What Causes Stress
Stress is the natural response to danger, Fight or flight. For instance, if we were still cavemen and we were out hunting the body would send a signal to the brain to say we need more energy to run…fight or flight mode.
Today, we go through the same process but unlike the caveman, our stress is constant. We’re not getting rid of it.
There are different types of stress, for instance physical stress is extreme heat, extreme cold, malnutrition, menopause, exposure to drugs, just to name a few. Emotional stress is love, anger, tension, grief, anxiety, internal stress, overeating, fatigue and lack of sleep. When we’re stressed we don’t sleep well and we tend not to eat well either. We also have a new stress called Techno stress. Cell phones, lap tops, Blackberry’s. All these things invade our relaxation time and work never ends. We no longer have any down time, we are always connected. However, some stress is needed in our lives as it’s self motivating but too much is detrimental to our health.
Physical symptoms of stress:
Stress causes changes in our bodies, for instance when we’re stressed our digestive system shuts down. How many times have you heard when people are so stressed that they actually have a gut ache.
Some symptoms of stress are, headaches, lack of concentration, high blood pressure, diahrrea, dizziness, loss of appetite or eat all the time. You use food as a comfort. Stress can actually cause fertility problems in women as it takes away the ability to ovulate and conceive. High stress affects the nervous system and glandular system.
The intake of proper nutrition are pillars that hold the body together to cope with stress. How do you handle the stress of life? Well, you need to supply your body all the nutrients of life. Carbohydrates, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, lipids and sterols as well as protein. Because health is only as strong as it’s weakest link, if your missing one of the links you don’t absorb the rest as well.
When under stress you may crave sugar, junk food or you don’t eat at all. Perhaps, your just trying to get by day by day.
Some of the challenges beyond our control when dealing with stress are food supply challenges. Vegetables are sprayed with pesticides and chemicals, our grain is processed and no longer has the good oils. We skip meals and eat junk food. Too much stress can leave you vulnerable to disease and fatigue. If your tired all the time your body is telling you there’s something wrong, somethings out of balance, it’s just not happy.
When the body is stressed, the brain fires up and the Pituitary gland secrets a hormone which sends a signal to the adrenal glands to start secreting homones. The liver releases glucose and cholesterol. I wonder if the medical community is actually looking at stress levels in individuals with high cholesterol. Also, blood pressure increases the kidneys release sodium and blood vessels constrict.
The immune system shuts down and your muscles can’t absorb protein. Stress is responsible for 80% of all major illnesses and promotes free radical damage to the cells.
Tips for stress relief:
Identify the negative things happening. Craving bread, alcohol, caffeine, smoking, watching too much TV, emotional outburst, wallow in self helplessness, shop to fill a void.
Fix it with a positive. Exercise can help relieve stress and is great for blood sugar levels, even going for a walk is good for you, it doesn’t have to be strenuous exercise. Meditation, relaxation, daily sunshine 15 minutes a day is great to get some of that Vitamin D. Pets are wonderful to help relieve stress. Enjoy a stress management course and ignore your e-mail and phone in the evening. Take time for yourself, have a massage and clean up your diet.
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jackierondeau
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