Stress-Less Holidays
7 NUTRIENTS THAT WILL SUPPORT YOUR STRESS LEVELS DURING THE HOLIDAYS
It’s no secret that the holidays can be a stressful time of the year for many. Our calendars are jammed with to-do’s and for some, the time with family, or without, can be enough to send our cortisol levels skyrocketing.
The thing is, stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to life experiences. It’s actually intended as a protective mechanism. The “fight or flight” response is what kept us from getting eaten by a tiger thousands of generations ago. It can be a good thing. Our bodies respond to stress by releasing hormones that increase our heart and breathing rates and send blood to our muscles to help us escape from a stressful event.
But the trouble is we’re not being chased by tigers anymore. In today’s world, we’re being bombarded with stressors on the daily. Stress can be caused by average daily tasks like getting stuck in traffic or arguing with a friend, or serious life events like an accident or medical diagnosis. The problem with stress in modern day society is that it’s never shut off and we simply haven’t been around long enough ancestrally for our bodies to have adapted to better stress management coping techniques. When our hours and days are filled with stressful events, our bodies aren't given the opportunity to restore and rebalance and over time, putting continued pressure on our bodies from stress and contributing to serious health problems.
The holidays can exacerbate the daily stresses we’re already experiencing. Who hasn’t felt panic at the thought of not having everything wrapped, baked, prepared, sorted, organized, labelled, set, decorated and sent by the big day?
In this month’s blog, I’m going to share 7 nutrients key in supporting your body’s functions to help lower your stress through the holidays and beyond.
H2O
It most likely does not come as a surprise that water is essential for life. Water has many roles within our body including flushing toxins, cushioning bones and joints, hydrating our cells, improving oxygen delivery to cells, and transporting nutrients. Staying properly hydrated is essential to maintaining balance and supporting the body through stressful events. As a general rule, the goal is to drink half your body weight in fluid ounces. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds you should consume roughly 70 fluid ounces of water per day. Keep in mind, fresh fruits and vegetables also are hydrating, but should not replace drinking hydrating beverages such as water, herbal tea, coconut water, or bone broth.
Protein
It is impossible to find a system in the body that does not rely on protein for healthy functioning, as all of our cells require proteins to exist. Hormones, nervous system messaging (neurotransmitters), digestive enzymes, and energy-producing enzymes all depend on protein. Incorporating protein into your diet is key to supporting your body through stress as it fuels your system from a cellular level, ensuring your body will return to balance.
Choline
The role of choline in the body is complex and is required for a wide range of critical functions1. Choline has been shown to play an important role in brain health and may protect against stress2. Egg yolks are one of the most concentrated sources of choline in the diet. Other very good sources of choline include shrimp, scallops, cod, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, swiss chard, asparagus, and spinach3.
Selenium
Selenium is required for the proper activity of a group of enzymes that play a key role in the body's detoxification system and protection against oxidative stress4. Studies have found a connection between severe and continued stressful events and higher biomarkers for oxidative stress5. Incorporating selenium-rich foods will protect the body against oxidative stress and ensure proper detoxification. The best source of selenium is brazil nuts, followed by oysters, clams, liver, and kidney.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D may be one of the most fundamentally important building blocks available to us for creating and sustaining vibrant health. Of its many roles, vitamin D regulates immune function, cell growth, and neuromuscular function. Studies suggest that vitamin D plays an important role in supporting our bodies through periods of extreme stress6. The very best source of vitamin D is the sun, followed by nutrient-dense whole foods like salmon, eggs, and sardines.
Chamomile
Chamomile is one of the most ancient medicinal herbs known to mankind. Chamomile is best known for its wonderful calming action and is used to ease tension and stress, emotional upset, nervousness, and insomnia7. Purchasing the dried, organic flowers in bulk is an easy and affordable way to always have chamomile on hand to be utilized as a tea, compress, or a nice addition to your bath.
Turmeric
Turmeric has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Prized for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, recent studies have shown the spice plays an active role in treating various central nervous system disorders as well as offering a protective action against stress8. Turmeric can be used either fresh or dried and is easily incorporated into many types of cuisines. Try this delicious recipe for Golden Milk:
Golden Milk
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 cups coconut, almond or cashew milk
1 tsp ground turmeric
Pinch of black pepper
¼ tsp cinnamon
1-2 tbsp pure maple syrup
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Bring all the ingredients to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld. Pour into a mug and enjoy!
Sources
1. Zeisel, Steven H, and Kerry-Ann da Costa. “Choline: an Essential Nutrient for Public Health.” Nutrition Reviews, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2782876/.
2. Glenn, Melissa J, et al. “Supplemental Dietary Choline during Development Exerts Antidepressant-like Effects in Adult Female Rats.” Brain Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 14 Mar. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3327365/.
3. “Choline.” The World's Healthiest Foods, http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=50
4. “Selenium.” The World's Healthiest Foods, http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=95
5. Schiavone, Stefania, et al. “Severe Life Stress and Oxidative Stress in the Brain: from Animal Models to Human Pathology.” Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 20 Apr. 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3603496/.
6. Quraishi, Sadeq A, and Carlos A Camargo. “Vitamin D in Acute Stress and Critical Illness.” Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3751798/.
7. Justis, Posted ByAngela. “A Family Herb: Chamomile Flower.” Herbal Academy, 25 Jan. 2018, theherbalacademy.com/a-family-herb-chamomile-flower/.
8. Kulkarni, S K, and A Dhir. “An Overview of Curcumin in Neurological Disorders.” Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Medknow Publications, Mar. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929771/.
