Some of my favorite memories working in the health and wellness industry have centered around lightbulb moments. I’ll listen to people whose symptoms have been brushed off for years, only to finally be able to tell them, “Here’s what’s up, and here’s how we manage it!”
There’s a sense of relief in that moment—that person knows they can stop searching for answers and start working on ways to feel better.
That’s what’s happening right now with adrenal fatigue. For years, our high-stress lifestyles have taken a physical toll on our bodies, draining our adrenals’ ability to produce and regulate hormones—most notably our stress hormone, cortisol.
What Is Adrenal Fatigue?
Before delving into adrenal fatigue, it is important to note that it is not currently recognized as a medical condition, unlike other adrenal diseases such as Addison’s disease (or primary adrenal insufficiency). Addison’s disease is a rare illness where the body fails to produce enough critical hormones.
But adrenal fatigue is different than adrenal insufficiency. When health professionals refer to adrenal fatigue, they’re not referring to a specific diagnosis, but a set of symptoms that many people experience including:
- Fatigue
- Sleep troubles
- Digestive issues
- Body aches
- Metabolic issues, like salty or sweet cravings or a slowed metabolism
- Brain fog or lightheadedness
- Lack of motivation
Health professionals have identified these symptoms as potentially linked to adrenal health.
Your adrenals are two small glands located above your kidneys. Despite their tiny size, they play a huge role in hormone production within your body.
Each adrenal gland is responsible for producing and secreting cortisol, aldosterone, and adrenaline. These hormones collectively regulate several key functions in the body. When faced with a stressful situation, the adrenal glands release these hormones to trigger the “fight, flight, or freeze” response. In such moments, these hormones enhance energy and focus, enabling the brain to respond efficiently to stress.
Cortisol is also a key player in your metabolic function, helping to convert fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into energy and maintain steady blood-sugar levels. Too much cortisol can contribute to a slower metabolism, making it more difficult to convert your food to fuel and maintain the weight you want.
Another adrenal hormone, aldosterone, works with the kidneys to balance your sodium and potassium levels and regulate your blood pressure.
Many health professionals believe that chronic stress or burnout leads to a physical response in the body. Cortisol and adrenaline production can become excessive, or the immune system can mistakenly respond as if fighting an infection.
However, the body can only tolerate elevated stress responses to a certain extent. Over time, sustained stress prompts the body to protect itself from an overabundance of hormones by reducing the production of certain key hormones. Consequently, the adrenals may produce lower levels of cortisol and adrenaline, leading to difficulties in combating inflammation or regulating sleep hormones effectively.
This, of course, only exacerbates the problem and leads to more physical manifestations you probably don’t want to see, like trouble sleeping, losing weight, or just not getting excited about things you once loved.
This response is what’s known as adrenal fatigue among many health professionals. Remember that in the medical world, official diagnoses can lag behind what’s happening in the real world. Conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue were once dismissed as other conditions or just in a patient’s head, but are now recognized for the real issues they are.
Also keep in mind that the symptoms of adrenal fatigue can overlap with other conditions, like autoimmune disease, thyroid issues, and mental health issues like depression. It’s always important to take stock of what’s happening in your body, talk to your doctor, and review your bloodwork to get to the root of your problem.
What Are the Best Foods for Adrenal Fatigue?
When you know the right ingredients to support what’s happening in your body, you can leverage the power of food to manage and relieve the symptoms that are keeping you down.
Let’s look at some of the best foods to eat if you’re experiencing adrenal fatigue:
1. Eat Protein First
Clean, lean protein belongs in every diet, in every meal, as the first thing you eat. I recommend getting at least 100 grams per day, broken down about evenly between meals. But everyone is different, so check out my calculator below to find out how much you need every day.
There are several reasons everyone needs protein first. It’s the most satiating nutrient, so by eating it first at every meal you’ll be comfortably full without cravings, energy slumps, or reaching in vain for less healthy options to fill you up.1
People with adrenal fatigue tend to produce less aldosterone, the hormone responsible for balancing minerals like sodium and potassium. Without that balance, you’ll crave the sodium you’re lacking (probably in the form of fast food and other junk). But eating enough protein helps fill you up, meaning you won’t feel as desperate for something to fill a void.
Protein also helps to overcome the cortisol imbalance adrenal fatigue can cause. Cortisol is intertwined with your blood-sugar levels—if cortisol is off, your body loses the ability to regulate your blood sugar, too. That contributes to the cravings, as well as the exhaustion you might experience with adrenal fatigue. The steady energy that protein provides helps regulate blood-sugar levels, keeping your energy where it should be.
Protein is also crucial for repairing and restoring your body. Your tissues are always in a state of turnover, breaking down protein to rebuild. But if your body isn’t taking in enough protein—or if your tissues need to break down more protein than usual, like in the case of illness, injury, or intense workouts—your tissues won’t have enough of the building blocks they need to repair.
An injury might linger, or you’ll take longer to get over an illness. Plus, your muscles won’t be able to repair well after a workout. That means you won’t be able to see results at the gym, and you’ll never build or maintain the muscle that you lose with age, leaving you more vulnerable to mobility challenges or having to miss out on the things you love.
The repair made possible by protein is essential, too. With adrenal fatigue, your body is suffering the results of being run down and stressed. By giving it a restorative protein boost, your tissues will have more material to rebuild and recharge, better setting them up to keep working for you.
How much protein are you getting at every meal? I’ve found it’s a question that most people either can’t answer—or they admit they’re not getting nearly enough. That’s why I created my 7-Day Eat Protein First Challenge. It’s a free, easy way to take a look at your personal protein intake and get to the level you need to thrive. Then, the fun starts—witnessing firsthand the transformation. You’ll see cravings disappear and energy levels soar, all while enjoying delicious meals you’ll want long after the challenge is done.
2. Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Adrenal fatigue can exacerbate chronic inflammation, so it’s smart to keep your diet as anti-inflammatory as possible.
Thankfully, anti-inflammatory foods are delicious, affordable, and easy to work into your everyday diet. I’ve got a bunch of my favorites here, including omega-3s.2 These essential fatty acids are often found in fatty fish like salmon—and those healthy fats are important for adrenal health, too.
Green leafy vegetables are another double whammy of adrenal support. Along with being anti-inflammatory, the fiber and antioxidants in leafy greens help detoxify your body from the inside out.3 The more ability your body has to eliminate toxins and oxidative stress, the less pressure there is on your adrenals. Essentially, they can quit the overtime gig and get back to working right for you.
And don’t forget to spice up your meals! There are tons of spices that boost the flavor of foods and give you anti-inflammatory help. Ginger is one that’s been used for millennia—it’s been shown to reduce inflammatory markers4 and give a little zing to sauteed veggies, loaded smoothies, and homemade salad dressings. Cinnamon is another tasty one. Sprinkle a little in your coffee or over apple slices, and its antioxidants will help fight age-related inflammation.5
Turmeric is another centuries-old remedy known to reduce inflammation,6 but our bodies don’t always get all the benefits from it when it’s taken alone.
Another of my anti-inflammatory faves? Green tea. Whether you like it refreshingly iced or piping hot, the polyphenols in green tea work to reduce inflammation.7
3. Quality Sea Salt
Remember aldosterone, the hormone that helps manage sodium levels? If you’re really in the thick of adrenal fatigue and dealing with low energy or salty cravings, you may need to counteract that depletion with some high-quality sea salt.
I’m not talking about getting heavy-handed with the salt at every meal, of course—that’s too much overcorrecting, especially if you’re looking to control your sodium intake. Remember that a teaspoon of high-quality mineral sea salt is typically about a third of the recommended daily sodium intake.
Introducing this modest amount of sea salt to your diet while eliminating unhealthy foods that are high in sodium—such as processed and low-fat versions of foods, restaurant meals, packaged condiments, deli meats, and many broths—is a mindful way to balance your sodium levels while still maintaining a healthy sodium intake. And always check in with your healthcare provider to determine the right approach!
If you can add a little sea salt, sprinkle it over roasted vegetables or another anti-inflammatory food for a little extra flavor. Or add a pinch of salt to a glass of water when you wake up in the morning for an electrolyte boost. That’s right—electrolytes don’t only come in sugar-loaded sports drinks.
Electrolytes are minerals including sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and a little quality sea salt is a great way to get in the sodium element.
ElectroReplenish is a complete and balanced electrolyte product to help promote optimal hydration, especially if you need to be careful about your sodium intake.* You can easily mix this powder into water or your favorite liquid, or pour them into popsicle molds and freeze (it comes in a delicious lemon-orange flavor!).
4. Pumpkin Seeds
Also known as pepitas, these little seeds are bursting with benefits. It’s great enough that they’re full of magnesium and zinc to help balance your minerals. In fact, they’re one of the richest sources of magnesium out there, and even if you’re not battling adrenal fatigue, the mineral can help maintain healthy blood-sugar and blood-pressure levels, as well as keep your heart healthy.8
Researchers have also found that the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects of pumpkin seeds can ameliorate the adrenal structural changes brought on by chronic stress.9
I love enjoying their benefits in my Roasted Jalapeño Guacamole with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds.
5. Avocados and Other Healthy Fats
I already mentioned the anti-inflammatory effects that omega-3 essential fatty acids can have on your body. These and other types of healthy fats are also critical to make hormones. So if you’re enjoying things like salmon, olive oil, nuts, and avocados, your adrenals will be better equipped to get back to balancing your hormones.
In fact, researchers found that omega-3s might help prevent cortisol from rising during stress, making it so much easier for your adrenals to start balancing your cortisol response.10
It’s difficult to get enough omega-3s from the Standard American Diet, especially if you’re plant-based. I supplement every day with my Omega Plus, an easily digestible soft gel that provides a hearty 1,000 mg of omega-3 fats, plus brain-boosting, inflammation-busting EPA and DHA.*
Battling Adrenal Fatigue
Alongside smart nutrition choices while you’re battling adrenal fatigue, it’s critical to address the stress that brought it on in the first place.
Stress isn’t just in your head. It is incredibly harmful in all kinds of ways to your body, and taking measures to beat it will improve your overall health and well-being. I’ve shared some of my favorite stress-busters here, but I bet you already know the highlights—prioritize quality sleep, get in daily movement, and meditate or do another calming exercise that clears your head.
If you’re still (understandably!) having trouble getting rid of stress, I also recommend supplementing with Take Ten Stress Support. It promotes a healthy stress response, with GABA serving as a calming agent for the body, helping to combat occasional stress, restlessness, and nervous irritability.*
Sources:
- Arne Astrup, The satiating power of protein—a key to obesity prevention?, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 82, Issue 1, July 2005, Pages 1–2, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/82.1.1
- Guo, Y., Ma, B., Li, X., Hui, H., Zhou, Y., Li, N., & Xie, X. (2022). Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids can Reduce IL-6 and TNF Levels in Patients with Cancer. The British journal of nutrition, 1–34. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114522000575
- Zhang, Y. J., Gan, R. Y., Li, S., Zhou, Y., Li, A. N., Xu, D. P., & Li, H. B. (2015). Antioxidant Phytochemicals for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 20(12), 21138–21156. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules201219753
- Morvaridzadeh, M., Fazelian, S., Agah, S., Khazdouz, M., Rahimlou, M., Agh, F., Potter, E., Heshmati, S., & Heshmati, J. (2020). Effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on inflammatory markers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Cytokine, 135, 155224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155224
- Gunawardena, D., Karunaweera, N., Lee, S., van Der Kooy, F., Harman, D. G., Raju, R., Bennett, L., Gyengesi, E., Sucher, N. J., & Münch, G. (2015). Anti-inflammatory activity of cinnamon (C. zeylanicum and C. cassia) extracts – identification of E-cinnamaldehyde and o-methoxy cinnamaldehyde as the most potent bioactive compounds. Food & function, 6(3), 910–919. https://doi.org/10.1039/c4fo00680a
- Tabrizi, R., Vakili, S., Akbari, M., Mirhosseini, N., Lankarani, K. B., Rahimi, M., Mobini, M., Jafarnejad, S., Vahedpoor, Z., & Asemi, Z. (2019). The effects of curcumin-containing supplements on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 33(2), 253–262. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6226
- Oz H. S. (2017). Chronic Inflammatory Diseases and Green Tea Polyphenols. Nutrients, 9(6), 561. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9060561
- Reddy, S. T., Soman, S. S., & Yee, J. (2018). Magnesium Balance and Measurement. Advances in chronic kidney disease, 25(3), 224–229. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ackd.2018.03.002
- Almohaimeed, H. M., Hamed, S., Seleem, H. S., Batawi, A. H., Mohammedsaleh, Z. M., Balgoon, M. J., Ali, S. S., Al Jaouni, S., & Ayuob, N. (2021). An Ethanolic Extract of Cucurbita pepo L. Seeds Modifies Neuroendocrine Disruption in Chronic Stressed Rats and Adrenal Expression of Inflammatory Markers and HSP70. Frontiers in pharmacology, 12, 749766. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.749766
- Lepretti, M., Martucciello, S., Burgos Aceves, M. A., Putti, R., & Lionetti, L. (2018). Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Insulin Resistance: Focus on the Regulation of Mitochondria and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress. Nutrients, 10(3), 350. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10030350
