Getting to Know Zinc – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 516
Zinc is the second most abundant mineral in your body, but many people don’t have enough of it. This nutrient is essential for immune health, brain function, heart health and more.
Tag: anxiety
Feeling Anxious? Consider These Nutrients – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 466
Many people feel anxious every day, but there is a difference between having short-lived anxiety and having consistent anxiety on a daily basis. In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH offers suggestions for nutrients that can help people living with daily anxiety.
The Power of Adaptogenic Herbs – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 447
adaptogenic herbs
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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You’ve probably heard us talk about adaptogenic herbs in the past, whether it’s on a podcast or on one of our radio shows. Today, I want to talk about what in the world an adaptogenic herb actually is.†
What happens to the body when we are stressed?
We know all about stress and we’re always trying to find different mediators to the stress response. Let’s talk about what is actually occurring within the body when we are under acute stress. The body itself has become reliant on this acute stress response to overcome any issues that arise.†
The problem is that many people are not experiencing acute stress and that fight-or-flight response, but they’re experiencing chronic stress. It is this chronic stress that is creating dysregulation within the HPA axis, which is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Once we start to affect that, then we are starting to see more issues when it comes to every single system in the body, including our blood glucose response, blood pressure response and our ability to fend off oxidative stress.†
Chronic stress can create significant health issues by impacting our sleep cycle, immune defenses, microbiome, cardiovascular health, metabolism and mood. This is when we have to start thinking about how we can adapt to or manage this.†
The heart of adaptogenic herbs
Managing stress in the body is a multi-pronged approach. Obviously, we want to try to make some lifestyle modifications to help minimize our stress as much as possible.†
Then we get into adaptogenic herbs. So what is an adaptogen? Adaptogens are nutrients that have been used for thousands of years to help counteract the negative effects of stress. The way that these adaptogens work is through restoring the body’s natural balance. Research has shown how adaptogens can help to fight off different harmful biochemicals and the emotional effects of stress.†
We need to create balance or homeostasis within the body to avoid the long-term damage of chronic stress and that is what adaptogenic herbs are known to do. For thousands of years, they have been utilized and we now understand the science behind how they offset the negative impact of chronic stress. We can look at the way things like ashwagandha or rhodiola are working to help to normalize a happier cortisol response and at the same time, really heighten the cellular ability to fend off oxidative stress and generate energy. Research has shown how ashwagandha can help to support the cardiorespiratory system and how rhodiola has been used for exercise endurance and muscle recovery, in addition to in the setting of mood and anxiety. We can see how these nutrients work in the body to support our cognitive and physical performance.†
RHODIOLA BENEFITS BEYOND STRESS – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 27. Listen Now>>
In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH discusses adaptogenic herbs, an important category of nutrients that help the body fend off the damages of chronic stress. She explains the difference between acute stress and chronic stress and also explains stress affects the body.†
Key Topics:
- The impacts of chronic stress on the body
- How lifestyle changes can help with stress responses
- The damaging effects of long-term chronic stress
Thank you for tuning in to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at InViteⓇ Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast.
Sugar and Mental Health – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 429
Studies have shown that the amount of sugar you consume can impact your mental health. This is incredibly true in the US, where the standard diet is overwhelmed by processed and sugary foods.
Long COVID and Brain Health – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 374
Many people who were sick with COVID-19 are still suffering from issues with cognition in a phenomenon known as long COVID. Learn about how you can help support your memory and mood in the face of these issues from Jerry Hickey, Ph.
Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help with Pandemic-Related Depression? – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 372
depression
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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One of the more alarming impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic was the rate in which antidepressants were prescribed. Factors such as COVID restrictions and social isolation caused mood health for many Americans to take a big hit. The exponential rate at which antidepressants and anxiolytics were prescribed in this country was incredibly alarming. This is very indicative of our collective state of mind and shows that our mood health is something that we should be looking at.†
Research on depression and omega-3 fatty acids
A recent study published in the Molecular Psychiatry Journal talked about how omega-3 fatty acids can help to combat depression. Researchers were looking at the ability of omega-3 fatty acids from things such as fish oil to help protect the cells within the brain from programmed cell death. Fish oil is rich in EPA and DHA, which were shown to be beneficial.†
In 2015, there was a review in the Journal of Integrative Medicine Research that looked at all of the scientific evidence that was correlating the use of omega-3 fatty acids to supporting people with major depressive disorders, including those other psychiatric disorders. Researchers have shown that when they give omega-3 fatty acids to people who are depressed, the patients experienced significant shifts in their overall mood and behavior.†
The pandemic and the sense of insecurity attached to it led to greater levels of low mood, depression and anxiety. But why is everyone turning to antidepressants as opposed to looking at supplements like fish oil, which contains omega-3 fatty acids? This is likely because people don’t talk about these nutrients enough.†
Are you getting enough of these important nutrients?
The consumption of omega-3 fatty acids in the Standard American Diet is next to none. This is significant because omega-3 fatty acids play a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of the neurons in the brain and throughout the entire body. They can also help to ease inflammation and fend off oxidative stress.†
We know that omega-3 fatty acids are essential for existence and important metabolism within the body, so how can we ensure that we are getting more of these nutrients? We could try switching to the Mediterranean Diet. This diet is rich in fatty fish, which is a powerful source of omega-3 fatty acids. We can also supplement on a regular, daily basis with a supplement such as fish oil that provides the powerful fatty acids, DHA and EPA.†
In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH discusses the increase in cases of depression during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. She details how omega-3 fatty acids can help support someone experiencing these issues and offers recommendations for how to include these nutrients in your diet and daily routine.†
Key Topics:
- Statistics on depression and anxiety before and during the pandemic
- The widespread nature of depression
- Different symptoms associated with depression and anxiety
Thank you for tuning in to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at InViteⓇ Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast.
