Stress & Inflammation - Eat. Live. Breathe. Well

“On a scale of 1-10, how much stress do you have in your life?”

You’ve probably encountered this question before. What would your answer be today? What could you do to cut that number in half?

You might be thinking things like “quit my job”, “win the lottery”, or “give away my kids” (don’t worry, I won’t tell your kids). While those might seem like easy ways to reduce the stress in your life, the truth is, we could never remove all the stressors we face, nor would we want to.

While the connotation of “stress” is typically negative, in the right amount and duration, stress can actually help motivate us, focus our energy, and improve our performance. This type of positive stress is also known as “eustress” (example: exercise). The negative kind of stress that we more often think about is called “distress”, and like it or not, both are a part of our daily lives. While none of us can completely avoid distress, there is another way to cut our stress number in half: we can learn strategies to reframe and better manage the stressors we face.

Why would we want to cut our stress number in half? Well, for one, we know that stress (especially chronic stress) has been linked to increased inflammation in the body, which in turn increases our risk for disease, depression, and even cancer. By reducing our stress levels, we can deactivate our sympathetic nervous system (which turns on our fight-flight-freeze stress response) and activate our parasympathetic nervous system (which governs our rest-digest-reproduce relaxation response).

Additional Resources

Articles/Resources:

Apps/Programs:

Podcasts:

Books:
(find your local library !)

Read More…

What is Environmentally Acquired Illness?

Environmentally Acquired Illness (EAI) is a subset of illnesses known to be caused, aggravated, or perpetuated by environmental exposures. What is an “environmental exposure”? Environmental exposures can be natural or manmade, including, but not limited to mold (and the mycotoxins it produces), Lyme (and other co-infections), toxins (including pesticides & chemicals in our drinking water…

Need a New Tool for Your Stress Management Toolbox? Try Tapping!

Did you know an estimated 75-90% of all doctor’s visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints? Unfortunately, it’s hard to avoid many of the stressors we face in our daily lives, and we can’t go back in time to erase the traumas of our past. What we can do however, is learn new tools, strategies,…

Are You Breathing Well at Night? 5 Common Myths About Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Sleep is an important pillar of health. Yet, according to the CDC, one third of US adults report that they are not getting the recommended 7 hours of sleep per 24-hour period. And that’s just counting the number of hours, not the quality of sleep during those hours! While there are several factors that can…

Do You Have a Broken Brain?

… You Can Help It Heal! Thanks to Norman Doidge’s amazing book, The Brain that Changes Itself, we know about the power of neuroplasticity, and the ability for injured brains to heal. And as the research in this area continues to grow, we’re learning more and more about the factors outside of our brains that…

Read more … Do You Have a Broken Brain?

What Is Mold Illness?

Air quality matters! Did you know that mold and mycotoxins, especially from water-damaged buildings, can make you sick? Are you wondering what mold illness and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) are? Start here for an overview of the symptoms, tests, treatments, and resources that can help you get well. If you’re ready to dig in,…

Are You Breathing Well?

It’s been said that we can go seconds without thoughts, minutes without air, days without water, and weeks without food. Pause and think about that for a minute. If you’ve witnessed the immense healing power of an anti-inflammatory Paleo-type diet (food), imagine how powerful a regular practice of mindfulness, meditation, or breathing exercises could be!…