Getting life in balance

It is estimated that 70% - 90% of all doctor’s appointments are due to stress related conditions. Mental health is now at the forefront of many stories in the media today.

A little bit of stress of course is good for us, motivation for work or sport a positive attitude to push ourselves to do better is essential for a good quality of life. It is when stress and pressure become overwhelming that our body’s start to react. We all know the signs, rapid pulse, sweating, constant worry and anxiety, poor sleep, digestive problems, lack of energy and drive and immune system breakdown.

Here are some top tips that might help:

Balancing blood sugar is essential for keeping mood and energy in harmony.

• Eat 4 small regular meals a day trying to combine good quality protein and complex carbohydrates.
• Ditch the quick fix. Try to eliminate sugary snacks, carbonated drinks, alcohol, fast food, processed food and any food that has labels and ingredients that you cannot pronounce!
• Hydration, regular intake of water, herb/fruit teas to help keep electrolyte balance.
• Try to eat in a relaxed manner taking a break from work to concentrate and enjoy your food.

Exercise

Get into the habit of regular exercise, ride a bike, swimming or just going for walk the key is to try to do something on a daily basis, this will build resilience and you will look forward to this time that you have to yourself.

Slow down your mind

The pace of life, job demands, the ever advancement of technology means some sort of slowing down mechanism is needed to get back into balance.

The Ancient cultures were good at this and this where we can find some help.

Meditation, again get into the habit of a daily routine where you can let your mind and thoughts go.

Yoga breathing exercises great for calming the whole system.

Take time to switch off all news programmes, social media and all outside influences, have a regular quiet spell when you not bombarded with bad news, climate disasters and war.

Sleep

One of the most important areas to getting life back into balance is good quality sleep patterns.

Getting into a good sleep routine eg, hot bath before bed, cutting out alcohol/caffeine before bedtime, staying off social media/TV can help.

Supercharge your day with super nutrients

CO Q10 can help to reduce tiredness and fatigue and helps to convert the food you consume into energy.

Magnesium: low levels of Magnesium can affect energy levels a true all round mineral that every process in the body needs in good amounts.

Adaptogen herbs are substances that help you adapt to different bodily stresses, herbs that can help include Siberian Ginseng, Astragalus, Schisandra and Rhodiola.

B-Complex vitamins:  The B vitamins are used during a stress event and because they are needed for cell energy production it is easy to have low levels when you are under pressure. A high strength B Complex supplement could help to improve energy levels.