If you notice certain symptoms like fatigue and insomnia, or if you are catching more illnesses than usual, your doctor may check your adrenal gland function. Long-term exposure to a stressful lifestyle may cause you to eventually experience what is known as adrenal fatigue, or burnout. Responsible for regulating your body's stress responses, your adrenal glands are imperative for good health. Impaired adrenal function may cause you to feel tired, depressed and vulnerable to infections. If your doctor identifies adrenal fatigue, he will recommend stress reduction. He may also ask you to consider several dietary changes.
Protein
Adrenal fatigue causes your body's blood sugar to dip to levels low enough that you may experience tiredness and fatigue for a good part of your day. Incorporating protein like that from chicken, pork, beef and fish--especially in tandem with healthy complex carbohydrates--is an excellent way to help your body maintain a stable blood sugar level. Low-sugar dairy choices, such as cheese, as well as nuts, are also high in protein. Enjoy a piece of whole-grain bread with a salmon fillet for lunch. Or eat a bedtime snack of almonds and a few carrot sticks.
Vegetables and Fruits
Although some fruits, such as pears, apples and cherries are better than others if you are following a diet to improve your adrenal function, it is generally recommended that you eat fruits only sparingly. High in fiber and antioxidants, most fruit also contains fructose, which is a substance that our bodies convert quickly and easily to sugar. Because one of the key manifestations of adrenal fatigue is an unstable blood sugar, it is important to avoid any food that causes drastic fluctuations in that value.
According to ProjectAware.org, if your doctor diagnoses impaired adrenal function, you should incorporate vegetables as much as possible into your diet. Choose brightly colored vegetables, as they are generally higher in stress-negating antioxidants. Add grated carrot to a bright green spinach salad. Or toss some eggplant into your other grilled vegetables.
Beneficial Supplements
According to LifeExtension.org, there are several supplements that are particularly beneficial if you are experiencing the symptoms of adrenal exhaustion such as 100 mg to 400 mg of L-theanine, 3,000 mg of vitamin C, 1,500 mg of vitamin B5, 50 mg of DHEA and 300 mcg to 6 mg of melatonin at bedtime. These supplements have different functions, but all are recommended to address specific side effects associated with suboptimal adrenal function.
When to Eat
AdrenalFatigue.org suggests that when trying to improve your adrenal function, how you eat is almost as important as what you eat. Eat breakfast as soon as possible--and no later than 10 a.m.--upon waking. Remember that these dietary recommendations are aimed primarily at maintaining an optimal blood sugar level. Eating early in the morning helps you replenish the blood sugar lost while you were sleeping. Eat an early lunch, and incorporate healthy snacks spaced strategically throughout the day to avoid long periods without food. Ideally, you should eat dinner between 5 and 6 p.m. and have a small snack before bedtime.
Things to Avoid
As is the case with most healthy diets, there is a group of foods that you should avoid. Stay away from foods containing empty calories and that lack nutritional value. Avoid products with highly refined ingredients, such as sugars, refined flours and fats. Limit your consumption of fried foods and do not drink alcohol. Additionally, do not eat foods containing caffeine, such as coffee and chocolate. The stimulant effect of this ingredient may contribute to adrenal exhaustion.
