Feeling Tired or Stressed Out? Your Body Could Lack B Vitamins

The crisp, bright days of autumn are energizing for some, while for others, October heralds the beginning of a stressful season spanning from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. If you happen to fall into the latter category, don’t despair— take action now to stay calm and boost your overall health, to help you weather these last remaining months of the year.

One way to help support your body through periods of stress is to up your intake of B vitamins, key nutrients that help support adrenal function, hormone balance and cholesterol levels, among other benefits. Despite being present in many common foods, such as leafy green vegetables and lentils, inadequate dietary intake of B vitamins is common.

In addition to nutritional gaps often encountered by even the most health conscious individuals, factors such as stress, aging and alcohol consumption can further increase the body’s need for B vitamins. This is concerning because a lack of B’s can be dangerous, contributing to issues ranging from fatigue and insomnia to depression.

Fortunately, Sisu B Calm with Rhodiola is here to help. This complete B-complex formula supports general health, particularly during times of physical and mental stress and fatigue. The fast-dissolving capsules contain active forms of vitamins B2 and B6, as well as B12, key to a well-functioning brain and immune system. These essential nutrients can also help improve mental and physical performance.

And here’s something unique: Each capsule also contains a high-potency rhodiola extract. Rhodiola is an herbal adaptogen, which means that it normalizes the production of certain hormones. In practical terms, rhodiola can help invigorate a sluggish nervous system or calm an agitated one. It’s also clinically proven to decrease mental fatigue.

Fight back against the many forms of stress with Sisu B Calm with Rhodiola, supporting mind and body when you need it most. For more information, go to sisu.com.

photo credit: Inside Out

Understanding Stress – Inside and Out

Try to think of your greatest source of stress. For many, a demanding job, financial woes or a family/social conflict immediately come to mind. However, hidden stressors like poor diet, lack of sleep or exercise, and even excessive screen time, can be just as detrimental to your health.

On the inside

To understand how stress affects us, we should first note that “stress” is not inherently a bad thing. It merely nudges (or shoves!) us out of balance, forcing us to re-establish a comfortable state. Just as we strive for work-life balance to feel at ease, our bodies are constantly seeking a similar balance in order to function optimally.

How does stress work? When you’re under stress (whether from a tight deadline or a deer running in front of your car), your body responds as though your life were at risk. It focuses its energy on the processes it deems most essential at the moment. For example, your brain triggers the release of stress hormones such as cortisol, that cause your heart to pound, and increase blood pressure to supply your muscles with the oxygen needed to “fight or flee” from your perceived threat. In addition, various tissues including muscle and bone break down into glucose to provide a burst of energy. Less immediate processes (such as digestion, reproduction, and immune function) are put on the back burner. Again, stress is not always a bad thing, and short-term stress can help us cope with real dangers, emergencies, work deadlines, etc. However, chronic stress can lead to hormone imbalance, muscle loss, weight gain and deficiencies in nutrients including vitamins C, E, and a number of B vitamins, as well as minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc.

On the outside

Now that you understand how it works inside, what can you do to reduce the impact of stress?

Exercise

With your heart racing, blood pumping, and increased glucose in the blood, your body is primed and ready to move. This is why exercise is a great way to manage stress. Be sure to choose exercises that you enjoy, and always listen to your body. It may not always be possible to get in the recommended 30-60 minutes, 5 days per week, and that’s okay. Too much exercise is as stressful on the body as too little. Make time for a healthy, active lifestyle, but don’t let it add to your stress.

Nutrition and supplementation

As previously discussed, stress can severely deplete our body’s levels of several key vitamins and minerals. In addition to a healthy, balanced diet, a high quality multivitamin can go a long way towards correcting this issue. One of the nutrients most affected by stress is vitamin C. To more directly address a vitamin C deficiency, consider a highly bioavailable, non-acidic form such as Ester-C®, shown in research to remain elevated in the immune system’s white blood cells for a full 24 hours. Magnesium and zinc, both of which have been shown to reduce cortisol levels, are also commonly deficient with recent studies estimating up to 80 per cent of the population lacking these two important minerals. Finally, a number of botanical/plant-based extracts, such as L-theanine (derived from green tea) and rhodiola, have also been shown to support healthy stress hormone production.

Shift your perception of stress

We are the only animals on earth that can create our own stress, and an increasing amount of evidence is proving that our thoughts (both negative and positive) have a physical impact on our bodies. When you feel stressed, do your best to stay calm and in tune with the reactions that are happening inside your body. View the stress as positive and consider that it’s just your body’s amazing way of keeping you alive and safe.

Nicole Porter is a Wellness Coach & Educator who customizes nutrition, fitness and stress management programs and seminars.

This information is for educational purposes and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified medical practitioner. Consult your licensed healthcare practitioner before making changes to diet, lifestyle, medications or supplements. Inside Out is a trademark of Porter Wellness Group Inc.