An Invitation to Refocus
Its that time of the year again when the air becomes crisp, leaves start to change color and fuzzy socks begin to make their debut for the season. I love autumn- this season always brings me back to when I was younger growing up in Western Mass. Every year we experienced some of the most beautiful shifts in nature. I have many memories of apple picking in the orchards, jumping into a pile of leaves and hot apple cider after bike rides.
As an adult, I try to keep my inner child alive and happy during this time of the year by remembering these moments and expanding on them. Another thing this time of the year does for me is it brings a gentle reminder to refocus on how I am supporting my body, my immune system, and my mind. With that, I wanted to take a few moments to share some of my “must-have” vitamins and supplements (and why) that help to support my mind and body as mother nature shifts from sunny hot days to chilly grey evenings.
There are lots of opinions out there regarding vitamins and supplements and everyone has to make the best decision for themselves on if (and which ones) they want to incorporate into their diet. I do believe that it is best to get nutrients from the food source whenever possible, but sometimes that is more difficult (or even impossible) than we think. Therefore, vitamins/supplements could be a nice additional to your diet if you feel it would give your body what it needs. Today I am going to focus on a few that I think could be a good line of additional support for your system, both year round and especially as we shift seasons from summer to autumn.
The first one up is Vitamin D. Vitamin D is one of the vitamins not naturally found in food- you receive vitamin D from the sun. You can also get vitamin D from fortified milk and fatty fish (for example salmon), however if those items are not in your diet then perhaps your body might need some extra support. Autumn and winter bring long and dark days and in some parts of the world, sunlight is rare- making this vitamin crucial for our mental and physical well-being. Severe vitamin D deficiencies has been linked to depression; many studies show that vitamin D can help to regulate mood swings and reduce depression.
Some symptoms that you can experience if you are in a vitamin D deficiency may include: fatigue, muscle weakness, not sleeping well, and bone and/or joint pain (to name a few). You can go to your doctor to get tested if you feel like you have a deficiency. The recommended dosage for this vitamin is 600 international units (IU) for individuals 1 to 70 years of age, unless otherwise advised by your doctor.
Magnesium is next on my list. Magnesium is a mineral that our bodies need and you can get it from food (nuts/seeds, whole grains, beans, leafy vegetables), however a lot of people do not achieve the recommended amount (400-420 mg per day for men and 310-320 mg per day for women) in their diet alone. If this is the case for you, perhaps adding a magnesium supplement could be beneficial.
Magnesium has been connected to a handful of health benefits (I will go over just two but there are more). It can help reduce symptoms of mind to moderate level depression and anxiety. This is because magnesium suppresses the release of adrenaline and noradrenalin, thus preventing the development of stress. I highly recommend magnesium to all of my clients, especially those who are struggling with burnout/fatigue, exhaustion, anxiety and sleep distributions (as opposed to recommending melatonin). Sleep, more importantly quality sleep, is crucial for our mental and physical well-being. When our sleep goes, everything starts to follow. Taking your magnesium supplement right before bed helps the body and muscles to relax and promotes quality rest.
Vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins are definitely something to keep in mind in terms of mental and physical health. Taking this vitamin can reduce anxiety, boost mood and in fact low levels of B vitamins may be linked to depression. Also, vitamin B-12 converts fat and protein to energy which helps fuel our bodies and reduce fatigue. B vitamins are found in animal products (lean meat, eggs, fish, etc.), however if you are a vegetarian or vegan adding this vitamin may be something to seriously consider. I would suggest looking at your diet to see which vitamin B you may be lacking in before deciding if you should invest in a complex B or simply a B-12 vitamin.
These are easily my top 3 vitamins/supplements that I discuss with my clients when we first start working together, as well as when the seasons start to change as a gentle reminder. If I had to add one more thing to put focus on in adding to your diet it would be probiotics. I wrote a blog that has a lot of information regarding the connection between gut health and mental health. If you would like to read more about that, go check it out here https://amandamaurocounseling.com/lets-talk-gut-health/
As always, learning to listen and support our bodies is a journey- be kind to yourself. Finding a sustainable way of supporting your mental and physical health leads to lifestyle changes that, although may not be linear, are worth it.
**A gentle reminder that I am not a medical professional and that all of the information I share here is that of my own personal research and journey. If you have any health concerns, please speak with your doctor before adding or adjusting your intake of vitamins/supplements.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash