Unhealthy adaptation to stress
UNHEALTHY ADAPTATION TO STRESS
However if you don’t fully recover from the resistance phase of the stress response because you don’t get enough rest, don’t have the personal skills to cope with stress appropriately, or are overloaded by repeated or chronic (ongoing) stressful episodes, your ability to respond to stress in a healthy way may become compromised.
Magnesium and stress
Negative adaptation
In the body, magnesium is involved with several stress pathways. During acute stress, it helps reduce the adverse effects of stress. However, its levels may decline when stress becomes chronic because it’s excreted from the body via the urine in greater quantities during stressful times 2 . If you’re under pressure, consider taking a magnesium supplement, ideally choosing a formula containing magnesium in a highly bioavailable form (such as magnesium glycinate), accompanied by B-group vitamins - especially vitamin B5, which helps maintain healthy stress responses in the body.
Stress (e.g. overwork)
In that situation, instead of returning to its natural, healthy state of homeostasis, the exhaustion phase of the stress response may persist, and over time, may reduce your ability to adapt to stress and ultimately impact on your general wellbeing. Time
Rest and recovery are vital Once you become aware of the importance of the recovery phase of the stress response, it’s easy to understand why the first step to managing and bouncing back from stress is to make sure you’re getting enough rest. Wherever possible, avoid continuing to push yourself after a stressful time, and instead give yourself permission to rest and restore your energy so you can rebuild your physical and emotional resilience. Herbs traditionally used to improve stress adaptation in Ayurvedic medicine InAyurvedicmedicine, holybasil (alsoknown as sacred basil or tulsi) and ashwagandha (also known as withania) are traditionally taken to improve stress adaptation – in other words, to build resistance to stress. In clinical research, a specific holy
basil extract was shown to help manage symptoms of stress and mild anxiety such as fatigue, disturbed sleep and cognitive impairment (including forgetfulness) 1 . Meanwhile, ashwagandha is traditionally used to reduce symptoms of stress and worry in Ayurvedic medicine, including mild anxiety, tension, fatigue, nervousness, restlessness, irritability and brain fog (cognitive impairment). Calming the mind and spirit with traditional Chinese medicine InChinesemedicine, polygala is traditionally used to calm the mind and spirit and relieve stress-related symptoms including mild anxiety, sleep disturbance, mild palpitations and forgetfulness. References: 1.Saxena, RC et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2012;2012894509. [Financial sponsor: Natural Remedies]. 2. Cuciureanu, MD, and Vink, R. (2011) Magnesium and stress. In Magnesium in the Central Nervous System, (Eds, Vink, R. & Nechifor, M.) University of Adelaide Press, Adelaide (AU).
Giselle’s integrative approach G iselle Cooke , a medically-trained holistic health consultant, utili approach to managing stress conditions. This inclu herbs and a highly nutritious, unprocessed diet wit h a variety of fruit, vegetables and protein sources. Superfoods like maca, spirulina, p omegranate and berries along with a predominantly organic diet will optimise your body ’s nutrient stores, helping to replenish and repair stress-affected tissues and organs. Also useful are krill, oily fish and flaxseed as these contain essential fatty acids that help to b uffer your nervous system against the impact of stress, preventing chronic anxiety states and reducing phobias. A comprehensive diet high in B-complex vitamins and cofactors suc h as choline, the minerals potassium and magnesium, and the amino acids lysine and glutam ine, will also help to balance your nervous system. Consider taking a good stress nutritional s upplement, which includes high levels of B-vitamins, in particular a blend of nicotinamide an d nicotinic acid (B3), as well as calcium pantothenate (B5) and pyridoxine hydrochloride (B 6) that are required for cortisol metabolism. ses an integrative des relaxation therapies, calming
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ISSUE 57 • 2020
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