The fall is often a time for getting down to business and along with that comes serious responsibilities with a lot of stress attached to it.  So you don’t end up relaxing very much and your stress mounts.  Stress is a killer – not only in that it creates all sorts of conditions in the body, but it’s also nearly impossible to lose weight under ongoing stress.  And if you do – you’re probably not losing the weight in the right way – as in you tend to lose lean muscle mass versus losing true body fat.  Today I’d like to give you some pointers on how to manage and overcome the on-going daily ravages of stress.

Your 5 Stress Reducers:

Stress Reducer #1  Take Your Targeted Supplements. Unfortunately, taking a Multiple Vitamin may not be enough.  You need additional support.  There are several effective supplements I’d like to recommend they are: Rhodiola, Phosphatidylserine, extra Vitamin C and Vitamin B6.  These particular supplements are meant to help you reduce the negative effects of stress on your body and mind.  You may think you don’t need anything extra but I’d like to ask you – would you rather take herbs and vitamins that will heal and support you or wait until you need prescription drugs or surgery to fix a stress induced issue? Yes, of course you want to be preventative.

Let’s look at these supplements a little closer – Rhodiola helps calm your mind and enhance mood, Phosphatidylserine is known to help with memory and attention, and additional Vitamin C helps restore depleted stores in your body caused by too much stress. And finally Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxine is a vital nutrient which helps build red blood cells in your body and, similar to Vitamin C, is depleted quickly during periods of stress.               

Stress Reducer #2  Get Checked. Have your physician take a Cortisol Level (blood test). Usually when under a good amount of stress you will be secreting an overabundance of cortisol which is hard on you body and hard on your waistline.  In fact, you may be asking “Waistline – what waistline – I can’t find it anymore!”  That is often the result of too much cortisol – you lose your waist and that one “oh-so-nice flat belly” – remember the days?

Cortisol is an Adrenal Hormone and is one of the 3 major hormones in your body –Adrenaline and Insulin being the other 2.  Adrenal hormones or stress hormones are responsible for your flight or fight response.  If you are constantly under pressure, meeting deadlines, over-scheduled you will find that your cortisol levels may initially be quite high but if this scenario lasts for an extended period of time your levels will go down.  Both high and low cortisol are undesirable.  You want balance in life and with your cortisol.

Stress Reducer #3  Enjoy Nature.  With autumn now in full “bloom’” it’s time to enjoy the beauty of the season.  Beautiful, changing colored leaves have a way of calming you down. When experiencing nature you may find that all of a sudden you really aren’t as concerned about getting that project done in record time anymore.  You are feeling more relaxed and centered. And you know what else is happening?  You’ve given yourself some time to unwind and slow down. The result of that is often discovering better and more creative ideas for tackling a problem. Your creative juices are engaged again and your have become more productive just by drinking in nature and appreciating your environment and the beauty of the natural world.

Stress Reducer #4  Detox.  Taking addictive, stimulating foods out of your diet for a period of time, or altogether can have tremendous healing power for you. Your system is no longer a battle ground trying to handle the less-than-healthy foods you are putting into it. Once you do this you’ll find your mind clearer and your body more energetic.  Those addictive foods are: sugar, caffeine, breads, sodas and foods you may not even know you are sensitive to and have issues with.  So taking a cleansing break would help you get back to feeling good again. I had a client who has done so well on her Skinny Jeans Quick Fix Program ™  that just last week she declared “I think I feel better than I have ever felt in my life or as far as I can remember”. Yes, she’s lost about 20 lbs. but she continues to abstain from foods that are not good for her.

Stress Reducer #5  Get Involved.  In my community there seems to be something going on all the time – classes, festivals, fairs, wine tasting events, exhibits you name it!  This month I’ll be a volunteer for the Annual Calabasas Pumpkin Festival.  If you live nearby try and make it – it’s a fun event or better yet volunteer – you won’t regret it.  There are so many things you can do just by taking a break and enjoying your own neighborhood.  These events are geographically close, they usually fit within your budget and you get to go out and meet new people and have new experiences. Getting involved is so vital for your brain function.  Learning new things helps develop and refine your brain’s ability to integrate and utilize information. It stays“plastic” a good thing in brain chemistry terms.  Your brain is malleable and, again, able to process new information readily.