Stress is an inescapable part of life, and has knock-on effects on our body and wellbeing that can be hugely detrimental. That doesn’t mean we have to succumb to it, however! Luckily, there’s some fantastic supplements we can consider adding to our daily lives to help bust stress and put us back on the road to a healthier, happier body and mind.
Rhodiola Rosea
This trusted herb grows
throughout Asia, and has long been used as an adaptogen. These are nontoxic,
natural substances that help the body to adapt to challenges and increase our
resistance to stress. Packed with rosavin and salidroside, it’s been shown to
help boost sleep quality, reduce stress-induced memory issues, and boost
concentration. Plus, it’s science-backed and well-tolerated.
Ashwagandha
Another adaptogen that
helps improve our resilience to physical and mental stress, this herb is native
to India, and is well known as part of the Ayurveda medicinal system. It’s the
ultimate stress-buster, elevating mood and helping reduce excessive cortisol
levels in the body. This, in turn, helps the body to relax and thrive, even
when life is tough. It can even have a positive impact on depression and
anxiety.
L-Theanine
This amino acid is achingly
simple, but can do great things for the body. Found naturally in tea leaves,
it’s been shown to have positive effects on typical stress markers, including
lowering heart rate and helping the mind relax into a sleep-boosting ‘alpha
state’ without any sedative effects. It lowers cortisol, and helps boost your
multitasking abilities. Plus, it’s well tolerated and most people can use it.
Glycine
Glycine, taken before
bed, can help reduce that dragging feeling of fatigue that follows you through
the day, and has a soothing effect on the body that helps you focus better.
Like L-Theanine, it’s a common amino acid found in protein sources. It also
helps keep your core temperature lower, leaving you less sweaty and stressed
during the day, and better able to drop asleep at night. In turn, it helps
boost ‘recognition’ tasks that rely on memory.
B-Vitamins
The entire B-complex
family has great effects on busting stress. They help keep your mood level,
lower homocysteine levels to the correct balance for good health, boost your baby with the right
nutrition for healthy development if you’re pregnant, and are essential for the
optimal performance of the heart and brain. While they’re widely found in
healthy, nutritious foods, they’re also very delicate, and can easily be
destroyed by high temperatures when cooking. There’s even a chance they can
help ward off degenerative diseases, as well as correct pernicious anemia.
Thinking Outside the Pill Box
Of course, one of the
easiest ways to add these stress-busting supplements to your diet is through a
pill. But what if you’re not keen to tie yourself to yet another daily chore?
Ensuring you have a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruits and veggies is
a great way to promote overall health, but we all need an extra boost
sometimes.
Luckily, as the
fantastic effects of these supplements has become more broadly known, there’s a
wealth of other options open to you. Imagine spending your lunch break sipping
on a delicious, healthy energy drink packed with ashwagandha
and L-Theanine instead of trapping yourself in the caffeine cycle, or slipping
to sleep with a ‘sleepy time’ tea blend that helps regulate L-theanine and adds
a dash of Rhodiola to the mix?
If you’re not keen on
adding more supplements to your diet, these offer a great way to bust stress
and get the supplementation you need to help you thrive in a stressful modern
life.
However you like to take
your nutrition, adding these science-backed and time-proven supplements to your
diet can help you stay happier and healthier, no matter how stressful life
gets.
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