Thanksgiving is just days away... fun loving friends, your extended family members, and a host of warm, sweet, sticky, starchy, gravy-covered food. Yum! Accompanying this holiday can be extra trips to an overcrowded market, pressure to pull off the “perfect” meal, and house-guests that forget your home is not a hotel. In short, holiday stress. Here are a few easy tips to help you manage it all:
Chamomile
This common herb, most popular as a tea but also available in capsule and tincture form, is known for calming frayed nerves and acting as an extremely mild sedative. A University of Pennsylvania study found that chamomile extracts (220–1,100 mg daily) reduces anxiety symptoms significantly. Chamomile is related to ragweed, so if you have allergies opt for the easier-to-tolerate German chamomile (Matricaria).
Magnesium
This mineral is a remarkable and safe muscle relaxant, and is especially helpful before going to bed, says Carolyn Dean, MD, author of The Magnesium Miracle (Ballantine, 2007). It can also lower your blood pressure when stress and anxiety conspire to increase it, according to an analysis of 20 published studies. Keep in mind that large doses may loosen stools; if you experience this, reduce the dose, increasing it as needed.
Omega-3s
These fatty acids aren’t just essential for normal brain development in infants and children. They also support healthy moods in adults. Perhaps best known for relieving depression and bipolar disorder, omega-3s can also lessen anxious feelings. A study at the Ohio State University College of Medicine found that omega-3s reduced anxiety in people who took supplements for three months.
Remember the reason for this special day – to give thanks. And don’t forget to do something life-affirming just for you, be it soaking in a warm sea-salt bath, escaping guests to hike your favorite trail all alone, or taking a much needed afternoon nap.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Chamomile
This common herb, most popular as a tea but also available in capsule and tincture form, is known for calming frayed nerves and acting as an extremely mild sedative. A University of Pennsylvania study found that chamomile extracts (220–1,100 mg daily) reduces anxiety symptoms significantly. Chamomile is related to ragweed, so if you have allergies opt for the easier-to-tolerate German chamomile (Matricaria).
Magnesium
This mineral is a remarkable and safe muscle relaxant, and is especially helpful before going to bed, says Carolyn Dean, MD, author of The Magnesium Miracle (Ballantine, 2007). It can also lower your blood pressure when stress and anxiety conspire to increase it, according to an analysis of 20 published studies. Keep in mind that large doses may loosen stools; if you experience this, reduce the dose, increasing it as needed.
Omega-3s
These fatty acids aren’t just essential for normal brain development in infants and children. They also support healthy moods in adults. Perhaps best known for relieving depression and bipolar disorder, omega-3s can also lessen anxious feelings. A study at the Ohio State University College of Medicine found that omega-3s reduced anxiety in people who took supplements for three months.
Remember the reason for this special day – to give thanks. And don’t forget to do something life-affirming just for you, be it soaking in a warm sea-salt bath, escaping guests to hike your favorite trail all alone, or taking a much needed afternoon nap.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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