Your health depends on the choices you make and what you choose to eat is one of the most important choices of all. Especially when dealing with Adrenal Fatigue, your food choices can be extremely healing or detrimental.
When you are highly stressed and your adrenals are fatigued what you eat (and when you eat) becomes all the more important. Eating foods that are highly nutritious and easily assimilated by the body will be instrumental in your recovery.
When your adrenals are fatigued the metabolism of the cells speeds up, therefore, demanding and utilizing more nutrients than usually required. If you have been under prolonged periods of stress your stored nutrients are very likely already low. Therefore, it is essential that you replace them quickly and from the best possible sources. Without an adequate supply of nutrients your body will struggle to complete its everyday functions, leaving little or no energy for healing and restoration.
Some Key Points to Remember are:
Listen to your body
You have to eat to regain energy, but DO NOT over eat. Over eating will lead to increased stress on your body (as it struggles to digest). It can create feelings of lethargy and affect concentration levels. Over eating in the long-term will also lead to weight gain.
DO NOT under eat
Depriving your body of the energy and nutrients it requires to get through the day will also increase stress. Do not let yourself get too hungry before your next meal. If you are not overly hungry have a small nutritious snack that will see you through until your next meal.
Make healthy and informed food choices
Remember look to nature to provide what your body needs to heal and recover. Fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, etc. These foods have natural healing properties and will be easily assimilated by the body.
Avoid saturated fats and refined sugars
When adrenals are low even a temporary rise in cortisol will cause fat to be deposited around the middle.
Be sure that every meal or snack contains –
A portion of healthy fat, protein, starchy (unrefined carbs) and vegetables. This will help to maintain balance in your diet and provide the body with all the functioning and restorative essentials.
Reduce your fruit intake
If you feel exhausted after eating fruit (especially in the morning) then it may be best for you to avoid fruit. Fruit will provide energy fast but may also cause a roller coaster effect when it comes to your Blood Sugar levels – resulting in a quick burst of energy, followed by an equally quick crash in energy. Foods that are converted too quickly into energy will quickly let you down.
Add salt to your food
Salt craving is a common symptom of AF. Your body is craving for something it needs. People are scared to add salt believing it will increase blood pressure (BP). However, many people with AF will have low BP so a little increase will not be harmful. Keep an eye on it with a BP machine – if it goes over 140/90 then cut back on salt and consult your doctor. Eating salt will help with restorative processes in the body which require sodium.
Remember anything you do to reduce physical burdens will have a roll-on effect in reducing stress in other areas of your life. Eating well is something that is easy to change and control. Sacrificing some of the so-called treats we stuff ourselves with, will actually turn out to be one of the biggest treats of all!
Eat well and your adrenals will treat you well!
Abhay Living 