New York Nutrition: Wanna reduce stress? Soothe your adrenals

Ah, salt and sugar! We love these substances. Think about the numerous times you’ve depended on them, along with caffeine, to get you through the day? As an NYC nutritionist, I can’t tell you how many times my clients have told me that they’ve eaten a chocolate bars chock full of salted nuts as a snack, because it gave them the quick energy they needed. Refined salt (iodized) and sugar are substances capable of giving us quick boosts of taste and energy. Unfortunately, the energy bursts don't last for long and offers no real nutritional value. Worse yet, when the energy ends, the sugar and salt crashes begin. I often advise my clients reduce caffeine as part of their New York nutrition for bursts of energy. People who are caffeine sensitive may also find some quite negative side effects that come with their fix.

Why do so many of us so often include refined salt, sugar-laden foods and caffeinated beverages in our New York nutrition for energy? Your low energy levels are often related to your adrenal glands.

Adrenal glands are the master balancers of 50 or more hormones in your body. Their primary responsibility is activating your stress (that is, your "fight or flight") response. They turn your body's energy away from the restorative processes such as digestion and to organs, such as your heart and muscles via the deliverance of adrenaline and cortisol into your blood. Your adrenal glands have other responsibilities too. The sex hormones, androgens, testosterone, DHEA, estrogens and progesterone; are all controlled and balanced out by the adrenal glands. The above reasons are why it’s crucial to include adrenal nourishing foods as part of your New York nutrition.

New Yorkers, you live and work in a very stressful environment. The stressors that work upon you make your adrenal glands over-taxed. When you are stressed out, your adrenals send high amounts of cortisol into your blood. Increased cortisol levels leads to things like an increase in weight and poor skin. Cortisol also acts like something of a food replacement. Therefore, when you don't get proper New York nutrition, your adrenals must work yet harder to pump out more cortisol into the blood.

Over-taxed adrenal glands and too much cortisol in the blood can cause insomnia, anxiety, nervousness, light-headedness, loss of libido, and poor concentration and memory. While stress is the leading factor in taxing your adrenal glands, your New York nutrition plays a large role in how they well they function.
When you are reaching for all that salt and sugar (and caffeine), you are actually reaching for a stimulant to make up for the lack of energy you are not receiving from real New York nutrition Since iodized salt and refined sugar have no real nutritive value, you're not helping your adrenals when you eat cookies, doughnuts, snickers bars, chips and so on.

1) Reducing your sugar intake and drinking caffeine on occasion is best for your adrenals. All of these are stimulants and stimulants deplete the adrenals. Substitute stevia leaf extract , which is a natural sugar substitute. Add Siberian ginseng and caffeine free herbal tea to your New York nutrition plan as a soothing alternative to caffeine. Finally, consider drinking a chicory coffee blend which helps to reduce the amount of the caffeine, but none of the taste.

2) Getting plenty of rest, do what you can to make this an important part of your schedule. Sleep plays a vital role in rebuilding adrenals. Deep breathing and relaxation are techniques that you should incorporate into your daily New York nutrition program.

3) Eating vitamin B & C foods (or taking a whole food B & C vitamin complex). Vitamins B complex is supporting healthy bones, blood cells and nervous systems. They aid in protecting the body from stress. Healthy adrenal function needs vitamin C. Some of the body’s most concentrated amounts of vitamin C are contained in the adrenals. Citrus fruits, camu camu, bell peppers are vitamin C rich; liver, dairy and avocadoes are great B sources. Be sure to add these foods to your New York nutrition plan.

4) Including protein and a healthy fat into your New York nutrition plan (such as raw nuts, olive oil, virgin coconut oil and grassfed butter) with every meal are key ways to help nourish your adrenals.