- Thu, 09/30/2021 - 14:34
- Recovering from burnout: supplements for endurance
- by IMI health
Does life feel like a balancing act? If you're experiencing emotional exhaustion, social anxiety and sleepless nights (all symptoms of burnout) then it's time to tend to your emotional wellbeing.
We encourage you to take an integrated healing approach to help you overcome burnout. These three supplements can help to fuel your body, so you can start your journey back to full health.
Sleep Manager
What we love about Sleep Manager
- High quality, well-researched ingredients proven to balance your stress response.
- Less worry and a more relaxed mental state for a restful sleep at night.
- Better mental clarity during the day.
What’s in Sleep Manager?
Ashwagandha. Renowned in both ancient and modern medicine, this herb has been proven to relieve both stress and sleep issues. In one study, stressed individuals taking ashwagandha experienced a 69.7% reduction in symptoms, a 68% reduction in social dysfunction, and a 79.2% reduction in low mood.1
In another study, ashwagandha improved mental clarity, attention, information processing and memory.2
L-theanine. A calming amino acid found in tea, L-theanine’s ability to increase alpha brain wave activity promotes a calm, focused state of mind. It also relieves stress and improves sleep, helping you slip into a deep slumber with fewer restless moments during the night.3
Magnolia. Antioxidant-rich, magnolia helps to lift your mood and reduce stress and fatigue.4
Two of its compounds, honokiol and magnolol boost the production of feelgood neurotransmitters like GABA, which can help you feel calm and happy, while improving sleep quality.5,6
Epimedium. Your go-to if you feel depleted by social interactions, epimedium’s main flavonoid icariin relieves stress and low mood, for more confidence in social situations.7
Phosphatidylserine. Boosts brain function, improving memory, focus, problem solving and communication, even when you’re stressed.8
Who is it good for?
If stress follows you into the night and depletes you during the day, we highly recommend you make Sleep Manager your go-to. Our practitioners and clients rave about the therapeutic effects Sleep Manager has on their worries and sleep.
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Sereni-Pro
What we love about Sereni Pro
- A powerhouse of herbal adaptogens, Sereni- Pro helps your body and mind adapt to stress, so you can face challenges with calm and clarity.
- Contains eleutherosides, a compound clinically proven to reduce fatigue.
- Boosts the other aspects of your health which can suffer due to stress.
What’s in Sereni Pro?
Ashwagandha. A firm favourite for its stress reducing properties, the powers of this herb are once again highlighted in Sereni-Pro, helping relieve your worries while improving sleep quality.
Rhodiola rosea. Also known as arctic root, this potent herb is a key adaptogen for overcoming chronic stress and relieving burnout.9 It mediates your body and mind’s stress response, allowing you to respond to pressure in a measured way.10, and offers a natural boost of energy, making it an effective treatment for fatigue.10
Siberian ginseng. Reduces fatigue, whether it’s caused by sleeplessness or over-exertion. Its antioxidant qualities support mental health by fighting oxidative stress, which is a contributing factor for stress and low mood.
Lavender. More than just an aromatic plant, lavender’s relaxing properties have been proven to be as effective as lorazepam, but non-addictive and with fewer side effects.11
An excellent natural alternative to sleeping pills that doesn’t cause a sedative effect, lavender’s ability to reduce pain allows those who suffer with chronic aches to sleep comfortably at night.12
Who is it good for?
Sereni-Pro is ideal for combatting stress and anxiety, whether acute or chronic. A powerful blend of soothing botanicals, it promotes a calm response to daily pressures and helps stop burnout in its tracks.
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Ther-biotic Capsule
What we love about Ther-biotic
- Aids the production of neurotransmitters like GABA, promoting calm, happy moods.
- Nourishes the gut-brain axis, relieving stress, low mood and sleeplessness
- Comprehensive support for other areas of your health, like digestion and immunity.
What’s in Ther-biotic?
Bifidobacterium longum. This probiotic improves symptoms of both stress and low mood, while helping relieve gut discomfort associated with worry. It also supports better memory and cognitive function. 13, 14
Lactobacillus casei. Studied in patients with fatigue , this friendly bacteria reduces stress significantly.15
Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Increases levels of GABA, while reducing worry and low mood.16
Other strains found in Ther-biotic which support mental health include Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium breve.
Recent research has confirmed that our brain and gut are intimately connected. However research into ‘psychobiotics’, the probiotics which support mental health, is still in its infancy, and more studies are needed to discover the intricacies of the relationship between probiotics and mental health.
Who is it for?
By nourishing your gut with Ther-biotic, you aid the production of calming neurotransmitters and prevent unwanted micro-organisms from consuming mood-enhancing chemicals like serotonin and GABA. Probiotics also enhance brain plasticity, which is key in creating new neural pathways when it comes to treating stress, low mood and other mental health challenges.17
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Nutritional imbalances to watch out for
Many people in Hong Kong have nutritional imbalances, which can have a negative impact on your mental health. Low levels of magnesium, omega 3 and vitamins B, C and D have all been proven to contribute to stress, low mood and sleeplessness.
Daily supplementation ensures you’re consuming the correct levels of these vitamins and minerals, so your mental health has a strong foundation from which to blossom.
A well-rounded approach
Taking an integrated approach to healing is key. Supplements shouldn’t be the only stop. Though nutritional factors support your mental health and can put you on the road to recovery, stress, and burnout are complex, and often there’s more beneath the surface that needs to be explored.
In-clinic we can offer counselling and psychotherapy services, as well as a range of other therapies and treatments which can bring you back into balance.
Whatever your needs, we’re here to support you, whether you need dietary recommendations from naturopaths or energetic healing from our acupuncturists, cranio-sacral therapists or osteopaths. Contact us for more information.
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[1] K Chandrasekhar, J Kapoor, S Anishetty A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blink Placebo-Controlled Study of Satefy and Efficacy of a High-Concentration Full-Spectrum Extract of Ashwagandha Root in Reducing Stress and Anxiety in Adults, 2012.
[2] D Choudhary, S Bhattacharyya, Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Improving Memory and Cognitive Functions, 2017.
[3] S Hidese, S Ogawa, M Ota, I Ishida, Z Yasukawa, M Ozeki, H Kunugi, Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Function in Health Adults, 2019.
[4] D S Kalman, S Feldman, R Feldman, H I Schwartz, D R Krieger, R Garrison, Effect of a proprietary Magnolia and Phellodendron extract on stress levels in healthy women, 2008.
[5] Qun Xu, Li-Tao Yi, Ying Pan, Xing Wang, Yu-Cheng Li, Jian-Mei Li, Cai-Ping Wang, Ling-Dong Kong, Antidepressant-like effects of the mixture of honokiol and magnolol from the barks of Magnolia officinalis in stressed rodents, 2008.
[7] M Alexeev, D K Grosenbaugh, D D Mott, J L Fisher, The natural products magnolol and honokiol are positive allosteric modulators of both synaptic and extra-synaptic GABAA receptors, 2013.
[8] Lei Liu, Changhong Liu, Yicun Wang, Pu Wang, Yuxin Li, Bingjin Li, Herbal Medicine for Anxiety, Depression and Insomnia, 2015.
[9] M J Glade, K Smith, Phosphatidylserine and the human brain, 2015.
[10] I-G Anghelescu, D Edwards, E Seifritz, S Kasper, Stress management and the role of Rhodiola rosea: a review, 2018.
[11] Y. Lekomtseva, I. Zhukova, A. Wacker, Rhodiola rosea in subjects with prolonged or chronic fatigue symptoms, 2017.
[12] P Hossein Koulivand, M Khaleghi Ghadiri, A Gorji, Lavender and the Nervous System, 2013.
[13] M Messaoudi, N Violle, J-F Bisson, D Desor, H Javelot, C Rougeot, Beneficial psychological effects of a probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in healthy human volunteers, 2011.
[14] M Messaoudi, N Violle, J-F Bisson, D Desor, H Javelot, C Rougeot, R Lalonde, A Nejdi, M Pichelin, M Cazaubiel, J-M Cazaubiel, Assessment of psychotropic-like properties of a probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in rats and human subjects, 2011.
[15] A Venket Rao, A C Bested, T M Beaulne, M A Katzman, C Iorio, J M Berardi, A C Logan, A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of a probiotic in emotional symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, 2009.
[16] J A Bravo, P Forsythe, M V Chew, E Escaravage, H M Savignac, T G Dinan, J Bienenstock, J F Cryan, Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerve, 2011.
[17] Huiying Wang, In-Seon Lee, C Braun, P Enck, Effect of Probiotics on Central Nervous System Functions in Animals and Humans: A Systematic Review, 2016.
