Nutritional Support During Stress

Need for Nutritional Support During Stress

Our adrenal glands physically endure the biggest brunt of all our emotional stress and thus benefit from nutritional support especially during times of stress. If you are not familiar with these crucial glands, adrenals are involved with the well-known Fight or Flight reaction. The adrenal glands secrete hormones that influence all the major physiological processes in your body. Stress can fatigue them. 

When your adrenals become weak or burnt out, this can cause you to feel fatigued, and be less equipped physically and mentally to handle the prolonged emotional stress. Also, you will be prone to other health issues as weak adrenals lead to lowered immune health. You can probably think of at least one person you know under constant stress who is also chronically sick. Adrenal fatigue can also make you more prone to allergies, inflammation, weight gain, and other health challenges.

What else taxes the adrenals aside from emotional stress? Physical stressors to the body such as sugar and caffeine… the very things many of us are prone to reach for when we are already feeling emotionally stressed! One of the many functions of the adrenal glands is related to regulating your blood sugar! Especially during times of stress it is best for us to avoid sugar.

For Serious Adrenal Fatigue

If you are seriously concerned about the health of your adrenal glands, you can request to have them tested via labwork. Good doctors that specialize in integrative medicine (docs who are up on the current tests and various modalities available in addition to conventional medicine) can easily hook you up with a saliva test and/or bloodwork to test your adrenal function looking at all the hormone levels your adrenals are supposed to secrete! 

It is best to use a test that requires samples at various times of the day (usually a take home kit then mailed to lab or returned to doc) because hormone levels are meant to fluctuate and have different parameters that should be evaluated at different times of the day.

Great Supplement for General Stress Support

Bliss anti-stress formula is a highly recommended herbal supplement for daily nutritional support of your adrenals, or even just to use on particularly stressful days/weeks as needed. The natural ingredients are a unique blend of adaptogenic herbs- meaning they help your body (adrenal glands) adapt to stress better. If you adrenals are working too hard, they may need to chill out. If they are weak, they may need a boost. That’s why adaptogenic herbs are great in this manner. You can read up on the ingredients, benefits, research, and FAQ on Bliss anti-stress formula. If you have questions regarding taking Bliss when on medications i.e. for anxiety or depression, you can print out the info from that link to bring it to your physician.

What else can you supplement with to support your body in coping with emotional stress? Try a quality highly absorbable B Complex. B vitamins are also essential for helping your body cope with the effects of stress. If you are a recovering alcoholic or addict, you should seriously consider supplementing with B Complex anyway. Giving your physical health extra nutritional support during stress can aid you in the difficult emotional challenge of stress, particularly in times of grief but also in daily life.