Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms & Menopause Natural Treatments
If you feel like no matter how much you rest, you’re still running on empty, you’re not alone.
Many women assume extreme fatigue is just part of menopause, but there’s often a deeper issue at play: adrenal fatigue.
Your adrenal glands are small but powerful.
They help regulate stress, energy, and inflammation by producing cortisol and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone).
DHEA is a precursor hormone that can be converted into small amounts of estrogen and testosterone, but it does not fully replace the estrogen and progesterone lost during menopause.
Instead, much of the body’s post-menopausal estrogen comes from fat tissue rather than directly from the adrenals.
So why do the adrenals matter during menopause?
It’s because they help your body manage stress and maintain hormone balance.
If they’re overworked due to chronic stress, poor sleep, or a nutrient-depleted diet, they struggle to keep up leading to exhaustion, brain fog, and even worsening menopause symptoms.
Here’s the tricky part: Adrenal fatigue symptoms often mimic menopause symptoms, making it easy to overlook.
If you experience unrelenting fatigue, trouble handling stress, intense sugar or salt cravings, or wake up frequently between 2-4 AM, your adrenal glands could be in burnout mode.
The good news?
You don’t need a GP visit or prescription to fix this.
Understanding adrenal fatigue and supporting your body with simple, natural strategies can restore your energy, reduce menopause symptoms, and make you feel like yourself again. Let’s dive in.
What Is Adrenal Fatigue & How Is It Linked to Menopause?
Your adrenal glands sit atop your kidneys, acting as your body’s stress response centre.
They produce stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and DHEA, helping you manage everything from daily stress to blood sugar regulation.
When functioning well, they keep you feeling energised, resilient, and balanced.
However, chronic stress whether from work, poor sleep, emotional strain, over-exercising, or years of restrictive dieting can push your adrenals into overdrive.
Over time, this leads to dysregulated cortisol levels, which can leave you feeling constantly drained, anxious, or wired but tired.
How This Connects to Menopause
As women move through perimenopause and menopause, the ovaries naturally reduce their production of estrogen and progesterone.
This isn’t a flaw—it’s simply part of ageing.
Once we are no longer in our reproductive years, we don’t need the same levels of ovarian hormone levels to sustain fertility.
While the adrenal glands can produce small amounts of DHEA this does not replace lost ovarian hormones.
Instead, their role shifts toward maintaining overall hormone balance, particularly in managing stress and inflammation.
However, if your adrenals are already overworked when menopause arrives, they may struggle to keep up, making symptoms feel worse.
Common signs of adrenal fatigue include:
✔ Extreme fatigue, even after sleeping
✔ Increased belly fat (stress-driven weight gain)
✔ Brain fog & memory lapses
✔ Heightened anxiety & irritability
✔ Poor sleep—not getting enough sleep, especially waking between 2-4 AM
In other words, adrenal fatigue makes menopause feel harder than it needs to be. The good news is that by supporting your adrenal health, you can ease menopause symptoms, regain your energy levels, and feel more balanced—without resorting to quick fixes or medications.
Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms: How to Tell If Your Adrenals Are Struggling
Adrenal fatigue develops gradually, many women don’t realise their adrenals are burning out until they hit perimenopause or menopause when stress, hormone shifts, and fatigue collide.
Since adrenal fatigue symptoms often overlap with menopause symptoms, it’s important to recognise the specific signs that point to adrenal dysfunction.
Common Symptoms & Signs of Adrenal Fatigue:
✅ Unrelenting Fatigue – Feeling drained even after a full night’s sleep
✅ Waking Between 2-4 AM – Cortisol imbalances can cause sleep disruptions
✅ Brain Fog & Memory Lapses – Trouble focusing, remembering words, or mental sluggishness
✅ Increased Belly Fat – High cortisol encourages fat storage, especially around the waist
✅ Mood Swings, Anxiety, or Irritability – Feeling more reactive or overwhelmed by stress
✅ Craving Sugar or Salty Foods – The adrenals help regulate blood sugar, protecting from insulin resistance, and electrolyte balance
✅ Energy Crashes – Feeling exhausted mid-morning or mid-afternoon despite eating
✅ Low Blood Pressure or Dizziness When Standing – A sign of dysregulated adrenal function
✅ Weakened Immune System – More frequent colds, slow wound healing, or ongoing inflammation
How to Tell If It’s More Than Just Menopause
Emotional stress from work, family responsibilities, and life’s challenges—combined with years of reliance on birth control pills or dealing with medical conditions like autoimmune disorders, thyroid issues, or chronic inflammation—can create a slow, cumulative drain on the adrenal glands.
For many women, this burnout happens gradually, over time, as the body is pushed to its limits by constant physical and emotional demands.
The daily juggling act between taking care of others, maintaining a career, and managing life’s ups and downs can feel like a marathon.
Menopause is a natural transition, and some fatigue is normal as your body adjusts, but if you feel completely depleted, struggle to handle stress, and experience intense cravings or disrupted sleep, adrenal dysfunction could be amplifying your symptoms.
The good news?
You can heal adrenal fatigue naturally.
While reducing stress completely isn’t always possible in the world we live in, you can support your body by nourishing it effectively and adopting adrenal-supportive habits that align with your unique lifestyle. This is the best way you can restore your energy, balance your hormones, and feel more like yourself—without needing a GP or medication.
How to Overcome Adrenal Fatigue Naturally & Reclaim Your Energy
Healing adrenal fatigue isn’t about quick fixes—it’s about supporting your body with consistent, sustainable habits that work for your unique lifestyle.
Since stress is often unavoidable, the goal isn’t to eliminate it but to nourish your body effectively and develop stress-management strategies that work for you.
1. Prioritise Deep, Restorative Sleep
Lack of sleep puts extra pressure on your adrenals, worsening fatigue, hormone imbalances, and cravings.
To improve sleep:
✔ Set a consistent bedtime and wake time, even on weekends
✔ Limit screens & blue light 1-2 hours before bed
✔ Create a wind-down routine (magnesium, herbal tea, deep breathing)
✔ Support your circadian rhythm by getting morning and late afternoon sunlight
2. Eat to Fuel & Restore Your Adrenals
Your body needs stable blood sugar and nutrient-dense foods to recover from adrenal fatigue.
Focus on:
✔ Protein at every meal – Supports hormone production & blood sugar balance download your free protein cheat sheet HERE.
✔ Good fats (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, eggs) – Reduce inflammation & nourish cells
✔ Complex carbs (root veggies, quinoa, lentils) – Prevent energy crashes and support natural progesterone
✔ Mineral-rich foods (sea salt, bone broth, leafy greens) – Support adrenal function
❌ Avoid ultra-processed foods, toxic seed oils (read more about these HERE) refined sugar, and excessive caffeine, which can overwork the adrenals
3. Adjust Caffeine & Intermittent Fasting Mindfully
While intermittent fasting and coffee can be beneficial for some women, they can also stress the adrenals if your body is already depleted.
Consider:
✔ Delaying coffee until after breakfast to avoid cortisol spikes
✔ Shortening fasting windows if you feel fatigued, dizzy, or irritable, especially adapting IF to your cycle or the moon cycle.
✔ Tuning into your body—if fasting or caffeine makes you feel worse, adjust accordingly
4. Support Your Body’s Stress Response
Chronic stress depletes adrenal reserves, so managing it proactively is key.
Since stress is inevitable, the focus should be on how you respond to it:✔ Deep breathing & mindfulness – Lowers cortisol in real time✔ Gentle movement (walking, yoga, stretching) – Regular exercise supports adrenal recovery
✔ Time in nature – Grounds your nervous system and improves mood
✔ Set boundaries & protect your energy – Say no to things that drain you
5. Balance Movement & Rest
Over-exercising—especially intense cardio—can worsen adrenal fatigue.
Instead of pushing through exhaustion, focus on a mix of movement and restorative activities:
✔ Walking, Pilates, strength training (moderate, supportive exercise)
✔ Yin yoga, stretching, or deep rest days (to reset your nervous system)
✔ Listening to your body—if you’re exhausted, more exercise isn’t the answer
Healing adrenal fatigue is not about overhauling your life overnight, it’s about making small, consistent shifts that work for you.
When you fuel your body well, align stress management with your lifestyle and listen to your body’s signals, you can restore your energy, navigate menopause with more ease, and feel like yourself again—without relying on medication or a GP.
Taking Personal Responsibility for Your Health & Well-Being
One of the most empowering shifts you can make during menopause is taking ownership of your health.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that feeling exhausted, foggy, and out of balance is just part of getting older, but that’s simply not true.
Your body is designed to thrive—even through menopause—when it’s supported in the right way.
Trust Your Body’s Signals
Your symptoms are not random—they are messages from your body, asking for support.
Instead of ignoring or suppressing them with medications that act as band-aids, the key is to listen, understand, and respond with nourishing actions.
✔ Chronic fatigue? Your body may need more rest, deep nourishment, and stress recovery.
✔ Energy crashes and cravings? Blood sugar balance and adrenal support could be key.
✔ Feeling overwhelmed or anxious? Nervous system regulation, boundaries, and self-care are essential.
You Don’t Need Permission to Take Control of Your Health
The conventional, allopathic system often tells women that HRT, sleeping pills, or antidepressants are the only way forward.
If you’re curious to understand more about Allopathic vs Holistic, take a look at this post.
While medications have their place, they are not the only solution—and they certainly shouldn’t be the default answer to menopause and adrenal fatigue.
The truth is, you have the power to support your body naturally today.
You don’t need a GP’s permission to:
✅ Eat in a way that nourishes your hormones and energy
✅ Prioritise deep rest, recovery, and nervous system support
✅ Adjust your movement, stress management, and daily habits to work for YOU
✅ Trust your body’s ability to heal when given the right tools
Taking responsibility for your health doesn’t mean you must do it alone.
If you’re unsure where to start, or how to approach this naturally, that’s where I come in.
You don’t have to navigate natural menopause health without support.
To help you begin, I’ve created a free eBook that simplifies how to nourish your body during menopause and adrenal fatigue because it doesn’t need to be complicated.
I also offer an Adrenal Fatigue Meal Plan designed to support your recovery and provide practical, delicious meals that align with your unique needs.
You are your best healer, but I’m here to guide you.
A well-nourished body does not crave food, no cravings – no willpower is needed.
Which foods are the right ones to nourish your body with?
Download this free ebook and discover how to tailor your meals and support your menopause health and well-being.
Find Joy and Satisfaction from food.
Overcome the symptoms you are experiencing naturally through food and protect your future health.
Make your health span as long as your lifespan.
Adrenal Fatigue 7-Day Meal Plan
Feeling constantly exhausted, overwhelmed, or struggling with brain fog? Your adrenals may be burned out from chronic stress, poor sleep, and hormone imbalances—but the right nutrition can help you heal.
This 7-day meal plan is designed to:
✅ Support adrenal recovery with nourishing, whole-food meals
✅ Balance blood sugar & reduce energy crashes
✅ Reduce stress on the body with anti-inflammatory ingredients
✅ Help regulate cortisol & hormone levels naturally
💡 Perfect for menopause, chronic stress, burnout, and fatigue recovery—without restrictive diets or expensive supplements.
✔ Easy-to-follow meals
✔ Hormone-friendly recipes
✔ Simple ingredients, big results!
Take control of your health today—download your Adrenal Fatigue Support Meal Plan and start feeling better naturally!