Does Stress Affect Your Health?

Good health isn’t just about how fit you are or how good you look on the beach, health covers a wide range of areas and one area that has a huge effect on overall health and well being is stress levels.

The problem of stress is on the increase with day to day life becoming more hectic.  Dealing with stress has become an inevitable part of life. In response, the body has an in-built system to help you deal with stressful situations known as the fight or flight response.

HORMONES

Cortisol is an extremely important hormone.  It is considered one of the primary ‘stress hormones’. Cortisol is released in large amounts in response to stressful situations. If this stress persists over long periods of time then many functions in the body become inhibited.

Cortisol also effects fat storage by instructing the body to store fat, especially around the stomach area. Bone health and muscle tissue are also altered, cardiovascular function may worsen and the thyroid can slow down. Also, over time cortisol can affect the regulation of the body’s sex hormones which can lead to infertility.

TO PUT IT SIMPLY STRESS IS NOT GOOD!!!

LINK TO ILLNESS

It has been estimated that 75 – 95 % of all doctor’s appointments are due to stress related illness. Higher than normal cortisol levels are linked with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, obesity and depression to name just a few.

SO WHAT AFFECTS CORTISOL LEVELS?

• Poor diet such as eating too much sugary, processed food
• Psychological stress for example, worries about relationships and finances
• Lack of sleep – the body needs eight hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, if you get less than this the body releases cortisol
• Smoking – toxins from cigarettes cause damage to insulin receptors and increases cortisol output
• Alcohol consumption – excessive amounts of alcohol put the liver and body under stress

HOW CAN YOU REDUCE STRESS?

• Eating well – wholesome natural foods that the body is programmed to eat
• Reduce / Stop excessive drinking or smoking
• Get enough sleep – 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is needed each night
• Have down time – it is important to buy seroquel online and to have time where you switch off from work and the other stresses of life
• Take a magnesium supplement – magnesium is a natural relaxant that helps against the effect cortisol has on the body and also helps aid good quality sleep.

Stress is an inevitable part of life. The body needs cortisol to help it cope with stress but it is possible to reduce the amount of stress the body is exposed to with the tips above.

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