Steps to Overcoming Adrenal Fatigue

So you are tired all of the time no matter how much sleep you get, not able the think clearly, feel irritable and grumpy.

Welcome to Adrenal Fatigue two of the main elements responsible for Adrenal Fatigue is a diet that is not fuelling our body with its nutritional needs as well working long hours, always on the go without taking time to just stop and watch the world go by.

What is Adrenal Fatigue?

Your adrenal glands are a pair of triangular-shaped organs that sit on top of your kidneys. They are responsible for the production of many hormones.

These include the body's four major stress hormones – adrenaline, cortisol, DHEA and norepinephrine.

Chronic stress, inadequate nutrition will exhaust the adrenal glands:

Leaving you feeling weak, lethargic, dizzy and unable to concentrate.

The condition also causes sugar cravings, headaches, allergies, a lowered immune system and blood sugar disorders.

Reducing or if not possible learning to manage stress is arguably the most important thing you can do for adrenal health; however, diet can work adjunctively to help restore healthy adrenal function.

1. Rest, Relaxation & Fun

Along with a Healthy Diet taking time out to just relax, dream and smell the roses is vital for healthy adrenal function. Along with leisure activities these can be anything that you enjoy for example: canoeing, bike riding, playing basketball, and cricket etc.

Your relaxation, unwinding time can include vegging out for a day watching DVD’s, Football or going to see a nice movie (not horror, fighting, killing etc. as these will only deplete you more). I know it may sound corny especially to you fellows but if you do not incorporate nice feel good stuff into your life then the rest of your life will suffer.

2. Nutrition

Ginseng teaDrinking ginseng tea may help to improve adrenal function. Image credit: Iherb.com

Consuming Whole Foods

Consume a whole-foods-based diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains and lean protein. Leafy green vegetables, foods rich in vitamin C, garlic, onions, wheatgrass and shiitake mushrooms are especially beneficial for restoring adrenal gland health, according to Phyllis Balch in her book “Prescription for Nutritional Healing.” You should also avoid going long periods of time without eating because this can cause low blood sugar levels, which can worsen adrenal fatigue symptoms. A one-day meal plan might include scrambled eggs with shiitake mushrooms, diced onions and tomatoes, with a cup of herbal tea and a slice of whole-grain bread for breakfast. For lunch, have a tossed green salad with tuna fish and a bowl of brown rice. Grilled chicken, steamed broccoli and couscous make a good dinner. Enjoy up to three snacks between meals to balance blood sugar.

B-Complex Vitamins and Omega-3s

The B-complex vitamins nourish the adrenal glands -- without an adequate amount the adrenals cannot function properly. To ensure you are receiving all of the B-complex vitamins, incorporate the following foods into your diet: egg yolks, liver, yogurt, avocados, soy, seafood, poultry, green vegetables and bananas. Preliminary research suggests that omega-3s may also help support the health of your adrenal glands by preventing them from being unnecessarily activated during times of mental stress. Excellent sources of omega-3s include the cold-water fish -- salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel and tuna -- as well as walnuts, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil. Try having a sandwich made with sprouted-grain bread and sliced avocado, green leaf lettuce and Atlantic salmon, with a side of fresh green or lima beans, for lunch or dinner.

A Sample Menu

Drink 2 – 2 ½ liters of filtered water per day

Water acts as a main messenger for vitamins, minerals and nutrients; secondly it cleanses the toxins that you taking in and these affect the quality of your cells. You loose 1.5 litres of water each day through perspiration and breathing so this also needs to be replaced otherwise dehydration takes place and major organ damage is commencing.

As a fresh start to the day ½ -1 lemon squeezed into a glass of warm water first thing in the morning. Then it is important to clean your teeth, as the lemon will damage the enamel coating on your teeth.

Breakfast: It is necessary to have 4 – 5 pieces of fruit per day, so what better time to have it than breakfast. These can include mango, 4 –5 strawberries, kiwi fruit, banana, rock melon, honey dew, pineapple, apple and apricots. Add to this a tablespoon of L.S.A. mix, organic muesli or cereal, then a small tub of Vaallia yogurt. You may like to begin with a bowl of porridge; oats are very healing for the nervous system.

Another way to have this is to put it all in a blender and you can drink it on the way to work.

A cup of herbal tea such as green, or a cup of plain black tea

Other suggestions for some variation can be:

Bacon without the fat and rind or smoked salmon with two poached, scrambled or boiled eggs. You may like to include some cooked tomato, asparagus, mushrooms and bake beans

Mid – morning snacks can include:

A piece of fruit, tub of yogurt, a handful of almonds or some homous with watercrackers or vegetables sticks such as carrot, celery cucumber, broccoli and so on

Lunch:

This can include a variety of foods such as:

Tuna, chicken breast, roasted turkey breast, salmon, smoked salmon occasionally, prawns, incorporated with a salad of for example - Lettuce, tomato, mushrooms, celery, grated carrot, onion, alfalfa, chickpeas or soya beans, avocado and may be some cottage cheese or feta cheese.

If it is cold weather you can include a cup of homemade vegetable soup.

For some variety and not wanting to loose weight include – Pitta bread, a grain roll, or bread that is fortified with Soya and linseed.

Note: It is better if wanting a spread to use a small amount of butter in preference to margarine as butter is a natural product which is metabolised by the body whereas margarine is man-made and is not easily metabolised or utilized by the body. However even better still and has great taste, is beneficial not harmful is coconut oil.

Dinner: Fish – this can be eaten two to three times per week, preferably at least one fish meal per day as this reduces the risk of cardio vascular disease and cancer. You then may include one red meat meal per week preferably lamb as this is still the least contaminated meat. Chicken and turkey can be included two to three times per week preferably organic. You may say WHY? Organic it is the hormones given to the chickens and cows that then in turn will bring about hormone disturbances in YOU.

Vegetables to include: Sweet potato, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, swede, spinach, beans, peas, pumpkin, broccoli, brussel sprouts and zucchini.

Or you could have a Salad such as at lunchtime.

Pasta or Brown rice, hokkein noodles can be included once again if you are not trying to loose weight.

Note: When storing fatty foods such as butter, peanut butter store in a glass container as when stored in plastic containers the fat content in these products leaches an oestrogenic like substances from the plastic into the food. Therefore have hormonal disturbances within our bodies.

Go for organic meats where possible and if not keep your meat intake down to a minimum and mainly eat fish and lamb.

Avoid: Adding salt or sugar to food, processed foods this meaning pre cooked, tinned, frozen, cold meats, caffeine and Alcohol. Dairy Products are also to be avoided as the cows are injected with a hormone called Bovine which is a growth hormone; this in turn has an adverse affect for us for the acceleration of certain cancers and for its toxic effects.
This is why suggestions are becoming very strong to move away from Dairy products because of these issues.

Go for non-genetically modified, organic Almond, Rice, Goats, Sheep or Coconut milk.

Empowering You to Optimal Health Julie Doherty N.D