Adrenal Fatigue: How to Heal Naturally - Paula Owens, MS

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Adrenal Fatigue: How to Recover NaturallyAdrenal Fatigue: Nourish and Heal Your Adrenals

Adrenal Fatigue: How to Heal Naturally - Paula Owens, MSIt’s estimated that 80% of individuals are suffering from tired, exhausted adrenals and adrenal fatigue. Adrenal insufficiency is the #1 hormone imbalance in women.

To experience your highest level of health, prioritizing healthy functioning adrenals is crucial. The good news is that you can heal, restore and recover from adrenal fatigue naturally by making healthier choices, a positive mindset, and smarter lifestyle changes.

Adrenal health and cortisol rhythms can be balanced and restored through a combination of diet and nutrition, smarter lifestyle choices, a sensible exercise program, reducing toxic load and limiting chemical exposure, peace of mind, and the appropriate nutrient support. It’s a journey and a process.

Our attitudes, values, beliefs, thoughts, the quality of the food we eat, our lifestyle choices, environment, what we listen to, and who and what we surround ourselves with has a profound impact that can empower and inspire us to heal and become stronger, wiser, healthier and better.

Adrenal Fatigue: Nourish and Heal Naturally

Use Food as Medicine to Nourish, Heal & Restore Adrenal Function

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  • Low calorie diets, long periods without eating, skipping breakfast
  • Consuming foods you’re addicted to, sensitive to, or intolerant to
  • Processed, packaged, inflammatory foods, non-organic foods, wheat, gluten, artificial sweeteners, rancid vegetable oils, ultra-processed carbs and fast food, sugar, excess alcohol or caffeine
  • GMOs, pesticides, chemicals, and glyphosate

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  • Eat meals at regular intervals in a relaxed environment (thoroughly chew food)
  • Stay hydrated throughout the day with filtered water with a pinch of Celtic sea salt (drink water away from meals)
  • Identify your personal food sensitivities and eliminate inflammatory foods
  • Regulate your blood sugar throughout the day
  • Combine protein, healthy fats, plants, fruits and a wide diversity of  vegetables and leafy greens at every meal. The body requires more protein when it is under stress and during times of healing, injuries and active lifestyles. If you consume animal protein, it must be organic, pasture-raised and grass-fed
  • Teas (Tulsi tea, chamomile, dandelion tea, passion flower, valerian)
  • Eat breakfast that includes a healthy source of organic protein
  • Consume a wide variety and a diversity of organic, nutrient-dense, locally-grown foods
  • High energy soup is helpful in restoring adrenal function

High energy soup to restore adrenal function

Lifestyle Tips to Heal and Restore Adrenal Function

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  • Chronic exposure to technology and screens: computer, smartphones, WiFi, nnEMF, EMR and exposure to bright lights, artificial lights and blue light after sundown alter normal circadian rhythms, disrupt hormones and melatonin production
  • EMFs in your bedroom, home and work area, fluorescent lighting, electrical lines within close vicinity of your home (aka dirty electricity)
  • Toxic, energy-zapping people, places and things that leave you drained, resentful or exhausted
  • Heavy metal toxicity, pesticides, glyphosate, GMOs, toxic chemical exposure from the food we eat, the air we breathe, products we use in our homes and on our bodies
  • Obesogens, xenoestrogens and other hormone disruptors
  • Be aware of drugs that can affect and suppress the adrenals such as oral contraceptives, antibiotic overuse, synthetic steroids, Accutane, asthma medications and inhalers, NSAIDs and Tylenol
  • Drinking too much alcohol
  • Gut dysfunction, leaky gut, yeast overgrowth, Candida overgrowth, parasites, fungal, H.pylori, Epstein Barr and other viral infections, dysbiosis, bacterial infections, oral infections
  • Extreme temperatures (hot or cold)

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  • More rest, relaxation and prioritize quality sleep – lights out and in bed by 9-10pm. The adrenals do the majority of their recharging and recovery between 11pm and 1am.
  • Shut off all electronics and unplug the WiFi one hour before bed. EMFs affect the body on a biological level, raising cortisol. To wind down and promote restful sleep, disable your wireless router, switch mobile devices into airplane mode, and read a book instead of watching TV or scrolling social media.
  • Address unresolved emotions and negative thought patterns; work on healing past and present hurts, painful experiences, unhealthy mental patterns, and old emotional stuff
  • Optimize kidney, liver, lymphatic and gallbladder function, healthy digestion and heal the gut
  • Test for a rule out heavy metal toxicity, histamine intolerance, thyroid dysfunction, and underlying infections (parasites, bacterial, Epstein-Barr and other viruses, hidden dental infections, H. pylori, yeast, fungal, Candida overgrowth)
  • Balance neurotransmitters and amino acids. Consider cognitive retraining and neurophysical training
  • Nurture your nervous system and strengthen vagal tone. Alternative therapies: craniosacral, chiropractic, acupuncture, EFT and massage
  • Practice breathing exercises such as alternate nostril breathing and deep belly breathing; guided imagery, encouraging and positive affirmations
  • Keep a gratitude journal and every single day record 3-5 things you are grateful for.
  • The simple act of appreciation and gratitude has a positive influence on hormones, reducing cortisol by 23% and increasing DHEA up to 100 percent!
  • Vitamin “N” (nature therapy). Spend more time at the beach, green areas, in the forest, mountains, grounding and spend time outdoors every single day
  • Daily dose of vitamin L(ove). Give and get at least 4-8 hugs every day
  • Reset your circadian rhythm: early morning sunlight and exposure to natural light throughout the day
  • Personal downtime every day, do something you’re passionate about, something you love and enjoy doing
  • Surround yourself with like-minded people who support you
  • Parasympathetic activities… some of my favorites are mindful breathing, meditation, prayer, yin yoga, reading, nature walks, listening to music (sound therapy)
  • Practice self-care, gratitude, forgiveness, take time to pray, loving yourself and life, set healthy boundaries, and work on healing past/present hurts, painful experiences, unhealthy mental patterns, emotional stuff
  • Test to assess for nutrient deficiencies through a functional blood chemistry analysis
  • Assess cortisol rhythms, hormones and adrenal function through temperature, pulse, or through a simple at-home urine test, DUTCH Complete

Exercise, Rest and Recovery for Happy, Healthy Adrenals

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  • Heavy amounts of exercise, physical activities, over-training, long periods of time at the gym, and excessive exercising without smart, sufficient recovery. Especially damaging on the adrenals is over-doing LSD (long slow distance cardio, aerobic style exercise), marathon training, and under-recovery

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  • Leisure walks outdoors in nature, grounding, forest bathing, nature therapy
  • Short-burst interval training for 10 or 15 minutes
  • Strength training with heavier weights for 30 minutes
  • Practice parasympathetic, yin-style activities such as yin and restorative yoga (not power yoga or hot yoga), tai chi, qigong, stretching, deep breathing, alternate nostril breathing, biofeedback, prayer and daily meditation
  • Forward folding poses, legs up the wall and yin yoga poses provide restoration to adrenals and activate the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system inducing feelings of calm and relaxation (great to practice before bedtime).
  • Twisting poses (my favorite) are also calming on the nervous system, rejuvenate the spine and adrenal glands, release tension in the back, stimulate digestive fire and release toxins.

Targets Nutrients to Nourish and Restore Adrenal Function

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Targeted nutrients can help to support healthy adrenal function

  • B vitamins
  • Vitamin C
  • Zinc, magnesium and other minerals specific to the individual’s nutrient status
  • DHEA
  • Adaptogens such as holy basil, rhodiola and ashwagandha
  • Adrenal support formulas and for some individuals, adrenal glandulars

The endocrine system is a complex system, therefore the nutritional supplement protocol should be customized to each individual’s symptoms and personal biochemistry. The best plan to restore adrenal function is one that matches your individual physiology and is bio-individually designed specifically to your biochemistry, lifestyle and environment.

Adrenal Fatigue: How to Heal Naturally - Paula Owens, MS Holistic Nutritionist and Functional Health Practitioner

FACT: You won’t overcome adrenal fatigue if your blood sugar is not stable!

FACT: You can’t nourish and support your adrenals (body) if your digestive system is in chaos!

FACT: You’ll never re-balance your thyroid, estrogen, progesterone or testosterone if your adrenals are exhausted!

The good news! Although adrenal dysfunction is extremely common, you can heal, restore and recover from adrenal fatigue with healthier and smarter lifestyle changes. It can take months to a couple of years to fully heal and restore adrenal function.

Adrenal Fatigue (part 1) Root Causes and Symptoms

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