Summary of How Chronic Stress Creates Hormonal Havoc:
Chronic stress is affecting people due to societal changes, such as political crises, climate change, and economic instability. Chronic stress is linked to physical ailments such as heart disease, cancer, and dementia. Stress causes biological responses in the body, such as increased levels of cortisol, adrenaline, and weight gain. Diet plays a significant role in stress levels, with processed and sugary foods causing an increase in stress hormones. Eating whole foods such as good fats, proteins, and vegetables can help reduce stress levels. In addition, managing one’s mindset and actively relaxing can help reduce stress levels.
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The Impact of Diet on Chronic Stress: An Expert Weighs In
Introduction:
Stress is a part of everyday life. Whether it’s from work, family obligations, or external factors like climate and political crises, chronic stress has become an unfortunate reality of modern life. However, did you know that diet plays a significant role in our stress response? In this health bite, Dr. Mark Hyman, a renowned physician and best-selling author, sheds light on the impact of diet on chronic stress.
The Deadly Consequences of Chronic Stress:
Chronic stress can have deadly consequences, such as heart disease, cancer, and dementia. It shrinks the memory center of the brain, causes weight gain, diabetes, depression, infertility, and sexual dysfunction, to name a few. The reason is that chronic stress increases cortisol and adrenaline levels that, among other things, causes muscles to waste away, blood pressure to rise, blood sugar to increase, and belly fat to develop, which can lead to insulin resistance, diabetes, and ultimately, even dementia.
The Role of Diet:
Did you know that some foods can increase cortisol and adrenaline levels just like a biological stress response? Sugar and starch are some of the culprits. When we eat such foods, our cortisol, adrenaline, and blood sugar levels start to spike, leading to a cascade of negative effects on our body. For instance, a study on overweight teenagers found that when they ate oatmeal, their insulin, blood sugar, adrenaline, and cortisol levels surged. This spike transformed into a stress response in their bodies. On the other hand, when they ate an omelet, which contains healthy fats and protein, they ate 81% less food compared to when they ate oatmeal.
Eating to Calm Your Mind and Nervous System:
The good news is, we can shift our diet to reduce cortisol and adrenaline levels in our bodies. Eating nutrient-dense, whole foods such as healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds, high-quality protein like regeneratively raised animal foods, eggs, and chicken, and fish, as well as whole grains and beans can help calm our nervous system. Vegetables are also a great addition as they’re packed with anti-inflammatory and stress-reducing compounds. When we change our diet, we can change our stress response and shift our biology.
Managing Our Mindset:
Besides diet, managing our mindset is crucial to reducing chronic stress. Trauma expert Gabor Maté argues, “Trauma’s not what happens to you. It’s the meaning you make from what happens to you.” This implies that our stress response is often the product of our mind. Therefore, it’s essential to practice active relaxation and witness our thoughts to break the cycle of Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs). Moreover, dealing with root physical stresses such as disease, gluten, and nutritional deficiencies is equally essential to reduce chronic stress.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, stress is a part of life, but chronic stress can have fatal consequences. Our diet plays a significant role in our stress response. Eating nutrient-dense, whole foods can help reduce cortisol and adrenaline levels in our bodies. Besides diet, dealing with root physical stresses and actively relaxing are essential to reduce chronic stress. By taking control of our diet and mindset, we can manage our biology and reduce chronic stress’s negative effects.
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