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Our adrenals are tiny but mighty—they help to balance more than 50 hormones and have a wide-reaching impact on our health. Their primary role is to activate the life-critical “fight or flight” response by producing stress hormones—cortisol and adrenaline—in a calculated and temporary way so that we can fight or flee. And then rest. 

The problem is, today, we’re fighting and fleeing differently than our ancestors. Ideally, like them, we’d experience a surge in adrenaline and cortisol, then it would pass. For many in the modern world, it never passes. We’re not running from bears, but many are experiencing periods of near-constant stress and our adrenal glands are either on overdrive (to help us cope) or depleted (worn out), both of which can wreak havoc on our health and wellbeing.

It matters not if your stress is from being chased by a mountain lion or conflict with a loved one. In today’s culture that prizes doing over relaxing, we’re subjected to ‘round-the-clock stressors, unlike our ancestors, who had periods of stress from hunting and foraging, followed by long and welcome periods of respite.

Stage one of adrenal dysfunction (sometimes called non-Addison’s hypoadrenia) incites feelings of being “tired and wired” due to the overproduction of adrenaline and cortisol.

If the adrenals are overtaxed for too long and start to wear down, there’s no “tired and wired”—you’re simply exhausted. It can be difficult to cope with the simplest of life’s demands. This is stage two of adrenal dysfunction.

According to Dr. Christiane Northrup, “Think of these [stress hormone] surges as withdrawals from a bank, to help you get through life’s rough spots. If you’ve gotten into the habit of withdrawing from your account too often, you’ll eventually be overdrawn and your adrenal glands will be overwhelmed. Then, you’ll have too little [stress hormones] when you really need [them].”

Unlike hypothyroidism, adrenal dysfunction isn’t often acknowledged by the conventional medical community because they can’t write a prescription for it. They tend to look at Addison’s Disease or Cushing’s Syndrome—two extreme ends of the adrenal health spectrum. Often times, anything else isn’t worthy of consideration.

Although it’s the most common hormonal imbalance, especially for women, adrenal dysfunction is the most straightforward to fix. It may take time, but some simple dietary, lifestyle, and supplemental/herbal remedies—along with assessing other hormonal systems—can provide the adrenals the support and nourishment they need.

The trap that many fall into is that the overproduction of stress hormones often makes us push ourselves harder, even when we’re tired. This is completely counterproductive to healing.

Adrenaline over-adrenalizes the brain and causes hypervigilance, perfectionist tendencies, monkey mind, and makes us “should” on ourselves. One of the first things people notice on an adrenal-nourishing program is how much calmer and more grounded they feel and how they’re not as hard on themselves. They can let some things go.

Additionally, it’s important to know that the adrenals synthesize androgens (our “male” hormones) as well as progesterone and estrogen. This is why it’s critical to support and nourish our adrenals as we approach perimenopause/menopause. The health of our adrenals and thyroid has everything to do with how a woman moves through this time of life.

My goal with this post is to educate you about:

• What causes the adrenals to be hypervigilant—and often depleted
• Simple lifestyle, nutritional, and supplemental recommendations for nourishing the adrenals
• Mindset shifts that can have a significant impact on your adrenal health

Below are some very effective ways to support your adrenals, but lest we get too stressed out from reading about stress, please know that not all stress is bad.

Eustress is “good stress.” A good example is having a deadline for a project you love working on.

Before we start, you may want to take a look at this list of adrenal dysfunction symptoms and see if any of it resonates. If so, I suggest that you heed the recommendations below.

Restore Your Adrenals

Below are 28 proven ways to help you feel more calm, grounded, and in control of your life:

1. You don’t have to be—or pretend to be—superwoman to yourself and others. Adrenal restoration isn’t attainable if you run yourself ragged, attempting to be everything to everyone. It’s okay—and important—to learn the value in saying, “no.”

2. Healing your adrenals will likely mean moving at a slower pace than you’re accustomed to. This slower pace may feel uncomfortable at first. When you encounter feelings of unease and discomfort, lean into them with curiosity and compassion, reminding yourself that you’re learning a new way of being in the world.

3. Participate in restorative exercise like yoga or walking. Understand that rigorous exercise can be stressful for the body, resulting in the overproduction of cortisol, “the belly fat hormone.” This “two steps forward, two steps back” scenario is not helpful.

4. Recognize that the health of your digestive system and the health of your adrenal glands go hand in hand. Understand that in order to heal your adrenal dysregulation, you will also need to address any underlying digestive concerns.

5. Understand that excess cortisol has been shown to negatively impact the intestinal lining. Given that 70-80% of our immune system is in the digestive tract, adrenal dysfunction can have big implications for autoimmune conditions.

6. Set aside a minimum of 15 minutes per day dedicated to doing something that brings you joy, even if it means sitting alone in the quiet peace of your bedroom. Teach your family, including your children, to respect this boundary and not bother you during this time.

7. Practice prayer and meditation. The constant noise of our busy world does not support adrenal health.

8. Recognize the importance of keeping your blood sugar stable throughout the day. The body perceives unstable blood sugar (dysglycemia) as another one of life’s emergencies, resulting in more cortisol and adrenaline production. You’re worthy of taking time to prepare and nourish yourself with adrenal-supportive foods that keep your insulin as stable as possible.

9. Understand that the thyroid and adrenals are two interdependent systems; you can’t address hypothyroidism without also addressing adrenal dysfunction.

10. Recognize that, as with most conditions, there is a mind-body connection with adrenal dysfunction. Negative self-talk, thoughts, feelings, and emotions can affect your health and how your adrenals—and thyroid and immune system—work.

11. Make the focus of your meals and snacks protein and fat, with a lesser focus on carbohydrates. But don’t eliminate or greatly reduce carbohydrates, as they are an important macronutrient needed for energy, brain function, and thermo-regulation.

12. Have patience and compassion for yourself as you learn new diet and lifestyle practices. Understand that you may be unraveling patterns that are several decades old, and it will take some time to learn new habits.

13. Allow yourself 8-9 hours of sleep each night—and sometimes 10. Understand that your body interprets lack of sleep as another one of life’s emergencies. Sleep deprivation can cause your body to react exactly as if you were fighting or fleeing an enemy: pumping adrenaline, preserving body fat (energy), and directing energy and circulation away from your digestive system.

14. Take the necessary time to sleuth out foods that your body doesn’t like and eliminate these foods from your diet long-term. Food sensitivities are a powerful—and often unknown—stressor.

15. Stop crashing and burning with caffeine, sugar, and refined carbs, including alcohol, which is another form of sugar. Just say “no” to the energy bungee cord.

16. Invite more creativity into your life, whatever that means for you. Play an instrument, dance, paint, write, crochet, cook, sing—creativity is FOOD for the adrenals.

17. Let go of relationships that no longer serve your wellbeing. Instead, engage with the people you enjoy most and who bring out the best in you.

18. Commit to buying and consuming organic, high-quality foods, as often as possible. The chemical pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics used in conventional food production can create a significant burden on your body.

19. Let go of any “low-fat” habits you may have adopted along your quest for health. We cannot produce needed hormones without adequate fat, and maintaining balanced blood sugar becomes more difficult if you deprive yourself of this important macronutrient.

20. Work through any unresolved trauma or “historic” stress that you’ve been carrying around with you. Find a skilled therapist, hypnotherapist, or other healer who can help you break free from unresolved patterns that keep your adrenals on high alert. 

21. Replace deficient nutrients, such as essential fatty acids, B vitamins (the “feel good, anti-stress” vitamins), Vitamin C, and magnesium through whole foods or supplementation.

22. Understand that an Adrenal Stress Index saliva test has historically been the go-to for assessing adrenal output, but many functional medicine doctors now prefer dried urine via a DUTCH panel, which I can order for you. Regardless, adrenal labs are a snapshot in time. While they reveal important information, hormones are ever-changing. The real litmus test of how you’re progressing and improving is how you feel.

23. Experiment with adaptogenic herbs like ashwaganda, holy basil, or rhodiola, which have a bi-directional ability to adapt to what your adrenals need, can help the body move from the sympathetic (fight or flight) response to the parasympathetic (rest and digest) response.

24. Understand that the conventional medicine community often doesn’t understand or recognize adrenal dysfunction. Just because you don’t have Addison’s disease or Cushing’s Syndrome doesn’t mean that your adrenals aren’t in need of healing and support.

25. Recognize that over-the-counter adrenal glandulars (porcine, bovine) may make your situation worse. While they may make you feel better in the short-term, they will likely over-stimulate your adrenals, making you produce even more adrenaline and cortisol.

26. Understand that your body is resilient and wants to return to optimal health. Healing your adrenals will involve turning inward, paying attention, and listening to what your body is telling you you need to heal.

27. Recognize that adrenal dysfunction can make you anovulatory—you may not be ovulating each month. This can hinder your plans for achieving pregnancy.

28. Wholeheartedly believe that taking time for yourself isn’t selfish. In fact, there’s more of you to share with others when you’ve taken the time you need to replenish yourself.