look lively!
Overcome those factors with a daily supplement that provides all eight Bs, including at least 50 mg each of B1, B2, and B3 and 500 mg of B5. Studies show that coenzyme Q10
(coQ10) also supports mitochondrial function, boosts energy production, and improves stamina. Challem recommends 100–200 mg daily.
5. Mind your brain. Vitamin C supports the adrenal glands, energizes the brain, and helps the body make L-carnitine, an amino acid that enables mitochondria to convert fat to energy. But most people don’t get enough C; even in citrusy Florida, only 56 percent of people get the recommended amount. Challem suggests supplementing with 1,000–3,000 mg daily, divided into three doses. Powering down your brain is just as
important as keeping it fired up, however. Magnesium tames your stress response and enables your muscles to relax, Koff says, leading to better sleep—and ultimately more energy. Many women who take calcium supplements don’t get sufficient magnesium to counterbalance
its effects, and people who shun whole grains and legumes, like those on a strict paleo-style diet, are at further risk. If you’ve got tight muscles at bedtime or restless leg syndrome, you may be magnesium-deficient, Challem says. Improve intake with nuts (see page 17), seeds, dark leafy greens, and cacao, or with 400 mg magnesium citrate daily, divided into two doses.
6. Adapt. A class of herbs known as adaptogens helps your body respond to stress. Tree in particular, ashwagandha, Siberian ginseng, and rhodiola, encourage healthy adrenal-hormone levels. Licorice root, another adaptogenic herb, “prevents the body’s breakdown of cortisol, which you want when you’re in adrenal exhaustion,” Challem says. He recommends 200–300 mg daily each of rhodiola and ginseng and 500 mg ashwagandha. Look for licorice root that’s not deglycyrrhizinated (DGL). DGL is great for gastric disturbances, but for adrenal fatigue, glycyrrhetinic acid is the active compound. Follow package directions for dose.
Make sure you schedule downtime,
too. Meditate, journal, walk around the block—whatever helps you tamp down the stress and reduce your cortisol demand.
7. Move and groove. Does the thought of exercising make you feel more fatigued? If so, start with slow, gentle activity, such as walking just 15 minutes a day. Ten choose something you love, like dance, martial arts, or hiking, and try to do it four times a week, says Laurie Steelsmith, ND, a Honolulu-based naturopathic physician. Before long, you’ll find that exercise actually gives you more stamina. Not only does it build muscle and burn fat, but it also enables muscle cells to produce more mitochondria, which in turn make more energy. Plus, it shifts stuck energy associated with difficult emotions, says Steelsmith. Exercise can (and should!) include sex, she adds. “Getting your sex life up and running is essential for your vital energy flow.”
Colorado-based freelance writer and editor Laurie Budgar energizes with dance and frequent naps.
28
deliciousliving.com | november 2013
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48