Browsing Tag

mood boosting supplements

go-to supplements to support your sexy mind & bod during stressful and anxious times

Body Mind

depressed sad girl crying in the cornerIf you know me at all or have read any of my historical posts, you’ll know that I’ve struggled with stress, anxiety and depression my entire life. Throughout my childhood and teen years, early adulthood, motherhood and even now, it’s a condition that comes and goes. Sometimes with a call ahead and other times breaking down the front door without an invite

– and I don’t hesitate for a moment to say that this is where my passion to help others and share my story regarding these issues  has come from –

My usual symptoms after a bout (short or long) of stress, anxiety and yes depression are;

  • extreme exhaustion (like sleeping 12-15 hours a day)

  • low to no appetite (no cravings, no hunger)

  • ravenous appetite (can’t stop won’t stop sort of hunger)

  • irritability, anger, emotional

  • lethargy and no feelings or emotions

I’ve experimented with a ton of supplements to try and find the most effective and safe (natural) ways to support my body and mind when these bitches come invade my safe space, and I’m really happy to share what I’ve learnt. The following supplements help specifically with releasing my above symptoms.

The most impressive supplement I have found in my experimentation are mushrooms – to date and in my opinion – they are one of the most effective ways to (very) quickly get me back to a state of calm and stability. And my first go to is REISHI.

Reishi

The mood-boosting compounds found in reishi have been know to alleviate anxiety, reduce stress, ease depression, lessen fatigue (possibly my fav benefit) and can also help us get a better nights rest. (consider reishi as nature’s Xanax)! Reishi is very well know to enhance our immune system (which tends to get run down with increased stress). So it’s well rounded in these types of issues.

Cordyceps

Cordyceps are my next go to shroom, in fact… my go-to supplement (by Hostdefence) combines both Cordyceps and Reishi together which increases all the good stuff to help the bad (IMHO). Cordyceps help with immune and energy, which as you know if you’ve suffered from stress, anxiety or depression, you very quickly run out of them both! This powerhouse is used often with athletes for this reason, but I think it’s a total game changer for stress aka moms as well.

mushrooms

*disclaimer*

I’m not against meds for conditions like depression, anxiety and stress…

you do you babe

but if you’re looking for some alternative ideas, look no further 😉 !

B Vitamins

B Vitamins are crucial for more than just energy. They’re also essential for brain health and your mood, but maybe more importantly a deficiency can cause: confusion, depression, fatigue, mood disturbances, muscle weakness and poor memory. Because all b-vits are water soluble we need them everyday, so don’t put it off and don’t forget babe! (but also don’t take it too late unless you have plans to be up all night)

Fun news – the medicinal mushrooms I talk about here are also actually full of B vitamins! I personally still make sure I supplement separately as I’m not convinced there is enough to support my bod the way I want it supported, (I’ve had issues with being very low on B’s in the past and don’t want to go down that road (ever) again).

Vitamin C

Another supplement that is so needed by our overwhelmed bods is Vitamin C. (also another water soluble vitamin) We require this daily, but more (much more often) when under stress. Animals, when adjusted for human size and weight, make the equivalent of 5-15 grams of Vitamin C a day, when stress free (production can more than double when the animal is distressed but so too is consumption by the body!) Scientists estimate that without this mutation we would be making 10-30 grams of Vitamin C a day (this is 10,000-30,000mg). This makes the RDA of just 45mg look horribly inadequate.

Magnesium

Magnesium is another underused vitamin (actually a mineral) that is extremely helpful in supporting your body and mind when stressed out. It actively relaxes your muscles and can help calm your mind before bedtime. As a general population we are pretty deficient in this supplement, but don’t worry about taking too much, as with too much Vitamin C you’ll just notice loose stools. Ease into taking more a little each day 🙂

Lions Mane

lions maneLet’s get back to medicinal mushrooms for a hot min. When you’re dealing with stress and anxiety a major side effect can be brain fog. To get back your mental clarity try lions main. This mushroom is packed with antioxidants and strengthens the immune system (like most medicinal mushrooms), but lion’s mane is also crucial to brain health. (try these shots for a brain boost– use coupon code TAMARAMARIA for an exclusive discount)

 

just kidding -> this isn’t not what Lions Mane looks like 😉 but it is kind of how I feel after I get out of the anxiety funk and ready to tackle the world (aka powerful, calm and strong!)

Additional herbs to try

if you’re interested more in herbs for anxiety a great list to start with would be: (note I don’t regularly take these – but have tried them with good success)

Rhodiola (an ancient herb that is popular in Siberia for it’s great powers against the stressful harsh conditions)

Holy Basil (an ancient herb widely used in India and Pakistan for it’s healing, calming properties)

Lavender, Chamomile and Passion Flower (all safe herbs known for their wonderful scents and calming properties)

Ashwaghanda (another ancient herb with amazing adaptogenic properties to help stress, anxiety and more)

 

xox tamara

Harmonic Arts has amazing blends of Mushrooms for your Mental Health and Well being too! This is their 5 Mushroom Blend for Whole Body Health and Immunity which includes Chaga, Cordyceps, Lions Mane, Turkey Tail and Reishi!