Tagged with 'anxiety'

The surprising way CBD affects your brain health. Is this compound what our brains have been waiting for?

Coping with stress, fatigue, or anxiety? Ashwagandha can help!

Life ebbs and flows with its fair share of stressors. Here’s a look at five effective options for boosting your mood.

Whole Formulas released their new line of essential oils. Find out which oil suits your mood or ailment.

Let’s face it, we all feel stressed or some type of anxiety or nervous tension every now and then. About two years ago, I discovered an effective homeopathic remedy to support these uncomfortable, unwanted symptoms and feelings. The key homeopathic ingredient is Kali Phos (aka: Potassium Phosphate), which is the sixth cell salt of twelve. It's found in all cells of our body, especially the gray matter of the brain, nerves, muscles, blood cells and plasma.

Kali Phos is especially effective for use with the brain and nerves, which is why it helps with stress and anxiety. Someone who is nervous and restless will also benefit from Kali Phos.  

Hyland’s Kali Phos cell salt #6

My go-to homeopathic remedy for stress and anxiety is Hyland’s Kali Phos cell salt #6. Here are the two primary symptoms for which I use Kali Phos. 

Memory and Brain Fatigue

Kali Phos is also great for sharpening the memory and brain fatigue. It can be used for those who are worn out following a heavy work or study period. Consider Kali Phos a stress buster for students during exam time and those with mentally-taxing occupations, such as accountants and engineers. My software engineer husband loves this cell salt and strongly believes in it. This cell salt #6 also works great for someone who is stressed and worn out from taking on too much. Does this sound like you? It was me, so now I keep cell salt #6 on hand at all times, and take as needed.

Insomnia

Kali Phos is also lovely for the simple insomnia that follows a period of excitement, intense work or mental strain, or when a person feels worn out but can’t sleep. Kali Phos works well for people who work irregular hours.

Luyties Cell Salt for Nervous Tension, Tissue P

Another useful homeopathic remedy for treating stress is Luyties cell salt for nervous tension, tissue P. It contains Kali Phos, so works very similar to Hyland’s Cell Salt #6 by supporting emotional and physical stress.

Tissue P is formulated to provide relief of many things that contribute to mental stress, such as sadness, anger, work, study, tests, deadlines, pressure, or sleeplessness.

If you would like more information about homeopathy, check out, What are Cell Salts???, and here’s information about How to Take Cell Salts. 

Homeopathic remedies are natural and safe, so give Kali Phos a try!

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

If work, kids, travel, social obligations, and more have you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed, take a deep breath and relax. Stress has a negative impact on our body, and is one of the biggest immune zappers. It’s true your state of mind effects your state of health. With stress of any significant duration, from a few days to a few months, all aspects of your body’s immune-fighting ability decrease.

There are many causes for stress and anxiety – nutritional, dietary, and lifestyle, which is a lot to tackle in one blog. As far as dietary goes, I have a couple big suggestions:

• Limit your ingestion of sugar and refined carbohydrates. They don't give your body the fuel it needs to fight through the stress. Choose more brightly colored foods, such as fruits and vegetables. If you're struggling to get a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day, try a green juice or superfood smoothie. 

• Eat smaller but more frequent meals with some protein at each meal. The protein is absolutely critical! Imbalanced blood sugar is a common cause of anxiety and causes cravings for alcohol and sugar.

Also consider these nutrients to help reduce stress and anxiety from the inside-out.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an herb used for anxiety and stress-related conditions. Traditionally, ashwagandha is used in Ayurvedic medicine for a wide variety of ailments. This plant-based medicine is classified as an adaptogen, meaning it provides the body with support to adapt to physical and psychological stressors. To read more about ashwagandha, check out this blog, "Supplements 101: What is Ashwagandha?" 

A typical dose of ashwagandha is about 300-500 mg of standardized root extract per day. Consider taking 1 capsule of ashwagandha thirty minutes before sleep. This amount has been clinically shown to improve sleep. For those with more serious insomnia, stress or anxiety, consider taking 2 capsules three times a day. Start low and work up in the dose of Ashwagandha. Do not exceed 6 capsules a day. Ashwagandha is also available in powder form, and dissolves easily. It has a bitter taste, but when combined with hot milk or other ingredients in a smoothie, it tastes fine. I like this Ashwagandha hot chocolate recipe. 

Pantothenic acid

Pantothenic acid is a B-vitamin that also supports your adrenal glands, and deficiencies may lead to shrinking adrenal glands. Consider taking 2 capsules of pantothenic acid in the morning to help with adrenal support. Adrenal health is crucial to balancing anxiety. I also really like Uckele's Adreno-Lift, which provides a variety of nutrients to support your adrenal glands. 

Multivitamin

If you don't want to take individual vitamins, consider a broad-spectrum mutlivitamin. Look for one that contains chelated minerals and active B vitamins because it's easier to absorb. Low amounts of B-vitamins and minerals are commonly found in those with anxiety and stress. Consider taking 3 capsules in the AM with breakfast and three capsules at lunch. Avoid taking after 2-3pm or the potent B-vitamins will keep you awake at night. 

Magnesium

If you have any anxiety, magnesium is good fore relieving it. Magnesium is critical for numerous enzymatic pathways and neurotransmitter support - along with vitamin B6. Magnesium is needed to relax the central nervous system.  Consider taking 2 capsules of Magnesium Plus in the morning and two in the evening before bed. After one month at 2 capsules twice a day, try reducing to one capsule before bed. Magnesium can also be applied transdermally. 

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps your body deal with stress in a couple important ways. First, it's critical for adrenal function, and your adrenal glands and brain tissues contain a higher concentration of vitamin C than most other parts of the body. Excess stress can lead to adrenal exhaustion, so make sure you have enough vitamin C to support your adrenal glands.

Also, cortisol is the stress hormone, and those with anxiety and stress more than likely have high cortisol levels. When someone has low vitamin C levels, cortisol levels stay elevated. Vitamin C helps blunt the cortisol response thereby reducing the effects of stressful situations. Consider taking 1/2 scoop vitamin C in a glass of filtered water on an as needed basis - at least once per day. 

Fish Oil

Not necessarily an 'anti-anxiety' nutrient per se but definitely needed for general health, nerve protection and cell membrane support. Anxiety and stress is a 'catabolic' situation in the body, meaning it breaks down your health vs. building it. Fish Oil helps reverse this. Consider taking 2 tsps. once a day with a meal any time of day. 

Of course, this is only a piece of the puzzle when it comes to decreasing stress and anxiety. Remember to incorporate daily exercise, get adequate sleep, find something to do that relaxes you (ie: massage, meditation, yoga, etc.), and eat clean, healthy foods. Support your health to keep your immune system fuctioning well.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Every night before bed, I flip on the switch to the aromatherapy diffuser in my 2-year-olds bedroom. I add 5-10 drops of lavender oil and wait for the sweet, balsamic, floral aroma to fill his room. I was slightly skeptical initially, but I swear by this scent for helping my son relax while we complete his bedtime routine.

Lavender’s high concentration of volatile oils are responsible for its distinctive and pleasing fragrance. The relaxing experience of smelling lavender led to its therapeutic use in aromatherapy centuries ago.  As it turns out, lavender actually has many uses, and relaxation is one of its primary ones.

Other aromatherapy benefits include balancing, soothing, normalizing, calming, relaxing, and healing. Lavender is primarily used either dried or as an essential oil.

Anxiety and Depression

I don’t know many people who like going to the dentist so here’s something worth considering, and so simple…dental patients who smelled lavender prior to their appointment had a decrease in their anxiety levels (1).

A suggestion for improving mood is adding a 3 mL mixture of 20% lavender oil and 80% grape seed oil to daily baths. This combo produces small improvements in mood, compared with baths containing grape seed oil alone.

Calming and Soothing

Research has confrimed lavender produces a slight calming, soothing, and sedative effect when its scent is inhaled. In one study, a blend of lavender and bergamot (orange) oils proved effective for inducing a calm, relaxing effect on a person (2). This could be used before bed, in the car after a long day, at your office desk, or anyplace you want to find your zen.

Insomnia/Sleeplessness

Developing research suggests using lavender oil in a vaporizer overnight, or on a gauze pad left beside the bed, might help some people with mild insomnia. Short-term inhalation of lavender oil has also been used as a sleep aid (3).

Attention women transitioning through menopause; if you’re experiencing sleep problems, one study showed after 12 weeks of lavender aromatherapy, midlife women with insomnia had improvements in the quality of their sleep (4).

If you’re a mom of a newborn, bathing your very young infant in lavender-scented bath oil found babies cried less and spent more time in deep sleep after bath (5).

Agitation

Using lavender to reduce agitation has been studied in patients with dementia, and study results have been mixed. In one study, nightly use of lavender oil in a bedside diffuser for 3 weeks reduced agitation in patients with various types of dementia. However, in another study, continuous use of lavender oil on a pad attached to a patient's shirt had no effect in a small group of patients with advanced dementia. More research needs to be done.

Mix and Match

Lavender combines well with many oils including citrus, clove, patchouli, rosemary, clary sage and pine.

Considerations When Purchasing Lavender

Look for pure essential oils of the highest quality. Important criteria to consider when selecting essential oils include the following: 100% pure and natural, country of origin, growing season, extraction method (ie: distillation, expression), plant part used and the reputation of the company providing the oils.

Bottom Line: Considering we’re in the midst of a busy, often hectic holiday season, lavender would be awesome for staying sane and relaxed when needed.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

References:

1. Lehrner J, Marwinski G, Lehr S, Johren P, Deecke L. Ambient odors of orange and lavender reduce anxiety and improve mood in a dental office. Physiol Behav. 2005 Sep 15;86(1-2):92-5.

2. Hongratanaworakit T. Aroma-therapeutic effects of massage blended essential oils on humans. Nat Prod Commun. 2011 Aug;6(8):1199-204.

3. Wheatley D. Medicinal plants for insomnia: a review of their pharmacology, efficacy and tolerability. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2005;19(4):414–421. 

4. Li-Wei Chien,Su Li Cheng,and Chi Feng Liu. The Effect of Lavender Aromatherapy on Autonomic Nervous System in Midlife Women with Insomnia. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012; 2012: 740813.   

5. Field T, Field T, Cullen C, Largie S, Diego M, Schanberg S, Kuhn C. Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants. Early Hum Dev. 2008 Jun;84(6):399-401. 

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an herb commonly used in ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India. Although it's not botanically related to ginseng, ashwagandha is often called "Indian ginseng" due to its supposedly rejuvenating effects.

Ashwagandha is regarded as an adaptogen (a type of herb said to strengthen your resistance to stress while enhancing your energy). Often used to boost the immune system after an illness, ashwagandha is also included in formulations that aim to treat these conditions:

• rheumatoid arthritis
• pain
• fatigue
• gastrointestinal disorders
• skin infections
• epilepsy

Ashwagandha Benefits

Research on ashwagandha is limited, but several studies have shown ashwagandha may be useful in addressing the following health problems:

1) Osteoarthritis

For a 2008 study, scientists tested ashwagandha's effects on human cartilage and found the herb may help protect against inflammation and cartilage damage associated with osteoarthritis.

2) Anxiety

In an animal-based study published in 2000, researchers found ashwagandha had an anti-anxiety effect similar to that of lorazepam (a medication used to treat anxiety disorders). The herb also appeared to ease depression.

3) Type 2 Diabetes

Ashwagandha may help normalize high blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity, according to preliminary, animal-based research published in 2008.

4) Cancer

In a 2003 study, tests on human tumor cell lines revealed that ashwagandha may slow the growth of lung, breast, and colon cancer cells. Published in 2007, another study on human cells shows ashwagandha may inhibit tumor growth without harming normal cells.

How to Use Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is available in capsules, powders, and tinctures, all of which can be found on our website. The herb is also commonly featured in adaptogen formulas, which may also contain other adaptogenic herbs like ginseng and rhodiola.

Is Ashwagandha Safe?

Although ashwagandha is generally considered safe, the herb may induce abortion when taken in very large doses. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid the use of ashwagandha.

Ashwagandha may also increase the potency of barbiturates (a class of drugs that depresses the central nervous system).

Article courtesy of Cathy Wong, writing for About.com's Alternative Medicine, found with sources, here.