Stay Balanced Throughout The Holidays!
It is that time of year again, the holiday season! It seems there are two camps: you either love it or hate it. The holidays can conger up warm fuzzy feelings and great memories, or feelings of dread and despair. You don’t hear much about the latter side of that coin on television, print or in radio ads. According to what we see and hear around us, everyone is having the most fabulously joyous time of their lives right now.
So you might ask yourself, why don’t I feel happy? Or why do I feel worse this time of year?
In many individuals, the holiday season can produce heightened anxiety and feelings of sadness or melancholy. Increased expectations and or negative past holiday experiences can cause actual physical repercussions. This kind of stress can deplete our adrenals, taking an additional toll on healthy neurotransmitter production. If a person is already border line, this time of year can certainly send them over the edge!
When adrenals become stressed they can affect the balance of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that plays an important role in resolution of mood, sleep and even our appetite. Imbalances can contribute to food cravings that are bad for us. Low serotonin levels can even be a factor in headaches and hot flashes. Dopamine is an excitatory neurotransmitter and is responsible for feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. Low dopamine levels can also lead to impulsivity, cravings and at the extreme movement, disorders like Parkinson’s disease.
At OVitaminPro.com we provide neurotransmitter testing that can help determine if your neurotransmitters are out of balance. It is always advisable to run a lab test when things seem out of whack. The testing is not expensive and is often paid for by health insurance.
But with the holidays upon us you may not have time to test this week, so here are a few recommendations that might help ease you through this sometimes stressful time a year.
We have several products that help with serotonin production. Three of my favorites all by Neuroscience are Serene, Travacor and 5Htp Spray. Dopamine can be enhanced as well. I like Balance D and Daxitrol, again, both by Neuroscience. Daxitrol is especially helpful for appetite control and cravings.
Of course, if you have any questions about the use of any of these products, or would like to know more about testing your neurotransmitters, please give us a call at 877-465-0844
