I truly believe that the number one thing we need to ‘do’ here is not ‘do’, but BE. It’s important to take yourself easy during this time. It could take up to 3 years to fully recover from AF, and that’s only if you really, truly care for yourself, listen to your mind/body, and make the necessary changes to your diet, lifestyle and thought patterns. Remember, how you’ve been living up until now is how you got where you are, so some changes are needed in order for you to regain your health.  You can heal from AF. 

1. Diet

– Cut out white sugar and flour: They both need more insulin for the body to break them down, making extra work for the adrenal glands. Too much sugar increases blood lactate levels, which is acid-forming, so avoid it.

– Avoid caffeine, alcohol and energy drinks: Any drinks that contain caffeine drain the adrenal glands of energy, as does alcohol. Alcohol because the sugar will interfere with your blood sugar and your liver will be left to deal with the toxins inside your body. 

– Cut out processed, highly refined and junk foods: These foods are particularly bad if you suffer from AF as they’re not supporting your body but depleting it further. 

– Good quality protein: Nuts, legumes and lentils, sustainable fish, quinoa, spirulina, goats products, hemp, organic chicken and eggs are all great sources of protein. Red meat can return after your adrenals are functioning better. (Adjust this list to suit your individual intolerances.)

– Salt: Keep unrefined salt in your diet. Make it Celtic, Himalayan or Murray River salt, juts not refined, processed table salt. 

Vegetables are a crucial part of a healthy diet. We’re meant to be eating around 6 serves a day (300g) of veggies, and plant food should consist of about 75% of our diet. Adrenal Fatigue or not.

– Limit Fruit: Fruits contain both fructose and potassium, which should be avoided now. Some fruits like berries, kiwi and honeydew are ok now though. 

Breakfast: It is best to eat within an hour or 2 of waking up, and this should be before 10 am. This will help to restore your body’s blood sugar levels after the hours of sleeping, so that you’re not relying on your adrenal glands for energy. If you’re not a morning eater, then have one of my smoothies.

Lunch: Around 12:00pm, as the body is quick to use up the energy gained from breakfast.

Snack: between 2 pm and 3 pm, as there is a dip in cortisol levels at 3 or 4 pm. Try hummus and seed crackers; 4 brazil nuts; a green smoothie.

Dinner: between 5pm and 6pm (ideally before 8pm), and it should be your lightest meal of the day. You can eat another healthy snack before you go to bed (early) if you need to, but try not to.

– Avoid going for instant energy: Often when we feel fatigued or stressed, we look for foods that will give us a fast burst of energy and make us feel good, short term. Usually the culprits are refined carbohydrates/sugar like, biscuits, cakes, lollies, chocolate; and caffeine and carbonated drinks. 

– Eat good fats: Coconut oil (organic), I believe, is the healthiest saturated fat we can eat. It has the ability to balance thyroid function by promoting the conversion of cholesterol into pregnenolone, one of the building blocks our bodies use to produce hormones. Remove transfers and oils like canola, soy, cotton and corn as they are highly inflammatory foods, (and usually genetically engineered) that can contribute to AF.

Avoid processed dairy: That means anything that’s not organic. If you’re having issues digesting even quality dairy then avoid it during your 30 day Reset, to allow your gut time to heal, then slowly start to reintroduce it. Start with fermented dairy like yoghurt, cottage cheese, lubne, quark and kefir, starting with goat’s and sheep’s products, and finally cow’s products.

– Fermented foods should be included in your diet. Not everyone can digest these foods in the beginning, so listen to your body’s own wisdom and gut.

– Avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucrolose and also high fructose corn syrup.

– Avoid all kinds of yeast including Brewer’s yeast in beer, baker’s yeast in bread and pasta, and nutritional yeast, as they will only feed any overgrowth of bacteria and fungi present in your gut.

– Include seaweeds.

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