The Holiday Season is upon us. Depending on where you live, this season may look a lot different than times past. Some might be having office parties and potlucks and big Christmas dinners. Others may be locked down at home and unable to celebrate with friends and family. The craziness of the season can lead to physical and emotional responses that may not be the healthiest.
From eating a few too many cookies or pieces of pie, to stressing out over the bombardment of questions from family, or, in the case of 2020, stress over isolation and loneliness, to feeling groggy because of the change in routine, there is no better time to implement supplements into your life. Nutritional supplements are any dietary supplement that is intended to provide nutrients that may otherwise not be consumed in sufficient quantities; for example, vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids or other nutritional substances.
Taking supplements during the holidays is a natural approach, both mentally and physically, to addressing the sugar and chaos. Among other benefits, taking the following supplements during the holidays can help you to have more energy, help you de-stress, help you digest food and help you get solid and sound sleep.
Supplements for Foundational Health and Overall Well-Being
doTERRA’s Lifelong Vitality Pack
As one of doTERRA’s most popular products, doTERRA Lifelong Vitality Pack is full of essential nutrients, metabolism benefits, and powerful antioxidants designed to help promote energy, health, and lifelong vitality. They help reduce inflammation in the body and clear that dreaded brain fog! (you mom’s know what I’m talking about) These are my go-to for foundational health.
It comes as a 3 pack (vegan option available). Take two – four capsules of each xEO Mega, Microplex VMz, and Alpha CRS+ per day with food.
Primary Benefits
- General wellness and vitality
- Antioxidant and DNA protection
- Energy metabolism
- Bone health
- Immune function
- Stress management
- Cardiovascular health
- Healthy hair, skin, and nails
- Eye, brain, nervous system
- Liver function and digestive health
- Lung and respiratory health
- Gentle on stomach
- Does not contain genetically modified material, dairy-free
Supplements for Stress
The Adaptiv™ Calming Blend Capsules have mood-boosting and tension-reducing effects of a blend of CPTG® essential oils Lavender, Coriander, Wild Orange, and Fennel along with Sceletium, GABA, and Ahiflower®. Botanical extract Sceletium comes from a succulent plant found in South Africa known as Kanna. Sceletium Extract is responsibly sourced from a sustainable supply with endorsement by the South African indigenous knowledge holders. A unique phytochemical ingredient found in Sceletium Extract, brings a feeling of “alert serenity.”* The extract supports healthy emotional responses to everyday stressors and promotes feelings of happiness and well-being. It balances healthy levels of mood-stabilizing hormones and improves cognitive function while combating occasional nervousness. A quieting neurotransmitter, GABA, also helps promote relaxation. GABA has a natural comforting effect and helps reduce feelings of apprehension and fear by decreasing neuronal excitability. Sometimes called “the brakes of the brain,” because it lowers the activity of neural cells in the brain and central nervous system, it has the effect of moving the brain and the body into lower gear. By inhibiting neural activity, GABA reduces mental and physical strain.
Primary Benefits
- Calms and promotes positive feelings
- Supports mood and helps improve state of mind
- Helps when acclimating to new surroundings and adapting to stressful situations
- Encourages relaxation
- Supports cognitive function and emotional balance
- Promotes mental well-being
Supplements for Digestive Issues/Overindulging
Terrazyme (digestive enzymes)
DigestZen TerraZyme® Digestive Enzyme Complex is a proprietary blend of active whole-food enzymes and supporting cofactors that are often deficient in cooked, processed, and preservative-laden foods. The powerful combination of digestive enzymes found in DigestZen TerraZyme supports the body’s constant production of enzymes critical for healthy biochemical functions, including healthy digestion of food nutrients and cellular metabolism of nutrients to energy.* DigestZen TerraZyme includes a variety of whole-food enzymes that help with the digestion of proteins, fats, complex carbohydrates, sugars, and fiber.
Primary Benefits
- Supports healthy digestion and metabolism of enzyme-deficient, processed foods
- Supports conversion of food nutrients to cellular energy
- Promotes gastrointestinal comfort and food tolerance
- Supports healthy production of metabolic enzymes
- Proprietary blend of 10 active whole-food enzymes
- Contains the doTERRA tummy tamer blend of Peppermint, Ginger, and Caraway Seed
- Sodium lauryl sulfate-free HPMC vegetable capsules
- Safe and effective
DigestZen contains a unique combination of Ginger, Peppermint, Caraway, Anise, Coriander, Tarragon, and Fennel to aid in digestion and ease mild or occasional stomach discomfort in a soothing, natural way—all in a vegetarian softgel that dissolves easily.* DigestZen Softgels are perfect for on-the-go or for those wanting an easy way to consume DigestZen essential oil blend.
Key Ingredients and Benefits
Ginger Root: may help to soothe mild or occasional stomach upset and ease indigestion*
Peppermint Plant: supports healthy gastrointestinal function and aids in digestion
Caraway Seed: may help ease indigestion while supporting a healthy gastrointestinal tract
Coriander Seed: promotes healthy digestion
Anise Fruit/Seed: promotes healthy digestion
Tarragon Fruit/Seed: promotes healthy digestion
Fennel Seed: promotes healthy digestion and metabolism
The peppermint plant is a hybrid of watermint and spearmint and has a long history of use in traditional herbal preparations. Peppermint essential oil is one of the most versatile oils doTERRA offers and the testimonies of its many uses as a popular additive in food, beverages, and cosmetics are very well documented. doTERRA Peppermint Softgels have a high menthol content that distinguishes the best quality Peppermint from other products and is known to provide relief from lower intestinal discomfort. When taken internally, Peppermint essential oil has clinically demonstrated its ability to help ease and relax the gastrointestinal muscles and calm the stomach and intestinal tract. The softgels support healthy function of the digestive system and help reduce occasional gas, bloating, and other digestive difficulties. The enteric coating allows the active ingredients to pass through the stomach and reach the small intestines where it is most effective.
Primary Benefits
- Supports gastrointestinal comfort
- Helps alleviate occasional stomach upset
- Supports healthy function of the digestive system and helps reduce occasional gas, bloating, and other digestive difficulties
- Provides digestive relief to the lower intestines
Supplements for Sleep
Experts recommend that adults get at least 7–8 hours of sleep every night. Unfortunately, about 33 percent of Americans are not getting the recommended amount of sleep per night, and approximately 1 in every 5 adults in the United States experiences occasional sleeplessness or difficulty sleeping.
Depriving your body of sleep has been linked to many health risks and places a tremendous burden on virtually every organ system in your body. Lack of adequate sleep affects our ability to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight; influences how we feel, learn, and behave; negatively impacts our cardiovascular health and overall wellbeing; and can reduce reaction time and interfere with our ability to drive. Getting adequate sleep is essential to recover physically and mentally from the demands of daily life. Quality sleep is vital to how you feel each and every day because it is essential to support your body’s natural recuperative and restorative processes.
There are hundreds of different recommendations, family recipes, products, and dietary supplements that all claim to help. However, what can be effective for one person may not help at all for someone else. Now we have a solution that utilizes both historically proven ingredients and the best of modern science.
Primary Benefits
- Relieves occasional sleeplessness
- Promotes healthy relaxation and sleep
- Helps you get the refreshing sleep you need without leaving you feeling groggy or sleepy the next day
- Helps make a difference in the quality and the ease of going to sleep
- Encourages restful sleep
- Calms the nervous system
- Helps to reduce stress
Prioritize Yourself
I know the thought of starting a supplement routine in the middle of this hectic season may seem daunting, but it’s really not that hard. And I promise you, the benefits will be incredible! It’s time to put YOU first. You need to take care of yourself and put your health first. I use every one of these supplements on a regular basis and I feel better at 46 than I did at 26!!