Not only can we minimize stressors using nutrition but we can also strengthen our body’s ability to handle stress through nutrition principles. I am going to dig into specific minerals we can focus on prioritizing without having any testing done, but make sure you are eating enough (I talk about how to know if you are eating enough in this podcast episode). Otherwise, it can be hard to see significant, long-term changes from mineral-supportive foods alone.

Minerals work like spark plugs and helpers to not only kick off reactions in the body but help make sure they are carried out correctly. How our bodies respond to stress is one example of minerals in action. One of the first minerals used up during the stress response is magnesium. We then utilize sodium and potassium. If magnesium gets depleted, we will use up zinc, which will cause more potassium loss. When we don’t have adequate levels of magnesium and sodium, our bodies actually experience this as a stressor. When we replenish our levels of sodium and magnesium, it allows our bodies to appropriately respond to stress by making cortisol. While minimizing unnecessary stressors is important and helpful, replenishing minerals on a daily basis is also helpful and essential for a healthy stress response. I see SO many women work on reducing their stress and adding in supportive practices like meditation, prayer, exercise, etc. to fill their cup but they can still struggle with handling stress. This is typically because they are depleted in certain minerals, so no matter how many stress-reducing techniques they try, they aren’t addressing the root issue.

Tips For Replenishing Minerals

• Salt your food as an easy way to get sodium on a daily basis. If you currently avoid salt or aren’t used to salting your food much, slowly increase your salt intake. This will help avoid any possible fluid retention that can occur when someone is very low in sodium.
• Prioritize potassium-rich foods. Potassium is found in a wide variety of foods, making it an easy one to get from food, which I recommend as the first focus vs. potassium supplements.
  • Roots & Fruits: Potatoes, tomatoes, winter squash, sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips, as well as cooked spinach and Swiss chard. These typically contain 350-650mg per 1-cup serving.
  • Meat & Seafood: Beef, chicken, pork, salmon, cod shrimp are top sources containing 300-700mg per 4oz serving.
  • Dairy: Milk, cottage cheese, and skyr/Greek yogurt are top sources containing 300-600mg per 1 cup serving.
  • Beans & Legumes: Contain 400-600mg per 1 cup serving.
  • Beverages: Coconut water and aloe vera juice are both great sources of potassium as well, containing 470mg per 1/2 cup of aloe and 600mg per 1 cup of coconut water.
• Drink 1-2 adrenal cocktails a day.
  • If you’re unsure of what recipe to start with, I really like the 4-8oz of coconut water with 1/2 a lemon or lime and 1/4 tsp sea salt. It’s light, blood sugar friendly, and refreshing. You can find more recipes and ideas using the link below.
    • ​https://hormonehealingrd.com/blog/adrenal-cocktail-recipes/​
• Use topical forms of magnesium if you haven’t tested your minerals or if you have low sodium. Many people don’t realize that taking magnesium lowers aldosterone levels, which is the hormone that increases sodium retention. Less aldosterone means less sodium and if you already have low sodium, this is not a helpful thing. Using topical sources of magnesium is a great option if you haven’t done any testing, suspect low sodium, or have confirmed low sodium through testing.
  • Ancient minerals spray and lotion are a great option. I’ve also seen companies start to add these to their products as well. Humble Hive Co makes beef tallow with magnesium now!

These are things anyone can get started with and would be the first thing to focus on even if you had lab testing, so hopefully you can slowly start to chip away if you want to support a healthy stress response and don’t know where to start. 

​Here are some more amazing resources for helping with your stress response:

• a holistic approach to optimizing cortisol levels
• Stress & Building Resiliency with Kaely, RD
• nervous system 101 with irene lyon

reminder: i’m currently taking on 1:1 clients. if you’d like to explore what it would be like to work together and if we are a good fit, fill out this form to get more details!​