There is more to the immune system than the adrenal glands, but it is safe to say that any immune system dysfunction includes adrenal stress. Some signs of possible adrenal stress and depletion are:
-easily stressed
-get shaky when stressed
-intolerant to cold
-cold hands and feet
-thin, dry, wispy hair that falls out easily - oversensitive to light
-dry skin
-ligaments and joints easily strained/sprained
-exercise causes fatigue
-tendency toward low blood sugar
-crave sweets, carbs, salt
-low motivation
-panic attacks, worry, fear, insecurity
-easily startled
-heart palpitations
-fatigue
-brain fog
-difficulty focusing and concentrating mind
-depression or irritability
-low and unstable body temperature (as in taken with a thermometer) Always check with your doctor, as any of the above symptoms can mean different things.
Adrenal support:
-Vitamin C and bioflavinoids (vitamin C complex)
-Magnesium
-B-complex vitamins, especially B5 (Pantothenic acid)
-EFA's (essential fatty acids). Fish oil supplements, organically-raised meat or fish, and organic or natural raw cheese or butter from grass-fed cows are some good sources.
-Supplemental digestive enzymes
-High-quality, easily-digested complete protein foods (eggs, poultry, fish, for example). People with adrenal problems often initially need digestive enzymes for protein foods, since they often have trouble digesting them.
-adrenal glandular supplement (desiccated adrenal).
-High-quality sea salt for seasoning - provides many trace minerals (including iodine) that are beneficial for adrenals and thyroid. Celtic sea salt is the one I use. A naturopath I know said that people with high blood pressure who used the Celtic salt said their blood pressure actually went down when they added it to their diet!
The feedback I get from most of the people in my Fibromyalgia/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome survey is that most of them feel better when they keep carbs (even complex carbs) down and eat fish, eggs, poultry and other animal protein, a little at each meal. All these people have adrenal stress among other things, and for most of them, a relatively low carb diet with moderate protein and fat, works best.
Exercise is essential to boosting the immune system, and effective for reducing stress!
In brief, the foundation of any program to restore adrenal function and boost the immune system is: Exercise, get outdoors and breathe fresh air, stretch. Cut down refined carbs, and any alcohol or coffee, eat more fresh raw foods. Increase high-quality animal protein and healthy fats in your diet. Take time out to sit quietly and meditate.