We’ve all been taught that “stress is bad” and how imperative it is to overall health to manage it in a healthy way. Whether it be a vacation, daily prayer, journaling, meditation, or some other form, it is crucial to keep stress low to maintain proper health.
But “stress” isn’t just mental stressors from work and home life. In fact, sometimes the root of the problem isn’t that your boss added a new deadline to your plate, but rather how you deal with that new task. Very often, it starts from the gut. The gut is connected to the brain by messages sent from hormones and neurotransmitters. But these messages can be affected by bacteria, toxins and other foreign invaders that enter the body by way of food, drink, chemical pollutants, household products and viruses. These invaders can enter the bloodstream and cause more stress and inflammation in the body which then affects the body’s ability to detox properly and push these stressors out.
The gut supplies 95% of the body’s serotonin. When under duress, these feel-good hormones take a beating, and one may experience symptoms like anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
In order to restore order to a stressed-out body and mind, the body must undergo a detoxification protocol. The lymphatic system, liver and kidneys provide this service. However, their efficiency depends a great deal on individual defenses and ability to eliminate toxins. Certain autoimmune disorders, for example, can make it harder for the body to naturally detox. Hormonal imbalances, lifestyle choices, and illness can also compromise this built-in detoxification process.
When working to detox the body and restore balance, the gut, adrenals, and hormones must be addressed. Whole foods, fiber, and water are crucial. Cutting out refined sugars, chemically processed foodstuffs, saturated fats, and iodized salts will help decrease the load on the liver. Supplements like probiotics (like those found in Protea Nutrition’s GI Assist and Vibrant+), milk thistle, DIM (see blog “DIM Detox”), and coenzyme Q (CoQ10), can help restore balance in the gut.
During this detoxification phase, the release of toxins can cause neuro-inflammation, causing and an imbalance in cortisol production. Symptoms include anxiety, depression, mood swings, fatigue, and inability to cope with daily demands. Amino acids GABA and L theanine work together to calm the body and control nerve impulses resulting from the detoxification process. L theanine is an amino acid shown to decrease stress in the body by stimulating production of GABA. Clinical studies have shown L-theanine to be effective in decreases anxiety and improving sleep quality.
It’s why we included it in Protea Nutrition’s Stress Defy. Designed to support an optimally functioning adrenal gland, Stress Defy helps to control the body’s response to everyday stress supporting a healthy weight, decreased appetite, and increased mental clarity. Controlled cortisol levels help the body to adjust to mental, physical, and emotional stress properly.
*These statements in this blog have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
