There’s a reason it’s called COMFORT food.
When you’ve had a rough day – or you’re at your wit’s end at the end of a long WEEK – you turn to your favorites.
Maybe it’s a huge plate of mac and cheese. Perhaps more than your fair share of pizza. Or it could even be pie for dinner followed up by more pie for dessert.
But whatever it is, one thing is for sure, stress during the day can wreck your diet at night. And the damage doesn’t end there.
Once you’re in bed, that same stress – and maybe the remains of that mac and cheese – can have you tossing and turning and keep you up all night. And, of course, you feel absolutely crummy the next morning.
That leads to MORE stress, MORE anxiety, MORE eating, and LESS sleep.
But today, I’m going to help you cut off this cycle before it spirals out of control. Because nothing triggers bad habits, quite like stress.
Whether it’s chewing on shirt collars, “stress eating,” or buying whatever it is on QVC at 2 a.m. – yes, I DO NEED another shower curtain! – we all know the feeling. Maybe a little too well.
But there IS a way to fight back.
When it comes to stress … go with your gut!
New research reveals ANOTHER way to stick it to stress – and it won’t ruin your wallet, your shirts, OR your waistline.
It starts in your stomach too. But there’s no stress eating as a new gold-standard study finds the healthy probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum can:
- FIGHT stress
- EASE anxiety
- IMPROVE cognition
- BOOST memory
…all at the same time!
The study on more than 100 stressed-out adults finds this single friendly bug can kick your body’s serotonin pathways into overdrive and stabilize dopamine.
In plain talk, serotonin and dopamine are the two neurotransmitters your brain relies on for mood and more.
Probiotics trigger relaxation and slash inflammation
The result? Supplements of L. plantarum beat stress in the two most important ways:
- What YOU notice: The patients felt it. They reported feeling more relaxed and at ease. They were also less nervous and even had less trembling.
- What you DON’T: Where this study really shines is that it also picked up on changes that can only be seen on blood tests, finding lower levels of the stress
hormone cortisol as well as less inflammation.
It’s not just this strain of probiotic, of course.
Just last month, I shared how another strain, called Lactobacillus helveticus, can make it easier to HANDLE stress overall and slash stress levels as a result… especially in seniors.
Want a little more help? No shame in that.
The truth is, we ALL could use a little extra stress relief these days!
Brew up a hot cup of chamomile tea… go for a long, relaxing walk… slide into a soothing bath… or just plan a getaway weekend at the beach to kick back, unwind, and let go.
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