A young person in my life (she’s under 30) is getting married this month, and from what I can gather, planning a wedding these days is a rewarding, yet stressful process, full of non-stop surprises. It’s been quite some time since I was in those bride-to-be shoes, as my husband and I tied the knot back in 1995.
There are numerous ways to handle the stress of impending nuptials. Staying organized, delegating, getting adequate sleep, and eating healthy are all wonderful strategies recommended by some of the most popular wedding blogs around. Personally, I would throw in exercise right along with the aforementioned tips. Surprisingly, I did not find any stress relieving recommendations that suggested supplements to help support the immune and nervous systems during wedding preparations. I think taking supplements during what can be an exciting and anxiety-provoking time in life can provide both support and relief.
I gave the previously mentioned young person, who is planning a rather large affair, a good supply of vitamins ten days prior to her wedding, and she said they helped a bunch!
Here are my favorite 5 supplements to relieve wedding planning stress:
1. Vitamin D3
It is challenging to get the proper amount of vitamin D in food; the best way to obtain it is from the sun (via the skin), or via oral supplementation. Although referred to as a vitamin, vitamin D is actually a hormone pre-cursor. The traditional medical community now recognizes that vitamin D supports bone development in synergy with calcium. Vitamin D does much more than foment bone growth. According to an abstract by Cynthia Aranow, published in the Journal of Investigative Medicine in 2012, vitamin D is crucial when it comes to immune support. When the body is deficient in vitamin D, increased autoimmunity, as well as a propensity to infection may occur. Budding brides may want to supplement with vitamin D prior to their big day. When I am under stress I take 5,000-10,000 IU of Vitamin D daily for one week. If you are going to take mega-doses of this vitamin it is critical that you have your vitamin D levels tested (at minimum) quarterly, since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and can be toxic in large doses.
2. Vitamin C
According to an article published in Nutrients by Alexander Michels, ascorbic acid (the reduced form of vitamin C) is an essential component of our diet. Large amounts of vitamin C can protect against oxidative damage. Vitamin C is water-soluble and can be taken in extremely large doses. When I am experiencing an increase in MS symptomology I get an IV infusion of 10,000 mg (or more) of vitamin C at a local clinic. For our blushing bride, I recommended 1,000 mg of vitamin C orally per day for the ten days prior to the wedding.
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3. Zinc
Zinc is a metal ion that is a vital trace element. Intoxication by excessive exposure to zinc is rare, however, zinc deficiency is widespread and can negatively impact growth and immunity. Zinc helps to protect against cold, flu, and respiratory infection and is a natural aromatase inhibitor –meaning it can keep “good” hormones from turning into toxic estrogens. For my stressed out bride, I recommended 30 mg of zinc per day for 10 days to ameliorate a potentially compromised immune system to which the stress of a wedding can lead.
4. B Complex
According to an article published in Nutrients in 2013, “dietary intake of vitamins, in particular B-vitamins, may have a number of positive effects on mood and stress.” The B-vitamins may mitigate stress by optimizing cortisol secretion. They’re my go to and fabulous to support equanimity during the stress of a wedding. I gave our bride the Ultra B Complex from Douglas Laboratories which contains 11 different B vitamins, and which I myself take on a daily basis.
5. l-Theanine
According to my colleague Dr. Frank Lipman, “l-Theanine supplements are nature’s ‘chill pills.’” My own physician, Dr. Robert Rountree, recommended l-Theanine to my boys and myself back in 2004. l-Theanine assists with falling asleep (especially great when we travel). l-Theanine is found in green tea –it is the calming component that can smooth out the effects of caffeine in this anti-oxidant rich beverage. For our bride, I recommended a dose of 200-400mg of l-Theanine before bedtime, to encourage ease in falling asleep and assist with staying asleep.
It is critical to purchase supplements from trusted sources so that you know the product is “clean,” i.e., free of toxic added fillers. In the text above, I have linked to each of the brands of supplements I use and trust for my family.
Esther says
My wedding is in two months time. This came in good time. Thanks for sharing
Coco in the Kitchen says
Yeah, this is pretty great advice. I was so jazzed on my wedding day. Between beauty appointments, I had the genius idea that I had to have flowers in my hair and in my sister’s hair. So I rushed around to every beauty supply shop I could find on my way between salons, looking for rhinestone, flowery barrettes.
Can you say “NUTS?!”
Linda says
Two of my sons got married in the past 7 months, but I didn’t think to pass vitamins along to the brides until one of them complained of tiredness weeks after the wedding. I gave her a multi vitamin as well as vitamin D. I’ve never heard of l-Theanine! I will have to check that out, especially since I’ve had some trouble falling asleep in recent months.
Tamara says
Hi Elana – I cannot find the Los Rios chocolate you recommended, and now not the Kallari either at Chocosphere. Help?!! Thank you
Elana Amsterdam says
Hi Tamara, thanks for your comment, I’ve updated that link :-)
Jessica Waird says
I’m getting married in 111 days. This could not have come at a more perfect time! I love all of the supplement brands you listed. I’ll definitely be using these to help ease the stress and anxiety. Thank you :)
Jennifer L. says
We’re already married, but we’re selling our house and buying a new one and making a 3,000 mile move across an ocean–I needed this reminder today. It seems when I get stressed, all of my good habits go out the window and I stop taking even my regular supplements and stop exercising and then I wonder why I feel like things are increasingly insane by the day!
Amy G. says
Thanks for this post! Are you taking vitamins K and A with you vitamin D? I have been reading recently that D alone is dangerous. Chris Kresser’s website has some info about it.
Jen says
Was getting worried about you not being around. Glad you’re back It’s a bit concerning as you’ve talked about health issues.
Emily says
Great recommendations! Is l-theanine something you continue to take regularly or something to take “as needed” for a few weeks? I’m using it with my son per his dr but can’t find a ton of info about it!
Laura Babb says
What a great post. I came here looking for dinner ideas but I’m also a wedding photographer, so this resonates. I actually find weddings a bit of a stress on my body, as they’re quite adrenalin fuelled when you’re photographing them. I’m high stress anyway, so I’ll give these a go.