Intermittent Fasting and Adrenal Fatigue

We get asked questions about fasting and adrenal fatigue all the time.

Is it safe?

Will it help us recover?

What about my blood sugar issues?

On today’s blog we are sharing our thoughts on time restricted eating or intermittent fasting.

To start things off…

What is intermittent fasting or time restricted eating?

What this means it that you essentially give yourself a certain amount of fasting hours regularly (a certain amount of hours that you do not eat).  We tend to do this naturally (when we sleep) but lately science and more and more people are experimenting with different and longer fast times and reaping numerous benefits from it.

How do you do it?

There are many different ways you can do this and people everywhere are experimenting with different eating windows (the hours in a day you allow yourself to eat). Some people are eating 6 hours a day and fasting the other 18 hours and  some people are fasting for a full day at a time each week and there are lots of variations in between.

Fasting and Adrenal Fatigue

We know that fasting can be a bit stressful for the adrenals because when a cortisol response will go along with it as cortisol spikes to make stored glucose available to use for energy.  For a long time, fasting was not recommended at all for those struggling with adrenal fatigue and instead they were recommended to eat small portions regularly as needed to help keep blood sugar levels steady.

However, the stress-reducing benefits that intermittent fasting can bring about can be more powerful and significant than the adrenal stress, out weighing the cortisol response required for benefits like improved sleep, less inflammation, increased muscle mass, decreased body fat percentage and improved mitochondrial function, metabolism and support in regulating a healthy circadian rhythm.

When it comes to intermittent fasting and adrenal fatigue, we do have some guidelines to follow if you do want to try it.. and those guidelines start with not doing anything too extreme.

TIPS FOR DOING INTERMITTENT FASTING WITH ADRENAL FATIGUE

1. Start with a long feeding window
   Instead of doing 6 hours and fasting the rest of the day, eat within a longer 12 hour window
   (ie. from 7am to 7pm) or 8am to 8pm.

2. Eat nourishing foods
   When it comes to adrenal fatigue, many of us are depleted. Instead of going the route of “bulletproof” coffees and tea lattes, we recommend eating nourishing meals with a nice balance of carbs, fats and protein and lots of colourful veggies. You really want to maximize the nutrition you are consuming.

BLOOD SUGAR ISSUES AND INTERMITTENT FASTING

This is a big question we get.
As mentioned above, we don’t want to exacerbate the adrenals by excessive fasting if we are prone to blood sugar issues or subclinical hypoglycemia (if you have diabetes, it’s different and we recommend you work with your health practitioner in that case) The symptoms of hypoglycemia include things like headaches, fatigue, weak, light-headed, nervousness, excessive hunger and irritability. We tend to get caught in a roller coaster of high and lows, especially when we struggle with adrenal fatigue.

For many, it’s easy to get STUCK slaving away to snacking to help keep the scales balanced.
Intermittent fasting along with dietary tweaks can be a very helpful way to help correct the issues behind the blood sugar imbalance in the first place and thus, can help you break-free of the need to be at the mercy of chronic snacking to feel normal.

TIPS FOR DOING INTERMITTENT FASTING WITH HYPOGLYCEMIA

1. Eliminate sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet
   Focus on plant based carbohydrates (like veggies and moderate starchy ones like sweet potato, carrots, beets, etc)

2. Work yourself into intermittent fasting SLOWLY
   If you jump into it over night, you will likely have symptoms and feel unwell, but if you get rid of the main sugar sources in your diet (processed sugar and refined carbohydrates) and eat cleaner more balanced meals, you’ll be starting on the right track. If you eat 6 times a day, ease it down to 5 meals a day—adding MORE fat to your meals to help you go longer in between. Do this gradually and eventually, you’ll be able to go longer between meals and comfortably adapt an intermittent fasting schedule that feels good to you.

We love the idea of integrating intermittent fasting into your adrenal recovery plan because we know there are tremendous benefits in how the body is able to repair and rejuvenate throughout the night and because it’s really helpful in supporting a healthy sleep/wake cycle both metabolically and hormonally.

We hope the tips above will allow you to experiment with this way of eating, in a way that stays supportive in reducing stress on your body— and not the opposite.

If you are ready to get clarity click here to download the free recovery starter kit (a guide to navigating through this fatigue thing once and for all) plus a whole lot more.

Do you do IF with AF (or have you tried)?
If so, let us know how your experience has been below!

xo Danielle

A Chocolate Coconut Bone Broth Latte

Bone broth is a nourishing tradition that has been used to nurse the weak and ill back to health for centuries. 

We're always preaching the importance of loving up your gut health here in the HYAF community.

And we know that gut integrity issues are common among adrenal fatigue sufferers.

Bone broth is a really nice food for helping to repair and restore intestinal health. 

Bone broth is amazingly rich in nutrition-- an amazing food for nourishing up a fatigued and depleted body. 

When you simmer bones for long periods of time..  as you do in the process of making bone broth, the nutrients from the bones, ligaments and connective tissues are drawn into the cooking liquid. What you get is a broth rich in nutrition, amino acids, trace minerals, gelatin, and collagen. It makes for an amazingly nutrient-dense and healing food, one that is really easy for the body to digest...hence why a nice bowl of soup made from a broth like this is such a great food to consume when you're sick or without much appetite. It simply hydrates and nourishes the body. 

8 HEALTH BENEFITS OF BONE BROTH:

1. Supporting the restoration and the strength of the gut lining (leaky gut)

2. Can support the body in overcoming food intolerances and allergies

3. Supports the reduction of inflammation in the digestive tract

4. Supports digestion by supporting gastric acid secretion

5. Can help support healthy bones and aging joints (because it's chalked full of gelatin, collagen, glucosamine)

6. Fortifies the immune system

7. Helps promote more youthful skin

8. Helps reduce cellulite by supporting connective tissue in the body 

the hyaf CHOCOLATE COCONUT BONE BROTH LATTE RECIPE

the recipe

• 1 cup bone broth

• 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk

• 1 tsp cacao powder

• 1 tsp honey

• 1 tsp coconut oil, cacao butter or grass-fed ghee

• a sprinkle of cinnamon

• Optional additions: 1 tbsp hemp hearts, 1 scoop Dandy Blend (or coffee alternative)

Combine on stove top and heat to a simmer. Mix with hand frother or blend in your blender.

Need a good bone broth recipe? Wondering how to use this super nutritive and healing food in your world day to day?
Grab this week's freebie for the HYAF Classic Bone Broth Recipe + 10 ways to use it! 

Hope you enjoy! 
xo Danielle

Cheers! Upgraded Adrenal Cocktails

Hey sweet readers,

Many of you may be familiar with the classic "Adrenal Cocktail".
It's a concoction drank by many Adrenal Fatigue (AF) sufferers at the recommended dose of 1-3 times daily.  Some swear by it,  while others find the sugar content of the juice to be too much. 

The classic adrenal cocktail is composed of: 

• 4oz of orange juice (for vitamin C)

• 1/4 tsp of Cream of Tartar (for potassium)

• 1/4 tsp sea salt (for sodium and other minerals)

It is recommended to drink it a few times a day on an empty stomach.

WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN WITH THE CLASSIC ADRENAL COCKTAIL?

As a nutritionist specializing in adrenal and hormone-loving nutrition, I'm a big fan of NUTRIENT DENSITY.  Depleted people (ie. people with adrenal burnout) need smart nutrition to help build their bodies back up. 

These recipes below are a twist on this original, they focus on abundant nutrition with a focus on minerals to help spark energy and strengthen the adrenals.

Check out the recipes here:  

#1. THE ARC CLASSIC ADRENAL COCKTAIL

COMBINE THE FOLLOWING:

• 1 cup 100% pure coconut water

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• juice from 1/2 a lemon

• 5 grams of L-glutamine powder (optional)

• a small splash of aloe vera gel (optional)

Okay, so we know this recipe has a few extra ingredients than the original, but often hands we can easily find the main ingredients in our cupboard with the l-glutamine and aloe addition being a beautifully soothing and restorative boost for the gut.

The addition of aloe vera helps quench inflammation and brings more minerals to the drink minerals like selenium, zinc, magnesium, and potassium.  

The amino acid L-glutamine will love up your gut, helping to repair the loose junctions in the intestine that contribute to leaky gut. It's also a protein source, helping to contribute to blood sugar balance, reduce cravings and limit muscle wasting ( a common problem for AF sufferers). 

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#2: A SIMPLE CUP OF ORGANIC NETTLE TEA

Nettle is a simple, nutritive tea rich in minerals and nice for helping to gently cleanse the body, build up healthy blood and calm us.

This option is not ideal for those with low blood pressure, on medications, nursing, or pregnant. Please consult with your doctor before starting any herbal regimen.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE IT

• tea sieve or french press

• organic nettle leaves

• splash of apple cider vinegar

Pour boiling water over your nettle leaves, a ratio of 1 tsp of dried or fresh leaves per cup is good! Let steep for at least 5 minutes up to overnight.

** When making nettle tea, I recommend steeping overnight and making large batches at a time for easy sipping over the next few days.  ( I use a french press, but you could use a large jar instead) Add a splash of apple cider vinegar when steeping to help pull the minerals from the tea leaves to the tea itself. The leaves are so nutritious you can steep them twice** 

A FEW TID BITS ABOUT NETTLE:

• Gram for gram, stinging nettle has over 4x more vitamin C than oranges.

• Nettle is also rich in non-heme iron, so if you are of of the AF sufferers with low iron, this is a great option for you to consume regularly to help bring your levels up in a very gentle way. 

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A LIL' DISCLAIMER: Mineral balance and fluid dysregulation can be a challenge for AF sufferers.

When it comes to water retention and edema, I want you to remember that water follows salt.
If you are prone to water retention issues then it's likely your sodium levels are on the high side. Reducing salt in the diet can help reduce this.   

Nettle is a natural diuretic (a diuretic increases the amount of fluid excreted from the body), which means that this nettle-based cocktail can help offer supportive relief from edema and potentially reduce blood pressure. HOWEVER, on the opposite side of the spectrum, incorporating sea salt into the diet can help maintain fluid regulation IF you find that you urinate frequently and are having trouble with electrolyte balance and hydration. This is because frequent urination can be a source of electrolyte and mineral loss for many AF sufferers.  

Despite how nourishing nettle is for the body and for the adrenals, there is such thing as too much of a good thing. This is especially so if you are already finding your urine output is high.

For best results, if using nettle, sip on this option more occasionally as a supportive tea to have in your arsenal of others.

As always, please check with your doctor before incorporating new herbs into your routine, especially if you are on medications. If you're hesitant about using nettle, make one of the other options provided in this post.

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#3. SOOTHING GOLDEN latTE

COMBINE THE FOLLOWING:

• 2 cups warm or hot water

• 1/4 tsp ginger powder

• juice of 1 lemon

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• a pinch of ground black pepper

• 1 tsp acerola cherry powder, camu camu powder or 1000g of vitamin c powder (optional)

• 1 tbsp collagen protein powder

• 1/2 tsp of coconut or MCT oil

• 1 tsp honey (optional)

For best consistency, I recommend blending this or using an electric hand-whisk.

This one is so nice and warming, perfect if you're feeling a little chilly or if you feel like your immune system needs some attention. 

This tonic is beautifully balanced and I have to say, it's pretty darn easy on the eyes.. (and the mouth too-- it's so yummy)! 

It packs a powerful anti-inflammatory punch with the addition of turmeric, cinnamon and ginger.  The addition of black pepper and coconut (or MCT oil) helps increase the effectiveness of the turmeric and cinnamon. This is because they are fat-soluble herbs and work best when combined with a bit of fat. The black pepper increases the efficacy of the turmeric by 2000%, ya.. significant, right?

The collagen provides a nice source of protein to keep your blood sugar balanced and cravings at bay, while also providing more TLC to your intestinal health. 

Try drinking ONE OF these first thing in the morning in place of coffee and let us know what happens by posting below. 

CHEERS! 

 

8 Breakfast Ideas for Supporting Adrenal Health & Hormonal Balance

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, or so we've been told... but is it still? Lately, with the growing popularity of intermittent fasting, people have been skipping breakfast and pushing their first meal into the later hours of the day.  This is all fine and dandy, considering you are sleeping adequately and have generally balanced, healthy hormones.

However, for those struggling with fatigue and adrenal insufficiency, a balanced breakfast first thing in the morning can do worlds for setting us up for better blood sugar and energy balance throughout the day. 

Today, we are sharing some simple breakfasts that not only taste delicious, but ones that will also work to nourish up your adrenals and set you on the right track in terms of blood sugar balance and hormonal response throughout the entire day.  

8 BREAKFASTS TO NOURISH YOUR ADRENALS WITH:

1.  Eggs

• Eggs are a complete protein that is nice and easy for the body digest. They are also loaded with B-vitamins, healthy fats, and thyroid loving selenium. Such a great breakfast food!

• Pair with 1/2- 1 cup of your favourite veggies sautéed in grass-fed ghee or coconut oil.

2. Chia Seed Pudding

• Chia pudding is such a creamy treat and is chalked full of anti-inflammatory omega 3's and detoxifying fiber.

• You can make this the the night before for a quick, easy and super healthy breakfast the next morning, here's a recipe.

• Top with berries and healthy sprinkles of your choice (hemp hearts, bee pollen, nuts, seeds, etc).

3. A Smoothie with Balanced Macronutrients (Carbs, Fats + Protein)

• Many tend to make their smoothies too carbohydrate heavy with the addition of fruit, yogurts, and juice. Balancing out the ratio to carbohydrates, fats and protein is important to making a recovery smoothie work for you in all the right ways.

• This recovery smoothie example will get you started on the right track!

4. Coconut Yogurt Parfaits

• Unsweetened coconut yogurt or organic Kefir can be infused with a nice grass fed collagen protein and topped with berries, hemp hearts, and nut butter for a super yummy and satisfying breakfast.

5. A bowl of oatmeal or grain-free "N'oatmeal". 

• A bowl of oatmeal can be drizzled with coconut butter and topped with berries, and crunchy toppings to make a balanced, comforting and blood sugar stabilizing breakfast.

• Keep in mind that when it comes to grains, 1/2 a cup cooked = 1 serving. It's easy to go overboard, but blood sugar balance is key-- so please stay mindful.

• If grains give you trouble, give our oat-free, grainless N'oatmeal a try!

6. Cauliflower Scramble

• "Scramble" 1 cup of riced cauliflower with 1 egg in some coconut oil with a splash of tamari or coconut aminos. Throw in a handful of greens at the last minute and top with some hemp hearts!

7. Warm Collagen Infused Latte

• Use 1 cup of tea of your choice and add 2 tbsp collagen protein, 2 tbsp hemp hearts, 1 tsp coconut oil, some vanilla, some sea salt and blend into a meal-like morning beverage. You can use this Adrenal Loving Matcha Latte Recipe for inspiration.

8. DIY Smoothie Bowl

• Turn your smoothie into a colourful and fun morning "cereal". Using a very simple smoothie base, top with nuts, seeds, coconut chip, cacao nibs or superfoods of your choice.

• To make sure you keep your macronutrients balanced to keep this health supportive, follow this guide!

A Matcha Latte for Adrenal Fatigue

Depending on what stage of adrenal fatigue you are in, your tolerance for caffeine may vary.

For many of us, it's a crutch and for those with adrenal fatigue, mustering up enough energy to get through the day can be tough. We totally feel ya on this. This is where many fall into the cycle of drinking coffee for more temporary energy because they are fatigued, while at the same time putting more wear and tear on the adrenal glands over the long term. Do you see how this is a double-edged sword? 

If you are struggling with adrenal fatigue is any caffeine okay!?

This question comes up a lot.  The answer really depends on where you're at and how depleted your adrenals are. 

Typically, I'd recommend taking a good 30 day break from coffee while you give your adrenals some time to recover.
Why would I recommend this torture you ask? To help you regain balance and control.  30 days is enough time to release you from the clutch of caffeine addiction and to reset your relationship with it. It will also support you in re-establishing hormonal balance. 

Is there a better way to energize without coffee?

We think so! We wrote a blog all about this that you can check out here! 

I recommend tindering down your daily consumption slowly, rather then going cold turkey. This will just make things a little easier on you.  Start with smaller cup sizes or switch to decaf. 

I love substituting in matcha or raw cacao in place of one of my daily coffees during this phase.  These alternatives provide smaller amounts of caffeine to help prevent withdrawal headaches, while also offering comfort, deliciousness, and lots of great nutrition. 

WHAT IS MATCHA?

Matcha is finely milled, premium green tea leaves. The difference between this and regular green tea is that you actually consume the whole ground leaf (rather than steeping it in the water), because of this you consume all the nutrition from the leaf too. Because your consuming the whole leaf, you are getting a much more concentrated green tea with exaggerated benefits. 

The Benefits:

• It is amazingly high in free radical scavenging antioxidants! ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) is a method in which we rate the antioxidant capacity of things, and matcha is up there amongst the highest rated foods.

• Matcha has 137 times more antioxidants than 1 cup of regular green tea

• The nutritional equivalent of drinking 10 cups of regular green tea per 1 cup.

• It boosts your energy! Studies have shown that a cup of matcha can boost endurance by nearly 25%. Matcha does contain caffeine, but about half the amount of a regular cup of coffee. With matcha, the buzz is longer and more sustained, not up and down like a cup of coffee.

• At the same time that it is stimulating, it is also calming. Matcha is rich in L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes alpha waves in your brain promoting zen and calm. You won't get those jitters like you may from caffeine, just a blast of non-anxious energy!

• It is rich in detoxifying chlorophyll and fiber.

• It's amazing for skin health!

A CREAMY MATCHA NINJA LATTE RECIPE FOR THE ADRENALS

The Recipe:

• 1 cup steamed almond milk

• 1/2 tsp Matcha Ninja matcha

• 1 tsp coconut oil

• 1/2 tsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp collagen protein powder

• a splash of vanilla extract

• a pinch of sea salt

Directions:

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until mixed well and frothy. Transfer to your mug and enjoy. 

Alternatively, add a 1/2 of your steamed almond milk and the rest of the ingredients to your mug. Mix well with a mini hand frother and then gently pour in the rest of your steamed milk. 

This matcha latte is special. The maple syrup and sea salt bring out a really delicious flavour and provide trace minerals that our adrenals crave for repair. The addition of collagen protein gives this drink a blood sugar balancing boost as well as extra gut nourishment. The coconut oil and collagen balance things out helping to energize you and fuel you- you'll find this is a perfect mid-morning or mid-afternoon energizer snack.

Hope you love it! 
xo  Danielle + the HYAF Team