Commentary by Cory Black

Stress is one thing that no one really can escape. No matter who you are, you have likely felt “stressed out” from time to time, and for some of us a part of every day.

Stress causes mental tolls such as depression and anxiety, and physical tolls such as increased blood pressure levels and even extra weight around your midsection. While you can’t get rid of stressful situations, you can reduce its toll on you.

Making sure you get a good night’s rest becomes all the more important for your body to deal with the impact of stress from the day. Two of the best supplements that can help you shutdown are GABA and ZMA. GABA is a natural neuro-inhibitory transmitter and helps calm your brain activity and help a racing mind shutdown for the night. And ZMA can help you get more from your sleep.

Fight the effects of stress with ashwagandha, which is an herb with stress-relieving properties. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, or an herb that helps stabilize physiological processes and cellular sensitivity to stress. This powerful herb can significantly reduce anxiety and as well reduce cortisol levels from stress that increases fat storage. Ashwagandha can help you resist the damaging effects of stress so you can feel revitalized and recharged.

Support your brain health when under stress by making sure you have sufficient Omega 3 essential fatty acids, which our diets are often deficient in. Docosahexaenoic acid found in Omega 3’s is particularly critical to brain health, and in fact DHA makes up to 20 percent of our cerebral cortex. DHA supports brain activity and mood, and it’s the break down of brain activity that leads to anxiety and depression.