FIND OUT IF YOUR ADRENALS ARE OVER-WORKED
Do you experience any of the signs of adrenal fatigue?
* Difficulty getting up in the morning
* Never feeling well-rested, even after sleep
* Nocturnal waking
* Anxiety, nervousness, mild depression
* Lightheadedness upon standing
* Low blood pressure (hypotension)
* Salt cravings
* Reliance on sugar and caffeine to bolster low energy
* Problems coping with stressful situations
* Frequently feeling angry or frustrated
* Struggling to get through the day, but feeling better after an evening meal
* Infections
* Abdominal weight gain
* Hair loss
* Acne
* Cold intolerance
* Lack of mental focus, decreased productivity, absentmindedness
* Feeling like everything’s “too hard”
Many people are suffering with adrenal stress due to poor sleeping habits, constant stress, and inadequate nutrition. But you can make gradual improvements by changing how you eat and what you eat.
TIMING OF YOUR MEALS:
1. It is very important for people with low adrenal output to eat before 10:00 AM. This is critical to restore the lowered blood sugar after a night of sleep.
2. An early lunch is better than a late lunch because your body quickly uses up your breakfast and is ready for more nutrition by 11:30-noon.
3. A nutritious snack should be eaten between 2 and 3 PM to help with the cortisol dip that usually occurs between 3 and 4 PM.
4. Dinner/evening meal is best consumed by 6:00-6:30 PM.
WHAT TO EAT:
1. Eat a combination foods of fat, protein and complex carbohydrates at most meals, because this combination will provide a steady stream of energy throughout the day. Foods that are converted too quickly into energy, like sugar-based foods are likely to aggravate your condition.
2. You may be deficient in salt, so most people with adrenal fatigue due well with a little bit of high quality sea salt added to their diet. Some of the symptoms of adrenal fatigue can actually caused by your body’s need for salt. Try to use high quality real sea salt, or Himalayan salt which contains important minerals including iodine.
3. People who are suffering from adrenal fatigue are also overly acidic, because stress creates acidity in the body. So, although your body has three buffering systems that help maintain the acid alkaline balance, when your adrenals are under-performing, your body is compromised. Support your body with an alkalizing diet high in green vegetables and green juices.
4. If you have adrenal fatigue, blood sugar problems are common, and so you should be more cautious about eating too much fruit in the morning, without any buffers like some nuts and seeds. Remember, individual conditions need individual solutions so while huge fruit-only breakfasts are perfect for many people, they are not advisable if you have adrenal fatigue.
Fruits contain a significant amount of fructose and potassium, which can aggravate exhausted adrenals. So while you are working on your adrenals, help your body with fruits like papaya, mango, plums, pears, kiwi, apples, cherries, grapes and limit or avoid bananas, raisins, dates, figs, oranges, and grapefruit.
5. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of fresh essential fats (hemp, flax, etc.) onto your fruits or fruit smoothies.
There are many other practices such as yoga, meditation and deep breathing that can assist in the healing of your adrenal glands, as well as many herbal remedies. But I always recommend trying the nutritional approach and some extra sleep first to see if your body responds.
