Tired of Being Tired: Rescue, Repair, Rejuvenate

by Jesse Lynn Hanley, Nancy Deville

Do you diet but still find it impossible to lose weight?

Do your crave candy, sodas, popcorn, bagels, pasta, chips, cookies?

Do you have trouble sleeping through the night?

Do you awaken exhausted in the morning even if you’ve slept?

Does it take a cup of coffee or more to get you going in the morning?

In today’s high-stress world, many would answer yes to at least one of these questions. Irritability, insomnia, weight gain or loss, recurring colds and flu, environmental sensitivities, and low energy are problems that are becoming more commonplace every year, and can develop into more serious health concerns such as heart disease and type II diabetes.

But we don’t have to live like this. Anti-aging pioneer Jesse Lynn Hanley, M.D. believes that the lifestyles we’ve grown accustomed to are responsible for our burned-out systems and tired adrenal glands that were not meant to function under constant duress. Her Ten Simple Solution program can show anyone how to repair a lifetime of damage and experience the best health ever:

· Eat, Eat, Eat, All Day Long

· Exercise Less

· Calm Your Central Nervous System

· Pay Off Your Sleep Debt

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Fitness

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Lara Maynard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this book or read this:

Get enough sleep. Eat well: don't eat a lot of junk or processed food. Breathe. Get some exercise. Don't make yourself ill with perfectionism etc. Have some balance in your life.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is challenging, particularly to someone who qualifies by all her metrics as a Driven Perfectionist. However, it's what I needed to read right now.

Some of the reviewers have said that this book is basic common sense, but I beg to differ. These "small changes" are not small at all, they're enormous and difficult shifts in thinking for me. I'm adrenaline addicted (I could have told you this before the book) and LOVE pressure. I set up projects specifically anticipating the time crunch, late nights, caffeine and exhilaration of making it by deadline. I started reading this book at the same time I decided to do a huge project (NaNoWriMo) and realized I was doing it again, despite my lip service to cutting back on stress. I've got to acknowledge I'm in recovery.

The "10 Simple Solutions" aren't simple, especially for someone who has reached the "Burned Out" stage. The authors understand what they're asking is going against the very nature of the people they're writing to, thankfully. The book encourages us to implement what we can. In the past two weeks, I've been eating like crazy, while cutting out coffee and anything else stimulating. I've slept in when I could, and gone to bed by 10:30 most nights. I have been taking naps or at least spending 30 minutes meditating every day. This may sound relaxing and enjoyable to some, but to me, it's TORTURE. On top of all that I need to chillax about the fact that it's torturous and just relax and enjoy it. I suspect the same is true of anyone who truly needs this book. It's more than changing diet and activity. It's examining your very way of life. It HURTS to read that with all of your efforts to be the best you possible, you're actually tearing yourself down. Just be prepared for that sting when you look at yourself from this perspective.

The supplement chapter is especially complicated, and it is partly outdated already. Also, I'm supposed to cut back on work hours, but somehow find the $$ for all of this? Sure, okay. Some of the suggestions aren't readily available. The book is fairly repetitive and talks down to the reader sometimes (I wasn't fond of the pronunciation guides, especially), but these are minor quibbles. On the whole, a needful book for me.

[Laura Shughart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very helpful read if you are burned out, always tired, running on empty. Practical reminders to eat well, exercise, get good sleep, consider your thought patterns, care for yourself so you can care for others. Mostly just common sense...but I needed to hear it again. :)

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book. A lot. This beautifully blends historic wisdom with biochemical science. It is grounded in fact and good science and encourages the reader to make a series of small changes that can be revisited and deepened as personal progress is made.

This book is not for everyone. If you normally lead a balanced life, this book will make no sense to you. If, however, you are driven, type A, addicted to stress and stimulation and have perfectionistic tendencies, this book will shed light on the truth under the skin.

Never diet again. That is one of the mantras in this book and I was pleased to see it. This is not diet. It is not a fad. It is not a trend. It is not philosophy. It is pretty basic biochemistry that reminds us of the food truths past generations understood without debate.

10 "simple" steps that can be made in succession in small doses. Coffee is going to overtax your adrenal system. Fact. However, complete immediate withdrawal will be unpleasant and unlikely to succeed. Instead, step down and replace with something equally pleasing but less stressing. Once you have completed all 10 steps, start over again chipping away at bad habits and imbalance in deepening succession.

Tired of Being Tired gives the reader permission to do the simplest of necessary things to move into balanced living and for those who need more than permission, it gives clear medical information as to the life threatening damage that stress, stimulation and a depleted adrenal system is doing to the body.

Unlike many health books which use scare tactics, this one is rational, friendly and encouraging. "Make small steps. They will last longer." "Change has a cumulative effect." "Little changes add up." This text gives a clear and easy to apply plan for fundamental and graceful change.

As a reader, I fall in the middle of five categories (I was easily closer to the bad end a few years ago but had already unwittingly made some of these changes). I have a neurological disease with secondary autoimmune complications. This book is helping me to get the right minerals, vitamins and foods into my body so that my body can recover correctly. I am repairing my cells through the right balance of vitamins and foods, I am aiding my body by safeguarding more sleep, I am reducing offending foods but not banning them in a militant way and I am introducing more breaks in my day for breathing and eating nourishing snacks.

I did not give 5 stars merely because I am still waiting to see if this really does deliver on its promises, but I suspect that it will.

[Catherine Gillespie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to look into adrenal fatigue after reading about it on Crystal’s blog, so I picked up Tired of Being Tired since the library had it. I have some of the symptoms listed, and felt like lots of the advice was good (cut sugar, reduce caffeine, sleep more, don’t over-exercise) but some of it was flat out weird. When the rationale for using some sort of magnet therapy is that Cleopatra wore a magnet on her forehead to reduce signs of aging, you’ve lost me. I mean, even if Cleopatra did wear a magnet on her head, I think the asp got her before we could really draw anti-aging conclusions, right? If you can take the good and leave the weird, this book might be a good choice. Otherwise, go forth and do the good you know you ought to do anyway.

{Originally posted here}

[Megan Franks · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent read that just reinforces what I've always believed: those who thrive in lifestyles that are filled with constant stress will eventually face the consequences....adrenal burn-out according to this author. The basic premise is that our adrenal glands are working overtime though adrenaline was only supposed to rise during life-or-death situations.

Believable.

The author recommends eating whole foods, getting plenty of sleep (more than 6 hours), exercising in moderation (but not OVER-exercising), taking vitamins/supplements and taking part in relaxing activities.

All-n-all, there's no groundbreaking information in this book, but a good reminder to SLOW DOWN and practice healthy living for longevity.

[Dey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of information, clearly laid out. Honestly, a bit overwhelmed by the lists, but that’s not because they are confusing. Appreciate that suggestions are made for different levels of adrenal fatigue - as someone at the worst level, it’s good to have a plan for how to adjust as I improve. Makes me feel more hopeful.

Lots of references.

There’s a fair bit on breathing and meditation. I’m working the breathing practices into my day. I sometimes use the Breathe2Relax app, which is free. Meditation is a harder sell for me - it tends to trigger PTSD. However, I just started ‘Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices’ by Thich Nhat Hanh and some of his meditations have phrases to coincide with the breath and that might work better.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my entire outlook on diet, health and fitness. She advocates eating only "real, whole food" as oppossed to processed junk, which granted isn't revolutionary, but she got me thinking about this topic in ways I never had before. I read all the time about eating whole foods and how whole foods are so good for you, but not until I read this book did I understand exactly what whole foods are and why they are good for you. I've been trying to make all my own food ever since!

[Shannen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book to understand why no matter how much caffeine I had, I couldn't get myself to feel awake! After cleansing myself of all the processed food and having realistic expectations, I am no longer struggling to stay awake each day!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. It's a well-rounded and informative book if you haven't already dug into this topic. If you have, then a lot of the information would be repetitive. If you haven't, use this as a starting point.

[SBC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might have given this a higher rating if I hadn't read other books like it before. At first I thought there was little new here, but they do give some really good scientific explanations and practical solutions. They also offer some checklists and exercises.

The beginning of the book is an explanation of adrenal fatigue with a nod to the psychological and emotional impacts on health (described by the weird term 'psychogenes'). Throughout the book there is also reference to sympathetic vs parasympathetic dominance, and the effects of acidic vs alkalinising foods on this dominance.

The ten offered solutions are simple: Regularly eat whole foods (six times a day); exercise moderately; calm the nervous system (relaxation/yoga/mediation - not sure about the magnetic therapy!); sleep well; stop eating sugar and other stimulants; take supplements; breathe well; avoid hidden toxins (and detox); have fun; own your choices (learn to say no to others and conquer your 'shoulds', etc). In part 3, they provide a 14 day menu plan and recipes, including power drinks, and information about health fats. The book ends with a list of recommended music for calming the nervous system, followed by references, test/supplement source recommendations, and notes.

[Victoria Rork · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful resource for understanding the basics of adrenal fatigue and steps to help repair your adrenals. I wish a revised copy would be published — it’s now 22 years out of date, and a lot can change in the medical field in that amount of time.

[Patricia English · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an ok book, it was not bad, just not what I thought it was. Good writing, Great for others just not for me. That being said, does not mean that this is not a great book for someone else.

[Ilham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good

[Coline Bosloup · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is not a ground breaking book, if the medical information are interesting most of the content is basic common sense. Besides this bookk was written in 2001 and is outdated in many aspects.
Also the authors repeat themselves a lot and by repeat I mean that the words are literally copy paste. So, I think that their is a lot of better book out there.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at my library for $1 because the title pretty much screamed at me. I'm "Tired of Being Tired" has been my mantra almost every day for the past year and while I knew something had to change, I couldn't figure out exactly what, or find the motivation to start. This book gave me both of the things I needed: direction and motivation. I don't think I will implement everything that this book recommends, mostly because it would be too difficult, and too expensive. However, the concepts in here jive with so many other research studies, that don't necessarily target adrenal burnout, but other areas for physical and psychological improvement, that it's not difficult for me to get on board with many of their recommendations.

Additionally, the authors don't actually push following their recommendations to the letter, but instead recommend you implement what you can most easily do, and build upon that as you are able and willing. There is a lot of discussion and focus on how small changes will make a big difference and the important thing is not doing exactly what they recommend, but absorbing the gist and just getting started. They offer ways to follow them to the letter if you are so inclined, but at no time did I feel pressure to do so, or get the impression that if I didn't the program would fail.

The arguments in this book finally convinced me to drop caffeine, something I have been meaning to do for over a year now, and if I get nothing else out of this, I truly believe that will make enough difference for me to begin feeling better. They didn't convince me by berating me for drinking coffee though, they did it by recommending ways to make it easier, and steps to follow so that I phase it out and not feel miserable along the way. And of course they motivated me to do so by telling me what it's doing to my system and how it's contributing to my feeling of tiredness, something I already knew but can never hear enough when I'm trying to quit. I won't say it's been easy, but it's sure easier than it may have been without their recommendations, and that's good enough for me.

I really liked this book and fully intend to implement many of the recommendations made in it. Some of them I've already started, and others will need to wait until I'm ready for more change. If you're looking for a way to feel better, I highly recommend you read this book and consider their suggestions. Just in making a few changes in my eating & sleeping habits, I've already started to feel better, and THAT is what gave me the courage to take the plunge and quit caffeine. I can only imagine how good I'll feel when that step is complete!

[Jen (bookscoffeedogs) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like it. lol. just like i checked in the box. what i liked a lot? her descriptions of taking care of oneself, getting good sleep, not driving so hard were appreciated. her food with lots of animal products, fats like butter, cheese, eggs, goes against many books i have read. i had to laugh when i got to her further reading suggestions and found a book i had heard about so many times that suggests the same diet. she does say you can be vegetarian, so great, but the weekly menu has meat/eggs in every meal of the day. nothing in it blew me away, but lots of things were reminders i really needed to hear to remember why it is important to take care of oneself.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Tired of Being Tired" was an interesting read. Although I think the author encourages self-diagnosis and paints every ill with the same cause, there were some real gems in this book that I haven't seen in medical help books before. Fairly well written with valuable advice for all who have lived a high-stress life, I would possibly recommend this book as long as the reader were savvy enough to recognize that not all health problems are due to adrenal fatigue. This book definitely should not replace qualified medical advice.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it with a grain of salt. First of all, it's aimed primarily at high-powered over-achievers who never sleep or eat; though there's plenty of great info for those of us who eat, sleep, and still feel chronically fatigued. Also, some of the recommendations are a little off the rails, such as taking medical leave from work if you're suffering from adrenal burnout, or taking a flight of expensive supplements throughout the day. All that said, I learned a some good info and tips that I have incorporated into my life, and that was worth it.

[عمار آلاشلو · Rating 5 out of 5]

یکی از بهترین کتاب‌هایی که درباره سلامتی تا کنون خوانده‌ام. با این که به طور تصادفی در کتابخانه پیدایش کردم هر چه بیشتر جلو رفتم متوجه شدم چقدر توازن و روش‌های درست در زندگی و کسب و کار در این دوران فراموش شده است
ما بیش از حد کار می‌کنیم و با روش‌های نادرست به خود ضربه می‌زنیم
ضربه‌هایی که گاهی بازگشت ناپذیر می‌شوند

خواندن این کتاب را به همه دانشجویان، زنان خانه‌دار و افرادی که زیاد فعالیت می‌کنند توصیه می‌کنم

تنها نکته انتقادی نامفهوم بودن برخی دستورالعمل‌های تهیه غذاها و سبزیجات و غیره بود که گویا صرفا ترجمه شده بودند و در بازار ایران احتمالا یافت نمی‌شوند

[Melody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to give this book a chance and finish it. I really tried. But this book is quite difficult to read. It is essentially an endless list of assertions without proper citation. It is very difficult to tell whether there is any scientific validity to anything the author says. If what she says is true, then she has shot herself in the foot and done an enormous disservice to readers. I don't have the time or inclination to line up the paltry list of sources with each of her assertions.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at diet, exercise, sleep, and adrenaline, and what small, gradual changes can lead to better balance and long-term health. I don't agree with everything, but there are lots of suggestions.

[Marnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent understanding of adrenal function and dysfunction. I really liked how she breaks it into stages that allow for different strategies of clinical intervention.

[Jean Brazil · Rating 2 out of 5]

About adrenal fatigue.

[Sue Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, in that it hits home on certain issues, but tends to be very repetitive, which is annoying. It does contain some good useful information and is worth wading through the repetitions.

[Basil Day]

ideas definitely worth trying