Composure - Healthnut Alternatives

^AIMComposure^TM is a special blend of the extracts of eight herbs that were selected for their soothing properties. ^AIMComposure^TM will help you overcome the stress so common in today's world.

Stress

Everyone experiences stress. But what triggers it is different in everyone. Personality, genes, and experiences all influence how we deal with stress. Whatever the cause, stress is a factor in many diseases. Stress may aggravate an existing health problem, or trigger an illness if you're at risk for the condition. Various surveys estimate that stress contributes to 80 percent of major illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, digestive diseases (ulcers, ulcerative colitis), mental disorders, injuries, nervous system and sensory-organ diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, cancers, endocrine and metabolic diseases, skin disorders, and infectious ailments of all kinds.

Although we do not completely understand how illness and stress interact, researchers are looking into it. Indeed, the field of psychoneuroimmunology has emerged, which focuses on how the central nervous system and immune system influence each other during stress.

Whatever the cause of stress, the body's physical response to stress is similar to its reaction to a physical threat. Your body reacts to face the "challenge":

A hormone called corticotropin releasing factor stimulates the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). This signals your adrenal gland to release more hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline and cortisol prepare your body to respond to stress. Your heart beats faster, breathing quickens, and blood pressure rises.

Blood carrying oxygen and nutrients is redirected to organs that need more energy to function with stress, such as your brain and muscles. Less blood goes to your stomach and skin.

Potential energy sources-blood sugar (glucose) and fat-are released into your blood. Fibrin, a chemical that causes blood to clot more easily, is also released, perhaps to slow or stop bleeding in case of injury.

Many of these physical changes can hurt your health over a long period of time.

Immune system: Cortisol produced during the stress response may suppress your immune system, increasing your susceptibility to infectious diseases. Studies suggest the incidence of bacterial infections such as tuberculosis and group A streptococcal disease increase during stress. Stress may also make you prone to upper respiratory viral infections such as the common cold or flu.

Cardiovascular disease: Under acute stress, your heart beats quickly, making you more susceptible to angina (a type of chest pain) and heart rhythm irregularities. When stress persists, increased blood clotting as a result of the stress response can put you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Other relationships between illness and stress aren't as clear-cut. But stress may worsen symptoms if you're prone to certain conditions:

Asthma: If you have asthma, a stressful situation can make your airways overreactive and precipitate an attack.

Gastrointestinal problems: Stress can make your symptoms worse if you have a gastrointestinal disorder such as an ulcer or irritable bowel syndrome.

To help combat stress, change whatever factors you can. If possible, get out of the stressful situation. If that is not possible, there are a number of things you can do:

Exercise regularly: The natural decrease in adrenaline production after exercise may counteract the stress response. People who are physically fit handle stress better.

Relax: Techniques such as guided imagery, meditation, muscle relaxation, and relaxed breathing can help you relax. You can also focus on hobbies or activities you find calming.

Find a friend: Having friends and family members for support makes dealing with stress easier.

Eat a good diet: Be sure you get:

Nutrients that help your adrenal glands, which stimulate the liver to convert glycogen (stored sugar) to glucose. These nutrients include pantothenic acid, vitamin C, and potassium.

Nutrients that help fight infection that could result when ill or stressed. These nutrients include vitamin C, vitamin E, and potassium.

Nutrients that help keep the thymus, which produces the T cells that fight disease, from shrinking and working less in times of stress. These nutrients include vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc.

Nutrients that are known to help out in times of stress. These include B vitamins and magnesium.

ORDER | TOP

^AIMComposure^TM

The herbs found in ^AIMComposure^TM work together to help you in times of stress. You may find yourself more relaxed, and when combined with a healthy diet, experience a healthy sense of well-being.

Many of the individual herbs in ^AIMComposure^TM also contain flavonoids. Flavonoids are chemical compounds found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds that often have beneficial effects. Flavonoids have been found to stimulate the immune system, and their ongoing study may contribute to a better understanding of the effects of the environment on our immune system and on the development and control of allergies.

Passionflower

Affects: nerves, circulation
Passionflower was used by Native Americans to soothe the nerves, and there is evidence that it does that. Its constituents maltol, ethyl-maltol, and some flavonoids are potentially sedating, and another constituent, passi-florine, reportedly promotes calmness and ability to sleep. In Europe passionflower is used in sedative preparations.

Shavegrass (Horsetail grass)

Affects: kidneys, blood, heart, and lungs
Shavegrass is a member of one of the oldest groups of plants on earth. The plant's success can be attributed to its ability to grow in poor soil with minimum moisture. It has been used both internally and externally since the sixteenth century, usually as a powder. As an herb, the entire plant is used. It contains flavonoids and minerals.

Slippery Elm Bark

Affects: whole body
Slippery elm bark was used by Native Americans as a skin ointment, and at one time it was listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia, a book describing medicinal preparations. Castleman, in The Healing Herbs, and Ody, in The Complete Medicinal Herbal, cite the bark as being good for digestion.

Yucca

Affects: blood
The yucca is a cactus-like succulent common to the western United Sates and most of Mexico. It has been commonly used by Native Americans for centuries as a soap for personal hygiene.

Suggested Reading

Blake, Steve. GlobalHerb Software. Rohnert Park, CA: Global Healthfinders (software program), 1995.

Castleman, Michael. The Healing Herbs. Emmaus, PA: The Rodale Press, 1991.

Dobelis, Inge, Ed. Magic and Medicine of Plants. Pleasantville, NY: The Reader's Digest Association, Inc, 1986.

ORDER | TOP