Stress: the word seems to be thrown around loosely by practitioners and the media as a potential cause for almost any symptom or disease. So what is it and how does it affect us?

An increase in stress levels can occur due to Work, personal situation, an infection or injury, school or even a heavy exercise regime.  When we are continuously exposed to above normal levels of stress, we can reach a state of chronic stress and systemic complications arise. Hans Selye, a pioneer in stress research, documented a 3 phase model to map the body's response to prolonged periods of stress:

• The Fight Flight response is a reaction to an immediate requirement for activity. It is initiated by the nervous system stimulating the release of adrenaline. This increases blood glucose and oxygen availability. These hormones also increase heart rate and cardiac output. Delivery of nutrients is prioritised to the brain, heart and skeletal muscle. This action reduces blood flow to the kidney increasing fluid retention and blood pressure. Digestive function is also inhibited.
• The Resistant Reaction is a longer lasting hormonal response that increases cortisol, human growth hormone, insulin growth factor and thyroid hormones respectively all contributing to an increase in glucose availability and utilization. Factors initiating this phase include changes in body temperature, fasting, chronic stress, exercise, infection and disease.
• The Exhaustion Phase due to prolonged exposure to cortisol sees muscle wasting, immune suppression, gastric ulceration and a decrease in pancreatic beta cell function affecting insulin.
  

If any of these symptoms sound familiar, how about sugar cravings? As the need for blood sugar increases, so can sugar cravings. The adrenal glands that are responsible for maintaining our adrenaline are severely sensitive to refined sugar intake compounding the problem. As you can imagine, whilst digestive function is inhibited by stress it is a catch 22 in regards to absorbing the nutrients you need to recover and maintain good health. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, adrenal exhaustion, and glandular fever can all have similar symptoms and as you can see may derive from humble beginnings of an acute stress response that is left to flourish. The possibility of diabetes, high cholesterol and the immunosuppressive disorders are quite high if measures are not taken.

There are many ways to reduce the stress response through lifestyle, diet and nutritional supplement approaches. These include:

• Maximising digestion by choosing foods that absorb efficiently and avoiding fluid with food intake.
• Supplements such as magnesium, vitamin C and B6 help the adrenal glands to recover.
• Coping mechanisms to reduce stress by changing lifestyle, learning relaxation techniques, getting regular sleep or meditating,

With the right approach the body can bounce back remarkably, we just need to get there in time.For more information, you can contact the author of this article: Adam Rigby via e-mail adam.rigby@optusnet.com.au or check with your healthcare practitioner.