It’s no secret that stress has been a part of our daily lives from the beginning of time. Whereas once stress meant   the challenges of finding shelter to keep us warm and dry, or tracking down our next meal, now we face the stress involved in not being able to find your cell phone or having someone “unfriend” you on Facebook.  Regardless of the situation at hand, stress affects us all. The question becomes, however, “What are you going to do about it?”

Here’s the thing: Sometimes in life we’re able to recognize that fact that we’re stressed.  Most of us are even able to identify some stresses and even recognize how they affect us, at least in terms of how they make us feel.  But what we may not be aware of is how the stresses of life will affect us in the long term.

Listen, studies have indicated that over 80% of all healthcare dollars spent are related to stress-induced conditions.  In fact, as a result of the stresses that people deal with every day, 2.3 million Americans are now said to suffer from anxiety disorders. This has led to a dramatic increase in prescriptions for anxiety medications. Furthermore, it has also been found that 60-80% of industrial accidents are also caused by stress-related disorders. Truthfully, the list of the ways our lives are being affected by daily stress is quite exhausting.

You see, when you experience stress, the pituitary gland will automatically respond by releasing a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).  This response then sends an immediate signal to your adrenal glands, telling them to release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream.

So what’s the problem? There is no problem when it happens in a survival situation, as intended. In fact, this innate response is totally fine for that brief moment when your body needs to adapt quickly in a crisis, when it’s a matter of your survival.

The real and devastating problem arises when the stresses of life cause this response continually, creating physiological changes in your body that may lead to chronic increases in blood pressure or heart rate, inflammation, and cholesterol production. Other negative effects on the body may include slow digestion, hormone imbalances, reproductive problems, and a compromised immune system.  In addition, as the seemingly endless amounts of stress continue, cortisol levels rise. Then the body begins to react as if you’re in a survival situation, in urgent need of quick and readily usable energy. As a result, the cortisol can then become very destructive as the body begins to break down the body’s proteins to be used as fuel. All in all, being exposed to chronic increases in stress and higher levels of cortisol can then lead to a flooding of sugar, also a potential, indirect cause of weight gain.  When this happens over a period of time, you commonly find yourself gaining belly fat predominately in the lower stomach area, beneath the belly button.

You see, sometimes these stresses sneak up on us and over time accumulate in a way that your body’s normal function and ability to express life becomes compromised.  Once again, however, the question at hand remains, “What are you going to do about it?”

Choose life in how you eat, how you take care of your body, how you think and perceive things.  Have an attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude, while keeping the “Big things big, and the small things small.”  Don’t wait for the crisis to occur, but rather be proactive with your life and your health.  Lastly, don’t think about managing stress, instead think of ways to increase PEACE.

Remember, the way you deal with the underlying cause (stress) will provide the necessary solution to losing weight and achieving lasting, long-term sustainable health.

If along the way you need help, don’t hesitate to ask.  We’re always here, and happy to assist you in any way needed, whether with weight loss, lifestyle, or achieving optimal health through chiropractic care.

Blessings.