Spring Reset: Why You’re Wired, Tired, and Dizzy
As Austin transitions into spring, many of us feel the push to reset and go-go-go. Sometimes that looks like spending more time with friends, cleaning the house, or working out more often. But if you’re struggling with fatigue, dizziness, weight gain or loss, and waking up throughout the night, your body might be telling you that its internal battery is running on empty.
Most people dismiss these feelings as just stress or needing to condition the body to get back into your regular work out routine. However, your symptoms are often a sign that your adrenal glands are struggling to keep up. To truly prepare your body for the season ahead, we have to look at the relationship between two vital hormones: Cortisol and Aldosterone.
Cortisol: The Steady Tide
Think of Cortisol as a steady tide that rises and falls and predictably flows in and out. It decreases in the evenings to allow melatonin to rise and make you sleepy, and then in the early morning hours it starts to increase to reduce melatonin and wake you up. It then steadily increases and decreases through out the day, managing your blood sugar, when to release glucose, and when to prioritize survival over digestion or reproduction.
When you are overworked, over-exercising, or in a constant anxiety spiral from doom-scrolling, that tide starts to rise higher and higher. Eventually, the tide cannot keep rising and it plummets leading to that wired but tired feeling where you’re exhausted all day but your brain won't shut off at night.
Aldosterone: The Shoreline
While everyone talks about cortisol, almost no one talks about Aldosterone. Even many nutrition practitioners dismiss it because they say it is rare and not applicable. I tend to disagree and I talk about aldosterone with my clients. Aldosterone is like the shoreline to cortisol’s tide, and decides how much water from the tide stay on the shore. Aldosterone manages your blood pressure, sodium retention, fluid balance, and keep your minerals in balance. While cortisol is managing energy aldosterone is managing minerals and they are balancing with one another all day. If you are stressed then aldosterone is burning through your mineral reserves to support the energy needs of cortisol.
If aldosterone is low, your body literally cannot hold onto water or mineral balance. This is why you might feel dizzy when you stand up or feel like you’re constantly dehydrated no matter how much water you drink. In Perimenopause and Menopause, this balance becomes even more fragile as your adrenals are asked to do the extra work of supporting your changing hormones.
How do you know if your adrenals are stressed?
Most people know by their lifestyle if they feel stressed, but if you feel like you have been living in a pressure cooker and cannot tell the difference here is an outline of symptoms and signals that your adrenals are shouting at you to slow down!
Cortisol:
Wired but Tired / Anxiety
3 AM Wake-ups
Trouble falling asleep
Elevated blood sugar
Sugar cravings
Belly weight gain
Racing thoughts
Elevated heart rate
Feeling overstimulated by caffeine
Inflammation suppression short-term
Aldosterone:
Dizziness when standing up
Low blood pressure
Constant Salt Cravings
Brain Fog & Confusion
Cannot keep weight on
Frequent Urination
Extreme Fatigue / Energy Crashes
Can’t wake up in the morning
Severe afternoon crashes
Poor stress tolerance (“I can’t handle anything”)
Hypoglycemia between meals
Feeling shaky if meals are delayed
Low motivation
Inability to mount a stress response
Increased inflammation
Poor recovery from illness
Feeling dehydrated despite drinking water
Low blood pressure
Cold hands and feet
Muscle weakness
Constipation (low sodium impairs motility)
Headaches from electrolyte imbalance
Heart palpitations
What to do to balance your adrenals?
Lifestyle changes are important to consider like low intensity work outs, putting a full stop on the workday and not taking it home with you, and putting down your phone at night. But nutritionally I use Adrenal Cocktails. Check out two cocktails you make and enjoy daily to provide the electrolytes and minerals your body needs
AM Adrenal Cocktail (Cortisol Support + Gentle Activation)
Purpose:
Support natural morning cortisol rise
Replenish sodium + potassium
Improve blood pressure and morning energy
Support stomach acid production
Ingredients
8–12 oz filtered water
1/4 tsp high-mineral sea salt (Celtic or Redmond)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice or aloe juice
Optional: pinch of cream of tartar (potassium source)
Optional: squeeze of lemon
Why This Works
Sodium supports aldosterone + blood pressure
Potassium prevents sodium “dumping”
Natural vitamin C supports adrenal cortex function
Gentle glucose from juice helps stabilize morning cortisol
When to Take
Within 30–60 minutes of waking, ideally before caffeine.
Best paired with a protein-rich breakfast.
PM Adrenal Cocktail (Mineral Repletion + Nervous System Support)
Purpose:
Prevent afternoon cortisol crash
Support electrolyte balance without stimulating
Calm nervous system before evening wind-down
Ingredients
8–10 oz warm water or coconut water
Small pinch sea salt
1/4–1/2 cup coconut water (natural potassium)
Optional: splash of magnesium bicarbonate water
Optional: small amount of tart cherry juice (for calming support)
Why This Works
Potassium supports cellular hydration
Small sodium amount prevents overnight sodium depletion
Magnesium (if included) supports parasympathetic tone
No large sugar load to avoid nighttime cortisol spike
When to Take
Mid-afternoon (3–5 PM)
OR
1–2 hours before bed if prone to nighttime waking.
If you want the more recipes for adrenal cocktails and a full plan to support your adrenals, gut, and brain, check out my Free 7-Day Gut-Brain Reset. It’s the first step to feeling like yourself again this spring.
References
Engler, L., Adolf, C., Heinrich, D. A., Brem, A.-K., Riester, A., Franke, A., Beuschlein, F., Reincke, M., Steiger, A., & Künzel, H. (2019). Effects of chronically high levels of aldosterone on different cognitive dimensions: An investigation in patients with primary aldosteronism. Endocrine Connections, 8(4), 407–415. https://doi.org/10.1530/ec-19-0043 Cited by: 12
Gideon, A., Sauter, C., Fieres, J., Berger, T., Renner, B., & Wirtz, P. H. (2019). Kinetics and interrelations of the renin aldosterone response to acute psychosocial stress: A neglected stress system. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 105(3), e762-e773. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgz190 Cited by: 43
Herman, J. P., McKlveen, J. M., Ghosal, S., Kopp, B., Wulsin, A., Makinson, R., Scheimann, J., & Myers, B. (2016). Regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical stress response. Comprehensive Physiology, 603–621. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c150015 Cited by: 2721
Kubzansky, L. D., & Adler, G. K. (2010). Aldosterone: A forgotten mediator of the relationship between psychological stress and heart disease. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 34(1), 80–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.07.005 Cited by: 143
Seidel, E., & Scholl, U. I. (2016). Intracellular molecular differences in aldosterone- compared to cortisol-secreting adrenal cortical adenomas. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2016.00075