Adrenal Fatigue Diet: What and How to Eat
What is Adrenal Fatigue?
The adrenal glands are an important part of the endocrine system. They are two small glands located above the kidneys, and are directly involved in producing important stress hormones including cortisol. Anxiety, depression, stress, physical or emotional trauma, poor diet, insufficient sleep, infections, and other stressors such as pregnancy can take a severe toll on the adrenal glands, and result in a condition known as adrenal fatigue.
How to Eat to Relieve Adrenal Fatigue
When and how you eat are important factors in an adrenal fatigue diet. Several small meals a day consumed at regularly spaced intervals are much better for you than eating one or two large meals. Eating regular meals prevents drops in blood sugar levels that often occur as a result of adrenal fatigue. For this reason, it is also important to eat breakfast soon after you get up in the morning. Avoid eating on the run or rushing through meals; eat slowly and chew thoroughly for optimum digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Foods to Include in an Adrenal Fatigue Diet
Adrenal fatigue requires high amounts of nutrients to build up and replenish the body. Each day, try to include these foods:
- High quality protein- choose from lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy protein
- Complex carbohydrates- whole grains such as whole wheat, amaranth, oatmeal, bran, barley, buckwheat, millet, and brown rice
- Several servings of vegetables- choose vegetables high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, such as green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, and brightly colored vegetables such as tomatoes, red bell peppers, squash, sweet potatoes and carrots
- Fruits such as mangos, kiwi, plums, pears, apples, cherries, and papaya
- Salt- moderate amounts of salt, especially Celtic salt, sea salt or other types of salt that contain high amounts of minerals, are beneficial to the adrenal glands. Limit salt if you have high blood pressure, but otherwise salt your food to taste.
- Water- several glasses of pure water daily are recommended. Green tea or herbal tea is also beneficial.
Foods to Avoid in an Adrenal Fatigue Diet
If you have adrenal fatigue, you should limit or avoid consumption of certain types of foods, including:
- Stimulants such as coffee, caffeinated tea, sodas or energy drinks
- Alcohol
- Simple or refined carbohydrates including white sugar and white flour
- Foods containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and deep fried food.
- Fast food, junk food with little or no nutritional value, and processed foods such as lunch meats
- Fruits with a high sugar content, such as dates, figs, raisins, bananas and oranges should not be eaten in order to avoid sharp rises and subsequent drops in blood sugar levels. It is especially important to avoid eating fruit with a high sugar content early in the morning
In general, if you are suffering from adrenal fatigue, you should eat a diet consisting of healthy, whole foods with high nutritional value and eliminate junk food and overly processed foods, while making sure you eat regularly so you do not experience drops in blood sugar levels.
Sources
https://www.adrenalfatigue.org/health-tips/diet-for-adrenal-fatigue.html
https://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Adrenal_Fatigue_Diet
https://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalfatigue/adrenalglandnutrition.aspx
Image credit: Biswarup Ganguly, Wikimedia Commons