Leading dietitians have revealed the little-known health condition that could be contributing to your weight gain and low energy, and how to identify whether you struggle with it.
Susie Burrell and Leanne Ward, from Sydney and Brisbane, said that while adrenal fatigue isn’t a recognised medical condition, it is a cluster of holistic health symptoms that affects many people, leading to an overall feeling of being burnt out.
According to Susie and Leanne, adrenal fatigue can manifest through problems like brain fog, weight gain, sleep disturbances and problems with digestion.
Leading dietitians revealed why adrenal fatigue is the little-known health condition that could be contributing to your weight gain and low energy (Susie Burrell and Leanne Ward pictured)
‘Your adrenal glands are glands that produce a variety of hormones that are essential for our health,’ Leanne said in The Nutrition Couch podcast.
‘But while there is no medical science to back up the issue of adrenal fatigue, I don’t discount symptoms when a client presents to me and says they are struggling with it.’
Common issues with someone who might have adrenal fatigue include problems with digestion, skin discolouration, sleeplessness, brain fog, cravings, lethargy, weight gain or loss and loss of body hair.
‘I had a client who had signed up to my one-on-one coaching service recently and she said she had been diagnosed with adrenal fatigue by a naturopath,’ Leanne said.
‘But while she had been put on a pricey supplementation program and told to cut out all gluten and dairy, I told her that I didn’t want her to get hung up on this diagnosis and cut out any food group.
‘Instead, I simply said we were going to focus on her sleep.
‘Instead of having phones in the bedroom, we would have screen-free time 30-60 minutes before going to bed.
‘I also helped her to incorporate a good bedtime routine, whereby she did some meditation and deep breathing before nodding off.’
Symptoms of the health condition – which isn’t officially medically recognised – include brain fog, sleeplessness and sudden weight gain (stock image)
Alongside this new sleep routine, Leanne cut down her exercise sessions from seven to four a week, balanced out her meals and snacks and completely cut her alcohol intake, as before the client had been drinking up to two bottles of wine a week.
‘We didn’t have to spend any money on supplementation or blood tests, we just followed a holistic health approach,’ Leanne said.
‘Within three to four weeks, the woman reported she was feeling a bit better.’
Often you can help issues with your adrenal glands by making tweaks to your diet, exercise and sleep, without any pricey supplements (stock image)
Susie agreed with Leanne and said that while adrenal fatigue isn’t medically recognised, there is a lot to be said for getting on top of your diet and exercise.
‘A lot of the time, I work with my clients on making adjustments to their diets – they might need more leafy green veg or good fats,’ she said.
‘We want an anti-inflammatory approach to what we eat. You also might need to cut down on exercise or boost it if you don’t do any.
‘Sleep is key. If you’re going to sleep for seven to eight hours and you still wake up feeling exhausted, then there is something wrong. One of the best things we can do for our body is rest.’
The dietitians explained that it takes around three months to ‘rehab’ a holistic health condition like adrenal fatigue, as you need to hone in on the few key areas of diet, exercise and sleep for an extended period first.
‘Not everyone who thinks they have adrenal fatigue does,’ Leanne said.
‘You might just be burnt out and need to wind back on the coffee, the wine and the exercise.
‘It’s important to remember that when you hit burnout, everything feels like adrenal fatigue.’
To find out more about The Nutrition Couch podcast, please click here. You can also follow Susie and Leanne on Instagram here.