Foods that Fight Stress: How to eat to support your adrenal health Georgia Tetlow, MD Lauren Houser, CRNP Rachel Hershberger, MS, CNS, LDN Danielle Huntsman, MS, AADP
Agenda
What are the adrenals and what do they do?
How does stress affect your body?
Testing
Lifestyle supports for adrenal health
Nutrition and adrenal health
Foods to avoid
Foods to incorporate
Digging deeper: foods for stress response
Helpful tips
What are your adrenal glands?
Produce hormones that
Control blood sugar
React to stress
Regulate blood pressure
Adrenals and Stress Connection
Functional Medicine Testing
Quest/Labcorp: Cortisol, DHEA-S, Insulin, HgbA1C
Adrenal Stress Profile
Hormone Testing
Quest/Labcorp
Cortisol
DHEA-S
HgbA1C
Insulin
Adrenal Cortex Stress Profile
Complete Hormones
Lifestyle Support for Adrenal health
Reduce caffeine intake
Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep at night
Adjust exercise to support your body
Incorporate mind body practice into your daily life
Try yoga or Tai Chi
Reevaluate stressors
Eat regular meals- do not skip
Reduce or avoid alcohol
Mindfulness Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. - Jon Kabat-Zinn
Nutrition and Your Adrenals Reduce or Avoid:
Caffeine
Stresses the adrenals and endocrine system
Try Dandelion Tea cleanse your liver, tastes similar to coffee
Fast food/Junk Foods
Refined or high glycemic carbs
You pay for the high with mood swings, anxiety, blood sugar dips
Nutrition and Your Adrenals Incorporate:
Regular Low glycemic meals, keep your blood sugar balanced
Good quality protein with every meal
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Sea Salt/Himalayan Salt
Quality fats
Avocado, coconut, butter, nuts
Complex carbs support hormones, root vegetables
Foods that Support our Stress Response
Pumpkin Seeds
Free-Range Eggs
Green Leafy Vegetables
Fermented Foods
Wild Caught Fish
Blueberries
Sea Vegetables
Avocado
Sweet Potatoes
Asparagus
Supplemental Support & Adaptogenic Herbs
B Vitamins
Magnesium
Vitamin C
Zinc
Adaptogenic Herbs: Ashwagandha, Tulsi, Rhodiola, Holy Basil, Licorice Root & Ginseng
Helpful Tips
Use Cinnamon to help balance your blood sugar
Choose naturally sweet foods over processed high sugar foods (vanilla, coconut, fruits)
Try Chamomile Tea, Tulsi, Roobios Tea (very nourishing for the adrenals!) & Dandelion Tea as a Coffee alternative
Make a healthy trail mix to keep in your bag
Summary
What are the adrenals and what do they do?
How does stress affect your body?
Testing
Lifestyle supports for adrenal health
Nutrition and adrenal health
Foods to avoid
Foods to incorporate
Digging deeper: foods for stress response
Helpful tips
Questions?