How stress steals your energy (and what to do about it)

When your nervous system is running the show and pumping out stress hormones, it can’t tell the difference between your crazy work schedule, the thousand things you need to do at home, or if you’re being chased by a tiger.

It just knows it needs to keep you alive. 

And to do that it’s going to steal what nutrients and energy you have.

Chronic stress depletes:

• Magnesium

• B Vitamins

• Vitamin C

• Zinc 

• Omega-3

• Vitamin D

• Iron

And when these nutrients are low:

• Your energy production slows

• Your brain gets foggy

• And your immunity tanks as stress suppresses your immune system

So when you’re chronically stressed, exhaustion, overwhelm and illness increase.

What’s more, the symptoms of chronic stress are very similar to both an underactive or suboptimal thyroid AND perimenopause.

Any of these sounds familiar?

• Tiredness and fatigue

• Sleep issues

• Brain fog

• Weight gain

• Irregular periods

• Mood swings

• Depression & Anxiety

Yes, all of the above symptoms can be related to:

• Chronic stress

• Underactive or suboptimal thyroid

• Perimenopause.

And potentially all three.

What's more, women are biologically wired to be more sensitive to stress, it's all down to our cave-people DNA (and Nutrigenomics testing can reveal your individual genetic blueprint).

It's therefore no surprise that women are many times more likely than men to be diagnosed with autoimmune disease, ME/chronic fatigue syndrome and Long Covid as stress is a key factor in all of these condititions.

It’s impossible to remove all stress from life, but we can minimise it where possible and improve our resilience to it.

Here are some easy ways to support your nervous system and increase stress resilience:

• Remember to eat - stress can steal our appetite or make us more hungry. Not eating actually increases stress hormones - as blood sugar dips, stress hormones are triggered  to release stored glucose from the muscles. Focus on:

  • Protein, good fats and plants with every meal for plenty of nutrients

  • Eat within an hour of waking up, even if it's only a small meal

  • Breakfast is especially important to support your adrenals - eggs are my favourite go-to

    
    

• Take time for yourself - get outside in nature, go for a walk, watch a funny programme, breathe, do something that you love. Even 10-15 minutes is better than nothing at all.

• Consider supplements for extra support:

  • Magnesium Glycinate - my no 1 supplement

  • A decent B complex

  • And perhaps an immune complex if you seem to get everything that’s doing the rounds

How does stress affect your health?

If you'd like some help unravelling the underlying drivers of your symptoms and health issues, book a discovery call and let's have an informal, no-obligation chat.

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The content on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.