THE STRESS PRODUCT INDUSTRY – MORE THAN JUST A MONEYSPINNER?
It’s not news that stress products are a big-money industry, and stress supplements are at the forefront. Go into any pharmacy or health-food shop, browse the vitamin shelves, and you’ll be guaranteed to find at least one product per range dedicated to the relief of stress. The herbal section will also often offer ‘stress capsules’, ‘stress tinctures’ and ‘stress teas’. But how useful (and how safe) are these products? How are they supposed to help us manage stress? Do they work, or are they just a way of parting people from their hard-earned cash?
GENERAL THOUGHTS ON SUPPLEMENTING
There are two schools of thought when it comes to supplements. One is that if we eat a healthy diet – one rich in raw fruits, vegetables and whole foods, and low in processed additive-laden fare – we’d have no need for supplements. Our bodies, this theory suggests, have evolved to eat food. Not pills, not extracts, not single-nutrients-in-a-bottle, but actual real foods that used to be alive. Therefore, supplements are at best a placebo to waste our money, and at worst, a quick way to unbalance our bodies (too much of some nutrients will block the absorption of others; while too much of others can actually be toxic to our systems)
The second school of thought holds that this view is naive. Firstly, our bodies have to cope with environmental demands today well in excess of what they’ve evolved to do, which means foods that used to give us sufficient nutrients simply aren’t enough any more. Secondly, the food quality today is far lower than it used to be. Nutrient quality has dropped due to use of chemical fertilizers & pesticides, short-term farming practices, and the transport & storage induced time-lags between harvesting, and point-of-sale in stores. Because of the gap between what our bodies now need to cope, and what our food can now provide us with, the only way we can meet our nutritional needs is to supplement an already-healthy diet (note that very few experts will recommend supplementation instead of eating well, and most of those that do are trying to sell a particular product!)
STRESS AND NUTRIENT LEVELS
I’m not a nutritionist, so can’t offer any definitive answer as to which school above is right. If you’re interested in making your own decision, there are a number of resources on line – try typing ‘nutrition & supplements’ into a search engine and see what you come up with. Both schools agree, however, that to keep functioning optimally (even when we’re not under stress), our bodies need a minimum level of a vast number of nutrients. And when we start to experience stress responses, our need for many of those nutrients skyrockets.
Entire papers have been written on the biochemical effects of stress on our bodies. The release of stress hormones causes a number of physiological changes which directly chew through some of the nutrients in our bodies, and leach others from our system. Further nutrients are used up after the stress response passes, healing the damage it caused. The stronger (or more frequent) the stress response, the greater the toll it takes on our systems.
Most stress supplement products will therefore be based around one of two perspectives (or a combination of both). Either they contain some combination of nutrients the stress response has depleted from our bodies (giving them more resources to minimize or repair any damage caused); or they contain herbs or extracts that relax the body, thus fooling it into believing it’s not actually as stressed as it thinks it is. Neither approach is necessarily better than the other (often, combining both works better than either individually); and it depends on the person in question as to which is more appropriate in a given situation.
Before we start discussing specific herbal and nutritional supplements, however, I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer an important reminder. However good a supplement might be, it’s no substitute for actively managing the stress in your life. Just as any vitamins should be taken in addition to a healthy diet, a stress supplement (if you choose to take one), should be a small part of an overall stress management strategy, rather than an alternative to one.
The remaining articles in this series explore in more detail the topics we’ve briefly introduced in this one; with Part 2 addressing specific nutritional stress supplements, Part 3 addressing herbs that are known to help with stress relief, and Part 4 tying it all together and offering suggestions about where to go from here. I hope you’ve found this introduction to the vast field of stress and supplementation informative – if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Otherwise, may every day bring you closer to your Optimum Life.

We get over-stressed now and then. It’s a natural response under certain conditions. We need to be concern when our stress is getting out of hand and interfering with our lifestyle. What problems can too much stress cause?
• High Blood Pressure • Colds and the Flu • Allergies • Diabetes • Damage Relationships • General Bad Health
The list goes on….
Getting over the stress is what we want to strive for. How can we go about this? Taking the natural approach is probably the best way to start. Here are a few ideas to begin with.
Exercise: It may be difficult to begin an exercise program but once you start it will become easier. Exercise helps to blow off steam and gets rid of excess stress. So you benefit by reducing your tension and obtaining a workout as well. Of course talk to your physician before beginning an exercise program.
Relax: Yes it is hard to relax when you are stressing. Try taking in a deep breath slowly. Now as you breathe out picture all the stress leaving you. You may find that doing relaxation techniques on a regular basic when you aren’t stressed out to be beneficial.
Learn relaxation techniques such as: • Meditation • Yoga • EFT • Z-Point • Bio-Feedback • Listening to some soothing music. • Prayer • Asking for Assistance • Joining a Support Network
Look into what causes your stress: You may not know what is inducing you stress. Try to understand where the source is coming from if possible. Once you understand what is causing your stress you can try to modify these problem areas. If you can’t, can you substantially reduce them? Maybe you can look at these stressors in a different way.
Have a Positive Attitude: Always look on the bright side of things. Don’t think about what may go wrong. Take positive steps to improve yourself, your business and your spirit. Work on your ambitions. Find methods to enhance your routine activities. At the end of the day understand that you have done all you can to maintain a healthy lookout on life. Now you can relax and enjoy the remainder of the evening either by yourself or with family and friends.
Nutrition: A healthy diet with the proper nutrition is one key to balancing you physical, mental and emotional health. Frozen TV dinners or Big Macs are not good choices. You need to consume as much unprocessed food as possible. Try to eat as much organic products as possible to eliminate pesticides from your diet. Eat plenty of fresh vegetables, raw if possible, and some fruit. Drink plenty of clean water to keep those brain neurons communicating.
Get Enough Rest: Getting enough sleep at night is crucial to keeping stress at bay. Try to relax the best you can in the evening. Exercise early so that you aren’t all wound up. If you watch a movie ensure it’s not too violent are exciting. It may be better to watch a comedy, read something soothing or listen to soft pleasant music.
If your stress is so severe and you can’t seem to find relief regardless of what you try then you may desire to request professional help.
So there you have six ideas that will help you reduce stress and enjoy life more. Don’t delay. Start on these recommendations right away. Don’t stop there. Keep looking for new ways to manage your stress and genuinely enjoy life once more.