Supplements To Alleviate Stress and Provide Support For Emotional Eating
For the longest time, I would say to people that I'm not a supplement girl and that I only wanted to purely rely on food. The reality is that it's very challenging to do that in this day and age with the nutrient-deficient state of our soil and the added epidemic of chronic stress (which, in turn, depletes nutrients and drives us into a nutrient deficient state).
If you watch my Instagram Stories where I've been sharing some of my morning and evening supplement routines, you'll know that I still don't go too crazy on supplements, but I certainly am strategic about what I take. My goal in taking supplements (and when I recommend natural supplements to clients) is to get the most "nutrient bang for my buck" as possible.
By that, I mean I take supplements that serve more than one purpose; instead on taking zinc daily to support the immune system, I would likely recommend that you take a daily probiotic which helps to support gut health (and overall health), digestion, mood, skin health and boost the immune system. See what I'm saying? So if you're someone who doesn't have the best compliance rate when it comes to supplements, this strategy will be key for you.
Our supplement regime will also vary based upon where we're at in life, present challenges we're facing, as well as specific ailments or health conditions someone might have. For me, that often looks like supporting myself (more specifically, my adrenal glands) to keep stress at bay. Stress is often a trigger when it comes to emotional eating. I know that when stress isn't managed through diet, lifestyle and supplement support, it often results in turning to food as a crutch; for that temporary relief.
Why? Because food is the most socially acceptable, fastest-acting "drug" we know we can turn to for relief when we're feeling stressed, overwhelmed or burnt out.
It's also difficult to maintain a positive mindset towards your body and treat your body with respect when you're in such a state. That's why it's so incredibly important to manage stress at all times if we want to alleviate emotional eating and provide support for our overall health. Stress is at the root of numerous health conditions nowadays that I would potentially argue stress management as being just as important as the food you're putting into your body.
In my client consultations, when stress is a common theme amongst the primary concerns that are listed, I make several recommendations including dietary, supplement and lifestyle habits. But today, we're going to explore how you can best support yourself through natural supplementation and what key nutrients you should be striving to incorporate.
B Vitamins
There are 8 B Vitamins including B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate) and B12 (cobalamin); most of which you likely already get through food, but there are a few exceptions to that.
If we're looking at a highly stressed individual, supplementation with a high-quality B Complex supplement can be very beneficial since B vitamins are drastically reduced when stress is present. Not to mention, naturally containing oxylates in B Vitamin-containing foods can actually inhibit absorption of these nutrients during digestion.
B Vitamins help us to turn food into energy and each individual B Vitamin has a unique role in doing that. On top of that, B Vitamins play a key role in stress management as they help to improve mental cognitive ability, create adrenal hormones that help us cope with stress, support energy production and boost mood. If you suffer from chronic stress or adrenal fatigue, a high-quality B Complex supplement should be a staple in your supplement regime.
Magnesium
If you picture any tension in your body as a tightly clenched fist, magnesium helps to alleviate that naturally by opening the clenched fist. If you suffer from tightness in your shoulders or neck from stress, magnesium can really help to alleviate that tension. On top of that, magnesium increases GABA (Gabba-Aminobutyric Acid) which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that encourages relaxation, reduces stress and feelings of anxiety.
It's actually said that 75% of Americans are deficient in magnesium which has been associated with heightened stress and anxiety. That's because magnesium is a mineral that isn't very present in our soil nowadays, which is why supplementation is so important on top of eating magnesium-containing foods such as kale, swiss chard, nuts and seeds, broccoli, squash, beans and legumes and yes, even chocolate.
Because magnesium has a calming and sleep-promoting effect, I would recommend taking it before bed and starting off with a lower dosage. Too much too soon can result in digestive upset and take it from my own personal experience – you don't want to have to interrupt your workout and run to the washroom for a magnesium poop. Trust me!
GABA
I mentioned that magnesium can help to produce GABA but in some cases, you might need that extra little boost from direct supplementation of GABA. GABA works by sending messages from the brain to the nervous system and decreasing neuronal excitability. Its main uses revolve around relieving anxiety, improving sleep (and alleviating insomnia) and reducing symptoms of depression. Many medications that are used to treat some of these conditions actually work by boosting the activity of GABA in the brain which just proves how powerful GABA is to provide support for stress, anxiety, and insomnia.
Probiotics
If you've attended one of my in-person kombucha workshops or taken my DIY Kombucha Online course, you already know how important gut health is for our overall health, but especially for mental health and reducing stress and/or anxiety. It's said that 50-60% of serotonin and dopamine, our "feel-good" neurotransmitters are produced in the gut. It only makes sense that we should do everything we can to nourish the gut then, right?
One way to do that is by taking a daily probiotic supplement. In fact, if you're going to take any supplement, take a probiotic. Probiotic supplements, as well as fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha (learn how to make your own!), tempeh and miso paste all help to proliferate that good beneficial bacteria in the gut that enables us to get more nutrients out of the food we eat.
When we are getting the adequate nutrients we need, we are able to maintain stable energy levels and produce the hormones we need to keep our mood in balance. It's also worth noting that 90% of the immune system is found in the gut and when stress is present, our immune system is the first thing to take a hard hit which is why you likely always get sick after a busy period at work or exam season at school. I haven't even talked about the array of digestive, skin and overall health benefits of taking probiotics and you already have two solid reasons to be taking them daily!
Adaptogens (via an Adrenal Supplement)
If you aren't yet familiar with what adaptogens are, give it a few months and you won't be able to avoid them. Nowadays you can find them in capsule form (often marketed as an "Adrenal Supplement" just so you know what to look out for) next to your more common supplements or in powder/herb/tea form which works great in everything from matcha lattes, elixirs or your morning cup of tea.
Adaptogens are herbs that help to nourish the adrenal glands and our adrenal glands are responsible for releasing all of our stress hormones. If we picture our adrenal glands (which sit on top of our kidneys) as plush juicy grapes, a very exhausted stressed-out person's adrenal glands would look like shriveled up raisins. Essentially, their elevated stress levels end up using up all of their stress hormones, including cortisol, adrenaline, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, that would otherwise help them cope with stressful (or "fight or flight") situations.
If you suffer from any of the following symptoms, it's likely your adrenal glands are burnt out (or you may have adrenal fatigue) and they need some nourishment in the form of adaptogens and a change in your lifestyle habits:
Inability to get out of bed in the morning
Unable to handle stressful situations
Weakened immunity/always getting sick
High energy in the evening
Cravings for salty foods
Mood swings
Day-long, wavering fatigue
Think of adaptogens as helping us to "adapt" and cope with stressful situations. Adaptogenic herbs include Holy Basil, Ashwagandha, Ginseng, Reishi Mushrooms and Licorice (not the Twizzler kind – sorry!). Some prefer to take adaptogens in supplement form, while others prefer powders and/or tea. It's totally up to you! My recommendation is to do whichever will result in the best compliance rate. For me, that's a supplement because it's easy to just throw them back versus making a tea or an elixir and incorporating the adaptogens into it. If you're interested in learning more about adaptogens, you can do so here.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C might not be the first nutrient you think of when it comes to managing stress, but I wanted to make mention of it because it plays a super important role in being an essential building block for the recovery of your adrenal glands (which again, release all of your stress hormones). Vitamin C is also depleted at a rapid rate when in a state of stress which is why we often get sick after stressful periods.
If you're not supplementing with Vitamin C, you'll want to make sure you're getting a good amount of it from food at all times. I wouldn't actually supplement with Vitamin C on a regular basis (unless you're sick) because it's often found in adrenal supplements and B Complex vitamins already and if you're getting enough from food, there's not a huge need. Just keep in mind that Vitamin C cannot be stored in the body and only lasts for 4 hours so incorporating it into your diet on a daily basis is key.
While all of these supplements can make the world of a difference when it comes to lowering stress and alleviating emotional eating, please note that these aren't meant to be a cure-call quick-fix pill. Without addressing the root cause, addressing lifestyle factors and your current dietary habits, supplementation will only take you so far.
If you want to learn more about how supplements can be helpful for you (including brands and dosage), in addition to lifestyle and dietary changes, when it comes to managing stress and alleviating your emotional eating, please feel free to reach out to me via email or book a complimentary discovery call!
As always, please speak to your natural health care practitioner before taking any new supplements to ensure the quality, dosage, and brand is right for you.