How To Help Your Adrenals & Thyroid Recover From An Eating Disorder

What many of the women I see in my medical practice who have struggled with an eating disorder didn't expect was that they'd find themselves facing long-term consequences in the form of a slow-functioning thyroid1 and imbalances in the adrenal stress response, with symptoms like:

Note: Many of the suggestions here are based on my experience, observations, and practice as a medical doctor focusing on women's health, particularly adrenal and thyroid problems. Please consult your doctor before making any lifestyle changes, especially if you have a medical history of eating disorders.

When your nutrition levels are low, your energy levels are also low. This sends the body into survival (aka fight-or-flight mode), causing your metabolism and energy expenditure to lower3. Here's why it happens and how it works:

This can lead to nervousness, sweating, cold shakes, brain fog, and other symptoms of anxiety. These side effects are a result of excess adrenaline, which are encouraging you to jump into food-seeking action.

This puts you into a state of anxiousness, with symptoms like irritability, increased muscle tension, sleep disruption5, poor digestion, and a weakened immune system6.

"Thyroid function is usually down-regulated during stressful conditions,7" one study says. This, in turn, slows down metabolic functioning. To preserve energy, attention is also diverted away from tasks you don't need urgently, like regular digestion or making reproductive hormones.

Here are five ways you can start replenishing your health, starting immediately:

Never let yourself get to the point where you're so hungry that you're shaky, cranky, jittery or unable to concentrate. Going to long in between meals can lead to a dip in blood sugar, which can cause the brain to jump into survival mode. To prevent this from happening:

Healthy carbohydrates, like whole grains and starchy vegetables can keep your cortisol in a healthy rhythm, especially when you cycle them at the right time of day. Here's how this is done:

Eating a healthy carbohydrate about five hours before bed has been shown to normalize cortisol, improve sleep, and help reduce excess weight8.

Sleeping seven to eight hours of sleep each night is essential to replenish our cells9 and restore healthy cortisol rhythm. Try getting to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each day.

If meditation is not your thing, try other activities that bring you joy and peace. Dancing, painting, journaling, taking a hot bath, reading a novel, etc. Whatever it is, give yourself permission to pause, replenish your spirit, and relax every day.

You don't have to have a diagnosed eating disorder to notice these adrenal and thyroid affects. Any excessive restricting, including orthorexia (an excessive focus on healthy eating), excessive cleansing, and detoxing that leads to under-eating can have an impact. If you struggle from these issues, always consult with a doctor, nutritionist, or therapist to find support and a plan for healing.