“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity"
A definition from The World Health Organisation
As a practitioner of functional medicine with its patient centred approach to healthcare we consider the effects and drivers stress has on the overall health and wellbeing of our clients.
Stress or the fight or flight response is a fantastic example of the complexity of how we are designed to adapt to our environments whether it be perceived stress (a stressful thought) or the impending treat of physical stress. While we are hard wired to respond to these types of situations, this stress response is not designed to be on auto mode or on constant cycle, but at the same time our bodies can’t distingue between perceived stress or physical stress. Either type of stress will initiate the same reaction in the bodies biochemistry. Studies show that the long term effects of prolonged stress have many health implications such as an increased risk of heart disease or diabetes.
Hans Selye defines stress as “the nonspecific response of the body to any demand” and that the state of distress is due to the prolonged state of stress which has not been dealt with in a positive manner. With this in mind it is also important to understand as outlined by Walter. B.Cannon that the stress response within the host kicks off a number of physiological changes, involving several structures within the brain and with the redirection of neural activity from the hypothalamus to lower regions within the limbic system. This causes an increase in stress hormones and a resulting increase in metabolism, blood pressure, and heart rate.
A recent study shows that a relaxation response to stress involving the following creates a decreased arousal of the sympathetic nervous system thus promoting a healthy response and therefore a balanced terrain within the body:
- Breath awareness
- Narrow consciousness (*conscious but without judgment or observing thought)
- Guided imagery (guided meditation)
- Autogenic training (use of verbal commands to promote body relaxation or warmth etc)
- Progressive muscle relaxation (muscle relaxation to reduce physiologic tension)
- Transcendental meditation
- Mindful awareness
- Yoga
Easy, Practical ways to alleviate stress in everyday life:
Fuel your morning with a healthy breakfast to balance blood sugars and to set the tone for the rest of the day
Be sure to include various proteins, good fats and a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables to keep your micronutrient needs in check
Stay hydrated! Drink plenty of fresh clean (filtered) water throughout the day.
