Nurturing Health nutrition that works
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C A N A DA
July – August 2020 • Volume 10 Edition 4
Seeking Calmness This Summer 2020, thus far, has been a year of significant changes and uncertainty in the world, and of course the new pressures and concerns have placed an extra layer of stress and worry on almost all of us. In fact, if we were living in generations past, right to the earliest periods of human existence, worry would have helped us survive. In unfamiliar or dangerous situations, we would be vigilantly considering possible hazards and “what if’s.” Neuroscientist, Dr. Alan Watkins notes that, “Worry becomes damaging to physical well-being only if it persists longer than the perceived threat.”1 This sustained fight-orflight mode causes your body to overproduce the hormone cortisol, thus curtailing its most important functions. Symptoms such as anxiety and trouble sleeping can then arise or increase.2 Karol Ward, psychotherapist and author of Worried Sick: Break Free from Chronic Worry to Achieve Mental & Physical Health, notes the following strategies: • Live in the moment rather than constantly assessing what could go wrong and what actions you have to take. Set aside a specific period – 15 minutes? 30 minutes? – each day to focus on troubleshooting, thereby consciously containing your worry. Write it down, clarify your actions to take, and then move on. Giving yourself a few minutes to pause and slow your breathing and heart rate can be a great way to transition out of this troubleshooting. • Practise gratitude so that you can remember that there is indeed balance in life to be found. There are always elements in our lives for which we can be grateful, and with practice, we’ll become better at appreciating them and using them to keep worry from overwhelming us. • Do what makes you feel good, even if it’s as small as adding your favourite song to that moment’s activity or giving a dear friend a quick phone call. Don’t think of this as being selfish but rather as a smart way to stay healthy and more fit to support those you care about! • Include the right supplements, and Ward specifically mentions the value of References: 1 https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/how-worryingaffects-your-body#1 2 https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-cortisol#1
magnesium. AIM, of course, provides this amazing mineral in the forms of Mag-nificence CWR bath additive and magnesium lotion, but we also offer the following: AIM Composure • Reduces restlessness • Relaxes muscles • Calms nervous tension • Promotes restful sleep • Supports a general sense of well-being AIM GinkgoSense • Helps to maintain memory, concentration and mental clarity • Helps maintain mental acuity • Helps to maintain blood flow to the extremities • Improves neuroplasticity • Powerful antioxidants Sam Owen, author of Anxiety Free: How to Trust Yourself and Feel Calm, suggests we “reframe anxiety as a benign force, guiding us towards our goals, health, happiness and survival.” She notes that anxiety exists because it’s “our brain’s way of trying to keep us alive and well.” By following some of the strategies in this article and making use of AIM supplements, we can perhaps be the masters of our bodies’ responses to stress as we complete the year and look with optimism at 2021.