During stressful times your body naturally produces more of the harmful hormone cortisol which promotes free radical damage to your cells and promotes inflammation that can weaken you, your adrenal glands and weaken your immune system. In addition, stress pressures and the lack of essential nutrients to help you deal with stress can also help lessen your resolve and your ability to be able to find the solutions that are available if you only weren’t so ‘Stressed Out’! Combine these unhealthy combos of too little sleep, not getting enough daily exercise to help relieve tension along with not eating a healthy diet and not getting the right nutritional supplements: like antioxidants, the B-complexes and adaptogens your body requires more of during times of stress and you are making it that much harder on your body and your mind to find positive solutions.

Taking some extra adaptogen herbs during times of stress can be very helpful. Adaptogens are special herbs that have been extensively studied and used for hundreds of years. They have an ability to help keep the body in balance. If the body is fatigued, an adaptogen will help restore energy without making the body jittery or nervous as caffeine often does. If the body is stressed, an adaptogen will help calm the body. In addition, an adaptogen herb is also known to soothe various organs of the body to help them function better or to help restore health to overstressed organs or glands. Adaptogens are particularly helpful in restoring balance, energy, and health to the adrenal glands, the liver, the mind, the kidneys, the heart, and to the central nervous system.

Examples of anti-stress helpful adaptogen herbs are ashwagandha, astragalus, ginkgo biloba, Fo-Ti (Ho Shou Wu), rhodiola rosea, licorice root, and schizandra. Also included are the various ginsengs (Panax ginseng), such as Chinese and Korean ginseng, and Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), also known as eleuthero root.

If I had to pick one adaptogen to add to your supplements during times of stress, in addition to taking a high quality multivitamin that has extra B-complexes and antioxidants, that adaptogen would be a quality ashwagandha extract. Ashwagandha extract is available at almost all health food stores and usually just two to four caps spaced throughout the day during times of stress can be most helpful. Be sure to read and follow the instructions on the bottle. Siberian ginseng would be another excellent adaptogen to add to your daily supplements during times of stress to help provide some extra energy without putting too much stress on your adrenal glands the way that too much caffeine and harmful soda and sugar added “Energy” drinks do.

Of course eating a healthy diet is your first step to help your body get the nutrients and vitamins it needs in time of stress. A quality 4 tablet a day (two in the morning and two in the evening) type multi-vitamin will usually contain enough of the important vitamins, including the B-complexes and calcium & extra magnesium to help calm the nerves and relax tension.

Remember, that most vitamins like antioxidants and Vitamin C and the B complex vitamins generally only stay in the body 5 hours to 12 hours, are generally excreted through urine and waste throughout the day, and in most cases must be replenished on a twice daily basis. During times of stress your body uses anti-stress type nutrients even more. This is one reason why people who are under stress or whose immune systems are vulnerable should especially take vitamin C and vitamin B complex or multivitamin or multi-green nutritional supplements two to three times daily to practice preventive nutrition and not be as likely to become ill or catch that cold or flu.

It must be emphasized the vitamins, minerals (calcium and especially the B-Complexes and magnesium) are used up rapidly during times of stress and immune system attack. This is also why it is wise to take your daily multivitamin, mineral, and/or multi-greens supplement at least twice a day, morning and evening, generally with meals or a light healthy snack. You may also take them in the morning and mid afternoon as many people begin to suffer the ‘blahs’ and fatigue early in the afternoon as their bodies become stress induced fatigued because of all the pressures and demands of the day. You don’t eat just once a day, so you should also take your nutritional supplements more than once a day. Often, taking your vitamins in the mid afternoon (instead of waiting till your evening meal) around two to three in the afternoon, with a light healthy snack, (an apple and some walnuts or almonds or a cup of non-fat plain yogurt) will help you avoid the unhealthy extra cup of coffee, soda, or fattening and sugary snacks that have been weakening your adrenal system. These unhealthy type energy rush snack also toxify your liver and kidneys, overly acidify your body and digestive intestinal tract, leaching calcium and magnesium from your bones and body and weaken your immune system.

To help avoid getting sick and even more overly tired when under stress, eat healthy, get enough rest, practice prayer and meditation, try to be positive and count the blessings you do have, keep your sense of humor and get regular moderate exercise to help relieve tension and benefit your cardiovascular system. Also, take a good high qualtiy multivitamin , take a daily quality fish oil capsule(s) and eat more healthy (not fried), fish, (wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, lake trout, mercury free tuna etc), and add an adaptogen like Ashwagandha and or Ginseng.

A good place to find many of the nutrients above that I talked about in a high quality comprehensive anti-stress multii-vitamin that also contains important, B-Complexes, adaptogens, antioxidants and important extra minerals like calcium and magnesium may be found at http://www.doctorgreens.com. Look for their Four a Day or Complete Multi-vitamin that are an All in One Type of a complete multi-vitamin that also contain important organic and wholesome vegetables and fruits. Even in stressful times things will get better, so be positive, ‘Hang in There’, and Pray and ask for help and guidance from above. Here’s to your best of health.

Hal Decker
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/stressful-times-require-extra-nutrients-and-healthy-lifestyle-additions-736100.html