Do you feel like you could use energy, focus, or mood boost?
As a busy mom, at times you may be feeling worn out, sleep-deprived, anxious, or even flat out moody. A nutrient-dense diet is number one to help support dysregulation physically and emotionally. But certain supplements can help fill in the holes. And they can give you the boost you may be looking for.
1. Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium is vital for well-being! It has been shown to lower anxiety, and reduce oxidative stress (free radicals). It also plays a tremendous role in supporting the whole nervous system. Our body does not make magnesium on its own so it has to come from outside sources. Unfortunately, the average standard American diet is highly deficient in this mineral! So taking a magnesium supplement is a must.
There are various types of magnesium on the market all with specific and specialized roles for the body. For example, magnesium oxide is known to help relieve constipation whereas the taurate form is known to help balance blood sugar. These forms of magnesium can be great for specific issues but overall is not as absorbable. The glycinate form of magnesium is more absorbable in your gut.
Magnesium glycinate specifically is the most gentle form of magnesium in the gut as well as the most bioavailable type of magnesium. Glycine is a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation and stress reduction in the body thus making it an excellent choice to take before bed in order to support a restful night’s sleep and overall stress (cortisol) levels.
2. Medicinal Mushrooms (Reishi, Shiitake, Maitake)
You may have thought that taking a vitamin C supplement was the key to fighting off a cold but medicinal mushrooms may be your best bet in supporting your immune system! Various cultures have used mushrooms for medicinal purposes for millennia.
Traditionally, maitake mushrooms were used for vitality whereas shiitake mushrooms were used for improving circulation and boosting longevity. These medicinal advantages still hold true today and each mushroom holds unique benefits! As much as they helped our hunter and gatherer ancestors retain energy and survive the elements, these mushrooms can help modern-day women stay balanced and energized. Whether it’s throughout your kid’s soccer game or through your workday!
Many of these mushrooms help reduce the effects of stress and fatigue on the body but they are additionally excellent immune system supporters. Multiple medicinal mushrooms have been reported to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-cancer properties. Medicinal mushrooms have immunomodulating effects. This means that they help keep the immune system in the balance! Mushrooms can help stimulate it when there’s something to fight (such as cancer) and down-regulate it when it’s overactive.
As a busy mom, sometimes getting sick just isn’t an option! Thus, adding medicinal mushrooms (whether in tea or pill form) can be the ultimate addition to your supplement regimen.
3. Spore-Based Probiotics
For women who struggle with heartburn, bloating, gas, or just plain general GI upset, probiotics have been a popular choice to help ease these digestive symptoms. The right kind of probiotic can definitely help the GI but probiotics also have so many more benefits such as hormonal and immune system balancing, and blood sugar regulation probiotics have even been reported to lessen the likelihood of contracting a UTI! But which kind of probiotic is the best? Which strain is the most supportive?
Specifically, “spore-based” probiotics are known to have the best survivability rate in the gut and can additionally exist for long periods of time in harsh conditions. The digestive system can most certainly be a harsh environment. So, unfortunately, many commercial probiotics cannot survive. However, probiotics that are spore-based have a protective shell. This means it can survive extreme temperatures or hazards that it may come across in the gut.
So if you are wondering why the probiotic you are currently taking isn’t doing much, try switching to a “spore-based” kind in order to reap the benefits.
4. Ashwagandha
Being a busy mom basically guarantees stress! Many cope with this stress by exercising, having a glass of wine to take the edge off at night, or even venting to a friend. As these are common ways to cope, many do not think that a supplement could additionally help you cope with stress, but ashwagandha has been helping women adapt to stress for centuries!
Ashwagandha is one of the most popular herbs in Ayurveda (the traditional system of medicine in India). Many studies have proven its effects to be true. Ashwagandha can help improve an individual’s resistance to stress. Ashwagandha is known to be an adaptogen. An adaptogen is a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress, anxiety, and fatigue. As a busy mom, sometimes you need all the help you can get to deal with stress (physically and mentally) so adding ashwagandha into your supplement regimen is a must if you need an extra boost to help combat daily life stressors.
5. Zinc
When you’re on the move constantly, it’s hard to eat a nutrient-dense diet continually. Although a nutrient-dense diet is a key to keeping an immune system strong, when that can’t be an option, zinc can be! Zinc activates enzymes that break down proteins in viruses and bacteria, so they have a harder time spreading.
Thus, zinc can help keep your immune system strong by potentially reducing the severity of the common cold as well as shortening its duration. In addition to zinc being supportive to the immune system, zinc can additionally be beneficial for women specifically.
How? By helping reduce PMS symptoms! Research has indicated that women who took zinc sulfate during their cycle reported an improvement of their PMS symptoms. While the reason for this benefit is not yet completely understood, the researchers noted that zinc may help improve your blood flow and reduce overall inflammation in your uterus.
As a mom, it’s hard to stay active when period symptoms have you down. So when the next time of the month rolls around, adding a zinc sulfate supplement into your regime will not only help prevent colds but also prevent PMS!
The Bottom Line
Busy moms make the world go round, so taking care of yourself is a must! Due to lifestyle factors and the daily life stressors that get in the way, eating nutrient-dense foods as well as having a regular exercise routine aren’t manageable all the time. But, supplements are an excellent and easy way to give your body the support it needs! Although taking a supplement may seem like such a minuscule task, the effects it can have on your body are far from that!
Kaylee Noland, Nutritionist – Vessel Health
Finding time for self-care is challenging for busy moms. This blog highlights the importance of daily supplements to support well-being. It’s a practical guide for moms, providing valuable insights and recommendations. Thank you for sharing this informative article!
I’m so glad it has been helpful!