Supplements & Organic Foods that Aid in Healing the Adrenal Glands.....by Dr. Josh Axe.

There is so much on the web regarding adrenal fatigue 'recovery' and I have written about it extensively for various publications.  There is also a new article on my site about the topic so, please scroll down to read for yourself.

Medical Disclaimer:
The #1 MOST important step for you to take if you believe you have any level of adrenal fatigue is to schedule an appointment w/ a Functional Medicine physician.  And he or she will have you complete an Adrenal Saliva Test.  Do not self treat.  You can end up doing more harm then good to your adrenals.  Please trust me here.

With that being said, there are general healthy decisions you can make on a daily basis that will aid in your adrenal recovery.  And that is eliminating sugar, caffeine, grains, etc. from your diet.  It will change your life!!! It sure changed my own!  And your body will be shedding pounds faster then you can imagine ....that's an added bonus that will occur.   Also, supplements that are the building blocks for your adrenals are essential.

Dr. Josh Axe, who is mentioned all over my site, has an extensive & private online educational program for healing leaky gut (which 'gut health' is often one of the main culprits of adrenal fatigue).  And I have enrolled in his program solely as an educational & nutritional guide. It is one of the best decisions I have made in my own healing process!  We watch videos weekly, jump on the phone w/ him weekly for Q&A's and overall, it's aiding in my recovery as well as helping me to educate others. 

Below are notes from the transcript of Dr. Axe's adrenal video. The notes are his and not my own so, this is directly from him! Enjoy!

In Dr. Axe's words:

The best supplements for treating and overcoming adrenal fatigue is:
#1- adaptogenic herbs, specifically ashwagandha. The herbs help the body to fight stress better and improve what are called DHEA levels in the body, it’s also very important for anti-aging.

My vitamin B complex has those exact adaptogenic herbs in them along with my green superfoods has some of those as well.  Another thing is Vitamin B12 support, which again is in my Vitamin B adrenal complex, it supports cellular energy and thyroid function. If you do have leaky gut that will cause B12 absorption so leaky gut is what is causing your adrenal fatigue. 

Selenium is another crucial nutrient that can help support your adrenals and thyroid. It’s important for something called methylation, which is essentially cellular energy production. Consuming more selenium rich foods like brazil nuts, sea weed, strawberries, sprouted nuts and seeds like chia, flax and pumpkin. If you have adrenal fatigue, taking my Vitamin B adrenal complex support is something I definitely recommend. 

L-Glutamine- it is an amino acid that reduces stress on the gut that helps heal the gut lining.

Probiotics are essential for healing leaky gut and for increasing the microbes in your system which will also help you overcome adrenal fatigue. It is very crucial that you are getting probiotic rich foods as well as probiotic rich supplements in your diet. I recommend 2 caps twice a day typically for those with adrenal fatigue. 

Foods:
Nutrient dense veggies & high quality protein are essential for adrenal recovery.  And cold foods should (surprisingly) be avoided during adrenal recovery.  Why? Ice and cold foods are stressful on the digestive tract and cause nutrient malabsorption.

Dark colored fruits are very nourishing to the adrenal glands and kidneys. Figs, blueberries and blackberries are the best three fruits for healing the adrenal glands. Consume these fruits in moderation throughout the day.

Vegetables, including eggplant and dark green leafy vegetables, especially kale and chard, are especially healing to the adrenal glands. Walnuts and black sesame seeds are great as well.

Dr. Axe recommends the Okinawa Diet for adrenal recovery which consists of sea vegetables, miso soup, wild caught fish, etc.  If you notice, it is all high in sodium which is on point for adrenal recovery (due to the lack of Aldosterone production).

Other nutrients that are crucial in healing your adrenal glands are foods filled with probiotics and enzymes. Things like kefir and yogurt. You don’t want to over do dairy with adrenal fatigue, so about 4 oz as part of a smoothie is fine. It should be goat’s milk yogurt and kefir. Fermented veggies like sauerkraut and sprouted foods so it increases the enzymes. I don’t recommend if you have adrenal fatigue consuming a lot of nuts and seeds unless they have been soaked and sprouted ideally.

Food high in Vitamin B are crucial to nourishing your adrenal glands. Grass fed beef, chicken and beef liver, green superfood powders with spirulina, like my green superfood. Green leafy vegetables like kale, chard and spinach all help nourish adrenal glands.  NOTE: VEGANS: You can get your protein sources from plants - message me to discuss!

Sea salt - used instead of iodine salt. Sprinkling sea salt on your food is fantastic for your adrenal glands.

I mentioned blackberries, blueberries and figs but I want to say all berries in general including pomegranates are good as well. Sea salt, sprinkle it on liberally. I would recommend Himalayan salt as the best and the second best would be celtic salt.

Foods high in magnesium are also good to nourish adrenal glands, like sprouted seeds, pumpkin, flax or chia. Also avocadoes, spinach, chard, figs and sea veggies. There is a lot of overlap here because the same foods that are high in electrolytes and minerals are the same ones that are high in these nutrients. 

Foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids are cold fish, wild caught salmon, grass fed meats and also sprouted chia and flax.  Again, VEGANS: You can get your protein sources from plants.

Thanks Dr. Axe!

I hope this helped some of you as you organize your schedule to accommodate your healing process! What I have found best in my own journey is to streamline care (one Functional Medicine physician, one chiropractor....YAY), organize a strict supplemental timeline that you do not deviate from, and plan ahead each week via your schedule (hourly if needed).  Stay disciplined & consistent (allowing yourself to be human of course).  And I am telling you, you will recover! Your body is amazing and is designed to naturally heal itself! You need to provide your body with the tools (supplements, thoughts, foods, exercise, rest) and your body will respond!