Do You Find Time to Clear Your Mind: Meditation, Journaling, or Exercise?
Stress: Is it good or bad? We frequently associate the word with negativity. Stress is actually important in some situations. One example of the positive effects of stress is that it keeps us alert. While you are stressing about your exam, you are alert and awake, which makes your body work harder. Another occurrence may be when you encounter a dog barking at you; the body releases the stress response, adrenaline and cortisol, thus you run faster than usual when it chases you. This is called the “fight or flight” response, which enables the body to react quickly to life-threatening situations. Some of the negative physical effects, however, are aches and pains, chest pain, or a feeling that your heart is racing. Others may have trouble sleeping, stomach or digestive problems, and or increased blood pressure. Stress can occur exogenously — meaning from the outside: work, finances, relationships. Stress can occur endogenously — meaning from the inside: food sensitivities, HPA Axis dysfunction, tumors. My question for you: Do you still find time to relax and clear your mind to help regulate your stress response despite what you are dealing with? STRESS SCIENTIFICALLY EXPLAINED: WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? The stress axis within our body is called the HPA Axis – Hypothalamus, Pituitary, and Adrenal Axis. These organs work together through a negative feedback loop to release hormones in response to emotional, physical, mental, external, and internal stressors. The hormone we are discussing specifically is released from the adrenal glands and is called cortisol. Cortisol can be released with good stress or bad stress. It can be released acutely (short term) or chronically (long term). Long term, this release can cause your blood sugar level to also increase, thus the body craves sugar and carbohydrates (which is also where “stress eating” developed). Further, this can lead to insulin resistance, prediabetes, and diabetes. Another effect of increased cortisol levels is the decrease in the flow of blood and oxygen to your stomach, causing sudden stomach cramps. Remember when you were about to give your speech in front of a lot of people and you suddenly felt a pain in your stomach (or maybe you had loose stool? TMI ... I know.)? This may be the reason why. Inflammation of your digestive tract is another effect of increased cortisol levels. This in turn gets rid of the balance
between the good and bad bacteria that live in your digestive tract. The lining of your intestines, which prevents your bowels from filtering out harmful gut bacteria, gets inflamed, and your immune system comes to the rescue with a rush of fluids to flush out the harmful bacteria. Long term, this causes damage to the gut lining and a persistent response by the immune system, which eventually leads to autoimmune disease. Another agonizing effect of high levels of cortisol for a long period of time is the potential of depression and anxiety. According to PsychCentral, a 2012 study found that participants with major depressive disorder had higher cortisol levels in the evening compared with control participants without depression. This does not mean every individual with high cortisol levels is depressed, though there is a correlation. Other common effects of high cortisol are interrupted sleep, fatigue, brain fog, and abdominal weight gain (or the inability to lose abdominal fat). HOW CAN WE LOWER CORTISOL LEVELS DESPITE STRESS? 1. MEDITATE 2. PUT YOUR EXPERIENCES INTO A JOURNAL 3. EXERCISE 4. EAT A HEALTHY DIET 5. LISTEN TO YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC 6. CONNECT WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY 7. KEEP PROPER NUTRIENT AND AMINO ACID LEVELS 8. PRACTICE SELF-LOVE OR SELF-CARE It is very important to make sure you are absorbing, replacing, and remaining optimal with your vitamin and amino acid levels. Some of these vitamins may be vitamin D, B12, and magnesium. Some of the nutrient and amino acid levels are folate, L-glutamine, L-theanine, and inositol. I always recommend treating the individual, not the “one size fits all” approach. It is important to understand your own levels. Email PAFit@bermanwellness.com with specific questions or concerns! We can’t wait to chat with you!
–Jenni Berman PA-C, CPT, CNS, CICI OWNER BERMAN HEALTH AND WELLNESS
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