Hello!
Today I wanted to talk about stress and how it depletes nutrients in your body and what we can do about it.
When I talk about stress from a holistic perspective I am including emotions, food, the environment, etc. Any type of stress imbalances our body.
Anytime we feel this stress our body secretes stress hormones. When this happens chronically it depletes nutrients from us.
Today I want to share tips on how we can mitigate the effects of stress. There is no one solution as it is a holistic approach but I want to share some tips to shed more light.
Tips:
1. Eat more nourishing foods; especially vegetables and fruit, mostly raw as they are the most nutrient dense and will have vitamin C and magnesium (which can be lost when foods are cooked). When we eat whole foods they are nutrient dense and not simply calories.
2. Add in good quality supplements like magnesium, B complex vitamins and vitamin C as they are lost easily when stressed. This is a general recommendation. Having a professional help you focus on the right supplements for your lifestyle is helpful as well.
3. Get to the root cause of stressors which is usually an emotion. If we are at work and can’t get to the emotion go for a walk, breathe deeply, go to the bathroom to take the edge off. This helps in the interim. If the issue is bigger and needs more processing bookmark it and look at it in meditation. I like to do somatic meditations to work on deeper issues.
4. Get good quality sleep. Dealing with the root cause (emotional issues) and nourishing the body (food and supplements) will help with better sleep. If we don’t look at these foundations it might be more difficult to sleep well. Deeper sleep results in better moods, helps the brain detox and rejuvenates us.
5. Optimal digestion. This can be difficult if you are in a stressful state, so build on the above foundation. In the interim breathe deep belly breathes for 2-3 minutes before a meal. Breathing deeply will put the system into a rest and digest mode. Having smoothies and blended foods helps as well as their digestion is much easier.
We are all under stress, so the above tips can help to mitigate it. Combined they can help you feel better and healthier!
To less stress,
Michelle
Certified Holistic Nutritionist.
