Feeling fatigued, experiencing difficulty in adjusting body weight, or having hormonal imbalances? It could be related to stress.
Chronic stress is a significant health issue that can have far-reaching effects on various bodily systems. The body's response to stress, known as the fight-or-flight response, is a natural survival mechanism that helps us deal with immediate threats. However, when stress becomes chronic, it can disrupt the delicate balance of our physiological processes.
Being a nutritional therapist, my training enables me to view health holistically. This allows me to explain how imbalances in one aspect, such as chronic sympathetic nervous system activation, can impact other areas of the body.
A simple case study
I see the following scenario often in my clinic:
Busy working mum, with little time for herself
Sugar-addiction, craving foods
Regular bloating
Unable to shed extra pounds
Low mood
This person's sugar addiction will lead to a cycle of fluctuating blood sugar levels, providing quick energy boosts from high-carb snacks but ultimately resulting in low blood sugar levels. This fluctuation can be a source of stress for the brain, triggering the release of additional stress hormones in an attempt to stabilise the situation.
The thyroid gland plays a crucial role in regulating metabolism, energy levels, and mood. When stress hormones interfere with the production of thyroid hormones, it can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, and mood swings. So, when this person eats carbohydrate-rich foods, causing fluctuations in her blood sugar levels, she also may be inadvertently slowing down her metabolism by reducing the conversion of thyroid hormones into their active form.
And when we think of how the digestive system is entirely governed by the parasympathetic nervous system - it is no small wonder that we experience digestive issues when we are in a state of fight-or-flight. Not only may you then suffer with bloating, but you may not be absorbing nutrients so well.... nutrients that help form your neurotransmitters, nutrients that help convert inactive to active thyroid hormones, nutrients that make you feel alive.
What can you focus on in your routine to ensure that you effectively manage your stress reactions?
These are questions I like to ask:
Do you have resilience, are you strong? Muscle tissue can help your body become more efficient at releasing and then clearing cortisol, which enhances your ability to recover from stress and prevents cortisol from lingering at high levels.
Are you replete in minerals to support a healthy stress response? Magnesium, zinc, calcium, potassium, iron, selenium, chromium to name a few. Some of these can be tested in serum (blood), but a simple Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is also very helpful to assess your status.
Do you regularly make time to do something just for you? Find some joy. Even better if it will help with vagal tone, such as singing... can you join a community choir? Sing loudly in the shower? Humming, if you feel your nose vibrating, you are doing it right.
How is your sleep? Sleep allows for the natural production of melatonin, which not only regulates the sleep-wake cycle but also acts as an antioxidant to counteract stress-induced inflammation, helping the body reset and recover each night. Get into a good sleep routine, and have some early sunlight exposure on your eyes the next morning.
Work with me
Would you like to work with me? I can support you in my 1:1 online clinic, where I listen to you, can advise on testing if you wish and guide you on your diet and lifestyle to get your body back into balance.
Don't take my word for it, read what some of my clients have said:
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