Essential Foods for Adrenal Fatigue Recovery: Top 5 Superfoods

Food is the best medicine. But, when it comes to adrenal fatigue recovery there is so much advice out there about food, right? It’s confusing and often conflicting.  We want to share the top 5 adrenal superfoods, essential foods for adrenal fatigue recovery. We are firm believers that adrenal fatigue recovery is not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. However, because adrenal fatigue is a condition of depletion, nourishing the body with the proper foods is a foundation component of adrenal healing.

We are about to share with you 5 adrenal fatigue superfoods. These superfoods are the foundation of our healing system we have used to heal 100's of our clients because they are key to balancing your hormones and nourishing your body.

1. Eat Healthy Fats

Thank goodness the non-fat craze of the 90s is over, but there are still many that cringe at the thought of eating fats. What you need to remember is that fats from whole foods, meat and dairy are very different than those of highly processed foods and our bodies and brain need various types of fats for optimal functioning.

Many people suffering from adrenal fatigue have cut calories to try to lose weight. An adrenal fatigue diet should not be a particularly low calorie diet. In fact, this can worsen adrenal fatigue and therefore results in a slower metabolism and weight gain. Eating healthy fats IS calorie dense, but they are a critical part of stabilizing blood sugars, nourishing the nervous system, and balancing all of the hormones that are interconnected with adrenal function.

Examples of healthy fats: are butter, coconut oil, lard, olive oil (not for cooking), ghee, palm oil; nuts, seeds, avocados and fatty fishes –like wild salmon and sardines. Don’t worry about writing these down because in just a minute we are going to give you a list of all of these.

2. Eat Fermented Foods

Fermented foods help to promote healthy gut function. Healthy gut function ensures adequate nutrient absorption, and promotes a strong immune system, and mood and hormone health. Examples of fermented foods are saurkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, kefir, kombucha, yogurt – Try to have a variety in order to get a variety of probiotics. At least 1 serving per day.

3. Eat Resistant Starches

Most people assume that when blood sugar balance is important, low/no carbohydrate diet is the key. But for some people, cutting out high carbohydrate foods can actually make adrenal fatigue WORSE. Resistant starches actually serve to lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, which is critical for balanced energy, moods, and maintaining a healthy weight. They also act as prebiotics, which help to feed the good bacteria in your gut.

Examples of Resistant Starches: cooked and cooled rice, legumes, and potatoes; plantains, green bananas and yucca root. Frequency and quantity will vary depending on your unique blood sugar balance and macronutrient needs (ratios of carbs, proteins and fats).

4. Eat High Protein Foods

Well-sourced meats, fish, eggs, organ meats (yes, liver), gelatin, raw dairy, nuts, seeds, tempeh, and beans. Having protein with each meal is an important part of creating blood sugar stability. This is especially important with breakfast – it really is the more important meal of the day.

5. Eat Bone Broth

We recommend a ½ cup to 1 cup a day. Get or make good quality chicken, fish, pork, or beef broth. Drink it straight, add it to soups, use it to sauté veggies or cook grains. The glycosaminoglycans and minerals in bone broth help create healthier gut function and nutrient absorption. For more on gut health and nutrient absorption check out this...

There you go, the top 5 superfoods, the essential foods for adrenal fatigue recovery. So what’s next? We want to help you make the next step super easy so we’ve prepare a special gift for you, our Adrenal Healing Food Guide. This guide will give you 5 more essential foods for adrenal fatigue recovery with a list of foods for each category. It also includes the top 5 adrenal fatigue foods to avoid.

To get your hands on the “Adrenal healing Food Guide”, simply enter your name and email and we will send it right to you.

Now we’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Which of these superfoods are you going to start adding to your diet? What are your favorite foods for adrenal fatigue recovery? We are a healing community and your share will support others on their healing journey. So take a moment to drop us a line below.

Xoxo,
Dr. Holly German

Adrenal Fatigue Treatment - 5 Foods To Avoid

When it comes to adrenal fatigue treatment there is a lot of advice out there. It’s confusing right? We want to help clear up some of that confusion. We know through personal experience and from the success of our patients that these are the most common foods that will compromise your healing and feed your adrenal fatigue every time.

Let’s jump right in…

1. Simple Carbohydrate Foods

Does it taste intensely sweet? Does it come in a box and have mostly grains as the ingredients? Think cereals, pastas, chips, crackers, cookies, juices, and sodas. A body suffering from adrenal fatigue will send signals that these are good, but they are not.

They provide a quick energy spike and then a crash – this blood sugar rollercoaster will undermine adrenal healing every single time. Try small amounts of natural sweeteners like honey, coconut sugar, and stevia leaf powder to help sugar cravings without the blood sugar crash.                    

2. Alcohol

This is the same as simple carbs. Alcohol is quick to break down to sugar and it’s a depressant. It will undermine quality sleep and metabolism - essential parts of adrenal healing. Consider the reasons you may be drawn to alcohol – are you wired in the evenings and using it to switch into relax mode?

A lot of people are on the coffee/wine cycle of ramping up and winding down. These substances, although fine in moderation for healthy people, can perpetuate the hormonal and nervous system patterns seen in adrenal fatigue.

3. Stimulants

Yep, that means coffee. And this is the point at which many patients want to leave the room or hang up the phone. Believe me I know, I was there, not that long ago. No coffee!?, No wine after dinner?!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but caffeine creates fake energy from empty reserves. It’s depleting. If caffeine energy is critical for you, try half-caf, decaf, or better yet, use small amounts of green tea, yerba mate, or maca to energize.

Before we move on to #4  keep in mind, that this is part of a adrenal fatigue treatment diet. It’s a relatively short-term protocol to help you recover from your adrenal fatigue. It is not a long-term or maintenance diet. Embracing this understanding will bolster will-power when you need it the most. There will come a time when the foods on this list will be okay in moderation but for now, you are better off without them.

4. Food Allergies/Intolerances/Sensitivities

These foods will vary from person to person. If you suspect you don’t do well with a certain food or food group, cut it out for several weeks and then re-introduce it. If your symptoms worsen in the few days after re-introduction, it’s not a good food for you right now.

You may also want to consider food intolerance (IgG) testing to get some guidance and foods that don’t work for your body right now. The most common food in-tolerances are eggs, corn, soy, dairy, and gluten. Continuing to consume foods that are pro-inflammatory will damage gut health – which is highly detrimental to adrenal healing.

5. Unhealthy Fats

Fried foods, canola, vegetable, soy oils, rancid oils like most flax oil or overly heated olive oil are examples of unhealthy fats. These oils make your cell membranes stiff and resistant to nutrient uptake – your body needs extra nutrients right now.

There you go, the Top 5 foods to avoid for adrenal fatigue treatment.

So what’s next? Now that you know what foods to avoid, we want to tell you what foods to eat on an adrenal fatigue diet. Check out this blog…

And as a bonus, we want to give you our Adrenal Healing Food Guide called “eat to treat adrenal fatigue” for free which includes the top 10 adrenal superfoods.

To get your hands on the Adrenal healing Food Guide, simply enter your name and email below and we will send it right to you.

Now we’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Which of these food group have been the hardest to eliminate? How can we support you? We are a healing community and your share will support others on their healing journey. So take a moment to drop us a line below.

Love, 

Dr. Holly German