Spring Cleaning our Adrenals

Teri Cochrane on
Low histamine foods such as artichokes and asparagus are adrenal-supportive.

Our house isn’t the only thing that needs some spring cleaning. Our bodies collect toxins throughout the year – both energetic and physical – and spring is a great time to help clear out some of that accumulation! Rather than engaging in a harsh spring diet or detox, I’ve been considering how to give the body a gentle, soothing lift – supporting key systems from the inside out.

What I’ve landed on this year is an adrenal reset.

Our adrenals are responsible for controlling our stress response and stress hormones; they help keep us awake and energized during the day, and even regulate our sleep. During the spring, our adrenals take a hit that goes beyond daily stress: high histamine levels caused by seasonal pollen.

We have talked about the importance of counter-seasonal eating to reduce our histamine burden, but I want to take it a step further and provide you with some actionable steps for supporting the adrenal glands directly. See below counter seasonal eating.

Counter Seasonal Eating

Certain foods naturally contain a high volume of histamine, which can trigger an allergic reaction if you are particularly sensitive, or simply contribute to downstream impacts such as sinusitis, indigestion, IBS or leaky gut.

By eliminating these foods and replacing them with lower histamine alternatives, we can do our bodies a whole world of good.

Some simple swaps to consider this spring

Avocados: Exchange for artichoke, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, asparagus, squash or beets.

Yogurt: Exchange for mozzarella or ricotta cheese.

Pecans, walnuts and almonds: Exchange for pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Citrus, pears and bananas: Exchange for blueberries, apricots, cranberries, cherries or papaya.

Supporting Adrenals Directly

Apply some heat

While the weather is still mild, consider placing a heating pad on your adrenal glands (located in your mid to low back, right above your hips) for 10 minutes in the evening. This daily heat can be extremely soothing for these hard-working glands, and help the body unwind after a long day.

Get herbal with it

While I recommend avoiding some adaptogens (mostly mushrooms), I love herbals like ashwagandha, rhodiola and holy basil in the spring for adrenal support. Adaptogens help support the body where it needs it most by “adapting” to your adrenal system’s unique needs.

Relax and restore

Try a yin yoga practice, where deep, restorative poses are held for 2-5 minutes to relax the muscles and joints and reduce tension. This can be particularly helpful for the adrenal glands, which benefit from deep twists!

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