Your life is full of stress! Any arguments? Didn't think
so. Your life is full of pressure, frustration, and
stress. Worrying about job security, being overworked,
driving in rush hour traffic, arguing with your spouse,
even dealing with medical bills - all of these create
stress in your life.
According to the American Psychology Association, more than
half of all Americans report being concerned about the
level of stress in their lives. Most people are feeling
overscheduled, overextended, and overworked. By far, the
most commonly reported source of stress is the workplace.
Studies suggest that stress is a contributing factor in the
development of chronic and degenerative conditions such as
heart disease and diabetes. High stress levels at work can
lead to job burnout, reduction in productivity, ill health,
job dissatisfaction, and absenteeism. As these problems
add up over time, you worry more about keeping your job
while your boss becomes more dissatisfied, leading to more
stress and an ever-growing vicious cycle.
When you experience stress, glands within your body respond
by releasing a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone -
we'll call it ACTH for short. When your glands send out a
burst of ACTH it is like an alarm system going off within
your body. ACTH tells other glands to flood your body with
the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. These two hormones
cause your heart rate and blood pressure to increase. They
shut down your digestive system and even alter your immune
system. When you remove yourself from the stressful
situation, the levels of cortisol and adrenaline decrease.
As cortisol and adrenaline decrease in your system, your
heart rate, blood pressure, digestive system and immune
system return to normal.
As you pile one stressful situation on top of another, your
body has no time to recover. If you are in a constant
state of stress, or experience many stressful situations,
your body's stress response system can disrupt nearly all
of your body's processes. Some of the effects can lead to
chronic illness and disease.
Stress affects the digestive system so much that
stomachaches and diarrhea become common. The hormones
related to stress slow down the release of stomach acid and
the process of emptying the stomach. The same hormones
stimulate your colon which speeds the passage of its
contents - a.k.a diarrhea.
Chronic stress dampens your immune system making you more
susceptible to colds and other infections.
Stress affects your nervous system and has been linked to
depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and dementia. Over
time, chronic release of cortisol can even cause damage to
several structures in the brain.
Stress affects your cardiovascular system by causing an
increase in heart rate and blood pressure and increasing
the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
Unlike most other diseases that affect Americans, there
really isn't any routine medical treatment for stress.
Some doctors prescribe antidepressants. But drugs have a
limited ability to alleviate stress.
The most effective way to reduce or relieve stress is
through lifestyle habits.
Lifestyle habits such as spinal alignment, exercise,
breathing exercises and coping strategies are the most
effective ways to reduce stress.
Exercise is a good way to deal with stress because it is a
healthy way to relieve your pent-up energy and tension. By
getting physically active, you can decrease your levels of
anxiety and stress, and elevate your moods. Numerous
studies show that people who exercise exhibit a marked
improvement in their ability to concentrate, sleep better,
suffer fewer illnesses, suffer from pain less, and report a
higher quality of life.
One of the consequences of stress is a tendency to
unconsciously tense up your muscles, especially in your
upper back and shoulder regions. This chronic tension,
coupled with poor posture, causes the vertebrae of your
spine to become misaligned. Misalignment causes
irritation. Irritation causes more tension. More tension
causes greater misalignment. And the cycle continues and
you continue to get worse. Most people experience a
notable improvement in their own stress levels almost
immediately after a spinal adjustment. You can reduce your
level of stress by visiting your local chiropractor to have
a spinal adjustment.
There are two types of nutritional supplements. There are
nutritional supplements that help reduce stress and there
are nutritional supplements that help the body better cope
with the effects of stress. Supplements that help reduce
stress belong to a class of herbs that helps the body
relax. Herbs such as chamomile, skullcap, valerian, and
lavender help to clear your mind and calm intense emotions.
Many of these herbs are taken in the form of a hot or warm
tea.
Supplements that help the body cope with the physical
effects of stress are the B-vitamins and zinc. When you
experience stress, your body needs more zinc and more of
the Vitamin-B complex. Your health suffers and you are
more prone to illness when you don't have enough of each in
your body. Taking a B-complex with zinc in the form of a
liquid nutritional supplement will help protect your body
from the negative effects of stress.
The final key to treating stress is healthy thinking. Most
stress is caused by two factors - dealing with change and
feeling out of control. While you can't predict the
changes that will occur in your life, you can - control how
you plan each day, - you can positively respond to change,
and - you can act with purpose.
The combination of these three positive thinking habits can
help remove stress from your life and diminish the effects
of stress. These three simple 'attitude adjustments' will
help you feel more in control and once adopted as a habit,
can be quite relaxing.
Don't let prolonged or repeated episodes of stress lead you
to chronic or degenerative disease like diabetes or heart
disease. Lifestyle habits such as spinal alignment,
exercise, breathing exercises and coping strategies are the
most effective ways you can reduce stress and the effects
of stress on your body.
----------------------------------------------------
Ronald Godlewski has published several dozen articles on
health, wellness, and the value of nutrition in disease
prevention. Visit http://www.pillfreesupplements.com for
more about nutrition, stress and how to receive your FREE
quart of a nutrient dense supplement that provides zinc and
Vitamin B to your body during times of stress. Questions?
Call Ron toll free at 1-888-LFI-CUST (1-888-534-2878) to
discuss your own feeling fit success story.
No comments:
Post a Comment