Adapting to STRESStember and Beyond!

I love fall. I love the crunchy leaves underfoot and the more comfortable temperatures (hello again, my beloved hoodie collection!).

What I don’t love… is the spike in stress that often comes with this particular change in seasons. Being a lifelong student as well as a nutrition professional means I see it in myself and those I work with.

September/October ➡️ change in routine ➡️ STRESS!!

I’ve figured out along the way that it’s important to have nutritional strategies to help keep a balance from day-to-day!

Among the top of these nutritional strategies is watching my blood sugar balance. Avoiding eating too much sugar is key, and making sure I have a combo of protein + fat + fiber with each meal and snack helps with this as well.

Sometimes that’s still not quite enough to temper the overall load, and I’ll turn to a few of my favourite adaptogens to supplement my needs.

Adaptogens, quite simply, help your body “adapt” to stressors, usually by modulating the hormones involved in the stress response (e.g. cortisol, adrenaline).

These are some of my favourites:

• I particularly love adaptogen powder mixes, like Botanica’s reishi hot chocolate, turmeric golden mylk with ashwagandha, Four Sigmatic’s reishi elixir, or adaptogen coffee. Reishi and ashwagandha may both help reduce cortisol.
• A good B complex capsule like AOR is a staple for balancing the nervous system and adrenal function, while an adaptogen herbal blend like AdrenaSense is great for coping on days when stress runs extra high.
• And I love maca as it may help balance stress hormones as well as sex hormones!

Check out these products here

Whatever your favourite adaptogen is, there are lots of great products and ways to enjoy them.

I love adding the powder mixes to smoothies or whisking into a tea or coffee!

If you feel you need additional support, talk to your nutritionist or naturopath about adding these to your routine.

**Make sure you clear them with your primary prescribing practitioner as well to avoid potential contraindications, as some herbs and vitamins may interact with some meds/conditions.**

Do you use adaptogens? What’s your fave and how are you taking it?