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This is the third in a three-article series about stress. First, we looked at the sources and symptoms of stress then we looked at the physiology of stress. Now we will explore ways to help your body cope with stress reduction techniques.
As I discussed in the previous two articles, our adrenal glands are in charge of producing hormones that help us cope with stress. With chronic or repeated stress the adrenal glands can become quite worn out and will not be able to produce these hormones any longer. The other outcome of chronic stress is elevated levels of hormones in your system that are only meant to be elevated for short periods of time. In the long run, these hormones make you sick. The best way to support the adrenal glands is maintaining a daily routine. The adrenal glands LOVE this like you love your morning coffee. Try to eat, sleep, exercise, work and study at the same time every day – even on the weekends. I know! Even on the weekends!
Stress reduction techniques to decrease your exposure to stress:
- Blood Sugar: Keeping blood sugar levels steady is very important. Any internal fluctuation is a stress. Any stress requires work from your adrenal glands. Any work from your adrenal glands puts out hormones that if elevated for long periods of time can make you sick. Have I mentioned this? Choose foods rich in fiber such as (a rainbow of) vegetables along with lean protein (poultry, deep-water, wild fish), and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil) at each meal to delay stomach emptying . Try to eat every couple of hours.
- Stimulants: Sugar, coffee, caffeine and energy drinks are best avoided. They act like little hijackers that try to take over your physiology. The constant ups and downs are… guess what? A big stress to your body as it tries to keep everything in balance. So the things we do to give us energy actually create more work for our bodies and our poor, little, neglected adrenal glands. Once you improve the health of your adrenal glands you’ll never need another self-medicated pick-me-up.
- Food Allergies: Food allergies, in fact, any allergy is a stress to the body. Ask your Naturopathic Doctor or licensed health practitioner to help you figure out what you’re allergic to so you can work towards better health.
- No: Learn to say it. Practice with me. “No”. See? That wasn’t so hard now was it? Learn what your limits are. Know when your plate is too full and practice graceful ways of saying no. Your health is more important.
- Breaks: Take relaxation breaks. Take personal health days off from work (whether you’re “sick” or are trying to prevent being so).
Stress reduction techniques to increase your stress threshold:
- Exercise Regularly: We all know we should do it and I can’t emphasize this enough. Our bodies were designed to move. Get active; pretend you’re running away from a saber-tooth tiger… otherwise the stress might eat you up! Get your friends and family involved. Exercise releases endorphins which are natural pain killers while it also improves your blood sugar control and your mood.
- Deep Breathing: Another thing we all know, however, most of us don’t breathe properly. Since it happens automatically we don’t ever think about it. Put a hand on your abdomen just above the navel and when you breathe in count to four and think about pushing the hand on your belly out with your breath. Take four counts to breathe out. Breathe this way 100 times per day – do it when you’re stuck in traffic, waiting at the bank or watching the ads at the theatre before the movie begins. This is a simple fact: you don’t breathe, you die, and I’m dead serious about that.
- Play: Do something fun and try to laugh every day. If it isn’t exercise (always try to get your exercise) then watch a funny movie, have a herbal tea date with a friend, stroll along the beach (if you’re lucky to live by one) or walk your dog. Take time for yourself because you’ll never “find it.”
- Delta wave sleep/state: This is a very important state that your brain goes into when you are in deep, non-dreaming sleep. It recharges our batteries by increasing a hormone called DHEA which helps us grow, detoxify, rejuvenate and restore our energy. This is part of the reason sleep is so important. There are even cd’s you can buy that help you get into a delta wave state. Learn more about DHEA in my article on menopause relief.
The stress reduction techniques listed above are ideas of things you can do to help you decrease your exposure to stress and to help your body cope with the stress that it can’t avoid. There are several herbs, vitamins and minerals that can help as well. Talk to a health professional about specifics for you.
Naturopathic medicine is a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health. Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease. Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor.
Posted by: Dr. Tonia Mitchell ND Tags: cayenne, Dr. Tonia Mitchell ND, herbal healing, home remedies, infections, inflammation, Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor, pain, parsley, rosemary, sage, tumeric, wounds
Many spices and herbs, commonly found around the house, can be used for herbal healing to fight infection, sanitize and heal wounds, improve brain power and detoxify the body. Be warned that many of these herbs have essential oils in them which are toxic in high doses so should especially be avoided during pregnancy. Consider the following:
- Rosemary is my favorite for herbal healing. It is called the herb of remembrance (or the herb of chicken) because it increases blood flow to the brain increasing memory, focus, concentration and mental endurance. Take the dried or fresh leaves and steep them like you would tea. Rosemary is also one of nature’s best antioxidants as it helps prevent cell damage and helps the liver function to detoxify the body.
- Tumeric is another easy way to help detoxify the body. Also, to decrease inflammation in your joints or muscles or anywhere in the body, put 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder in a couple ounces of warm water and drink it quickly. If you don’t like the taste, add some cinnamon or chase it with your favorite fruit juice. This bright yellow powder is used as a clothing dye, so be careful, it will stain your clothes!
- Cayenne is a strong, topical pain neutralizer. Use this spicy, red powder for pain and inflammation of any kind: joint pain, muscle pain or nerve pain. Combine 1 part cayenne powder with 5 parts flour, add some water until it becomes a thick paste and spread it on to a piece of fabric. Fold the fabric so the cayenne paste is in the middle. Apply this to the sore area for 15 minutes maximum, watching for redness or burning. Also, sprinkle some cayenne in your socks to keep your feet cozy on cold days.
- When you’ve got that sensation in the back of your throat as if you’re about to get sick, chew on some sage leaves. The essential oils in the leaves are antimicrobial and should prevent the infection. A pure form of the essential oil can be put in some water and gargled. Also, crush the leaves with a mortar and pestle then wrap them in sterile gauze and apply to scrapes and cuts to clean the wound.
- Parsley can be used for speedy herbal healing of wounds, bruises, stings and bites. Crush the leaves of this breath freshening garnish then wrap them in some sterile gauze and apply directly to the skin.
As you can see, herbal healing is possible from your own home – it’s effective and inexpensive!
Naturopathic medicine is a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health. Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease. Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor.
When you purchase air fresheners, either solid disks, liquid sprays or plug-in devices, do you consider this a luxury item on your list or a necessary purchase for yourself and your home? This may be a frivolous purchase as well as a dangerous one. These products are most likely robbing you of good health.
Many air fresheners mask the offending odour by providing a much stronger odour. There is a wide array of chemical substances that may be used in your air freshener, as well as the propellants in aerosol products, and you may end up inhaling these substances along with the fragrance. Among other health risks, these substances may be numbing your nerves, thereby, affecting your sense of smell. Consider the following:
- Common air fresheners contain chemicals which may affect human reproductive development;
- Air fresheners can be dangerous when used indoors in a small space as commonly used air fresheners may emit toxic pollutants that could be at dangerous levels leading to health problems;
- A chemical compound found in many air fresheners could be harmful to your lungs;
- A component causing great concern in many air fresheners is formaldehyde. You bet this will destroy your sense of smell while being one of the worst offenders for respiratory irritation. Anyone with asthma, lung infections or similar disorders may be severely affected by formaldehyde;
- By using an air freshener in your child’s room, together with an air purifier that creates ozone, the result in formaldehyde levels can be 25 percent higher than recommended. Formaldehyde is considered a known carcinogen;
- Air fresheners – particularly those scented with pine, orange and lemon fragrances can emit harmful levels of toxic pollutants into your environment. Repeated exposure to these pollutants and their by-products can exceed regulatory guidelines particularly in small, poorly ventilated rooms.
Add to this list an excerpt from the Australian Clearing House For Youth Studies stating cheap air fresheners are emerging as a preferred drug for many teenagers in Australia and New Zealand. Called “huffing”, inhaling air fresheners has caused the death of three teenagers in one month in New Zealand.
The answer is simple. Get back to basics. Keep things clean. Ensure good ventilation in your bathroom, kitchen and bedrooms. Simply open a window or use an exhaust fan if you feel the need to clear out odours. Try a few of the following easy tips to freshen the air:
- You can mix 2 cups of hot water, 1/8 cup of baking soda and ½ cup of lemon juice (bottled Real Lemon works too) to make a lemon air freshener spray;
- Wrap some cloves and a cinnamon stick in cheesecloth and place it in a pot of boiling water then let it simmer on the stove while you enjoy the aroma. You could also use citrus fruit in a pot with water and simmer gently;
- Burn 100% pure beeswax candles without lead wicks as they are made of all natural ingredients that can be safely burned in your home while actually purifying and cleaning the air. Most people are unaware that lead is commonly used in candle wicks as a stiffening agent. Burning even a single lead containing candle wick can release harmful levels of lead and other metals into the air. These metals can then find their way on to the surfaces in your home and into the lungs of you and your family;
- You can freshen up your home by boiling a small amount of water in a pan with a tablespoon of dried mint for a minute or two. This will keep your entire home smelling fresh for some time.
If you enjoy essential oils and you would like to immediately create an uplifting, fragrant atmosphere in your home or office try a nebulizing diffuser.
Keep expensive, commercial air fresheners off your luxury or necessary purchase list. Do not allow these products into your home where they may be silently robbing you of good health.
