Mastering our stress levels and enjoying a restful night’s sleep are recurring topics in team VIP’s WhatsApp group. We, like so many people, find that we’re tired yet wired and unable to get a handle on how to fix it… especially as this year has been and remains such a tough one to navigate. We just want to know how we can improve our sleep quality and support our bodies and our minds when stressful times hit.
The Health Store is Ireland’s leading health and wellness store, and has been helping people live healthier since 1982. They are passionate about all areas of alternative medicine and health food and focus on providing the best selection of natural products on the market, stocking over 3000 vitamins, minerals, and healthy foods, natural bodycare and sports nutrition products.
VIP’s Elle asked the expert team from The Health Store for their top tips for managing our routines and improving our nutrition which should, in turn, help our sleep and our stress levels. Sounds like tips for a winning formula to us. Read, take notes and look forward to a happier, healthier version of you!
Swap out your bedtime snacks for a lighter option…
Research suggests that tryptophan rich foods work better if you pair them with a little carbohydrate, so a good bedtime snack might be a glass of warm milk with an oat cake, a wholegrain cracker with a little cottage cheese or almond butter, and finally some natural yogurt with a little granola and banana is always a tasty and comforting option.
Limit your caffeine and sugar intake…
Sometimes we need to be reminded that both of these stimulate our central nervous system which can have the effect of winding us up rather than down, so, try to avoid tea or coffee and sugary snacks before bedtime. Most sleep experts recommend not consuming any caffeinated drinks after 2pm as caffeine lingers in our bodies for up to 8 hours.
Try a herbal remedy…
The Health Store team suggests picking up Serenity GNC’S ‘Serenighty’, this is a herbal blend of Chamomile, L-Theanine and Vitamin B1 also known as Thiamine. Thiamine contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system and normal psychological function. This is a natural supplement which contains a combination of adaptogenic herbs which support our bodies ability to handle stress, and stress is something which prevents so many of us from sleeping well.
Stay on top of your intake of Vitamin B…
B vitamins support normal function of the immune system and normal psychological function. Vitamin B rich foods include dairy products and dark green vegetables like spinach. GNC’s ‘B Complex’ is a vegetarian friendly capsule that provides 10 B Complex vitamins to support energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Give Magnesium a try…
Magnesium supports a reduction in tiredness and fatigue, electrolyte balance, energy metabolism, nervous system function, and the maintenance of bones and teeth. Food sources include most nuts which means you could add a
little cashew or almond nut butter to your diet to improve your intake. GNC ‘Magnesium’ provides 300mg Magnesium, which is 80 per cent of the daily reference intake (RI) to support the nervous system. This product takes the form of Magnesium citrate and is more easily absorbed by the body than some other sources of this mineral.
You can buy all these products and many more great products exclusively in any of The Health Store’s 11 branches or on thehealthstore.ie, use code VIP for 15 per cent off your first order.
