Help to manage stress with these Vitamins and foods

Relax, breathe, and read below for help on how to manage your stress!

In Chinese Medicine, Stress is due to what we call Liver energy stagnation. Stress tenses the body, muscles, tendons, jaw, leading to balances in every system in our body, as well as our spirit. When we are stressed, we block energy movement throughout our energy highways. This blockage can be reduced with meditation, qi gong, acupuncture, herbs, vitamins, and foods. You might think patients who come in for acupuncture treatment feel stress, but instead they feel relaxed and calm. Why does this happen?

Acupuncture from a western standpoint helps release endorphins, as well as serotonin. In chinese medicine, by tapping into these blockages through acupuncture (or even just magnet therapy or ear seeds, and sound healing) we help the flow of qi while strengthening the liver which helps us manage stress in the future.

Vitamins to help your stress:

  1. Calcium – 500 to 1000 mg daily
  2. DHEA – 25 to 50 daily
  3. Magnesium – 250 to 500 mg daily will help the muscles relax
  4. Vitamin B Complex – 25 to 50 mg daily regulars nerves
  5. Siberian ginseng, astragalus, schisandra, and kava are great adaptogens which stregthen resistance to stress
  6. COQ10 – 100 mg twice daily helps fight fatigue and is a powerful antioxidant
  7. SAMe – 400 mg daily, glutamine – 1000 mg daily, tyrosine – 500 mg daily, DLPA – 1000 mg daily are all great amino acids that boost your brain energy
  8. Ginseng, gotu kola, and ginko biloba provide excellent support to the nerves
  9. Licorice root extract helps support adrenal function

*please be mindful of increasing the dosage of the vitamins slowly, and be careful of any counterindications with Rx you are on.

Foods to help your stress:
Click here for some traditional suggestions to help stress

  1. A diet high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins B and E are recommended as these vitamins and minerals are easily depleted by stress
  2. fruits and vegetables such as apricots, wintermelon, asparagus, avacados, bananas, and broccoli in addition to brown rice, dried fruit, figs, salmon, garlic, green leafy vegetables, soy products, and yogurt
  3. Avoid caffeine (coffee, soda, chocolate)
  4. Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and sugar whenever possible