Mindful Ways to Manage Your Stress
Sep 16, 2021
{Written by Jason}
Stress is like a killer cocktail made from the Grim Reaper’s personal liquor cabinet: it’s powerful, insidious, highly addicting, and can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time. Try to name a single person you know who’s consistently stress-free other than freakin’ Bobby McFerrin. Don’t worry, be happy? Yeah, easy for him to say. It was the freewheeling ’80s back then. Stress may be an even bigger killer than poor diet, genetics, or environmental toxicity. As a culture, we are extremely stressed out to the point of an epidemic, with 20 percent of Americans reporting their stress levels at an eight, nine, or ten (on a one-to-ten scale). That’s a ferocious national health issue if I’ve ever seen one. And the crazy part is, many people accept these high levels of stress as, you know, just another normal part of their day.
Be honest: how often do you get really stressed out? Daily? Every other day? Maybe even a few times a day? Check in with yourself and really be honest about your emotional balance and ability to handle stress in your life. It may be that you’ve become so used to (or even chemically addicted to) stress that it’s just an everyday norm for you. Unfortunately, that’s when stress can do the most damage and balance must be restored. If you feel like a stress case on a consistent basis, so do a lot of people in modern society. Indeed, the startling statistics about stress tell a potentially grim tale:
- One in five Americans experiences “extreme” stress, resulting in body shakes, heart palpitations, and depression
- 40 percent of people with high-stress levels overeat or consistently eat unhealthy foods, while 44 percent lose sleep every night
- Stress increases your risk of heart attack by 25 percent, your risk of heart disease by 40 percent, and your risk of stroke by more than 50 percent
I’ll be the first to admit that I can let stress steer my ship a little too often. It’s usually when I take on too much in my life—too many projects, too many friends, too many dates . . . and end up overcommitting myself. And, as a result, I just can’t do it all. I’m sure you know the feeling: we are trying so hard to please the people in our lives, succeed in our careers, make enough money to be secure and comfortable . . . and play the role of a superhero for our co-workers, family, and friends. Holy crap, that sounds impossible, doesn’t it? I mean, really, it’s enough to make Spiderman climb the walls with anxiety. So, how can you maintain your responsibilities in life without allowing stress to break you down and throw off your balance? It’s all about finding daily equilibrium in your life through stress-management techniques and eating the right foods to keep your nervous system happily humming along.
Stress: It Can Make You a Hot Mess
So, how does stress affect you on a biological level? And what are the long-term effects of prolonged stress? Well, at the risk of freaking you out, there’s a number of ways that chronic stress can ruin your life. Prolonged stress can shrink your brain, add fat to your belly, and even unravel your chromosomes. The brain cells of stressed individuals are dramatically smaller, especially in the area of their hippocampus, which is the seat of learning and memory. Stress disrupts your neuroendocrine and immune systems and appears to trigger a degenerative process in your brain that can result in Alzheimer’s disease. Stress can also accelerate aging by shortening your telomeres, the protective genetic structures that regulate how your cells age. And we’ll go into more detail about cortisol and belly fat later on, but let’s just say it ain’t pretty.
The stress response is a natural bodily reaction that was designed to help us run from predators or take down prey. As touched upon in the “Eating for Heart Health” chapter, these days, we are turning on the same “life-saving” stress response to cope with $4-per-gallon gasoline prices, fear of public speaking, asshole bosses, and traffic jams during rush hour. The problem is that most people don’t know how to proactively avoid this stress reaction. Constantly being in a stress response can have you needlessly marinating in corrosive stress hormones around the clock.
There’s a quote I love by Dr. Lissa Rankin, author of Mind Over Medicine: “Our bodies know how to fix broken proteins, kill cancer cells, retard aging, and fight infection. They even know how to heal ulcers, make skin lesions disappear and knit together broken bones! But here’s the kicker—those natural self-repair mechanisms don’t work if you’re stressed!”
I know this all sounds a bit scary, but it’s good to recognize what our bodies are capable of. We need to support our bodies so that they can do what they were originally intended to do: keep us alive and well!
“Bad” and “Good” Stress
Understanding how stress works can help you figure out ways to combat it and reduce its negative impacts. First, we need to acknowledge that we have essentially become addicted to stress in modern society. There is “bad” stress and “good” stress: you experience certain stressful experiences as unpleasant and seek to avoid them, but you may actually seek out other stress-inducing experiences because you think they’re fun. For example, skydiving, roller coasters, and horror movies are experiences that may turn on your adrenaline and give you a “rush.” However, your body responds to the stress in the exact same way as if the creepy serial killer from the movie was ACTUALLY chasing you down the street. Wait a second, creepy villains don’t really run . . . they kind of . . . fast walk with a grim stride. Anyway, you get the picture here!
Your muscles tense, your heart pounds, your respirations increase, and your body stops all of its nonessential processes. This can be pleasantly exhilarating and feel freakin’ amazing—and, for some people, rather addictive. You might have a friend or family member whom you could describe as an “adrenaline junkie.” A thrill is simply the relinquishing of a bit of control in a setting that feels safe. But when you’re in that heightened state of arousal and adrenaline rush all the time, the accumulated stress takes its toll on your body, whether you perceive the stress as “good” or “bad.” That’s why it’s important to find balance and ways to de-stress.
Cortisol: The Belly of the Beast
Science has established that stress can lead to cardiovascular disease, but did you know that it also leads to weight gain? You’ve probably heard about the link between cortisol and belly fat—but what is cortisol, and how does it work? Cortisol is a critical stress hormone that performs many actions in the body, both good and bad. Normally, cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands in a pattern called a diurnal variation, meaning that levels of cortisol in the bloodstream vary depending upon the time of day (normally, cortisol levels are highest in the early morning and lowest around midnight). Cortisol is important for the maintenance of blood pressure as well as regulating energy levels. Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for fast energy and stimulates insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels. The end result of these actions can be a marked increase in appetite.
Cortisol has been dubbed the “stress hormone” because excess cortisol is secreted during times of major physical or psychological stress, and the normal pattern of cortisol secretion can be drastically altered. A disruption of cortisol secretion may not only promote weight gain, but it can also affect where you put on the weight. Studies have shown that stress and elevated cortisol tend to cause fat deposition in the abdominal area. This belly fat has been referred to as toxic fat because it is strongly correlated with the development of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes.
But stress is not the only reason for weight gain. Weight gain or loss is dependent on a number of factors including resting metabolic rate, food intake, amount of exercise, and even the types of food consumed and the times of day when you eat. Genetic factors also likely influence our metabolism and may explain some people’s tendency to gain or lose weight more rapidly than others.
Whether or not your stress levels result in high cortisol levels and weight gain is not really a predictable thing. The amount of cortisol secreted in response to high stress can vary among individuals, with some people being innately more reactive and less able to cope with stressful events. Published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, a recent study by the Psychology Research Laboratory at San Guiseppe Hospital in Italy showed that women who reacted to stress with high levels of cortisol secretion also tended to eat more while stressed than women who secreted less cortisol. Another study by the Healthy Psychology Program at the University of California, San Francisco, demonstrated that women who stored excess fat in their abdominal area had higher cortisol levels and reported more lifestyle stress than women who stored fat primarily in the hips.
How to Have Fun Managing Stress
Stress is not an inevitable, unchangeable experience. As they say, you may not be able to control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you respond. You have the power to change your mind, and this alters your body’s reaction.
Make it your practice to handle stressful situations differently by responding with a conscious intention to maintain a positive state of being. As you practice this positive response, your body will learn how to effectively decrease your stress, your cortisol levels will stabilize, your blood pressure will drop, and your health will dramatically improve in a multitude of ways.
It’s also important to adopt a consistent practice. Stress management isn’t something you just take care of on the weekends. You need to handle it on a daily basis because that’s how often debilitating stress rears its monstrous head. There are many different stress-reduction techniques, and what works best for you may not have the same results for someone else. You might really enjoy meditating, but someone else may feel calmer just by cleaning the house. Stress management is a highly selective and individual thing. The last thing you want to do is to nullify any potential benefit by getting stressed out with your chosen stress-busting activity. You’ll have to find what kind of daily activity works best for you.
As you’ll guess, making smart food choices will support your overall health and increase your body’s resiliency. Be sure to get adequate sleep, too, as sleep deprivation dramatically impairs your body’s ability to handle stress. And make your chosen stress-relief activities an adventure—experiment with different things and see what brings you joy. Some popular stress relievers include:
- Exercise (e.g., yoga, weight training, hiking)
- Meditation or breathing practices
- Having fun with family and friends
- Enjoying time alone in nature (or wherever your “happy place” is)
- Music (both listening to it and making it)
- Sex (duh!)
Be sure to deal with stress in healthy ways. When people use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs to try to deal with their stress, sadly, instead of providing the body with relief, they tend to keep it in a stressed state and cause even more problems, including addiction.
Laughter Truly Is the Best Medicine!
Whether you’re guffawing at some inane YouTube video or giggling at an episode of Saturday Night Live, laughing does your body a whole lot of good. Laughter is a great form of stress relief, and that’s no joke. A strong funny bone can’t cure all of your ailments, but research data is steadily mounting about all of the positive things that laughter can do for you.
A good laugh has great short-term effects. Laughter doesn’t just lighten your mental stress load; it also induces physical changes in your body. Laughter has more than a few tricks up its sleeve. It can stimulate many organs by enhancing your intake of the oxygen-rich air. This stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles and increases the endorphins released by your brain. Laughter also activates and relieves your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response and increases your heart rate and blood pressure, which results in a good, relaxed feeling. Laughter can soothe tension by stimulating circulation and aiding in muscle relaxation, both of which help reduce some of the physical symptoms associated with stress.
Laughter isn’t just a quick “wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.” It’s also good for you over the long haul. Consistent daily laughter can improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. In contrast, positive thoughts actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more serious illnesses. Laughter may also ease physical pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers. It may also break the pain-spasm cycle common to some muscle disorders. Laughter can increase your feelings of personal satisfaction and make it easier to cope with difficult situations. It also helps you connect with other people. And, without a doubt, laughter can greatly improve your mood. Many people experience depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your depression and anxiety and make you feel happier.
C’mon now. Just stop resisting the idea of cracking up and give it a try. Turn the corners of your mouth up into a smile, think about something hilariously ridiculous, and then let out a hearty chortle, even if it feels a bit forced. Once you’ve had your guffaw, pay attention to how you feel. Pretty happy and relaxed, I’d venture to guess. That’s the power of laughter to instantly take away stress.
The Truth about Complex Carbs
All carbohydrates prompt the brain to make more serotonin. For a steady supply of this feel-good chemical, it’s best to eat complex carbs from whole-food sources, which take longer to digest and assimilate. Good choices include whole-grain or gluten-free bread, pasta, and breakfast cereals, including good, old-fashioned oatmeal. Fresh, organic fruits are a fantastic source of sustainable carbohydrates and provide essential hydration to your cells. Complex carbs can also help you feel balanced by stabilizing your blood sugar levels.
Those that can tolerate gluten may benefit from foods with whole grains, like whole-grain pasta and bread. If you’re intolerant to gluten or have celiac disease, there are a plethora of delicious and healthy gluten-free bread, cereals, pasta, and wraps available. Studies have shown that true whole grains have multiple benefits for those with anxiety. Whole grains are rich in magnesium—and magnesium deficiency may lead to anxiety. They also contain tryptophan, which becomes serotonin (a calming neurotransmitter). They create healthy energy while reducing hunger, both important for reducing anxiety. Whole-grain foods contain nutrients that have been stripped out of processed and artificial foods and are a great building block for a stress-reducing diet.
It’s important to eat foods that will calm your nerves amid the chaos of your most stressful days. It’s all too easy to forget to eat or skip nutrient-dense meals amid a busy, hectic schedule (I’m still working on improving this one myself!) I think a lot of people become overwhelmed and tend to overthink what it takes to achieve a healthier lifestyle—including the right foods to put in their kitchens. Trust me—it doesn’t have to be a stressful science project. Adding nutritious new foods into your current lifestyle can be really easy, fun, and highly educational.
Adapta-What?
Adaptogens are a unique and powerful group of herbal ingredients you can use to improve the health of your adrenal system—the system that manages your body’s hormonal response to stress. Adaptogens enhance your body’s ability to cope with stress and fight fatigue. They’re called adaptogens because they can adapt their functionality according to your body’s current needs. Though their effects may initially be subtle and take time to be felt, they are lasting and undeniable. Unlike addictive pharmaceutical drugs, adaptogens aren’t synthesized in a laboratory. In fact, they’ve been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to boost energy and resilience in the face of heavy stress. Research studies have shown evidence that adaptogens offer positive benefits and are safe for long-term use.
Adaptogens work a bit like a thermostat. When a thermostat senses that the room temperature is too high, it brings it down—and vice versa. Adaptogens can calm you down and boost your energy at the same time without overstimulating your nerves. They can normalize body imbalances. By supporting adrenal function, they counteract the adverse effects of stress. They enable the body’s cells to access more energy, help cells eliminate toxic by-products of the metabolic process, and help the body to utilize oxygen more efficiently.
From a culinary perspective, I like to use adaptogenic herbs in my tonic drink recipes, ice creams, desserts, soups, salad dressings, and smoothies to increase my body’s stress-management powers and my immune system’s resiliency. Depending on my state of being, I use powerful adaptogenic herbs to combat stress, including ginseng, eleuthero, Rhodiola, holy basil, Shatavari, ashwagandha, and reishi mushroom. You’ll find these herbs either whole or in capsule form.
Before you start experimenting with any new adaptogens or herbal medicine, please notify your doctor. With the majority of these potent herbs available on store shelves or available to order online, it can be all too easy for you to screw up your dosage amounts and potentially cause greater imbalances if you don’t know what you’re doing. Consult with a licensed Ayurvedic herbalist or a doctor specializing in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for expert evaluation and guidance.
From Stressed to Blessed
Unless you’re burning to become a Benedictine monk or cramming to find a killer real estate deal on a cave in the Mojave, you’re just going to have to handle the stress of modern life—one way or another. Rather than “let the bastards wear you down,” be proactive and positive with your stress management! Breathe deeply, let go of stuff that doesn’t matter, eat “feel-good,” healthy, plant-based foods, and make sure you’re getting the right nutrients to help your body effectively deal with stress.
And remember: feeling stress is a choice. You’re not a victim of stress—you either allow it to affect you or let it pass on by like one of those scary floats in the Thanksgiving Day parade. When we learn to allow and dissolve stressful thoughts before they can lodge themselves in our minds, our bodies will likely never feel the effects of the potential stress. Keyword: POTENTIAL. So practice being the loving, watchful guardian of your daily thoughts, count your blessings with gratitude, and make conscious, supportive food choices. You’ll likely notice that nasty ol’ stress will have a much tougher time scaling the castle walls of your consciousness!
Top stress-reducing nutrients:
Folate: Our bodies cannot synthesize folate, so we must consume it through diet. Folate is crucial for regulating many bodily functions, including DNA repair, which in turn, eases stress in our brains and our bodies.
Glutathione: Another essential nutrient that aids in cellular repair and fights against free-radical damage, glutathione helps to relieve anxiety and stress.
Polyphenols: Another micronutrient responsible for aiding against free-radical damage.
Potassium: Potassium ion diffusion is a key mechanism in nerve transmission, and potassium depletion results in various dysfunctions relating to the nervous system and—you guessed it—stress!
Probiotics: Probiotics or living cultures are believed to be beneficial for many areas of our health and wellness as well as alleviating stress and depression.
Sulforaphane: A powerful antioxidant said to have neuroprotective effects on the brain, thus preventing tension and anxiety.
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