As all woman entrepreneurs and businesswomen, you are probably experiencing stress every day.
And it does not get better by knowing that this stress is doing real damage to your health causing all sorts of diseases.
Unfortunately, it is also one of the quickest ways to let your body and mind age.
Thankfully there are some nutrients that help you combat that stress …
Vitamin B5
In times of stress this vitamin gets depleted in the body making it more difficult to regulate your adrenal function and your stress hormone cortisol.
You find Vitamin B5 for instance in liver, kidney, egg yolk, chicken and fish. And if you are looking for a plant-based version, eat bananas, avocados, dark green leafy vegetables and baked potatoes.
Vitamin C
This is another vitamin that gets quickly depleted in the body when you are experiencing stress. Filling up those stores helps to reduce the stress hormone cortisol and reduces high blood pressure. All this in addition to the general boost to your immune system and many other health benefits.
Enjoy papaya, bell peppers (especially the yellow ones), broccoli, brussels sprouts, strawberries, and pineapple.
Magnesium
Yet another mineral that your body urgently needs for many biochemical processes in the body but that gets depleted by stress. Unfortunately, it is also deficient in most of our diets.
You can primarily find magnesium in seaweed, pumpkin seeds, cocoa, spinach, swiss chard, soybeans, sesame seeds and quinoa.
Unfortunately, it would be hard for you to eat enough of them every day to reach the level you need. So, you might want to think about supplements.
An alternative I love is magnesium oil that I use to spray on my belly from where it gets absorbed quickly and easily without having to go through my digestive system.
Potassium
This essential mineral and electrolyte is vital to the proper functioning of your body. Your cells, tissues and organs can’t do without it.
When we talk about stress, one of its major roles lies in its relationship with depression and regulation of serotonin. Potassium is required to activate neurons involved in positive thoughts and feelings.
You get potassium for instance from shiitake mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, beet greens, lima beans, swiss chard, sweet potatoes, salmon and bananas.
Essential fats
Eating fats? Yes, but good fats. We are talking about Omega 3 and Omega 6 here. Omega 3 for instance helps to prevent stress and improves your mood in addition to many other health benefits helping you to keep your body and mind young.
Omega 6 is also crucial for your body as it helps for instance with brain function and hormone production. The problem though is that it also causes inflammation … and stress already gives you enough of that.
So, while it is important to get your Omega 6, you don’t actually have to worry about it.
What you do need to worry about, and that is as much for stress as it is for antiaging, is the ratio between Omega 3 and Omega 6. A typical American for instances consumes between 12 to 25 Omega 6 for just 1 Omega 3.
The ideal ratio if you not only want to combat stress but also stay young is 1 to 1 as recommended by antiaging experts. At a minimum though at a ratio of no more than 4 to 1 (Omega 6 to Omega 3).
You get your Omega 3 primarily from mackerel, bluefish, flaxseeds, salmon, and swordfish as they provide an excellent Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio of between 1:5 to 1:10 ratio balancing some of the other Omega 6 sources you consume elsewhere.
Get a little of each of the nutrients above every day … and you will take on each day with a lot less stress. Your body and mind will thank you. So will your family, friends, and customers.
- 5 Tips to combatting Stress with the right Nutrients - August 18, 2016
- 5 Quick Tips to Looking and Feeling Young … for a Long Time to Come - August 3, 2016