Taking Care during the Festive Season

Walsh’s Pharmacy has maintained that people within our community deserve the best health care services, programs and advice that we can provide. Sometimes the best medicine is a good dose of knowledge.

December is an exciting month as we make plans for social events in conjunction with Christmas and New Years.

It can also be a month of high stress and anxiety as we deal with our ever growing to-do lists associated with our work and social calendars.

There are a number of stress-reducing recommendation sources available. Most will suggest that we simply slow down. We rush through dinner, hurry to our next appointment, race to finish one more item on our personal agenda so that we can get on to the next, or become so tired, we don’t sleep or eat properly.

Simply slowing down is easier said than done. But reducing the level of extremes in our lives, eating a healthy and balanced diet, or taking a moderate approach might help to reduce our feeling of stress. Low impact exercise, breathing exercises, even taking the time to enjoy the moment, can all contribute to improved health and lifestyle.

However, if you aren’t able to eat a healthy and balanced diet, or find the time to decompress, you might benefit from taking a daily multi-vitamin or additional supplement(s). You should also be aware that taking certain medications can also deplete the body of particular stress-relieving nutrients. Ask your Walsh’s Pharmacy pharmacist about the effects of nutrient depletion, and how it might affect you. As with any health regimen, however, you should always check with your health care practitioner, or your Walsh’s Pharmacy pharmacist for guidance.

While vitamins and mineral supplements won’t address any of the underlying factors associated with stress, they may help to reduce the negative effects associated with stress.

When under stress, your body needs for certain vitamins and mineral supplements increases significantly. Vitamins and mineral supplements can help to settle the nervous system. It is essential that your body has the best possible opportunity to recover, by providing the nutrients it needs to maintain a healthy balance.

There are a number of vitamins and supplements that can be important during stressful periods: Vitamin B complex, for instance, is important particularly when there is an increased intake of carbohydrates (including alcohol); Vitamin C needs are also increased as it also helps to boost the body’s immune system; Calcium is another important mineral because it’s also helpful in easing symptoms of insomnia.

If you have questions, speak with your healthcare practitioner or your Walsh’s Pharmacy pharmacist for advice and guidance regarding healthy lifestyle options, and be sure to visit our website, www.walshspharmacy.ca

With festive season fast approaching, from our families to yours, have a Safe, Happy and Healthy Christmas and New Year.