What are your Adrenals and why are they so important for healing your thyroid?

Your adrenal glands are small, triangular-shaped glands located on top of both kidneys. Adrenal glands produce hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, response to stress and other essential functions.

So when your adrenal glands are “shot” (like mine were when I was first diagnosed with Hashimoto’s) you will feel extremely tired, puffy, irritable and depressed.

This is why some people still feel awful and keep having stubborn symptoms even after they are on thyroid  medication. In order to heal the thyroid, you must also heal your adrenals. 

Signs you may have Adrenal Fatigue

• You sleep 7-9 hours a night and still don’t feel rested
• You have the most energy late at night or wake up in the middle of the night
• Unexplained weight gain
• Depression or general malaise
• You are craving a lot of sweet or salty foods
• You feel puffy 

The good news is that there are so many holistic ways to do this - supporting the kidneys,  detoxing, lowering inflammation and decreasing stress.

Here is a list of my top 5 Adrenal Healing Tips

1. Get an adequate amount of sleep. Your body heals and repairs itself most when at rest, so it is imperative to get at least 8 hours of sleep and maybe even 9-10 when you have adrenal fatigue.
2. Slow  down. Your body is currently in fight or flight mode and you need to let it relax in order to heal. Meditate, take long walks in nature, do some gentle yoga, get a massage or take an epsom salt bath and relax.
3. Licorice root extract - licorice is an adaptogenic herb that helps the body's response to stress and aids the adrenal glands by inhibiting the breakdown of cortisol. Take in the morning after your thyroid medication. 

          (link to licorice root here)

1. Cut out sugar and processed foods. These foods take a toll on your body and in order to heal the adrenals you need to be eating fresh fruit and vegetables and grass-fed meat. Check out this list of foods that help heal the adrenal glands.
2. Support the kidneys. Drink a ton of water, especially lemon water, try some dandelion or marshmallow root tea and avoid excess alcohol and caffeine.