Stress, It's a Worldwide Epidemic! Stress is an Inevitable But Treatable

What is stress?

Stress is your body’s reaction to events in your life, along with your mind’s reaction from your mental interpretation of the event. When you are faced with a stressful situation, your body and mind interprets the event. Then, the body produces a stress response to give you energy to deal with that particular situation and your mind is stimulated. Then the mind determines "fight or flight." The hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands produce stress hormones when you feel stress.

These hormones suppress body functions that are not needed in the moment. Once the stressful situation has passed your hormone production and body functions return to normal.

What triggers stress? Current lifestyle, smoking, too many prescribed drugs, the environment, sour relationships, surgery, intestinal disorders, anger, anxiety, depression, worry, unwanted noises, accidents, pain, intense exercise, chemicals, toxin exposure, burns, poor sleep patterns, fussy children, nagging spouse, aggravating boss or coworkers, etc.

Most people deal with stress by taking the newest drug on the market. They rarely seek natural healthy stress solutions. So they stay frazzled and as a result of their drug pill popping and they live in a state of stress as a way of life.

With so many causes of stress and people seeking a pill for their solution it is easy to understand why stress is a world wide epidemic.

Here are some stress facts to chew on:

Stress is more powerful than diet in influencing cholesterol levels. Several studies—including one of medical students around exam time and another of accountants during tax season have shown significant increases in cholesterol levels during stressful events, when there was little change in the diet. Reference: Dr. Paul Rosch, Professor Medicine, New York Medical College

Stress is linked to the following illnesses: hypertension, heart attacks, gout, diabetes, asthma, chronic pain, allergies, headache, backache, various skin disorders, immune system weakness, cancer, decreases in the number of white blood cells and changes in their function. Reference: Nation’s Business, December 1994

High levels of stress cause nerve factor growth (NGF), which hinders the ability of disease-fighting cells to ward off infections, suppressing the immune system. Reference: Report in Psychology Today, January, 1996

Those who reported a history of workplace stress over the past 10 years developed colon and rectal cancers at 5.5 time the rate of the control group. Reference: Joseph Courtney, UCLA School of Public Health, Epidemiology, September, 1994

Here are some very simple solutions you can do right away to reduce your stress.

• Take a daily walk of twenty to thirty minutes at sunrise or at sunset.
• After bathing in the morning rub your body with an aromatherapy oil for your metabolic type.
• Eat 2 to 3 servings of fresh organic vegetables a day.
• Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
• Eat 4 to 6 fresh vegetables a day.

Cut back on French fries, cola drinks, alcoholic beverages, candy, white breads, pastries and foods that contain food coloring.

Here are additional signs that indicate that one is might be stressed out:

feeling down, edgy, or tired

laughing or crying without any reason

blaming others for bad things that happened

wanting to be alone at all times

not being able to see the positive side of certain situations

not enjoying activities that were used to enjoy

feeling annoyed to people or activities

feelings like one has too many things to do

Many stressed individuals try to self-medicate to distract one's self from by engaging in other activities while stressed. A lot of them however use the wrong method for stress relief. They tend to overeat, drink too much alcohol or coffee, or use illegal drugs. These habits may bring temporary relief but fail to alleviate stress in any meaningful way. In the long run individuals who engage in these activities may only heighten physical and emotional stress.

Exercise and nutritious diets are safe and effective ways to improve mental and physical health. Many medical studies point out that exercise, especially aerobic exercise (jogging, brisk walking, and jumping rope) as one of the best method for stress relief. This is possible because these activities promote of the production of endogenous morphines or endorphins. These are substances that is produced by the brain that might work as the body's natural pain-killers. It said that endorphins might be capable of elevating one's mood, self-esteem, and mental functioning.

Exercise should be done properly and in moderation to achieve health improvements. Individuals who want to improve their health don't have to train like marathoners or even join a gym. Strength training (push-ups, pull-ups, etc) coupled with 30 minutes of jogging or brisk walking can keep your body toned and improve metabolism. These regimens can be done with little or no equipment at all. Many health experts claim that the key to improved health is not intensity or using sophisticated equipments but continuous physical activity. Exercising properly can make people feel better, have more energy, and become less prone to stress. Before engaging in physical activities and making adjustments in food regimens, individuals are encouraged to seek the advise of health experts. They may prepare a workout routines that are recommended for individuals based on their specific health conditions and fitness goals.

If exercise and diet adjustments do not work, stressed individuals may use medications for stress relief. However, before taking them stressed individuals should consult doctors to clarify drug interactions and side effects that may occur while under medication. Understanding stress is essential for treatment and improvements in one's health.

Stress is an Inevitable But Treatable