When I volunteered to review Marcelle Pick’s new book, “Are You Tired and Wired?” for Hay House I wasn’t sure if I was the right man for the job. Or if any man would be. Pick, an OB/GYN NP, the co-founder of the Women to Women clinic and author of The Core Balance Diet, writes primarily to a female audience about woman’s health issues.
Surprisingly, though, I found value in “Are You Tired and Wired?” For one, I have bouts of burnout and exhaustion as a small business owner, and I could relate to the “adrenal dysfunction” symptoms Pick describes in the book. “Too many of us are living in a condition of near-constant stress, with no true downtime for our bodies, minds, and spirits,” Pick writes. “Adrenal dysfunction is the result.” While the term “adrenal dysfunction” was new to me, I certainly could relate to the high stress lifestyle she describes.
Pick says adrenal dysfunction is often ignored or misdiagnosed by most health-care practitioners. She does a thorough job of describing the symptoms of this malady. “The good news,” she writes, “is once you have identified adrenal dysfunction as your condition, you can address all your symptoms and heal the underlying problem that is causing them.”
The key to solving adrenal dysfunction, says Pick, is balance. “For stress to feel like an exhilarating challenge, rather than a debilitating drain, it must always be followed by a relaxation response,” Pick writes. “Our bodies simply weren’t designed for constant stress. When we ask them to keep performing and performing and don’t give them time to rest, they’re going to let us know that there’s a problem.”
That’s good advice for women and men. Reading “Wired” caused me to reflect on my recent work schedule. As a travel agency owner, January through March is our busiest time of year. People like to plan trips when the weather is cold. Since the New Year I often have been up past 11 pm each night working on different vacation requests for clients and responding to questions. It’s a fun job, but even planning “fun” can be exhausting at times!
“Wired” made me stop and think of my recent pattern of overwork. I did not follow all the recommendations (Pick has a detailed 30-Day Adrenal Friendly Eating Plan which I skimmed over). But the book did cause me to ask myself, “am I working too hard?” I thought of ways I could introduce more balance back into my life. The bike was brought to the shop for a tuneup, and now leisurely rides are a part of my weekly routine. I signed up for a meditation class, with the intent of establishing a consistent, daily meditation practice. These and other changes are helping me step off the work treadmill, at least for a few hours each day.
More than just a book that describes the physical symptoms of adrenal dysfunction, Pick addresses the underlying emotional issues that could be causing burnout. “No matter how disciplined we are about cleaning up our diet, taking our nutritional supplements, and getting regular exercise,” she writes, “if we don’t attend to the emotional piece of the puzzle, our adrenal symptoms won’t go away.” There is a whole chapter on emotional work, with suggestions for different types of treatments (such as EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique, Rolfing, Music Therapy, and many more). I found this to be one of the best chapters in the book.
I think “Are You Tired and Wired” is a good book to read through once, and to keep handy on the shelf for future reference. Women will especially find value in her focus on female health issues, but men, too, can gain wisdom from her message to just slow down.
You can get “Are You Tired and Wired?” from these book sellers:
This is another book review in my partnership with Hay House. I was not financially compensated for this post. I received the book from Hay House for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.
Comments
I’ve had the fortune of having physical exams with Marcelle Pick at her center in Maine. A really wonderful experience. Her practice is located in a beautiful, old, Victorian home and the energy in there is way different than any other medical office I’d been to. I’m so glad she has put some of her wonderful knowledge into a book for all to read.
Thanks for sharing what you got out of it!
Marcelle Picks’ new book provides lots of helpful information about adrenal fatigue. It gets you taking a closer look at your life for ways to slow down, relax, and live a healthier life style. While I haven’t stuck with it all the time (working on it!), I find the Eating Plan and recipes really helpful. Couple of my friends see Marcelle at her clinic at Women to Women and wouldn’t go anywhere else!