How Stress Affects The Body and What You Can Do To Help

How Stress Affects The Body and What You Can Do to Help

If you are depressed or unhappy it affects every aspect of your life. Even if you don’t want to be feeling the way you do, it can be hard to lift yourself up and see light at the end of the tunnel when your life is getting you down. There are lots of unhelpful things we do to relieve our symptoms, that while provide temporary relief, do not actually work towards resolving the problems that have caused them in the first place.  

The Medical Approach

We go to the doctor for help and they may prescribe antidepressant medications to help us cope. The most popular of these drugs are SSRI's.  SSRI stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor and these drugs alter our brain chemistry so that more of our happy hormone serotonin remains available to our nervous system. They can provide us with welcome relief but antidepressants come with multiple potential side effects and ultimately only mask the problem and in some instances, even make things much worse. They should only be viewed as a short term solution whilst we get ourselves back on track.

Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
 
We sometimes make unhealthy lifestyle choices to help us cope. We may smoke to relieve stress, drink alcohol to numb our feelings and take drugs to give us a ‘high’. We may also use food to help us cope. Sugar and refined carbohydrates provide an instant surge of our happy hormone serotonin to our brain. Once that surge has subsided though, our blood sugar levels drop below normal and we crave that ‘hit’ again and this can lead to a pattern of emotional over-eating as food becomes comforting.  This can completely compound the problem for many people, causing us to gain weight which further affects self esteem and this in turn makes us begin to believe we have no control over our situation and we are helpless. It also predisposes us to developing other chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, diabetes and cancer and it can also disrupt our hormone balance. There is a potential knock on effect for every system in the body.

How Stress Affects our Body 

Stress seriously affects our digestion and hormone balance.  Our brains do not distinguish between types of stress.  It does not matter what the stress is. It can be stress caused by a job, chronic illness, family politics, an unhappy relationship, an accident, a life event or grief caused by the death of a loved one.  Our stress response has not evolved to adapt to the different situations that face us as part of our modern lifestyle. Our stress response prepares us to run from the tiger and save our life. This is known as the fight or flight response. When stress occurs, the stress hormone cortisol is released and all bodily functions that do not help us run from the tiger are slowed down:

·         Digestion stops, our appetite is decreased and colonic motility is stimulated – (we need to be as light as we can to maximise our escape potential!)

·         Our cellular immunity is inhibited (that’s the one that keeps bugs out of your bodies cells) and our susceptibility to infection and allergy increases as our immunity to outside influences is increased.

·         Our reproductive function is halted (affecting libido), our sex hormone production is altered (affecting fertility) and thyroid hormone production stops (affecting energy levels and metabolism) all in favour of the production of our stress hormone, cortisol (you may have heard of the cortisol steal).

·         We gain increased mental arousal, cognitive function and vigilance and our neurotransmitter synthesis is altered. In other words, we become even more aware of potential danger. This is when anxiety may begin to become a problem as we begin to unconsciously react to seemingly unstressful situations.

·         Cortisol stimulates the body to release sugar into the bloodstream to be converted to energy.

·         Our blood pressure increases, as does our heart rate and respiratory rate.

.We must remember at this point that the stress response isn't a bad thing.  It is there to alert us to danger and save our lives! I In an acute situation, It does enable us run faster, have more energy and increases our strength.  All these responses are short lived and once our brain realises the stressful situation is over, it no longer stimulates the release of cortisol from our adrenal glands. However, when someone is under constant stress, the response becomes chronic and this is dangerous and harmful to the body.  As well as constantly suffering from the symptoms mentioned above, chronic stress and constant circulating cortisol have been shown to cause damage to blood vessels, increase inflammation and increase your susceptibility to auto-immune disease and increased ageing.  If the chronic stress is not relieved, the brain can then become desensitised to cortisol, leading to constant cortisol production and eventual adrenal fatigue. Symptoms of adrenal fatigue include anxiety, decreased ability to handle stress, decreased memory recall, decreased concentration, increased pain, pre-menstrual tension, sugar and salt cravings, decreased productivity, insomnia and difficulty getting up in the mornings.

How our Environment Affects us

There are lots of things that can be done to help improve your quality of life if stress is badly affecting you. The environment around us has everything to do with our overall well-being. It is a sad fact of life that in these modern, fast-paced times, we have forgotten how to tune into our bodies and know instinctively how to help ourselves heal.  We have mortgages, pollution, bills, stressful jobs, kids to send to college, kids to take to football, hurlng, dancing etc.  We do not stop. It is almost impossible to unwind from this constant activity and the only 'rest' we get is when we sleep.  Even when we do stop and sit we reach for technology.  Social media and the television ensure that even when we think we are relaxing we are bombarded with information.  This is not the way to live!  We do not give ourselves enough time to unplug, relax and unwind from our lives.  Is it any wonder we are suffering so much?  Despite all the 'advances' in medicine, chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes are increasing.  Very little attention is given to lifestyle and diet by the medical profession.  There is a pill for every ill and sickness is big business for the pharmaceutical companies.  The supermarkets are filled with food like products and these are advertised everywhere 24/7!   We are told how to live, eat and think by multi-billion euro corporations. What to do about it though?
We have been conditioned to see symptoms of illness as bad, inconvenient and unhelpful. What we really need to do is recognise that a symptom is a helpful messenger.  It is a sign from our body telling us that we need to change something in our lives. We can look at emotions in the same way.  We see sadness, anger, unhappiness and anxiety as bad emotions and whilst they are undoubtedly extremely unpleasant to experience, we must recognise that they are there to protect us and let us know when things aren't right.  They need to be acknowledged, explored and respected, not suppressed. We often know instinctively what it is we need to change but we resist. 
Change is hard but so is suffering.  You deserve to be happy, peaceful and well!  You cannot continually do the same things day after day that are helping to drive your symptoms and expect things to improve. You may experience resistance from others who may not appreciate your changes but remember, when it comes to your mental and physical well-being, focusing on your own needs is not being selfish. You cannot pour from an empty cup.

To get started, make a list of the things in your life that get you down and make you unhappy and then make a second list of things that make you happy. Include things on this list that you would like to do. Taking on just one positive change that you can manage on a daily basis is a victory and a step in the right direction that will help boost self esteem, lift you and give you the inspiration to make more challenging positive changes.
Sometimes we can do nothing to remove the things that cause us stress from our lives. An example of this might be an illness of a family member.  In this case, it is important to maximise your body’s abilities to cope.  By taking one, or a few of the following suggestions on board, you will begin to support your body to better deal with the effects of stress.  Do not try and do it all at once as this can be counterproductive. There’s no point putting yourself under further stress otherwise your efforts will be in vain.  With this in mind, a good place to start would be:

Listen to your body…

• Take time out, only if it’s for two minutes. Identify points in your day when you are alone, even if it just a toilet break!  Take a deep breath and close your eyes. Slow down your breath and focus on your physical body. Are you in pain anywhere or do you have any aches or stiffness? Stretch yourself and purposely have the intention to relax your muscles.  Drop your shoulders and be totally present with your body. Even doing this for two minutes will focus and relax you, relieve stress, and have a positive effect on your body and mind.
• Notice what foods, drinks, or environmental factors increase your symptoms and make a conscious effort to find healthier alternatives.  You may not even be aware that something is affecting you until you start to take notice of what is going on in your body.

Avoid stimulants…

• Alcohol, nicotine and drugs place stress on your body by hindering your detoxification processes and increasing your toxic load. All have a detrimental effect on neurotransmitter production which in turn affects your mood and sleep.  If you can’t go cold turkey, decrease your intake as much as you can with a view to stopping once things improve.
• Caffeine increases cortisol production and should be avoided completely by people suffering from chronic stress.  An alternative to coffee is dandelion root coffee, which is great to aid detoxification, aids premenstrual bloating and helps lower blood pressure.  Green tea, whilst high in caffeine, actually promotes detoxification due to it being high in other health giving properties.  Herbal teas are a great replacement for black tea and coffee. Chamomile, lemon balm, and Tulsi teas are delicious and all help to calm the stress response.
• Reduce your sugar and refined carbohydrate intake (cakes, biscuits, sweets, white rice and pasta). Stick to whole grain alternatives and change to sweet potatoes instead of white. Cortisol and insulin (the hormone that regulates your blood sugar levels), share an intimate relationship. When you eat sugar and refined carbohydrates, insulin is released from your pancreas and does a fabulous job of putting all the sugar in your blood stream into your cells as it is a closely regulated body function.  It overcompensates due to the high glucose and this causes your blood sugar to drop below normal (hypoglycaemia). As the primary fuel for your brain is glucose, your appetite is stimulated to crave more sugar. Low blood sugar also increases the production of cortisol as this stimulates the release of stored glucose from the muscles into the blood stream in readiness to run from the tiger. Thus the stress response is intrinsically linked to your blood sugar levels and if this is not kept under control, it will continue to drive your symptoms.  As well as this, insulin is actually a fat storage hormone and any sugar that is not used at that moment by the body as energy is turned into fat and put predominantly around your middle, increasing your risk for cardiovascular disease.

Also:

• Increase your water intake. Proper hydration is so important to your body. Symptoms of dehydration can mimic those associated with depression such as fatigue, mental fogginess, and pain and inflammation. Proper hydration will also help improve your intestinal mobility and help elimination of waste from your body. Another positive is you will also need to visit the toilet more frequently! This gives you more opportunity to take a quick break, slow down and de-stress for a few minutes.  Herbal teas count towards your water intake for the day, whereas coffee and tea do not as they are diuretics and promote water loss.
• Keep regular, daily bowel movements by eating plenty of fibre rich foods such as dark green vegetables and whole grains.  It’s important to stay regular as constipation leads to toxic waste, bacteria and hormones being re-absorbed by the body which help to drive your symptoms.
• Prescription drugs, antibiotics and over the counter medications have a damaging effect on your gut health. The Oral Contraceptive pill in particular has a detrimental affect on your bowel flora balance and gut health, affecting the vitamin and mineral absorption from our food and causing serious the depletion of nutrients that are important for neurotransmitter synthesis, particularly B vitamins. This can bring about decreased coping ability and antidepressants are often prescribed to counteract this side effect of the pill!

What to eat:

• Eat good fats such as those found in nuts and seeds, avocados and oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. These nourish, protect and insulate your brain cells and all the other cells in your body.  The brain is made primarily of fat and the quality of fat you eat has a profound effect on your health.  A diet high in trans fats (which are in all processed cakes and biscuits) will result in reduced cell to cell communication within the brain and in turn affect production of neurotransmitters.
• Increase your consumption of strong coloured fruit and vegetables and vitamin C rich foods such as dark berries, peppers of all colours, sweet potatoes, kiwi fruit.  As well as being packed with antioxidants which help mop up the oxidative stress caused by the body’s normal metabolic processes they are rich in vitamin C which helps the conversion of cholesterol into cortisol and sex hormones. Vitamin C is hugely supportive of the adrenal glands and lack of it will affect their function. During stress, urinary excretion of vitamin C is increased.
• Take a course of probiotics. 80% of our nervous system is located in our guts. In our intestines we have good and bad bacteria. Our western diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar promotes the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria that upset the balance. Our happy hormones are made by our good bacteria. Pathogenic bowel flora cause our intestines to become permeable and create toxins and inflammatory mediators that cross the intestinal barrier and get into our bloodstream.  These in turn cross the blood brain barrier affect our mood and cause foggy headedness and impaired cognitive function and memory.  By taking a course of probiotics you are immediately redressing the balance and having an impact because you are helping to improve nutrient absorption and the production of neurotransmitters.

By combining probiotics with the dietary changes suggested above, you will be significantly improving your gut health and nutrient absorption and supporting your nervous system and neurotransmitter production.

Other Key Vitamins and minerals for good mental health:

• Vitamin E –  antioxidant - found in avocadoes, spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds
• Vitamin C – antioxidant -strong coloured fruits and vegetables, dark berries such as blackcurrants and blueberries.
• Zinc – adrenal support and cofactor for neurotransmitter production – shellfish, raw nuts and seeds.
• Magnesium – muscle relaxant, cofactor in neurotransmitter production, sleep aid – dark leafy green vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, dark chocolate!
• B Vitamins – essential for energy production and neurotransmitter production – eggs, poultry, whole grains, brown rice.

Herbs supportive of the stress response:

Adaptogens are natural herbs that provide non-specific support during times of stress. Some of these include holy basil (tulsi tea), lemon balm (Melissa), Rhodiola Rosea and passiflora.

Lifestyle suggestions:

• Spend more time outdoors. Walking for 20-30 minutes a day helps to use up circulating cortisol and promotes happy hormone production.
• Find a hobby that will bring you enjoyment and fun. This will give you a break from stresses of your life.
• Find a way of self expression.  Dancing, drumming, singing, writing poetry and painting enable us to be in the moment and help us express our emotions and creativity.
• Watch a favourite movie or a comedy program that will make you laugh out loud. This helps our body make feel good chemicals.
• Start counselling/Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. As I mentioned you may not be able to change a situation that causes you stress but you can certainly change the way you look at it and deal with it.
• Start saying 'no' to people if you do not want to do something that puts you under stress or if you are feeling too tired.  
• Surround yourself with people who help you feel good about yourself and avoid spending time with those that drain you and are unappreciative of your time, energy and resources. 
• Have the intention and protect yourself with an imaginary shield of calm when you know you are heading into a potentially stressful situation.
• Practice mindful meditation. This will help you to focus your thoughts on yourself, relax, and slow down the constant mind chatter that may be driving your worries. You may find this difficult at first and it does require consistency to really appreciate the benefits, but any time you can find to do some will be beneficial.There are some really lovely short meditations available on YouTube.
• Stop negative self thoughts and thought patterns that have an unhelpful effect on your self esteem. Read a self help book by someone like Dr Wayne Dyer or Louise Hay. A brilliant book that I have recently read and would recommend is 'Deliberate Receiving' by Melody Fletcher.
• Keep a diary. Write down your thoughts and feelings and write a list of 10 things you are grateful for that day at night before you go to sleep, however small. This helps to put you in a positive and peaceful state before you sleep.
• Talk to friends and family and let them know how you feel. Depression, and anxiety can be very isolating. Its so important to keep talking and getting the feelings out,
• Believe that things will improve for you, even though they may seem hopeless at the time. Positive thinking will help to motivate you and keep you moving in the right direction.
• Pamper yourself.  Have a massage. Try other therapies that will enhance your wellbeing such as acupuncture, Reiki and yoga.

You will find that if you do one or more of these things consistently, it will become a habit and you will no longer have to find the time to do it. 

These Naturopathic Nutrition and lifestyle changes are not just addressing symptoms of anxiety and depression. You are taking an holistic approach towards healing which means you are supporting your whole body to become well. It is a very empowering approach because it puts you in charge of your own health and mental well being and helps you realise and appreciate the value of proper nutrition and self care.  In the words of Hippocrates, whom I will continue to quote time and time again because it’s totally true…

‘…. Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food…’