Lifestyle Changes for Adrenal Stress Syndrome

1. Avoid Adrenal Stimulators

In order to normalize the adrenals, the removal of stimulants and sources of adrenal stress is the first place to start. Those who do not comply with this have minimal results. The following put excessive stress on the adrenals, so must be avoided:

• concentrated sugars (both as in sweetened products and naturally as fruit juice and dried fruit)
• caffeine (decaffeinated coffee is not acceptable because it is still 60% caffeinated)
• nicotine
• alcohol
• foods to which you are allergic (histamine is an adrenal stimulant)
• partially hydrogenated fats (because they inhibit the making of adrenal hormones)
• artificial sweeteners (which block the conversion of pheynalanine to tyrosine which is needed to synthesize catacholamines in the adrenal medulla)
• over-training
• inadequate sleep

 2. Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels

When blood sugar levels fall, healthy adrenals start the hormonal cascade to restore the levels back to normal. When this happens repeatedly, it becomes a stress to low-functioning adrenals. Blood sugar levels must be maintained fairly evenly to allow the adrenals to rebuild.

Dietary Guidelines to Stabilize Blood Sugar

1. Never skip breakfast. (Your body has already been fasting all night, and using adrenal hormones to keep the blood sugar levels up all night. You do not want to continue this any longer than necessary.)

•       Eat a high quality protein based breakfast (no plain oatmeal, no orange juice)

2. Eat every 2 to 3 hours. Do not wait until you are hungry.

•       It is about your metabolism, not hunger.
•       Snack with low glycemic foods such as nuts, seeds, hard boiled eggs.

3. Eat a well-balanced diet consisting of mostly vegetables, whole grains, fish and lean meats.

•       Avoid high glycemic foods such as sugar, refined flour products, all fruit juices and carrot juice, .
•       Never eat relatively higher glycemic foods without a source of protein.
•       One cup of whole fruit can be taken with a balanced meal.

3. Exercise in the Aerobic Heart Range 

Aerobic exercise includes long duration activities such as walking, slow jogging, cycling, or rebounding. The slowness of the activity can be gauged by your ability to carry on a conversation while doing them. If you cannot, you have crossed over to the anaerobic range.

Anaerobic activities put a stress on the adrenal glands. Exercise that requite fast explosive movements such as some weight lifting, running, and sprinting are anaerobic.

It is absolutely crucial that people with hyper or hypo adrenal conditions focus on aerobic activity. Aerobic exercise utilizes the fat burning system of the body instead of the sugar burning system. induced by anaerobic activity. Anaerobic activity puts excess stress on the adrenals because simple sugars are used for energy, then when sugar levels decrease, the adrenals are required to normalize blood sugar levels. On the other hand, aerobic activity will not only decrease cortisol levels but will also use fats for energy, not stressing the adrenals.

When the adrenals are healthy enough, you may progress to interval training. This is a method of exercise that includes short bursts of anaerobic activity interspersed with aerobic exercise. It can change your metabolism to more efficient fat-burning, but not until the adrenals are healthy.

4. Relaxation Techniques

The stressful occurrences of daily life can have an adverse impact on the adrenal glands.

A variety of relaxation and mental imaging techniques can be very helpful in reducing the mental effects of stress.

Consider one of the following:

1. Progressive relaxation:

• While lying down, contract groups of muscles from head to toe maximally for 2 seconds.
• Repeat. Breathe deeply and relax.

2. Mantra or other meditation:

• Consider learning The Ishayas’ Meditation of the Bright Path, which I teach.
• I have found it to be the easiest and most effective form of meditation and relaxation.
• Students not only relax with closed-eye meditation sessions, but are instructed to use the techniques with their eyes open (it is perfectly safe).
• The experience is that life is less stressful in the moment. In fact, students report more joy in their lives overall.

 3. Positive mental imaging:

• Go through all the stressful events of the day and put them in a humorous context.

 4. Chi gong. I have used and recommend, among many studied

• The Inner Smile
• Chi-lel Chi Gong
• Pan Gu Mystical Qigong

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