Holistic Harmony

What is stress?

Stress is a word used to describe a variety of conditions, and it is most likely that all of us will suffer from one or more of the symptoms at some point in our lives. With some people being affected more frequently and more severely than others.
Stress is all about life changes and how we deal with them, the body will respond automatically to stress, and because there are so many causes both internally and externally the best thing that we can do for ourselves is to learn to manage the stress; to minimize its effects.
It is important to find out what triggers an individuals stress levels, there are six key triggers which are as follow,
• Separation and loss, such as divorce, the loss of a loved one or losing a job.
• Being stuck or frustrated at a situation we may feel powerless to change, such as a dead end job.
• Moving house, school, job.
• Taking examinations.
• Demands of conflicting situations: running a home, having a full time educational course or a full time job.
• Emotional conflict such as bullying, intimidation.

Although some people find that losing a job stressful some may find that it is a good opportunity for a change and a new challenge. Stress is anything that makes you feel anxious, frustrated, angry, tense or unhappy. And it must be handled right or it will affect the health of the individual both emotionally and psychologically as well as causing stress related medical problems.
As already mentioned the body’s response to stress is automatic and the body will go into a full danger and alert mode, known as fight or flight, this is where the blood pressure rises and the pulse quickens as well as the breathing becoming more rapid.

An example, if you are being threatened by a potential mugger then the stress is necessary to help you cope, but if you recognise that person as a friend then your body will return to normal.
But it is not isolated incidents that usually cause the problems, the problems are caused when the body is continuously stressed and there is not enough recovery time between episodes, leaving the individual feeling exhausted.

Fight or flight

The fight or flight response triggers a whole range of bodily changes, and this reflex is governed by the autonomic nervous system, this is an involuntary system that keeps our heart, lungs, and breathing going without thinking about it.
When in danger the sympathetic nervous system immediately goes into action to stimulate the adrenal glands to secrete more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, directing all of its energy and effort into the muscles so the individual is ready to either run or stand (fight or flight),
As more energy is needed then greater amounts of fat and glucose are circulated in the blood making the breathing faster and deeper, so the body can take in more oxygen then face may start to look pale as the blood is drawn away from the non essential areas such as the skin, this raises the heart rate and the blood pressure.

The rapid increase in the hormonal and nervous system activity can cause the individual to suffer from sickness or diarrhoea, also the mouth may become dry as the saliva glands reduce the non essential out-put, and the sweat glands will also increase production so the individual may experience a cold sweat on their skin.
When in danger the senses are sharpened the hearing becomes more acute, and the pupils will dilate to take in as much light as possible in order to see better. As the body prepares for the possibility of injury then it releases endorphins from the pituitary and adrenal glands, (endorphins act as strong pain killers, and help the blood to clot), and this is why people with stress constantly feel tired and drained.

If an individual has been suffering from stress for a long period of time then there is a risk of damage to the gastrointestinal tract, glandular system, skin or cardio vascular system as the body tries to cope but prolonged stress can also cause a physical change in the brain, some of the symptoms are depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, fatigue and outbursts of crying and these symptoms are caused by a chemical malfunction in the brain, there are three positive chemicals in the brain,
• Serotonin, is essential for a good nights sleep, it is what makes you drowsy at night ready to receive sleep then switches to melatonin in the morning in order to wake you up. Serotonin is also responsible for co-ordinating the body temperature, when you wake up and become active then the body temperature will rise slightly and as you sleep it drops a little.
• Noradrenaline, is responsible for setting the energy levels and is related to adrenaline.
• Dopamine, is responsible for both the pleasure and pain feelings, as we produce natural morphine like molecules in our brain known as endorphins, dopamine is found in the area of the brain next to where the endorphins are released, so if the dopamine messengers fail then the production of endorphins is threatened.
And it is these chemicals that begin to malfunction when we are under stress.

 

Identifying the symptoms of stress

There are some symptoms and conditions that are common in individuals with stress, one of the first things that happens is we are prone to more infections and illnesses as the immune system becomes compromised (frequent production of cortisol depresses the immune system), there may be digestive upsets, headaches, changes in the mood or emotions, the feeling of not being able to cope, feeling of being under too much pressure, irritability, weepy or short tempered.
What is very noticeable in an individual with stress is that they blow things out of all proportion as things seem much bigger and less bearable than usual.

Stress can lead to high blood pressure, migraines, hair loss, mouth ulcers, panic attacks, rapid or shallow breathing, nausea, sweating or cold sweats, tension in the muscles especially in the neck and shoulders, aching limbs or back ache, trembling or shaking, sleep problems, skin dryness or rashes, anxiety, depression, change in drinking or eating habits, negative feelings or self critical and in need of reassurance.
As prolonged stress will put a strain on the body this will usually result in the individual becoming ill as the body tries to cope.

 

Stress preventers

Water, for an immediate reduction in stress then drink water as the system can become dehydrated, leaving just enough fluid in the body to maintain essential bodily functions, diverting away from non essential area’s such as the skin, this leads to dry, flaky, tight skin.
Plain non carbonated water is what the body needs as this is what the body relies on.

Carbohydrate, both the brain and the nervous system require glucose, and this comes from unrefined sugar found in carbohydrates, as our brains take up most of the carbohydrate stores (upto 40%) more than any other part of the body. When the body is stressed the brain is in overdrive constantly pre occupied with worry anxiety or fear takes up most of the carbohydrates needed to keep you alert, therefore if the diet is low in this essential ingredient then the individual will experience symptoms such as dizziness, digestive upset, fatigue, insomnia, poor concentration, irritability or weepiness.

Carbohydrates enhance the brain’s uptake of the amino acid tryptophan, which the brain then converts to serotonin, so these foods make the individual feel more calm and relaxed, and there effects last in the body for around three hours (so little and often keeps the serotonin levels stable).

There are two types of carbohydrate simple and complex, and it is the slow releasing complex carbohydrates that are the most beneficial as it stabilizes the mood, and foods that contain them are wholegrain cereal’s, brown rice, grains, bread and pasta, beans and pulses and vegetables.
Fruit is a simple carbohydrate as it consists of fructose which enters the blood stream fairly quickly, and it is the process of converting fructose into glucose that will release energy, so if an individual is feeling fatigue or tired then snacking on a piece of fruit will give a boost that is more beneficial and longer lasting than a chocolate bar.

Protein, if one of the stress symptoms is not being able to think clearly or focusing then make sure that the individual is getting the daily required amount of protein, as it stimulates the brain to produce dopamine and norepinephrine, as it takes roughly four hours for the body to break down protein then it is essential to have enough protein at breakfast and Lunch to carry on during the day, then think more about carbohydrates at Dinner to help you to relax and to unwind, if there is the feeling of lack of concentration or sleepiness mid-afternoon then a glass of milk will help to replenish protein.

Stressful stimulants, if you find suddenly that you need to do twice as much as usual, it is tempting to turn to a stimulant to help you to get through the day such as caffeine, chocolate, sugar, alcohol and cigarettes.

What stimulants do is to increase the levels of the stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, so therefore physically you are using stimulants to get yourself in the state of readiness, or to feel that you are focusing on a situation, they temporarily raise your heart rate but afterwards they can make the individual feel agitated, restless, jittery and even more stressed.

An anti-stress diet, when an individual feels stressed the first thing that they may do is reach for an immediate fix such as chocolate or comfort foods, it is important in an individual that is stressed not to eat something that can cause a panicky state or lead to more stress in the long run, but instead ask them to concentrate on the fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods which increase the amount of serotonin in the brain, giving a tranquilizing effect which will help the individual to cope better with every day stress, make sure that they never skip meals and if possible get them to eat smaller and more regularly, instead of two or three meals a day.

Daily food suggestions

Breakfast,
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day to replenish the body ready for the day, avoid sugary cereals and go for getting complex carbohydrates and some protein into the body first thing.
Start with some hot water add a slice of bitter lemon, and have a wholegrain cereal or muesli with raisins, or porridge with wholemeal toast, or fruit loaf with cottage cheese, then finish off with fresh fruit and juice. Add some sunflower seeds sesame or pumpkin seeds for a more nutritional breakfast, for the protein go for eggs scrambled, poached, or boiled, have cheese or baked beans or whole meal toast and peanut butter.

 

Lunch,
To help in staying calm then eat a large salad with either pasta or a baked potato, if the usual is a sandwich then try either wholemeal or rye bread and have a filling such as tuna, hummus, chicken or mackerel.

 

Dinner,
This is the time when you can unwind and relax a little in what you choose to eat cook what you fancy and like cooking, have oily fish like salmon and mackerel at least once per week to take in omega 3 eat plenty of vegetables especially potatoes both ordinary and sweet as these contain plenty of vitamin c and are a good calmer.

 

Late night snacking,
If the individual is having trouble in sleeping then tell them to try eating a couple of oatcakes with honey as the honey will boost the serotonin levels and help them to feel more relaxed and ready for sleep.
If they would rather have a savoury snack then a couple of sticks of celery will help as celery contains a natural occurring sedative called 3-n-butylphthalide.

Snacks and drinks,
If the individual turns to snacks such as crisps or sweets then get them to try one of the following;
• Vegetable sticks with hummus or cottage cheese
• Fruit or a fruit salad
• Natural yogurt with honey or maple syrup
• Dried fruit
• Chamomile tea
• Peppermint tea

Stress and exercise

The benefits of exercise are well known in reducing stress, it is known to help with depression, reduce stress and help with self esteem.
• You will burn off excess adrenaline and the other stress hormones.
• Exercise increases the amount of oxygen available to the body as you are breathing more deeply.
• When an individual is stressed their muscles will tense up especially in their neck and shoulders, and they will feel stiff and achy, exercise will help to reduce this stiffness.
• Regular exercise has a positive effect on the mood and emotions; because the body releases endorphins, that make us feel more positive and energised, they are the body’s own natural anti-depressants and can help an individual to feel calmer.