A HEALTHY HOT CHOCOLATE THAT SUPPORTS YOUR ADRENALS

You've heard about adrenal fatigue, or perhaps even felt it. You have a sweet tooth. You love chocolate. WE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE. I catch up with Greg Haglund, supplement expert (and founder of my personal fave Switch Nutrition), to chat about how we can support ourselves in times of high stress...with hot chocolate.

Firstly, what are our ‘adrenal’ glands and why do they need support? 

Adrenal glands are complex little triangular shaped glands that sit on top of our kidneys and secrete hormones that help us react to stress. They are also involved in water and salt balance hence the ‘renal’ part of the name. Renal refers to kidneys which are the major organ supporting hydration and filtration of the blood. In a high-stress life, the Adrenals tend to be on constant alert and can be overworked. However, people often think their adrenals get fatigued and tired and no longer do the job. This is actually very rare and is known as Addison’s disease. More commonly people become less responsive to the adrenaline or cortisol produced by the adrenals and become resistant. This manifests as being tired through the day and unable to get to sleep at night.

We seem to blame everything on ‘adrenal fatigue’ now. What are the symptoms to look out for? 

Adrenal Fatigue is a term coined by natural health practitioners and it's not entirely accurate (see above). The person may feel fatigued or tired but the Adrenal Glands are doing their job. It is more likely the adrenal receptors which activate when adrenaline and cortisol come into contact with them are resistant due to over activation. This is similar in ways to how we think of Type 2 diabetes.

What herbs and supplements support healthy adrenals? 

Adaptogens are a class of compounds that help our bodies adapt to stress and respond more effectively. The king of these is the Ayurvedic herb Ashwagandha as found in Adrenal Switch. However, many medicinal mushrooms like those found in Vitality Switch may also support healthy adrenal response. Magnesium is critical for helping cells switch off and calm down after over-activation. Along with many other vitamins, minerals and aminos Glycine is critical for nervous system health.

What can results can we expect when we support our adrenals properly?

So many benefits to healthy functioning adrenals:

• Longer lasting constant energy through the day with less dependence on caffeine or stimulants.
• Calmer, less anxious feelings
• Reduced sense of stress
• Better quality sleep
• Help reduce body fat accumulation
• support lean muscle
• improve gut health
• balance your body’s hormonal responses 

A lot of supplements contain common allergens and added sugar. What should we be looking for in a top-quality supplement?

Avoid products with added sugar and manmade chemical sweeteners (950, 951, 954 or 955) or, colours (dyes) or preservatives.

Avoiding gluten, soy and dairy isn’t always necessary but if you can find products that don’t contain these common allergens then you will likely be better off.

Healthy Hot Chocolate Recipe

Sal: I actually have this event night before bed. It kicks my sweet tooth after dinner and give me the magnesium I need for restful sleep. Plus...hot chocolate.

• 1 scoop Chocolate Arenal Switch
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 drops peppermint oil (optional - if you like it minty!)

1. Heat the almond milk over the stove on medium until just gently bubbling.
2. Remove from heat, add chocolate and peppermint, then WHISK until smooth.
3. ENJOY with happy adrenals!

If you want to try out any products from Switch - enter FITFOODIE10 for a delightful discount!