This or That: Adaptogens Edition

Adaptogens help your body handle stress and its effects.

Two popular adaptogens are Ashwagandha and Rhodiola—so let’s break down the differences:

🌱 Ashwagandha (think ‘calming’)

✔ Eases stress & anxiety

✔ Supports mood & relaxation

🌱 Rhodiola (think ‘energizing’)

✔ Boosts focus & stamina

✔ Supports mitochondria & resilience

Quality matters!

Herbal supplements aren’t tightly regulated, and not all brands contain what they claim.

Also keep in mind that there are potential interactions.If you take medications or have specific health conditions, talk with a practitioner before adding adaptogens.

👉🏽 If you’re looking for better ways to support stress, energy, and resilience, we’re here to help!

📲 Visit our website to get scheduled.

Ever Notice Food Affecting Your Stress Levels?

Stress is tricky.

It feels like it comes from the mind, but imbalances in your body can make you feel even more stressed. For example:

💥 Blood sugar swings.

Blood sugar crashes can spike cortisol, drain your energy, and disrupt your mood and sleep.

Some things you can do to keep your blood sugar stable for more stress resilience:

✔️ Start the day with protein & healthy fat (not just sugar!)

✔️ Avoid skipping meals (low blood sugar = cortisol trigger)

✔️ Pair carbs with protein or fiber to slow the glucose spike

✔️ Reduce ultra-processed foods that lead to energy crashes

You can’t control every stressor in life—but you can strengthen your body’s ability to handle stress better 💛

Have you ever noticed food affecting your stress levels?

Let me know in the comments ⤵️

#drelizabethcantrell #bloodsugar #bloodsugarbalance #protein #naturalmedicine #functionalmedicine #functionalmedicinetesting #columbusga #colga #naturopath #naturopathic #wholebodyhealth #rootcausemedicine #opelikaal #auburnal

You Can't Control Everything...

Stress often comes from trying to control the uncontrollable.

So, next time stress creeps in, try this:

1️⃣ Notice you feel stressed.

Just pause and recognize what’s going on.

2️⃣ Ask: Is this inside or outside my control?

If it’s outside your control, try to let it go, but still move on to step 3.

3️⃣ Make a plan.

Choose a few things you CAN do (even if the actual stressor is outside your control).

✔ Can you go for a walk?

✔ Can you listen to music?

✔ Can you make a phone call?

✔ Can you research a solution?

Training your brain to respond to stress in a healthier way takes some practice, but it’s worth it.

Share this with a friend who can relate 💖

Wired but Tired?

Ever get to the end of the day and just crash?

Or maybe you feel “wired but tired”—as if your nervous system is ramped up and yet you have nothing left to give.

The problem *might* be that you aren’t giving your nervous system any chance to rest and reset throughout the day.

I get it!

Society expects us to be going non-stop.

It’s just that our bodies (and especially our nervous systems) were not built for that.

One of the best ways to support nervous system regulation is to build in periods of intentional rest to your day.

This can look different for different people.

You might:

✨ get up from your desk every hour to stretch

✨ set reminders to close your eyes for two minutes and breathe

✨ allow 5 extra minutes on your lunch break to sit in your car and listen to music

The point is to schedule rest breaks into your day.

These breaks act like a reset button for your nervous system so that you won’t feel so fried at the end of the day.

Have you tried this? What’s your experience?

Appetite, Hormones, & Exercise: New Study!

New research on exercise and hunger control 🏋️‍♀️

If you’re looking for ways to manage hunger and food cravings, you’ll want to know about this new study from the University of Virginia that showed 👉 High-intensity exercise suppresses levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin more effectively than moderate exercise.

Here’s what they found:

➡️ High-Intensity Exercise

After high-intensity workouts, participants had significantly lower ghrelin levels and reduced hunger. The effect was more pronounced in women, with lower levels of acylated ghrelin, which is directly linked to hunger.

➡️ Moderate-Intensity Exercise

Moderate-intensity exercise didn’t have the same impact on ghrelin levels, and participants even reported slightly higher hunger than with no exercise.

Not everyone needs high-intensity exercise. We take a whole-body and individualized approach when it comes to exercise, hunger, and weight management. If you’re looking for support in these areas, we’d love to help.

🌱 Get started at our practice through the link in our bio!

#elementsnatmed #hiit #naturalmedicine #highintensityintervaltraining #moveyourbody #rootcausemedicine