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All of us experience stress and anxiety in our lives. We are all familiar with the sources of stress and anxiety. They include financial concerns, work deadlines, providing for our children, countless tasks to do and errands to run, heavy traffic, relationships with co-workers, family relationships, and the list goes on. The irony is that the responses of our physical bodies that are designed to protect us can turn against us when stress and anxiety is without relief or prolonged. Under stress, our heart rate and blood pressure increase to provide our brains with more blood flow for oxygen and nutrients. Our blood sugar increases to provide us with more energy as we would need in a crisis. Our blood is routed away from our intestines in order to provide energy for the large muscles in our arms and legs for fight or flight. If the source of our stress and anxiety subsides after a brief period of time, our bodies return these functions to their normal process. If the source of our stress and anxiety remains constant then our physical responses become harmful to our health. We begin to experience insomnia, joint and muscle inflammation and pain, fatigue, hypertension, perhaps heart constriction, indigestion, higher cholesterol levels, impotence, either lack of or excess appetite resulting in weight loss or weight gain, weakened immune system making us vulnerable to colds and flu, and so on. Emotionally we experience feelings of irritability, impatience, lack of sexual interest, lack of concentration, depression, restlessness, excessive alertness and reaction to normal external stimuli, or feelings of being constantly overwhelmed and helpless.

Our bodies need time to recover from being in crisis mode due to stress and anxiety in order to restore normal physical balance and functioning. We need a break from and relief from the stress and anxiety in order to maintain our health. Some of us have had experience with prescription, synthetic drugs to ease anxiety and stress, but have suffered the potentially harmful and discomforting side effects which, ironically added to our feelings of stress and anxiety. Fortunately, many of us have discovered substances provide by nature that our bodies readily absorb and utilize to deal with stress and anxiety without the possible harmful side effects of prescription, synthetic drugs.

When dealing with stress and anxiety, our bodies need a proper balance of vitamins and minerals that can be obtained in multivitamin formulas some of which are specially created to provide extra stress protection with calcium, potassium, magnesium, a full spectrum of B vitamins and pantothenic acid.

Essential fatty acids provide us with Omega 3 and Omega 6 which help balance blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and provide our neurotransmitters in our brain to function quickly and efficiently. Essential fatty acids help reduce joint and muscle inflammation and fatigue, and enhances the functions of our respiratory and intestinal digestive system providing our muscles organs, and brains with the oxygen and nutrients needed to deal with stress and anxiety. Flaxseed oil with lignans and fish oils which have been filtered to remove heavy metals can provide us with the essential fatty acids that we need for dealing with stress and anxiety.

GABA i.e. Gamma-aminobutyric Acid, which is an amino acid, effects the neuro-receptors in our brain. This helps us deal with stress and anxiety by lowering over-reaction to potentially stress causing stimuli and enables us to be detached in an emotionally healthy way providing us with the calmness and poise we need to deal efficiently and effectively with what we are presented.

Herbs e.g. skull cap and passion flower can help us relax and receive the rest and sleep that we need. L-tyrosine is an essential amino acid often used to treat insomnia, depression and anxiety as well as helping to control appetite and elevate our mood. Melatonin and herbal formulas are available to us to provide the restful, restoring sleep we need in order to deal with anxiety and stress.

Aromatherapy which is the use of aromas from plant essential oils can be added to our baths, used in massage oils, or released into our living space with aromatherapy candles. As we inhale these aromas, they quickly reach our brain and help provide us with feelings of calm and relaxation. The aromatherapy essential oils that are most effective in easing stress and anxiety are bergamot, cypress, geranium, jasmine neroli, rose, sandalwood and ylang-ylang. Lavender is the most popular essential oil used to provide us with a feeling of calm and well being.

These are just a few of the all natural substances and formulas available to us to help keep our bodies healthy as we experience the stress and anxiety that accompanies our too often hectic and prolonged stressful life experiences. Other all natural formulas that increase the functioning of our brains in the areas of attention, concentration and performance are also available to us. Our bodies need extra help in dealing with stress and anxiety. Cognitively and emotionally we need breaks and periods of rest and release from stress and anxiety. The safest, non-addictive way to obtain the help we need for dealing with stress and anxiety is with all natural health care products that do not present the possibility of harmful side effects that actually increase stress and anxiety.