Tag: omega-3

Combating Stress-Induced Loss of Focus and Attention – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 212

Combating Stress-Induced Loss of Focus and Attention – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 212

Let’s discuss nutrients that can be beneficial for optimizing attention, focus and overall brain-supporting power when dealing with stress. 

The Proven Health Benefits of Omega-3s for Respiratory Health – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 187

The Proven Health Benefits of Omega-3s for Respiratory Health – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 187

For many people, the change of seasons can bring about respiratory changes as well. Let’s discuss how beneficial omega-3s can be for respiratory health.

Nutrients To Help Mitigate The Impact of Stress – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 182

Nutrients To Help Mitigate The Impact of Stress – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 182

Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph

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What are the long-term impacts of stress and how can you manage your stress in a much more efficient way? So many people deal with stress on a daily basis. It can come in different forms and be caused by a variety of things. Let’s talk about what you can be doing to help mitigate its impact

STRESS, ANXIETY AND YOUR BODY

In the United States alone, there are over 40 million adults who experience some form of anxiety. Anxiety disorders on a whole are highly treatable, yet only about a quarter of these people are actually receiving proper treatment or therapy to manage their anxiety. People with anxiety disorders are 3 to 5 times more likely to see a physician and 6 times more likely to be hospitalized for different psychiatric disorders. Anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of different risk factors, including brain chemistry, life events, and genetics. It is not uncommon for someone who has stress and anxiety to also suffer from issues such as depression. Panic disorders, social anxiety disorders, and generalized anxiety disorders are all very common. There are people who have specific phobias, as well as people who have issues with PTSD, OCD, depressive disorders, and depressive episodes. These issues activate internal stressors in the body, which can really impact our overall wellness. The occurrence of anxiety can also be heightened in people with certain health conditions. For example, people with irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disruption, insomnia, and fibromyalgia, amongst other medical issues, often experience a comorbid condition of anxiety.

MANAGING STRESS THROUGH COVID-19 – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 58 >>

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Regardless of the cause, we have to know how to best manage the chronic stress that we can be under for years. Chronic stress can affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which then impacts many important hormones in the body. For instance, their adrenal gland can be overrun, causing it to excrete excess cortisol. This can then affect the pancreas and insulin levels, as well as the blood sugar. Chronic stress can also impact focus, attention, and memory. This is why it is so imperative to learn to manage it

HOW CAN YOU MANAGE YOUR ANXIETY AND STRESS

There are many ways to treat anxiety and stress, but oftentimes, they are not treated properly. I find that people frequently overlook food and how much it matters. I go back to the phrases “You are what you eat” and “Let food be thy medicine.” These statements hold so much truth. If someone is under stress and getting fast food as a time-saver, that’s probably not the best approach in terms of re-nourishing and supporting your body at a cellular level. We have to know that foods are first and foremost. For more information about why food is so important for managing stress, make sure to listen to the full podcast episode. 

HOW TO MANAGE STRESS AS YOU RETURN TO SCHOOL – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 166 >>

Trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet is really your best choice because it helps you receive that comprehensive blend of vitamins and minerals that support the immune system. You get antioxidants that are naturally coming from those foods to fend off oxidative stress and ease inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids are in a higher abundance in a Mediterranean diet. Eating fruits and vegetables is also important, as well as healthy fats. Snacking on things such as walnuts, almonds, and pumpkin seeds throughout the day can be beneficial.  

There are certain nutrients, such as the amino acid tryptophan, that are derived from your diet and are essential to the body’s ability to manage stress. Tryptophan is needed to manufacture serotonin, which is the body’s happy neurotransmitter. In the absence of serotonin, we are going to experience higher levels of neuroinflammation, loss of focus, and feeling more on edge. The brain is just one pathway that chronic stress can impact. As it begins to affect more organs and pathways, it also weakens your immune system, diminishing your ability to heal, recover, and adapt. Chronic stress can cause many serious diseases, and if we don’t manage it, we are really setting ourselves up for some really harmful effects.†         

We can also focus on what kinds of movement can help us deal with stress and add them into our routine. It could be running, yoga, meditation, or walking. You don’t have to go out and join a gym or become a marathon runner, but you do have to find something that you’re passionate about and something that you can enjoy doing. It could even be turning on your radio and moving to the music. These become means of decompressing. We have to take a mind, body, soul approach to managing stress.  

There are also several nutrients that can be advantageous for managing stress.

  • Omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil and krill oil are important. People with low levels of this nutrient are more likely to have greater levels of inflammation, stress, anxiety, panic, and depression.†
  • L-Theanine, which is an amino acid predominantly derived from green tea, is also important because it supports GABA, which is our calming neurotransmitter. It also helps fend off oxidative stress from the brain, preventing damage to brain cells.† 

HOW L-THEANINE RELIEVES STRESS WITHOUT FEELING DROWSY – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST. Listen now >>

It is so important for each of us to take our health seriously and that clearly includes taking care of stress, whether it’s from work, family, chronic disease, or something else. 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.

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Why Omega-3s Are So Essential For Your Health – Invite Health Podcast, Episode 133

Why Omega-3s Are So Essential For Your Health – Invite Health Podcast, Episode 133

Omega-3 fatty acids are in the news once again! This is because they are so critical to our overall existence, but especially for brain and heart health. Generally speaking, our bodies are lacking omega-3s, because of our standard American diets. Here’s why that is so damaging to our health.

New & Improved Krill Oil Supplement Available Now!

New & Improved Krill Oil Supplement Available Now!

For years, heath experts have been touting the benefits of fats from fish, and rightfully so. Fish and other seafood are considered the best source of fats from the Omega 3 family, which includes the fatty acids EPA and DHA. Most people do not get 

Nutrients and Vitamins for Hormone Balance

Nutrients and Vitamins for Hormone Balance

Photo by Rita Morais on Unsplash

Hormones are the chemical messengers in your body that carry messages between your cells and organs, and control most of your bodily functions, from basic needs like hunger to complex systems like reproduction. They are created in the endocrine glands, like your pancreas, thyroid, adrenals, and ovaries. These, and many more glands, work together in your body in order to create and manage the body’s major hormones. While they play different roles, hormones are important to protect and manage your overall health and wellness.

You know many of the most commonly mentioned hormones. For women, estrogen is the main sex hormone. In men, testosterone is the main sex hormone. For stress, it is cortisol that assists the body in stress response. And melatonin is what alerts your body that it needs sleep. When your hormones are properly balanced, your body and health thrive. But when hormone levels are too high or too low, hormone imbalances can occur. For example, if a male is experiencing low testosterone levels, he may feel depressed, lethargic, and have a deflated libido.

What are Hormone Imbalances?

Women may naturally experience periods of hormone imbalance due to puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, birth and menopause. Men may experience these periods due to puberty and aging.

Here are the common symptoms of hormonal imbalances:

Combat Hormone Imbalances

Sometimes you need additional support for your body to function at its best. Supplements can be an excellent addition to your diet. In this case, there are a few nutrients and vitamins that can help combat your hormone balances.

B-Complex

B-Complex vitamins are comprised of all of the essential water-soluble vitamins that work together to regulate every function of your mood and cognition, including your memory, anxiety, depression, and stress and play a huge role in the detoxification process. Benefits of B-Vitamins include –

  • Energy production
  • Eliminating bacterial toxins
  • Proper Thyroid function
  • Mood-elevating effects
  • Liver Detoxification
  • Break down of Homocysteine (a toxin and inflammatory agent)

Magnesium

Magnesium is a crucial mineral your body needs in order to maintain healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels already within normal range. It also assists in regulation of a healthy heart rhythm. Magnesium is among the top five most abundant minerals in the body, assisting in over 300 chemical processes, including a well-fortified immune system, bone health, cardiovascular health, and neurological health. It is an essential nutrient, which means it is not created naturally in the body, so it must be consumed through food or supplements to maintain proper levels.”

Magnesium affects your pituitary health, and without it, you produce less of the critical hormones that signal other glands in the endocrine system to perform at the best. Low levels can even cause irregular ovulation and thyroid disfunction.

Probiotics

Probiotics are friendly bacteria that make up the microbiome in your gut and digestive tract and are the key to good health, especially for digestion and regularity. Levels of probiotics decrease with age and can also be affected by other factors, including a poor diet and obesity. As levels of probiotics decrease, problematic bacteria in the gut thrive, which can lead to digestive problems like gas and bloating.”

There is a specific group of gut bacteria called the estrobolome that produces an enzyme that supports the metabolization of estrogen which, scientists suspect, connects your hormones to your gut.

Vitamin D3

It has been estimated that approximately 70% of North Americans have Vitamin D deficiencies. This is due to a combination of factors, including low levels of sunlight, obesity and low consumption of foods high in Vitamin D like fatty fish. Inadequate levels of Vitamin D in the body often lead to problems with bone health, including muscle pain, enlarged joints and easily fractured bones.”

Many studies have also linked infertility issues with vitamin D3 deficiency.

Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in foods like fish and flaxseed and in supplements like fish oil. The two main omega-3 fatty acids are EPA and DHA. These fatty acids are important for memory functions, a good mood, stress relief, sleep/wake cycles, and the integrity of the structure of the brain. Fish oils have also been shown to support heart health and circulation, and to provide support for blood pressure already within a normal range.”

Omega-3s have been shown in studies to be essential for mood stabilization and reducing cramps.

Speak with your doctor, a certified nutritionist or naturopathic doctor before beginning a vitamin regimen.

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