It was a crisp March morning in Florida and although I had a lot of things to do, I was focused. The first check mark of the day was getting some groceries.

I woke up peacefully after a good night’s sleep, had my daily dose of coffee, brushed up on news events and headed out to the grocery store to get some things I needed for the next work week.

I was prepared, but I had no idea what was waiting for me there. 

It was the last day of my weekend, and I was in a peaceful space. I was fasting that morning with no solid foods in my belly. The fast was warranted, too.

The night before, some friends of mine and I consumed an international home cooked feast fit for royalty, with emphasis on Lebanese cuisine.

I had a bit of Tabbouleh salad, a bit of Hummus and Baba Ghannouj, a bit of Leek Tart, some Lamb Shanks, some appetizers, and a bit of Tiramisu.

Hilariously enough, I held off on the pita bread during dinner (ha!). After all, who wants the extra carbohydrates and the mood swings, right?

The calm and collected state before the human storm. 

The sun was shining beautifully in the car. Adele’s song “Hello” was playing on the radio, and I was singing along in a comical and over-dramatic way. My mind was composed, calm, and Zen.

On my grocery list were a few items: I needed vegetables, eggs, and apple cider vinegar. I was also going to make an extra drive to the health food store to get adrenal support supplements.

These little helpers that I started taking two years ago got my stress hormones in check, reduced the feeling of helplessness and gave me a more relaxed outlook on life.

I noticed that when I add adrenal support vitamins to my daily regimen, I am less shaken by negative events, have more energy, and possess a really long stretch of patience.

Although I take daily vitamins and supplements, I also take these cortisol fighters, even when the topic of adrenal fatigue is debated scientifically, and some believe that this condition does not exist.

I am a firm believer that our genes and environment (including how and what we eat) play a large role in how much we live, or what diseases we get.

I also believe that doctors are very important for injuries and dealing with severe, or life-threatening situations, but sometimes temporary or reversible conditions may be healed from the inside out.

Although food can be medicine, these days the type of foods we eat are ridiculously fake and harming, and I do my own research and will take responsibility for how I feel and what I put in my body.

Yes, it’s all stress-related, but nonetheless, I know my internal system and these supplements do help me out tremendously. These adrenal support supplements appeared to not help at the beginning, but after three weeks I noticed a considerable difference in my patience and stress levels.

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. (Hippocrates)

Supplements that may help with stress.

Life happens, and a lot of us suffer from routine stress from life, work, family, or are always under pressure. But sometimes we don’t know how to get out of the mess we put ourselves in, and life’s pressure piles on and on and on until we explode like a hurricane!

Why do I take the adrenal support helpers? The adrenal gland is responsible for keeping us cool and composed.

Cortisol is made in the adrenal glands and it’s a very important stress hormone that controls the functions related to energy production.

With cortisol out of whack, we can become agitated, stressed, and our internal alarm system can keep setting up false alarms. This is very true when we undergo hormonal changes.

The malfunctioning adrenal glands can cause people to gain weight. It may result in meanness and irritability. When in check, the adrenal glands can counter a lot of the hormonal stress that cause menopausal women to be on edge!

This is because the adrenal glands have a connection to menopause and it may also affect men and women. According to Dr. Andrew Neville, menopause is “an adrenal hormone problem, not merely an ovarian hormone issue.”

The bottom line is that cortisol can control fear, motivation, and mood. Lessening the cortisol level in the body can be beneficial, don’t you agree?

I have mentioned adrenal support supplements to friends who get easily irritable and agitated, and they decided to try them. They have all come back after a few weeks with good results.

Of course, I want everybody to do their own research and to check with their physician if they have any question or any doubt about these claims.

RELATED: How to Face Your Fears (With 10 Motivational Quotes).

The human hurricane that hit my cart.

I got to the store and parked in my usual spot, which was way in the back and far from all the crowds.

I headed to the produce aisle.  I wanted to get parsley and tomatoes for my tabbouleh salad. I also needed kale, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, and broth to make a large batch of potassium-rich soup for the week.

I looked at the measly selection of what’s left on the shelves and started reminiscing about other times when bunches of parsley were thicker and less “dead” looking.

“I can still rescue a couple of bunches”, I thought to myself. I can clean them, soak them in water like a bouquet and cover them and the parsley bunches stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.

While I was deep into my mundane thoughts, a hurricane of a human being rushed into me. I heard “Wooosh” and then “Baaam!”

Noise and chaos rushed right at my peaceful corner, wreaking havoc on my psyche.

I removed my headphones with dismay, gave out a look of “what the heck lady!”, and moved out of the way.

This late forty-something woman (with crying) kicked my cart. She had an engaged phone in her ear, and was shouting about money problems with a loud voice that, undoubtedly, could be heard in other aisles. I’m not sure whether the child was her kid, or her grand kid.

This woman’s eyes were wandering away from the young boy who was shouting, screaming, and repeatedly kicking the cart with his shoes in a desperate attempt for mommy’s attention.

The woman can be defined with one word: Chaos.

Hello… Can you hear me?

The woman was doing so many things at one time that she did not notice her child anymore.

She already checked out, and was on the edge. She was apparently under a tremendous amount of stress that she was not handling properly.

I moved away to another, less crowded area and let this woman just be. I observed her presence, and she was all over the place.

We can all be guilty at times for doing more than one thing at once, but is this woman for real?

How is her driving when she goes back home? How is her house organized? How will her child grow up with a stressed out and mentally absent mom? What kind of foods is she eating to be in such an emotional chaotic state?

I almost wanted to follow this woman around the grocery store to see her choice of nutrition, but I decided against it.

How often have you done so many things at one time and missed the point?

It is important to be present and in tune with the moment. Take a deep breath. 

A better approach to chaos.

The woman at the grocery store can learn to avoid stress traps. She could have done a few things differently:

1) Paying attention to her child. What if something happened to the kid’s bones while kicking so hard at the edge of the cart?

2) Conducting her embarrassingly private money business at home.

3) Being more aware of her surroundings so that she did not hit other people near her (me).

4) Supporting her body with better quality nutrients and maybe incorporating some stress reducing activities or nutrients. Maybe take a mood boost supplement or a supplement to support the adrenal glands and help reduce cortisol levels by sleeping better, or taking life less seriously so that she’s not running around like an angry hurricane. Or maybe just be present with the moment.

The importance of tuning out the clutter.

We can all stop for a moment and think: “What is the one thing I can do right now that is the most important task?” Even if you don’t believe that food is medicine, believe that thoughts matter.

Block that one period to do that one thing.

Whether you’re on the phone, driving your car, vacuuming, or grocery shopping, try to focus on the task at hand. Be present with that task. Clear your mind and relax a bit before you tackle important things.

Once you concentrate more you will realize that you will start enjoying that one task.

If you are washing the dishes, you may run warm water to rinse them, and you may realize and enjoy that warmth on your hands. You will put the dishes away and notice how wonderfully organized or clean your sink is now.

You will appreciate that moment a lot more than going through it without concentrating on it. Cut off the negative thoughts and shift your thinking.

You will also realize how complete your moment is. We are not talking about huge accomplishments here. We are simply referring to completing a task and being present with it. The more you get your personal internal and external clutter in check, the better you will feel.

The bottom line on living in the moment.

Being present in the moment will allow you to get in touch with yourself more. It will clear a big chunk of chaos in your life.

Decide to help yourself by being more aware of what’s going on around you.

Work on eating healthier, being more respectful towards others and towards yourself.

Improve your outlook on life by getting your emotions under control. Whether you do it by breaking addictions to sugary foods or other substances, taking supplements, walking around the neighborhood, or by pure mental force, it will help you see things less dramatically and will lead your life into a better direction. Just try.

Be well.