Teaching consumers how to maximize their body’s energy potential

Written By: Janette Mason CNP

We’ve all been there… you are on the floor, speaking to a frequent customer, who is having trouble with their energy levels throughout the day. They ask about B-vitamins, adrenal support, sport energizers, and anything that could potentially give them the boost they are looking for.

Energy, the one resource we all seem to need a little more of.

Low energy is an incredibly common concern that we hear about from our community regularly. For many, low energy is the primary reason that they do not feel like they are reaching their goals. Ending the workday and feeling burnt-out is all too common in today’s society.

This is why here at Iron Vegan, we are passionate about educating our community on ways to support the body so that we may shift one’s state from surviving to thriving.

What is a huge energy-zapper that all customers face? Stress. From marathon zoom meetings, to running marathons, everyone will encounter their own level of stress on a daily basis. If left unchecked, stress can build up in the body and leave one feeling tired and unmotivated.¹

Although we cannot change stress and stressful event in someone’s life, we can support the body’s response to stress. This is through resilience.² Resilience is like a muscle, which means we can support the body’s innate resilience and improve it over time. Studies on the qualities associated with resilience show that they help protect against the negative influences that stress has on physiology in general & immunity in particular.³

In addition to mindset work and lifestyle hygiene (mindfulness, sleep support), proper nutrition is key.⁴

Energizing superfoods that have interesting research to back up their claims include:

Maca – has been studied for its benefits associated with energy output.⁵

Mushrooms – Mushrooms are the “it” superfood right now and a big reason is due to their apoptogenic properties. Adaptogens are ‘smart’ substances which can work with your existing state of health to enable you to better deal with environmental, physical, and mental stress factors. According to Health Canada, some mushrooms are used in Herbal Medicine as potent adaptogens to help increase energy and resistance to stress.⁶

Astragalus: Astragalus membranaceus has a long history of medicinal use. It is used in herbal medicine to help maintain a healthy immune system.⁷

Iron Vegan’s Balanced Energy Blend contains all these superfoods and is designed to help increase energy and combat mental fatigue at a foundational level. This would be a great addition to a morning routine or something to sip on when feeling low energy mid-day.

When a person is in a state of stress, it can be common to forget to include important foundation nutrition every day. Green foods are excellent sources of antioxidants, which are necessary to help protect against the oxidative damage caused by free radicals.^8,9

Iron Vegan’s Superfoods and Greens contains a fantastic formulation of superfoods like tart cherry and greens like chlorella, kale, broccoli, and alfalfa. These combined with adaptogenic mushrooms and herbs to aid digestions, make it a must-have blend for everyone.

References:

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2021, July 8). Chronic stress puts your health at risk. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037.

Southwick, Steven M et al. “Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: interdisciplinary perspectives.” European journal of psychotraumatology vol. 5 10.3402/ejpt.v5.25338. 1 Oct. 2014, doi:10.3402/ejpt.v5.25338

American Psychological Association. (2012). Building your resilience. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience.

Aubrey, A. (2014, July 14). Food-Mood Connection: How You Eat Can Amp Up Or Tamp Down Stress. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/07/14/329529110/food-mood-connection-how-you-eat-can-amp-up-or-tamp-down-stress.

Stone, M., Ibarra, A., Roller, M., Zangara, A., & Stevenson, E. (2009). A pilot investigation into the effect of maca supplementation on physical activity and sexual desire in sportsmen. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 126(3), 574–576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2009.09.012

Health Canada. Mushrooms Monograph. Accessed May 25, 2020 at: http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/atReq.do?atid=mushrooms.champignons&lang=eng

Liu, P., Zhao, H., & Luo, Y. (2017). Anti-Aging Implications of Astragalus Membranaceus (Huangqi): A Well-Known Chinese Tonic. Aging and disease, 8(6), 868–886. https://doi.org/10.14336/AD.2017.0816

Mason, S. A., Trewin, A. J., Parker, L., & Wadley, G. D. (2020, February 20). Antioxidant supplements and endurance exercise: Current evidence and mechanistic insights. Redox Biology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231719315447.

Pingitore A, Lima GP, Mastorci F, Quinones A, Iervasi G, Vassalle C. Exercise and oxidative stress: potential effects of antioxidant dietary strategies in sports. Nutrition. 2015;31(7-8):916-922.