Recovering from Burnout - Part 5
Long-Term Strategy
AIM TO FOLLOW FOR 2 – 3 MONTHS, IMPERFECTLY IS FINE
Keep caffeine to 1 – 2 cups max per day (less if you can tolerate it) –
Some caffeine can be helpful…but too much can make you extra tired. If you’re currently scarfing down coffee just to get through your day, try an experiment. Slowly wean yourself down to 2 cups max per day and keep it there for 2 weeks (it takes at least a week to get used to less of a jolt).
After 2 weeks – how do you feel? For most, you’ll feel more energy without so much caffeine AND your body will recover faster without all of the stimulants.
If you feel you need more – have as little as you can tolerate. Don’t have an extra cup just because you like the taste. Watch how many stimulating cups you’re having each day :)
Eat lots of cooked veggies –
Cooked veggies are significantly easier on the body and we can absorb more nutrients because their cell walls have been broken during cooking. It’s okay to have some raw carrots and a salad or two…just make sure that lots of your veggies are cooked. And heap them high on your plate :)
Don’t forget about fruit -
It’s in the fast energy boosting category for a reason. Keep up with 1 – 3 servings of fruit each day to satisfy your sweet tooth, get loads of vitamins, and get a fast boost of energy.
Switch refined sugars for less-processed one –
Trade out white sugar, brown sugar, and high fructose corn syrup for honey, maple syrup, dates, and coconut sugar. These less processed sugars have all of the trace nutrients needed for digestion. The refined sweeteners steal very important B vitamins and magnesium from your adrenals for digestion.
Eat every 4 – 5 hours –
Just for now, you don’t have to do this forever. When you put a large gap between meals, your body uses the stress hormone cortisol to bring it back up. A lot of your low energy and fogginess comes from low levels of cortisol, so don’t waste this precious hormone this way. Instead, grab a meal or a snack every 4 hours or so and keep your blood sugar steady.
This also means that right now isn’t a very good time for any form of fasting. Fasting triggers a stress reaction (esp. in women) and this isn’t a good time to waste those precious hormones. That being said, an overnight fast of 12 – 14 hours can be okay, but I don’t suggest fasting for any longer durations right now.
What eating every 4 -5 hours looks like for many people –
Breakfast at 7:30am, lunch at noon, a late afternoon snack at 4pm, and dinner around 6pm.
If you don’t like to eat breakfast, that’s okay. Just eat something by 10am to keep your blood sugar steady :)
SUPER HELPFUL SUPPLEMENTS
B complex – These vitamins nourish your adrenals and help them heal and start working properly again.
B 50 complex - this is enough for most people. If you’re worried you might not absorb or methylate B vitamins well, try Natural Factor’s Active B.
Magnesium – This is our relaxation mineral (helps our muscles relax and helps us sleep), but it also helps our cells generate energy. Look for citrate, glycinate, or bisglycinate forms. Stay away from oxide forms…it’s a laxative (and you won’t absorb any of it). Aim for 300mg – 700mg per day
Magnesium Citrate by Natural Factors - this one is a good priced magnesium capsule that doesn’t contain any oxide. Sometimes mag citrate can cause loose stools, if so, try a bisglycinate form.
Magnesium Bisglycinate by Can Prev (liquid only) - this is one of the few bisglycinate supplements that don’t contain any oxide…I haven’t found any capsules that don’t have some.
Purica’s Effervescent Magnesium (powder) - this one tastes good and is a very absorbable magnesium. It’s my favourite :)
Adrenal herbal formula – these herbal formulas are full of adaptogenic herbs, which allow your body to adapt better to your day and to stress. Many also contain tonic herbs which help your nervous system relax.
Adrenal Pro by Can Prev - this is a great formula, full of adrenal healing nutrients
If you have low blood pressure and are feeling dizzy when standing up quickly -
AOR Ortho-Adapt – this is a potent, ND-strength adrenal supplement that’s only for people who are feeling symptoms of very low cortisol and only take this if your blood pressure is low. Start with 2 caps and increase to 4 if needed. If your body tends to be very sensitive, start with 1.
In Conclusion
There’s no doubt that we’ve had some pretty hard years, both individually and collectively. You’re not alone if you’re feeling totally exhausted and overwhelmed.
If you’re feeling like adding anything, even something easy is impossible right now because you’re just too tired, you too spent…that’s okay. Email me and I can give you some easy ideas to help your body heal ❤️.
The most important thing I want to leave you with is this – it doesn’t take a diet overhaul to feel better. Just incorporating a few easy things can help enormously. And, your body is capable of healing, you will feel like yourself again.
And, reach out to me anytime if you need help ❤️
Got any questions or comments? Comment below, jump to our private Facebook Group, or the Ask Lisa page :)