Diet

The first step is to remove foods that are causing artificial stimulation and inflammation. Here is a list of the main things to consider:

>  The stimulants – sugar, caffeine and alcohol. All three lead to the release of more cortisol and act like a further stressor on the body (4, 8, 9). Check out my blog on caffeine and adrenal fatigue for a great place to start down that rabbit hole.

>  The top 5 known inflammatory foods are a good place to start for lowering inflammation in your body; gluten, dairy, soy, corn and eggs should be removed first.

>  Food sensitivities identified via testing that are specific to you. Food sensitivities are like little bombs that go off in your gut and cause damage every time you eat them. They must be removed for a minimum of three months to give your gut space to heal, lower inflammation and reduce the burden on your adrenals.

So what can you eat? Simple! Just eat real food – JERF. Like, fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, oils, meat, poultry and fish. And focus on the following.

>  Good quality fats from coconut, olive oil and organic meats.

>  Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale and chard.

>  Seaweed, because of its high iodine content (hello sushi!)

Rest

Rest is an essential component of any healing protocol and often overlooked. Know this: if you don’t give your body the rest it needs to heal, you will not get better. Ideally, go to bed before 10pm. 7-8 hours sleep each night is an absolute must. Did you know that physical repair of the body happens from 10pm to around 2am? Good “sleep hygiene” means turning off those screens (phone, laptop and TV) and allowing one hour before sleep each evening to wind-down by reading a book, journaling, meditating or listen to relaxing music. Trust me, this practice alone will change your quality of sleep if you commit.

Excercise

Too much or too intense exercise for those with Adrenal Fatigue can put added stress on the body and do more harm than good (10). While it’s always important to move your body, a more gentle approach, with exercise such as walking, yoga and restorative pilates will likely have the most positive impact on your healing (11). Once the fatigue has gone, you can return to all of the crazy-active things you love. Read more about this HERE.

Stress Reduction

Removing and reducing stress on the body is a crucial part of any Adrenal Fatigue healing protocol. This applies to all three categories of stress:



>  Mental/emotional: implementing relaxation and stress reduction activities such as meditation or acupuncture.

>  Physical: consider working with a chiropractor or other health professional to address any structural problems adding to your body’s overall stress.

>  Hidden/internal: these are things like hormone imbalances, liver issues, food sensitivities, leaky gut or pathogens that we need to test for and eliminate to stop the constant inflammation in your body. I can help you with this.

Supplementation

Through my study I have learned that it is almost impossible to obtain all of the necessary nutrients we need for healing from our food alone. A pretty shocking truth and why we need to be smart and supplement. A few of my go-to supplements that support the adrenals include:

>  Adrenal adaptogens – These are a blend of herbs and roots that support the adrenal glands. Blends commonly include ashwagandha, ginseng, licorice root, holy basil, schisandra and rhodiola. If you are looking for a product to try, aim for something that contains a few of these and take it in the mornings.

>  Adrenal glandulars – These are most commonly created from bovine adrenal glands that are dried and desiccated. They can be used as an alternative to the adaptogens or in addition to them. As with the adaptogens, take these in the morning and it is likely you will not need to supplement further with B vitamins.

>  B Vitamins – I looove B vitamins. They are awesome first thing in the morning to help with boosting your energy for the day, and those of you who are suffering from Adrenal Fatigue are highly likely to be deficient in B’s. Bioavailability of Vitamin B can be problematic, so I like to use liposomal liquid blends that are absorbed via the mucosal lining of the mouth, rather than in capsule form via the gut

>  Magnesium – This mineral helps the body fight off adrenal insufficiency so you can supplement, use a magnesium spray or enjoy a good old Epsom salt bath.

All in All

If you are interested in getting tested for Adrenal Fatigue and having a personalised healing protocol developed specifically for you, please schedule a Health Discovery Session to learn more about how I work online with clients in many countries to test for and treat the many root causes of Adrenal Fatigue, IBS symptoms and other GI conditions.