It is no secret that in the last year and a half people’s stress levels have increased dramatically. From health, immunization, and financial worries, the impacts of this on top of our day-to-day stresses are enormous on our bodies.
Did you know that stress is one of the leading causes of disease in our bodies? There is a saying in Ayurvedic medicine “Dis-ease causes disease”.
The “Barrel Effect” and how stress affects our bodies.
The Barrel Effect was first introduced by a pediatric allergy medicine pioneer, and former president of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, Dr. Rapp.
The idea is to think of our bodies as barrels. The barrel is a vessel with a limit to its capacity. When the barrel becomes too full, the content starts spilling over, and this is when we start experiencing symptoms. To a lot of doctors, these symptoms may even seem unexplainable. All the recommended tests may be run, and all may come back “within the normal range”, but the symptoms we are experiencing are something very real.
What fills this barrel can be any past or present stressors from diet, environment, toxic exposures, even our thoughts. Genetic predisposition also plays a role. And so all of these stressors accumulate over time until, yes, the barrels spillover. Our barrel can no longer contain or manage all the contents and eventually overflows.
What Fills This Barrel?
- General anxiety
- Short-term acute stressors
- Long-term chronic stress
- Low nutrient intake
- Poor diet
- Lack of sleep
- Chemicals in processed food and conventional agriculture
- Chemicals in personal care and home cleaning and laundry products
- Toxic load in municipal water systems
- Electromagnetic frequencies (and now 5G in some parts of the world), and constant use of screens
- Bioaccumulation of environmental pollutants
- Pharmaceutical medications and interventions
- Chemical residues on home furnishings and clothing (VOC’s)
- Financial stress
- Disconnection from positive human contact
- Disconnection from nature
Symptoms of stress:
- feeling overwhelmed in general
- highly reactive to what would normally be minor stressors
- skin breakouts like acne, hives, rashes that are unexplained
- trouble sleeping
- digestive issues such as bloating, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea
- unexplained body aches and pain
- difficulty concentrating, brain fog
- generalized fatigue no matter how much rest we get
- feelings of sadness and depression
- lack of motivation
- heightened sensitivity to smells, light, or sounds
- flare-ups of inflammation or auto-immune conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Fibromyalgia
- hormonal disruptions (missed periods, hot flashes in menopause, miscarriages)
- fluctuations in blood pressure levels
So how can we reduce our stress levels?
It is impossible to remove all our stressors at once, but there are some simple actions that we take daily to help improve our mood and diminish our symptoms.
- Spend time outdoors in nature
- Take some time to breathe, there are many wonderful apps that can coach you through deep breathing exercises
- Meditate daily. You don’t have to sit cross-legged for what can seem like hours. Walking meditation is just as effective. Take a walk, without your phone and simply observe the nature around you. Notice the smells, colours, sounds and feel the soft breeze of the wind n your skin.
- Spend less time on your electronic devices, especially before bed
- Eat a whole foods diet rich in fruits, vegetables, organic grass-fed meats, legumes, organic soy, gluten-free grains, healthy omegas, and fibre.
- Stop eating a diet high in sugar and processed chemicals
- Open your windows and let the fresh air in
- Switch personal care products to natural products free of hormone disruptors, lead, and sulfates
- Go to bed no later than 10pm every night and ensure at least 7-8 hours of sleep
- Learn to ask for help when you need it
- Learn to say no. We often want to please others and forget to take care of our own needs
- Magnesium: Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Glycinate Chronic physical or mental stress depletes your body of magnesium, and low magnesium levels intensify stress — creating a vicious cycle. Magnesium modulates activity of the body’s stress-response system, and studies suggest increasing magnesium intake may reduce anxiety, ease stress and minimize the response to fear.
- Essential Fatty Acids: Genestra Omega EFA Liquid Help to promote a healthy mood balance in adults. In conjunction with conventional therapy, help to reduce the pain of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adults. Help to reduce serum triglyceride levels and helps to maintain cardiovascular health in adults.
- Ashwagandha: NFH Ashwagandha SAP Commonly known as ashwagandha, ‘Indian ginseng’, or winter cherry, Withania somnifera has been used as a staple ingredient in Ayurvedic preparations due to its numerous therapeutic properties for over 3000 years. Helps to increase resistance to stress/anxiety in individuals with a history of chronic stress, thereby improving their overall quality of life
- B-complex: NFH B Complex SAP B-complex vitamins are often used to reduce fatigue and boost mood.
- Some studies suggest that B-complex vitamins can lift your spirits and improve your cognitive performance.
- Pantothenic acid: NFH B5 SAP Also known as B5, is sometimes referred to as the “anti-stress” vitamin because it can reverse some biological damage caused by stress. Physical, emotional, and psychological stresses trigger the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol (a long-term stress hormone) and adrenaline (a short-term stress hormone). Chronic stress drives the production of too much of any of these hormones, which causes damage in the body long after the stress signal has ended When vitamin B5 is present in adequate amounts, it can down-regulate the secretion of cortisol, and the body can recover.
- Glutathione: Pure Encapsulations Liposomal Glutathione Glutathione helps stave off the impact of oxidative stress, which may, in turn, reduce disease.
- Vitamin-C: Genestra C-1000 vitamin C deficiency is widely associated with stress-related diseases according to The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry
- Cordyceps: NFH Mushroom Complex SAP has adaptogenic properties and can help improve energy and resistance to stress
*for more information or to order any of these products, click on the product links in this blog or contact us at [email protected]
** some supplements may have interactions with prescription drugs, therefore please check with your medical or naturopathic doctor prior to use
BLOG WRITTEN BY: KACIA MONGEAU