New Parents Rejoice: How Lactium® Can Help Manage Stress When a Newborn Arrives

by Ingredia USA | May 25, 2023 | Stress Management & Sleep Disorders

Are you a company looking to serve the needs and alleviate the stresses of new parents? Look no further than Ingredia USA Inc. As a company, we understand the immense stress and anxiety that new parents face when a newborn baby arrives. That’s why we’ve developed a bioactive ingredient, Lactium®, that can help manage stress levels and promote relaxation. In this article, we will explore how Lactium® can be added to your products to better serve the needs of your consumers.

Physical stress

New parents often face significant physical stress due to the demands of caring for a newborn. This includes sleep deprivation, feeding, and changing the baby, which can lead to exhaustion and frustration. Lack of sleep can also affect mood and cognitive function, making it even more difficult for new parents to manage their stress levels. However, Lactium®, a bioactive ingredient derived from milk protein, has been shown to reduce stress levels by promoting relaxation without causing drowsiness or affecting cognitive function. By incorporating Lactium® into their daily routine, new parents can help manage the physical stress of caring for a newborn.

In a study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, researchers found that Lactium® reduced the cortisol response in healthy adults exposed to acute stress. Cortisol is a hormone that is released in response to stress and can cause physical symptoms such as increased heart rate and blood pressure. By reducing the cortisol response, Lactium® can help new parents manage the physical symptoms of stress and promote relaxation.

Emotional stress

The emotional stress of becoming a parent can be just as challenging as the physical demands. New parents may feel overwhelmed, anxious, and unprepared for the challenges of parenting. At Ingredia USA Inc., we recognize the importance of supporting new parents during this time. Lactium® has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and promote relaxation, helping new parents feel calmer and more in control.

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that Lactium® reduced symptoms of anxiety in healthy volunteers. The study showed that after taking a supplement containing Lactium® for four weeks, participants reported a significant reduction in symptoms of anxiety. By reducing anxiety levels, Lactium® can help new parents cope with the emotional stress of becoming a parent.

Coping strategies

While Lactium® can help manage stress levels, there are also other coping strategies that new parents can use to reduce stress and manage the demands of caring for a newborn. Seeking support from family, friends, or a professional counselor can be helpful, as can joining a new parent support group. Engaging in regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and taking time for self-care activities can also help reduce stress levels and promote relaxation.

Bonding with the newborn can be challenging for some new parents. These conditions can make it difficult to feel connected to the baby or to find joy in the new experience of parenthood.

Aside from the benefits of Lactium®, there are several other coping strategies that new parents can use to manage stress. One important strategy is seeking support from family, friends, or a professional counselor. Talking about the challenges of parenthood with someone who understands can be immensely helpful.

New parent support groups are another valuable resource for managing stress and finding community during this time. These groups offer a chance to connect with other new parents who are facing similar challenges, share advice and information, and receive support.

Engaging in regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and taking time for self-care activities can also be effective stress management strategies. Exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety, as well as improve sleep quality and overall physical health. Eating a nutritious diet can provide the body with the nutrients it needs to function optimally, while also improving mood and energy levels. Self-care activities such as taking a warm bath, reading a book, or meditating can provide a much-needed break from the demands of caring for a newborn, and promote relaxation and stress reduction.

Incorporating Lactium® into products designed for new parents can be an effective way to provide additional support for managing stress during this challenging time. By adding Lactium® to a product, companies can differentiate themselves from competitors, while also providing a valuable benefit to their customers. This can be particularly important in a crowded market where new parents have many options to choose from.

At Ingredia USA Inc., we are committed to providing the highest quality ingredients to meet the needs of our customers. We understand the challenges of becoming a new parent and the immense stress and anxiety that can come with this life transition. That’s why we’ve developed Lactium®, a bioactive ingredient derived from milk protein that has been shown to reduce stress levels, promote relaxation, and improve mental health.

By incorporating Lactium® into your products, you can help new parents manage the physical and emotional stress of caring for a newborn. This can not only improve their well-being but also make a significant difference in their overall experience of parenthood. Consider adding Lactium® to your product line and making a positive impact on the lives of new parents everywhere.

Stress and Libido: Understanding the Link and Loss

by Ingredia USA | Mar 27, 2023 | Stress Management & Sleep Disorders

Stress is a common part of modern life, and it can impact many aspects of our physical and mental health, including our libido. When we experience stress, our bodies release the hormone cortisol, which can have a negative impact on our sexual desire and function over time. Understanding the link between stress and libido is important for anyone looking to maintain a healthy sex life, and there are many natural ways to combat the negative effects of stress.

The Impact of Stress on Libido

Stress can have a range of effects on our bodies and minds, including reducing our sex drive. When we’re stressed, our bodies go into a “fight or flight” mode, which can lead to a decrease in libido. This is because cortisol, the stress hormone, can interfere with the production of testosterone and other sex hormones, leading to a decrease in sexual desire and function over time. Additionally, stress can impact our mental health, leading to feelings of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, which can further impact our libido.

The good news is that there are many ways to combat the negative effects of stress on our sex lives, and one of the most effective is natural nutritional supplements.

Nutritional Supplements for Stress and Libido

Nutritional supplements can be an effective way to combat the negative effects of stress on our libido. Here are some of the most effective ingredients to look for in natural supplements:

1. Maca: This root vegetable has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to help support sexual function and libido. It contains a variety of beneficial compounds, including amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, that can help promote overall health and wellness. (source: Healthline)
2. L-Arginine: This amino acid is a precursor to nitric oxide, which helps improve blood flow throughout the body. By increasing blood flow to the genitals, L-arginine can help support healthy sexual function. (source: Medical News Today)
3. Ginseng: This herb has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to help reduce stress and improve energy levels. It has been shown to have a positive impact on sexual desire and function in both men and women. (source: Healthline)
4. Magnesium: This essential mineral is important for overall health and wellness, and it can help support healthy stress levels. By reducing stress, magnesium can indirectly support healthy sexual function. (source: Medical News Today)

Combating Stress Naturally

While nutritional supplements can be a helpful tool in combating stress and supporting healthy sexual function, there are also many other natural methods to consider. Here are some of the most effective:

1. Exercise: Regular exercise can help reduce stress levels and improve overall feelings of well-being. It can also help improve blood flow and cardiovascular health, which can support healthy sexual function.
2. Mindfulness Meditation: This practice involves focusing on the present moment and can help reduce stress levels and improve overall mental health. Studies have shown that mindfulness meditation can have a positive impact on sexual desire and function.
3. Yoga: This practice combines physical movement, breathwork, and mindfulness, and has been shown to have a positive impact on stress levels and overall feelings of well-being. It can also help improve flexibility and strength, which can indirectly support healthy sexual function.
4. Sleep: Getting enough sleep is essential for overall health and wellness, and it can help reduce stress levels as well. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to support healthy stress levels and overall well-being.

In conclusion, stress can have a significant impact on our libido, but it’s important to remember that there are many natural ways to combat its negative effects. By incorporating nutritional supplements that contain the right ingredients, practicing mindfulness meditation, regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and trying yoga, we can help reduce our stress levels and support healthy sexual function.

Our most popular product, Lactium®, is a bioactive peptide that has been shown to have calming effects on the body, helping to reduce stress levels. When added to other active ingredients, Lactium® can help combat stress and support healthy sexual function. 
We invite you to explore our website or speak with one of our knowledgeable representatives to learn more about how our products can benefit your business and meet the needs of your customers. By proactively managing stress and supporting healthy sexual function, individuals can achieve a better quality of life and maintain their sexual well-being throughout their later years. Contact us today to discover how we can help you enhance your product offerings and better serve your customers.

Mindful Matters: Mindfulness Activities for Adults Coping With Stress

by Ingredia USA | Aug 11, 2022 | Stress Management & Sleep Disorders

Modern life is stressful for everyone but did you know that stress wreaks havoc on our bodies? Stress does more than emotional harm, it also contributes to health problems such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. 

Because of the mental and physical health implications, it’s important to reduce your stress levels. Thankfully, there are some easy and inexpensive ways of reducing your stress. 

One of the best ways of reducing stress is through mindfulness. In this article, we’ll discuss some mindfulness activities for adults. Most of them are easy and many of them are free!

Intentional Breathing Reduces Stress

Mindful breathing is a great way to reduce stress because it activates your parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS). More than 10,000 fibers (the vagus nerve system) extend from your brain to most of your body’s organs.

A few of the areas the PSNS acts on include:

• Stomach and trunk nerves
• Eyes
• Tear-producing lacrimal glands
• Saliva-producing salivary glands
• Bladder nerves

Engaging the PSNS with intentional breathing initiates relaxation which allows your body to repair and restore balanced bodily functions. 

You may not experience immediate relaxation but try intentional breathing on a regular basis and you should notice a difference in your stress levels. Follow these steps. 

1. Find a Comfortable Spot

Sit in a comfortable and quiet spot. You can sit in a chair or lie on your back. As you get comfortable, observe your breath. 

Pay attention to where your breath flows. Notice it in your nostrils, chest, belly, back, front, and sides. Avoid any thoughts of judgment and just observe your breath. 

Observing your breath may slow down your breathing rate but breathe normally. Try not to deepen or change your normal breathing pattern. 

2. Put Your Hands on Your Belly and Chest

Now, place one hand in the center of your chest. Put the other hand with your thumb below your belly button. Continue breathing in your normal way. 

Observe some more. Are you breathing more into your left or right hand? Continue to breathe normally and observe how you feel and what you notice. 

Continue breathing for ten breaths or more.

3. Alternate Breathing Into Your Left and Right Hands

Where is your left hand? Is it over your chest or under your belly button? Breathe into the space under your left hand. 

Mentally observe what you feel as you breathe into your left hand for about 10-20 breaths. Take some deep inhalations and exhalations after 20 breaths. 

Now switch to your right hand and repeat the process. Breathe into your right hand and observe what you feel. Observe for 10-20 breaths. 

4. Try Half Breaths

Now breathe half a breath into your left hand and pause for 1-2 seconds. Concentrate on taking the rest of the breath into your other hand. Exhale from whichever hand is on the bottom and let the exhalation travel to your other hand and up and out. 

Repeat the process again for 10-20 breaths and then take several deep inhalations and exhalations. Then resume normal breathing. 

5. Take Some Full Breaths

For the last step, take deep, full breaths from the top to the bottom on the inhalation and from the bottom to the top on the exhalation. Don’t pause but see if you can exhale slower than you inhale. 

After another 10-20 breaths, take a few deep inhalations and exhalations and then resume your normal breathing. 

6. Observe Your Feelings

When you’re done, take a few minutes to observe your feelings. Stay in the moment and avoid judging yourself or worrying about what’s next on your agenda. Once you’re familiar with this exercise, try it once a day to reduce stress. 

Go for a Walk

When it comes to managing stress, walking is underrated and a great activity for coping with stress. Our bodies weren’t meant to sit at a computer all day, and prolonged sitting isn’t healthy.

Some people go all day without physical activity other than walking to and from their car in a parking lot or walking through the grocery store. A 30-minute walk strengthens bones, improves cardiovascular health, and helps balance your blood sugar, reducing your likelihood of developing type-2 diabetes. 

Walking is one of the best mindfulness-based stress and anxiety tools that are simple, free, and available to almost everyone. Even adding a 10-minute walk a couple of times a day into your routine reduces stress. Next time you walk, quiet your mind and observe everything you see around you. 

Mindful Eating

In today’s fast-food world, mindful eating is beneficial in several ways. 

• Increases awareness of fullness
• Reduces stress
• Reduces overeating
• Helps with weight loss

Next time you eat, turn off the TV, put down your phone, and pay attention only to eating. Focus on the food – the flavors, smells, and texture of the food. 

Over time, you’ll enjoy your food more and eat less as you observe your body’s response to food. For many people, mindful eating helps them lose weight which also reduces emotional stress. Mindful eating also helps reduce the chances of developing type-2 diabetes. 

Yoga and Meditation

The regular practice of yoga reduces stress and benefits your body. Yoga is a mind-body practice that includes breathing techniques combined with meditation and physical poses. There are so many different types and levels of yoga that there’s something for almost everyone. 

As with other mindfulness and stress techniques, yoga quiets the mind, encourages non-judgment, and improves your health. If you’re new to yoga, it’s best to find a yoga studio with an experienced teacher. You can also find yoga classes on the internet and some local studios now offer online classes due to the pandemic. 

Try These Mindfulness Activities for Adults

Try these mindfulness activities for adults to reduce stress and improve health. Make mindfulness a habit for coping with stress, and you’ll see improvements in your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. 

Try these mindfulness activities for adults to reduce stress and improve health. Make mindfulness a habit for coping with stress, and you’ll see improvements in your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Are you looking for more great health, wellness, and fitness advice? Find more articles, information, and helpful insights on our blog.

Cortisol and Weight Gain: What’s the Connection?

by Ingredia USA | Jun 1, 2022 | Stress Management & Sleep Disorders

If you’re feeling tired, can’t concentrate, or just can’t seem to lose that pesky belly fat, you may want to check your cortisol levels.

Cortisol is a hormone that is key to the body’s stress response. While a little cortisol is beneficial—even essential—as a motivator and energy booster, too much of it can be detrimental to your health. 

Keep reading to learn more about the relationship between cortisol and weight gain, so you can better manage your weight and have a healthier lifestyle.

What is Cortisol?

Cortisol is one of the main stress hormones the body releases when faced with a stressor.

Back in the days of hunter-gatherers, these stressors typically consisted of wild animals and other similar dangers. Cortisol would give a boost of speed, focus, and strength to help overcome these dangers. This is what we know as our fight-or-flight response.

What Causes Abnormal Cortisol Levels

In modern times, the body reacts in the same way to the consistent barrage of stressors found in most people’s packed schedules. These include:

• Constant email and text notifications
• Rush-hour traffic
• Work schedule change
• Mental or physical overworking
• Financial concerns
• Medical issues
• Overexercising
• Too much caffeine
• Too much sugar and carbohydrates
• Too little sleep
• Frequently skipping or delaying meals

The issue is a person’s body cannot tell the difference between actual danger and a stressor. That is why a person’s body may react the same way to giving a presentation at work as it would to getting attacked by a wild animal.

Cortisol and the Sleep Cycle

The release of cortisol is closely related to the body’s circadian rhythm.

Within the first 30 to 40 minutes of waking up, about half of your daily cortisol is released by your body. It then gradually falls throughout the day under the control of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus.

Ideally, a person’s cortisol levels will be lowest around midnight, but this is unlikely to occur if they are still awake. For this reason, many recommend going to sleep before midnight and getting around seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

The Connection Between Cortisol and Weight Gain

Of all the stress hormones, cortisol and weight gain are especially linked.

The body has more cortisol receptors in the abdominal tissue than other areas of fat storage. Because of this, cortisol acts more on our fat cells in this area.

Blood Sugar Levels

To increase energy during the body’s fight-or-flight response, cortisol temporarily boosts blood sugar levels.

This rise in blood sugar levels is quickly followed by a drop that leaves people tired, hungry, stressed, and craving sugar and salt.

In this state, a person is more likely to reach for sweet, unhealthy snacks than balanced, high-protein foods. This can lead to a vicious cycle, as unhealthy snacks like donuts and cookies will just lead to another sudden rise and drop in blood sugar levels.

Plus, the increase in blood sugar levels also increases the body’s resistance to insulin. The higher the body’s insulin resistance is, the more likely it is for blood sugar to go up, weight gain to occur, and Type 2 Diabetes to develop.

Thyroid Function

Cortisol levels also impact the thyroid, a gland that helps maintain a healthy metabolism.

An impaired thyroid can cause weight gain and low metabolism symptoms, such as fatigue and feelings of depression. Other symptoms of a low metabolism include feeling cold, memory problems, and poor concentration.

Managing High Cortisol Levels and Weight Gain

To fight back against the effect cortisol can have on your body, it is important to keep your blood sugar levels balanced. Doing so will help prevent the sudden hunger and sugar cravings that come with a quick drop in blood sugar.

To keep your blood sugar steady, it is important to eat a balanced mix of protein, beneficial carbs, and healthy fats.

Lean meats, eggs, and dairy are some quality sources of protein that will help break down amino acids and encourage the production of serotonin and dopamine. These “feel-good” neurotransmitters help combat stress hormones and weight gain.

While fats are considered taboo among many trying to lose weight, the human body needs a certain amount to function properly. Nonsaturated fats can help us think better and encourage a better mood without clogging the arteries.

Another alternative to consider is adding a dietary supplement, such as Pep2Dia to your diet.  It can help control blood sugar levels and lower the post-meal glycemic peak.  

Exercise

Regular exercise can help reduce stress levels and increase a person’s resilience when faced with a stressor.

Exercise is known to increase the level of endorphins in the body. Like serotonin and dopamine, endorphins are “feel-good” neurotransmitters that can help combat high cortisol levels and weight gain.

Plus, exercise burns calories which can also help with weight loss and weight management.

Getting More Sleep

As mentioned earlier, sleep and cortisol levels are connected.

Not getting enough sleep can have a negative impact on your metabolism and increase hormone levels associated with hunger and appetite.

The recommended amount of sleep per night is generally seven to nine hours, but this can vary by a range of factors, including age, health, and typical physical and mental activities.

If you are struggling with falling asleep, a supplement such as Lactium may also help. 

Managing Weight Gain

The relationship between cortisol and weight gain should not be ignored.

Taking steps to lower your cortisol levels can boost your metabolism, decrease your feelings of hunger, and help prevent fat in your abdominal tissues. By improving your diet, exercise levels, and sleep schedule, you can reduce your cortisol levels and boost your overall health.Contact us today if you want to learn more about managing stress and living a healthier lifestyle.