Energy Support Kit

Support Energy and Vitality in a Healthy Way

Vitality is something we all long for, yet few of us feel that we have it. Why is that? There can be many reasons, from living in an imperfect world to individual factors such as caffeine consumption, stress levels, and inadequate sleep. At face value, caffeine seems like a reasonable option. Feel tired? Here, have another coffee. While it may work in the short term, caffeine is not a sustainable way to increase energy, for reasons that we will discuss.

Let’s talk about factors that contribute to overall vitality. According to a recent journal article, vitality can be measured by levels of fatigue and energy.³

Fatigue

There are many reasons why fatigue is so common today. The recommended amount of sleep for adults is seven or more hours per night, yet many of us sleep less than that.⁴ According to the National Safety Council, an astonishing 97% of Americans have at least one risk factor for fatigue, and 38% of American workers report feeling tired at work.⁵

Energy

When we don’t sleep enough, it’s easy to reach for coffee or energy drinks for that much-needed boost – and that seems to work, at least initially. However, this only worsens fatigue for the long term, for several reasons:

• Adenosine levels in the brain naturally rise throughout the day, helping us to wind down in the evening. Caffeine binds to adenosine receptors in place of adenosine, delaying fatigue and temporarily increasing alertness.⁶ However, once the caffeine wears off, the waiting adenosine binds to its receptors and prepares the body for sleep, which worsens fatigue and is felt as a crash.
• Caffeine can delay melatonin secretion, increasing the length of time needed to fall asleep, contributing to the next day’s fatigue.⁷
• Caffeine consumption stimulates the release of cortisol, the main stress hormone, taxing the adrenal glands in the process.⁸ Higher cortisol levels are associated with disturbed sleep.⁹
• With long-term use, caffeine tolerance develops, requiring more and more to obtain the same effects.¹⁰

Fortunately, there are healthy, nourishing ways to boost energy without the consequences of caffeine!

This Energy Support Kit contains the following:

Adrenal is a mix of four adaptogenic herbs that may help with adrenal support.ᶧ One of the difficult things about stress of all kinds is that it disrupts our balance or homeostasis. Adaptogens may help to support overall endurance and a healthy stress response.ᶧ

• Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) has been used as a tonic for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine.
• Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) may help to maintain a sense of calm and support a healthy mood.ᶧ¹¹ It may also help to support both mental and physical energy during periods of stress.ᶧ¹²
• American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) may help to maintain healthy energy levels.ᶧ¹³
• Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) may help to support mental energy and clarity.ᶧ¹⁴,¹⁵

Magnesium malate is an easily absorbed form of magnesium. Magnesium has many functions in the body, one of which is energy production from dietary carbohydrates and fats.ᶧ¹,¹⁷

Together, Adrenal and Magnesium help to support healthy energy levels in a healthy way, without the peaks, crashes, or consequences of caffeine.ᶧ

¹ ODS. (2021). Office of Dietary Supplements - Magnesium. Retrieved 21 April 2021, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional

² Panossian, A., & Wikman, G. (2010). Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System and the Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Their Stress-Protective Activity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 3(1), 188–224.

³ Deng, N., Guyer, R., & Ware, J. E., Jr (2015). Energy, fatigue, or both? A bifactor modeling approach to the conceptualization and measurement of vitality. Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 24(1), 81–93.

⁴ Centers for Disease Control. (2021). CDC - How Much Sleep Do I Need? - Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Retrieved 21 April 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html

⁵ National Safety Council. (2021). Fatigue: Research - National Safety Council. Retrieved 21 April 2021, from https://www.nsc.org/workplace/safety-topics/fatigue/fatigue-research

⁶ Reichert, C. F., Maire, M., Schmidt, C., & Cajochen, C. (2016). Sleep-Wake Regulation and Its Impact on Working Memory Performance: The Role of Adenosine. Biology, 5(1), 11.

⁷ Burke, M., Markwald, R. R., McHill, A. W., Chinoy, E., D., Snider, J. A., Bessman, S. C., Jung, C. M., O’Neill, J. S., and Wrigh, K. P. (2015). Effects of caffeine on the human circadian clock in vivo and in vitro, Science Translational Medicine, 7(305), 305-314.

⁸ Lovallo, W. R., Whitsett, T. L., al'Absi, M., Sung, B. H., Vincent, A. S., & Wilson, M. F. (2005). Caffeine stimulation of cortisol secretion across the waking hours in relation to caffeine intake levels. Psychosomatic medicine, 67(5), 734–739.

⁹ Morgan, E., Schumm, L. P., McClintock, M., Waite, L., & Lauderdale, D. S. (2017). Sleep Characteristics and Daytime Cortisol Levels in Older Adults. Sleep, 40(5), zsx043.

¹⁰ Lara, B., Ruiz-Moreno, C., Salinero, J. J., & Del Coso, J. (2019). Time course of tolerance to the performance benefits of caffeine. PloS one, 14(1), e0210275.

¹¹ Cropley, M., Banks, A. P., & Boyle, J. (2015). The Effects of Rhodiola rosea L. Extract on Anxiety, Stress, Cognition and Other Mood Symptoms. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 29(12), 1934–1939.

¹² Punja, S., Shamseer, L., Olson, K., & Vohra, S. (2014). Rhodiola rosea for mental and physical fatigue in nursing students: a randomized controlled trial. PloS one, 9(9), e108416.

¹³ Arring, N. M., Millstine, D., Marks, L. A., & Nail, L. M. (2018). Ginseng as a Treatment for Fatigue: A Systematic Review. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 24(7), 624–633.

¹⁴ Sowndhararajan, K., Deepa, P., Kim, M., Park, S. J., & Kim, S. (2018). An overview of neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement properties of lignans from Schisandra chinensis. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie, 97, 958–968.

¹⁵ Nowak, A., Zakłos-Szyda, M., Błasiak, J., Nowak, A., Zhang, Z., & Zhang, B. (2019). Potential of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. in Human Health and Nutrition: A Review of Current Knowledge and Therapeutic Perspectives. Nutrients, 11(2), 333.

¹⁶ Uysal, N., Kizildag, S., Yuce, Z., Guvendi, G., Kandis, S., Koc, B., Karakilic, A., Camsari, U. M., & Ates, M. (2019). Timeline (Bioavailability) of Magnesium Compounds in Hours: Which Magnesium Compound Works Best?. Biological trace element research, 187(1), 128–136.

¹⁷ LPI. (2021). Magnesium. Retrieved 21 April 2021, from https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/magnesium