Stress and Energy

It’s not breaking news that what you eat can affect how you feel. The food you introduce to your digestive tract has to provide your required nutrients. Meanwhile there are trillions of microorganisms in that digestive tract that interact with your food, liberate or produce nutrients and even provide signals to your immune system and brain. Specific nutrients are used to make neurotransmitters—the chemical signals that influence our mood (among other things), and when we aren’t providing the body with these specific compounds such as omega-3 fatty acids, B-vitamins, … it can really play with your emotions, or leave you

Perceived mental or emotional stress causes a number of different reactions in the body. It’s been linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk, increased blood glucose (sugar) levels and diabetes-related complications.   Our adaptation to stress involves a three-step process. The “alarm phase” is your body’s first reaction to acute stress. This is your fight-or-flight reaction that keeps you on high alert for dealing with a perceived threat. It temporarily disrupts your body’s functioning systems like blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar balance so that you can better manage whatever is coming at you.   After you’ve gotten over the initial shock

As the new year approaches it is a good time to take stock of where you are at on the burnout scale.  We are constantly bombarded by societal images of what success looks like and the pressure to attain it.  In our capitalist society, the view of the masses is that the more money you have, the more successful you are.  Though not all individuals share this perspective, that is still the bar of success and even happiness in the minds of many.  While trying to attain this “success,” people find themselves caught up in the rat race to get

The chaos and challenges presented over the last two years have certainly shifted the norm in many ways both expected and unexpected. We are seeing a mental health crisis sweeping across nations and generations. An interesting phenomenon over the last year has been the radical reassessments of how society values time- what, who and how are we experiencing stress in our lives? And more importantly how do we move ourselves towards a more content and purposeful life? For some it may have been re-evaluating their personal relationships or living situations, their health, environment and certainly in their work. Sociologists have also described a growing dissatisfaction brewing in workplaces across North America, known as “the great resignation.” This mass movement to resign is apparent in corporate, retail and

In the arena of stress relieving herbs, ashwaganha is having a moment in the limelight (with good reason) and cannabis stores are popping up everywhere. But the botanical world is overwhelmingly bountiful and provides a plethora of healing herbs shown to reduce anxiety, alleviate symptoms of stress, and get relaxation vibes going.   May we introduce you to some lesser-known stress relieving herbs shown to have promising results in the reduction of mental anguish:   Valerian: https://aor.ca/raw_material/valeriana-officinalis-root-extract/  For those familiar with valerian, it can smell funky. Like sweaty socks according to some. However, for those looking to alleviate anxiety, combat stress and get to sleep quicker at night, valerian can help. For centuries (since ancient Greek and Roman times), the herb valerian has been used as

Stress is unavoidable. Every year, sometimes every day there seems to be new things to be stressed about. Finances, health, loved ones, job security, politics, the future… the list goes on and on. Life has a way of throwing one curveball after another and it’s easy to become overwhelmed. This can be particularly difficult for men as there is more societal pressure for them to seem like they “have it all under control”. Gender stereotypes depict men as always being strong, not showing emotion and not talking about their feelings. Asking for help is sometimes seen as a weakness, which

Stress is a natural part of our lives, and although it gets a bad reputation, stress isn’t necessarily a terrible thing. Stress helps us deal with new situations and threats. It keeps us alert and on our toes. It can even be considered healthy: the ability to adapt to stress can make the body (and mind) stronger – but only if there is a proper “recovery” period afterwards. Where we get into trouble health wise is in situations of chronic stress; when there isn’t enough recovery but a maintenance or resistance to stress for so long, followed by a phase

As we are slowly emerging from the COVID-19 situation, many of us are feeling a pressing need to get back in shape and to clean-up our diet. Some might even be tempted to undergo a ‘little detox’ to overcome the sluggishness feeling and get rid of the extra kilos. However, we must consider our level of stress and overall energy before entering any kind of detox process. COVID-19 Impact Stress can be lifesaving but when it becomes chronic, it has all sorts of negative impacts both on our physical and mental health. At the end of April, an IPSOS poll

The importance of the digestive tract, also called the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), is often underestimated. Its purpose may seem to only digest food, absorb nutrients and then excrete waste; however, the world inside the GIT is actually an entire ecosystem, and one that constantly influences our health. The bacterial colonies within this system uses the food we send down, producing nutrients and neurotransmitters, sending signals, influencing inflammation and the immune system, and interacting with the nervous system. There are literally trillions of living microorganisms inside the gut and throughout the digestive system with the power of suggestion over our mood.

Several studies have examined the influence of emotions on cognition, but common everyday situations also testify to the prevalence of this phenomenon. Indeed, who has never forgotten something important under the effect of acute stress, or hasn’t witnessed a menopausal relative complaining about becoming forgetful? The mechanisms and neural circuits involved in emotions and cognition are inextricably linked, and the maintenance of this delicate neurochemical balance is easily disrupted from exposure to stress. Stress triggers a cascade of hormone and neurotransmitter release throughout the brain, affecting our thoughts, decision-making process and behavior. Understanding the Impact of Stress Hans Selye (1907-1982),

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could deal with stress in a very calm and controlled manner? This wouldn’t be the same as repressing your anger or hiding the fact that you’re upset. This would be the ability to tolerate stress in a way that your heart rate doesn’t increase, you don’t have to feel the need to raise your voice, and you don’t feel angry or frustrated inside. Did you know that stress actually causes certain hormones to be released in your body that prevent you from thinking clearly in moments of stress? When you increase your tolerance for