Easy Tips for Turning Off the Stress Switch

Did you know that stress is one of the common, biggest, risk factors behind many of today’s chronic diseases? Constant, high levels of stress, and a badly functioning stress response, have been implicated with:

• Diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance.
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.
• Cancer.
• Cardiovascular disease and heart disease.

To live a long, healthy life, it is important to deal with stress and learn how to turn off the stress switch.

While good nutrition can’t change your bank balance, get rid of your boss or mother in law, or make the traffic move faster, it can help support your body’s response in dealing with every day stress situations and prevent normal physiological responses from creating a breeding ground for disease.

In this article we look at some common nutritional strategies in helping deal with stress.

Take A Daily Fish Oil Supplement

The reason stress is such a major risk factor in chronic disease is due to increased levels of inflammation in the body. Long term, systemic inflammation damages your cell’s ability to reproduce correctly leading to the replication of faulty, damaged, cells.

The use of omega-3 fatty acids, found in high concentrations in oily fish, help reduce inflammation. This effect can be seen in the relief omega-3 fatty acids provide to the inflammation of an arthritic joint, and the body wide inflammation caused by stress.

There are many types of omega-3 fatty acids and it is important to get the right variety. The most effective anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acid is Docosahexaenoic Acid, usually just shortened to DHA. DHA is found in high concentrations in oily fish, and to a lesser extent organic, grass fed, meats. To obtain sufficient levels however, it is often necessary to use fish oil supplements.

We tend to avoid the use of flax seeds and chia seeds in the clinic. While these do contain omega-3 essential fatty acids they are in the form of alpha linolenic acid. This form of omega-3 fatty acid needs to be converted by the body to DHA, a process that studies have suggested returns less than 20%.

Increase Your Magnesium Intake

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in the human body. It’s not surprising that when you are stressed your requirement for magnesium increases. It is not uncommon to find people under a high degree of stress to exhibit a “cluster” of other magnesium deficiency symptoms including:

• muscle cramps and spasms.
• restless legs.
• problems sleeping.

In studies increasing magnesium intake during times of stress has been an effective way to reduce both the immediate physiological side effects of stress and also the longer term results such as cardiovascular disease.

While magnesium is readily found in many foods, the impaired digestion that results from your body’s stress response can often make digestion and absorption difficult. During stressful episodes the use of a magnesium supplement is highly beneficial to increase magnesium intake.

Use High Doses of Vitamin C

In response to stress your body releases cortisol. Cortisol helps to reduce or prevent the production of pro-inflammatory agents that lead to increased inflammation in your body. Unfortunately, during long term stress events, such as financial stress, work stress, serious illness, or family problems, cortisol levels often remain elevated for a long period of time.

Elevated cortisol levels are a little like getting too much of a good thing. When released as part of a balanced response to stress, cortisol does it’s job very well. As part of an unhealthy stress response to long term stress, elevated cortisol levels have been associated with:

• adrenal fatigue and exhaustion.
• fatigue and lethargy.
• type II diabetes and obesity.

High doses of vitamin C are an effective way to help lower elevated cortisol levels. We generally suggest using a good quality, powdered, vitamin C and taking half a teaspoon in water until bowel tolerance, or diarrhea, is reached. At this point taking a regular dose daily can help to keep cortisol under control.

Would You Like to Know More?

Stress and the presence of stressors in life are a normal part of every day life. It is how we deal with stress that is important for preventing the onset of chronic disease.

Would you like more information on stress and natural options for dealing with stress? Talk to us today and ask for our free e-Book on natural approaches to stress management.