Stress can kill!
No, really… Even if a person has all the other factors right, high levels of stress can derail health.
Unfortunately, just knowing stress is a problem doesn’t fix it. Like many people, the need to reduce stress just adds another item on the “to-do” list. Laundry… check. Dishes… check. Cooking... Check. De-stress… not so much. While I’m far from perfect, it doesn’t stop me from searching for answers.
Reducing Stress:
You can eat all the healthy organic food in the world and take all the best supplements, but if you’re stressed, it will undo it all. Chronic stress keeps stress hormones elevated, suppresses the immune system, and can put you at higher risk for heart disease or cancer. If high stress levels continue over extended periods of time, this puts you at higher risk for many diseases and can shorten your lifespan. Elevated stress hormones will interfere with the body’s ability to properly digest and assimilate food and even lowers insulin sensitivity, which can lead to weight gain or pre-diabetes.
Factors besides just mental or emotional stress can create the same physical reaction. Toxins from our food, water, and air can create a stress reaction in the body, as can an unhealthy diet or lack of sleep.
How to Lower Stress and Start Feeling Better (Today)
We all know that reducing stress is important to optimal health, but how do we do it, practically speaking? Since we can’t truly function at our best with chronic stress, this is an important factor to address in the quest for good health.
1. Eat Foods That Reduce Stress
You’ve heard this one a lot, but it rings true again. Poor diets full of processed foods, grains, sugars, and chemicals put tremendous stress on the body.
2. Reduce Exposure to Toxins
This step goes along with the step above, as unfortunately, our “food” supply can be a major source of toxins. If the body is in a state of stress, the liver and kidneys are also not functioning optimally, making toxin removal slow and ineffective.
Couple steps for reducing toxins include:
• using only natural beauty and personal care products
• avoiding plastics and storing food in glass
• drinking enough water to make sure toxins are being flushed out
3. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important steps in stress reduction, and most moms find this task the hardest.
4. Exercise, Even If It’s Just a Little.
Exercise is really helpful in reducing stress in the body. It releases endorphins, helps the body regulate insulin, and improves hormone levels. Exercise also boosts your immune function and helps the body use up excess stress hormones. Try to mix it up and try weights and high intensity exercise instead of strict cardio. I use this 10-minute home workout to make it easy to fit in even on busy days.
5. Talk to Yourself (and Others)
It’s not crazy … we all engage in inner conversation with ourselves all day long! The question is, what are we saying? Stress is not totally objective. We can play a part in telling ourselves — to borrow some famous words — “every little thing gonna be alright.” A growing body of evidence on the positive health benefits of gratitude tells us that the more we emphasize the positivity in our minds, the more our physiological responses will follow. This is one reason I take 5 minutes and journal 10 things I’m grateful for every day.
Bonus: When you Wake up, do not check your phone, emails, or social media. Take at least 10 to 30 minutes to listen to, Or read positive books or podcast.
6. Take In More Antioxidants
In the face of stress, the body compensates by speeding up adrenal production. This uses up the vitamins and minerals we take in at a much faster rate and can lead to depletion if not replenished with antioxidant and nutrient rich foods. You may want to consume additional vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, and potassium in times of stress especially.
I also like to use herbal teas for some of these nutrient needs especially in times of stress or illness. Green tea, Herbalife tea, and even peppermint tea contain high level of antioxidants and vitamins that may be beneficial for stress.
BONUS: Sipping tea is often connected with sitting down with a good book or chatting with friends … good self-care activities that give you a break from the things stressing you out!
7. Listen to Music
Silence is golden, but music has therapeutic effects on the brain and body too. It’s not just that we enjoy the music, but science is starting to show that the vibrations creating the music have a physical and mental effect on us for the better. Listen to music with the right frequency for a given situation can calm our mood, enhance our focus, or give us the patience to deal with one more crazy situation.