What is Adrenal Fatigue?
Often adrenal fatigue and adrenal insufficiency can be confused when distinguishing between the two conditions. Many doctors agree that adrenal fatigue is a legitimate condition even though it has not yet been fully accepted into the medical world. On the other hand, many doctors understand that adrenal insufficiency is considered a valid medical condition and treat it as such. Regardless of which condition you fall under, the bottom line is both conditions may be improved by implementing an adrenal fatigue diet.
Before we dive into ways on how to fix adrenal fatigue, we need to lay some groundwork on what it is and how it effects the body. When it comes to adrenal fatigue, some of the more common symptoms include tiredness, body aches, lethargy, unexplained weight loss, digestion issues, sugar craving and low energy. What can be difficult about diagnosing adrenal fatigue is there are many issues that may cause symptoms similar to adrenal fatigue such as hormone imbalance, sleep apnea, anemia (low red blood cells) or hypothyroidism. This in itself makes it a challenge for doctors to properly diagnose a patient and can ultimately end in frustration for both the doctor and the patient.
How is Adrenal Fatigue Diagnosed?
Because symptoms for adrenal fatigue are common with other diseases or conditions, diagnosing it is rather difficult as there is no single test available. Many health care providers who test for the disease, believe that cortisol levels and other hormone levels that are out of sync are a good indication for the patient having the disease. However, the problem with testing for cortisol levels and hormones is they can vary depending on the time of day or even month. If your doctor can rule out any physiological reasoning, then your doctor may look at other conditions such as depression, anxiety or high stress triggers.
Treatments for Adrenal Fatigue
Treating adrenal fatigue is not solved by just popping a pill and often can be remedied by simply changing the way you eat. Starting an adrenal fatigue diet by changing the types of foods going into your body, can greatly improve the stress on your adrenal glands and ultimately improve your symptoms. There are adrenal diets available that guide you into making the correct food choice.
Foods to avoid:
- Fried and processed foods
- White flour and white sugar
- Alcohol
- Caffeine.
Basically you want to eliminate foods or drinks that contain high amounts of refined or processed sugars.
Foods to eat:
- High protein foods (fish, eggs, nuts)
- Low sugar fruits (avocados, grapefruit, strawberries, oranges)
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
Articles
- Can I Be Tested for Adrenal Fatigue – Healthline
- Adrenal Fatigue – Hormone Health Network
- Is Adrenal Fatigue “Real”? – Harvard Health Publishing