis Collapse” (Flatlined response)

“System crash”

🧠 Cortisol, DHEA, adrenaline: all depleted

Symptoms:

May mimic chronic fatigue syndrome, POTS, or fibromyalgia
Can’t tolerate even light exercise
Reliant on stimulants or naps
Frequent infections, crashing immune system
Cold hands/feet, low body temp, low BP (e.g. 108/60)
Emotionally flat, socially withdrawn

We are responsible for our own health. The bloodwork I received last week is a baseline for everything that I do that follows. What I immediately changed in my lifestyle.

• Gave up or really minimized all sugar(my go to was 8-12 medjool dates or a 6oz bag of dried papaya, justifying it because they are high in potassium 🤔 Now I will have 2 dates max.

•No caffeine, this will definitely be a test when I get back to the gym.

•REST, no gym or strenuous activity till I feel ready. Morning walks around the block and some Pilates or light weight exercises when I feel up to it.

•Bed by 9:30-10:00pm max No more scrolling before bed. Those YouTube reels reeled me in, so I just don’t even view one, one leads to time loss and getting sucked into other peoples lives which is depriving me of my vital sleep and healing time. Being down and out like this is not where I want to be. My habits caused me to get here and it’s also my habits that will get me out. 🙏

•No more fasting for the time being.

•Swapped frozen smoothies and raw salads for cooked food. Added beef liver and lots of lightly cooked veggies.

Spinach is very high in oxalates, compounds that bind with minerals like iron, calcium, and magnesium in the digestive tract.
When oxalates bind with non-heme iron, they form insoluble complexes that your body can’t absorb well.(🔥 Lightly steam your spinach, Cooking reduces oxalates by up to 30–90%, depending on the method.
*If you love spinach, try steaming it first, then freezing it in cubes for your smoothies
Cooked over raw, especially important for adrenal healing, iron absorption, digestion, and energy restoration, particularly for someone experiencing fatigue, low iron, and HPA axis dysfunction
Cooked vegetables:
- Are easier to digest
- Help increase mineral absorption (especially iron)
- Reduce gut irritation
- Support adrenal recovery and nervous system regulation
Raw veggies:
- Can be helpful in moderation, but may hinder healing if your digestion, adrenals, or iron levels are compromised.
✅ Better greens for iron absorption:
- Low-oxalate greens like:

HPA Axis Dysregulation aka adrenal fatigue

A functional, holistic, and Eastern medicine-based guide to understanding and healing HPA Axis Dysfunction, tailored especially for high-performing women in their 50s.

🧠 What is HPA Axis Dysfunction?

The HPA axis (Hypothalamus–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis) is your body’s core stress response system. It connects the brain (hypothalamus and pituitary) with the adrenal glands, which produce key stress hormones like cortisol, DHEA, epinephrine, and aldosterone.

🌡️ Function:

Regulates energy, sleep, blood sugar, immune function, mood, hormones, and blood pressure

Helps you adapt to daily stress—emotional, physical, environmental, or metabolic

When you experience chronic or cumulative stress, the HPA axis becomes dysregulated, leading to a cascade of dysfunction throughout your body.

🧬 How HPA Dysfunction Develops in Your 50s

By your 50s, especially for active, high-achieving women, the “stress bucket” often overflows due to:

Decades of physical overdrive: overtraining, under-recovery

Emotional trauma: unresolved grief, loss, betrayal

Poor blood sugar stability: fasting + stress = cortisol dysregulation

Stimulant history: fat burners, excessive caffeine, pre-workouts

Perimenopause/Menopause: estrogen drops → cortisol compensates → adrenal strain

Sleep debt + circadian disruption

Caregiver burnout or emotionally suppressive roles

All of this taxes your HPA axis until it starts malfunctioning—initially overproducing cortisol, then eventually under-producing

🔎 4 Stages of HPA Axis Dysfunction: Signs & Symptoms

Stage 1 – “Alarm Phase” (Hyper-cortisolism)

“Wired but tired”

🧠 Initial overproduction of cortisol due to high stress

Symptoms:

Anxiety or irritability

Trouble falling asleep (racing mind)

Sugar or salt cravings

Belly fat accumulation

High blood pressure, elevated glucose

Overexercising but not recovering well

Stage 2 – “Resistance Phase” (Dysregulation begins)

“Running on adrenaline”

🧠 Cortisol rhythm begins to flatten and become erratic

Symptoms:

Fatigue in the afternoon, second wind at night

Increased infections or allergies

PMS, perimenopause, thyroid issues begin to show

Energy crashes between meals

Brain fog, poor short-term memory

Stage 3 – “Exhaustion Phase” (Hypo-cortisolism)

“Burnout, drained, no reserve”

🧠 Cortisol is low all day, DHEA also low

Symptoms:

Constant fatigue even after sleeping

Dizziness when standing (low BP)

Low libido, depression, poor motivation

Sore eyes, feeling “flu-ish” or weak

Breathless going up stairs

Craving salt, dry skin, thinning hair

Stage 4 – “HPA Axis Collapse” (Flatlined response)

“System crash”

🧠 Cortisol, DHEA, adrenaline: all depleted

Symptoms:

May mimic chronic fatigue syndrome, POTS, or fibromyalgia

Can’t tolerate even light exercise

Reliant on stimulants or naps

Frequent infections, crashing immune system

Cold hands/feet, low body temp, low BP (e.g. 108/60)

Emotionally flat, socially withdrawn

We are responsible for our own health. The bloodwork I received last week is a baseline for everything that I do that follows. What I immediately changed in my lifestyle.

• Gave up or really minimized all sugar(my go to was 8-12 medjool dates or a 6oz bag of dried papaya, justifying it because they are high in potassium 🤔 Now I will have 2 dates max.

•No caffeine, this will definitely be a test when I get back to the gym.

•REST, no gym or strenuous activity till I feel ready. Morning walks around the block and some Pilates or light weight exercises when I feel up to it.

•No more fasting for the time being.

•Swapped frozen smoothies and raw salads for cooked food. Added beef liver and lots of lightly cooked veggies.

Spinach is very high in oxalates, compounds that bind with minerals like iron, calcium, and magnesium in the digestive tract.

When oxalates bind with non-heme iron, they form insoluble complexes that your body can’t absorb well.(🔥 Lightly steam your spinach, Cooking reduces oxalates by up to 30–90%, depending on the method.

*If you love spinach, try steaming it first, then freezing it in cubes for your smoothies

Cooked over raw, especially important for adrenal healing, iron absorption, digestion, and energy restoration, particularly for someone experiencing fatigue, low iron, and HPA axis dysfunction

Cooked vegetables:

Are easier to digest

Help increase mineral absorption (especially iron)

Reduce gut irritation

Support adrenal recovery and nervous system regulation

Raw veggies:

Can be helpful in moderation, but may hinder healing if your digestion, adrenals, or iron levels are compromised.

✅ Better greens for iron absorption:

Low-oxalate greens like:

Kale

Swiss chard (in moderation)

Mustard greens