HOW TO STAY HEALTHY IN A STRESSFUL ENVIRONMENT

Many of my patients come to see me to optimize their care today in order to stay
healthy tomorrow. In order to answer this question there needs to be an
understanding of what stress can do to our bodies and how to avoid it. To follow are
my top recommendations for maintaining health amidst a stressful environment.
How Does Stress ffect our !odies"
Stress has many wide ranging effects on the body including suppression of the immune
response# increased ris$ of cancer# and disregulation of the central nervous system to
name a few. !ut how does stress do this to us"
%ne way is through the production of cortisol. &ortisol is one of the main hormones
produced by the adrenal glands# and is secreted in response to all $inds of stress and
is what allows us to 'ma$e it through tough times(. )ong periods of stress however#
are not healthy and in time compromise our adrenal glands* abilities to manufacture
cortisol. This is called adrenal fatigue and there are several stages of severity from
mild to severe. Since the adrenals response to stress in the psychological# physical
and emotional realm it is important to nourish them and do our best to prevent
fatigue.
How common is adrenal fatigue" +,perts estimate that -./ of mericans will
e,perience adrenal fatigue at some point in their life0 so 1+23 &%MM%45
The 2ole of Diet
6hat can we do to prevent it" Diet is the most important thing to consider in
preventing adrenal fatigue. Stimulants in the form of caffeine# S782# and processed
foods rob the adrenals of valuable nutrients they require to be healthy. Sugar is a
drug that in studies has been shown to be more powerful than cocaine. So 9ust thin$
of that the ne,t time you want a coo$ie5 6e all crave sugar when we*re stressed and
that*s why0 it gives your body a quic$ sugar high# only to be followed later by a bigger
crash which ta$es a big toll on the adrenals. )i$ewise# we should avoid e,tra amounts
of stimulants li$e coffee# tea and soda.
Instead# 4%72ISHI48 :%%DS 2+ M7ST5 During periods of stress we should do our
best to eat lots of fresh fruits# vegetables# comple, carbohydrates and high quality
protein0 particularly red meat and organ meats which few of us eat anymore but our
ancestors ate to preserve their adrenal on a regular basis. In fact# the Indians of
4orth merica used to eat adrenal glands of animals before they went into battle to
help them.
The 4eed for Sleep
:inally# remember to rest when you*re under stress ;if you can<. Many of us thin$ of
an increased need for sleep in response to physical demands but not psychological or
emotional. In other words# when you*re dealing with an emotional issue and feel
'stressed out( you need more sleep5
!ody 6or$ and &hiropractic d9ustment
Since stress puts profound wide ranging effects on the body# it is important to have
some $ind of regular body wor$ done# either in the form of deep tissue massage or
chiropractic ad9ustment. :or my patients I encourage them to have regular monthly
ad9ustments to maintain optimal health and possibly more during illness or stress.
Studies have demonstrated the positive beneficial effects of regular ad9ustment and
improved immune function. So anytime we feel run down or fatigued# that*s a great
time to get ad9usted5 Deep tissue massage is also of benefit for those that can
manage both. Ideally# the two together offer the best results.
+,ercise and Meditation
6e all $now e,ercise is good# but what types are best and why is it so important" I
li$e to brea$ e,ercise down into = types0 cardiovascular# weight or resistance training
and meditation0type e,ercise. ll are important but in different ways.
>. &ardiovascular e,ercise is important to $eep our heart and vascular systems
healthy.
?. nother $ind of e,ercise is weight or resistance training. This $ind of e,ercise
is useful for maintaining strong bones and youthfulness.
=. :inally# there are meditative types of e,ercise li$e yoga# tai0chi# and pilates.
!reath wor$ and meditation has been shown in numerous studies to have an
incredibly beneficial effect on the body# from improving immune function#
reducing stress levels# lowering blood pressure ;by up to >. points< and rela,ing
brain rhythms# all great things. So for those of you that don*t do this type of
e,ercise# either start or at least consider doing breath wor$ or deep breathing
e,ercises regularly.