The Adrenal Glands - You have two adrenal glands, one located on top of each kidney.

THE ADRENAL GLANDS

One of the main functions of these glands is countering stress by the production of several hormones. The adrenals don’t know the difference between physical and mental stress; they treat both with the same stress hormones. Every type of stress influences these glands 1 injury, infection, divorce, financial stress, job-related stress, irritable people, drugs and medication, surgery, pain, illness, poison ivy, extreme cold or heat, giving birth, menstrual cycle, staring into computer monitors, eating junk foods, starvation diets, and babysitting 15 small children under the age of five for over 13 hours.

The adrenals have many other functions, from anti-inflammatory actions (ridding the body of pain and swelling) and immune system protection to balancing fluid and salt levels, and controlling minerals (such as potassium), rapid heart rate and sleep and awake cycles. They even act as backup organs for the ovaries during menopause. The following is a description of what happens when the adrenal glands do not function properly.

The Adrenal type I am about to describe is the result of excessive adrenal hormone production. I will cover adrenal hormone deficiency as well. Excess fat in both the midsection (buffalo-like torso) and the face can occur from overreaction of this gland. In the midsection, the fat forms primarily in and around the abdominal organs and sags downward over the belly. Another term for this stomach is pendulous, meaning hanging loosely, sagging. This is different from the Liver body shape, which is a potbelly or a protruding stomach like a water balloon, while in the Ovary body shape the person has a small bulge below the bellybutton. The majority of Americans hold weight in the stomach area more than any other place (which could come from the adrenals or the liver). There are different degrees of adrenal problems, but many of them do not show up on blood tests until they are well advanced into dangerous stages. The adrenal glands are set on a timing mechanism in the brain; therefore testing the blood or saliva for adrenal hormones should be done every 4 hours through a 24-hour period (cortisol test).

There Are Four Different Body Shapes, Each Influenced by Hormones. Many people think that the shape of the body is purely genetic and there is nothing that can be done about it. But our bodies and our body shapes are actually controlled by hormones. Take the Body Type Quiz to determine your body type. Then chose the matching program to create a healthy body.