Part 1: Stress
Stress has a negative effect on all systems including cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive and immune. Stress can be caused by psychological, physiological and environmental triggers. When the body is stressed it releases a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol, known as our “fight or flight” hormone, does have some positive roles such as carbohydrate metabolism and as an anti-inflammatory. Many people produce too much cortisol which can cause problems with health, body composition and possibly lead to adrenal fatigue.
While we can’t eliminate stress, here are some tips to effectively manage it and improve your health in the process:
1) Focus On Things You CAN Control– Diet would be at the top of this list. Eat foods that you were designed to
eat such as: Organic meats, vegetables, fruits and nuts. Make sure and also drink quality water such asEvian. Unhealthy, processed foods WILL increase your bodies stress levels.
2)Exercise– making yourself stronger will actually reduce stress! Strength from exercise is not just physical though. Exercise can also strengthen the immune, digestive and cardiovascular systems which obviously reduces physiological stress. Specific forms of exercise also make you more sensitive to insulin which can drastically improve your health as well.
3) Correct Mineral Deficiencies– Magnesium is a “bang for your buck” mineral that most of the population is deficient in. It is involved in over 300 processes in the body, so being at optimal levels can make a big difference in your health. It would be very difficult to get enough Magnesium through food, so supplementation is a must. You will want to go with a magnesium chelate form for better absorption. I recommend Charles Poliquin’sUberMag as it is the best available. Many top health professionals recommend taking 600mg in the late afternoon and another 600mg before bed. This should have a calming effect and greatly improve sleep quality. It does take time to raise Mag levels, so stay the course.
4) Improve Sleep Quality– This tip goes without saying. 1 in 7 people has a serious sleep problem. Try going to bed early enough to get 8 hours of sleep. Make sure your room is as dark as possible, unplug electronics and keep it at a slightly cool temperature. Your room should resemble a cave! Sleep is probably the most underrated way to reduce stress.
5) Take a Vacation– When working with clients to improve body composition, I’m always amazed when they come back fromvacation leaner than before they left! Many times their diets were awful while on the trip, but their stress was cut in half. Even if being gone for a week is not in the cards, getting away for a couple days and not worrying about work, emails, phone calls etc. can cut down on stress tremendously!
