Foods that fight stress - How to eat to support your adrenal health

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?

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How does stress affect your body?

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Testing



Lifestyle supports for adrenal health



Nutrition and adrenal health 

Foods to avoid

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Foods to incorporate



Digging deeper: foods for stress response



Helpful tips

What are your adrenal glands? 

Produce hormones that 

Control blood sugar

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React to stress

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Regulate blood pressure

Adrenals and Stress Connection

Functional Medicine Testing 

Quest/Labcorp: Cortisol, DHEA-S, Insulin, HgbA1C

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Adrenal Stress Profile

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Hormone Testing

Quest/Labcorp 

Cortisol

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DHEA-S

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HgbA1C

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Insulin

Adrenal Cortex Stress Profile

Complete Hormones

Lifestyle Support for Adrenal health 

Reduce caffeine intake

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Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep at night

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Adjust exercise to support your body

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Incorporate mind body practice into your daily life

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Try yoga or Tai Chi

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Reevaluate stressors

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Eat regular meals- do not skip

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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

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Try Dandelion Tea  cleanse your liver, tastes similar to coffee

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Fast food/Junk Foods

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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

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Good quality protein with every meal

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Omega 3 Fatty Acids

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Sea Salt/Himalayan Salt

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Quality fats 

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Avocado, coconut, butter, nuts

Complex carbs support hormones, root vegetables

Foods that Support our Stress Response 

Pumpkin Seeds

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Free-Range Eggs

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Green Leafy Vegetables

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Fermented Foods

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Wild Caught Fish

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Blueberries

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Sea Vegetables

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Avocado

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Sweet Potatoes

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Asparagus

Supplemental Support & Adaptogenic Herbs 

B Vitamins

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Magnesium

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Vitamin C

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Zinc

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Adaptogenic Herbs: Ashwagandha, Tulsi, Rhodiola, Holy Basil, Licorice Root & Ginseng

Helpful Tips 

Use Cinnamon to help balance your blood sugar

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Choose naturally sweet foods over processed high sugar foods (vanilla, coconut, fruits)

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Try Chamomile Tea, Tulsi, Roobios Tea (very nourishing for the adrenals!) & Dandelion Tea as a Coffee alternative

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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?