Diabesity Challenge Tip: Dealing With Holiday Stress

Stress is synonymous with the holiday season. Crowded shops, stretched budgets, and houseguests take their toll, and depression, anxiety, and emotional eating are unfortunate yet common responses.

Thankfully, Mother Nature has provided something to help us get through this demanding time of year—an herbal stress-fighter called Rhodiola rosea.

Rhodiola rosea, also called Russian rhodiola, belongs to a group of medicinal plant compounds known as adaptogens (other well-studied adaptogens include ginseng and ashwagandha).

Adaptogens help modify a wide range of hormonal responses, and have proven particularly effective in protecting the body from the impacts of both emotional and physical stress. In one double-blind study of 56 physicians on night duty, 170 mg of rhodiola per day reduced symptoms of stress-related fatigue and significantly improved short-term memory, calculation, concentration, and speed of audiovisual perception.

Research also indicates that rhodiola is helpful in alleviating stress-induced insomnia, depression, poor appetite, irritability, hypertension, and headaches. Look for a standardized extract of rhodiola in health food stores and take 100–300 mg per day as needed to alleviate stress and offset emotional eating.

I hope this information helps you as you continue your weight loss journey. Have another great week and keep up with the program…it works!