1. Load up on the nutrients most commonly depleted in society today

Magnesium

Magnesium is needed for both energy metabolism and relaxation. It’s a mineral that’s in demand!

It’s one of the most common deficiencies in people in industrialised countries, and supplemental support is often necessary.

Nuts and seeds – Brazil nuts, chia seeds, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds

Leafy greens – collard greens, watercress, swiss chard, bok choy

Dark chocolate – the higher the cocoa content, the better

Selenium

Selenium is vital for the thyroid gland, and the thyroid is responsible for energy. If the thyroid is struggling you may be experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, waking up in the morning feeling like you’ve not had enough sleep, constipation/diarrhoea, depression or low mood, anxiety, weight gain/weight loss.

Selenium is also an important micronutrient for selenium-dependent antioxidant enzymes: essentially meaning selenium is vital for the normal process of oxidation and reduction (redox for short, because biochemists love a shortcut, and so do I). If this process tips in favour of oxidation because the body is missing vital nutrients to counteract it, then free radical production increases, inflammation processes ramp up, and this leads to all kinds of problems for the body, for example, cardiovascular diseases.

Nuts and seeds – Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds

Meat and poultry - depending on the cut or part of the animal

Fish

Mushrooms

Vitamin C

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts

Parsley

Kiwi fruit, yellow bell peppers

And not an orange mentioned in sight!Yes, parsley is packed full of vitamin C and is really easy to add to almost any meal.

Vitamin C is so widely known for its health benefits. Its claim to fame is in supporting a healthy immune system. But did you know that the adrenals (your “stress” organs) have a high demand for vitamin C, and who isn’t chronically stressed these days. Also, a diet high in sugar will compromise the absorption of vitamin C from food – another reason to go easy on the high sugar foods.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is often forgotten about as an important vitamin and antioxidant. Vitamin E is integral to maintaining the signalling pathways inside of our cells. Essentially this means that this vitamin is really important in how our DNA is expressed, and there are emerging studies showing that it is neuroprotective. Many people supplement with vitamin E, and for good reason too. It has been shown to also be cardioprotective. Seek professional advice before supplementing with vitamin E as there are different forms of it, some of which offer different benefits.

Nuts and seeds – Sunflower seeds, almonds, Brazil nuts

Goose meat, Atlantic wild-caught salmon Avocado

Zinc

Zinc is another potent micronutrient involved in counteracting the oxidation processes in our body. Without this critical nutrient we may experience an increase in free radical production. This can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and other chronic diseases. It’s also needed for wound healing and a normal, healthy functioning immune system. You may have heard that zinc is important for skin, nail and hair health – this is because zinc is involved in the transport of vitamin A throughout the body. Both vitamin A and zinc are also integral to cell replication, and skin, hair and nail cells replicate quickly in comparison to other cells of the body.

Wherever possible, zinc should be obtained from food. Supplementing with zinc should be limited to a specified time limit, and depending on your nutrient status, copper levels may need balancing alongside a zinc supplement. Unless there is a specific reason, zinc should not be supplemented with indefinitely.

Oysters, crab, lobster

Beef, pork

Chickpeas, legumes, oats

Vitamin D

You may have heard of this vitamin?

Who hasn’t heard of this vitamin, especially over the last couple of years. And with very good reason!

Its beneficial effects are so widespread in the body that it’s considered a hormone. From bone health, immune system, neurological health to digestive health, researchers are still discovering new pathways with this star.

We’re able to create this ourselves too by exposing the skin to the sunlight, and this is the most efficient and reliable way of getting enough vitamin D. Though there are food sources (as mentioned above), the quantity of vitamin D in these foods are often not enough, unless you eat plenty of fish and liver.

Be careful with vitamin D supplementation too – it’s always best to check your levels.

Cod liver oil, wild-caught salmon, mackerel, sardines

Eggs

Beef liver

Shiitake and oyster mushrooms

Supplements may be necessary but seek out professional advice before spending your hard-earned cash on supplements that may cause more issues for your body

2. Exercise outdoors

The blue light exposure in the morning and the light exposure throughout the day is great for setting up our hormones for sleep later on, but we are designed to be outside. We are not meant to sit inside four walls for hours and hours. Our sense organs (nose, ears, eyes) are directly linked to the central nervous system. By being outside in nature our senses receive messages from the world around us; the colours, the sights, the sounds, the smells – all communicate with our nervous system. Study after study shows nature to be calm-inducing phenomena.

Consider getting away from the air-conditioned gyms with its carpets and furniture off-gassing toxic pollutants (a topic for another time). Stay away from heavy traffic and pollution. Find green spaces to work out in. The beauty is you don’t need loads of equipment, if any at all. A decent dumbbell set is a game changer. There are millions of free YouTube videos on circuit training or body weight exercises; even simple walking every day is considered the best form of exercise.

Why not try yoga outdoors? Incorporate both nature, breath work and meditation with yoga – it’s been life-changing for me.

3. Throw out the fragrance

Car air fresheners, home fragrances, scented candles, or anything that says “parfum” in the ingredients list, try to drastically minimise these. Be mindful of cosmetics and toiletries as these are some of the worst contenders. These products are full of hormone disruptors and the data from studies are showing that these products may be responsible for the drastic reductions in testosterone in men, and they may also be responsible for the huge dysfunction women’s sex hormones too.

The chemicals found in these products may be mimicking our hormones and therefore increasing the amount of certain hormones, or they may be increasing certain enzyme activity involved the metabolism of sex hormones.

The chemicals in air fresheners have also been linked with central nervous system depression, altering the way your neurotransmitters are fired which may exacerbate feelings of low mood or depression. As mentioned earlier, your sense organs are directly involved with the central nervous system, and smell has been shown to be the most powerful link to brain function. That petrol smell you get a whiff when filling the car up? Yep, that’s a neurotoxin. That smell of synthetic pine or lemon from your indoor candles? Sure, that’s affecting your brain too.

We can get obsessed over this and this isn’t helpful either. The key is to avoid these chemicals wherever possible, starting with your personal use, because knowledge is power.

4. Get serious about sleep

Even if you’re a night owl, get serious and get disciplined about sleep. Switch those devices off. This constant need to be “on”, and I’m not just talking about devices now. Whether it’s catching up with emails, messages on social media, constant notifications – everything wants your attention NOW. We are just not capable of this. We are not machines. We are beautiful, inordinately complex, biological organisms, and need rest.

If you have to work in the evening use a blue light filter: I like F.lux for both mobiles and computers – it reduces the blue light exposure in rhythm with the sunrise and sunset. The last hour of your waking day really sets the tone for your sleep. Find a routine that relaxes you and lowers anxiety. This could be reading, a walk after dinner, a hot bath or shower, not answering messages or phone calls after a certain hour.

If you know you are a light sleeper, or you live in a fairly urban area with lots of artificial light and noise, invest in ear plugs and an eye mask. I know, super sexy, right? But come back to me and thank me when it improves your quality of sleep 😉

Invest in a clock, an analogue clock. Some things were better before mobile phones, and this is definitely one of them. In a human world we’d rise and sleep with the sun, but hey, we haven’t evolved BACK to that life just yet so in the meantime…Let’s get scientific about sleep for a minute: the brain is very active during sleep, as are many of the organs of the body. The immune system is at its peak performance during sleep. A part of this immune system repair during sleep is the glymphatic system; a system very similar to the lymph system except the glymphatics work solely for the central nervous system. It is responsible for the elimination of waste products accumulated during the wakeful hours. Any neurotoxic products created can be flushed out but only during periods of sleep. During wakeful states it seems the glymphatic system largely stops. Some studies in rodents have shown that 24-hour exposure to artificial light and subsequent sleep deprivation increases the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. Although it would be unethical the replicate this in humans, coupled with the knowledge of how the glymphatics clears our waste products from the brain, we could deduce from this that sleep is vital.

So, I repeat: get serious about sleep.

5. Meditate / Breath work

I mentioned in a previous post how stressful modern life is now. More is expected of us for less. Anybody feel like they’re doing the work of 3 people in their job? It’s not in your head – a lot of people feel like this across many industries. I have the honour of knowing and talking to my 96-year-old grandfather on a regular basis, and he can’t believe how stressed people seem to be these days!

Turning off the TV is always a good idea because a 24hr news cycle doesn’t help our anxiety levels. Halting all app notifications on your mobile is a great idea because the constant attention-grabbing pings and icons chips away at our mental resolve, and it’s also reducing our ability focus, sadly.

Get into meditation. Get into mindfulness. It’s the same thing. The brain scans performed on those who meditate and the long-lasting effects is profound. Meditation gets the mind into a almost trance-like state (alpha-brainwaves, the same brainwaves as those registered just before we fall asleep). Alpha brainwaves = wakeful relaxation. Look for guided meditations, tons for free on YouTube.

If you’re feeling anxious or full of nervous energy, simple box breathing is transformational. The reason it works is because when you focus on deep breathing you expand the diaphragm. The Vagus nerve, which is a nerve responsible for feeling rested and relaxed, travels through the diaphragm. By “exercising” the diaphragm you stimulate the Vagus nerve and that promotes that sense of calm again.

I’ve been using the breath to reduce anxiety for years. It works. Every time.

You’ve probably heard countless stories of people who burned out from overdoing it. Sadly, I think this story is becoming more and more commonplace. Know your limits too and never think you’ve failed because you need time off to rest and recover. We are genetically unique and what someone deems stressful may be okay for someone else. Comparison is a motivation killer so do you and ignore everyone else.