Health & Wellness: End of Summer Blues

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As humans, we are rattled to our core by change.  It brings up emotions such as discomfort, grieving the end of something, or anticipation of the unknown.  With the end of summer, many of us are sad to say good-bye to fun sun-kissed days and long summer nights.  But the reality is that change supports our growth – mentally, spiritually & physically.  Embracing change will benefit your life in countless ways.  Supporting our bodies with nutrients is the basis for our physical body to feel good during these inevitable upcoming changes.

Going with the flow is the key to thriving.  Surviving is just getting by.  Instead, you want to thrive because you can build and grow from thriving.  You want to ebb and flow with anything that comes your way.  Fear feeds into survival mode.  Excitement drives thriving mode.  Watch your children.  If they are constantly fearful, help them to step out of that fear into excitement.  Also, look in the mirror to see if they may have learned that coping mechanism from you or someone else.

Excitement & fear are actually a response to the same thing – anticipation of a new event or situation aka change.  Try to tap into excitement instead of fear while also being mindful of not getting too excited that it becomes overwhelming.  If you practice this art daily, it becomes easier.  Ways to be in charge of your emotional mindset is mindfulness – down time to tune in with yourself and identify what you are feeling.  Ask yourself what thoughts you are associating with the upcoming change.  Seek the joy in the newness and sit with that for a moment.  Then, let new thoughts build from that joy.

Nutrient support during times of change is key.  People can either abstain from eating and hydrating properly or overdo it by drinking and eating way too much.  If the stress of change prevents you from adequate nutrition or overconsumption of the standard American diet then you are setting yourself up for failure.  Your body requires all of the good macronutrients daily which means good fats, proteins and carbohydrates.  Your body requires fat for brain functioning.  Protein for strong muscles, joints and tissues.  Carbohydrates are essential for your energy source to get through the day. Proper water consumption is relaxing for your nervous system, so don’t forget to drink quality water throughout the day.

Check your Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K levels.  Vitamin D3 is so much more than simply a vitamin – it is a hormone that regulates mood and supports your gut lining which affects your absorption of nutrients.  The optimal range for Vitamin D3 you should fall within is 60 – 80 via labwork.  If you are below 60, then you must supplement.  Vitamin K helps the absorption of Vitamin D3 plus both support bone and cardiovascular health.  However, they are fat soluble so you do not want to exceed what your body requires.  Get tested to be sure you are taking the correct dosage.

Remember – whatever you look for, you will find.  Choose excitement and joy so you can thrive!