Health News

Burnout refers to a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. When you begin to feel like you are burning out, everything in your life is affected – your career, social life, family and relationships as well as the image you have of yourself. You may feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet the demands of life. Our ‘always on’ modern-day culture coupled with the daily stresses of life and the high expectations we place upon ourselves create a clear recipe for burnout.

Stress and burnout are closely related. The stress could be a result of anything, including trauma (for example retrenchment, divorce, bereavement, accident, and injury, etc.), financial issues, work pressures, an abusive relationship or illness. When we perceive ourselves to be under threat physically or psychologically, the adrenal glands activate the sympathetic nervous system and release a flood of hormones including adrenalin and cortisol. This instinctual acute stress response is sometimes called ‘fight, flight or freeze’. The primitive response to stress prepares the body to react to the danger as it did for our ancestors, and it may become a default pattern. 

Under extreme or prolonged stress, this cascade of hormones floods the body constantly and overloads the adrenals. This eventually results in a depletion leading to adrenal burnout or chronic fatigue. It can also lead to systemic inflammation, making you susceptible to illness and chronic health conditions. 

Burnout is not plain exhaustion or job dissatisfaction. The truth is that you may not even realise that you are suffering from burnout until you are presented with a health crisis or a mental or physical breakdown.

Signs and symptoms

• Feeling irritated and argumentative, or losing your temper often 
• Reacting irrationally or disproportionately 
• Strain in personal or professional relationships 
• Chronic fatigue, exhaustion, lack of energy and feeling ‘flat’ 
• Depression, decreased motivation and discouragement 
• A weak immune system or constant illness 
• Feeling tearful, overwhelmed and anxious, or suffering panic attacks 
• Feeling numb or empty 
• An inability to focus or concentrate, poor memory or foggy thinking 
• Poor decision-making or unhealthy choices 
• Weight gain or loss, or an increase or decrease in appetite 
• Increasing or new medical conditions
• Digestive issues 
• Despair, loss of hope or faith, cynicism or negativity, and self-doubt 
• Ineffectiveness

Recovering from a burnout

First, acknowledge that you are burnt out! Pushing through will not fix the problem. Working on discovering the root cause of your burnout rather than just treating the symptoms is known as the functional approach. A functional wellness coach will nurture, guide and motivate you to explore and recover from burnout and offer nutritional, supplementation and movement suggestions as well as mindfulness tools and strategies for lasting transformation. You may see both a coach and a therapist as a compatible dual treatment for burnout.

Get some sleep

Are you getting between seven and nine hours of quality sleep per night? Poor sleep has dire consequences for your body and mind, including a weakened immune system and poor cognition. If your sleep is compromised by insomnia, intermittent waking or sleep apnoea, this can exacerbate or even lead to burnout. Practise good sleep hygiene by avoiding screens one hour before bedtime, keeping electronic devices out of the bedroom, having a light early dinner, practising relaxation exercises, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol at night.

Practice mindfulness  

Being able to process emotions constructively is crucial. Breathing techniques, meditation, visualisation and other stress management tools can help. Becoming aware of what is happening in your body and mind under stress and training them to respond differently can calm the sympathetic nervous system and reduce anxiety. 

Nutrition

Poor nutrition (processed and junk foods, sugar, hydrogenated fats and chemicals, etc.) leads to a greater chance of burnout. Your diet impacts everything, including your emotions. During burnout, you might not have the motivation to make healthy eating choices. But your body needs the right amount of crucial nutrients as fuel to function optimally.

Move!

Movement or exercise increases feel-good hormones like endorphins, induces relaxation, and promotes energy and mental clarity. Make time for movement in your life even if you do not feel like it and time is tight. Find the right movement for you, whether it is yoga, pilates or trail running and cycling. Just remember that exercising when ill or fatigued may increase the stress response. Exercise gently when you feel you can. Only you can be the judge of what’s right for you.

Get rid of everything which is toxic

Get rid of toxic relationships or situations in life and seek those that uplift you. This includes the people with whom you choose to interact, as well as environmental toxins. Become conscious of chemicals (including parabens, pesticides, plastic, synthetic chemicals and pollution in air, food and water, etc.) and avoid them as much as possible by making better choices. 

Adjust the way you react to situations

Obstacles in life are unavoidable. We cannot change the things that happen to us, but we can choose how we respond to them. Take control with a more problem-solving, optimistic attitude. Setting and achieving goals is a great motivator. Make necessary small changes. Having a purpose that is fulfilling and makes you feel valued for your unique gifts is an antidote to burnout. If you are willing to work at it, lasting change is possible.

When you think about supporting your immune system, you probably think about vitamin C. But how are they actually connected? As the seasons change, many people may begin stocking up on orange juice or vitamin C supplements. In fact, vitamin C is one of the most commonly taken supplements in the world – but what does it really do for the immune system? And is it possible to take too much vitamin C? 

What does vitamin C do for the immune system?

Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient for humans, but the body cannot make vitamin C on its own. You need to consume vitamin C through external sources, such as through your diet or supplements. Like the B-complex vitamins, vitamin C is water-soluble. Because our bodies do not store water-solubles well, vitamin C needs to be replenished every day. 

Vitamin C helps support the immune system by supporting various functions. It is a potent antioxidant and helps fight oxidative stress which is important for a healthy immune response. It also supports the functioning of white blood cells, which are major components of the immune system. 

Which foods are high in vitamin C?

Ensuring your diet has an adequate amount of vitamin C is the first way you can help support your immune system. Some fruits that are high in vitamin C are citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes, as well as less common fruits like pineapple, kiwi, and watermelon. Many vegetables are also rich sources of vitamin C, including broccoli, spinach, green and red bell peppers, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes. 

What is the difference between Ester-C® and vitamin C?

If you’ve ever stood in front of a vitamin C display at the pharmacy, you may be overwhelmed by the seemingly endless array of options. What is actually the difference between Ester-C® and regular vitamin C? In short, vitamin C is acidic and may cause stomach irritation for some people. Ester-C® was created as a response to this problem; it is a non-acidic, well-absorbed version of vitamin C that is gentler on the stomach. During the production of Ester-C®, vitamin C metabolites are also created that help to enhance the retention of vitamin C in your body.* Studies show that Ester-C® increases vitamin C levels in white blood cells for up to 24 hours or up to two times longer than regular vitamin C.

What happens when you have too much vitamin C?

According to the Council for Responsible Nutrition, vitamin C has very low toxicity and is not believed to cause serious adverse effects if you have taken too much. The most common complaints after high intakes of vitamin C are diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, and other gastrointestinal effects related to the unabsorbed vitamin C in the intestine. 

Quite often, feelings of fatigue can be overcome through changes to diet and physical activity. Many people rely on caffeine and other quick fixes to get an energy boost. Although coffee and sugary foods may give you a brief burst of energy, this is often followed by an energy slump. This can lead to poor dietary choices and the cycle persists.

Here are some of our nutrition tips to fight fatigue:

• Blood Sugar Balance

Keeping your blood sugar levels balanced results in sustained energy during the day. Choose slow releasing, complex carbohydrates such as wholegrains. Complex carbs are the body’s primary energy source – providing fuel for both brain and muscles. Put it this way, you would not drive your car without fuel, so do not try run your body on empty either. Very low carbohydrate diets often leave you feeling weak and tired as you are not getting enough glucose from carbohydrates in the diet.

Choose wisely and watch portion sizes but do not totally eliminate this food group. Wholegrains such as oats also contain a number of B-vitamins, aka the ‘energy vitamins’, which are essential for turning the food you eat into useable energy.

• Check your iron levels

Fatigue can sometimes be a sign of a more serious underlying vitamin or mineral deficiency. The most common of which is low iron – or anaemia. Iron deficiency is especially common in women, especially those of childbearing age. If you are feeling constantly tired, look pale and keep getting ill, it might be worth having a blood test to check on your iron status. You can certainly improve iron levels through diet.

Choose sources of haem iron, which are absorbed more easily in animal foods such as shellfish, red meat, poultry and fish. Non-haem iron is the type found in plant foods such as spinach, kale, beans, lentils, nuts and eggs. Increase absorption by consuming vitamin C alongside iron rich foods.

• Protein

By adding protein to each meal and snack, you will slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream, ensuring energy levels remain stable. As well as the typical animal sources, do not forget about vegetarian sources of proteins such as nuts, seeds, beans and lentils. The latter are a great source of iron, a lack of which can result in weakness, fatigue and apathy. Unfortunately, our bodies cannot absorb iron from vegetarian sources as well as they can from animal sources. Therefore, to increase absorption, ensure you eat your beans and lentils with foods that contain high amounts of vitamin C.

• Dark, leafy greens

Popeye got it right; spinach contains large amounts of magnesium, which is essential for energy, strength and stamina. It also relaxes muscles and can aid sleep. In short: if we do not get enough of the stuff, we feel tired and weak. Magnesium deficiency is surprisingly common, so make sure you add spinach and other leafy green vegetables to smoothies, salads, soups and stews.

• Vitamin C

Adequate amounts of vitamin C are crucial for a healthy adrenal system, which helps prevent feelings of fatigue from both physical and emotional stress. Remember, cooking significantly reduces the vitamin C content of food, so ensure you get some raw fruits and veggies in your diet daily.

• Water

Even being mildly dehydrated can leave you feeling weary and fatigued. As well as drinking enough water throughout the day – at least 1.5 litres, you can also top up your levels through foods such as watermelon, cucumbers and citrus fruits

Your regular toothbrush only cleans the inside, outside and biting surfaces of the tooth. Do not forget to clean the surfaces between the teeth, where bacteria can multiply if left undisturbed. How to keep your month healthy? Dental plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on and between your teeth. It must be removed regularly, or it can cause gum inflammation, cavities, and bad breath. The area in between the teeth is difficult to reach with a toothbrush and an interdental product is recommended to use in these areas. It is recommended to start cleaning between your teeth in your early adulthood every day to keep your mouth fresh and healthy.

When you start cleaning between your teeth, your gums can feel sore and bleed but do not stop since bleeding gums are often a sign of gum inflammation. If you do not notice an improvement within a few days, contact your dental professional.

How to clean between the teeth?

There are different interdental cleaning devices such as floss, dental picks or interdental brushes. An interdental brush is the most efficient tool to keep your teeth healthy and prevent gum inflammation and cavities. What product you need is dependent on your individual needs and preferences. Ask you dental professional for advice. 

How to care daily for your teeth?

Keeping gums and teeth healthy is fundamental to prevent gum inflammation and cavities. Dental plaque constantly forms on all surfaces of the teeth. Adults are advised to complement their daily toothbrushing routine with interdental cleaning.

Step 1: Toothbrushing

Softer, high-quality filaments ensure gentle cleaning, and a tapered brush head makes it easier to reach the back teeth.

Step 2: Cleaning between teeth

The choice of interdental cleaning devices depends on individual needs and preferences. There are several ways of cleaning between your teeth, depending on the size of your gaps and what you prefer yourself. In large gaps the most effective method is to use an interdental brush. 

Interdental cleaning for children

Cleaning between the teeth is usually not recommended until all the permanent teeth have emerged completely. If your dentist or hygienist has advised you to start cleaning between the teeth earlier than that, you should, of course, follow this recommendation.