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9 Steps To Heal Adrenal Fatigue Naturally
Have you ever caught yourself thinking, Wow, I'm burned out! It's a feeling most
people can identify with. But what does that really mean, and how does it happe
n?
I recently saw a patient whose story exemplifies true burnout. She was a 44-year
-old working mom with two young kids, a high-powered job and busy city life. She
had always been on the go
even her vacations were more like sightseeing mission
s than breaks.
She complained that she had started gaining weight a year earlier, and it wouldn
't budge despite her usual cardio routine. She'd gone on a pretty strict Paleo d
iet, which meant restricting carbs, but she wasn't losing weight.
Her main issue, though, wasn't the weight; it was that recently her energy had "
tanked." When she fell asleep she felt "knocked out," but still woke up feeling
exhausted after eight hours.
Her brain felt foggy, she was irritable, and she was drinking three cups of coff
ee a day to get through her afternoon slump. At night she became super mom, cook
ing and taking care of the kids. Usually she was at her laptop until about midni
ght, which is when she physically couldn't keep her eyes open. Everything she de
scribed was classic for adrenal fatigue, but I wanted to make sure we were on th
e right track.
We tested her cortisol levels using a saliva test, and found that not only did s
he have the symptoms of stage 3 adrenal fatigue, the test confirmed it. Instead
of following a curve that starts high on waking in the morning and trends down t
o its lowest point at night, her cortisol curve was a flat line. Her DHEA, anoth
er adrenal hormone, was also low, as were her free T3
the active thyroid hormone
and her levels of B12, vitamin D, zinc, magnesium and selenium.
We put her on an adrenal reboot program, and in about six weeks she was feeling
better. In three months she felt the best she had in years.
But before we get to her plan, we should back up and talk about what it means to
have adrenal fatigue.
What is adrenal fatigue?
Adrenal fatigue is a phenomenon characterized by a disruption of your adrenal gl
ands' ability to make cortisol in the right amounts at the right times in respon
se to stress.
The adrenals are the body's hormonal powerhouse. Two little glands that sit on t
op of your kidneys, they're the linchpin of a feedback loop coordinating nearly
every hormone in your body.
The Three Stages Of Adrenal Fatigue
There are three stages of adrenal fatigue. Each one is associated with a differe
nt type of cortisol imbalance, and typically people progress from stage 1 to sta
ge 3 sequentially over time.
Stage 1: Wired and tired

This stage is characterized by high cortisol levels, especially at night, leadin

g to insomnia, insulin resistance and abdominal weight gain. People often feel e
nergized but in an edgy "wired" way.
Stage 2: Stressed and tired
In this stage, many people wake up early in the morning (often around 3am) and a
re unable to fall back asleep. Later in the day some stressor kicks in, and they
feel more awake. Their cortisol peaks early, flattens out, but often has midday
or early evening rise.
Stage 3: Burnout
This
isol
s in
k of

stage is characterized by exhaustion regardless of hours slept, a flat cort

curve, and in some cases low DHEA and thyroid hormone levels. My patient wa
stage three
a dangerous place to be because it's associated with higher ris
autoimmune disease.

To get her back from the brink of hormonal collapse she did the following 9 Step
protocol.
1. Follow the adrenal diet.
This means getting rid of foods that you are sensitive to and foods that cause i
nflammation, and eating lots of brightly colored vegetables, lean clean protein,
and whole grain gluten-free carbs.
In my patient's case this meant eliminating dairy, which it turned out she was s
ensitive to, eating more vegetables, and eating more carbs. A strict no-carb die
t can stress the body even more, worsening adrenal burnout. Of course, we didn't
tell her to eat cookies and cakes, but rather quinoa, lentils and buckwheat.
2. Go bed early.
Getting to bed before 11pm is a must in any stage of adrenal fatigue. Many peopl
e get a second cortisol surge after 11pm, which further disrupts sleep patterns.
3. Flood the adrenals with B vitamins.
B vitamins (B5 and B6 in particular) are food for the adrenals and can be low in
a high-fat, low-carb diet. B12 and folate also help with energy production.
4. Cool inflammation.
Using omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, and vitamin C supplements we lowered her sy
stemic inflammation levels allowing the adrenals to recover.
5. Replace important nutrients.
Vitamin D, selenium, magnesium and zinc are all important for proper thyroid fun
ction and adrenal function.
6. Focus on hydration.
Dehydration is also a hallmark of adrenal fatigue. My patient took a multi trace
mineral supplement so she would absorb more water into her cells. You can also
add fresh lemon juice or Himalayan sea salt to your water instead.
7. Use adaptogenic herbs.

My patient's formula was designed for stage 3 specifically, and included licoric
e root, ashwagandha and rehmannia, a Chinese formulation that helps balance and
stimulate the adrenals.
8. Build rest into the day.
The last thing my patient needed was high-intensity cardio that would further bu
rn her out. We added Iyengar yoga into her schedule twice a week and taught her
to take two 20-minute rest breaks a day; these weren't naps, but time outs alone
to breathe and restore.
9. Change your perspective.
Is your definition of success killing you? In many cases, what you perceive as s
uccess is driving you into adrenal overload. Helping my patient internalize the
idea that "it" doesn't have to be perfect to be great made a huge difference in
her stress levels.
We did not start her on any kind of hormone replacement. In some cases hormone t
herapy can be helpful, and if someone has an autoimmune disease called Addison's
, it can be necessary. But for most people who live their way into stage 1, 2 or
3 adrenal fatigue, it's just a matter of living their way right back out of it
and into balance with their bodies.