Stress is now a common fixture in our hectic, busy lives. Small amounts of stress that are easily resolved can be beneficial in motivating and helping us achieve our goals. Although chronic or long-term stress affects each of us differently, it ultimately affects the whole body in a negative way and may contribute to many health complaints.

Is your health being affected by stress?

Do you often feel anxious, worried, depressed, irritable, exhausted, overloaded or forgetful? Do you suffer from stiff or sore muscles or joints, tension headaches, high blood pressure, frequent colds or the flu? Or do you have irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, an increase or loss of appetite, or worsening of an existing illness or condition? If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, your body may be overburdened by stress.

Fight or Flight: Your Response to Stress

Thousands of years ago, we may have been faced with the threat of a sabre tooth tiger and our immediate response to this was one of two reactions: to attack or run away. This is now known as the fight or flight response. Once this stress response is triggered, chemical messengers called adrenaline, cortisol and noradrenaline are produced by the adrenal glands and brain. These messengers increase blood flow to the essential organs such as the heart, lungs, brain and muscles to help us fight or run away. Digestive function slows down as this is less important in survival mode. Cortisol also increases the amount of sugar released into the blood to provide energy for our muscles to attack or run. In the past, stress was shortlived and once the stress was over, these chemical messengers shortly returned to normal.

Where’s the Off  Switch?

Over time our bodies have not changed this biological response to stress. Although the sabre tooth tigers are long gone, the physical threat to our lives and limbs has been replaced with the modern day stress of long work hours, financial worries, traffic jams and family issues. So what happens if his stress response does not turn off because of our non-stop busy lifestyles?

Ongoing stress that does not resolve may result in chronic stress, which can be the underlying cause of many health conditions. Chronic stress can impact body systems such as the cardiovascular system by contributing to high blood pressure.

It can also take its toll on your nervous system leading to exhaustion, headaches and insomnia. Your digestive and immune systems can also be weakened by stress, making you more susceptible to irritable bowel syndrome, frequent colds and the flu.

Herbs and Nutrients for De-stressing

Go from ‘dis-stressed’ to ‘de-stressed’ with the help of herbs and nutrients:

• Rhodiola and withania are herbs which enhance the body’s response to stress. Rhodiola has been shown to reduce both physical and mental fatigue during times of stress.

• The herbs, passionflower, zizyphus and magnolia have been traditionally used for reducing stress, anxiety and nervous tension.

• St John’s wort is well-known for supporting healthy mood and protecting against the effects of stress.

• Magnesium, glutamine and B vitamins are used in abundance during times of stress, when the body’s requirement for these key nutrients is increased. Magnesium assists in muscle relaxation and calms the nervous system.

5 Top Stress Busti ng Tips:

Lessen your stress load by practising the following stress busting strategies:

1. Rest and Relaxation: Relaxation techniques such as tai chi, yoga, and meditation can help you to control stress and improve physical and mental wellbeing.

2. Think Positive: A good attitude and positive outlook is fundamental for de-stressing. Thinking positively will help you get through a stressful period with greater enthusiasm and drive.

3. Exercise: Exercise is a brilliant form of stress relief, as it conditions the body and mind, and encourages the release of endorphins, which help you feel good.

4. Indulge Yourself: Enjoy a well-deserved massage or some other blissful treatment – perhaps soak in a bath with relaxing aromatherapy oils such as lavender, ylang ylang, chamomile or geranium.

5. Eat Healthy Foods: For a healthy mind and body, eat a diet abundant in fresh, brightly coloured fruits and vegetables.

Consume protein with meals and snacks, and enjoy foods high in essential fatty acids such as oily fish, nuts and seeds.

Minimise your intake of caffeine, energy drinks, sugar, alcohol and processed foods as these will contribute to fatigue in the long-term.

Stress Less for Good Health and Wellness

Although the stress of modern life is inescapable, it is important to remember that we can easily manage our response to stress with the help of dietary and lifestyle changes and some key natural medicines. Supporting a healthy stress response will allow you to feel more energised, resilient and ready to tackle life, so you can maintain the state of health and wellness that you deserve.

Ask us today about our Stress Less program, tailored to your individual needs.

Is low thyroid letting you down?

Under-functioning low thyroid or hypothyroid is very common in Australia, affecting up 15 per cent of women of child bearing age.

One of the main symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland is fatigue, so if you have been feeling overly tired lately, it may be a good idea to have a blood test to check your thyroid function.

Other symptoms include:

• weight gain
• constipation
• feeling cold
• dry skin
• depression

The thyroid gland is really the master conductor of the body, so when it’s underactive, everything becomes sluggish. It governs metabolism, in other words, how fast your bodily processes are occurring. So when it’s not up to speed, you may feel as if you’re running on flat batteries!

Fortunately there are lots of things that can help.

Exercise:  Although you are feeling tired, exercise is critical to your wellbeing. Exercise regularly – daily for 45 minutes.  It will improve your energy and also stimulate thyroid hormone secretion.  Try yoga or walking – the main thing is to just get moving!

Stress management: Try to reduce stress levels as part of your daily routine as the hormone involved in the stress response – cortisol – can contribute to hypothyroid issues.  Make sure you get 8 hours restful sleep every night.

Foods to increase:

• Iodine rich foods:  seafood, seaweeds such as nori in sushi
• Zinc rich foods: seafood especially oysters, lamb and beef
• Copper rich foods: Sesame seeds (tahini), cashews, barley, sunflower seeds
• Selenium rich foods: Brazil nuts – 2, 3 a day, sardines and most fish
• Vitamin A rich foods: All orange and yellow coloured fruits and veg, spinach
• Vitamin D rich foods:  salmon, sardines – and don’t forget 15 mins of sun every day!

Foods to avoid:

Goitregens – these are foods that can slow down thyroid function.  They include RAW cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, spinach, radishes, strawberries, soy, pine nuts, walnuts.

There are also very effective natural medicines available to support your thyroid.

For more information download our Low Thyroid Fact Sheet.

If you are suffering from a condition that is caused by an excess of oestrogen in your body – heavy painful periods, fibroids, endometriosis – it is very important you reduce your exposure to xenoestrogens or  ‘foreign oestrogens’.

In today’s world, there are many man-made compounds in our water, food and environment that mimic oestrogen in our bodies.

A number of chemicals in current industrial use such as dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) and bisphenols (found in pesticides, petrochemicals and plastic) may bind to and activate oestrogen receptor sites in the body. In other words they act like oestrogen in our body.

However unlike natural hormones these xenoestrogens may exert effects many times more potent than our own body’s oestrogens.

In order to reduce your exposure to these substances it is important to:

•  Avoid using soft plastics such as cling wrap, plastic containers used to store food, plastic water bottles.  Instead use a stainless steel drinking bottle, store food in ceramic dishes, and never microwave food using cling wrap.

• Avoid chlorine and bleaches – use a water filter, clean around the home using natural products that don’t contain bleach.  Wash well after swimming in a chlorinated pool.

• Buy organic food – xenoestrogens are found most concentrated in the fat of meat, farmed fish and nonorganic dairy products.  Eat primarily organic meat, dairy and produce, washing fruits and veg thoroughly before eating.

• Avoid pesticides and herbicides, these contain potent xenoestrogens

• Use only organic, cotton sanitary wear – avoid synthetic pads and tampons

There are many foods known as phytoestrogens, or plant oestrogens, that can modulate oestrogen levels and it is recommended that these are included in the diet regularly.

These foods include:

• Cruciferous vegetables:  broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
• Linseeds:  Freshly grind 2 tablespoons and eat with cereal
• Garlic
• Green Tea
• Alfalfa
• Soy products: soybeans, tofu, soy milk

It is also important to ensure good excretion of oestrogen from the body via the liver and bowel.   A thorough detoxification should be undertaken every 12 months to keep the liver in good condition.

A complete bowel movement should take place each day.  If this is not occurring, increase water to two litres per day, and eat more fibre rich foods – brown rice and whole grain bread, sweet potatoes, prunes, pears, and fruit and vegetables.

Vitamins and minerals that can help:

• Zinc, Selenium, vitamins A, C and E

Herbs that can help increase oestrogen excretion:

• Vitex agnus castus (chaste berry)
• St Mary’s Thistle
• Bupleurum http://bit.ly/196pxbx