Ah, stress. That sensation we reluctantly know so well. Stress as a concept is so ubiquitous in our modern lifestyle it almost needs no introduction.
You know what it is; it’s what makes your neck tense up when you’re drowning in work. It’s the exhaustion you feel when there’s too much to deal with around the house or you’re under a lot of pressure. It’s the way you drag a little after watching the news for too long.
Stress has a way of affecting us, and in fact, it has profound implications regarding our bodies and overall wellbeing.
What exactly is stress?
Stress as a set of symptoms was a term first used by a researcher named Hans Selyein the early 1930s. He defined it as “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.” Selye’s work was built on the foundational work of Claude Bernard and Walter Cannon, who proposed the ideas and terminology of “homeostasis.” Triggers that can provoke a stress response include physical, mental, and emotional challenges.
The most common types of stressare psychological or emotional stress and the physiological stress that comes from the body doing its best to function optimallyagainst all the odds stacked against it,such as overwork, toxicity, and overly processed foods.
However, stress is not inherently bad. It’s a life-saving mechanism our bodies use to turn on our alarm systems — the nervous system’s “fight or flight” functions—and alert us to a situation that needs our attention. The problems arise when those alarm bells never stop ringing.
How does stress affect our bodies?
Living in a state of chronic stress puts a burden on each of our body’s systems. During times of stress, the body will use all its energy to focus on the stress response.
Depending on the intensity of the stress, this may cause digestion to take a hit. Stress impacts several necessary players in optimal digestion, including saliva production, hydrochloric acid production, the pH of the stomach, the ability of the valves and sphincters to open and close, and so on.Think of it this way:when stress is off, digestion is off.
Becausestress requiresblood sugar changes, chronic stress can lead to blood sugar dysregulation. It can also contribute to mineral balance issues and other consequences.
How to cope with chronic stress
Here are some strategies for dealing with stress, particularly chronic stress that can lurk in the background of daily life. As you read this list think about ways you can practically and regularly implement some of these strategies in your day-to-day.
1. Mindfulness
Many find it helpful to practice meditation, deep breathing, or breathing exercises. These can help to bring awareness to the present moment, allowing for a state of mindfulness where judgments and worries can melt away. Spending time in nature can also be also a wonderful and effective way to cope with stress.
2. Movement
Adding movement to your day can help to offset stress and bring balance back to your nervous system, and ultimately, your life. There are many forms of movement to choose from, and everyone has different lifestyles, preferences, and levels of accessibility.
When it comes to movement, the most important thing is not what you do butthat you do it.That means do what works for you— whether that’s Olympic lifting or jumping rope or vacuuming or dancing or taking a walk.It’s all beneficial.
Everyday actions can be both a mindfulness and movement practice. For example, when you sweep the floor, sweep with your whole body. When you stir a pot, stir from the hips, not just your wrist. When you reach for something on the top shelf, use it as an opportunity stretch from your feet on the floor through the reach of your fingers. When you walk, swing your arms andsmile.
3. Nutrient-Dense, Whole Foods Diet
As we’ve discussed, chronic stress is detrimental to the body.Stress depletes several important nutrients that our bodily systems need to function properly. One way we can use nutrition to manage the consequences of chronic stress is by ensuring we include a variety of nutrients in our diets, especially the ones we use up in times of stress.
These nutrients include:
Vitamin C
B Vitamins
Magnesium
Zinc
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Antioxidants
Remember, somestress is a normal part of life. Stress is also a life-saving response that your body uses to protect you.
However, our nervous system’s stress response is not meant to be activated 24/7. Chronic, never-ending stress is detrimental to human health.
There are a number of lifestyle techniques that are useful in reducing stress, including mindfulness, movement, and nutrition. Stress involves the whole body, so in coping with it, we must think holistically.
The next chance you get, take some time to do something that helps you de-stress.
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The Effects of Stress on the Body and 4 Simple Ways to Cope
What are the effects of stress on the body? Let’s paint a picture, it’s 5 AM and your alarm is blaring. You rush to help the kids get ready for school, hit the gym to train for the triathlon you’re doing in a few months, or go over your notes for the important presentation that’s happening today at work. There’s barely time to take a shower and get out the door, much less eat breakfast. Traffic is crazy! Your phone is ringing! And it’s only 8 AM!
Whew! Just reading about this typical daily scenario gets the heart racing. But, it begs the question:
What are the Effects of Stress on the Body?
What are the effects of stress on the body according to the foundations of health? Physical symptoms of stress, can range from nausea and headaches, exhaustion, adrenal fatigue, digestive issues, blood pressure and blood sugar irregularities, and more. We will dive a bit deeper to uncover what exactly is happening in the five foundations: Digestion, Blood Sugar, Minerals, Fatty Acids, Minerals, and Hydration.
Digestion
We begin with digestion, our major nutritional foundation. Stress has a serious, negative effect on the physiology of digestion. It’s not just the big stressful events, like moving or losing a job, that can wreak havoc on digestion. The body is not wired to handle even acute stress in combination with the need to digest. Stress impacts saliva production, can diminish or increase hydrochloric acid production, depending on the person, impacts the ability of the valves and sphincters to open and close, and negatively effects peristalsis and gut motility.
Even more, not dealing with stress long term can create inappropriate intestinal permeability, commonly called leaky gut. Stress may be an “unturned stone” for many people who are suffering with digestive symptoms that don’t respond to dietary or nutrient support. [1, 2, 3]
Blood Sugar
Our ability to regulate blood sugar is profoundly effected by stress. The stress response requires the body to recruit all available reserves to quickly produce the hormones, chemicals, and rise in blood sugar the body needs to maintain balance. Chronic stress and the corresponding prolonged response may eventually lead to inflammation and chronically imbalanced blood sugar. Anxiety and stress can be an underlying cause of insulin resistance, metabolic disorders, and hormonal imbalances. [4, 5]
Fatty Acids
Constant stress impacts fatty acid sufficiency because it impairs proper digestion. The release of bile from the gallbladder is a relaxed, parasympathetic process. A chronically stressed person living in a sympathetic state will have less than optimal ability to break down and absorb dietary fats. [6]
Minerals
The stress response is ‘minerally expensive.’ Zinc, magnesium, and calcium are heavily utilized by the nervous system for healthy cognition and may become depleted under times of prolonged stress. Calcium is an extracellular (outside of the cell) signaling molecule on which many nerve processes are dependent. Magnesium is important for metabolic reactions, particularly the production and use of ATP. Zinc is essential for protein structure and function and is concentrated in synaptic vesicles of certain neurons. [7]
Hydration
Our ability to maintain a proper water/electrolyte balance may also be affected by stress. HPA activation similarly to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, increases secretion of a hormone called aldosterone. Aldosterone works in the kidneys to maintain a balance of water, sodium, and potassium. In addition, Aldosterone is created from cholesterol in the adrenal glands. When increased during times of stress may contribute not only to imbalanced minerals, but also metabolic and cardiovascular dysfunction. [8, 9]
Dealing with Stress: 4 Ways to Cope with Stress
What can we do to stop the effects of stress on the body? Investigating our lives to find moments of possible stress reduction is key, such as having a whole food breakfast prepared and ready in the fridge. Below are a few other tips.
1. Breathing Techniques
Breathing techniques can help to calm the nervous system by inducing the parasympathetic or ‘rest and digest’ response. The 4-7-8 technique is one such breath:
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a “shh” 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 “shh” sound to a count of eight.
Repeat several times until you feel calm.
2. Daily Movement
Adding movement to your day will help to offset stress and bring balance back to your nervous system, and ultimately your life. There are many kinds of movement practices to choose from. Find one that suits your lifestyle, your time, and one that you really enjoy. Everyday actions can be both a mindfulness and a movement practice.
For example, when you sweep the floor, sweep with your whole body. When you stir a pot, stir from the hips, not just your wrist. When you reach for something on the top shelf use it as an opportunity stretch from your feet on the floor through the reach of your fingertips. When walking, swing your arms and smile. Also, breathe fully and deeply throughout the day. Let breath be its own kind of movement.
Other ideas:
Take a walk around the block
Do a 2-minute yoga flow
Do a 1-minute plank
Opt for an exercise ball instead of a desk chair
Park further away from your destination
3. Get out in Nature
There have been multiple studies showing that spending thoughtful time in nature can act as a potent form of therapy, specifically for attention-deficit disorder and other ailments. Scientists looking at the matter suggest that spending time in nature is equally important as healthy sleep, hygiene, and proper nutrition.
4. A Nutrient-Dense Diet
Incorporation of nutrient-rich foods that support blood sugar balance and optimize metabolism such as B vitamin rich pastured liver, fiber-rich properly prepared grains and legumes, mineral-rich nuts, seeds, and an array of colorful vegetables will assist the body to deal with stress. Practicing the breathing techniques before consuming a meal can also help to stimulate the proper digestive responses. Ultimately, this will help to absorb as many nutrients as possible in the foods you consume.
Summary
We talked about symptoms of stress and the effects of stress on the body. Not dealing with stress can a detriment of our long-term health and vitality. There are many ways to navigate stress and combat these symptoms. Some include, breathing techniques, daily movement, getting out in nature, incorporating a nutrient-dense diet, and more. It’s important to prioritize each nutritional foundation, beginning with digestion.
The information in this article was drawn from the NTA curriculum.
Research Citation:
Esplugues, J. V., Barrachina, M. D., Beltrán, B., Calatayud, S., Whittle, B. J., & Moncada, S. (1996). Inhibition of gastric acid secretion by stress: a protective reflex mediated by cerebral nitric oxide. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 93(25), 14839–14844. doi:10.1073/pnas.93.25.14839
Mittal, R.K. and Goyal, R.K. (2006). Sphincter mechanisms at the lower end of the esophagus. GI Motility online. doi:10.1038/gimo14. https://www.nature.com/gimo/contents/pt1/full/gimo14.html
Falco, G., Pirro, P. S., Castellano, E., Anfossi, M., Borreda, G., & Gianoo, L. (2015). The Relationship between Stress and Diabetes Mellitus. Journal of Neurology and Psychology, 1-7.
Surwit, R. S., Schneider, M. S., & Feinglos, M. M. (1992). Stress and Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Care, 1413-1422.
Mizuno, K., & Ueno, Y. (2017). Autonomic Nervous System and the Liver. Hepatology Research, 160-165.
Kennedy, D. O., Veasey, R., Watson, A., Dodd, F., Jones, E., Maggini, S., & Haskell, C. F. (2010). Effects of high-dose B vitamin complex with vitamin C and minerals on subjective mood and performance in healthy males. Psychopharmacology, 55-68.
Kubzansky, L. D., & Alder, G. K. (2010). Aldosterone: A forgotten mediator of the relationship between psychological stress and heart disease. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 80-86.
Scod, J., & Dunn, R. (2019). Physiology, Aldosterone. In J. Scod, & R. Dunn, StatPearls. Treasure Island: StatPearls Publishing LLC.
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During this call, you’ll explore and learn:
How to create a rewarding career in holistic nutrition that will give you the confidence and competence to replace your full-time income (whether you’re new to nutrition or or using it to enhance your current services)
How our unmatched education and instructor support sets our NTP program apart from other nutrition programs
How graduates are successfully using their education and the many career opportunities available to you
If the NTP program is the right fit for you and how to move forward in financing your education
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