Category - Stress
B-Complex and Work Stress
A high potency B vitamin supplement reduced negative symptoms from chronic work stress. Compared to placebo groups, the B-complex groups reported lower personal strain and confusion.
Order this supplement at SundropsOnline.com: B-Complex
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
Dr.Oz: The Worry Cure, The Worry Free Diet, Iberogast and Aromatherapy Inhalers
On Tuesday's show, Dr. Oz used psychology, diet and more to help stressed people feel calmer.
The Worry Cure
In the first segment, Dr. Oz instructed stressed out viewers to keep a calendar about what they were afraid of. This is actually a version of a highly effective anxiety treatment called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). In CBT, people are encouraged to name their fears, and bring them up to the surface to be more closely examined.
Sometimes people who are highly anxious carry around a whole basket of unnamed, unresolved fears that can start to fade if brought into the light of day. For more information and to find a CBT therapist visit the National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists (NACBT) website.
The Worry Free Diet
Dr. Oz suggests a diet plentiful in complex carbohydrates like root vegetables and whole grains to deal with stress and elevate mood. However, the jury is still out on the best stress relieving diet. There is actually little to no scientific evidence that eating more carbohydrates improves mood or feelings of stress.
Carbohydrate Diet Stress
When our blood sugar is low or we are under stress, we crave carbs, but this doesn't mean eating more of them is a long term solution for stress.
In fact, you may just end up gaining weight, which can be a cause for anxiety. A 2006 study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry Journal linked obesity and various mood problems. See Sundrops' "I Want To Be Thin. How Do I Get There?" page to see what a healthy diet looks like, whether you want to lose weight or stay the same.
Iberogast For The Tummy
Iberogast's 9 herb blend has been used in Germany for some time to soothe tummy troubles. Lately it has been studied for use in more serious gut issues like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Scientists believe each of the nine herbs acts in a slightly different way to make the gut work better and reduce inflammation, a harmful activation of the immune system.
Aromatherapy For Anxiety
Escents aromatherapy inhaler is available online. While no research has been done on this particular combination of essential oils, other research does support of the use of aromatherapy to relieve feelings of anxiety. Lavender, for example, reduced the pain and stress of having a needle inserted at the doctor's office.
Lemon Balm For Better Mood and Sharper Mind
Dr. Oz also mentioned lemon balm once again. In one study, researchers gave a group of volunteers either 300mg, 600mg, or no Lemon Balm, and then subjected all the participants to stress. Those receiving the 600mg dose were much more resistant to the negative mood effects of the stress, and rated themselves as much more calm and alert. The participants that received 300mg had increased speed of mathematical processing, with no loss in accuracy.
Fish Oil For Work Stress
Dr. Oz is right about this one. Fish oil reduced anxiety in a group of stressed out young medical students.
Calm & Calmer Can Help with Calmness
This three-in-one product reduces stress hormones with Relora, promotes calmness without drowsiness with L-theanine, and helps cope with stress with Rhodiola. Reduced anxiety in premenopausal women. A best-seller.
Arch Gen Psych 2006. Wein Med Wochenschr 2007. J Altern Complement Med 2010. Psychosom Med 2004. Brain Behav Immun 2011. Altern There Health Med 2006. Nutr J 2008. J Sci Food Agric 2011. Phytother Res 2012.
Find These Products At Sundrops Online.com: Fish Oil Lemon Balm Calm & Calmer
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
I should feel good. Why am I tired?
If you are like most people, you would like to bounce through your day feeling good, full of energy, efficiently crossing off everything off your to-do list. A lack of good nutrition can interfere with energy production and leave you feeling bedraggled instead.
Rule Out The Obvious
Visit your doctor to rule out obvious causes like hypothyroidism and also more serious causes. If you can't find an answer at your doctor, read on.
Fatigue Has Many Causes
An important thing to note is that fatigue is a sensation experienced in the brain. That is not to say it is all in your head. It is very real, and can be debilitating. But it results from a reaction that occurs in the cells of your brain. The trick to feeling better is to take steps to ultimately improve the state of your brain, even if it is your body that feels tired.
Your Immune System
You know how you feel bone tired when you have the flu? It’s not because of the virus per se, it is because of all the compounds your immune system pumps out in response to the virus. Your mind-brain body system is clever. When your brain picks up that immune signal, it says “there is something wrong. We are tired and we must go lay down.”
That’s a great plan when you have the flu, but what if you have a low grade immune response all the time? Your brain could pick up this signal and tell you constantly that you are tired. This type of immune response is called chronic inflammation.
Why Would I Have Chronic Inflammation?
- Diet. The modern diet is the source of much modern illness. Two main dietary factors contribute to inflammation: Too much carbohydrates and too much bad fat. Reduce your consumption of anything made from any grain or flour, and cut out the sugar. Stop eating as much red meat, dairy fat, cheese, and egg yolks. Cut out trans fat and fried fat, as well as any oil besides olive oil.
- Omega-3 fat keeps inflammation from being manufactured and is itself the building block of good anti-inflammatory compounds. If you lack omega-3’s, you are likely to have excess inflammation.
- Vitamin D is the super hero of supplements. A hormone affecting thousands of genes, it hits some really important ones concerning inflammation and fatigue. If you are short, the research says you increase your chances of being tired.
- Food sensitivities. If you frequently eat one or several foods to which you have an immune reaction, that is enough inflammation to feel tired a lot. If you can’t find any other reason why you are tired, consider an elimination diet for a few weeks to search out the food culprit.
Stress
When you experience stress, your body sends out a bunch of chemicals to help deal with the stress. Cortisol and adrenaline are well-known stress hormones. While the stress response is effective for signaling your brain to get your mind and body in gear to cope, long term or excessive stress can cause us to adapt in counterproductive ways. At the more extreme end of this stress response spectrum, people can get diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia. Other people feel chronically run down and don’t feel better after a night’s sleep.
Adaptogens
Adaptogens are a class of plants that help your brain and body adapt to stress. These include the ginsengs, rhodiola, and ashwaganda. Ashwaganda, for example, as been shown to decrease fatigue and increase well-being.
Med Hypotheses 2002. Neurol Endrinol Lett 2007. J Clin Sleep Med 2010. Med Hypotheses 2011. Scand J Prim Healthcare 2010. Phytother Res 2012. Altern Med Rev 2000
Find more information on specific health concerns under the How Your Body Works section of Your Nutrition.
Find these products at Sundropsonline.com: Omega-3 Vitamin D Rhodiola Ashwaganda
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
Dr. OZ : Lemon Balm, Crankiness & Insomnia
On Valentine's Day this week, Dr. Oz recommend Lemon Balm to help with crankiness and sleep disturbance.
Lemon Balm: Stress Reliever
Researchers gave a group of volunteers either 300mg, 600mg, or no Lemon Balm, and then subjected all the participants to stress. Those receiving the 600mg dose were much more resistant to the negative mood effects of the stress, and rated themselves as much more calm and alert. The participants that received 300mg had increased speed of mathematical processing, with no loss in accuracy.
Dr. Oz also pointed to research about the effect of Lemon Balm on insomnia. Scientists gave Lemon Balm supplements to a group of stressed people who had sleep disturbance and mild-to-moderate anxiety. In this group, 70% had relief from anxiety, 85% had relief from insomnia, and 70% had both relief from insomnia and relief from anxiety.
See all Dr. OZ Posts.
Psychosom Med 2004. Med J Nutrition Metab.
Product to consider: Lemon Balm
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
Dr. OZ: Holy Basil & Mood Swings
This week, Dr. Oz introduced Holy Basil as a helpful herb for mood swings.
The Evidence
A number of different animal studies have supported the use of holy basil as adaptogen. Adaptogens help both people and animals adapt; they protect us from some of the effects of stress.
When stressed animals were given holy basil, it curbed their production of harmful stress hormones and also prevented negative changes in brain chemistry in response to stress. In fact, stress hormone levels remained near normal under stressful conditions in holy basil treated animals.
History of Holy Basil
Holy Basil is an herb traditionally used in India, where it is revered as a remedy for ailments as diverse as upper respiratory infection, gastrointestinal diorders, ear aches, and scorpion stings.
J Pharmacol Sci 2005. Indian J Physiol Pharmocol 2009. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 1997.
See all Dr. Oz Posts.
Consider this product: Holy Basil
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
The Amazing Ashwaganda
Ashwaganda is part of a group of plants called the adaptogens. Just as the name sounds, an adaptogen helps you adapt to stress.
Increased Well-Being
One trial found that Ashwaganda increased energy, reduced fatigue, improved sleep, and promoted a greater sense of well-being. Cortisol levels dropped 26%. Cortisol is an important and potentially destructive stress hormone that is responsible for many of the harmful effects of stress. Along with substantially lower cortisol, the people in the trial experienced lower fasting blood sugar and improved blood lipids, both good things.
Anxiety and Depression
In another study, Ashwaganda was found to be as effective as the drug Tofranil for depression, and as effective as the anti-anxiety medication Ativan for anxiety, after only 5 days.
Phytomed 2000. Unpublished Study NutrGenesis, LLC. 2005.
