Adrenal Cocktail Benefits and Recipe

Adrenal cocktail benefits include replenishing electrolytes necessary for proper physiological function, and nourishing your adrenal glands. But why the heck should you care about that???

Well, if you’ve been living in modern society, it is likely that you struggle with something called STRESS! If you have been having challenges with your blood sugar or extended stress, it is likely that your adrenal glands need support.

Read on to find out why you should replace your afternoon coffee with an adrenal cocktail. What does an adrenal cocktail do? When to take adrenal cocktails and recipes you can easily make at home.

Adrenal Cocktail Benefits

When our bodies are under chronic physical or emotional stress, electrolytes and minerals are used in the body at higher levels than normal to maintain homeostasis.

An adrenal cocktail is an excellent way to replenish the body of major electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals that help to balance the adrenal glands, specifically: potassium, sodium, and Vitamin C. 

What is an adrenal cocktail?

An adrenal cocktail ingredients include sources of potassium, sodium and whole food vitamin C. The vitamin C ensures that the minerals (sodium and potassium) get to the liver and then the adrenal glands.

The adrenal cocktail was popularized by Morley Robbins and the Root Cause Protocol. It is one of the initial steps in the RCP to help restore your energy levels.

What are the adrenals and why do they need a cocktail?

The adrenal glands are endocrine glands that sit on top of the kidneys. The glands have two parts: The adrenal cortex which produces aldosterone, cortisol and sex hormones, and the adrenal medulla, which produces epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and norepinephrine.

The adrenal glands play a critical role, along with the hypothalamus and pituitary (also called the HPA axis: Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis), in responding to stress. They prepare your body for “fight or flight” by raising your blood sugar in response to a stressor.

In modern life, processed foods high in carbohydrates raise our blood sugar, causing an overabundance of insulin, leading to that feeling of a sugar crash a couple of hours after a meal. In this case, the adrenals will try to raise your blood sugar to bring your body back into homeostasis (balance).

If you follow functional medicine trends, you will notice that the adrenal fatigue diagnosis is beginning to go out of style, and being replaced with “mitochondrial dysfunction”. Nevertheless, you could still call this an adrenal fatigue cocktail recipe, as it does have a profound effect on your energy levels.

When should you drink an adrenal cocktail?

If you know you struggle with blood sugar dysregulation, adding an adrenal cocktail routine can be a helpful step in restoring balance in your body.

Other times to consider this orange juice and cream of tarter concoction is when electrolytes are depleted. For example after exercising, using the sauna, or following a majorly stressful event.

It is best to consume an adrenal cocktail away from food. Around 2 or 3 pm is a good starting point. When you begin, start with half the recipe to give your body time to adjust.

After you have been having an afternoon adrenal cocktail for a while, you could start having a second one in the morning between breakfast and lunch.

What salt should you use for an adrenal cocktail?

Any unrefined salt of your choice, will provide sodium and an assortment of trace minerals. For clients, I recommend rotating salts, as each type of salt has a slightly different combination of minerals. Some of my favorite salt for adrenal cocktails:

• Redmond Real Salt
• Celtic Sea Salt
• Himalayan Salt
• Baja Gold Salt

Are there adrenal cocktail benefits on the GAPS diet?

No. Generally speaking, if you are following the GAPS diet you will not need an adrenal cocktail. The GAPS version would be either a GAPS “milkshake” or a cup of broth with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Pasteurized orange juice and coconut water are not suggested for those following the GAPS protocol, as they are high in natural sugar. Following the GAPS diet will provide so much nourishment throughout the day, that you can feel comfortable that your adrenal glands will be nourished.

The RCP Adrenal Cocktail Recipe

This is the original recipe from the Root Cause Protocol. I also think this is the most simple adrenal cocktail recipe.

Hot tip: You can easily make a mix of cream of tarter and unrefined salt ahead of time and then just put a small scoop (1/2 tsp) into a glass of OJ.

Cream of Tarter / Orange Juice Recipe

• 4 oz Orange Juice (fresh squeezed preferred, but store bought is fine as long as it doesn’t have additional ingredients).
• 1/4 tsp Cream of Tarter
• 1/4 tsp finely ground Redmond Real Salt

However, if this cream of tarter and orange juice recipe doesn’t sound like something you’d like, there are more options!

Free download: Adrenal Cocktail Recipes [leave a comment to get this sent to you]

Orange Juice and Coconut Water Recipe

This version of orange juice and coconut water, is probably the most popular recipe that I’ve seen. Coconut water on its own is such a great source of minerals. However, if you take into consideration seasonal eating, this recipe mostly makes sense for those in warmer latitudes.

Orange Creamsicle Drink Recipe

• 1 cup coconut water
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 tsp salt

Optional add-ons:

• 1 Tbsp collagen – will supply protein which most of us need more of!
• 2 Tbsp coconut cream – will supply healthy fat, which will keep you satiated longer!

Blend until frothy!

I do suggest adding in the optional add-ins for those that are working on balancing their macros, as without them, it is a realitively high sugar drink and will raise blood sugar.

Summer Adrenal Cocktail

If you’re looking for a no orange juice adrenal cocktail recipe, try this one:

• 1/2 cup watermelon juice
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt

Full disclosure: This adrenal cocktail without orange juice combination gave me so much energy it actually kept me up at night. This is why I don’t recommend adrenal cocktails at bedtime.

Obviously I wouldn’t recommend adrenal cocktails for sleep or having an adrenal cocktail before bed. Generally, however, with my clients I have not found any significant adrenal cocktail side effects.

Second Best Adrenal Cocktail

Anyone that has been around here for a while, knows that I always advocated for whole real foods. But sometimes life is tricky, so supplements are second best. If I had to recommend an adrenal cocktail powder, I would go with the Jigsaw Adrenal Cocktail.

A final word on the benefits of adrenal cocktails

Adrenal cocktails are great as a tool in your wellness toolbox. If they help you to relieve fatigue or cut down on caffeine then great! Keep doing that, and be empowered in that in listening to your body it will tell you what it needs.

However, we have to remember the big picture. Ultimately the biggest influence on your overall well-being will be the food the you choose to eat throughout the day, and your microbiome.

Are your meals macro balanced? Are you getting a sufficient variety of nutrients? Are you choosing the most supportive foods for your body, life stage and activity level? And, of course, are you able to digest your foods properly?

If you’re ready to stop with the band-aid approach and get help, click the button below to get a FREE personalized nutrition assessment, and find out if working together is right for you.

*Button opens in a new tab where you will sign up on an external website that hosts the nutritional assessment.