In this fast paced society being “stressed out” is common for many. Stress can affect your overall health and wellness. It is reported that, “75% to 90% of human disease is related to stress and inflammation, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and neurodegenerative disorders.” (1) From digestion to hormones, immune function to cardiovascular health your stress level can play a part in how your body is functioning.
Adrenal function is one area that is often associated with stress.The adrenal glands are two thumb-sized organs that sit above your kidneys and are part of the endocrine system. Your adrenals are important for hormone regulation and production.The adrenal glands also help our body to regulate stress. Cortisol is one indicator of stress in the body. Typically cortisol should rise in the morning and fall towards the evening. If we are living in a constant state of “high stress” cortisol levels can become unbalanced. This imbalance of cortisol can lead to adrenal fatigue. If you are experiencing adrenal fatigue some symptoms are:
- Chronic fatigue
- Moodiness/irritability
- Depression
- Sweet & salty food cravings
- Weight gain
- Sleep disturbances
- Lightheadedness
Supporting your adrenals is important especially during times of stress. One way to support your adrenal function is to avoid caffeine and sugar. Additionally, adding healthy fats to your daily intake such as avocados, nuts, seeds and coconut is also beneficial. Exercises such as stretching, walking and low intensity exercises can support the adrenals without causing additional stress. Replacing negative thoughts with the truth in God’s word and even laughter will help in the healing process. Sleeping 8-10 hours per day and trying to maintain a regular sleep cycle is important for adrenal support. Supplements may also be used to support adrenal function. To help cortisol levels and maintain healthy adrenal function it is important to first identify the stressors in your body.
There could be stressors that you may not be able to see or even notice. This month we will focus on Physical, Psychological and Spiritual stress and ways to cope with these stressors. Once the type of stress is identified, you can use the 5 A’s technique to help eliminate or reduce the overall stress load. The 5 A’s of Stress Mastery are:
The most common stressor to identify is physical stress. These are the stressors that are often easier to identify. When you are sick you can feel the extra stress load, or when there is an infection you can actively see your body trying to fight off the stressor. Physical stress may be chronic or for a short period of time, and can affect the whole body. When there is an infection or you are consuming inflammatory foods there is a major stress response in the digestive tract. The stress and inflammation in the digestive system then can affect both emotional and mental health as well.
Examples of physical stressors include:
- Infection
- Illness
- Pain
- Caregiving
- Chores
- Injury
- Surgery
- Inflammatory foods
There are several ways to reduce physical stressors. The first is to identify infections or underlying illness and treat them. Changing your dietary intake to a low inflammatory diet or removing food sensitivities is another way to decrease overall stress on the body. Balancing and maintaining blood sugar levels is important as well, due to the correlation between stress and sugar intake. Adequate rest, detox baths, scheduled down time, listening to music are all examples of ways you can reduce physical stress.
Psychological stress may be impacting your health and wellness without you even realizing it. IFM tells us, “chronic psychological stress and inflammation are also associated with a greater risk of depression, autoimmune diseases, upper respiratory infections, and poor wound healing.” (1) The gut brain axis we have referred to in previous articles helps to explain why psychological stress can impact the immune system, digestive function and therefore overall healing. It is reported that “life stress has multiple physiological impacts within the human body, and it may be one causal factor in dysbiosis” (2). Psychological stressors can be identified as:
- Family conflict
- Marital strife
- Challenging school coursework
- Difficult boss
- Financial hardship
- Lack of social support
- Neglect
- Verbal abuse
- Abandonment
- Trauma
Once you have identified the psychological stress there are several options to help remove or reduce the overall stress. It is recommended to use the 5 A’s of Stress Mastery as listed above and these 10 Mastery Tips.
- Journal (prayer, emotions, gratitude, provision, etc)
- Attend Counseling Sessions
- Biblical Ways of Dealing with Difficult People
- Listen to music
- Memorize Scripture – Recite truth affirmations
- Prayer Target
- Spend time in nature
- Get Adequate Rest (sleep and set aside time for mental/emotional rest period)
- Find a mentor to invest in your growth
- As much as within your control live peacefully with everyone
Spiritual stressors are matters of the heart that can drive emotions, mental health and even affect physical hormone balance.(3) God’s word tells us in Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.” Taking care of spiritual stress is a great way to guard our hearts. There are nine spiritual stressors in three different categories (past, present, and future).
Past: Spiritual stressors that focus on our PAST experiences:
- Anger– my rights have been violated
- Bitterness– my anger is justified
- Guilt– my moral compass is contradicted
Present: Spiritual stressors that focus on our PRESENT circumstances:
- Lust– my desires are unfulfilled
- Greed– my possessions are limited
- Envy– my needs are not met, but others are
Future: Spiritual stressors that focus on our FUTURE unknowns:
- Worry– my what ifs may be reality
- Anxiety– my fears are controlling me
- Fear– my wellbeing is not secure
For PAST spiritual stressors it is important to focus on FORGIVENESS. Releasing the offender to God for Him to reconcile. Forgiveness is freeing yourself from the pressure to make sure the offender “pays” for the offense. In the PRESENT if we focus on GRATEFULNESS. Every spiritual stressor begins with some level of lack of gratitude. Being grateful for all that we have and have been given can literally heal. The FUTURE calls for us to have FAITH. It is the substance of hope. Living in the light of who God is and forever will be. Living a life of faith lets go of our grip on what we want and opens our hands to what God wants for us!
Identifying stress in your body will help bring healing. We know that “many diseases stemming from chronic stress and inflammation have early warning signs, meaning some cases may be prevented or improved with lifestyle changes that help manage stress. (1) The Coaches at Eureka! are here to help identify stressors and assist with implementation of the Stress Mastery plans.
In addition to using the methods listed above, you can join our STRESS MASTERY PROTOCOL for only $40! You will receive supplement recommendations, dietary suggestions and lifestyle changes to decrease your overall stress and improve your health!
Resources:
- https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/inflam-stress-inflammation-contribute-chronic-disease/
- https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/gut-stress-changes-gut-function/
- Eureka! Holistic Nutrition Functional Nutrition Course
- https://draxe.com/health/3-steps-to-heal-adrenal-fatigue/