Let's investigate
speed from the way a normal person conducts his/her life. Here are some wise
words from Marc David (Institute for the
Psychology of eating), "When moving through life too fast we
inevitably eat fast, which destroys our metabolism and creates digestive upsets.
It results in meals eaten under a physiologic stress-response, which diminishes
our calorie-burning power. It allows us little pleasure from food, decreasing
cellular energy production and encouraging us to eat more. It shortens our
breathing, which results in less oxygen intake and more fat accumulation. And,
it prompts us to abandon our deepest self and our true purpose for being here,
leaving us with toxic thoughts and troublesome emotions that age the body and
harden the heart".
The human body does
not differentiate between physiological stress and psychological stress; it is
all stress. There is a need to keep the Body in Balance amidst all the rushing
between meetings/ errands, temptation to skip meals, or try some new substance
to get extra energy to stay awake which can lead to adrenal fatigue and
depression . Just because you lead a fast paced life, doesn't mean you have to
eat junk. Everything is really connected, and eWellness Solutions says people
must consider the biochemical burden of stress.
What
is Stress? Functional medicine gives a broad meaning of stress and points to a
big path to follow in order to get a better understanding. Stress is the salt
of life; that’s according to Hans Selye. Selye states that, “stress is the
non-specific response of the body to any demand, and a stressor is any agent that
produces stress at any time”. ‘The holy’ book of good medicine (The Textbook of Functional Medicine) IFM
2010 stretches one’s mind by saying “Stressors may be loosely classified as
direct physical systemic threats: e.g. starvation, heat, cold, pain, hemorrhage
or "processive": e.g. psychosocial threats such as social isolation,
helplessness).
While
direct systemic threats are not processed primarily by the cortical and limbic
areas of the brain, psychosocial stressors involve higher brain functions as
part of the primary processing of the sensory input. This is a bit wordy but it
is the best definition of stress. It calls for clinicians to expand the working
concept of stress to include the psychosocial factors like separation, job
loss, cultural context, as well as stress response to episodes of low blood
sugar, chronic pain, or food restriction.
Imagine
the feeling of going to varsity or starting a new job in an unfamiliar
environment. It becomes clear that the quality of social relatedness predicts
general health and mortality, and one’s emotional adjustment to stress.
In
the 21st century society where employment and residence change is the norm, the
reliability of social support which is supposed to have social networks, social
relationships, and social integration as a buffer against stress has
diminished. In Johannesburg, South Africa additional stressors include, crime,
traffic, lengthening commute times in the city Centre, and a starvation diet of
fear. The good physicians ask patients "What are the main stresses in
one's life, how long ago it occurred, how much, when, what is the quality of
relationships?” Other things may include finances, medical illness, education
stress, socioeconomic status, social support networks etc. The young and old
experience stress daily and most stress drives people into depression and
finally suicide.
What
about Depression? There are many
conditions and illnesses that lead to depression such as Hypothyroidism,
Allergies, Hormonal Imbalances, Hypoglycemia, and Nutritional Deficiencies.
Depression is a symptom of Hypothyroidism according to mayoclinic.com. The hormone progesterone has been used in the
treatment of depression, fatigue, anxiety, strange thoughts, poor appetite and
night sweats. Nutrients such as magnesium helps excrete estrogen and promote
estrogen detoxification. Deficiency of these nutrients may cause PMS (post
menstrual syndrome). Estrogen blocks vitamin B6, accelerating metabolism of
tryptophan, making it less available for conversion into serotonin and thus
causing depression.
Women
who are on oral contraceptives have impaired vitamin B6 absorption. Amongst the
youth who are insulin resistant there is a danger of exposing the brain to
excess stress hormones. Vitamin B6 is very important for the conversion of
tryptophan into the feel good hormone serotonin. It has been found out that 75%
of depressed people had inadequate vitamin B6 intake- British Journal of
Psychiatry.
WHAT CONSTITUTES STRESS?
·
Fight or flight
responses; fear, anxiety or worry as a result of study pressure.
·
Depression: feelings
of defeat or helplessness
·
The pain syndrome
·
Infection and
inflammation
·
Hypoglycemia (low
blood sugar)
·
Inadequate sleep
·
Disrupted sleep
·
Disrupted light cycles
·
Toxic exposure
Cortisol and DHEA
are the main stress hormones produced in the adrenal glands whose levels are
known to change throughout the day according to a circadian rhythm.
Stress is good, but
only in the short term. It allows us to heal. The stress response is designed
only to last for a short period as it allows us to break down sugar and provide
fuel to our muscles. In the long-term stress has a negative impact on health as
it results in loss of muscle, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and
high sugar levels.
Stress allows us to
heal and repair ourselves in the short term.
The human body is
unable to differentiate between physiological and psychological stress hence
there is a need to maintain a balance between the two. For instance the body
can interpret pressure of studies, work or personal relationships as fight or
flight response.
The Stress response
will cause:
·
Decrease in nutrient
absorption.
·
Decrease in Gut
micro-flora populations; this alone can lead to depression as 95% of our feel
good hormone ‘serotonin’ in made in the
Gut.
·
Loss of Muscle mass.
·
Increased
inflammation.
·
Insulin resistance.
·
Mitochondria- these
are the energy powerhouses of the cell. When these tiny cellular organelles are
diminished, we literally produce less energy, leading to chronic fatigue.
·
Cortisol- excessive
output prematurely ages the body.
·
Thermic efficiency -one’s
ability to burn calories is diminished.
·
Nutrient
deficiencies go up.
·
Nutrient excretion
goes up.
·
Gastric emptying-
leading to constipation.
·
Food sensitivities
and allergies go up
·
High acidity levels
eFortify's
Micronutrient Testing is of great help in terms getting to the root of
depression.
“Cortisol Steals”
Stress and Steriod Synthesis
“Wear & Tear” vs “Rest &
Recovery”
Actions of Cortisol – Catabolic
• Maintains blood glucose levels during stress reactions
(gluconeogenesis) which leads to additional glucose to brain, heart, lungs,
skeletal muscle
• Promotes hepatic protein synthesis and gluconeogenesis;
stimulates protein catabolism elsewhere in body
• Stimulates glycogenolysis,
lipolysis
• Participates with aldosterone in Na reabsorption which
leads to maintenance of perfusion pressures to critical organs during stress
• Anti-inflammatory – downregulates phospholipase A2,
inflammatory cytokines
• Inhibitory feedback to hypothalamus and pituitary which
leads to downregulation of CRH and ACTH
• Cortisol highest in a.m., with gradual decline over course
of day; normal diurnal curve indicates healthy adaptation to stress
Actions of DHEA – Anabolic
• Prohormone for sex steroids
• Anti-glucocorticoid
• Immune supporting
• Anti-atherogenic, lowers serum
triglycerides
• Enhances insulin sensitivity;
anti-obesity effect
• Maintains tissue strength and
repair, supports bone density
• Neuroprotective; enhances memory
• Promotes sense of well-being
• Long-term indicator of DHEA
status
• Maximal values at 20 and 30 years of age; thereafter, both
DHEA and DHEA-S decrease markedly
Adrenocorticol Hyperactivity
·
Life-saving in the short-term
(catabolism frees up energy reserves)
·
Persistent cortisol production
leads to immune suppression, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, central
adiposity, hypertnesion, memory impairment (hippocampal damage), hyperlipidemia
and impaired hepatic T4-T3 conversion
Adrenal Dysfunction Signs
& Symptoms
·
Tired
for no reason.
·
Trouble
getting up in the morning, even when you go to bed at a reasonable time.
·
Feeling
rundown or overwhelmed.
·
Difficulty
bouncing back from stress or illness.
·
Feel
more awake, alert and energetic after 6pm than you do all day.
Adrenal Dysfunction
Pathophysiology
·
Over
secretion of cortisol triggered by daily stress from work, studies, family, or
other sources can wear down the internal system and cause fatigue.
·
During
this process DHEA may be compromised, causing other functions to suffer.
Stress, fatigue, low energy
levels, depression, bad eating habits and lack of physical activity dampen the
stress response. To improve your situtation we recommend the following:
·
eFortify Body in balance and Breakfast meal: The body in balance formula contains essential whole food, is
an excellent meal replacement that contains the building blocks needed to
support the immune function of the gut by restoring gut ecology and plays an
active role in mandatory detoxification of the body’s cellular structure to
facilitate homeostasis.
The Body in Balance meal is an
ideal preventative meal for those individuals who are preparing for strenuous
sport activities and require a balanced carbohydrate and protein support meal
with antioxidant building blocks to ensure body development and detoxification.
·
eFortify Florabalnce and Alpha beta microbes: Florabalance is a liquid health supplement containing
beneficial bacteria. Through microbial diversity which closely mirrors the
natural range of microbes in our soil and food, and it is known to contain
bacteria known to break down toxic substances and produce beneficial
by-products such as the antioxidant vitamin A.
Florabalance aids effective
digestion and assimilation of food, regulates bowel movements, assists with
heartburn and acid reflux, helps reduce excessive blood pressure, bring down
the blood pressure and normalize lung function by removing unwanted bacteria
and fungus. It good for people taking antibiotics, anyone who needs to lower
cholesterol, pregnant women, new born babies with colic, children with autism,
children with ADD/ ADHD, children born through a cesarean, individuals
suffering from Candida infections as well as the young and old
·
eFortify Insulin formula: Formulated
to increase insulin sensitivity, increase glucose utilization at cellular
level, balance and stabilize sugar and insulin levels.It has a specific herbal
compliment which mimics insulin, but also manages the body’s overproduction. Due
to its positive effects on insulin receptors, it will help with weight loss and
sugar cravings.
·
eFortify Acidity formula: The
Acidity Formula stimulates the clearance of uric acid and other acid
by-products, improving alkalinity and reducing stiffness and pain. This is a
powerful mix of alkalizing botanicals and ionic trace minerals to shift the
body into an alkaline state increasing cellular oxygenation and general
wellbeing.
·
eFortify Inflammation formula: The inflammation formula contains potent herbal
anti-inflammatory modulators that lower inflammatory markers and general
circulatory cytokines. It has marked effect on low grade systematic
inflammation caused by acidity and poor lifestyle. The inflammation formula
works with proven botanicals that all work through multiple mechanisms to lower
inflammation.
·
eFortify Neo 40 Daily: Nitric
Oxide (NO) is a multifunction signaling molecule, intricately involved with
maintaining a host of physiological processes including, but not limited to,
host defense, neuronal communication, and the regulation of vascular tone. NO
is a potent vasodilator, a powerful anti-platelet and anti-leukocyte, and one
of the most important signaling molecules in the human body.
Neo40 Daily is a breakthrough
formula proven to help the body restore Nitric Oxide levels naturally, thus
supporting healthy blood pressure and overall cardiovascular health. It’s an
effective synergetic blend of beet root, hawthorn berry and other Nitric Oxide-
active botanicals, in a great tasting fast melt lozenges.
Noe40 Daily is specifically
formulated for adults over 40. Neo40 Daily does not include L-Arginine, thus is
an endothelial-independent way to help the body naturally produce Nitric Oxide
on its own. It is safer and more effective than L-Arginine-based supplements.
·
eCholesterol formula: (Looking Beyond Cholesterol)
Cardiometabolic sysndrome involves multiple body systems- it is a
systems biology problem that demands systems biology solution. A variety of
cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors
combine and interact in a multidirectional web of influences that disturb
metabolic function; if left untreated, may become diagnosable as heart disease,
diabetes, hypertension, stroke, congestive heart failure etc.
Emerging convincing evidence now says conquering heart disease is
not simply a matter of driving serum cholesterol to lower and lower levels; in fact, half the people who have a
heart attack have normal cholesterol.
Researchers at the university of
carlifornia say 500milligrams of vitamin c a day may drop plasma C-reactive
protein (CRP), recent science suggest that CRP may bebetter predictor of heart
disease than cholesterol levels. C-reactive protein is a marker of
inflammation, and there is a growing body of evidence that chronic inflammation
is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes.
Vitamin c reduces oxidative stress
(university of carlifornia, berkely (Oxidative stress occurs when free radicals
are inadequately neutralized by the body’s antioxidant defense system, or when they overwhelm
antioxidants.
High dose vitamin c lowers Lp(a),
and promote the natural production of ubiquinone (CoQ10).
Our immune system requires vitamin C . The more stress we are under (infection or exposure to
cold,emotional problems,etc all produce stress to our systems) the more vitamin
c we need to remain healthy.
A new understanding of hypertension as a marker for
and outcome of
inflammatory and autoimmune dysfunction; treating
the underlying disturbed physiology will help not only bring blood pressure
down but help to heal the damaged arteries as
well.
Join eWellness Solutions’
e3/33 wellness makeover to get a better understanding of stress.