Stressed? Take 5--supplements, that is: feeling the pressure lately? So is your body! here's a simple, inexpensive way to shore up your defenses against stress.(SUPPLEMENTS: SYNERGY)

"There's always going to be stress," says Ellen Cutler, DC, founder of BioSet Clinic and Institute in Mill Valley, CA, "but it doesn't have to rain your life." If you maintain a strong, healthy body, you're much better equipped to deal with whatever circumstances arise. And that means eating right, digesting your food properly and getting regular exercise.

Cortisol and adrenaline, the "fight-or-flight" hormones designed to help us deal with danger, kick in when we're stressed. In an attempt to utilize all the body's resources to deal with the "danger" (lions and tigers long ago, rush-hour traffic today), these hormones inhibit the production of digestive juices and deplete essential nutrients--just when we need all the nutritional support we can get.

A simple way to shore up against this vicious circle, says Cutler, is to take five supplements to replenish key substances in the body that are affected by stress: vitamin C, B complex, calcium, magnesium and digestive enzymes. These work together to counteract the overload that difficult situations put on our bodies.

Vitamin C: 1

When the adrenal glands overproduce cortisol and adrenaline in response to stress, the glands eventually become exhausted--and you feel the same way. Cravings for sweet or salty snacks, or for coffee or other stimulant beverages, may be a side effect.

"Adrenals respond to vitamin C," says Cutler. In essence, the vitamin feeds these glands and enables them to function more optimally despite extra demands.

B complex: 2