Stress & Supplements
We Can't Supplement Our Way Out Of Stress
We can’t supplement our way out of stress.
We can’t “optimise” our nervous system by overloading it with fixes.
The more we try to manage our health like a project, the more we lose connection to it.
This is my story - and what I discovered when my body became louder than my logic.
We buy supplements to fix stress. We download meditation apps between back-to-back calls. We schedule “rest” into our calendars - and then feel guilty for taking it.
Somewhere along the way, health became performance. And it'S one of the biggest absurdities of our time.
A while ago, I found myself standing in front of the mirror - exhausted, inflamed, and short before burnout.
I believed I was doing everything “right”: eating well, exercising, even meditating. At any step along the way, if you would ask me what I think about the way I live my life, I would tell you, it is exactly as it should be. I always believed I am doing the best I can, I am doing the "right" things.
But my body was louder than my logic. Rosacea on my face. Sleep that didn’t restore. A nervous system stuck in “go.” That’s when I realised: I was trying to manage my health the same way I managed my projects - efficiently, aggressively, perfectly.
The absurdity? I was chasing balance with the very mindset that destroyed it.
We can't heal in the same energy that made us feel bad.
I asked myself a few times: "Why does this have to be in my face? Why not anywhere else on my body?" Well, I think it is there, where I need it, to look at it. There were days, when I was considering not going out, changing plans, so people wouldn't see me. Today I am happy, I didn't do it, I kept doing everything as usual, with the mantra: I am not my face. I am not my face...
I believe health doesn’t start with adding more. It starts with removing what doesn’t belong - toxins, tension, overcommitment.
Two years ago, I didn't think about “toxins” at all. If, I would imagine rare chemicals - things you see in horror stories. I learned our environment loads our bodies with low-level stressors constantly. Those stressors don’t demand our attention in bold letters, but cumulatively they erode resilience, disrupt systems, and make performance harder.
Here’s what I have learned, how our environment is silently working against us:
Lifetime exposure matters, the concept of the exposome describes all the environmental exposures (chemical, biological, physical, social) we accumulate over a lifetime — and how they influence health outcomes. It’s not one toxin at high dose; it’s thousands of small exposures adding up over decades. Your body’s detox, immune, and repair systems are working overtime just to maintain the baseline.
Air pollution & fine particulates: The landmark Harvard Six Cities study demonstrated a clear link between fine-particulate air pollution and increased mortality, showing how long-term exposure - even at moderate levels - raises risk. Other data show that even small exposures to toxins like PM2.5 (fine particulate matter), NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide), SO₂ (sulfur dioxide), and others are associated with higher risk of depression, cognitive decline, and vascular inflammation. In short: the air we breathe is one of the most consistent “toxin” exposures we'll ever have.
Persistent chemicals & “forever” compounds - some of the most harmful exposures are chemicals that don’t break down. Among them: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) - widely used in nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, and packaging. Research suggests chronic PFAS exposure is linked to liver disease, altered immune function, thyroid issues, and cancer risk. In one alarming discovery, over 3600 chemical substances from food packaging and utensils were found in human biological samples - many of them potentially hazardous. Everyday produce, like kale, has also been shown to contain trace PFAS in pilot studies.
Chemical exposures & mental/neurological health - it’s not just our body being taxed - our brain is too. Multiple studies link heavy metals, air pollutants, and other chemical exposures to higher risk of depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, and even neurodegeneration. For example, chronic exposure to industrial chemical toxins (in occupational settings) correlates strongly with neurologic and psychiatric conditions. When your brain is fighting a low-level chemical burden, the side effects are fog, irritability, sleep disruption, mood swings - things many people chalk up to “stress.”
Vulnerable populations & cumulative risk - Not everyone carries the same environmental weight. Some groups - by location, occupation, socioeconomic status - take on far more burden:
A Dartmouth study recently showed that even small exposures to toxins like arsenic, PFAS, and air pollution have outsized impact on vulnerable populations (pregnant women, fetuses, children, marginalized communities).
In one community-level study, ~40% of participants had PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) blood levels above the 95th percentile, despite these compounds being banned decades ago.
Environmental justice research shows communities already suffering from social and economic stress often have higher chemical exposures - creating a double burden.
What this means for performance & health strategy
When our environment is locked in battle with our body, “adding more” (more supplements, more routines) is like throwing extra tasks at an already overworked team. The strategy removal strategy might work better at that stage:
reducing exposure (air filters, avoiding plastics, careful food sourcing)
supporting detox pathways (nutrients, sleep, hydration)
lowering internal stress (boundaries, rest, nervous system support).
Once we reduce those burdens, our system can allocate resources to repair, energy, and performance - instead of constant defense.
Because these substances persist, they accumulate over time in fat tissue, liver, blood, and organs. The heavier the burden, the more our systems remain in “defense mode,” detracting energy from regeneration and performance.
It’s not about controlling the body, but collaborating with it. I believe that anything in my body is a coincidence - it must have a reason, a cause. And I believe that this cause is connected with the decisions I have made, so it is my responsibility. This means, I can make different decisions and take the responsibility to support this wonderful machine - my body. With or without red, swollen and marked face, it is doing an incredible job.
I learned to lead my health like I lead my work: with clarity, ownership, and respect. That’s how Health for Performance was born - a mission to help professionals turn their bodies back into allies, not obstacles.
A life, where health fuel performance, and not competes with it.
My first step was a cleanup. I am still using a tiny vacuum cleaner for my cells. Real detox is not deprivation. It’s communication.
Our body is designed to clear, repair, and reset - if we give it the space and support to do so.
That’s why I work with The ROOT Brands - a system that supports natural detoxification, gut balance, and cellular energy. It’s not about “cleansing.” It’s about cleaning the system that keeps you performing.
We need smarter support and conscious recovery.
Maybe health isn’t something to achieve, but something to allow. Maybe the next level of performance isn’t about doing more - but feeling more.
What if the real detox starts not in your body, but in your calendar?
It’s time to stop performing health - and start leading it.
All the best, be well
Tina
P.S. Today, it’s easier than ever to test for environmental toxins in our body - if you’re curious what your results might reveal, just reach out to me.
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