Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Stressed?

This week has been a super stressful one for me. Sunday was my breaking point. I got thinking yesterday about the effects stress has on us, mentally and PHYSICALLY. Cause let me tell you, I was feelin those effects!! So I looked online and this is what I've found.

* Stress is the physical expression of our "Fight or Flight" survival instincts. Which is a GOOD thing! Stress can help us perform at higher levels BUT it can also cause a plethora of health issues.

* Acute stress is short term {lasting a few minutes or even a few weeks}. Some of the responses are: blood sugar levels rise, additional red blood cells are released {to help carry more oxygen troughout the body}, pulse quickens, blood pressure rises, digestion stops {that one surprised me but made sense}.

* Chronic stress is when the acute stress responses are continuous, keeping your body on "alert", which affects our health negatively.

* Some of the health issues that have been tied back to stress are: migraines, hypertension, sleep deprivation, chronic fatigue, depression, irritable bowl syndrome, acid reflux, acne, hives, eating disorders, asthma, PMS, chronic unexplained pain, heartburn, diabetes, obesity, infertility, cancer... and the list goes on and on!!!

* A few ways to combat stress are: follow a healthy diet, get regular exercise, uninterrupted relaxation, keep a journal, keep a good sense of humor, learn to say NO {don't take on more than you can handle}, live for today {let yesterday go and don't worry about tomorrow}.

I also thought about how I react to stress. It's different depending on what has me stressed out. But generally I crave junk food and soda. We typically don't have this stuff in our house {it costs too much money and because I EAT IT!!} Well this week we had a lot of it {darn Valentine's Day} so guess what; I ate A LOT of it! I also didn't workout like I should have; I think I am more apt to be lazy in general.

So now that I've taken note of how I react to stress and I'm more consientious and I hope I will be able to deal with it better. Until then I'm going to at least remember how important it is to my HEALTH that I eat right and exercise!!! Even more benefits to making better choices!!

0 comments:

Nike Trainer

Related Posts with Thumbnails