To regulate the adrenals, the first step is to avoid stress of all kinds. If you used to get a high from meeting intense deadlines, being in on the wild gossip, watching scary movies, indulsing in road rage, quit cold turkey. Start meditating and detaching from your emotions. If you do get mad or stressed, walk for 20 minutes.
The second step is to quit all caffeine, even green tea. After a month or two you can have green tea again. Caffeine makes us energetic because it tells the adrenals to pump out adrenaline.
avoid caffeine
The third step is a no-sugar, low-glycemic diet that supports the liver. The adrenals are part of the feedback system that tells the pancreas how much insulin to release into the bloodstream to manage blood glucose.
Ashwaganda regulates the adrenals and is safe to take for a month to three months.
Licorice Root feeds the adrenals, and is safe to take for a month if you’re estrogen dominant, longer if you are not. You should also be getting plenty of potassium and calcium, as licorice root tends to leach you of these vital nutrients. Potassium Broth, kefir, broccoli soup, and Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc supplements are highly recommended.
Gotu Kola is a nervine, which means it feeds the brain and nervous system. It also feeds the endocrine system as well and has a very nice energizing, yet calming affect. It’s much like caffeine without any of the negative side effects.
Take the RDA of Vitamin B1 daily, and a tablespoon of lecithin, or a choline supplement (much more expensive than lecithin). Also important are Vitamin C, Iodine, Nickel and Tin.
Eat Bieler Broth as often as possible. Bieler Broth is full of safe, organic salts, which feed the adrenals.
If you have a bad case of Addison’s Disease, you may want to take Gland Caps. You should only take Adrenal Support Gland Caps as a single supplement if you are under the care of a practioner, but it is pretty safe to take a full-spectrum (all the glands) gland cap support such as Solaray’s for 2-3 weeks.
Some practitioners prescribe Cortisol to replace what the adrenals aren’t putting out. This is risky and should only be done after both saliva and blood tests, and in very small amounts to start with. The practitioner should have an end date in mind, this is not something to take indefinitely.
As always, liver cleansing and semi-fasting will speed up recovery times.
If you also have low stomach acid, then you are deficient in Nickel. Nickel is actually an essential trace mineral and its lack will lead to adrenal insuficiency. Supplementing with zinc and vitamin E will further reduce nickel, so if you need Skin Food, are getting lots of Skin Food and have low adrenals, eat foods rich in nickel to maintain the balance: legumes, peas, kichadi, hot whole grain cereals, oysters.