There are many definitions of stress and we all think we know what stress is. However, the current thinking seems to be. Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that physical, emotional or intellectual demands exceed their personal and social resources.
Your body is able to deal with brief episodes and, in fact, these brief episodes are considered to be beneficial to the enjoyment of life and achievement of goals. However, high levels of stress on a regular basis can affect you both physically and mentally and what was once a creative level of stimulation can turn into unmanageable stress. Men tend to suffer from stress far more than women. This is thought to be because men react to stress with a fight or flight response, whereas women have a œtend and nurture response. So men either flee or become belligerent but women seek social contact, especially with other women, and spend time nurturing their children, to cope with stress. Your brain has evolved over millions of years and consists of three important developmental stages:
First is the primal survival stage (the reptilian brain)
Second is the nurturing/social stage (the mammalian brain)
And last, but by no means least, there is your cognitive or intellectual stage (the neocortex).
When you are stressed, your fight and flight response (the reptilian brain) becomes activated as you become anxious. However, todays stresses are not usually ones that you can run away from and it wont help if you go into all-out fighting mode when your office manager has asked to you work late once too often!
We all know about high blood pressure and heart problems, but before it reaches this level, it can affect your ability to succeed in your career and thrive in your relationships, as well as in your ability to relax and regenerate your sense of well-being.
If you have been experiencing low levels of stress and have ignored it (despite having slight concerns), one day, when you push yourselves just too much and have a full-blown panic attack, you may become so fearful that you believe you are seriously ill or are loosing your sanity. In fact, what you are experiencing is your bodys defense system trying to stop you from pushing yourself too far.
It has been demonstrated that chronic stress can lead to decreased immune function, increased risk of infection and decreased ability to fight infection or repair tissue. Blood pressure and cholesterol levels rise, the stomach produces too much acid, sex hormones become reduced and your mental ability becomes impaired due to lack of glucose.
Researchers are beginning to speculate that stress is probably the main reason why women live longer than men. However, there are certain nutrients and nutritional supplements that can help you cope and help reverse the effects of stress.
5-HTP is converted to serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that acts on the brain to help promote sleep and elevate mood.
Calcium/magnesium combinations help relieve muscle tension and are essential for a good nights sleep.
Ginseng helps your body to normalise the way it responds to stress triggers and helps to regulate the manufacture and secretion of hormones produced by the adrenal glands.
L-theanine is an amino acid that acts as a relaxant by stimulating the production of alpha waves in the brain leading to decreased stress and anxiety.
Rhodiola rosea has been used in the traditional medicine of Russia and Scandinavia for relieving anxiety and depression for centuries.
St Johns Wort is the leading natural herbal remedy for mild and moderate mood disorders and is reported to help ease tension and anxiety.
Valerian root is used in the traditional medicine of many cultures as a mild sedative and to aid the induction of sleep.
Vitamin B Complex contains all the B vitamins that play an essential role in energy production. When you are in prolonged stressful situations, energy is diverted from you bodys normal functions to fuel the fight or flight response. B vitamins act as catalysts to the enzyme systems enabling them to release nutrients from food to help replace this lost energy.
Additionally, there are a few basic steps you can take to help you cope with your stress levels:
Allow yourself some regular time just for yourself · Allow yourself to rest without feeling guilty about it · Give yourself a treat without going overboard· Eat a balanced, healthy diet· Go to bed early if your body tells you to · Drink water frequently · Take a brisk walk at lunchtime · Allow yourself to laugh
These small actions can go a long way towards alleviating many of the pressures you have to cope with in todays hectic lifestyle.
You can find out more about stress and nutritional suplements that can help in "The Plain English Guide To Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements" in here.
by Steve Stapleton
About the Author
Steve has been advising customers on vitamins, minerals and other supplements for 7 years. His plain, uncomplicated and impartial advice has now been carried through to his first book "The Plain English Guide To Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements" here.
