Peachy the Magazine Summer 2016 | Page 69

HEALTH + WELLNESS WRITTEN BY Nancy Palermo Lietz MD Hitting the REFRESH Button Incorporating Mindful Meditation to Optimize Wellness O Our society is filled with stress. Every day we are bombarded by work deadlines, unrelenting traffic, dwindling finances, family commitments and unrealistic expectations of who we should be. This chronic stress is killing us. When our bodies are continually exposed to stress, we release stress hormones into the bloodstream. In normal short-lived stress, like encountering a barking dog while on a run, the body triggers a fight or flight response. The body produces stress hormones like epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol. These hormones kick the body into survival or reaction mode. Our hearts beat faster, our breathing increases, oxygen capacity increases and muscles are primed to work faster and stronger. The hormones released divert blood from the GI system and redistribute it to our extremities so we can run or fight. Cortisol increases blood sugar levels to give us energy. The increase in glucose ultimately leads to an increase in insulin. Your immune system is suppressed to free up energy for survival. Lastly our minds act irrationally. Once the stressor disappears, the hormone levels efficiently normalize. With chronic stress however, our bodies attempt to adjust to the repeated release of hormones, and the result is persistent elevations in insulin, cortisol and inflammatory compounds called cytokines. Persistent elevation of cortisol leads to muscle loss, thyroid dysfunction, growth hormone interference and sleep disturbance. The long-term effect is a metabolic dysfunction that leads to weight Meditation can reintroduce you to the part that’s been missing. RUSSELL SIMMONS SUMMER 2016 67