Food has potential to make us sick or make us well.
I have experienced both.
The chronic pain I endured for over 30 years was due to food intolerances.
My path to restored health started by changing what I ate.
What you put on your fork is a choice you make several times a day. Choose wisely.
- Do you experience body aches unrelated to recent activity?
- Have trouble concentrating or racing thoughts?
- Are you moody and irritable or always tired?
- Do you have cravings for sweet and salty foods?
These are all symptoms common to people living with chronic stress. The effects of chronic stress affect our adrenal glands. Adrenal glands produce cortisol and several other critical hormones circulating through your body.
The first step to reclaiming your energy is to choose to eat a nutrient dense diet. Nutrient-dense foods are easy to digest and have healing qualities. They are real, whole foods.
“Focus on what you can eat. Not on what you can’t”
The following foods support your adrenal glands because they’re nutrient-dense, low in sugar, and have healthy fat and fiber. When your adrenal glands are properly nourished you will have more energy.
- Coconut
- Olives
- Avocado
- Cruciferous vegetables
- Fatty fish (e.g., wild-caught salmon)
- Chicken and turkey
- Nuts, such as walnuts and almonds
- Seeds (pumpkin, chia and flax)
- Kelp and seaweed
- Sea salt
Dr. Axe (1) recommends avoiding the following foods, because they tax the adrenal glands.
- Wean from caffeine: Caffeine interferes with a normal sleep cycle. It increases the production of insulin and cortisol.
- Sugars and artificial sweetners: Contribute to unstable blood sugar levels.
- Processed and microwaved foods: Most microwaveable foods have many preservatives and fillers that are hard to digest and wear out your body’s energy and digestion cycle.
- Hydrogenated oils: Vegetable oils like soybean, canola and corn oil are highly inflammatory and can lead to adrenal inflammation.
Symptoms of stress overload usually develops over time. At first these symptoms are explainable. Working on a big project at work, end of the school year and all the required activities, grabbing lunch out because mornings are hectic. Life gets BUSY.
I see now how the choices made over ten years ago contributed to the symptoms of adrenal fatigue I began experiencing in 2008. The symptoms crept in slowly, until I was struggling to get through each day. I remember thinking that once I wasn’t working I would have the energy to enjoy my family. But I didn’t take action until I was completely exhausted. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally.
If this sounds familiar I encourage you to listen to the messages your body is sending you before your system crashes.
Download this “stress quiz“. If you answer yes more than 3 times in either section we need to talk.
Schedule your free 20 minute health consultation now!
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I’ve developed a program with you in mind. Undress Your Stress is a four week journey to a balanced heart, mind, and body so you can thrive when life gets busy.
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Karen Hunter, PharmD, INHC is a retired pharmacist who has experienced first hand the power of real food to heal the body. She recovered from the effect of prolonged stress by living out the practices presented in this program.
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What can be harder to recognize is a low-grade energy drain. In this case, you may not necessarily feel the classic signs of exhaustion — like achy muscles or that all-over tired feeling. What you do experience is an increasing lack of get-up-and-go for many of the activities you used to love.
Skip iceberg lettuce and add an energy-boost to your salad by using nutrient-rich kale as a base. Kale is also great saut ed as a side dish, chopped into soups , and tossed with whole-wheat pasta. Kale contains the amino acid L-tyrosine, which helps give you a mental lift, as well as a number of antioxidants and fiber to fill you up and help keep your blood sugar stable, says Berman.