Adrenal health

Eating to support your adrenal glands — small choices can make a difference

by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms I hear about from my patients at the clinic. And when I ask these women to tell me about what’s going on in their lives, all too often the answers include more responsibility than seems humanly possible. They’re waking up still tired, unable to think straight in the morning without caffeine; needing high-carb snacks, more caffeine, or a nap to get through the afternoon; then burning the midnight oil because they’re too wired to sleep. Pretty soon these women are in a seemingly unending cycle of exhaustion and poor nutrition — and they feel desperate for the energy they once had.

Science tells us that if you experience stress on a chronic basis, the tiny adrenal glands that moderate your stress response and balance many other hormones in your body will suffer. As the adrenal glands become increasingly compromised, women end up with excess abdominal weight, decreased immunity, lack of concentration, irritability, disrupted sleep, and ultimately, pure exhaustion.

But the upside is: adrenal dysfunction can be healed. I’ve seen it time and again. Though changing what you eat can’t solve everything (for that, you need to decrease your stress load), it’s a great place to start. I’m not just referring to what you eat, but when you eat it and how. Let’s look at some easy options for supporting your adrenals — so you can enjoy good energy all through the day, and get a great night’s sleep. The difference can be like night and day!

First and foremost: timing your meals and snacks

One thing I often tell my patients is to never allow themselves to get too hungry. Low blood sugar by itself puts stress on your body and can tax your adrenals. You may not realize that your body is in constant need of energy — even as you sleep. And the primary adrenal hormone cortisol serves as a kind of moderator in making sure your blood sugar between meals, especially during the night, stays adequate. Long periods without food make the adrenals work harder by requiring them to release more cortisol to keep your body functioning normally. So eating three nutritious meals and two to three snacks that are well-timed throughout the day is one way to balance your blood sugar and lessen the adrenal burden.

When you eat can also make a difference. As you can see in the graph, cortisol has a natural cycle that works with your circadian rhythm. Normally, it begins to rise around 6:00 AM and reaches its highest peak around 8:00 AM. Throughout the day cortisol gradually declines — with small upward bumps at meal times — in preparation for nighttime rest.

It’s ideal to work with this natural cycle to keep the tapering-off of levels as smooth as possible as the day progresses and to avoid dramatic ups and downs. To do this, it helps to get the majority of your food in earlier in the day, and to eat an early dinner (by 5:00 or 6:00 PM). If it’s difficult to eat early, at least try to make your evening meal the lightest one of the day, Many of my patients tell me they overeat to soothe themselves in the evening. This “night-eating” habit is due to the appetite-stimulating effects of residual cortisol, and unfortunately, it only further disturbs our hormone axis.

Keep in mind that cortisol will also rise a bit with exercise. Lighter activities, such as a walk after dinner or a bit of gentle stretching before, will not subvert this natural tapering-off process. But to work in concert with your body’s natural cortisol cycle, more intense exercise is best planned for the morning.

Here are some other simple ways to gently support your body’s natural cortisol cycle:

• If possible, eat breakfast by 8:00 AM or within an hour of getting up (earlier is better), to restore blood sugar levels after using glycogen stores at night.
• Try to eat lunch between 11:00 AM and 12:00 noon. Your morning meal can be used up quickly.
• Eat a nutritious snack between 2:00 and 3:00 PM to get you through the natural dip in cortisol around 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon.
• Make an effort to eat dinner around 5:00 or 6:00 PM, and make this your lightest meal of the day.

Supporting your body’s natural rhythms by timing meals and preventing dramatic dips in blood sugar not only minimizes cortisol output and frees up your adrenals to perform their secondary functions, but gives you more sustained energy throughout the day — and life becomes much more enjoyable when we have the energy we need.

Eat, drink, and support adrenal gland function

As our awareness about when we eat increases, it’s also helpful to think more about what we eat. Stress often brings out the worst in us — especially when it comes to food choices. Many of my patients with adrenal fatigue tell me they reach for food and drink that give them an instant burst of energy — cookies, cakes, doughnuts, white bread, coffee, or soda. Unfortunately, the surge of energy that happens after consuming these foods is followed by an even greater dip in energy, causing you to feel worse.

Caffeine and gluten can be particularly harsh on the adrenals. I often suggest a gluten-free diet and limited caffeine to my patients with symptoms of adrenal imbalance. Many women don’t realize that caffeine can over-stimulate the adrenals and affect sleep patterns. (See our article on the effects of caffeine for more information.)

If you find yourself craving caffeine or refined carbohydrates it may be that your cortisol is low or that your serotonin is imbalanced, but it also simply may be that your body needs to rest. I encourage you to honor your body’s request and take a break, instead of winding it up another notch. Treat yourself to some deep breathing or a ten–minute walk. And if drinking a cup of coffee is a relaxing part of your routine, drink it in the morning with something nutritious to eat, and add cream to dull the negative effects of caffeine.

Eating meals and snacks that are made of fresh whole foods, preferably organic or locally grown, without colors, dyes, chemicals, preservatives or added hormones are best to strive for. Including some protein in all your meals and snacks (especially in the morning) will have a stabilizing effect on your blood sugar, which in turn can help you overcome caffeine and sugar cravings. (For more information on eating balanced meals, see our Personal Program Nutritional Guidelines.)

To lessen the stress that often comes with trying to eat healthfully, think about preparing nutritious foods on the weekends so you have them ready and available on busy weeknights, or stop at a health food store to pick up some hot prepared food. Don’t feel guilty if you veer off the nutritious path. I always tell my patients to eat their best 90% of the time. The other 10% is up to them. Guilt is the last thing your adrenals need!

Salt and adrenal imbalance

Women with adrenal imbalance often crave salt — and many of my patients are surprised when I tell them to honor this craving. Yes, salt can increase blood pressure, but low blood pressure (hypotension) is a very common sign of adrenal imbalance — at all stages. If you feel lightheaded when getting out of bed in the morning, standing up quickly, or getting up out of a bath or hot tub, you may very well have low adrenal function, and including more salt in your diet could be helpful. But try to make it good-quality sea salt. One of my favorites is Celtic sea salt.

Craving for salt in people with adrenal imbalance is complicated to explain, but in a nutshell, it’s a result of low aldosterone. Aldosterone, a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex, is part of the complex mechanism that regulates blood pressure in the body. Levels of aldosterone go up and down in much the same diurnal pattern as cortisol does, and likewise go up as a normal response to stressful situations. Generally speaking, when cortisol goes up, aldosterone goes down, lowering blood pressure and possibly disturbing electrolyte balance and cell hydration. Increasing your salt intake is one way to help restore these imbalances.

A nutrient-rich foundation — essential for healing adrenal imbalance

If you decide to do nothing else for your adrenals, I urge you to provide your body with a strong nutrient base. The vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients available in a pharmaceutical-grade supplement like the one we offer in our Personal Program are absolutely essential for healing adrenal fatigue — as well as for the everyday workings of your adrenal glands.

Vitamins like C, E and all the B vitamins have crucial roles in the reactions that occur in the adrenal cascade. And a mineral like magnesium provides necessary energy for your adrenals — and every cell in your body — to function properly. Calcium and several trace minerals like zinc, manganese, selenium, and iodine provide calming effects in the body. These minerals can help to relieve the stress that comes with and causes adrenal fatigue, which will ultimately lessen your cortisol output.

A strong nutrient foundation also supports the endocrine system overall. There is great synergism between the different organs of the endocrine system (including the adrenal glands). And as hormonal levels become deficient or excessive, our cells count on extra nutritional support to compensate.

Small things, dramatic differences

Your adrenal glands are tiny in comparison to many other organs. They are roughly the size of a walnut, yet they have enormous responsibilities in your body. When they are functioning at their peak, these small glands can help you feel energized when you need to be and relaxed when it is time for rest. They contribute to the production of estrogen, testosterone, progesterone and so much more. But life’s demands can slowly drain the balancing power of the adrenal glands. Even the healthiest person’s adrenals become impaired under chronic, unrelenting stress.

You have the power to lessen the burden on your adrenals — and your whole body. It doesn’t take much. The small choices you make in regards to your nutrition and eating patterns will make a difference. Here’s my advice to you: support your foundation with a high quality nutritional supplement and eat good food in harmony with your body’s natural daily rhythms. Soon you’ll find the energy you thought you lost — and it’ll be here to stay!

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Last Modified Date: 04/15/2011
Principal Author: Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP