Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Written By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, and ATT For further questions or concerns email me at amight@invitehealth.com We all know what an important topic anxiety and depression is, as so many suffer with these issues. In part one of this article, we discussed what …
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT For further questions or concerns email me at amight@invitehealth.com We’ve been talking a lot about stress and how it can affect our well-being. No conversation about stress management would be complete without understanding anxiety and depression. Let’s take a …
Written By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
For further questions or concerns email me at amight@invitehealth.com
Everyone experiences stress throughout their life. There’s no way to avoid stress all together. But what do you know about how to handle these situations and can stress effect our well-being? Let’s take a look at some common stressors and some strategies to help short and long term.†
WHAT EXACTLY IS STRESS?
The American Psychological Association defines stress as “a normal reaction to everyday pressures but can become unhealthy when it upsets your day-to-day functioning”. Stress can not only affect our mental health and mood but can also affect our physical health. Areas such as the immune system, circulatory system and even our sleep can be negatively impacted. †
So, what are some of the common things that can cause stress? How does stress affect our well-being? While we’re all affected by different things, WebMD has put together some of the most common stressors that seem to affect so many of us, as well as some of the signs that these stressors may be causing a negative impact. Some of these include, but are not limited to the following: †
These are areas we have or will all experience throughout our life. Understanding how these affect us as an individual can be a helpful tool as we learn to manage our daily stressors. Some common signs to be aware of may include, but are not limited to, the following: †
While some of these can be easily managed, speaking to your doctor can be incredibly beneficial in navigating and managing extreme stress and the impact it can cause to the body.†
When it comes to ways to manage stress, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers some very helpful guidelines. Some of my favorites you may want to try, are the following suggestions: †
Hopefully you find these as helpful as I have in the past. †
NUTRIENTS FOR STRESS AND SLEEP SUPPORT – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 507>>Listen now!
Something else to consider is a nutrient called Phosphatidylserine. While many people associate this with general brain health/memory, it has been studied for its benefits on the side effects of stress. The National Library of Medicine/National Center for Biotechnology Information has done some interesting studies on this topic. One such study suggests its benefits when taken with on Omega-3 supplement. This has shown that this combination can help reduce chronic and acute stress and its effects on the body. Another study they’ve published shows that adding phosphatidylserine can help to reduce cognitive stress while performing tasks. This can allow for better mental focus, as well as a reduction of cortisol (stress hormone). This allows one to be more relax and connected to the task. †
REFERENCES
https://www.apa.org/topics/stress
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/stress
https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/causes-of-stress
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/about/copingwith-stresstips.html
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22575036/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18616866/
Written By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT For further questions or concerns email me at amight@invitehealth.com During the winter months, there always seems to be a “mood” in the air. We often hear people talk about “cabin fever” or “the winter blues”. But what do …
Many people deal with obsessive compulsive thoughts and behaviors that impact their everyday lives. This may be related to OCD. Learn more about this condition and nutrients that may help from Amanda Williams, MPH.
mental health
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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We all know that sugar is something we should really try to avoid at all costs when it comes to our dietary intake. But when we look at the mental health implications that go along with high sugar intake, this is when it becomes incredibly alarming. Today, I want to talk about the true impact that sugars have when it comes to our mental health.†
When we look at our society as a whole, we know that Americans intake way too much sugar. The average American adult consumes roughly around 75 to 80 grams of sugar per day, which is three times the recommended amount. These sugars come from sugary beverages and high-processed foods.†
Then we look at all of the health implications that go along with sugar consumption, beyond that of just diabetes. That’s the first thing that most people think about, but we also have to think about the mental health implications.†
There was data collected in the UK where researchers followed over 10,000 men and women for 30 years, between the years of 1983 and 2013. The researchers were looking at their dietary intake of processed sugars and trying to see if there was any type of increased risk for developing a mental health disorder such as anxiety and depression. The reason why it is so critical to draw this correlation is because over 40 million adults in the United States suffer from mental health conditions.†
These findings are also extremely alarming as researchers have predicted that by the year 2030, major depression will be the leading cause of disability in economically privileged countries.†
There is a very simple fix to help stop the impacts of sugar on mental health status. We stop with the sugary beverages and the processed foods. We start eating whole foods again and start to consume things like water or green tea, as opposed to sugar water, which is not only harmful to our mental health, but also to our energy status and overall well-being.†
FORGO FAST FOOD FOR YOUR OVERALL HEALTH – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 278. Listen Now>>
Anxiety disorder itself is highly treatable. Unfortunately, many people who have it are given anxiolytic drugs, but they are never given the advice that they should change their diet. Perhaps it’s their diet that’s driving so much of this by basically disrupting the normal communication pathways within the brain, which is incredibly problematic.†
In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH discusses how the high-sugar foods we eat so frequently can impact mental health. She details several studies on this topic and provides explanations of how sugar works within the body.†
Key Topics:
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