Chronic Stress & 10 Ways to Help Yourself Adapt

Chronic stress is an imminent part of today’s fast-paced culture. It is estimated that stress is responsible for 75-90% of visits to primary physicians, either acutely or caused by chronic problems associated with stress. Working in excess of 40 hours per week more than doubles (2x!) your risk for obesity, depression and heart disease. Stress is a major player in many illnesses – from headaches to heart disease, and immune deficiency to digestive issues.

How can stress cause such havoc to my system? 

Stress-induced health problems are linked to production of excess stress hormones (cortisol and adrenalin) and decreased immunity. Chronic stress (meaning persistent, everyday stress) engages your “fight or flight” mechanism. This mechanism is your body’s response to perceived “danger”.

Stress hormones lead to a cascade of events:

• Your muscles tighten
• Your heart begins to race
• Sugar is pumped into your blood stream to be used as energy
• Insulin is sent out to regulate your blood sugar
• Your body may break down muscle tissue to be used for energy
• Your blood vessels constrict, causing your blood pressure to go up
• Digestive and reproductive functions are slowed or suspended

Your body is ready to fight or flee. The issue with this picture is that in today’s world, the likelihood of chronic physical danger is low. You are, however, faced with the very real stress of day-to-day life, such as packed schedules, stressful work environments, traffic, long work hours, and delicate balance of family, personal life and career. Chronic stress can cause excess hormone production and an imbalance, making weight loss difficult.

Understanding CORTISOL

Cortisol is one big player in the intricate system of hormone regulation. Cortisol is released from your adrenal glands – 2 tiny glands located at the top of your kidneys. The adrenals control reproductive hormones, neuro-chemicals that regulate your stress response, immunity, blood pressure and much more.

Excess cortisol caused by persistent stress can:

• Eat up lean muscle tissue, making exercise goals difficult to meet
• Leads to unstable blood sugar levels, affecting your mood
• Imbalance of your hormones can affect your ability to reach a healthy body weight
• Weight gain around your waist and upper arms or face
• Increased inflammation leading to joint pain, muscle stiffness, and skin problems

Okay now that we have learned the facts, its time to find what we can do to change it.

Everyone, its time to learn and master the art of chilling out!

Here are 5 ways to better manage stress:

1. Learn to breathe deeply, and exhale fully. Next time you feel the rush of stress coming on, focus only on your breath for 5 breaths. Be in the moment and find a solution.
2. You don’t have to be an expert yogi to meditate! Start simple: 5 minutes per day with your eyes closed, body still, and breath focused. You will be amazed at how incredible you feel.
3. Try yoga and get moving! Not only is yoga a dynamic way to move every muscle in your body, it also lowers your stress by having you focus on your body and breath, releasing tension and anxiety. If not yoga, find a type exercise you enjoy, and get moving! Last time I checked walking, jogging, squats, lunges, push-ups, and biking are all free 🙂
4. Take a vacation, even if it’s a short one. Try to take some time away at least every few months, even if it’s only for a few days.
5. Get a massage or a facial, take a nature walk, laugh with a loved one – take time to unwind and release stress.

5 healthy eating tips to help support your adrenals and your thyroid:

1. Eat every three to four hours including small balanced meals made up of whole foods, and create a balance of complex carbohydrates, fat and protein.
2. Eat a nutritious snack around 10:00 a.m and 3-4 pm to soften the natural dip in cortisol that tends to happen late morning & afternoon.
3. Introduce seaweed into your diet. Seaweed snacks are popping up at health food stores and sold as a great snack. It is nutrient dense food including potassium, selenium, B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acid and naturally occurring iodine. Iodine is essential to the function of your thyroid gland. You can also get dulse, and sprinkle it on foods such as salads, rice or quinoa dishes, or anywhere you like!
4. Reduce caffeine intake to 1 cup per day of coffee or black tea. Choose to substitute with thyroid supporting herbal teas such as nettle, ginseng, ashwagandha and dandelion leaf.
5. Include sources of B-vitamins, which help in the production of many chemical messengers. Sources include: leafy greens, nuts and seeds, nettles, avocados and bananas.

Join me today, Tuesday May 5^th for my new Spreecast: Sugar, the new drug in town, where I will be discussing the affects of sugar on your system, and how it can connect to your hormones, mood fluctuations and energy levels.

If you want to learn more about how you can support your energy levels, your body systems, find a healthy body weight and feel AMAZING, check out my new book The Simplicity Project.

Available for purchase here: http://www.icbookstore.ca/thesimplicityproject

Written By: Vanessa Fioretti, RHN

References:

Jenn Pike, The Simplicity Project, a simple no nonsense approach to losing weight and changing your body forever!, I C Publishing, 2015

Michelle Steinberg, The Thyroid Gland: Anatomy and Philology, The Ohlone Herbal Center, 2009

Kathleen A. Head, ND, and Gregory S. Kelly, ND, Nutrients and Botanicals for Treatment of Stress:
Adrenal Fatigue, Neurotransmitter Imbalance, Anxiety, and Restless Sleep, Alternative Medicine Review, 2009

Aviva Romm MD, http://avivaromm.com/heal-your-thyroid-get-out-of-survival-mode, 05-02-15