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If the respiratory tract is affected, lack of stress management can lead to asthma and allergies. Even the muscles, joints, and bones can be affected, causing tension headaches, backaches, fibromyalgia, TMJ, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis.
Plus, we are more accident prone when we feel stressed. Other common symptoms that are linked to chronic stress are nervousness, mild depression, allergies, digestive problems, irritable bowel syndrome, cold hands and feet, thin skin, and hair loss. Chronically raised levels of cortisol can lead to hypoglycemia, overeating, cravings for carbohydrates, and an increase in abdominal fat. There may be an increase in proinflammatory substances, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, increased triglycerides, lower HDL cholesterol and higher LDL cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, and even diabetes.
Other problems can include decreased thyroid function, decreased immunity, decreased levels of estrogen and testosterone, mood changes, memory loss, and low levels of growth hormone. We may have low blood pressure, migraines, or fibromyalgia. Taken together these links show the need to incorporate of stress management techniques into our lifestyles, workplaces and doctors offices. When we think of stress, we usually think of psychological stress. But stress can also have environmental and biological causes. Psychological mental and emotional stress can come from both internal and external demands.
External demands may be such things as relationship issues, family pressures, financial difficulties, problems at work, juggling responsibilities of work and home, commuting on crowded freeways, or responsibilities as a caregiver. Internal demands are self-induced. We have been conditioned to believe that we must be ambitious, aggressive, and competitive to get anywhere in the business world. Being perfectionistic and having unrealistic expectations of ourselves also makes us push harder than our bodies can comfortably sustain. We have unfortunately grown so used to living in the fast lane that we think it is normal.
But over time, all of the stresses can take their toll on our minds and bodies unless we engage in stress relief or use herbs and supplements for stress.
One example of biological physical stress is poor health. Chronic illness and chronic pain are certainly very stressful to the body. Our lifestyle plays an enormous role in our health. How we eat; how much we exercise; how much fresh air, sunshine, rest, recreation, and sleep we get all play an important part in our general sense of well-being. Dietary stress is common with our modern eating habits of eating fast foods, skipping meals, drinking excessive caffeine or alcohol, and eating refined sugars and flour.
These foods keep our blood sugar on a roller coaster and create inflammation in our bodies. Environmental stressors may be harder to pin down. We have no idea how we are affected by electromagnetic pollution EMFs from our modern technology, such as TVs, computers, electric wires, cell phones, iPads, and the Smart Meters on our homes.
How many of us make it a priority to spend time in nature? All of this creates stress on our bodies. The question becomes: how do we reduce this stress? With all of the stressors to which we are exposed every day, I find it remarkable that we are able to stay as healthy as we are.
The resilience of our bodies is amazing.
Life brings us stressors for sure. We can certainly learn to practice better self-care. Along with lifestyle changes, there are a number of natural approaches and remedies we can use to help with stress management. We have control of what we eat and how much we exercise, dance, listen to music, spend time with loved ones, and spend time in nature.
We can practice yoga, do tai chi or qi gong , and learn to meditate. We can learn how to do breath work and how to practice mindfulness. We can nurture ourselves as much as we nurture others. We can change our diet from the standard American diet to one that is more natural and nutritious. The healthiest diet is one of whole, fresh unprocessed foods, preferably organic.
When using diet for how to reduce stress, we need to stay away from refined sugar, which contains no essential nutrients. In fact, it probably forces the body to use more of its nutrients. We also need to stay away from caffeine coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate , which pushes us into the fight-or-flight mode. When we eat, we need to be relaxed. We can supplement our diets with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs for stress, if necessary. We get our energy from carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
Some have more nutrients than others. We need forty to sixty nutrients to stay healthy.
These include vitamins, minerals, amino acids from proteins , enzymes, and essential fatty acid. We tend to use more nutrients when we are going through periods of stress, especially the B vitamins and calcium. The B vitamins affect our nervous systems, and calcium counteracts the lactic acid that is produced by tense muscles. We need enzymes to properly digest and utilize the nutrients in food and supplements. Disease, stress, aging, petrochemicals, and processed food contribute to a lack of proper levels of enzymes.
Drugs, household cleaners, cleansing solvents, microwave radiation, and high heat also can inhibit enzyme production. I am going to give examples of remedies for stress I use the most. Hopefully, these ways to reduce stress will pique your interest, and you then will research yourself and discuss options with your health practitioner. Keep in mind that these are just examples of many remedies that have been found to be effective.
They are not meant to replace any therapy or medications ordered by your physician. Homeopathy is two hundred years old and is practiced around the world. This method of natural healing is designed to restore homeostasis and health to the body, mind, and spirit. This is the state in which self-healing happens. Homeopathic remedies are made from natural substances, such as plants, animals, and minerals. It works on a principle similar to that of vaccines, except it is done on an energy level.
Homeopathic philosophy is that a substance that creates a symptom, like a fever or pain in a healthy person, will cure a similar fever or pain in a person who is ill. Homeopathic remedies are made by taking a tiny amount of the substance being used and diluting it.
Orient Pharm Exp Med. Inside these pages you will learn the basics about hypnosis ; from its history, to how to perform a standard hypnosis session. Pharm Biol. When the capacity to adapt to these stressors is exceeded, maladaptation occurs resulting in damage to biochemical pathways, organ function and health. Anti inflammatory activity of fresh tulsi leaves Ocimum Sanctum in albino rats. Can J Physiol Pharmacol.
Alcohol is added as a preservative. Homeopathic remedies are safe, but the system of diagnosing and treating may be complex. To find the best remedy, I recommend that you do your own research and see a natural health practitioner who has studied homeopathy and uses homeopathic remedies. The tonic herbs tang kuei, hou shou wu, and ginseng are good for preventing and treating chronic stress. To reiterate, tonic herbs are considered super-nutrients. They improve physiological functioning and a sense of well-being and boost energy. They can be taken individually, are generally safe, and can be taken on a long-term basis.
If you have a known medical problem, I recommend that you consult your physician before taking them.
Even though they are not in the medicinal category of herbs, tonic herbs are powerful and should be understood in order to use them wisely and appropriately. If you are on medication, it is important to check with your physician or pharmacist about possible interactions with natural remedies.
When I recommend herbs, I advise that they be taken two hours separately from any allopathic medication and that they be started with a third of the recommended dose.
The dose should be gradually built up to its maximum recommended dose, if needed, and never more than recommended. Here are some other herbs I use for natural stress relief; these are usually found in capsule, tablet, powder, tea, and tincture form:. Aromas stimulate our sense of smell. We can use scents, such as essential oils, for stress management. Essential oils come from plants. Plants have been used throughout history to improve our health and quality of life.
They can benefit both the body and emotions as a form of natural stress relief. They are believed to support the immune system, provide natural pain relief, reduce inflammation, supply antimicrobials, nourish and strengthen the hair, improve mental clarity and lift the mood, and provide natural alternatives to household cleaners. There are many ways they can be used. They can be applied to the body or breathed in with a diffuser or steam.