Although it’s a New Year and things still seem kinda sedate, we only have to think back a few weeks to remember how everything started to feel a bit too much, wondering of ways to reduce stress and how we longed for a break. I don’t think I’m alone.
Before the holidays, I was keeping myself busy with my full time job, attending lectures for my MSc, prepping for exams, completing group coursework, doing my training at The Altitude Centre all amongst day to day life admin and running this blog.
So when I heard about a supplement called Relax, by Link Nutrition, I figured I would give it a try to see if it was worth spreading the word about. And you know what, I think I noticed the biggest change when I stopped taking it. Cos we all know hindsight is a wonderful thing.
What Is The Relax Complex of Supplements?
The Relax supplement (suitable for vegetarians) is an all-natural Food Based™ supplement from Link Nutrition.
Food Based™ means that all the vitamins and minerals found in the supplement are in the same form that you would find in nature, complete with naturally occurring cofactors (or essential substances to you and I) like glycoproteins and enzymes. This means they are more easily absorbed than synthetic versions.
Relax contains a blend of B vitamins, Turmeric, Siberian Ginseng, Lions mane and Reishi mushrooms, plus L-theanine from green tea extract.
B vitamins fight tiredness and fatigue which came in handy during my heavy training load. I do think that Relax contributed to me being able to find the energy I needed for completing all my sessions.
The Difference Relax Made
I was tasked with taking Relax daily for a week, but I took it for about 28 days in a row as it seemed to be working well. Each bottle contains 60 capsules with the dosage being two capsules per day with or without food. The majority of the days I took the capsules in the morning to help keep my energy levels balanced throughout the day.
One area I noticed a difference in was my sleep. I was able to fall asleep faster and when I woke up, I felt ready to take on the day rather than needing to hit the snooze button 5 times!
I cut down my coffee intake at the same time to test if I could survive without it… I used coffee on the day of my testing at The Altitude Centre and before my post 6 week training test as an added boost.
I stopped taking them when I had just 6 capsules left incase I needed them for something. Don’t ask me what. Then I had a really awful nights sleep one night; like awake at 3am and could not get back to sleep.
So I took two capsules the next day, survived and had a decent night sleep. Then it happened again a week later and same same. So now I have two left… which I think will help me get my mind on track again after the time off over the holidays!
How Else Can You Reduce Stress?
During the last couple weeks of my training plan, I signed myself up for some Yin Yoga classes on the Friday evenings. They were either based on relaxation or stretching and both did me the world of good after a week of hard work.
You can prob find some classes online too if you’ve never tried yoga or can’t get to a studio. Add a little 5-10 minute routine to your morning / evening routine and I’m sure you will notice the benefits soon.
Other ways to reduce stress include a good sleep pattern (check out my tips here), exercising regularly, laughter, spending time with friends and family, eating well and managing your time effectively.
Final Thoughts On The Relax Supplement
In a world where we’re all so busy, I don’t think it does any harm to support yourself and your diet with supplementation. If you’re feeling any extreme emotion such as stress, anxiety, fatigue there may well be an underlying cause that needs to be investigated.
But if you know your body well enough to distinguish when you may just be burning the candle at both ends then Relax could be a good addition to your routine.
RELATED: How I Handle Life On The Go
To help soften the blow of the darker mornings and evenings, Link Nutrition are giving you FREE Vitamin D3 1000IU with every purchase! There is also free delivery on Relax and a discount for when you choose to subscribe.
How do you relax and reduce stress?
Elle
It’s interesting how it seemed to have improved your quality of sleep, I suspect that’s something most of us could benefit from! I’ve started taking supplements recently as we’ve decided to eat less meat and I want to make sure I’m getting everything I need while we work out the logistics of a change in diet, I think it’s working…