All About Stress
Most people's idea about stress is a little one-dimensional. "Yup, it's bad," we think to ourselves, and move on. Often, we only think of stress as a thing that happens in traffic, at work or in an argument. But stress doesn't just come from a last-minute deadline, it can be way more subtle. Exercise, a hectic but fun vacation, or an exciting action movie all activate the body's stress response.
Disclosure: Some links on this blog contain affiliates. When you buy through one of our links we will receive a commission. This is at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting us and allowing us to continue to bring you valuable content.
Stress isn't necessarily bad. In fact, it can be a good thing. Our bodies are designed to adapt and change in response to various stressors. From immune function to athletic performance, a little stress from time to time actually makes us stronger. Unmanaged stress, on the other hand, well that's a different animal.
Unmanaged, chronic stress is a major root cause of illness. Diseases and conditions like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Cushing's, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's, hypertension, heart attacks, strokes and others are rooted in chronic stress.
Chronic stress can also lead to some pretty annoying things before it causes a medical condition. Weight gain, fatigue, lack of sex drive, short temper, and trouble sleeping are a few of the ways the body tells us something's wrong.
Stress Response
Also known as "fight or flight," the stress response is an important survival mechanism. When it senses danger, the body reacts by producing stress hormones. Our primary stress hormone cortisol raises blood sugar and heart rate, increases blood pressure and circulation to the limbs. It makes us alert and ready for whatever comes our way.
It's a chain reaction that quite literally was a life saver when our ancestors were fighting for survival. Thanks to cortisol they did what was required to hunt food or run from predators. Alert and energized, they rose to the challenge!
In the age of technology, things are much different. Stressors can be multifaceted and subtle.
Chronic Stress
Frequent or extreme stress can lead to chronic stress. According to the American Psychological Association, more than 3 out of 4 people report symptoms of chronic stress, such as headaches, fatigue or changes in sleep. 42% report poor sleep and only 20% report sleep as good or excellent.
Unmanaged chronic stress is linked to tons of common problems.
What doesn’t kill you makes life difficult. Thanks, chronic stress!
Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
Poor immune function
Decreased responsiveness to vaccines
Slow wound healing
Ulcers
GI problems
Back pain
Neck pain
Shoulder pain
Sleep dysfunction
Cardiac events & heart disease
Inflammation
Sexual dysfunction
Hormone imbalances
Depression
Diabetes
Hypertension
Downstream effects on hormone balance
Because cortisol is a hormone, it is made from the same ingredients needed to make the hormones that make you look and feel your best. This primarily affects DHEA (a feel-good hormone made in the outer layer of the adrenals), sex hormones and thyroid hormones. The result can be unexplained weight gain, fatigue, low libido and erectile dysfunction.
Cortisol and insulin
The hormones cortisol and insulin both act on blood sugar and have an inverse relationship. When cortisol is high, insulin is low, and vice versa.
Since cortisol raises blood sugar, and insulin's job is to lower blood sugar, they work in tandem to try to get the blood sugar normalized. When blood sugar is high, insulin shuttles extra blood sugar into storage in the fat cells.
Once the insulin has gotten rid of the excess sugar, blood sugar becomes low. When the body sees that blood sugar is low, cortisol breaks down muscle and bone tissue for quick energy, raising the blood sugar. The cycle repeats, with the end result being lost muscle and bone density, plus higher fat stores. Sound like a nightmare? It is!
Unchecked cortisol and insulin dis-regulation can zero out the hard work you may be doing in your exercise routine and over time may lead to some pretty scary medical conditions.
Phases of chronic stress
Let's talk about how things should be in a perfect world. Energy is even (no extreme highs or lows), hunger is controlled and sleep is excellent. No problems here. The scientific name for this perfect world is the word homeostasis, which roughly translates to balance. Stress can throw the body out of balance, especially when the stress is frequent, extreme or prolonged.
Over time, people may find themselves in any of these 3 phases of chronic stress.
Phase 1 - Alarm
There's a always a threat, so the body is on high alert. The adrenals are operating in overdrive. The usual culprits are intense mental stress, intense physical stress or anxiety. When someone is in this stage they can show signs of irritability, have junk food cravings and struggle to cope short-term stresses.
Phase 2 - Resistance
This is when the body is trying to keep up with the amount of unmanaged stress, and has been in adrenal overdrive for a while. The body's natural circadian rhythm has been thrown off, most often due to prolonged mental stress, late nights, early mornings, poor sleep quality or shift work. At this point, the body is doing what it can just to survive day to day. Someone in this stage is often a night owl, has a hard time getting going in the morning, and doesn't feel mentally focused until later in the day, if at all.
Phase 3 - Fatigue
The adrenals have done all they can and now they're done. Completely over it. Late, sleepless nights and unmanaged stresses have gotten us here. Common symptoms are apathy, fatigue, lack of sleep and inability to recover quickly after exercise or activity.
Be proactive
When you feel stressed, it's already too late to manage it. Sure, you can use interventional techniques like breathing exercises to try and calm down. Every little bit helps, but a more effective option is taking care of it before it becomes a problem. Finding activities that help balance the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is vital.
Balance the Autonomic Nervous System
There are two sides to the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The SNS is the stress response side and the PNS is the recovery side. The balance of these two systems controls how we modulate stress. When one side becomes dominant, it can be a problem.
Research shows that exercise helps rewire the brain to teach it to cope with stress. But it is important to recognize that some forms of exercise activate the SNS more than others while certain activities will trigger the PNS or "rest and digest" response.
Stress (SNS-dominant)
Running and other cardio
HIIT
Endurance sports
Weight lifting
Calisthenics & gymnastics
Boot camps & CrossFit
Stress management (PNS-dominant)
Yoga & Pilates
Dancing
Cold water swimming
Stretching & mobility work
Massage
Acupuncture & dry needling
Cupping
Chiropractic
Reiki
Meditation
Singing, chanting, mantras & spiritual practice
Breathing drills & pranayama
Water floatation
Cryotherapy & ice baths
Sauna & steam room
Support restful sleep
Even if you already think your sleep is good, scan this list for ideas to make it even better. Getting good sleep is crucial to stress management, so sleeping 7 to 8 hours uninterrupted per night should be top priority.
Avoid caffeine after 12 noon and limit your caffeine intake to 200 mg a day or less (about 2 cups of coffee).
Get some sun in your face early in the day. For 10-15 minutes, let the sun shine on your face during a walk or time spent by a favorite window. This will help reset the circadian rhythm.
Avoid blue light for a few hours leading up to bedtime. Blue light from television, phones and other devices triggers cortisol production and decreases melatonin and serotonin which usually help us fall asleep. Install a blue light filter on TV, phones, tablets & other devices and limit their use an hour or two before bed.
Check your light bulbs. The number of kelvins indicates the type of light they put out. Avoid bulbs labeled “daylight” (5000-6500K) or “cool white” (3500-4100K) bulbs and opt instead for “soft white” (2700-3000K) or lower.
Avoid overhead light whenever possible. Use lamps, which provide a softer, indirect light.
Do stretches, breathing exercises or meditation as part of your nighttime routine.
Take a bath or shower before bed to help you transition into rest time.
Add Epsom salts to your bath to provide magnesium sulfate, which can help the body relax.
Sleep in a cool, dark, comfortable environment. Use blackout curtains to keep extra light sources from seeping in. Body temperature drops during sleep, so keep the temperature 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit.
Keep your sheets clean and smelling fresh. Between washes, mix essential oils with water and witch hazel to make a scented spray for your sheets.
Have a source of white noise. A box fan or a sound machine are great choices, and avoid television or radio, which can be unpredictable.
Use an essential oil diffuser. Smells can be relaxing and may help you sleep. Try fragrances like frankincense, ylang ylang, myrrh, chamomile, sandalwood and lavender.
Exercise and stress
Exercise is a great stress-management tool, but factors like frequency, intensity, time and type need to be considered. For example, if you think you may have chronic stress, it doesn't make sense to train for a marathon or go to a high-intensity exercise class 6 days a week.
A good rule of thumb is the more intense the exercise, the shorter you do it. A 1-hour walk would be more appropriate than a 1-hour run. Generally, 80% of your exercise should be less intense, with the other 20% at higher intensities. Heart rate zone training can be especially useful to measure intensity and account for frequency or length of workouts.
Depending on the phase of the stress response you're in, the workout recommendations can be very different. Someone in phase 3 (fatigue) should probably only stick to PNS-dominat activities while a phase 1 (alarm) persona could mix it up a bit. A 4-point salivary cortisol test can help you identify which phase you are in, so you can make adjustments and determine the best workouts for the time of day available to exercise.
Regular heart-rate variability (HRV) readings can help you learn more about how your body is responding to what you're doing. They only take a few minutes and tell you how stressed your body is that day. Top athletes use it as a training tool to avoid injury and recover better by assessing how intense their workout should be that day. You can read more here.
Prioritize protein
Protein helps support stable blood sugar, so your energy level will be stable during the day and your sleep will be restful at night. It also helps satiety, to prevent cravings and hunger between meals. Many sources of animal protein are high in vitamin D, which helps with blood sugar balance.
Carb responsibly
High-protein low-carb meals raise cortisol levels, while higher-carb meals lower cortisol and raise insulin. In the morning, having higher cortisol might not be such a bad thing. A high protein, low carb breakfast can set your day up right. In the evening, cortisol should be lower, so eating slow-digesting, fibrous carbs (like sweet potatoes, whole grains, fruits and veggies) with an evening meal can be helpful.
While carbs aren't a bad thing, excessive sugar and carbs can make the blood sugar fluctuate, leading to energy crashes and cravings. Overnight it can wreck sleep quality.
Feast on fiber
Fiber and protein both work to keep blood sugar stable, which is a key to managing chronic stress. Fiber helps with satiation at meals, and protein helps satiety between meals. The combo can help you feel full for longer and prevent cravings for sweets or carbs.
Fiber can help feed gut bacteria, which helps the large intestine produce serotonin and melatonin (which makes you sleepy), and in turn supports DHEA production.
Eat veggies, fruit, nuts & seeds, legumes and modest amounts of whole grain as your main sources of fiber. Consider a high-quality fiber supplement to help boost your intake.
Caution with caffeine
The simplest way to say it is this: caffeine helps you borrow energy from tomorrow. Caffeine's job is to keep cortisol levels higher, which eventually can lead to adrenal burnout, or the feeling like caffeine doesn't work for you anymore. It's a band-aid, but doesn't really fix the problem.
If consumed after midday, caffeine can cause sleep problems, including insomnia, light sleeping or waking up frequently. Limit caffeine to 1-2 servings before midday to give yourself time to wind down in the evening.
Be aware of how much caffeine you are having at a time. A typical cup of coffee has a little less than 100 mg caffeine, while energy drinks, pre-workout supplements and diet pills may have 200 mg or higher.
Get your vitamins & minerals
Be sure to eat foods rich in vitamin C and zinc, which can help blunt the stress response. Citrus fruits, peppers, rose hips, acerola cherries, kakadu plums, lychee, guava, kiwi, kale, brussels sprout and broccoli are rich in vitamin C. for zinc, seek out oysters, grass-fed or pastured meats, seeds, nuts, dairy, eggs, legumes and whole grains.
Salt & trace minerals
Unrefined salt is a great way to replenish electrolytes and trace minerals lost due to stress. Try adding a little unrefined salt and lemon juice to your water. Coconut water can also be a great option here. UCAN Hydrate is a fantastic option to add to your water.
Dial back on Inflammatory foods
It's a good idea to ease up on some of the more inflammatory foods. Some of the more common examples include wheat, dairy, soy, peanuts, eggs and corn. IgG food sensitivity testing can be used to pinpoint which foods you are sensitive to.
It's not that these foods are bad for us, it's more like we get too many of them, too often. These foods find their way into most parts of the diet is different ways, and are often overlooked on a day to day basis.
Fasting and chronic stress
Depending on the stage of chronic stress, fasting may not have the intended outcome, since fasting temporarily raises cortisol levels. People in the resistance or fatigue stage should focus instead on supporting their adrenal health. That said, fasting protocols can be helpful under the right circumstances.*
To determine how fasting could benefit you, ask yourself, "how am I managing my stress?" If several things don't come to mind right away, it's probably best for you to skip the fasting and make sure you get regular meals throughout the day to keep blood sugar stable.
Supplements & herbs
When it comes to managing stress, supplements can be a valuable tool. Keep in mind that they won't work as well on their own, so behavior change is crucial.
This is a comprehensive list of individual vitamins, minerals and herbs. This can be useful information when looking at specially-formulated supplements. You can see examples of these on the Thorne Research online dispensary.
Phosphatidylserine (PS) - the primary phospholipid in brain cell membranes, which can help modulate cortisol, improve mood and memory.*
5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) - helps pump the brakes on the sympathetic nervous system and is a precursor to our happy neurotransmitter, serotonin. People taking SSRIs should not take 5-HTP.*
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) - GABA is a feel-good neurotransmitter that is made in the large intestine by the trillions of microbes who live there. At least that's how it's supposed to work. Those with anxiety, depression, seizures, ADD, ADHD and autism may have lower levels of GABA. People with poor gut health or a bad diet often benefit from GABA supplementation.*
Valerian root - Valerian interacts with GABA to give anti-anxiety effects through a mechanism which is not yet fully understood by researchers. Drugs like Prozac work in a similar way by interacting with GABA. Valerian root is also an antioxidant, which some believe is a reason why it works. Valerian is an ingredient in a teas and is also sold as an herbal supplement.*
Ashwagandha - Used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine, ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that helps increase the body's resilience to stress. It's important to source ashwagandha properly, due to contaminants and heavy metals found in the soil of of many growers.*
Eleuthero - also known as Siberian ginseng, it is an adaptogen that has been used for over 2,000 years in traditional Chinese medicine. It has been used to help the body cope with stress and stimulate the immune system. Due to a positive effect on blood sugar control, a component of Eleuthero is being studied as a possible treatment for diabetes.*
Panax ginseng - This is the most common ginseng, and is an adaptogen with similar properties as eleuthero. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, most often to increase energy, help with stress management and improve blood sugar.*
Vitamin C - this study shows how vitamin C can lower production of cortisol during psychologically stressful events, in this case a public speaking event where the participants also had to solve math problems. Keep in mind that vitamin C leaves the body relatively quickly, so divided doses throughout the day are best.*
Zinc - widely believed to dampen cortisol production under stress, zinc also helps support healthy sex hormone balance, which can have a positive impact on blood sugar control.*
Thiamine (B1) - a 1997 study indicates thiamine can help to improve mood, mental clarity and energy levels. In a 2019 paper published in Nutrition, participants who were given thiamine reported decreased stress compared to the placebo group in a review of 16 different trials.*
Niacinamide (vitamin B3) - can increase the amount of REM sleep and decrease wakefulness in insomnia sufferers. It is also believed to shunt tryptophan to serotonin production.*
Pantothenic acid (B5) - necessary for the body to produce adrenal hormones, which can help alleviate fatigue caused by overproduction of stress hormones.*
Vitamin B6 - essential to the formation of feel-good neurotransmitters GABA, Serotonin and dopamine, B6 can become depleted making stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine.*
Folate (vitamin B9) - according to Harvard medical school, folate supplementation helps with depression and it is believed to help individuals cope with stress. Folate can be found in dark, leafy greens, legumes and other produce. In this study, people with MTHFR genetic mutations saw improvement in their mood after being given folate.*
Methylcobalamin (active vitamin B12) - taken earlier in the day can help reset circadian rhythms for improved sleep and for normalizing cortisol curve.*
Licorice root - an adaptogenic herb that has been used for thousands of years as a stress aid. *
Rhodiola root - an adaptogen herb used in traditional medicine in scandinavia and Russia. This study found that it has anti-fatigue effects due to non-specific resistance to stressors.
Magnolia bark - has adaptogen qualities and is commonly used in stress support supplements.*
DHEA - this supplement can be a little tricky, and requires DHEA to be tested before supplementing. Since DHEA can turn into sex hormones (not always in a good way), it can be unpredictable in its raw form. 7-Keto DHEA doesn't have those same uncontrolled androgenic or estrogenic effects. People who have had hormone-sensitive cancers should steer clear of DHEA supplements, just to be on the safe side. If you're considering supplementing with DHEA, consult a functional nutrition practitioner and/or your healthcare provider.*
Bovine Adrenal Cortex - adrenal cortex can help support adrenal function, and it's best to take if cortisol levels are lower than optimal. It's not a good idea to take this supplement without testing first.*
Hemp Oil - hemp oil has been popular for just a few years, but people have been using hemp for millennia as an herbal remedy. Endocannabinoids help the body modulate the stress response, among other things. Quality is key when purchasing hemp oil.*
Moving your health forward
Life after chronic stress is different, but it is possible to regain energy and vitality. Creating an action plan is crucial to conquering unchecked stress and shrinking it down to size. Here's how to start.
Get the data — Whether it's a self-test of your symptoms, an HRV app or a lab test, getting a baseline of where you are starting is a good idea. Any data you gather can be used to fine-tune your plan.
Create a schedule for yourself — Make sure to include a lot of flex room if possible, but stick to the important things like going to bed on time.
Stay on an exercise routine — Keep in mind that you'll need to make adjustments and listen to what your body is telling you. Watch out for signs of overtraining, such as fatigue, poor sleep, injury or unusual soreness after exercise. Be sure to include a recovery day.
Focus on recovery activities — Recovery is just as important as (or more important than) exercise. Make it a priority in your schedule every day, even if it's just for 10 minutes.
Clean up the diet — Start with simple things and go from there. If you already have a fairly decent diet, consider a brief elimination diet to give your body a break from inflammatory foods.
Give yourself room for imperfection — You don't get a grade for taking care of yourself, so it's not worth the added stress to be a perfectionist here. Let yourself make mistakes, learn from them, listen to your body and move on..
And remember that just like anything, stress isn't bad. But too much of it is.
Got an idea for a blog post? Email info@omnifunction.us
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.