When I asked the Divas in my community who have endometriosis, one of the top frustrations of having endo (next to the pain and fertility struggles) is the bloating, sometimes called the “endo belly”.

No one likes to be bloated and asked if they’re pregnant because of their belly sticking out. I don’t have endo and even I’ve had that experience- embarrassing and not at all fun.

It can be especially difficult to deal with if you don’t understand why it’s happening, and if your doctors have zero solutions for you (beyond more birth control or surgeries).

“Endo belly” and digestive issues with endo are so common, one study showed that 96% of women with endo (vs 64% without) experienced high levels of bloating and gut-related symptoms.

To add insult to injury, more research has shown that women receiving hormonal treatment (like the birth control pill) had higher bloating severity ratings and discomfort scores than women with endo who didn’t use hormonal treatments. WOW.

Why Do I Get a Bloated “Endo Belly”?

There’s a number of reasons why women experience “endo belly” and I’ll outline the top 3 I see all the time.

High Estrogen

Endometriosis is a condition that includes estrogen dominance. Simply put, this is having too much estrogen in relation to progesterone. This happens in women with endo for many reasons, including the fact they endo creates more hormonally active tissue in the body.

Additionally, constipation or other gut problems coupled with endo mean that estrogen isn’t being excreted from the body as it should, potentially building up and creating more issues.

High levels of estrogen contribute to “endo belly” because it causes water retention.

Inflammation

At its core, endometriosis is a disease of inflammation. The mechanisms of which I will have to dedicate an entire blog post to at some point soon! Inflammation is often throughout the whole body, with the majority taking up residence in the pelvis- right where the unwanted endo tissue is.

Besides the fact that this inflammation can cause changes in bowel and digestive health (more on that below) the inflammation of the endo tissue itself can contribute to bloating.

Poor Gut Health

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, extremely high numbers of women with endometriosis experience symptoms of poor gut health, including:

• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• Alternating constipation and diarrhea
• Rectal bleeding
• Stomach cramping
• Frequent and/or painful urination
• Bloating (obv.)
• Gas and burping

Much of this is because of inflammation in the gut, allowing potentially harmful particles and pathogens through the lining of the gut into the bloodstream where they create immune overreaction, inflammation and hormonal imbalances. Sometimes this is known as “leaky gut”.

Additionally, the adhesion of endo tissue to digestive organs (small intestine, large intestine and bladder) can create issues. As the tissues evolves, grows and moves around, instantaneous gut symptoms can arise. I’m sure you know what I mean if you’ve ever been feeling good and then all of a sudden that “endo belly” pops up for seemingly no reason at all!

There’s also bacteria at work here. We have more individual bacteria in and on our bodies than we do human cells. Think about that for a second- read it again and really take in the significance. More than human cells.

In women with endometriosis, there’s often an extreme imbalance between “good” bacteria (aka probiotics) and “bad” bacteria. We all have both, and that’s totally normal- but we need to have more good than bad to stay healthy. More bad bacteria = more bloating, gas, and pain.

For example, in one study of 50 women with endometriosis, a full 40 of them tested positive for SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) upon a breath test.

Now to the good news! There are foods you can use to help prevent “endo belly” and reduce it once it’s already shown up. Obviously, being a holistic practitioner, I recommend doing everything you can to prevent the “endo belly”, but maybe you’re reading this now because you’re super bloated, in which case- the foods I’m suggesting will help as well.
 

5 Foods to Help Reduce “Endo Belly” & Endometriosis Pain

#1: Sauerkraut

One of my absolute favourite “superfoods” for any hormonal condition is sauerkraut. And I don’t mean the crappy stuff sitting in a jar on the shelf of your grocery store- no. I mean, the live, fermented, find-it-in-the-fridge-section, no vinegar or sugar kind of sauerkraut.

In case you’re not familiar, sauerkraut is basically fermented cabbage. If you buy it fresh, from the fridge, you’re getting loads of enzymes and live probiotics to feed your gut. The yucky stuff on the dry shelf in the store is NOT what you want. Ingredients should be cabbage, salt, maybe some bacterial starter and other flavours (IE ginger, caraway seed). No vinegar or sugar should be included for a truly fermented sauerkraut.

Okay, PSA over.

Here’s why I LOVE sauerkraut for endometriosis:

1. It contains LIVE probiotics, which will help you get more “good” gut bugs into your body to push out the bad
2. Cabbage is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, and this family of vegetables has an affinity for detoxing excess estrogen through compounds like I3C and DIM.
3. It’s anti-inflammatory. ‘Nuff said.

Happy Hormones Tip: Include 2 tbsp to ¼ cup raw sauerkraut with one meal per day to enjoy the benefits.

#2: Water

Robyn- why would I want to drink MORE water when I’m already retaining so much?

Well, drinking water helps to flush the kidneys and reduce water retention and bloating. Drinking half your bodyweight in ounces of water daily is a good place to start. Yes, you’ll pee more. And, you won’t be so bloated, so it’s totally worth it IMO.

For example, a 140 pound woman needs approximately 70 ounces of water in a day (140lbs ➗ 2 = 70).

Obviously, clean, filtered water is best. Did you know that even tap water contains trace of hormones that women pee out when they use the birth control pill? The last thing women with endo need is more estrogen.

I have a water filter pitcher at home that I LOVE and removes SO MANY contaminants, even heavy metals (which can inflame the body and contribute to hormonal imbalances). This is the one I use (and this is the filter water bottle I use). Also- the water tastes like the most amazing, fresh and invigorating water you’ve ever had (besides taking it right from a spring). It’s 100% worth it.

Happy Hormones Tip: Get yourself a water filter, and pre-fill water bottles with filtered water each morning to the amount of H2O you need in a day. Simply drink through your pre-measured bottles to ensure you get enough!

#3: Sweet Potato

So inexpensive, yet a true “superfood”. One of my favourite starchy carbs for women in general, and a really great addition to an endometriosis diet, especially when there’s bloating and digestive troubles.

While women women may have issues digesting other starches and carbs (like grains- rice, quinoa, oats, barley, etc and potatoes) sweet potatoes are generally much easier to digest, and are extremely soothing to a troubled digestive tract.

Sweet potatoes contain a lot of beta-carotene, a potent antioxidant and precursor to vitamin A. In fact, just 1 cup of baked sweet potato contains approximately 1921mcg of beta-carotene, making it an excellent source.

Once converted into active vitamin A (aka retinol), beta-carotene is helpful in repairing the lining of the gut.

Sweet potatoes also contain fibre, and getting adequate fibre is key to excreting excess estrogen through the bowels so it doesn’t build up and contribute to endo issues.

Sweet potatoes are also quite high in B vitamins, and this vitamin family is needed for hormone production, energy, plus fat, carb and protein digestion. For example, sweet potatoes contain vitamin B6, which is known to help increase progesterone (therefore helping with estrogen dominance) and boosts mood.

P.S. The antioxidants and compounds in sweet potatoes make them extremely anti-inflammatory.

Happy Hormones Tip: Bake a bunch of sweet potatoes on the weekend to reheat and enjoy through the week. You can even put cooked sweet potato flesh in smoothies for an extra boost!

#4: Apple Cider Vinegar

Another gut and inflammation helper is apple cider vinegar. Like sauerkraut, you must source the right kind of apple cider vinegar.

It should be raw and unpasteurized, and the bottle should say “with the mother”. Basically that means some of the original bacteria used to create that vinegar is included in the bottle. That’s where the medicinal stuff is at. It’s still inexpensive, but might be a buck or two more than pasteurized apple cider vinegar.

Also like true sauerkraut, raw apple cider vinegar is a fermented food. That means it’s packed full of “good” bacteria or probiotics, essential for bringing balance back to a stressed out endo digestive system.

Raw apple cider vinegar also contains enzymes and acids to help digestion. Specifically, using raw apple cider vinegar helps to increase levels of stomach acid, or hydrochloric acid.

We desperately need adequate stomach acid to break down and absorb proteins and to kill “bad” bacteria and pathogens before they get deeper in the gut.

Happy Hormones Tip: Take 1 tsp – 1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar in water upon waking to start enjoying some of its benefits.

#5: Bone Broth

Another inexpensive “superfood”, bone broth is a critical addition to the diet of women with endometriosis, in my opinion.

Bone broth contains many healing elements, including minerals like magnesium, silicon, sulphur and more. Bone broth also contains collagen, a protein essential for healthy hair, skin and nails. Collagen (and the minerals in bone broth) all work to heal and soothe gut lining.

Bone broth is incredibly easy to digest, making it wonderful for those who get bloating and other symptoms easily with almost any food- especially during an endo flare up.

Ideally, bone broth can be consumed a few times per week to enjoy the benefits. There are even bone broth powders out there not to make it even easier.

Happy Hormones Tip: Every time you make meat with bones (like a whole chicken) save the bones. Toss them in a ziploc bag in the freezer. Once you have a bag full of bones, make bone broth. Freeze the broth and you always have some on hand. A slow cooker makes easy work of this.

An easy way to get all these amazing foods? Make a soup out of sweet potato, water and bone broth, before you eat it enjoy a small cup of warm water with apple cider vinegar, and have some sauerkraut on the side. Done!
 
 

When I first started trying to eat healthfully, I thought vegan was the best way to go. I used to spend hours upon hours reading vegan food blogs. While I never went totally vegan, there was a period of 5-7 years where I was nearly vegetarian. Chicken was the only animal protein I would touch.

Upon entering nutrition school, I figured EVERYONE would be vegan.

Little did I know that eating styles featuring good amounts of animal proteins (like Paleo) would be the favourite among my teachers and classmates.

Since finishing school and starting The Hormone Diva, I have taken a whole-foods approach in everything I do, and firmly believe in the power of good quality animal foods for healing – especially healing hormones and conditions like PCOS.

All of The Hormone Diva meal plans I’ve since created follow this unprocessed, whole-foods philosophy.

Then many of the lovely ladies with PCOS in my community starting speaking up that they were vegan, and where were all the no-animal recipes?

I do believe there are HUGE benefits to eating a plant-based diet. In this blog post I want to first help you understand the difference between plant-based and vegan eating styles, as well as whether you can truly be healthy on a vegan diet and what some of the benefits of plant-based eating for PCOS are.

I do still have a big opinion on this subject, and will share this at the end of the article. Until my opinion arrives, all the info I’m sharing is unbiased and based on what I’ve been taught and research I’ve done.

I do want to mention that I’m not really addressing veganism as a cultural, religious or ethical choice here. I am not getting into that debate. Rather I’m focusing on women who choose to be vegan for health reasons.

Plant-Based vs. Vegan

Does eating plant-based mean you’re vegan? Not necessarily.

Does eating vegan mean you’re plant-based? Maybe not.

Plant-based eating is simply eating a diet free of processed foods and (most, if not all) animal products while focusing heavily on fresh vegetables, some fruits, legumes/beans, nuts/seeds and whole grains.

Veganism on the other hand simply means eating no animal foods. This doesn’t mean a vegan diet is necessarily high in plant-based, whole, unprocessed foods. For example, those vegan “meats” found in the grocery store, pastas/noodles, and many packaged snacks are technically vegan because there’s no animal products, and there’s really very little nutrition in these as well.

So, in theory, a vegan could be extremely unhealthy if they rely more on these processed convenience foods, rather than eating an actual plant-based diet.

Veganism and plant-based eating are not one in the same but they can be, if you’re conscious with your food choices.

Can You Be a Healthy Vegan with PCOS?

This is a tricky question. There are definitely success stories of women who have gone vegan and reversed many of their PCOS symptoms. A simple google search will find you those stories. Even one of my clients found she felt best on a plant-based, vegan diet.

Then there’s the overwhelming number of cases where women switch to a moderate carb, high protein/fat diet including animal foods and have a lot of success. This is the camp where the women using my meal plans and going through my PCOS Bootcamp live.

Truthfully, with a vegan diet (even heavily plant-based), there’s nutrients that are harder to get. For example, B12 is nearly impossible to get from plant-based foods. Yes, some plant foods have B12 (like spirulina), but in research, the form of B12 they contain isn’t really usable by our bodies, unlike the B12 in beef, for example.

Additionally, the macronutrient protein can be more difficult to get. Yes, many plant-foods have high levels of protein in them- but this also comes with high levels of carbs in most cases. High carb diets typically aren’t great for PCOS because they don’t take into account insulin and blood sugar issues.

That being said, if you are conscious 100% of the time about your foods choices (and supplement smartly), it is possible to be healthy on a vegan, plant-based diet. This requires a lot of work and knowledge, and is often where women fall short.

3 Benefits of Plant-Based Eating for PCOS

Regardless of your beliefs or choices, eating even some of your meals in a vegan, plant-based style can be beneficial, and here’s why.

#1: Fibre

Fibre is incredibly important for PCOS for a couple of reasons.

First, fibre binds to and helps us excrete excess estrogen (through our poops). Most women with PCOS have some level of estrogen dominance, and getting estrogen balanced is key for regulating cycles and reducing symptoms.

For example, excess estrogen can be converted into androgen hormones like testosterone, which can lead to facial hair, acne and hair loss.

Second, fibre helps to feed our good gut bugs, or “probiotics”. We need probiotics for so many different reasons, including regulating estrogen. The set of specific probiotics that balance estrogen are known as the estrobolome, and fibre will help to keep these guys happy.

Third, fibre is helpful for regulating insulin and blood sugar. It works even better when combined with protein and fat (the 3 components to any PCOS-balancing meal). Fibre helps to reduce the spike of blood sugar when eating something with carbs. This is great news for all PCOS symptoms and especially for weight loss.

For example, white bread has zero fibre, and it a nightmare for your blood sugar (and pretty much everything). On the other hand, eating a sweet potato gives you plenty of fibre, and sweet potatoes won’t spike blood sugar and insulin as drastically as white bread.

Happy Hormones Tip: Aim for 35g to 45g of fibre daily. If you have irregular or absent menstrual cycles or are trying to conceive, aim for 30g-35g of fibre daily.

#2: Vitamin and Mineral Rich

When you eat plant-based, you’re eating a lot of colourful foods. Each colour has different nutrients, and each plant within a colour has different nutrients.

Some of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat come from plants.

For example, dark leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale and collard greens are jam packed with fibre (win!), B vitamins, folate, vitamin C, minerals like magnesium, calcium and manganese.

Replenishing nutrient deficiencies is key for PCOS because it will help to reduce inflammation, reset insulin sensitivity and help us produce the right hormones in the right amounts at the right times.

Happy Hormones Tip: Eat from the rainbow everyday. Have you gotten something green, orange, red and blue/purple today?

#3: Cleansing + Detoxifying

Due to the fibre, vitamins, minerals and other anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in plant-based foods, eating a vegan, plant-based diet can be very detoxifying.

All that fibre is going to have you pooping 2-3 times per day (which is ideal), thereby clearing out many toxins your liver has dumped.

All nutrients help your liver, skin, lungs, kidneys and colon (aka your detox organs) to work more effectively to remove toxins (like BPA from plastic), medications (like birth control) and built-up hormones from our system.

Usually this results in more energy, clearer skin, a sharp mind and better mood for most.

Happy Hormones Tip: Include green leafies, beets and lemon daily to boost detoxification.

My Opinion on PCOS, Plant-Based Eating and Veganism

Now we come to my opinion.

I still 100% believe that using SOME animal foods is extremely beneficial for women with PCOS.

Animal foods provide certain nutrients (like B12 and amino acids) in forms that our bodies are actually able to use and assimilate and in amounts high enough to be beneficial.

Including animal foods makes it easier to moderate carb intake, an important factor in PCOS. Many high-protein plant-based foods are also high in carbs.

Typically what I see is women with PCOS who go vegan feel a lot better for 1-3 months, because they are really detoxifying and often giving their bodies loads of nutrients for the first time ever.

Then after this “honeymoon” period, symptoms can come back, get worse or new symptoms can form. For example, many women I’ve worked with feel more fatigued after a few months of veganism (even the plant-based kind) than women who eat even a small amount of animal products.

Additionally, while they may initially lose weight (due to dumping toxins and getting nutrients), they often gain some (or a lot) or weight back after a while, as they aren’t getting enough easily assimilable protein and fats to counteract the many carbs they’re consuming.

Also, eating super well on a plant-based, vegan diet is difficult. Taking short cuts helps no one. Many women revert to convenience foods over time, losing out on many benefits of fresh, unprocessed plant foods.

Again with this post I’m not addressing religious, cultural or ethical considerations in being vegan or vegetarian. I’m not entering that debate. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and if plant-based vegan is already working for you- more power to you!

Below you’ll find one of my favourite vegan recipes, straight from the NEW batch of plant-based vegan recipes I’ve added to The Hormone Diva’s 28-Day Fat Loss Meal Plan for PCOS.

Even one plant-based day or meal per week will provide incredible benefits, so I encourage you to try it!

Warm Lentil Salad with Almonds

2018-01-03 12:57:20

Serves 3

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Ingredients

1. 1 can brown lentils
2. ⅓ cup almonds- sliced, slivered or chopped
3. 3 cups shredded brussels sprouts
4. 3 cloves garlic, minced
5. ⅓ cup Basic Dressing or Oil + Vinegar with a Kick (both in PCOS Meal Plan) or your fav vinaigrette
6. ½ cup shredded carrot
7. ¼ cup sunflower seeds
8. 1 cup sliced cremini or shiitake mushrooms
9. Sprinkle seaweed - arame, wakame or chopped nori sheets
10. 1 tbsp coconut oil
11. Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a pan over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Once heated, add the lentils, mushrooms, brussels sprouts, garlic and carrots to the pan. Add some salt and pepper, and saute until brussel sprouts have wilted a bit and everything is heated through, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. To serve, place cooked mixture on a plate, top with seaweed, sunflower seeds and top with Basic Dressing or Oil + Vinegar with a Kick.
3. Can also be served cold. Keeps in the fridge up to 3 days.

By Robyn Srigley - The Hormone Diva

The Hormone Diva https://thehormonediva.com/

Acne as an adult is the fucking worst- let’s be honest here.
 

I have struggled with acne since I was 10 years old. I got acne earlier than my schoolmates, and it was WAY worse than most of them.
 

Big, red, deep and cystic pimples all over my face, chest and back. Not pretty.
 

The first time I ever tried to do anything about it, I was 14 years old and in 9th grade. I went on a medication called Accutane.
 

It was a bloody miracle because it made all my acne go away. I was told this would be permanent- score!
 

Then, a year or so later, my acne came back. At 16 I went on birth control, and that seemed to calm things down for another year.
 

Then the acne came back. So I went on various antibiotics and used tons of harsh creams that left me feeling red and raw (and utterly disgusting).
 

They didn’t work. So I did Accutane a second time, and it worked again (temporarily). 

I seriously thought I was going to be stuck with acne for life. 

Enter nutrition school, and I came off birth control. Then my “second puberty” started and the acne got WAY worse- bad like when I was 10 years old. 

Super hella embarrassing when you’re in nutrition school and want to look like a glowing health fairy. Yeah, not so much. 

I was diagnosed with PCOS at this time and suddenly I knew WHY my skin was so bad- it was the syndrome! 

Of course that didn’t make it any easier to get rid of.  

During the first 2 years after my diagnosis, I tried all kinds of things.  

Tea tree oil.  

Oil cleansing.  

Yonka skin care products.

DIY face masks. 

Store-bought face masks.  

“Natural” spot treatments galore.  

Some of these worked a little bit (Yonka products are AMAZING), but never got rid of my acne completely.
 

Now I know this is because I didn’t address the root causes of my acne from the inside. Rather, I stuck with topical treatments.
 

At this point in my PCOS-skin journey, my face, back and chest are clear.
 

I get the odd pimple if I’ve been particularly stressed out or had a week or two of shitty eating. It’s INCREDIBLE to not have to worry about covering up my skin, but rather embracing my natural glow.
 

I get asked a lot how I did it. How did I go from deep cystic acne on my face, back and chest to clear all over?  

Let me tell you.
 

How I Cleared My PCOS Acne

#1: Insulin-Balancing Diet

 
Whether we like it or not, most of us PCOS Cysters have some form of Insulin Resistance (yes, even with “normal” blood labs).
 

Insulin resistance leads our ovaries to over-produce androgen hormones like testosterone. High testosterone often gets converted to DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, a “naughty” form of testosterone that increases sebum (oil) production on the skin, among other things- that creates acne.
 

I started by reducing processed carbs (bread, noodles, crackers, cookies, etc) and increasing healthy fats (coconut oil, olive oil, nuts/seeds, butter, MCT oil, etc). A by-product of this was a healthy weight, too.
 

I then made sure to eat at regular times, and to include as much fresh produce (mostly veggies) that I could in a day.
 

All this together helped to balance my blood sugar and restore my insulin sensitivity- leading to clearer skin. 

#2: Simplified Skin Care Routine

 
I tossed out all my expensive store-bought products (like I said, Yonka is FABULOUS, but damn expensive).
 

I simplified the ingredients in my skin care routine to be made of things I could EAT – no toxins, no fake stuff, no fillers or fancy extracts.
 

At the time of writing this article, my routine is as follows:

• Cleansing: Wash my face with a cinnamon/honey mixture
• Optional: If I’m feeling dry, I’ll mist with some rose hydrosol
• Moisture: 100% pure rosehip seed oil (I use Skin Essence brand)
• Weekly: A facial mask that I either DIY or buy (usually with some clay and essential oils in it)

 
And that’s seriously it. I don’t wash my face twice a day. Over-washing makes me produce more oil, and therefore get more acne. No thanks. I don’t use fancy creams. My face is no longer an oil slick by lunchtime.
 

#3: Gut Support

 
Acne is a sign that your gut needs some help. Your digestion isn’t working properly, and inflammation is running wild in your body.
 

I started to support my gut first by adopting the diet I outlined in #1. Then I added in some gut support tools – digestive enzymes, and the like. In fact, this is SO important, we devote a whole week to it in my PCOS Hormone Bootcamp program.
 

Then I upped my probiotic game. Probiotics, aka good gut bugs (bacteria) are ESSENTIAL for glowing skin. E-S-S-E-N-T-I-A-L. Seriously. Don’t skip this.
 

I started taking a probiotic supplement (I currently use MegaSpore Biotic by Microbiome Labs) and incorporated 1-2 servings of fermented foods with my meals daily.
 

Sauerkraut was and still is my favourite.
 

#4 Toxin-Free Makeup

 
I threw away all my old makeup and replaced it with natural, toxin-free versions that won’t upset my skin. If you want to check out your makeup, go to EWG.org and search their beauty database- it will give you a score of houw good or bad a product is, SO amazing.
 

My current makeup:

• Liquid Foundation: Sappho Organics
• Mascara: Raw Mascara by Earth Lab Cosmetics
• Eye Liner: Liquid Eye Liner by Lavera
• Lipstick: Etherealle Vegan Mineral Lipstick (purchased on Etsy)
• Eye Shadow: Zuii Organic and/or Beneficial Minerals Brand (purchased on Etsy)

#5: Stress Management

 
Stress is bad for your skin. So bad, there’s even a book written about it. This was a big missing piece in my own healing puzzle.
 

The diet was there. The supplements and skin care were on point. And I still got acne.
 

Then I started meditating, doing yoga near daily, journaling and just generally working on taking better care of myself, and letting go.
 

I did something to manage my stress every single day (and still do). If I don’t, my acne flares up.
 

Affirmations are another great way to shift mindset and reduce stress. Louise Hay has a great affirmation for acne:
 

“I am a Divine expression of life. I love and accept myself where I am right now.”

How Long Will It Take to Clear My Acne?

 
This is the BIG question, and I get asked this a lot. It took me personally about 2 years to clear my skin.
 

If I knew what I was doing at first and if I had created a targeted plan of attack from the beginning, I imagine I could have cut that time in half.
 

Everyone is different, but that’s my personal experience. It slowly got better- it’s not like I went two years with crazy acne and woke up one day to zero pimples. It was a slow but steady decline.
 

It can (will) happen. Keep consistent.
 
 
 

You wake up exhausted from a poor night’s sleep. You go to work, push through the day with loads of coffee and sugary vending machine trips, and barely keep it together without falling asleep at your desk. Once home, you call up your favourite delivery place or throw a frozen processed meal into the oven or microwave.
 
After dinner, you actually start to feel normal- like you can get shit done and then some, it’s your best time of the day! As evening turns to night, you know you should get to sleep, but you’re feeling wired. Your brain just won’t shut off even though your body is ready for a winter’s worth of hibernation. 

This is a really familiar story among the women I work with in my 21-Day Happy Hormones Diet program. It’s that ‘wired and tired’ state that over time really wreaks havoc with how we feel and how our bodies and hormones function. 

Why Am I Tired And Wired?

The answer lies in the function of two small and little-known endocrine glands in the body, the adrenals! You have two adrenal glands, who sit atop the kidneys like little hats. They’re so important, they regulate your whole stress response! Additionally, the adrenal glands may also produce small amounts of sex hormones like estrogen, testosterone and DHEA. A few of the various functions include:

• Releasing cortisol in response to short and long-term stress
• Releasing adrenaline and noradrenaline in response to short-term stress (that “Fight or Flight” response)
• Control blood pressure
• Creation of sex hormones, which increases after menopause

When you’re chronically stressed out, especially over many years, your adrenal glands simply can’t keep up with the demand for stress hormones, and they crash, potentially contributing to Adrenal Fatigue.

Adrenal Fatigue, or insufficiency, or dysfunction is exactly that- your adrenal glands may be fatigued and causing issues in the body. Adrenal Fatigue is characterized by experiencing many of a long list of symptoms, which you can see below. Adrenal Fatigue doesn’t happen over night- it’s something that comes about after years of health issues and stress.

Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue include:

• Feeling tired and wired in the evenings, can’t get to or stay asleep and then are bone tired all day long even after drinking coffee
• Irrational anger, irritability, anxiety or are quick to cry
• Constant fatigue
• Weight gain, especially in the belly area
• Blood sugar control issues
• Low blood pressure
• Low blood sugar
• Inability to handle stress
• Low resilience
• Cravings, especially for salty foods
• Reliance on stimulants like coffee and sugar to get through the day
• Weak immune system- chronic colds, flus and other infections
• Mild depression
• Insomnia
• Lack of motivation or “get up and go:
• Short fuse
• Brain fog or poor memory
• Inability to concentrate
• Low libido
• Severe PMS

5 Foods to Improve Your Energy and Get a Good Night’s Sleep

#1 Bone Broth 

A true superfood, bone broth contains loads of nutrients beneficial for supporting the adrenal glands, restoring energy and improving sleep. For example, bone broth contains loads of minerals like calcium and phosphorous which not only keep our bones strong but also help to calm the nervous system and feed the adrenals. 

Bone broth also contains both collagen and gelatin. You may have seen collagen and gelatin supplement powders available at health food stores. They are the latest craze, and for good reason. Collagen supports a healthy immune system and soothes the lining of the digestive tract. Gelatin is where most of the minerals live, soothes gut lining and can calm symptoms of inflammation and immune over-response. All of this together helps to reduce your body’s internal stresses, like inflammation from foods for example. 

#2 Root Vegetables 

An amazing group of veggies, the roots literally help us feel rooted. This is partly due to the energetics of root vegetables- they grow in the ground and that grounding energy transfers into us when we consume them. The benefits of root vegetables are often best obtained when they’re cooked, as it becomes easier for us to absorb their nutrients.

Root vegetables such as sweet potato, carrots, beets, winter squash, parsnips, turnips and others are indispensable when you want to heal adrenal fatigue, boost your energy and sleep well. They contain complex carbohydrates that are both extremely comforting when we eat them, and slow the spike of blood sugar when we eat, preventing crashes later on. These complex carbs also help our bodies to produce feel good chemicals like serotonin, boosting mood- hence the comforting effect of these foods!

Root veg are also high in many minerals, and the adrenal glands need high amounts of minerals to function well, especially when you’re chronically stressed out. An example of a mineral they contain in abundance is Magnesium. Although they may not have as much as other foods like nuts, seeds and beans, root vegetables are often much easier to digest than the other sources, making it a bit easier to get this calming and rejuvenating mineral into our bodies. 

When healing extremely tired adrenal glands, it may be beneficial to use 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked root veggies with each meal, including breakfast. Having some of these veggies with dinner or before bed can help to reduce sleep disturbances like waking during the night. 

#3 Sea veggies

Sea vegetables are not widely used in North America, to our detriment. Sea vegetables are extremely concentrated in nutrients, making them an amazing addition for improving energy, assisting sleep and restoring adrenal function. There are many types of seaweeds, including nori, kelp, dulse, arame, wakame and more. 

Sea vegetables are high in many minerals, including iron. If iron stores are low, fatigue often sets in, and immune function suffers, putting additional strain on the adrenal glands. Sea veggies are also high in the mineral iodine, something lacking in Western diets as we get away from eating sea foods of all types. Iodine in small amounts is necessary for proper thyroid function, and a sluggish or under-active thyroid will negatively impact the adrenals and your energy levels. 

Lastly sea vegetables contain small amounts of tryptophan, an amino acid used to make the happy chemical serotonin. This may mean that sea veggies are a great addition to the diet to boost mood. 

Using sea vegetables is easier than you think. You can buy shakers of kelp or dulse in health food stores or online, and shake it onto your food in place of salt. You can use nori sheets to make wraps for lunch instead of flour-based products, and you can sprinkle strings of sea veggies like wakame and arame into soups and salads. 

#4 Bell Peppers 

Sweet bell peppers are a delicious addition to most any meal. They are also one of the highest sources of vitamin C out there, out-ranked only by papaya. The difference is, bell peppers contain a lot less sugar than papaya, making them a great choice to increase your vitamin C consumption without spiking blood sugar.

The high levels of vitamin C (1 cup contains 157% of your recommended daily intake) in bell peppers are food for your adrenal glands. Specifically, the highest amounts of vitamin C in the body are stored in your adrenal glands. Vitamin C is used to produce all adrenal hormones, especially in the production of cortisol, a hormone released in response to both short and long-term stress. When you’re chronically stressed, your body is going to use up vitamin C very quickly. 

When you run low on vitamin C, your adrenal glands go into a panic mode of sorts, releasing even more cortisol, meaning you need even more vitamin C that you don’t have. 

Getting bell peppers and other high vitamin C foods like broccoli, Brussel sprouts, strawberries and pineapple on a regular basis can healthfully support your adrenal glands to increase energy and allow for a good night’s rest. 

#5 Wild-Caught Salmon

Last on the list, but no less important than the other foods, wild-caught salmon has numerous health benefits for the adrenal glands.

Firstly, wild-caught salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, an anti-inflammatory type of fat most of us aren’t getting enough of. Farmed salmon doesn’t have the same levels of omega-3s, so I recommend choosing wild-caught whenever possible. 

Omega-3s help to balance blood sugar, and imbalanced blood sugar and insulin levels put more stress on the body and adrenal glands. Omega-3s are also extremely calming to the nervous system, reducing stress and strain on the adrenals. They may also help to boost mood, increase your energy and calm you enough for a good night’s sleep with regular use. 

This is a fabulous recipe using salmon to help you get started. 

Beyond the omega-3s, wild-caught salmon is a high protein source. Protein of course is needed to create muscles, but it’s also used in the creation of hormones, like the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline. Consuming enough protein (about 20g-30g per meal and 5g-10g per snack) is an excellent way to support energy production, lean muscle mass, hormone production and adrenal function.