A well-rounded diet full of nutrients and natural whole foods will contribute to your overall health and wellness. However, there are specific foods that can help prevent and combat the symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue. Foods that are high in protein and contain the amino acid L-Tryptophan and tyrosine are proven to help combat depression, depressed mood, and other symptoms commonly associated with Adrenal Fatigue. While Adrenal Fatigue isn’t a medically recognized term (technically a hypothesis), symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue can be combatted by nutritionally enriching your diet from a micro and macronutrient standpoint. Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue may include despair, melancholy, gloom, depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, sadness, as well as poor energy production and expenditure. So, if you’re feeling blue, try adding some of the best foods for adrenal fatigue into your daily diet to help you regain energy.

1. Dairy Products 

Milk and dairy products specifically speaking, are wonderful sources of phosphorus, calcium, B vitamins and they are even regarded as a complete protein. A complete protein is a protein that contains all of the essential amino acids that your body requires on a daily basis from food since we do not produce these within the body.

YOGURT

Complex B Vitamins, as well as vitamins A and D, are compliments to tyrosine in yogurt. A tiny bowl of yogurt alone can contribute to 20% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of calcium. Calcium within the body acts like a natural tranquilizer and can even help with treating the symptoms of insomnia and poor sleep quality. Our recommendation for yogurt is to find an unflavored or plain Greek yogurt (Greek yogurt is also better for those with lactose sensitivities as compared to regular yogurt). Avoid flavored yogurts at all cost, as they’re packed with added sugars.

MILK

Tyrosine is found abundantly in milk and has been attributed to increase mental alertness, cognitive ability, increasing motivation and the brain’s ability to think quicker and more efficiently. We recommend a semi-skimmed dairy milk to give the body the best chance to absorb calcium with a little bit of fat in an effort to process efficiently.

CHEESE

When cheese is made, the curd (or milk solids) is separated from the watery part or whey part of the milk. Good news cheese lovers! Cheese contains 2-3 times more tyrosine and tryptophan than milk. Not only do you need to eat less of it than compared to drinking milk, but you can also go for the lower-fat options to increase your mental functioning without overindulging. 

2. Eggs 

Eggs in addition to milk are regarded are also regarded as a complete protein. Eggs have all the essential amino acids your body needs to build strong and healthy neurotransmitters within the brain. In addition to containing tryptophan, eggs also contain antioxidant vitamins (A & E) that work together to protect the brain against free radical damage. Poached, boiled, or scrambled are the best ways to get all the nutrients out of your eggs. 

3. Oats

Oats contain a high level of tryptophan and carbohydrates, which make them a great food to help fight adrenal fatigue. Carbohydrates encourage the body to absorb tryptophan into the brain. Additionally, oats contain potassium, magnesium, B vitamins and calcium. Oats digest slowly in the body and are able to supply ample amounts of energy to the brain by sustaining low blood sugar levels. Ever see the commercial stating that oats contribute to healthy cholesterol levels? This is why – they’re slow digesting. 

4. Lean Protein 

Bald eagles are the preferred source of endangered protein for fighting adrenal fatigue. (Yes, that is a joke). Chicken and turkey, however, are two great adrenal fatigue foods, as turkey is the richest protein source of tryptophan which produces the neurotransmitter serotonin. Additionally, turkey is also rich in magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, and zinc that work within the body to maintain healthy nerve function. When possible, we suggest making the extra investment into purchasing turkey and chicken that has been raised without the use of any added chemicals or hormones. Local turkey or chicken is also a good alternative to big-farmed poultry or frozen. 

5. Wheat Germ

On the kernel of a wheat grain is where you’re going to find wheat germ. When wheat goes through a refining process, flour millers actually remove the germ and the bran (where you get most of the nutrients) leaving the nutrients out of the final product. Both amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine are found richly abundant in wheat germ that contributes to the production of noradrenaline (norepinephrine) and serotonin that produce happiness within the body. Just 100 grams, or 3 ½ ounces, of wheat germ consumed daily, makes up 90% of the RDA for magnesium, 165% of vitamin B6 and 165% of folic acid. Wow! Each of these nutrients is necessary to convert tryptophan to serotonin. Not to mention, wheat germ also contains 113% of the RDA for zinc.

Foods That Fight Adrenal Fatigue: Takeaway

Overall, a diet rich in micro-nutrients can help combat negative signs and symptoms of stress within the body or adrenal fatigue. Some of these symptoms may even include irritability, anger, restlessness, depression, feelings of worthlessness and poor energy expenditure. These symptoms can contribute to a poor overall lifestyle and quality of life, which nobody wants! While Adrenal Fatigue isn’t the right term to explain these symptoms, it’s important to understand that these signs and symptoms can be clues to underlying issues and causes that are treatable by changing our lifestyles. Nutritionally speaking, there is a solution to these symptoms, it includes an adrenal support diet that contains these adrenal fatigue foods. 

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