By Marcey Klein BS, NC
After the very stressful time during the storms and their aftermath, it’s important to nourish ourselves: body, mind, and spirit. To nourish our bodies, we want to give ourselves foods that help support our nervous systems, adrenals, and to relax our muscles. Good fats like olive, coconut, fish, organic butter or ghee, and nut butters help support our nervous systems. Greens and leafy vegetables like spinach, arugula, broccoli, asparagus, and whole grains contain B vitamins which help with nerve regeneration and function. It’s a good idea also to take a B complex supplement to support your nerves as well.
Foods high in vitamin C like berries and citrus help support our adrenals. I also like to take a whole food vitamin C like acerola berry or camu camu powder with a squeeze of lemon in the morning and evening. High quality protein is good for our adrenals as well because it helps support our blood sugar, our hormones, and energy level. A pinch of Himalayan salt, Redmond, or Celtic salt in your water or food is a good way to get your electrolytes and to support the adrenals production of aldosterone, a hormone that regulates blood pressure.
Foods high in magnesium help relax our muscles and support nerve function, and energy. Over 300 metabolic functions in the body rely on magnesium. Foods that are high in this mineral are all leafy green vegetables, whole grains, legumes, avocados, and nuts, and seeds. I also take a supplement in the evening to support relaxation.
Fatty fish like wild salmon, trout, tuna, herring, and sardines help nourish our minds with their omega 3 fats. The m
ushroom called lion’s mane helps support the mind by stimulating growth of neurons (the mushroom itself looks like neurons.) And teas like Holy Basil, ashwagandha, chamomile, lavender, and lemon balm are great for relaxing the mind. Kava kava is good ifthe body and the mind need an extra strong dose of relaxation.
It’s important to feel connected to one another to support our mental and spiritual health. We do this by giving each other extra grace and patience and by spending time meditating on opening our hearts and sending out love to our families, coworkers, neighbors, and community. There’s a reason why we’re all in each other’s lives! We help each other grow and bloom.
