How Stress Affects Your Health

Transcription

1 How Stress Affects Your Health Stress can have far-ranging negative effects on your health. Learn what happens when you live with long-term stress. When stress grips your body, you know it. Your heart starts pounding, your muscles tense, your stomach feels tied in knots. Sometimes this response can be a good thing. It may help you escape from an attacker or win your tennis game. But if stress doesn't let up, it can have far-ranging negative effects on your physical health. The stages of stress Over 50 years ago a scientist named Hans Selye recognized that stress was a major cause of illness. He broke the stress response into three stages, which he called the general adaptation syndrome. The alarm stage occurs when you are frightened or under threat. Your body goes on red alert, releasing stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These increase strength and concentration. Your heart speeds up, sending more blood and oxygen to your muscles so you can take quick action. This "fight or flight" response can be lifesaving, but if it is prolonged it can take a toll on your body. The resistance stage occurs after the initial extreme reaction.your body tries to adapt to the continued stress. It remains on alert but at a lower level while it tries to resume its normal functions. If the stress passes, you can start to rebuild your defenses. If it becomes long-term, you move to the third stage. The exhaustion stage is the "burnout" or overload phase. Continued pounding by stress depletes your body's reserves, which puts you at risk for disease. This sequence may happen in response to either a physical threat (such as being in a car accident) or an emotional one (such as being laid off from your job). Facing multiple long-term stressors piles extra strain on your system and can quickly lead to exhaustion. The effects of stress Stress can have effects throughout your body on both your physical and mental health. It can affect: Digestion. Stress hormones slow the release of stomach acid and interfere with how well the stomach can empty itself. This can cause stomachaches. These same hormones cause the colon to work faster and may lead to diarrhea. Heart, brain and blood vessels. High levels of the stress hormone cortisol increase your heart rate and your blood pressure. Cortisol can also raise your cholesterol levels. These factors raise your risk for heart attacks and strokes. Immune system. Normally, your immune system responds to infections by releasing chemicals that aid in the healing process. The stress response weakens your immune system, slowing wound healing and making you more likely to get colds and infections.

2 Weight. Cortisol makes you crave fats and carbohydrates, which can cause you to gain weight. Cortisol also makes you more likely to put on weight in your abdominal area. Weight gain in this area raises your risk for heart disease and diabetes. Mental health. Being bombarded with stress hormones creates a constant state of tension and anxiety. Over time this can set you up for depression, headaches or other problems, especially if they run in the family. Also, because your body is in a heightened state of arousal, you may have trouble sleeping. Regaining your balance If stress has taken over your life, it's time to regain some control. Your health depends on it. Here are some ideas: Make time for regular moderate exercise. It's one of the best stress-busters, and it can improve your mood and help control your weight. Check with your doctor to see what activity level is right for you. Spend some time doing things you enjoy. Go to a funny movie, take your kids fishing or have dinner with a dear friend. Learn some relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or meditation. Treat yourself well. Make time for healthy meals and getting enough sleep. Avoid smoking, drinking too much and overeating. If you still cannot get a handle on your stress, talk to your doctor. He or she might recommend a counselor who could help you find other ways to reduce or manage the stress in your life. How to Rev up Your Metabolism Can the way you eat have an effect on your metabolism? Read on to learn what strategies really work. Can the way you eat really have an effect on your metabolic rate? Are there types of foods that will burn fat more efficiently than others? The answer to both questions is yes. Beyond the calorie in-calorie out theory, you can help control the timing of your eating and how your body responds to food. Check out the following guidelines to see if you are practicing any of these healthy eating habits. If you're not, it's time to start. Eat lots of small meals Split up your calories between breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Don't make dinner your largest meal. Eat every three to four hours. Your body works hard to digest and absorb the food we eat, and your metabolism revs up in response. Don't skip breakfast Eat a healthy breakfast to jumpstart your metabolism. Have breakfast within two hours of waking. Studies show that if you do this, you are more likely to control your weight. Don't let coffee ruin your appetite.

3 Never starve yourself Don't skip meals. It's like going on a mini-diet. Going long periods of time between meals each day may slow your metabolic rate so that you burn calories more slowly. Stop dieting. The same metabolic slowdown that kicks in when you skip breakfast also works against you whenever you drastically cut back on the amounts of food you eat. Don't take in too few calories or your body will try to store more fat. Don't eat late at night Your metabolism is slowest in the evening, so don't overeat then. Give your body at least three hours before bedtime to digest. Remember, you are going to eat within one hour of waking up. If you do shift work, your metabolism will fall in line with your eating and sleeping schedule, not the clock. Eat protein with almost every meal/snack Eating protein boosts your metabolism more than carbohydrates or fats. Eating enough protein will help you maintain and build muscle mass. Keep protein intake anywhere from 0.5 gram to 0.8 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Use the higher end only if you exercise vigorously. Good sources of low-fat protein include lean meats, turkey breast, skinless chicken breast, fish, cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, tofu and beans. Balance your other nutrients Choose whole-grain carbohydrates instead of refined. That means oatmeal, brown rice, whole-wheat bread, barley, sweet potatoes, whole-wheat pasta, beans, etc. Eat enough healthy fats. These include avocados, olive oil, nuts and seeds, natural peanut butter, ground flax seeds and fatty fish. Round out your diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. The more color and fiber, the better. Exercise! Exercise to burn calories and speed up your metabolic rate. Move your body to stimulate fat-burning enzymes to break down fat. Do aerobic exercise (at least 30 minutes) four or five times a week. Your metabolism rises every time you work out. Do strength training at least twice a week. Lifting weights and doing push-ups or crunches will help you increase muscle tissue, which burns slightly more calories than fat. Sample Meals Breakfast Cottage cheese or yogurt with fresh fruit One or two eggs and a slice of whole-grain bread

4 Lunch Turkey burger on a whole-grain bun and a salad Salad with grilled chicken and small amount of dressing Dinner Fish with vegetables and a baked potato Shrimp and vegetables over a small amount of brown rice or pasta Snacks 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter on a large rice cake A pear and a piece of low-fat string cheese 4 Gentle Exercises to Strengthen Your Back and Help Prevent Back Pain These gentle exercises can help strengthen your back and help prevent back pain. Like a tired toddler or a whistling tea kettle, your backache nags at you until you give it the attention it deserves. For a sore back, exercise is the last thing on your mind, and that's OK. But once your back is healed, ask your doctor about the protective benefits of exercise. Start your exercise program If your doctor gives you the OK to start exercising, begin with a warm-up followed by these gentle back and abdominal exercises: Cat-cow warm-up. This helps to loosen the joints of the spine and restore flexibility to the spinal muscles and ligaments. Starting position: Start on all fours, hands and knees on the floor. Knees are hip width apart and hands are below your shoulders, elbows straight but not locked. Look down at the floor. Action 1: As you exhale, let your head move toward the chest while rounding your back like a cat (spine toward ceiling). Hold for 10 seconds. Action 2: As you inhale, slowly yield to gravity. Let your stomach move toward the floor (arching lower back) while allowing your shoulder blades to move together. Hold for 10 seconds. Alternate between the two positions. Birddog. This exercise is good for the upper and lower back and hamstrings (muscles in back of thigh). It is a good follow-up after the cat-cow warm-up. Starting position: On all fours, hands and knees on floor. Action: Extend one leg and the opposite arm so that they are parallel to the floor. Hold this position for seven to eight seconds, and then repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Pelvic tilt.you can do this exercise alone to isolate your lower back or in sequence with the warm-up and other exercises. Do it on the floor or firm surface.

5 Starting position: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Leave a space between the small of your back and the floor. Action: Tighten your abdominal muscles so that the small of the back presses flat against the floor. Hold this position for five or six seconds then relax, allowing a space again between the small of your back and the floor. Repeat three times and gradually increase to 10 repetitions. Abdominal contractions. This helps to build abdominal muscles, which support and protect the lower back. Starting position: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor with hands resting on the abdomen below ribs. Action: Tighten abdominal muscles while pulling the abdomen in and down. Continue to breathe while holding the contraction for five seconds. Relax, then repeat 10 times. Does aerobic exercise help the back? Yes. Aerobic exercises - like walking, biking or swimming - use a lot of oxygen. They keep the heart pumping, work large muscle groups and keep the back strong. Try walking during your lunch break, biking with your family or going for a swim. These types of activities are endurance exercises. They can help improve blood flow to the back and strengthen and relax the back muscles without jarring them. Isn't a little pain ok when exercising the back? The "no pain, no gain" mantra has no place here. If you have significant pain before or during the exercises, that's your body's definite signal that this is something you should avoid. What are some other ways to prevent back pain? Avoid sitting for long periods. Stand up at intervals while talking on the phone. Walk the aisles during long flights. During long car rides, stop from time to time to walk around and stretch. Lose weight. Carrying extra weight, especially in the abdominal region, can throw off your body off balance and place added stress on the back. Avoid smoking. It is a risk factor for degenerative disc disease, a major cause of back pain.