How Stress Affects the Body and How to Manage it

By Carolyn Schropp BS. NC, Functional Nutritional Consultant and Educator, HealthWalk

The holidays can be a stressful time for many people due to intensified focus on family, work and finances. Research shows that stress, and the unhealthy behaviors people use to manage it, contribute to some of our country’s biggest health problems such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and many other health issues.

More and more, we are learning that what we use to think of as just stress is actually the underlying cause of some of the most serious diseases we face today. There is no sure way to rid your life of stress all together, but you can determine the effects of stress on your health. Once you identify the effects, there are ways to address any systems that are not functioning properly.

Adrenal Fatigue, also known as hypoadrenia is when the adrenal glands are exhausted and unable to function normally. The adrenal glands release steroid hormones which are extremely responsive to changes in the body’s inner physical, emotional and psychological environment. Because of their responsive nature, the hormones are susceptible to becoming unbalanced from any number of factors. During stress the adrenal glands become very active. Stress can be physical - over-exercising, over working, not enough sleep, over-training, and/or emotional - mental, death in the family, divorce, chronic infections, poor dietary habits and blood sugar imbalance.

During the last few decades there have been innovations and discoveries that have transformed the way we live. The pace of life has dramatically increased and this increased pace directly impacts the adrenal glands, as they respond to stressors and prepares the body to deal with their impact. Physical, social, and psychological stress increase the demands for adrenal response. The stress response, or “Alarm Reaction” will present an increase in cortisol levels which in turn can have many undesired effects on the other organs and systems in the body. The health and normal functioning of the adrenals are therefore essential in maintaining overall health, and helping the body keep up with the demands of a high-paced lifestyle.

Not everyone can tell when they are under stress. It is a good to remember that all stress adds up and has a cumulative affect on the body. There are also other conditions related to adrenal fatigue such as abnormal, even erratic blood sugar levels in the form of hypoglycemia. With adrenal fatigue many people experience allergies more often, have arthritic pain and decreased immune response. Women tend to have more premenstrual tension and more difficulty during menopause. At HealthWalk™ we can analyze and support your hormone and adrenal imbalances based on Saliva Hormone Testing. It is becoming apparent that resolving hormone and adrenal imbalances is a key to good health and wellness.

Mental states can also be altered from low adrenal function, and people with adrenal fatigue may show increased to fears, anxiety, depression, increased confusion, difficulty in concentration and even less accurate memory recall. They are more easily frustrated and have less tolerance. If hormones are imbalanced, the likely-hood of insomnia increases.

Should these symptoms remain untreated, foundations may be laid for conditions such as respiratory infections, allergies, asthma, frequent colds, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, hypoglycemia, adult on-set diabetes, auto-immune disorders and so on. HealthWalk's ReGenesys™ contains calcium, magnesium, dimethlglycene and boron for muscle and nerve function as well as malic acid for detozification and adaptogens to help the body recover from stress. It is a powerful natural supplement to support your body in dealing with today’s hectic lifestyles. Some other ways of helping your body manage stress is to get the proper nutrients and integrate some simple steps to keep your body and mind in good balance:

Supportive Foods:

Incorporate the following into your dietary plan as much as possible:

• Eat foods rich in potassium such as squash, spinach, papaya, yam, halibut, cod, lentils, kidney beans and figs.
• Foods with high mineral content that are helpful for adrenal recovery such as kelp, peppers, swiss chard, celery, zucchini and spinach.
• Food rich in vitamin C are helpful and include guava, strawberries, red bell peppers, papaya, broccoli, tomatoes and cabbage
• Snack with low glycemic index foods such as raw nuts and seeds, sweet potatoes, apples, plums, lentils and beans

Important Lifestyle Considerations:

Breathing
Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress- related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders. Since breathing is something we can control and regulate, it is a useful tool for achieving a relaxed and clear state of mind. I recommend some breathing exercises to help relax and reduce stress.

* Relaxing Breath Exercise
This exercise is simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue, try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

• Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
• Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
• Hold your breath for a count of seven.
• Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
• This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Note: inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time.
This exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. This exercise is subtle when you first try it but gains in power with repetition and practice.

Avoid Adrenal Stimulators
It is very important to avoid certain foods and chemicals in order to avoid excessive stress on adrenal glands. In order to normalize the adrenals, not only is nutrition support required, but the removal of stimulants and sources of adrenal stress need to be done as well - concentrated sugars, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, overtraining, inadequate sleep, artificial sweeteners and partially hydrogenated fats.

Exercise in Aerobic Heart Range
It is crucial for clients with either hyperadrenia or hypoadrenia to exercise in the aerobic heart range. Aerobic exercise includes long duration activities such as walking, slow jogging, slow cycling, and any other form of exercise that involves endurance. It is important for clients with adrenal imbalance to focus on aerobic activity. Aerobic activity uses the fatty acid/fat burning system of the body instead of the sugar burning system induced by anaerobic activity. Anaerobic activity will put excess stress on the adrenals because simple sugars are being used for energy.
Aerobic activity will decrease cortisol levels, and also use fatty acids for energy instead of simple sugars and will not put stress on the adrenal glands to normalize blood sugar levels during and after the workout.

Proper diet and lifestyle choices are an essential for supporting your health.
At HealthWalk™ the Comprehensive Wellness Panel (blood chemistry analysis) can provide a valuable baseline of information enabling individuals to monitor changes in their blood chemistry and health over time.

Come to HealthWalk™ to get support with accurate and comprehensive information and personalized lifestyle and natural supplementation solutions to help you enhance, maintain and regain your vibrant health.