Stress Free Living!

It’s truly amazing living life with little to no stress! I have been in Denver, CO for six days now, and I have a whole new feeling about me. I’m actually relaxed! And what a nice change it is. :)

Many of us don’t realize the amount of damage that stress can do to the body. Let’s look at these effects and how proper stress management can have a positive impact on your life.

Stress can most often be defined as a physical, mental, or emotional reaction to an external stimulus. The degree of stimulus and reaction is completely different in every individual, and can be handled in a multitude of ways. Results of chronic stress include (but are not limited to) interrupted sleep patterns, unnecessary weight gain, headaches, gastrointestinal problems and/or anxiety and depression.

The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is what we call the “fight or flight” trigger of the body. Normally, when a situation is perceived to be stressful (regardless of it being a physical or psychological stressor), our body reacts by making us more alert, energized and focused. This reaction occurs from a release of hormones (including cortisol and adrenaline) into the bloodstream, raised blood pressure and heart rate, increased breathing rate and sharper senses. The physical changes occur, enabling us to quickly assess and handle any situation. Unfortunately, because the body does not distinguish between emotional and physical stressors, most individuals are under a high-stress alert all of the time. This is where problems arise due to the effects of chronic stress.

I love the way Rachel Cosgrove describes stress in terms of a “bathtub”, with different size faucets filling it up and not enough drains to keep the water level down. In her book, “The Female Body Breakthrough”, Rachel explains stressors to be numerous running faucets at different sizes and speeds depending on individual interpretation. (Stressors include financial problems, lack of time-management skills, family related situations, negative self-talk, unhealthy body image, etc.) With plenty of drains in our “stress-tub” we can manage our stress levels through Z-Health, exercise, meditation, social gatherings, personal time, etc.

But why exercise for stress? Exercising releases plenty of “feel-good” hormones into the body that may be the missing link in your fat loss goals. I highly recommend starting with Z-Health’s R-Phase series that will have your body feeling good and primed for all of life’s challenges. For more information on Z-Health or the R-Phase series please click on the appropriate term provided.

Good Luck and Great Health!