The Importance of Vitamin D
June 3, 2014
Endometriosis
October 14, 2014We are all affected by stress at some point in our lives and it’s a process that our body is equipped to deal with.
Known as the general adaptation syndrome (GAS) we have three phases to the way our body reacts to stress. These phases are the alarm, resistance and exhaustion phase.
Let me paint this scenario; you realise you’re running 5 minutes late, you throw the breakfast dishes in the sink, grab your handbag and quickly pile the kids and the days work into the car. While frantically racing around, our body releases the adrenal hormones, noradrenaline and adrenaline, in response to stimulation of our sympathetic nervous system (SNS). This ‘fight or flight’ response increases our heart rate forcing blood to areas necessary for our stressful situation. Blood is shunted away from the skin and internal organs, except the heart and lungs, while oxygen and glucose rich blood is increased to our muscles and brain so we can think and move quickly. Blood sugar levels rise dramatically as the liver converts stored glycogen (energy) into glucose for release into the blood stream. Adrenaline also activates our inflammatory markers and increases oxidative stress.
Phew!……
This entire response is at the expense of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and activities such as digestion, relaxation and reproduction are deemed to be of minor importance in the face of a stressor.
You drop the kids off, race into the post office and run into work. You made it! Sitting down you open up your e-mails and the phones starts to ring. The day’s jobs have just piled up a meter high in your mind and you have an 11am deadline.
Your adrenal glands now start to produce cortisol; cortisol’s response is slower and more prolonged than adrenaline’s. Its role is to provide further glucose and to dampen any inflammatory response (from the wounds sustained during your flight or fight), and it elevates the pain threshold. This alarm reaction provides the changes required to meet the emotional crises, perform strenuous tasks and fight infection.
We then enter the resistance phase when the above stressor has passed and our body returns to normal (homeostasis) or we find a new equilibrium (allostasis)
We go through these first two stages repeatedly in life, as there will always be stressors. Today, our stressor has evolved from running away from the tiger or hunting and gathering our food to running with the kids and keeping up with work, various commitments and a social life.
Sometimes, something has got to give……
The effects of adrenal hormones are quite necessary, but continued stress day after day, month after month increases the risk of significant disease and can result in the final stage of the general adaptation syndrome, exhaustion.
In severe or prolonged stress the system becomes overwhelmed and the body is unable to maintain the hormonal responses to stress. Cortisol and adrenaline levels decline and physical illness sets in.
The two divisions mentioned earlier, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) each have vital functions within the body. Stress is a disruptor of these functions and has far-reaching effects on the whole body.
The prolonged disruption to our blood sugar levels, along with the mid morning muffin because you didn’t have enough time to make lunch, leads to cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance. Excessive cortisol and adrenaline levels can suppress our ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters such as serotonin leading to depression and anxiety. Our immune system is suppressed, regular colds and flu evolve, we get headaches, lack energy and complain of aches and pains. Digesting our food is of least priority as running for our life is more important; we start to have digestive issues such as bloating, indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome. Bringing a child into this world is definitely not an option at this stage, as the body is not equipped to grow and nurture a new life. Premenstrual tension is evident with painful heavy menses or our cycle halts completely.
Let’s never get to this stage…..
Now that I have terrified you with the disastrous effects of stress its important to know that its not all bad, there are numerous things to you can do and there are people out there who you can lean on and get valuable support from.
Know that you are special and you deserve to be kind and nourishing to your mind and body.
- Create time for YOU! Do something that you love, like listening to music, enjoying a candle lit bath, watch a movie or start a creative project – fun activities can help you become more tolerant to everyday stress.
- Exercise – this is an extremely important one but you need to do it correctly. If you have had a very stressful week the last thing you should do is jump into a high intensity spin bike session. Do some light to moderate exercise such as a yoga class, pilates or a walk with a friend. Its great to do aerobic exercise such as jogging, swimming or biking 2-3 times per week as this has been proven to decrease stress hormones but don’t over do it and listen to your body. Find what is right for you so you will savor and enjoy it.
- Enjoy the benefits of spending some time in the sun. Being in nature for 30 minutes per day can help reduce stress hormones and assist recovery after a stressful situation.
- Eat plenty of seasonally fresh and organic foods as much as possible. Ask your self “where did this food come from?” if its from nature enjoy it plentiful. If it’s from a packet think about what it is exactly and does it have any nutritional value?
- Include good fats such as omega 3s from fish, nuts and seeds, and olive oil to help with brain health and mood regulation.
- Make the time to look after yourself, your health is your biggest asset so it pays to look after it and make it a priority.
- Don’t over commit, things and people can wait. Set your self up to succeed for the day by planning and prioritizing. Don’t feel that you are letting people down, at the end of the day you will only be letting yourself down by compromising your health and then you may be no good to anyone.
- Surround your self with good people that support you and contribute positively to your life.
- Think about your alcohol, caffeine and sugar consumption as an excess of these can exacerbate stress and illness.
- Take 5 deep diaphragmatic breathes during a stressful situation. This is the quickest and easiest way to let your body know that you are safe and all is ok.
- Get adequate sleep. Easier said than done sometimes, I know, but there are things that can help such as sleep hygiene techniques.
And finally ask for help – You are not alone, find the right person who can help you.
Do you need ideas on a different way of eating or types of exercise? Do you need to address an underlying illness? A practitioner can help you to learn new coping skills by setting small tasks or goals and can give you the knowledge to better understand your body. There are plenty of natural remedies to support your stress response and herbs such as Withania and Siberian ginseng that support the adrenal glands.
Supporting a healthy stress response will allow you to feel more energised, resilient and ready to tackle life, so you can maintain the state of health and wellness that you deserve, and trust me, YOU DESERVE IT!
Written by Nikki Sumner
