Adrenal Fatigue - What Can I Do?

Treatment of adrenal fatigue is best approached holistically. Changes are required not only on a physical level (diet and lifestyle), but emotionally/psychologically and energetically also.

Energetically adrenal fatigue may be due to giving your power away to others or to beliefs and situations which creates stress. Saying yes to people or situations when you really want to say no. Doing things that do not feel right is also giving away power. Every time power is given away vital kidney energy is used up which is needed to fuel the adrenals. This pattern is commonly seen in mothers who sacrifice their own needs for the sake of the children or family in order to be a “good mother”.  Or in men who work long and hard hours in order to provide for their family. Others may find they are doing things that they know are not good for them such as the foods they eat, consuming too much alcohol, smoking and using drugs, not getting enough rest, relaxation and sleep. All of these create additional stress on the adrenal glands.⁶

Overcoming adrenal fatigue is not an overnight process. It takes commitment to changing the patterns that have created it and time for the adrenal glands to recover. Estimated time frames for recovery are:

• 6 to 9 months for minor adrenal fatigue

• 12 to 18 months for moderate fatigue

• Up to 24 months for severe adrenal fatigue⁸
  
  
  

Dietary Considerations - What to eat and avoid

Dietary considerations and adjustments play a vital role in the successful treatment of adrenal fatigue.

The food that is eaten should be of a high quality, fresh, whole foods. Organic is best to avoid toxicity.

Eat at frequent, regular intervals (e.g. 5-6 small meals daily), including protein with each meal. The primary diet should be high in raw foods with a low glycaemic index (GI). A person with adrenal fatigue will have an immediate need for sugar when hunger strikes. It is important that there is a good balance of protein and good fat, as well as carbohydrates to sustain energy levels until the next meal.

DO NOT skip breakfast. Even if there is no urge to eat a small, nutritious snack, like eggs and nuts, is better than nothing. The best time to eat breakfast is before 10:00am in the morning because between 6:00 and 8:00am cortisol levels rise rapidly, peaking at around 8:00am and while your cortisol levels are higher, you may not feel like eating.  In addition, the low liver function that often accompanies low adrenal function also suppresses early morning hunger.

Lunch is best eaten between 11.00 – 11.30am and a nutritious snack between 2.00 – 3.00pm will help with the cortisol dip that occurs between 3.0 – 4.00pm. Preferably the evening meal should be eaten around 5.00 – 6.00pm. Just before bedtime a very small, low GI, nutritious snack should be eaten.  An example is cottage cheese or nuts if there is a tendency to wake up in the middle of the night. Or nuts or eggs if there is difficulty falling asleep. Low GI is very important to avoid a sharp rise in blood glucose level and increased insulin output. ²

Over time, insulin secretion becomes dysfunctional, resulting in a hypoglycaemic state in the middle of the night. These symptoms are characterized by nightmares, anxiety, and night sweats. When this occurs, the body will have to activate the adrenals to put out more cortisol in order to raise the blood sugar back to its normal level. This will eventually put an excessive burden onto the already fatigued adrenal gland if carried on year after year. ²

People with advanced adrenal fatigue usually have low cortisol and low sodium (salt) levels (due to inadequate aldosterone production). In some cases high levels of salt (preferably a good quality sea salt) may be needed to be added to the diet. Some people may need to start each morning with a full glass of water and half a teaspoon to one teaspoon of sea salt. If blood pressure increases, or signs of oedema occur and nausea develops, stop the salt and see a qualified health practitioner.

Foods to include in the diet are:

• Generous amounts of meat, fish and poultry and eggs for protein             

• Above ground, brightly coloured vegetables (with 50% eaten raw or very lightly cooked). Crucifer vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage) should be cooked to neutralise goitrogenic compounds that suppress thyroid function. Kelp, black olives, red hot peppers, spinach, zucchini, celery, and Swiss chard are recommended as they are high in sodium
•  Seeds and nuts for nutrients and essential fatty acids (necessary to produce hormones). Raw nuts, which should be consumed liberally, should be soaked in water overnight to avoid rancid oils
• For vegetarians, legumes (beans) must be eaten with whole grains, seeds, or nuts to make a complete protein. It is important for vegetarians to add eggs and miso, as well as combining beans, seeds, and nuts with a small amount of whole grains²
• A variety of whole grains (e.g. brown rice, whole wheat, buckwheat, unpearled barley, whole oats, unhulled millet, quinoa and amaranth)
• Whole fruits during lunch and dinner, except banana, fig and melons. Organic fruits such as papayas, mangos, apples, grapes, and cherries are recommended. Bananas, dates, figs, raisins, and grapefruits are high in potassium and should be limited as this will make adrenal fatigue worse
• Healthy fats such as olive oil and real (organic) butter. Cooking should be with coconut or grapeseed oil (especially at high heats)
• Sea salt
• Filtered water – hydration is essential in caring for the adrenal glands
• Herbal, caffeine free teas
  

What not to consume is possibly more important that what to eat when treating adrenal fatigue.

Eliminate the following altogether:

• Coffee and caffeinated products (e.g. energy drinks, cola, chocolate, tea, some green teas). Caffeine is a stimulant that will place additional stress on the adrenal glands as well as interrupt sleep patterns
  Alcohol
• White sugar and flours. They provide no nutrition to the diet and cause high spikes in blood glucose levels, creating higher insulin output to deal with it. This creates additional stress for the adrenal glands as they attempt to restabilise the blood sugar level.  Choose whole grains instead. It is preferable to avoid wheat completely
• “Diet” foods and artificial sweeteners. “Diet”, “sugar-free” and “no-fat” products are full of chemicals, many that are very toxic and can wreak havoc on metabolism, often causing weight gain rather than loss. If sweetening is needed choose coconut or palm sugar as they are lower in GI and contain more nutrients than cane sugar
• Saturated fats and hydrogenated oils
• Fruit juices first thing in the morning
• Starchy foods like potato are best to be avoided
  

Lifestyle Considerations

Lifestyle changes are essential for overcoming adrenal fatigue. Often there are lifestyle factors that have induced the condition, so a change to these patterns will be required

Sleep
Try to be in bed between 9-10pm and get at least 8 hours sleep every night. This is when the adrenal glands have the chance to rest and repair.

Stress reduction
Adrenal fatigue is caused by stress, whether a major acute stress or chronic long term stress. It is important to identify stress and find ways to either reduce it to manageable levels or eliminate it altogether. Removing negative situations or people from your life, sleep, smile, do something fun each day, laugh, eat regularly and well, use supplements, relax (mediation, bath).  See below

Exercise
Gentle forms of exercise are best to maintain physical and mental health and wellbeing without causing additional stress on the body e.g. walking, yoga, tai chi

Diet
Eat nutritiously and cut out all caffeine and refined sugar

Quit smoking
Stop smoking a soon as possible as it places unnecessary stress of the body


A guideline for stress reduction is Dr James Wilson’s D-E-S-T-R-E-S-S method.

• Define who and what are important in your life and Decide to live accordingly. 

• Energise yourself with foods that nourish, and Exercise to increase circulation, optimise function and eliminate toxins.

• Support your body with dietary Supplements designed specifically to help compensate for the effects of stress on your body and supply nutrients used up during stress.

• Take Time to breathe deeply and fully, to find a moment of calm, and to enjoy something each day.

• Reframe events that stress you in order to Release yourself from paralysis so you can discover what you can do, and how you can benefit from these events or turn them to your advantage.

• Eliminate energy robbers and health drains, and Establish clear boundaries.

• Sleep to give your body a chance to recharge and heal, and your mind a few moments of Silent Solace each day so you are refreshed and ready to take effective action.

• Smile and See the Soul-fullness in your life.  The physical action changes how you feel inside, which changes how you behave and how your body reacts.¹

References

1.       What is Adrenal Fatigue (n.d.). Retrieved on 14th December, 2012 from http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/what-is-adrenal-fatigue
 2.       Comprehensive Adrenal Fatigue article. Lam, M. (n.d.) Retrieved on 14th December, 2012 from http://www.drlam.com/articles/adrenal_fatigue.asp
3.       Adrenal Fatigue/Adrenal Exhaustion. Shomon, M (Dec 2003). Retrieved on 14th December, 2012 from http://thyroid.about.com/cs/endocrinology/a/adrenalfatigue.htm
4.       Cortisol and DHEA: The Major Hormone Balance. McEvoy, M. (Jun 2011). Retrieved on 14th December, 2012 from http://metabolichealing.com/key-integrated-functions-of-your-body/hormone-and-endocrine/cortisol-and-dhea-the-major-hormone-balance/
5.       Adrenal Fatigue. Klein, D. (n.d.) Retrieved on 14th December, 2012 from http://www.suffernomore.com/Pain/AdrenalFatigue.htm
6.       Adrenal Fatigue (n.d.) Retrieved on 14th December, 2012 from http://www.custommedicine.com.au/adrenal/
7.       Adrenal Function Tests You Can Do At Home (n.d.). Retrieved on 15th December, 2012 from http://www.adrenalfatiguerecovery.com/adrenal-function-tests.html
8.       Recovering from adrenal fatigue: How your body can overcome chronic stress and feel energized again. Veracity, D. (Apr 2006). Retrieved on 15th December, 2012 from http://www.naturalnews.com/019339_adrenal_fatigue_chronic_stress.html#ixzz2F51i04V7