The holidays will soon be upon us!

And while they should be a festive time to be with family and friends, sadly, for many people they are instead filled with suffering from physical illness or depression. 

Well, there are some very good reasons why that happens.

Because the holidays also bring about stress for a lot of people…and stress can lead to a domino effect of both physical and mental issues which can quickly turn a happy season into a loathsome, dreaded time.

Plus one can bring on the other—physical illness can lead to mental issues and vice versa.

Here’s what’s going on behind the scenes with your physical and mental health and more importantly, how you can help turn things around and feel a whole lot better!

Physical-Mental Connection #1:  The brain-gut axis

There is a series of chemical and electrical signals that continuously pass back and forth between the central nervous system (your brain) and the gastrointestinal system (your gut).  What affects one affects the other.

The brain-gut axis is the reason why you feel butterflies in your stomach when you're nervous, or get diarrhea when you’re worried. 

It's also the reason conditions like anxiety and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), or Crohn’s disease and depression frequently go hand in hand.

Physical-Mental Connection #2:  Nutrients for body and mind

Getting enough nutrients is not only vital for your physical health, but your mental health as well.

The six nutrients that are especially crucial for mental health are:  Zinc, vitamin B6, Omega-3 essential fatty acids, magnesium, calcium and vitamin B12.

Physical-Mental Connection #3: The gut flora influence

Chronic stress can cause the protective mucosal barrier in your inner gut wall to become less effective at defending your body against harmful bacteria and viruses.

That's why you may notice that you get sick easier when you're under stress or very upset--your body literally cannot fight illness off as well.

And when you’re not feeling well physically, that can turn around and make you anxious or depressed! 

Take care of your body AND mind

Although the network between body and mind is very real, unfortunately it is seldom a top priority in the mainstream medical community when they are listening to a patient’s complaints.  Instead the focus is placed on what medications they can give the person for relief of their symptoms, whether they be physical or mental.

For example, chances are excellent that many people suffering from anxiety or depression have not been asked, “How’s your diet?”

But they have most assuredly been given Prozac, Valium or Lexapro.

And on the flip side, people suffering from chronic bronchitis, sinus infections or acid reflux have probably not been asked, “Got a lot of anxiety or stress going on?” 

But they’ve certainly taken their share of antibiotics or acid reducers.

If I’ve just even remotely described you, listen up.  Because a whole new world of relief can open up for you when you take steps to pamper your body and mind, and create a state of optimal health in both!

Here are the 4 most important things you can do:

1- Keep a healthy flora balance

Stress clearly takes its toll on your gut, which in turn can harm your physical health, which can then affect you mentally!

But Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula can help you support your gut wall and immune system, and curb this mind/body sickness cycle.

Super Shield’s 13 super potent strains of friendly bacteria can help repopulate your intestinal flora supply and bring it into a more healthful balance. 

This is especially important because contrary to what most people think, your intestinal microbes are not “permanent residents”—they only reside inside of you for about 12 days.  So it’s crucial to consistently support a strong population of them with probiotic supplementation.

Having a healthy gut microbiome can help pave the way for complete, comfortable digestion (goodbye gas, bloating and constipation!) as well as support strong immune function (no more catching every cold and bug around!).

2- Get those vital nutrients

There’s no getting around it—you must have a healthy diet of real foods if you want a snowball’s chance in you-know-where of having any measure of physical or mental health.

Choose fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, poultry, wild-caught fish, eggs, dairy, healthy fats (real butter, coconut oil or olive oil) and whole grains (in moderation).  An occasional dessert is fine (especially around the holidays), but let that be the exception and not the norm.

Stay far away from processed, packaged stuff-in-a-box and drive right by the drive-thru.

And if you want to make sure all your nutrient needs are met, Super Core multi-vitamin formula with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support can pinch hit where your diet may be lacking.

Super Core’s full-spectrum blend of vitamins and minerals will help make sure your body has health-supporting levels of all the essential nutrients it needs.

Plus its blends of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories will help fight disease-causing free radicals and inflammation!

3- Supplement with Omega-3 EFAs

Omega-3 essential fatty acids are crucial to physical and mental health, but the average person is seriously deficient in these essential nutrients. 

This is mainly due to our reliance on processed foods, vegetable oils, farm-raised fish and meat from grain-fed animals--which are heavy in Omega-6 EFAs but have few or no Omega-3 EFAs.  

But supplementation with a pharmaceutical-grade Omega-3 fish oil formula like VitalMega-3 can help make sure your body and mind have enough of these vital nutrients to support strong health.

Every 2-capsule dose of VitalMega-3 provides a therapeutic 1,200 mg of omega-3 essential fatty acids, including 600 mg of EPA and 400 mg of DHA—the two key fats for tip-top brain function—and vitamin E (a key antioxidant and anti-inflammatory).

4- De-stress

Since stress can be so harmful to both your physical and mental health, it's crucial to fight it and help minimize its devastating effects on you.

One of the best ways to help drain away stress is to exercise—so get your doctor’s OK and do it at least 3-4 times a week.  I know you’re busy, but this is important, so make the time.  And even if you don’t have 45 minutes all at once to exercise, squeeze in 3 15-minute sessions during the day. 

You can also try yoga, meditation, massage, acupuncture, prayer, counseling, or taking up a hobby.  Even adopting a pet has been shown to reduce stress, so if you’re an animal lover, pay a visit to your local shelter.   

It's been said that if you don't have your health, you don't have anything.

Take care of your body and mind now.  You couldn't give yourself a nicer holiday gift.

To your great physical and mental health,

Sherry Brescia