Stress and anxiety are more common than we think with recent studies found that about a third of UK workers were stressed nearly all of the time. Stress and anxiety can have an impact not only on your mental health but your physical health too.
But first, let’s look into the difference between stress and anxiety. Both are emotional responses however stress is typically caused by an external trigger such as a work deadline, lifestyle pressures, loss of a job or chronic illnesses.
Most people under stress experience mental and physical symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, anger, fatigue, muscle pain, digestive problems and difficulty sleeping.
Anxiety is more of persistent, excessive worrying that doesn’t go away – even in the absence of a stressor. Anxiety can lead to almost the same symptoms including difficulty concentrating, fatigue, muscle tension, irritability and insomnia.
Fortunately, both mild stress and anxiety respond well to coping mechanisms whether it be physical activity, a healthy balanced diet or good sleeping patterns. Here are 10 simple ways to help relieve stress and anxiety:
Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to combat stress. It helps to release endorphins, which are chemicals that improve your mood. It can also help lower the body’s stress hormones, such as cortisol. Exercise can also help improve your sleep and boost your confidence.
Try implementing walking, jogging or yoga into your day.
Several supplements help to eliminate stress and anxiety including green tea, ashwagandha, valerian and omega-3 fatty acids.
Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks and some sodas. High doses can increase anxiety and although people have different caffeine tolerances, it can cause jitters and anxiety. In moderation, caffeine can be healthy and is even used to help with erection problems.
One of the biggest reasons we can put ourselves under so much stress is due to not saying no. This can be helpful if you find yourself taking on too much and juggling many responsibilities. Saying no to things can help reduce your stress levels and anxiety.
Listening to music can have a very relaxing effect on the body and is great for lowering blood pressure and stress hormones. It is also known for putting us in a better mood and can also help motivate us through the day.
Deep breathing is a great way of relaxing the body and calming your mental state. Deep breathing helps to control the relaxation response. The goal is to focus on your awareness of your breath, making it slower and deeper. This helps to slow your heart rate, allowing you to feel more relaxed.
Meditation helps you to produce a deep state of relaxation and allows your attention to focus on eliminating the many thoughts that may be clouding your mind and causing stress.
It’s great to meet up with family, friends and colleagues. Talking things through with a friend may help you see things differently and also may help you find solutions.
Having some ‘me time’ can be anything from going for a walk and exploring somewhere new to socialising with friends or exercising. Having time earmarked out of your day means you’re able to prioritise ‘me time’ and not be tempted to work overtime.
Writing it down whether it be a jumbled thought list, a to-do list or even maybe how you’re feeling helps to organise your thoughts and clear your mind. It’s also great for recognising a pattern and what triggers your stress and anxiety the most.
Note: This information presented is not intended to help treat, diagnose or substitute for professional medical advice. We always recommend speaking with your doctor for more information.
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Gut health usually refers to the entire digestive tract from the esophagus to the rectum. When suffering from common digestive stress or serious disorders it can easily put one out of the mood. Studies have documented the high rates of sexual dysfunction from low libido to erectile dysfunction among those with gut health problems.
Your digestive tract’s main role is to digest food and absorb nutrients, however, it also contains millions of neurons that play a role in emotional response. This is why sometimes we can feel emotions in the gut (a sinking feeling, butterflies, etc) and with a gut imbalance, it can affect your desire for sex, as it is closely linked with your emotional state, which is why your libido could be connected to your gut health.
What you eat can also play a part in gut health as it affects hormones, blood sugar, energy and mood in a good or bad way. Reviewing your diet and ensuring you’re maintaining a happy, healthy gut, could help improve your sexual health – and can even help prevent erectile dysfunction.
Alcohol, too much sugar, antibiotics and stress can also cause havoc on your gut flora causing an imbalance resulting in mental and physical issues. Fortunately, you can improve the gut flora – and your libido – with lifestyle changes and probiotics. But how do you know if you have a gut imbalance?
There are several ways an unhealthy gut may present itself including:
The best way to determine if you have a gut imbalance is to speak with your doctor.
There are many ways to improve your gut health, as well as supplementing probiotics, whether in a capsule form or drink or increase the number of fermented foods you eat, including sauerkraut, kefir, yoghurt, kombucha, apple cider vinegar and kimchi.
Other ways to improve your gut health include:
Note: This information presented is not intended to help treat, diagnose or substitute for professional medical advice. We always recommend speaking with your doctor for more information.
]]>To Find out what causes low energy and other ways to increase it, read our How to Increase Energy Levels article.
B vitamins are essential for the body as they help metabolise nutrients and produce energy and can reduce tiredness and fatigue. The most important B vitamins known to play a part in energy are:
Ashwagandha is a known adaptogen that could help boost energy levels. In one study, it found that the root extract helped ease stress and anxiety – which can contribute to fatigue and low energy – compared to those in the placebo group.
It can also help improve memory and cognition, reaction times and increase muscle mass.
Known as the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D helps to support normal function in bones and muscles and may protect cells from oxidative stress – which is also beneficial for improving erections. If you experience muscle fatigue or have low vitamin D levels, this would be a great vitamin to supplement.
Due to its adaptogenic properties, Rhodiola helps to alleviate fatigue, as well as stress-related mental fatigue. It also helps to increase energy, stamina, strength and athletic performance.
One of the most known amino acids for improving performance during exercise and improving recovery, it can also help boost energy. Creatine can reduce symptoms of fatigue and tiredness by providing your brain with additional energy and increasing dopamine levels.
If you’re looking to boost your energy levels, it’s important to ensure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs. You can find most of these in the foods you eat, however, some vitamins are harder to get, so supplements are a good solution.
Note: This information presented is not intended to help treat, diagnose or substitute for professional medical advice. We always recommend speaking with your doctor for more information.
]]>While low energy and fatigue can sometimes be linked to a medical condition, most of the time, it’s lifestyle-related and to be quite frank, it can be annoying. You become unfocused, you lose a lack of interest and go about your everyday life in zombie mode. Fortunately, there are a few lifestyle tweaks you can start implementing throughout your day to increase energy levels, feel more focused and awake and overall feel a lot better in yourself – but what causes low energy?
There are many causes for low energy from not getting enough calories or sleep to not drinking enough water. Here are a few reasons your energy levels may be lagging:
Did you know fatigue could also be a sign of low testosterone? Read our latest blog to find out more.
Here are some ways to tweak your lifestyle and boost your energy:
Note: This information presented is not intended to help treat, diagnose or substitute for professional medical advice. We always recommend speaking with your doctor for more information.
]]>But what happens when your testosterone levels are lower than normal and what does it have to do with erections?
When your testosterone levels are lower than normal, several changes can happen including increased body fat, decreased strength of muscles, fragile bones and reduction of sperm count. It can also lead to a reduced sex drive which can sometimes cause erectile dysfunction (ED).
According to the Food and Drug Administration, a normal range is typically 300 to 1,000 ng/dL. However, it is difficult to define normal levels, as these vary throughout the day and are affected by body mass index (BMI), nutrition, alcohol consumption, certain medications and illness.
Other signs of low testosterone include:
As men age, their testosterone levels naturally decrease by about 1% per year, however, many other factors could contribute to low testosterone.
Other potential causes include; injury (interrupted blood supply or infection to the testes), chemotherapy for cancer, dysfunction or tumours of the pituitary gland and high levels of iron (known as hemochromatosis).
Here are 4 ways to naturally increase testosterone levels.
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to not only prevent many lifestyle-related diseases but can also help boost your testosterone. Resistance training, such as weight training, is said to be the best type of exercise to help boost levels in both the short-term and long-term.
This one goes without saying, but minimising stress and cortisol levels can help with your overall health as well as your testosterone levels. Regular exercise, sleep, a balanced diet and laughter can all help reduce stress.
Zinc and vitamin B supplements are known to help increase sperm quality and boost testosterone levels while vitamins A, C & E can play a role in your sex hormones.
There are a few herbal ingredients supported by scientific studies.