Stress Connections
I had always heard that stress was bad for you and I mostly equated stress to emotions. A deeper understanding occurred when I got my PhD in Holistic Nutrition and focused on the HPA(hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal) axis and the impact of stress and addictions on that feedback loop. Of course you will find research saying some stress is good for you. Unfortunately we live in a world that is based in consumption. From the over use of pesticides and flame retardants on clothes to the need to pay your bills, stress has become a multidimensional issue. There is evidence that the stress of our mothers during pregnancy actually impacts the developing fetus and their propensity to stress and addictions. Most of my studies pointed me to understanding myself and revealed stress patterns of thoughts, behaviors and addictions impacting my body.
Because stress was originally for survival it served the human to focus on hunting and defending when it was appropriate. The blood would get redirected to the limbs and brain away from digestion,the adrenal hormones (catecholamines) would kick in, particularly cortisol and adrenalin, in order to prepare for the fight or the flight from danger. Breathing would increase to get more oxygen in the brain too. What a magical thing our bodies are automatically designed to do.
Years ago I discovered I had Hashimoto's, an auto-immune towards the thyroid. After seeing how the immune system gets overloaded by the result of various stressors, I came to understand how auto- immune disease can manifest. Many holistic practitioners will focus on gut health first to deal with many ailing problems. I tend to agree that the permeability of the gut lining is important as well as the integrity of the blood/brain barrier(BBB). High cortisol levels over time can impact the BBB, high sugar via alcohol and food impact the growth of candida and weaken the immune system. So are there many connections to sugar and the feeding of parasites, fungus and cancer.
When the immune system is trying to fight off environmental exposures along with our over consumption of foods, alcohol and drugs, suddenly it doesn't function normally and is unable to decipher what is a foreigner and what is not. That is one reason why people are suggested not to eat gluten when they have an auto-immune because of the similarity of cellular structure to our own cells confusing the immune system, never mind the sensitivity that some people develop.
When talking about stress, I have to talk about our thoughts. Part of my focus is addressing how we see the world and the tendency to 'stress out'. This could be an addiction in itself and a neuro-pathway that has gotten locked in over trauma and habit. Stress has become a cultural norm. With the use of so many electrical devices, our electrical bodies are influenced with constant exposure. There are so many ways our body can get out of balance. We must do the best we can to counter act the stressors that come with living in our world.
I had always heard that stress was bad for you and I mostly equated stress to emotions. A deeper understanding occurred when I got my PhD in Holistic Nutrition and focused on the HPA(hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal) axis and the impact of stress and addictions on that feedback loop. Of course you will find research saying some stress is good for you. Unfortunately we live in a world that is based in consumption. From the over use of pesticides and flame retardants on clothes to the need to pay your bills, stress has become a multidimensional issue. There is evidence that the stress of our mothers during pregnancy actually impacts the developing fetus and their propensity to stress and addictions. Most of my studies pointed me to understanding myself and revealed stress patterns of thoughts, behaviors and addictions impacting my body.
Because stress was originally for survival it served the human to focus on hunting and defending when it was appropriate. The blood would get redirected to the limbs and brain away from digestion,the adrenal hormones (catecholamines) would kick in, particularly cortisol and adrenalin, in order to prepare for the fight or the flight from danger. Breathing would increase to get more oxygen in the brain too. What a magical thing our bodies are automatically designed to do.
Years ago I discovered I had Hashimoto's, an auto-immune towards the thyroid. After seeing how the immune system gets overloaded by the result of various stressors, I came to understand how auto- immune disease can manifest. Many holistic practitioners will focus on gut health first to deal with many ailing problems. I tend to agree that the permeability of the gut lining is important as well as the integrity of the blood/brain barrier(BBB). High cortisol levels over time can impact the BBB, high sugar via alcohol and food impact the growth of candida and weaken the immune system. So are there many connections to sugar and the feeding of parasites, fungus and cancer.
When the immune system is trying to fight off environmental exposures along with our over consumption of foods, alcohol and drugs, suddenly it doesn't function normally and is unable to decipher what is a foreigner and what is not. That is one reason why people are suggested not to eat gluten when they have an auto-immune because of the similarity of cellular structure to our own cells confusing the immune system, never mind the sensitivity that some people develop.
When talking about stress, I have to talk about our thoughts. Part of my focus is addressing how we see the world and the tendency to 'stress out'. This could be an addiction in itself and a neuro-pathway that has gotten locked in over trauma and habit. Stress has become a cultural norm. With the use of so many electrical devices, our electrical bodies are influenced with constant exposure. There are so many ways our body can get out of balance. We must do the best we can to counter act the stressors that come with living in our world.