DEALING WITH STRESS – By Dr. Leela Klein

DEALING WITH STRESS

To say the least, it’s been a stressful time and we have been feeling the effects that stress puts on our bodies. I have put together some of my favourite recommendations I give my clients to help support them in stressful times and prevent exhaustion. I hope you find them helpful too.

1. Nutrients – A lot of nutrients are lost during stressful periods, e.g. calcium and magnesium. Hence it is important to supplement with vitamins and minerals during stressful times.

A supplement that I would highly recommend is Eagle Tresos Activated B PluSe. It is an amazing multivitamin, mineral and antioxidant formula that can support your health in stressful times. You can buy it in any health food store.

2. Diet

• Introduce fibres (i.e. oat bran, psyllium husk) to your diet. Stress can cause diarrhoea and/or constipation. Fibres are good for cleansing bowels and improving bowel functions.
• Chamomile tea is a gentle relaxant, a great nerve tonic; it soothes the digestive tract and is a pleasant sleep aid.
• Avoid processed foods and all foods that create stress on the system, such as artificial sweeteners, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, park, red meat, sugar, white flour products, foods containing preservatives or heavy spices, and chips and similar snack foods.
• Eliminate dairy products from your diet for three weeks. Then reintroduce them slowly – and observe if there are any changes in the way you react to stressful situations.
• Limit your intake of caffeine. Caffeine contributes to nervousness and can disrupt sleep patterns.
• Avoid alcohol, tobacco and mood-enhancing drugs. They may temporarily relief stress but in the long-term are more harmful to your health. And the stress will still be there the next day.

3. Exercise

• Make sure to exercise regularly – even when you think you don’t have enough time! Gentle exercise, such as yoga, Pilates and/or going for a half hour walk every day, can clear your mind and keep stress under control.

4. Relaxation techniques

• Try meditation. Regular meditation helps to relax and handle stress more easily. There are meditation apps (i.e. Insight Timer) that are easy to download and listen to. They offer guided meditations from as little as 5 minutes. Or visit our beautiful Yoga studio for in-house or online classes.
• Practice deep breathing. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold your breath for a few seconds and then exhale slowly through your mouth, with your tongue placed at the roof of your mouth. Repeat four or five times, or until tension passes.
• Get sufficient sleep each night. This may be difficult because stress can keep you up at night. The less sleep you get, the more stress will affect you, the more your immune system will weaken. Try to practice sleep hygiene – not having electronic devices in the bedroom, not looking at screens late at night. Don’t watch TV or read in bed.

AND REMEMBER . . .

Stress can be hard on everyone, please see your Health practitioner or Doctor if you need further help.

By Dr Leela Klein (TCM)

Leela is a Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Herbal Practitioner at Kundalini House. Her treatments often combine bodywork with acupuncture, and ancillary techniques such as moxibustion, cupping, gua sha (scraping), as well as diet & lifestyle suggestions.

Leela has a special interest in psycho-emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression, insomnia, Women’s Health (e.g. pregnancy, menopause, period pain), gastrointestinal concerns as well as autoimmune conditions.

Leela available for Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Wednesday’s and Saturday’s at Kundalini House. Call the clinic on 9482 4325 for bookings or follow the link below.

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