After what I can only describe as one of the best vacations of my life in Jamaica being in and celebrating my best friends wedding, I came home to what I can only describe as one of the worst tailspins of my life.
It seemed as though everything was crashing in all at once. I’ll spare you the gruesome details but, it put a load of stress on my body I can’t remember having ever experienced before.

I am always the first to tell people to avoid stress at all costs. “Stress kills, and even worse- it causes wrinkles!” Is usually my warning.
But this time, I couldn’t avoid it no matter what I did. Deep breathing, child’s pose, positive thoughts, nothing helped.

So, I went about the next couple days doing damage control where I could and figuring things out one at a time.

And then, it hit me- The hangover.
Body aches, headache, tired eyes, stomach pain, extreme fatigue, nausea, I really felt like I was hit by a Mack truck carrying a load of cement.

A new kind of damage control had to be put into place ASAP!

The best way to support the body in any times of duress is through optimal nutrients! When you are stressed out your body reacts in such ways that can break down your cells, consistently release hormones that mess up your entire endocrine system balance and affect your entire nervous system- nothing is safe from stress!

When the body is under stress it enters fight or flight mode, this in turn shuts down the digestive system.
Which leads to my next point, the best thing to nourish your body with when you are under stress is- smoothies! And fresh juices.
So while I nurse this hangover with positive affirmations, forward action and exercise, I will also be supporting my body with nutrient dense smoothies that allow my body to do less work digesting so it can do more work recovering.
Here is my favourite recipe for a Stress-less smoothie, it has spirulina which offers b vitamins to support the nervous system, maca powder which supports the adrenal glands, berries which provide antioxidants to fight off the free radicals, protein to keep you feeling full and more!

2 cups almond milk
1 tbsp spirulina
1/2 scoop vegan protein powder
1 tsp maca powder
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen berries
Blend for 1 minute in the blender and voila! Stress free, easy and delicious!

Believe me when I say there are many many ways to manage stress on a regular basis especially through the practice of yoga and positive affirmations. But in the case where it’s nearly unavoidable, make sure to take care of your body in the best way possible for a speedy stress free recovery!
Love your body and it will love you back!
~namaste

Love, light and more love!

Janine

Registered Holistic Nutritionist