Daily Program for Adrenal Recovery
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Recovering from adrenal fatigue means structuring your entire day around rest, steady fuel, and relaxation. This is the daily program Dr. Smolenski gives his adrenal patients, hour by hour.
Start the day slowly
Sleep in until 9 a.m. or so every chance you get, and drink 8 ounces of water as soon as you wake up to hydrate your body.
Do a light workout or relaxation and breathing techniques for 15 minutes before your morning shower. Try to give yourself one hour between the time you awake and the time you eat breakfast, so that you can prepare yourself for the day and enjoy your breakfast.
Meals and breaks through the day
Breakfast
Include protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates — an example is omega-3 eggs with oatmeal or Ezekiel bread — with green tea or another beverage. Avoid coffee, black tea and colas. Chew your food well, and take your supplements (see program).
Mid-morning break, 10 a.m.
Your snack should consist of protein, fats and complex carbohydrates, with no caffeine or refined carbohydrates. An example is the meal replacements offered by Medifast — Donna can give you more information on how to order these, as we also offer the Medifast Diet Program at Coastal Medical Clinic. Rest lying down for 15 minutes after the snack, using breathing and relaxation techniques or anything else that makes you feel good.
Lunch, noon
Lunch should consist of protein, fats, complex carbohydrates and vegetables. No caffeine or refined carbohydrates. Chew well.
Afternoon break, 2 p.m.
The same as the mid-morning break — a protein, fat and complex carbohydrate snack, followed by rest. Take your supplements (see program).
Supper, 5 p.m.
Supper should consist of protein, fats, complex carbohydrates, three to four vegetables and possibly some fruit. No caffeine or refined carbohydrates. Chew well, and take your supplements (see program).
Evening wind-down, 7 p.m.
Do relaxation and breathing techniques.
Bedtime snack, 9:30 p.m.
Have a small healthy snack to help you sleep.
Bed, 10 p.m.
Bed!
General guidelines
Look for things that make you laugh — read entertaining books or rent funny movies — and eliminate the things in your life that drain your energy. Do something pleasurable every day, and notice at least one small, everyday thing that you are grateful for each day.
Take your dietary supplements regularly.
Keep a journal and jot down your feelings and experiences each day.
About the author
Allen Smolenski, M.D.
Emergency Medicine physician and founder of Coastal Medical Clinic in Surfside Beach (2009). After losing nearly 60 pounds himself — and placing third in his class at the 2008 NPC Natural Northern USA Bodybuilding Contest — he completed a fellowship in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine through the A4M, and now helps patients across the Grand Strand optimize their hormones, metabolism, and long-term health.
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