The Daily Fight (or Flight)!
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from a horse master. He told me to go slow to go fast. I think that applies to everything in life. We live as though there aren’t enough hours in the day but if we do each thing calmly and carefully we will get it done quicker and with much less stress. – Viggo Mortensen
We live in a fast paced society. From the moment we wake up until our head hits the pillow we are hopping from one task to the next, eating on the go, worrying about what we didn’t get done, and cramming as much as we can into our waking hours. How many of you have said “there just aren’t enough hours in the day”?
This seemingly innocent phrase actually tells your body that you are chronically short on time. Each time you think this, it promotes the primal “fight or flight” stress response as if you were running from a saber toothed tiger. In both current day and Pleistocene day your body screams, “I need to get my butt moving RIGHT NOW!” Although the stress of getting through your to-do list is not life-threatening, your body still reacts as if there is some kind of imminent threat. This chronic, heightened state of stress can tax your body and lead to increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, illness and extreme fatigue.
Why does stress cause fatigue? First, let’s learn a little bit about the adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands are little stout looking cones that sit on top of each of your kidneys. They are responsible for releasing epinephrine and norepinephrine – the fight or flight hormones – as well as steroids that help us control blood glucose and blood pressure. When relaxed, the adrenal glands hum along efficiently, keeping blood sugar, blood pressure and sodium/potassium levels in the blood on an even keel. When we are immediately stressed, however, the adrenal glands kick into high gear – they constrict blood vessels, divert blood away from the gut and toward your legs and arms, increase lung function, dilate the eyes and increase heart rate. We’ve all felt that rapid breathing and heart rate after a near accident. It also took a while to calm back down. That was your adrenal glands responding to stress.
Now imagine that rapid breathing and heart rate every time you feel rushed to get something done. How often does that happen for you? Once in a while? Every day? Several times a day? Our body is constantly prepping for a fight. The adrenal glands then become hyperactive from the constant stimulus. Hyperactive adrenal glands lead to increased sodium and water retention, raised blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, digestive issues, protein breakdown, and a suppressed immune system. This increases risk for hypertension, diabetes, weight gain, loss of muscle, stressed kidneys, illness or disease and extreme sometimes chronic fatigue.
What can you do if you are already on your way to adrenal fatigue? Here are some nutrition tips that will help get your body back on track:
Vitamin C: The adrenal glands use more vitamin C than any other organ in the body! When we are under a lot of stress, increasing your vitamin C can help reduce the internal stress on the body.
B Vitamins: The B vitamins all work synergistically together in the pathways that produce energy for the body. This makes B vitamins crucial to assist with fatigue. Additionally, B vitamins are important for optimal function of the nervous system. Stress taxes the nervous system and adequate intake of the B vitamins can help keep nerve tissue healthy.
Omega 3’s: Omega-3 fatty acids help protect the delicate coating of our nerves and control inflammation in the body. Constant stress increases the risk for inflammatory conditions such as heart disease and diabetes; omega-3’s can help combat the effect of stress.
Protein: Protein is the building block of the body, whether it’s neurotransmitters or muscle tissue. Both of these are compromised in times of prolonged stress. Increasing your protein during times of stress can reduce the breakdown of vital proteins in the body.
Herbal supplements: The one caveat here is that you should talk with your doctor before taking any herbal supplements. Herbal adaptogens such as Holy basil, ginseng, ashwaganda and Rhodiola has shown positive effects on combatting stress and adrenal fatigue. Check with your doctor to see if any of these may be right for you.
We would all love to have more time! Unfortunately, we will always have only 24 hours in a day. So how can we take advantage of those 1,440 minutes? The above nutrition tips are a great start. More importantly, excessive and chronic stress needs to be dealt with. Here are some additional tips to start reducing your daily stress:
Rest up: Keeping a consistent sleep routine, getting quality sleep, and taking rest breaks when you need them can go a long way toward reducing stress. When we are well rested, our body can heal and our mind can calm.
Meditation and Yoga: Both practices help center us, calm us, and slow us down. The act of slowing down actually gives us the perception we have more time, reducing our stress.
Laugh and have fun: Who can be stressed when they are genuinely laughing and having a good time? Watch your favorite comedian, call your funny friend, or laugh at a goofy mistake you’ve made. We should not take life so seriously sometimes.
Exercise: Any exercise you enjoy, whether it’s running, Zumba, weights or walking the dog, will release feel good chemicals in your body and reduce your stress level.
Positive Thoughts: Negative Nellie friends, and your own negative thoughts, can really add to your stress. Positive thinking can reduce stress and even change your attitude about your stressors.
Reduce stressors as best you can: We can’t reduce all of our stress, and some stress can actually be a good thing! But sometimes a real evaluation of all of your commitments and obligations can be eye opening. Drop those stressors that have no meaning for you and keep those that are most important to you. These are your good stressors that are worth the extra rest, laughs, workouts and healthy meals you’ll need!