There are several Adrenal Fatigue treatment options, including supplements and prescriptions, depending on the severity of the condition and doctor recommendations. This information is made available for educational purposes, to discuss with a good doctor.
Licorice
For slightly Low Cortisol. Licorice is an anti-stress herb known to increase energy, endurance and vitality. Licorice has also been used to help decrease symptoms of Hypoglycemia. The best form of Licorice is in tea. And can also be found in the form of capsules, liquid herbal extract and dried root which can be chewed. 1
Ashwagandha Root
Therapeutic uses of Ashwagandha date back to at least 1000 B.C. Ashwagandha has beneficial effects on the adrenal tissue and function. Ashwagandha is considered an adaptogen which means it helps the body function more towards its normal level. Ashwagandha is capable of normalizing cortisol levels whether they are low or high. But it should not be taken at doses higher than 35 gms/day because this would inhibit adrenal function. 2
Adrenal Cortical Extracts
According to Dr. James L. Wilson 3 probably the most reliable way of rebuilding adrenals from adrenal fatigue is the use of adrenal cortical extracts. In 1918 Adrenal Cell Extracts became commercially available, and since then they have been a powerful form of treatment for non-Addison’s type of hypoadrenia.
There are several brands available both in table and liquid form. According to Wilson the the liquid is generally more powerful than the tablet, but also costs more. He uses the tablets for milder cases, and the liquid in moderate to severe cases. Dr. Wilson explains:
Dosage for the adrenal cortical extract tablets is 6-12 per day, depending on severity
Dosage for the liquid is usually one vial under the tongue 2 or 3 times a week as directed by your physician
Many doctors are unaware of the existence of this type of therapy and do not know how to use it. This can mean some doctors are reluctant to explore it even though there is a long history of its use.
Corticosteroid therapy with Hydrocortisone is the best natural form of cortisol, available by prescription 4. When administered in physiological doses of approximately 20 mg per day it can give the adrenals a rest. This is considered a short -term protocol for treating adrenals with a goal of gradually decreasing the dose after six months.
For me personally, and from the stories of others, Hydrocortisone helped me to strengthen my adrenals and provide the cortisol needed to help with absorption of Natural Desiccated Thyroid medicine. In hindsight, I believe I stayed on Hydrocortisone too long and should have weaned off after six months. But it did indeed help me.
Finding the right balance of foods for adrenal fatigue was a helpful part of my recovery. Because of adrenal fatigue, I had severe hypoglycemia which meant I needed to eat every two hours. And I was drawn to foods which gave me a boost, including sugar and caffeine. Understanding how foods affect my body helps me to keep my adrenals feeling strong.
According to AdrenalFatigue.org, when your adrenals respond to stress your cell metabolism speeds up, burning many nutrients. With adrenal fatigue, the cells have used up much of the body’s stored nutrients, creating a nutritional void. Good quality food is the best source for replenishing these nutrients.
When to Eat
Eating frequently is helpful for the balance between adrenals and blood sugar. Basically, if you feel hungry, it’s too late. Your blood sugars are starting to drop and the adrenals are being stressed. Here is a quick guide for when to eat to support adrenals:
In the morning, eating soon after waking is important for people with adrenal fatigue. For me, and others with adrenal fatigue, eating before 10:00 AM can make a big difference in our energy.
For lunch, eating before noon, ideally between 11-11:30 AM is best
Between 2-3 PM eat a nutritious snack to sustain your body during the afternoon. Typically, cortisol dips between 3-4 PM. If you wait until 3:30 PM for a snack, most likely you will crave sugar or caffeine!
For dinner, eating between 5 and 6 PM is best
Late evening before bed, a small service of good fat and protein can help with sleep
What to Eat and Drink
For those of us experiencing adrenal fatigue, a good meal and snack combines fat, protein and complex carbohydrates (vegetables). This combination helps provide a steady stream of energy throughout the day. Sugary snacks or highly processed foods convert too quickly, and do not provide lasting energy. They can also cause sugar crashes, or hypoglycemia.
Salt
In most cases of adrenal fatigue, good salt is beneficial. Interestingly, cravings for salt can be an indicated of adrenal weakness. Unless you are one of the rare people with adrenal fatigue and high blood pressure, add some salt to your food 1. Sea salt or Celtic salts are preferred because they have more beneficial nutrients (and they taste good).
Proteins
Good quality protein such as grass fed beef, fish, free range chicken, omega-3 eggs, dairy from grass fed cows (and/or raw mild) and various plant sources (legumes, nuts and seeds) are beneficial in supporting adrenals. Try to avoid processed proteins such as packaged lunch meats and processed cheeses. Proteins generally have more nutritional value and are easier to digest when eaten lightly cooked or raw.
Vegetables
Vegetables are an important part of supporting adrenals. With each meal aim for 2 vegetable servings of a wide variety of vegetables, especially those that are naturally highly colored (bright green, red, orange, yellow or purple). Vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and a high amount of fiber. It is a good idea to vary how you prepare vegetables, because different nutrients are made available through different cooking methods. Personally, my body has much more energy eating raw, rather than cooked, vegetables.
Fruit
Dr. Wilson notes that people with adrenal fatigue and blood sugar problems should go lightly on fruits, especially in the morning. Personally, with struggling adrenals, if I ate fruit in the morning I felt pretty nauseous and ill by lunchtime. With stronger adrenals I can eat a little fruit in the morning if accompanied by protein and a little fat.
According to Dr. Wilson, fruits contain a significant amount of fructose and potassium, which is a detrimental combination for those with exhausted adrenals. However, Wilson says it is preferable that any fruit that you do eat is organically grown. Hey, we do the best we can. Below is a short list of fruits people with adrenal fatigue tend to do well with, and ones to avoid or notice if they make you feel bad:
Preferred fruits:
Papaya
Mango
Plums
Pears
Kiwi
Apples
Grapes (a few)
Cherries
Strawberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Fruits that might make you feel bad:
Bananas
Raisins
Dates
Figs
Oranges
Grapefruit
Easy Guidelines
Here are some easy guidelines which are simply and make loads of sense!
Eat a wide variety of whole, natural, unprocessed foods
Combine a healthy fat, protein and carbohydrate source with every meal
Eat lots of vegetables, especially the brightly colored ones. Raw is even better
Salt your food to a pleasant taste using good salt like Real Salt or Himalayan Salt
Eat mainly whole grains (avoiding gluten)
Combine grains with legumes (beans), or legumes with seeds or nuts to form a complete protein
Avoid fruit in the morning
Mix 1-2 tablespoons of fresh essential oils (cold pressed olive, grape seed, safflower, flax, etc.) into grains, vegetables and meats daily. Or try avocado with meals.
Below are some of the Adrenal Fatigue symptoms. There are similarities between Adrenal Fatigue and Hypothyroidism. It’s possible to have both conditions, or one condition but not the other.
According to Adrenal Fatigue.org, if you are regularly experiencing one or more of the following this could mean indicate fatigue:
You feel tired for no reason.
You have trouble getting up in the morning, even when you go to bed at a reasonable hour.
You are feeling rundown or overwhelmed.
You have difficulty bouncing back from stress or illness.
You crave salty and sweet snacks.
You feel more awake, alert and energetic after 6PM than you do all day.
In addition, the folks at Stop the Thyroid Madness have compiled this list of more specific symptoms related to adrenal fatigue which can also be found in the Stop the Thyroid Madness book. Not all symptoms apply to everyone but if you have a good percent of symptoms it is worth exploring more.
Continuing hypothyroid symptoms with a high free T3
Shaky hands or general shakiness
Diarrhea
Bad palpatations
Higher heart rate
Pounding heart
Feeling of panic
Craving for salt or salty foods
Weakness or feeling a lack of stamina
Lethargy (everything feels like a chore)
Difficulty even doing every day tasks
Tasks seem to take longer and feel much harder
Decreased sex drive
Inability to handle stress
Inability to handle interactions with others
Inability to focus
Rage or sudden angry outbursts
Emotionally hyper sensitive
Mild depression and/or feeling less happiness, not much seems to interest you
Increase PMS. Bloated, tired, crabby, cramping, and craving chocolate
Overreacting (this is hard to measure in ourselves)
Highly defensive (this is hard to measure in ourselves)
Feeling paranoid about people or things
Exacerbated reactions to daily stress
Impatience
Easily irritated
Mild to severe hypoglycemic episodes
Symptoms increase if meals are skipped.
A strong need for snacks, colas and coffee just to keep from collapsing.
Nausea in the face of stress
Taking days to recover from even minor stress
Taking days to recover from a dental visit
Flu-like symptoms
Headaches
All over body ache
Super-sensitive skin
Extreme fatigue
Scalp ache
Hyper or jittery feeling
Clumsy (drop things, bump into things)
Confusion
Suddenly feel extremely hungry
Low back pain
Feeling dull
Cloud-filled head
Jumpiness (easily startled)
Muscle weakness
“Air hunger” or feeling breathless
Dizziness
Light headedness (especially standing up quickly)
Motion sickness
Coffee putting patient to sleep
Vomiting even running up the slightest incline
Almost passing out every time patient gets up
Dark circles under eyes
Waking up in the middle of the night for several hours
Difficulty falling asleep
Difficulty waking up in the morning
Frequent urination
IBS symptoms
Worsening allergies
Don’t really wake up and feel alert until 10 AM
Between 3-4 PM you feel sluggish or very tired, sometimes requiring a nap
After 6 PM and dinner, you start to feel alive again
Iodine is necessary for the thyroid gland’s proper performance. The human thyroid gland is located in the front of the lower part of the neck. All the blood in the body passes through the thyroid gland every 17 minutes. Because the cells making up this gland have an affinity for iodine, during this 17-minute passage the gland’s secretion of iodine kills weak germs that may have gained entry into the blood through an injury to the skin, the lining of nose or throat, or through absorption of food from the digestive tract. Strong, virulent germs are rendered weaker during their passage through the thyroid gland. With each 17 minutes that rolls around they are made still weaker until finally they are killed if the gland has its normal supply of iodine. If it does not, it cannot kill harmful germs circulating in the blood as Nature intended it should.
Two drops of Lugol’s solution of iodine works equally well in an adult. When the stress and strain of daily living create a load that is difficult to carry, producing a state of anxiety, and when the day’s problems make it difficult to relax and sleep well at night, then one appreciates the aid that iodine gives. -D.C. Jarvis, MD from “Folk Medicine”
Folk Medicine in Vermont is interested in three R’s-Resistance, Repair, and Recovery. First the individual asks himself whether his resistance to disease is as it should be. Next, is he able to repair tissue injury due to accident should it occur? Finally, if sickness should come, is his body able to bring about recovery? Somehow during the passing years he has learned that iodine is related to the ability to resist disease.
We learn in Vermont folk medicine, however, that this gland performs other functions besides killing harmful germs in the blood. The first is the rebuilding of energy with which to do the day’s work. There is a definite relationship be-tween the amount of energy you have and your iodine intake.
The first question in the presence of a condition of depleted energy is, Is the soil of the state in which one lives iodine-poor? Second, is the deficiency being made up by supple-mentary means?All soils containing granite are iodine-poor and Vermont is one of them. This fact is very important to people living in Vermont and well may be important to those living elsewhere. When energy and endurance run low in relation to doing the day’s work, then the taking of iodine needs to be considered.
A second function of iodine is to calm the body and relieve nervous tension. When nervous tension runs high there is irritability and difficulty in sleeping well at night, and the body is continually on a combat basis, organized for fight and flight. All these points stress a body’s need for iodine to lessen nervous tension, relax the body and enable it to or-ganize for peace and quiet, by the building and storing of body reserves against time of need. I have learned through Vermont folk medicine that it is possible to repeatedly change an irritable, impatient, and restless child under ten years of age into a calm, patient individual within two hours’ time by giving one drop of Lugol’s solution of iodine by mouth in a vegetable or fruit juice or in a glass of water made acid in reaction by adding a teaspoonful of apple cider vinegar. I have repeatedly prescribed this in order to make it possible for a mother of a racehorse-type little boy or girl to be able to live comfortably with the child. I have never seen it fail to calm down a nervous child.
In an adult two teaspoonfuls of apple cider vinegar and two of honey are added to a glass of water. The honey is there because it is a sedative. Then add two drops of Lugol’s solution of iodine to the glass containing the vinegar and- honey mixture, stir it, and sip it during the meal as you would coffee or tea. Taken apart from the meal it can be sipped like a cocktail. Soon your motor will have slipped into low gear. Your problems and their solution will seem less difficult, and the day’s load of responsibility easier to carry. In this age of anxiety the combination of iodine with vinegar and water will give the harassed individual increased energy and the endurance necessary to carry the daily load. You will find that the wear and tear of daily living is considerably reduced. – D.C. Jarvis, MD, from “Folk Medicine”
A third function of iodine in the human body relates to clear thinking. The mind simply works better when the body is supplied the iodine it needs. Then there is the matter of the storing of unwanted fat. Iodine is one of the best oxidizing catalysts we have. A catalyst is the match which touches off in the body the fire that burns up the food we take in each day. If this food is not properly burned off, it may be stored as unwanted fat.
As you study yourself you will soon learn to tell when you need iodine. When a night’s sleep does not bring you to the beginning of the new day with the energy you are accustomed to have, you will begin to think of iodine. If you learn how to use it, it will restore the capacity to bounce back and sustain your well-being. D.C. Jarvis, MD, from “Folk Medicine”
In the last six months I’ve become much more interested in eating raw vegetables. I noticed that my body feels happier eating raw rather than cooked vegetables. Raw vegetables keep me feeling full longer. They give me more energy, snd help me maintain my weight easier. One day I was walking around my kitchen thinking “Wow, raw vegetables are amazing! I wonder who has thought about eating raw vegetables???” Oh, um, maybe that’s what people mean by a “raw” diet. Silly me. Now I get it!
However, I realized I am terribly resentful of lettuce. Really. At times I love it, but other times I need something different. Something crunchy. So I started exploring other raw vegetable meal ideas which are FAST and EASY.
Even though I am on good treatment for hypothyroidism, I still get tired and need quick healthy meal inspiration during the week. Here is a great raw veggie base which can be added to any kind of meal — eggs, burritos, served with ground beef, and more. It takes about 10 minutes to throw together and keeps for a week or more.
A Cuisinart or other shredding device makes the prep fast and easy. Otherwise, shredding by hand is possible but more involved.
Peel the beets and carrots. Shred. Toss with vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper. Refridgerate and use.
Peel raw beets
Peel carrots
Add fresh thyme
Toss with vinegar, salt and pepper
Shredded Carrots and Beets with Scrambled Eggs
Here is a fast breakfast with the shredded carrot and beet salad. Just top with scrambled eggs (Organic Omega 3 taste really really good!). I might add some lettuce, scallions and avocado if I am feeling inspired. Viola!
Top with scrambled eggs and scallions
Miss LizzyShredded Carrot and Beet Salad with Fresh Thyme, a Fast Easy Way to Eat Healthy
Recently someone asked about how to handle cravings for foods like pizza, mac and cheese, and nachos. Being hypothyroid and often inflammation many patients have difficulty eating simple carbohydrates and flour. Consequently when we have cravings meals can be especially challenging if we haven’t prepared in advance.
Maybe what you didn’t know is that cravings for foods likes pizza, french friends and nachos can actually be a craving for salt. Craving salt can actually be indicator of adrenal stress. According to James L. Wilson, Adrenal Fatigue, some people are able to assess their adrenal strength simply by their salt cravings. For people with adrenal fatigue, like me, salt is good for us. Learn more about salt. However its important to use good salt.
Curb the Salt Craving Before Reaching for Salty Foods
When I am craving salty foods I can quickly curb the craving, while also eating healthy, by having a cup of chicken broth or drinking a glass of lightly salted water. As James L. Wilson suggets, salted water can help boost energy in the morning and before the mid-afternoon energy crash which is caused by low cortisol. Typically when I make salted water I used 1/4 tsp, or to taste of good salt like Redmond’s Real Salt.
If the salted water tastes bad, or makes you nauseated, Wilson explains this reaction is a good indicator you don’t need the salt or just need less salt. But if the salted water tastes good that’s how you know you need the salt.
Another solution for salt cravings is to make a cup of chicken broth. This is a low calorie snack that is filling, satisfies the salt cravings and also can help support adrenal strength.
Chicken Broth Can Satisfy The Salt Craving
For chicken broth, I use a product called Better Than Bouillonwhich I learned about in a cooking class.
The instructor said Better Than Bouillion was a great alternative to homemage chicken broth because its made with real ingrediants and doesn’t have MSG. Plus tastes amazing.
Better Than Bouillion is condensed, so I mix about a teaspon into hot water for an afternoon or after dinner snack that’s filling and satisfying.
Better Than Bouillon is more expensive the other chicken broth however the taste difference is worth to cost of about $5.95. A little jar lasts a long time and its much less expensive than ordering a pizza.
Next time you find yourself craving salty foods, see if these tricks help curb the craving.
Miss LizzySalt Cravings Could be a Sign of Adrenal Fatigue
Being hypothyroid means meals have to be fast and easy, and also a good mix of protein and vegetables so I don’t get hypoclycemic. For these reasons, salads are a big part of my diet (even for breakfast).
Here is a salad recipe which takes about 5-7 minutes, with minimal prep and cleanup. Best of all it gives me energy for hours. The recipe can modified in many ways. I don’t worry about exact measurements, I just estimate how much I want.
Ingredients
Salad Greens (pre-washed, in the square plastic box)
Cherry Tomatoes
Shredded Carrots (optional)
2 Eggs
Butter for frying
Ham
Dried Cranberries (or raisins)
Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil
Directions
In a sauté pan, heat butter on medium heat until the foam subsides. Fry eggs in pan (cover if you like the top of the eggs cooked). Meanwhile, put salad greens and tomatoes. Shred some carrot on top with a hand shredder, if you like. When the eggs are done put them on the salad. Add a little more butter to the sauté pan and fry the ham until brown. Put the ham on top of the salad. Add more cranberries, salt, pepper and olive oil.
Miss LizzySalad with Fried Eggs, Ham and Dried Cranberries
Even with proper treatment for hypothyroidism, I still get tired and uninspired to cook. Sometimes I just can’t cope with making a meal. When I am tired it’s so easy to reach for junk food. So I need to make sure I have healthy foods on-hand, which are fast and easy to prepare.
For breakfast and lunch, often I have a salad with protein. I avoid grains and sugar, especially at breakfast and lunch, because they make me hypoglycemic. A meal of vegetables and protein gives me stable energy and helps my brain stay clear and focused. To make healthy salads quickly, I always keep these items in kitchen:
Olivia’s Organics
At the supermarket, I’ve been buying the salad greens in the clear plastic box, like Olivia’s Organics. The plastic means more recycling which isn’t great, but hands-down the box is the best way for me to keep salad greens. When I buy regular lettuce, it usually wilts in my fridge because the idea of washing and spinning lettuce is way to much effort.
The pre-washed salad in a bag seems good, but invariably the bag gets crushed and the lettuce goes to waste. So while salad greens in a clear box might cost more than regular lettuce, it makes my life and eating healthy so much easier.
Cherry Tomatoes
I love foods that require low to no labor, so cherry tomatoes are a great staple to keep in the house. Wash them and toss on a salad. Easy.
Real Salt
For many of us with adrenal problems, salt can be important for our diets. The quality of salt is important though. Regular table salt tastes terrible. But Real Sea Salt or Celtic Sea Salt taste great. For me, good salt, pepper, and a little olive oil, are all the seasoning I need for a salad. Again, easy.
Eggs & Protein
To make sure I have plenty of energy I eat a good amount of protein in a salad. This usually means eggs and some kind of meat. For eggs, I prefer cage-free organic eggs, especially from a local farm, because they taste so good! Eggs with Omega 3 are even better because most of us need more Omega 3 in our diets.
For the eggs, usually, I fry them in butter and then put ontop of the salad. For protein, I use any leftover meat from dinner the night before. It might be ground beef, ham, chicken, pork or bacon — and fry in the pan after the eggs. This means one pan to wash.
Eating healthy with hypothyroidism can be a challenge. Many people have inflammation which means food allergies or sensitivities to gluten, carbohydrates and sugar. In addition, people with hypothyroidism are advised to avoid cruciferous vegetables because they can inhibit thyroid function and iodine uptake 1. Here are the food items I like to keep in my fridge and pantry or buy for special meals.
Fruits
Apples
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Blueberries
Peaches
Lemons
Limes
Vegetables
Green Beans
Corn (Frozen is okay)
Peas (Frozen is okay)
Red Peppers
Green Peppers
Zucchini
Summer Squash
Asparagus (seasonally)
Artichokes (seasonally)
Lettuce
White or Sweet Potatoes
Onion
Herbs (Fresh are better)
Chives or Scallions
Rosemary
Thyme
Garlic
Canned or Jar Goods
Jelly sweetened with Fruit Juice
Natural Peanut Butter
Canned Tomotoes (crushed or whole plum)
Tomato Paste
Sundried Tomatoes
Fresh Olives
Kidney Beans
Red Beans
Black Beans
Meat
85% Ground Chuck Hamburger
Ground Buffalo (mixed with the 85% for flavor with less fat)
Ham (Thick Cut for Chunks)
Italian Sausage
Bacon
Chicken Breast (Note: Try buying split breasts and debone yourself. It’s easy to debone and costs half the price of boneless)
Dairy
Whole Milk Yogurt
Whole Milk Sour Cream
Whole Milk, or Raw Milk if you can find it
Half and Half
Heavy Cream
Kerrygold Butter
Omega 3 Eggs or Farm Raised Local Eggs
Cheddar Cheese
Harvarti
Any speciality cheese that’s on sale and looks great
As I noted in my Thanksgiving Dinner Survival Guide, personal happiness at Thanksgiving means having a fabulous dessert which I can eat — meaning, no flour, no grain, and no sugar. Seems impossible I know! When faced with a challenge, I try to make the best of the situation. This led me to my new love — Cheesecake! There are so many cheescake variations it’s really endless. And cheesecake can be made succesfully, and awesom
ely, without sugar or grain. I must say, it’s not necessarily quick or cheap, but for me it’s well worth the payoff to have a great dessert at Thanksgiving (or really anytime.) Here’s what I do…
For the crust, instead of the typical graham cracker recipe, I make a crust using chopped Almonds or Almond Meal. Trader Joe’s has Almond Meal for a good price, but I prefer to chop whole Almonds in the Cuisinart Food Processor because it makes the crust crunchier. Either works well. For sweetener, instead of sugar I use honey. Pretty simple switches! Here is a cheesecake recipe I found on Food Network, which I modified to be hypothyroid friendly:
Ingredients
Crust:
1 3/4 cups ground almond and/or almond meal
3 tablespoons honey (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter
Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 – 2 cups honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For crust:
In medium bowl, combine almond meal, honey and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Mix well. (If the crust seems too dense, just add a little more almond meal). Press mixture down flat into a 9-inch springform pan**. Set aside.
For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, honey and the spices. If it needs more honey add more as needed. Add vanilla. Beat together until well combined. Note: The batter may seem sweet but it loses some sweetness in the baking. So better to add a little more honey to be safe.)
Pour batter into crust. Spread out evenly and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
** I divide my cheesecakes into pie and muffins, mainly because I want to try the cheesecake right when it’s done! So I use a 6″ springform cheesecake pan, and a muffin tin with 6 cups. I line both with crust and batter. The mini-muffin cheesecakes take less time to cook.
Miss LizzyPumpkin Cheesecake with Honey, and Almond Crust
