Law of Attraction Magazine - Holiday Issue! May, June 2020 | Page 26

How St r ess &
Anxiet y
Can Make You Sick
By Dr. Toni Camacho
The National Institute of Mental Health lists
stress as a common reaction to everyday
pressures that may be brought on by things like
work, school, finances, or family matters.
Although stress typically carries a negative
connotation, not all stress is bad.
·Immune Heal t h.The immune system function
follows the cortisol cycle. Both short- and
long-term stress is known to suppress the
immune response in the lungs, throat, urinary
tract, and intestines, which alters the body?s
ability to fight infections.
·Sl eep Qual it y. Cortisol levels are elevated in
of nowhere, or see a child about to run out in the
road, the sensation you experience is a surge of
adrenaline. It?s produced in the adrenal glands
anytime the brain senses danger and sends a
message to the glands to create it.
The body?s reaction to stress can help motivate
you to perform better, say in preparation for an
upcoming job interview, or pending exam. It can
also be life-saving in a situation where you need
to react to danger. The body prepares to face a
threat or flee danger by quickening the pulse,
tensing muscles, and increasing brain function to
help with survival.
The problem with stress is when the body can?t
recover from it. Prolonged chronic stress can
cause the body?s hormones to become
unbalanced, and that can result in illness and
disease.
Cortisol, a steroid hormone, is often called a
?stress hormone,? because of its connection to
the stress response.
The secretion of cortisol triggers the
fight-or-flight response. This process also
stimulates your sympathetic nervous system and
your adrenal glands and decreases digestive
secretions while increasing blood pressure. In a
healthy individual, the body and brain respond to
the stressor, and cortisol levels return to normal.
However, elevated cortisol levels over long
periods of time due to chronic stress can
negatively affect every physiological system in
the body.
Adrenaline is another hormone released as a
stress response. Adrenaline is commonly known
as the fight or flight hormone, due to the
immediate reaction to stress. If you?ve ever
experienced a car pulling out in front of you out
maintained.
The chronic stress response leads to adrenal
fatigue, which impacts virtually every aspect of
health. Here?s how:
·Energy Product ion. The maintenance of a stable
blood sugar level depends on food choice,
lifestyle, adrenal function, and insulin activity. An
abnormal adrenal function can alter the ability of
cells to produce energy.
·Muscl e and Joint Funct ion. Abnormal adrenal
rhythms can cause the breakdown of tissue for
energy, leading to muscle and joint wasting with
chronic pain.
·Bone Heal t h. Stress is the enemy of the bones.
The adrenal rhythm and amount of cortisol
released determine how well the bones are
·Depression/ ADD
Thyroid hormone resistance also increases with
chronic stress. Inflammatory immune cells are
released during the stress response, which makes
thyroid receptors less sensitive to thyroid
hormones. When the body is under stress, t he
immune syst em is suppressed so the body can
focus on overcoming the stressors. However,
this leaves the body more vulnerable to viral
infections, some of which can trigger
autoimmune thyroid disease.
As you can see, there is very much a full circle
issue that can develop if stress and anxiety are
not appropriately managed.
This adrenaline release is a natural response to
stress and only presents a problem when the
adrenal s become f at igued when they receive
constant messages from the brain to produce
adrenaline. Adrenal fatigue is the term used to
describe a collection of nonspecific symptoms,
such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep
disturbances, and digestive problems.
The adrenal glands have many functions,
including the secretion of cortisol and other
hormones in response to stress. Inadequate
production of one or more of these hormones is
medically known as adrenal insufficiency or
Addison's disease. To receive an Addison?s
diagnosis, you must have lost 90% of your
adrenal glands? function, but you can st il l have
some l evel of adrenal issues wit hout t his
diagnosis.
·Allergies/ Autoimmune Disorders such as chronic
fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid
arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
sleep-deprived individuals. Chronic lack of
restful sleep can reduce a person?s mental
vitality, vigor, and induce depression.
Signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency or
problems may include:
·Fatigue-Body aches
·Unexplained weight loss
·Hormone imbalance
·Low blood pressure-Light headedness
·Loss of body hair
·Skin discoloration
·Low blood pressure
·Craving salty foods
·Hypothyroidism
·Elevated cholesterol levels
·IBS
·Fertility
·Memory
·Glycemic Dysregulation
To t reat adrenal f at igue, st ress must be
managed.There are many times throughout the
day our body is in a state of stress, and we may
not even realize it. Tense muscles from sitting
or straining at the computer can cause this. This
strain can easily be remedied by completing a
mental body scan several times a day. You may
notice if you are holding on to tension without
realizing it. Remind yourself to relax your face.
Relaxing your face will instantly calm your breath
and signal your body that you are not in a state of
stress.
You can also establish a routine to combat
chronic stress and, thus, adrenal fatigue. Try
including the following steps to your daily
routine:
·Eat an anti-inflammatory diet.
·Get eight hours of sl eepby going to bed at the
same time every night
·Avoid st ret ching yoursel f t oo t hin by saying NO
when you have reached your limit
·Do somet hing rel axing every day , such as a
warm bath, walk in the park, yoga, meditation,
etc.
·Eat a heal t hy breakf ast bef ore 10 am containing
fruit and protein, for example, apple slices with
peanut butter or eggs with an avocado
·Avoid alcohol, sugar, processed foods, and dairy
·Suppl ement s.Take vitamin C and B vitamins
The great news is that there are herbs that can
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