TOLL FREE 1-800-641-6802

Mental health week: Maintaining Energy and Concentration

The fact is, stress can cause energy levels to lag. Many of us don't realize that stress saps our bodies of vital nutrients and can burn out receptors in our nerves. For this many people take supplements to fill in for their nutritional deficiencies or to provide the extra compounds the body needs to repair burned out nerves and hormone receptor cells.

The tiredness and fatigue along with the pain and lack of concentration we often feel is more often than not a direct result of stress. While it may seem like an impossibility, the best methods of reducing stress include getting more exercise, eating right, achieving restful sleep, taking time out for oneself, and getting sunshine every day.

Exercise does not have to include a gym membership or time spent for hours on a treadmill. Find something you can get excited about, even if it's going to the mall and window shopping (leave the credit cards behind) or performing a 12 minute surge session to upbeat music.  A quick walk before or after meals can provide great benefits to the mind, releasing serotonin and other feel good and be-energetic hormones.

Be sure, also, to eat regular meals on time. Most people find that 4 or 5 meals spread out over the course of the day can keep their energy levels up. Be sure to eat complex carbohydrates, lean meats, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and omega fatty acids at each meal. Avoid caffeine, refined white foods, and sugar and you may find your energy gets a good boost.

Getting ample amounts of sleep doesn't mean staying in bed all day. Strive to keep a regular bed time and get up at the same time each morning. Most people find 6 to 8 hours is sufficient sleep. Obtaining more L-tryptophan can also help a person relax and assist in regulating the sleep cycle.

Sunshine is a key element in daily life. Bright light can help a person wake up. Strive for 15 to 20 minutes of bright sunshine early on in the day, be sure to expose your face since there are photo sensitive cells there which help regulate the sleep/wake cycle.

Other products you may try include:

American Energy, this all in one circulatory product helps build immunity and fight fatigue. This steady energy formula is great for people on the run. It promotes circulation in the small blood vessels. It works best when taken for at least 3-months as it steadily improves circulation, and promotes steady increases in thermogenesis, or metabolism. It contains equal amounts of American ginseng and Siberian ginseng, and also contains gotu kola, licorice root and saw palmetto, and East Indian and African Birdseye Cayenne.

Now® brand Elevate Vcaps have undergone clinical research for improving and elevating cognitive performance. For centuries eastern civilizations have relied on huperzine as a broadly useful herbal health aid. It has also been discovered that a rare moss extract helps break down acetylcholine - a chemical in the brain that plays a substantial role in cognitive clarity and memory function. By combining this with other herbs for their synergistic effect, these capsules may provide some assisting in improving cognition.

Niacin (vitamin-B3) is one of the safest nutrients that elevates the mood. It is regarded as an effective way of elevating the mood, overcoming moderate depression, and fixing fatigue. Now® NAD complex is a highly effective bioactive form of vitamin-B3. in addition to its abilities to elevate mood and reduce fatigue, it is currently being researched for its ability to alter the brain's chemistry by increasing the levels of dopamine.

Vinpocetine is chemically related to and derived from an alkaloid found in periwinkle. In European clinical trials and clinical practice for over two decades, Vinpocetine has been used effectively for the treatment of cerebrovascular disorders and related symptoms. Research points to its ability to dilate blood vessels, enhance circulation, improve oxygen utilization, and make blood cells more pliable. Vinpocetine is also an antioxidant and can cross the blood brain barrier. Research has shown that it also supports brain metabolism by increasing synthesis of ATP and several neural transmitters which directly effect the critical brain functions; memory, focus, and mood.

A Last Word on Beating Depression

What many people forget is that the brain is more than a large network of nerves, it is a vital organ which governs the entire body and not only uses fat and sugar for fuel, but is also the first to be affected by nutritional deficiencies due to its high metabolic nature.

In addition to eating a well-rounded diet full of high nutrient foods, fruits, vegetables, and essential amino acid and fatty acid foods and supplements, the brain also needs certain key nutrients in higher amounts than do other parts of the body.

One such amino acid is L-tryptophan which acts as a building block for hormones and other proteins in the body. Certain key vitamins, electrolytes, and minerals need to be consumed on a daily basis in larger amounts than can be supplied by the current western diet and commercially farmed foods. That is why it is essential to take supplements such as Delicious Greens 8000 and
Electrolyte Stamina as part of a regular healthy diet as these can fill in where the modern diet leaves out. Then, if more support is needed, it is essential to find the right supplements as each individual has vastly different nutritional needs.

Lastly, there are four key components to a healthy mind and body. Anytime you begin to feel depressed, tired, or moody, make sure you have had your daily rations of water, sunshine, fresh air, exercise, nourishing food, and sleep. The body and mind can only thrive where all these needs are met on a daily basis in the amounts needed to produce health. Be sure to drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of pure clean water, get 20 minutes of sunshine, breathe in fresh outside air, perform some mildly strenuous activity (exercise), eat 5 healthy meals ( fresh fruits, vegetables, protein, and fat), and get 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night.

Researchers recently discovered that the bacteria in the soil and plant life outside give off chemicals which are now being tested for their ability to regulate mood and fight depression. What better excuse to get outside and get busy having fun in nature!