Soothing Adrenal Cleanse
Recipe Key
Adrenal health is important and often overlooked. Your adrenal glands are the most important part of your body for dealing with inner and outer stress. The quality of your overall health depends on the optimum functioning of your adrenals. This cleanse provides recipes and guidelines to support your adrenals.
Why Is An Adrenal Cleanse Important?
Winter is a good time to turn inward with gentle loving care and bring your body, mind and spirit into alignment. Starting out the year lighter, calmer and more connected will set the tone for the year ahead.
Most of us lead stressful lives and the chaos in our world is stressful, which is why it is so important to take this time to support your adrenal glands.
The adrenal glands produce hormones that help regulate many bodily functions, including blood pressure, metabolism, blood sugar, and the body’s stress response. Healthy adrenals are essential in managing your cortisol levels.
One of the most important things you can do to support your adrenals is to reduce internal and external stress.
Keeping your blood sugar in balance and properly nourishing your body with foods that reduce cortisol lowers internal stress.
Meditation, tapping and breathing processes help you manage external stress. You’ll be more resilient.
This cleanse activates your systems of detoxification and elimination. It nourishes your body with foods that improve your ability to get more energy from the food you eat. With more nourishment you move from fight or flight into rest and digest.
The more you live in your parasympathetic nervous system as your predominant state instead of your sympathetic nervous system, the healthier you are, the faster you heal, and the better your life will be because you can finally relax, feel safe, feel calm yet present and focused at the same time.
In Chinese medicine winter is the time to support the kidneys, which are one of your major organs of detoxification. It is also the best time to support your adrenal glands, which are intimately connected to the kidneys.
The adrenal glands are located on top of each kidney. The urinary tract system, which includes the kidneys, relies on hormones from the adrenal glands to function properly.
This adrenal cleanse will restore your body, calm your nervous system, improve digestion, eliminate toxins, and boost your energy. You can do this cleanse for as little as one day or up to 14 days. Personally I like to do the cleanse for 3 days. Any number of days you do will be beneficial.
Signs Your Adrenals Need Support
- Waking up tired
- Decrease ability to handle stress
- Brain fog or decreased cognitive ability
- Dizziness when standing from sitting or lying down
- Low sex drive
- Increased severity of allergic responses
- Low blood pressure
- Low blood sugar
- Craving sweets, caffeine or salty food
Basic Principles of The Adrenal Cleanse
Even if you’re not doing the cleanse these are the principles that will help keep your adrenal glands healthy.
Eat Within an Hour After Waking – Getting enough protein and healthy fat in the morning stabilizes your blood sugar throughout the day, which prevents stress on your adrenals.
Eat a Balanced Diet – Eat lots of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables to provide essential vitamins and minerals. Include healthy fats and protein to stay satisfied and keep your blood sugar stable.
Don’t Skimp on Healthy Carbohydrates – Eat starchy vegetables and low glycemic fruits to give your body energy. When you don’t get enough carbs your body is under stress. Stress causes your adrenals to activate the HPA axis producing the stress hormone cortisol. Read my article Are You Eating Enough Carbs?
Eat on A Regular Basis – Keeping your blood sugar balanced is key to adrenal support. Anytime your blood sugar gets too low your adrenals get stressed. How often you need to eat will depend on your ability to burn fat. Read How To Become A Good Fat Burner
Eat A Light Dinner – Eating a light dinner offers several health benefits including improved sleep quality, better digestion, weight management, regulated blood sugar levels, reduced risk of acid reflux. When your body has more time to process food before bedtime there is less strain on your system while resting.
Gentle Movement – Movement especially in the morning helps reset your body’s natural normal cycle of cortisol. You’ll have more energy and sleep better. Avoid high impact exercises which cause stress on the body. In this cleanse you’ll walk, do yoga or dance.
Stress Reducing Meditation and/or Breathing Process – Taking the time to do a few simple stress reducing processes in your day will shift your energy and your chemistry. Yes your chemistry. When you shift your energy from stress and judgment to relaxation and appreciation, cortisol lowers, digestion improves, blood sugar balances and your adrenals are soothed. I encourage you to do the few processes I recommend this week.
Stay hydrated – Drinking plenty of water helps your body function optimally. Since it’s winter herbal teas and broths can be enjoyed in addition to water to stay hydrated.
Get Plenty of Sleep – Adequate sleep is crucial for adrenal recovery and helps regulate cortisol levels. Leave yourself time to sleep for 8 hours per night. Wake up gently. If possible, let yourself wake up naturally or use an alarm clock that wakes you up gently with soft sounds.
Disclosure: I, Ingrid DeHart am a certified nutrition coach, not a medical doctor. I provide information gathered from reliable medical resources but if you have any specific allergies or food sensitivities, adjust the recipes accordingly. Always listen to your body. I recommend checking with your doctor before starting any cleanse.
Foods To Eat On the Adrenal Cleanse
- Vegetables: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, etc.), sweet potatoes and more
- Fruits: berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries), cherries, pomegranate, citrus (lemon, lime, orange), avocado
- Nuts and Seeds: walnuts, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp seeds, nut butters like almond butter or cashew butter
- Oil: extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, ghee
- Fish: salmon, tuna, trout, sardines, mackerel, cod
- Chicken: organic, grass fed only
- Beans & Legumes: black beans, lentils, chickpeas and more
- Grains: Quinoa, millet, brown rice
- Herbs and Spices: turmeric, ginger, basil, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, dill, and more
- Cacao and Teas – dandelion tea, ginger, cacao latte, golden latte, matcha, rooibos, mushroom teas
Foods To Avoid On the Adrenal Cleanse
- No Diary – milk, cheese, yogurt, but ghee can be used
- No Refined Sweeteners – white sugar, corn syrup, cane juice, limited natural sweeteners
- No Gluten – breads, pastas, cereals
- No Vegetable Oils – soybean, canola, corn, peanut
- No Caffeine (except limited green tea) and Alcohol
- No Processed Food
Morning Elixir (click for recipe )
During the cleanse we’re starting our day with a special Morning elixir of lemon, raw honey, fresh ginger and a pinch of sea salt. This morning elixir supports your adrenals, kidneys and digestive system. It refills glycogen reserves in the liver, flushes toxins, alkalizes your body and improves digestion. Click here for the recipe and details, I highly recommend it.
Sleep Support
Sleep is the foundation of your health. Research shows that just one night of less than 7 hours sleep stresses your adrenals and increases cortisol. Good sleep is the safest, cheapest and most restorative therapy available.
The #1 thing you can do to improve your sleep is going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. It helps reset your circadian rhythms. I’ve written in your daily protocol to go to bed by 10 pm. Head in the direction of bed around 9:30 to wind down. The reason is, melatonin secretion starts around 9pm and ceases around 7:30am. Between 10pm and 1am is when you get your most restorative sleep. This sets in place a natural sleep cycle for us as humans. It helps keep cortisol in balance.
Sleep Remedies
Having a light snack with the right amount of protein, fats, minerals and carbs can help you sleep. The golden sleep tonic will help you get to sleep and the banana cashew snack is good if you wake up between 1 and 4am. It helps prevents your blood sugar from dropping, causing your cortisol to spike.
*Golden Sleep Tonic This warm beverage is made with nut milk, ghee, honey, collagen, sea salt and cinnamon. This powerful beverage will help you get to sleep. Click for recipe.
*Cashew Banana Sleep Remedy – This remedy will help you sleep through the night if you have a tendency to fall asleep and then wake up. Eat this snack 1 hour before bed to help you sleep through the night. It gives you a little tryptophan to get you to sleep. It also helps prevent your blood sugar from dropping causing your cortisol to spike which will wake you up.
- 1/2 banana
- 1/8 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
- 6-10 raw cashew
Movement
I recommended you do some type of movement in the early part of the day. Movement in the morning helps reset your body’s natural, normal cycle of cortisol. Walking outside even when it’s cold is very beneficial. You’ll have more energy and sleep better.
Here are a few other movement options:
- Fluid Intuitive Dance is an opportunity to feel the powerful energy that is living in your body. Dance gives it an expression. It’s an everyday practice to experience more sensuality and let energy move through your body. Click for video and directions.
- Yin Yoga for Adrenals (32 minute video)
- 4 Restorative Yoga Poses to Support Your Adrenals (images and directions)
Breathing and Meditation Processes
In this program I have provided three powerful yet easy processes to soothe your stress, boost your immunity and connect back to your inner guidance. These take only a few minutes and go a long way toward making lasting transformation.
- The Breathing App – This is an easy meditation you have to download onto your phone. It’s free and very easy to use. It’s a breathing meditation created by the yoga teacher Eddie Stern and Deepak Chopra to help you feel calm and peaceful.
- Heart Focused Breathing – This is a technique developed by the HeartMath Institute to reduce the impact of stress on your mind and body. This simple breathing process will soothe you, relax your nervous system, boost your metabolism and get more nutrients into your cells. Set the intention to remember to do this before eating. It only takes 17 seconds.
- 15 Minute Pranayama Breathing Practice – This practice moves you into the parasympathetic nervous system where health and healing occurs naturally. When I do this breathing practice I literally feel my vital organs getting a massage improving my overall well-being. Pumping oxygen into our brain fills our body with hormones that calm us down and we feel safe.
Daily Protocol
These are the guidelines for your cleanse. Throughout the day notice the soothing power of your breath. Breathe with longer exhalations than inhalations. Take 17-30 seconds before each meal to do ”Heart Focused Breathing.” Remember to drink plenty of water, teas and broths throughout the day to keep your kidneys flushing.
WAKE UP
- Morning Elixir
- Breathing App Meditation (5-15 minutes) or Pranayama
- Latte or Warm Beverage
- Yoga or walk
BREAKFAST
- Choose one of the recipes from the breakfast section
Late Morning Snack (only if you’re hungry)
lunch
- Heart Focused Breathing
- Main meal of the day – choose from lunch options below
Afternoon Snack (2 hours after lunch only if you’re hungry)
Dinner
- Eat before 7pm
- Heart Focused Breathing
- Choose a recipe from the dinner section
Before Bed
- Warm bath with epsom salts
- Sleep remedy (chose one of the recipes above), optional
- Heart Focused Breathing with Love (2-5 minutes) – calms your mind, reduces anxiety, and promotes relaxation, making it easier to fall asleep. I like to do it when I get into bed.
- Ideally you want to be in bed by 10pm
Sample Menu
This is a guide for 3 days of the cleanse. All the recipes are linked below. You can do the cleanse for only 1 day or up to 14 days. You don’t have to follow the sample menu exactly, it’s there to guide you Choose the recipes you like the most and find easiest to shop for and prepare.
If you follow the pattern of the sample menu you’ll only have to cook 1 meal a day either lunch or dinner but not both. In this menu I recommend preparing the lemon chia pudding and the Immunity Boosting Soup the day before.
Sample Day 1
- Wake Up – Morning Elixir
- Morning Meditation or Pranayama
- Latte – Cacao Maca Latte
- Walking, Yoga, Dancing or other movement
- Breakfast – Lemon Chia Pudding with a few berries (prepare the night before)
- Snack (optional) – 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond butter on an organic apple with a sprinkle of Ceylon cinnamon and pink salt
- Lunch – Braised Chicken with Kale White Beans and Olives
- Snack (optional) – 1/2 avocado sliced with lemon and a pinch of pink salt
- Dinner – Immunity Boosting Soup (prepare the day before)
- Sleep Remedy (optional) – Cashew Banana Sleep Remedy
Sample Day 2
- Wake Up – Morning Elixir
- Morning Meditation or Pranayama
- Latte – Cacao Maca Latte
- Walking, Yoga, Dancing or other movement
- Breakfast – Leftover Lemon Chia Pudding with berries
- Snack (optional) – Avocado with lemon and sea salt
- Lunch – Leftover Braised Chicken with Kale White Beans and Olives
- Snack (optional) – a handful of raw sprouted nuts and a few berries
- Dinner – Coconut Chicken Soup (there is a vegan option)
- Sleep Remedy (optional) – Cashew Banana Sleep Remedy
Sample Day 3
- Wake Up – Morning Elixir
- Morning Meditation or Pranayama
- Latte – Cacao Maca Latte
- Walking, Yoga, Dancing or other movement
- Breakfast – Leftover Immunity Boosting Soup
- Snack (optional) – 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond butter on an organic apple with a sprinkle of Ceylon cinnamon and pink salt
- Lunch – Roasted Dill Salmon with sautéed spinach and steamed carrots
- Snack (optional) – Kale Chips
- Dinner – Leftover Coconut Chicken Soup
- Sleep Remedy (optional) – Cashew Banana Sleep Remedy
Breakfast Recipes
Start your day with the Morning Elixir to hydrate your body, flush toxins, alkalize,
and refill glycogen reserves in your liver. Have a latte full of good fats within 1
hour of waking to stabilize your blood sugar. Stabilizing your blood sugar is one of
the best ways to support your adrenals.
Eat breakfast when you feel hungry. Listen to your body, notice your hunger. These breakfasts contain good fats and protein to stabilize your blood sugar and enough carbs to give you immediate energy. You can also have soup for breakfast or one of the energy bites or breakfast cookies from the snack section if you are in a hurry.
Anti-Inflammatory Paleo Pumpkin Porridge
This paleo pumpkin porridge is made with simple, nutritious, anti-inflammatory ingredients mixed together for the perfect porridge texture. It’s a big batch and can be eaten for a few days.
Eggs and Greens
This is a simple, tasty, filling breakfast dish. Lightly sautéed greens are wonderfully seasoned with scallions, garlic and olives then topped with perfectly cooked eggs.
Orange Vanilla Chia Pudding
The combination of fresh oranges, vanilla and maple syrup combined with creamy cashew milk makes a chia pudding that tastes like a Creamsicle.
Lemon Chia Pudding (Paleo Vegan)
This tangy chia pudding with coconut milk is deliciously creamy with a light fresh taste. Full of protein, fats and fiber. It’s best to let it sit overnight but it can be eaten after 30 minutes.
Apple Cinnamon Paleo Porridge
This is a creative, grain-free spin on traditional porridge that’s full of vegetables, fruit, protein, fiber and healthy fat.
3 Ingredient Paleo Banana Almond Pancake Recipe
Three ingredient pancakes made in a blender with no grains, no sugar, and lots of healthy protein.
Lunch Recipes (Main Meal)
Lunch is going to be your biggest meal. Take time to sit down and savor your midday meal. Be present and enjoy your food and the people you are with. Enjoy the way your food looks, the smells and tastes. Honor yourself for taking this time to care for your body. Imagine your cells receiving the nourishment they need to function optimally
One-Pot Winter Vegetable Lentils
This hearty lentil stew is deeply satisfying with warm, earthy flavors, drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar for balance. A high protein vegan dish with delicious healthy carbs.
Asian Cod with Miso Butternut Squash Puree
Mild, flaky cod is baked in an Asian ginger marinade and served on top of a silky-creamy miso–butternut squash.
Braised Chicken with Kale, White Beans and Olives
Braised Chicken with Kale is a comforting one pan meal, full of nutrients, with a rich umami taste.
Indian Vegetables with Coconut Lentils
A flavorful one pan vegan meal with a rainbow of vegetable in a creamy lentil sauce. High in protein.
Middle Eastern Quinoa with Vegetables
This nutritious colorful dish is full of high protein quinoa and lots of vegetables Since we’re leaving out dairy serve it with Tahini Dressing.
Paleo Chicken Broccoli ‘Rice’ Casserole
This creamy Paleo Chicken, Broccoli, and ‘Rice’ casserole is packed with flavor and is incredibly satisfying! It’s full of protein and vegetables. Even though there is some prep involved, it’s a great dish to make ahead of time for easy meals.
Creamy Spinach Chicken (Paleo, Dairy Free)
Juicy seasoned chicken is sautéed in one skillet with a creamy cashew sauce and spinach.
Roasted Dill Salmon (Paleo, Dairy Free)
In this simple recipe, fresh salmon is roasted in the oven with a tangy, lemon, dill, turmeric sauce that is so good it will become one of your favorite weeknight meals. Serve with steamed carrots and sauteed spinach
Dinner Recipes
It’s not just what you eat but when you eat also makes a huge difference in how you feel and function. As the sun goes down your body’s metabolic hormones begin to slow down. For this reason, eating a light dinner by 7 pm will support your detoxification and restore balance. Soups are perfect for dinner, light and full of nutrients. They are nourishing and can be eaten for a few days to cut back on the cooking. You could also have steamed vegetables and a piece of chicken or fish
Immunity Boosting Soup
This healing, flavorful soup is packed with immunity boosting vegetables, kale, turmeric, ginger, red lentils and lots of protein It can be made with chicken or beans.
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Comforting Autumn Vegetable Soup (Vegan or Paleo)
This soup is made with butternut squash, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, zucchini and greens simmered in a deliciously rich broth. You can make it with either chicken or hearty white beans, they are both fabulous.
Vegan Broccoli Spinach Soup
This Broccoli Spinach Soup is an easy and delicious way to get more vegetables into your diet. It’s rich and creamy, and absolutely fabulous!
Golden Red Lentil and Kale Soup
A light bright nourishing soup that’s incredibly flavorful and healing.
Mulligatawny Soup
Mulligatawny Soup is a deeply satisfying and comforting soup full of fragrant spices, vegetables, apples, coconut and red lentils.
Coconut Chicken Soup
This Asian healing, comforting soup is light, creamy and a little tangy with lots of vegetables. Even though chicken broth is incredibly healing, there is a way to make a vegan version that is just as delicious and comforting.
Sri Lankan Coconut Dhal Curry
Sri Lankan dal (dhal) curry is a delicious flavorful dish that’s easy to make. This recipe is one that I learned while traveling in Sri Lanka. It’s flavored with aromatic spices and coconut milk. Naturally vegan, gluten-free and high in protein.
Snacks
One of the most important principles for supporting your adrenals is maintaining a stable blood sugar level. Some people may need to snack every 2 -4 hours to keep their blood sugar levels in balance. If this is the case, make sure those snacks are small and of high quality to fuel your energy. They should contain protein, fat and fiber.
Be present as you chew your snack, enjoy the taste as your brain registers the food taken in. Stay hydrated to keep your energy level up. Listen to your body, if you need the snack, have it, enjoy it. The lattes, smoothies and chia puddings can also be eaten for snacks. Steamed vegetables dipped in a dressing is a good snack too!
Chocolate Protein Smoothie Bowl
This creamy thick chocolate smoothie bowl is packed with protein, fruits and vegetables but tastes like a decadent dessert. Easy to make in just 5 minutes.
Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies (Paleo, AIP, Nut-Free)
Delicious high protein breakfast cookies with a thin, crispy exterior and a soft middle and they just happen to be nut-free, egg-free, paleo, gluten-free and AIP.
Healthy Blueberry Breakfast Cookies (Gluten Free, Paleo)
These healthy breakfast cookies taste like blueberry granola in a cookie form. They are super nutritious packed with protein, omega 3’s and fiber from chia, flax, walnuts and more.
Chocolate Hemp Maca Energy Bites
These tasty little chocolate balls will satisfy your cravings and give you energy.
Cookie Dough Energy Bites with Cacao Nibs
Convenient little healthy energy bites that you can take anywhere. They taste so good you’ll think they are made with real cookie dough but they are a high protein snack with healthy ingredients. Yum!
Other Snack Options
- Avacado – 1/2 of an avocado sliced, sprinkled with pink sea salt and lemon juice
- Almond Butter and Apple – 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond butter on an organic apple with a sprinkle of Ceylon cinnamon
- Celery with Almond Butter and Raisins
- Raw Sprouted Nuts and Berries – just a handful of nuts, about 10 and 1 cup organic berries
- Kale Chips homemade or store bought
- Sea Snacks with A Few Berries – crispy little sheets of nori packed with minerals like iodine
- Lara Bar – sweet and chewy with nuts for protein and no sweetener
Latte’s and Beverages
The lattes have fat in the form of nut or coconut milks to give you a boost of energy and fuel your brain and body. Having fat in the morning tells your body it is safe, there is fuel, you can relax but without the sugar spike. Have one of them within 1 hour of waking to support your adrenals.
Cacao Maca Latte (Paleo, Vegan)
Cacao Maca Latte is a healthy hot chocolate made with SUPER FOOD ingredients. It’s paleo, dairy free, naturally sweetened and easy to make.
Golden Milk Turmeric Latte
A delightful beverage full of anti-inflammatory turmeric and healthy fats. A great way to start your day or as a nighttime beverage to soothe your body to sleep.
Easy Homemade Matcha Latte
Homemade Matcha Latte is a delicious warm beverage that is high in antioxidants. It’s easy to make with only 4 ingredients. Matcha is the powdered form of green tea that provides a no-jitters energy boost making it a great coffee alternative.
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is a powerful cleansing drink that mobilizes toxins and restores balance to the body. It also benefits the digestive system and helps diminish cravings for sweet and salty foods. It increases the production of hydrochloric acid so you metabolize proteins more efficiently. Ginger decreases inflammation and alkalizes your body. I recommend 2-3 cups.
Other Teas You May Enjoy:
- Spring Dragon Longevity Tea – an adaptogenic tea that builds adaptability and stress resilience.
- Licorice Root Tea
- Rooibos Tea
- Chamomile Tea
Basics
Here you’ll find directions and recipes for some of the basics you’ll use in this program
Healing Bone Broth
An easy way to make bone broth is taking the bones of a roast chicken left over after you finish eating the meat, put them in a pot, cover with water, add 1 Tb apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer 3-4 hours. Never waste those bones, they are so valuable. You can freeze them until you have lots and then make a big pot of broth too!
Vegetable Broth
A wonderful broth that can be varied according to taste. You can make this with the basic ingredients and/or any of the optional ingredients.
Homemade Almond Milk and Coconut Milk
Here is how to make almond milk and coconut milk from scratch! Creamy and flavorful. Delicious in smoothies and lattes.
Homemade Hemp Milk
A non-dairy plant milk that’s easy to make, no soaking or straining required. The seeds are small enough to break down when blended.
This Adrenal Cleanse can be done anytime. Do it for 1 day or up to 14 days. Even if you’re not doing the full cleanse, following the guidelines above will strengthen your adrenal health. If you have questions or need support as you go through your cleanse, leave a comment below and I will get back to you within 1 day.