8 Steps to Beat Adrenal Fatigue

When was the last time you jumped out of bed full of energy? Do you wake up singing a favorite song and with a clear, happy mind? No? Not feeling so well? 

Maybe you really don’t feel well at all. 

Are you lay-on-the-floor tired? Do you have trouble focusing, or maybe you are constantly reaching for more coffee to make it through the day? You may have adrenal fatigue.

For a while, maybe a few weeks, the symptoms are subtle, and then within hours fatigue can come on like a tidal wave. You can’t think. You can’t wake up “on time.” Your mind wanders, and you have trouble focusing on what you are trying to read. You realize you get sick more often, and you sometimes get dizzy out of nowhere. You realize you aren’t well. 

Excessive stress over time can lead to adrenal burnout. Long work days, being a working parent, financial issues, or other health issues can all contribute to increased stress and adrenal fatigue. Your adrenal glands normally respond to stress with extra energy and alertness to get through the situation, but after an extended time period of constantly responding to stress, your adrenals get worn out. The great news is, with a few simple steps, your adrenals can heal and you can feel optimally healthy and happy again. 

1. Stop eating sugar and starchy foods. Sugar and starchy foods cause blood sugar spikes, which surge the adrenals. You may be tempted to eat sugary foods when your adrenals are low, because you will feel better for a short time. However, then, your blood sugar crashes and your adrenals dip severely, as well. Sugary foods require high amounts of nutrients to metabolize the calories, so this is why your energy eventually dips. Stress also increases your needs for nutrition. When stress and sugar compete for nutrients, no one wins. The result is a nutrient deficiency which further harms your adrenals. The key to healing is to optimize nutrient intake which requires not eating sugar and starchy foods.

Not eating sugar is not as bad as it sounds. It’s actually quite liberating to stop eating it, because you realize the sugar was making you feel worse. When you have adrenal fatigue, eating sugar feels like it helps at first, but then you have the sugar crash. With adrenal fatigue, you crash really hard. It can start to have effects on your mental health and cause low immunity.

2. Take Vitamin C. Take at least 1,000 mg of vitamin C per day for each 25 pounds of body weight. For adrenal fatigue, nutritionists and doctors often recommend taking another 2,000-3,000 mg per day. Vitamin C is most concentrated in the adrenal glands, and your adrenals count on it. When there isn’t enough vitamin C in your system, your adrenals are the first to feel it. The good news is, when you replenish the vitamin C, your adrenals are the first to benefit.

3. Take Rhodiola. Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb that helps regulate adrenal response. It helps lower stress, and helps your body perform better during times of stress. You’ll be able to think more clearly, and have a better sense of well-being and more energy. Take 1,000 mg of rhodiola twice daily.

4. Eat more vegetables. Vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, red bell peppers, spinach and zucchini are full of extraordinary nutrients and antioxidants your body needs for health and healing, including your adrenals. Add a sprinkle of sea salt for an extra adrenal boost. Eat the vegetables raw for optimal hydration. Try to eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

5. Get more sleep. If you have adrenal fatigue, you need about 30 more minutes of sleep per night while stress is high. If you can’t get more sleep, try to get deeper sleep with Dr. Hotze’s Sleep Formula. Being sleep deprived when you have adrenal problems can make it a lot harder to heal your adrenals and can eventually lead to severe adrenal fatigue or even hospitalization.

6. Take inositol. Another helpful tool for lowering stress is taking inositol. It’s a water soluble nutrient that’s super safe, and tends to reduce brain chatter and help you relax. 

7. Drink green tea. Sipping on green tea can also be a life saver. It contains L-Theanine which helps promote relaxation and lowers anxiety.

8. Limit coffee. We’d tell you to stop drinking coffee, and that might be a good idea if you have severe adrenal fatigue, but we aren’t here to ruin your day. If you go through the steps above, you won’t need as much coffee as you used to. Drink water first, and then drink a bit of tea or coffee if you need it. Try to limit yourself to 2 cups of caffeine per day.

1. Better energy. When you adrenals are strong, your energy is strong. Your energy isn’t up and down, it’s consistently really good, and it makes life so much better!

2. Better sleep. Adrenal fatigue can cause the 2 am wake-up call that completely wakes you up and makes it impossible to get back to sleep. When your adrenals are balanced, you sleep like a baby through the night.

3. Improved mental health. Adrenal fatigue can cause mental fatigue, which can cause depression and anxiety. Having healthy adrenals likely means having good brain energy and healthy neurotransmitter levels. This translates into a happy brain.

4. Improved immunity. When your adrenals are healthy, your immune system has the nutrients it needs to stay strong. Say goodbye to cold and flu season and hello to a healthy and happy year.

5. Better Focus/work performance. Adrenal burnout can cause problems focusing, but healthy adrenals support strong focus and a good memory. You can easily find yourself more productive at work and remembering names more easily.

Congrats on deciding to heal your adrenals and have a healthy, happy life. Making the decision to feel better is the first step. If you have already have taken the steps above, and you still feel tired, you may have hypothyroidism or other hormone imbalances. Contact the Wellness Coaches at Hotze Health & Wellness Center at 281-698-8698 for a complimentary wellness consultation to find out how they can help restore hormone balance and give you your energy back.