Your Adrenal fatigue diet list

If you’ve been struggling with chronic stress, low energy, and adrenal fatigue, this article is for you. Today, you’ll walk away with an extensive grocery list to help you heal! You may have already read our Adrenal Fatigue Diet blog post or maybe even listened to our podcast episode, The Adrenal Fatigue Diet for Full Recovery. In this post, we’re making it easier than ever to go shopping. Are you ready to feel nourished and refreshed? Let’s dive in. 

What is Adrenal Fatigue? 

Before we get to the fun part, let’s talk about the not-so-fun part: adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is different from adrenal insufficiency, which is Addison’s Disease. Addison’s Disease is the worst stage of adrenal fatigue and is diagnosed when your adrenals are not producing adequate cortisol levels or other adrenal hormones. That’s why it is so important to nourish the adrenal glands before you get to that stage!

So what comes before that stage? Chronic fatigue, tiredness, and unwavering, chronic stress are all a part of AF. These are the most common symptoms, if you will, but there are lots of other adrenal fatigue symptoms including:

• Salt and sugar cravings 
• Weight gain/weight loss issues due to cortisol production 
• Low libido 
• Mood swings 
• Anxiety and depression 
• Lack of motivation for life 
• Lack of mental clarity 
• Slow healing time 
• Increased PMS symptoms 
• Dependency on stimulants 

Poor adrenal function can lead to all of those things. If this sounds like your daily life, you could be struggling with adrenal fatigue. Take our 30-second quiz to find out if you have the most common AF symptoms and what to do about it. 

The 2 Adrenal Fatigue Diet Principals 

There are 2 core principles when it comes to healing adrenal fatigue at the root. They are nothing profound and definitely not rocket science. Here they are:

1. Prioritize Healthy, Whole, Unprocessed Foods 
2. Eat to Stabilize Blood Sugar 

Balancing Adrenal Hormones with Food 

Our adrenal glands manage stress, regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, balance hydration levels, and produce sex hormones. I know; they’re a pretty big deal. Proper adrenal function is necessary for optimal libido, mood, and energy. 

There are delicious foods that can balance our adrenal hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, DHEA, norepinephrine, and aldosterone. Now the fun part-the adrenal fatigue diet grocery list! 

Adrenal Fatigue Diet List

The foods on this list are packed with nutrients and essential vitamins and minerals. We love them for their hefty dose of stress-reducing minerals like magnesium and essential vitamins for adrenal function like vitamin C. 

They’ll help balance blood sugar, tamp down stress, repair the gut lining, create mental clarity, boost natural energy, and balance hormones. Some you will notice are a delicious serving of healthy fat, which is so important for brain clarity, healthy blood sugar levels and proper hormone function. Here is your adrenal fatigue diet list! 

Produce:

• Bell peppers 
• Avocado 
• Kale
• Broccoli, broccolini 
• Cauliflower
• Brussel sprouts 
• Onions 
• Garlic 
• Carrots 
• Asparagus 
• Fennel 
• Beets 
• Cucumbers 
• Celery 
• Dark leafy greens 
• Hydrating lettuces 
• Tomatoes 
• Melons 
• Berries 
• Mushrooms 
• Sweet Potatoes 

Meat/Poultry Products  

• Organic turkey 
• Wild salmon 
• Grass-fed beef 
• Grass-fed bone broth 
• Chicken 
• Eggs 

Nuts and Seeds 

• Sunflower seeds
• Flax seeds 
• Pumpkin seeds 
• Brazil nuts 
• Almonds 
• * in butter/milk form as well 

Dairy

• Alternative milks 
• Good quality cottage cheese 
• Kefir 
• Coconut, cashew, almond yogurt 

Legumes 

• Lentils 
• Black beans 
• Pinto beans 
• Cannellini beans
• Garbanzo beans 
• Sweet peas 
• Green beans 

Grains 

• Quinoa 
• Oatmeal 
• Brown rice 

Herbs

• Ashwagandha 
• Reishi 
• Nettles 
• Schisandra
• Ginseng
• Rhodiola 
• Maca 
• Cordyceps 
• Gotu kola  

Supplements 

• Collagen powder 
• B vitamins 
• Antioxidants
• Immune support 
• Probiotic 

Important note: While all of these foods are whole and healthy (and specific for adrenal dysfunction), there are some foods that you may not be able to tolerate. Because adrenal fatigue often goes hand in hand with digestive issues and food allergies, you may experience some problems with some of the foods listed above. Taking a food sensitivities test (which we offer in our coaching program) could help identify these foods. Once you eliminate these foods after a period of time, inflammation goes down, the gut repairs, and you’ll be able to reintroduce them. I recommend keeping a food diary to help identify these potential trigger foods as well. 

I hope this extensive list will serve you the next time you go to the grocery store. Taking a functional medicine approach to healing is the most empowering and rewarding thing you can do for our body, mind, and spirit.

What foods are you most excited about? Which ones are you least excited about?! Let me know in the comments below, or DM me on instagram @elevayshealth. Cheers to adrenal fatigue recovery and optimal adrenal health!