ALMetro360 Magazine

Managing Stress this Holiday Season R YAN M C W HORTER , M. D. I S IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A H OLIDAY SEASON FREE OF FEELING ANXIOUS AND EXHAUSTED ? W E THINK SO . s a Functional Medicine physician it is no secret that these holidays can bring almost more stress than they’re worth. This is a complete shame because the holiday sea- son really should be some of the most fun and memorable times with our family and friends. I will often see women come into the office just absolutely ex- hausted. It shows in their faces as well the susceptibility to colds and flu, and with the circles under their eyes they can appear completely worn out. It doesn't have to be this way at all. With a couple tweaks you can feel like a much younger version of yourself and be able to han- dle all sorts of stresses. One wonderful and largely unknown tip is that one hour outdoors leads to an 800% drop in perceived stress. Another study revealed that college students who walk through a park have much less anxiety than those that walk along a road. Please spend time out- doors, it completely recharges us. If you say you don't have time, I often say you don't have time not to. Your stress load will evap- orate even with the same amount of work. I always recommend vitamin D throughout the year but particularly during the cold and flu sea- son as that is a great way to naturally prevent this dreaded problem. Those people that are particularly susceptible should pay spe- cial attention to this advice. A good start- ing point is 10,000 IU's of Vit D3 per day. Another supplement that has be- come one of patients’ absolute fa- vorites is called Ashwaganda. This root herb when taken daily im- proves how we handle stress. Ani- mal studies showed they actually lived longer when their diet was supplemented with Ashwaganda. It is extremely safe and it is my first go to when people complain of stress. Another supplement that has been a big hit and really exploded lately is CBD oil. The average person asks me about its safety. I say very safe. Watch for drug interactions but otherwise it is one world class supplement. Since our body makes CBD, I of- ten consider it as a type of hor- mone replacement. Unfortunately, some people feel like no amount of time out- doors or no matter what kind of supplement they take, they will always feel stressed. When I see a patient that has trouble sleeping, LIVING WELL..................................................................................................................................... A 50 AL/ Metro 360 www.almetro360.com