Is There a Link Between Stress and Illness?

For years we’ve heard that stress is a definitive factor in increased illness.

It’s funny, we deal with stress so often in our lives we rarely recognize it when it happens.  It seems that mentally and emotionally we have adapted, but physically our body is feeling something else entirely.

What are some of the major stress factors in our lives:

• Financial worries
• Health concerns
• Stress from work
• Lack of sleep
• Family concerns

We have become almost immune to these common everyday “stressers”, and yet the effects on our body will become evident over a span of time.

Eventually the effects reveal themselves in the form of:

• High blood pressure
• Elevated heart rate
• Poor digestion
• Headaches
• Lack of energy

In an effort to combat these “stresser” marks our body tries to compensate by internally gobbling up our nutrients, thus depleting our cache; putting our immune system at risk.

Research has long established the link between high stress levels and lower immune systems.

Our bodies are beautifully created and masterfully made, but under stress they will react one of two ways.

• Learned Helplessness
  • Poor digestion
  • Increased headaches
  • Decreased energy
  • Cellular irregularity    ��

• Fight or Flight
  • High blood pressure
  • Elevated heart rate
  • Elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar
      

So what can we do to combat the internal, and sometimes external, effects of living a life of stress.

First and foremost, find peace in your Creator and Lord.  Reflect and meditate on what He has for you and your life, within His Word, and be at peace knowing that He will direc recognize the pillars to supporting a healthy lifestyle:

• Regular exercise
• Sufficient sleep
• Stress management
• Healthy diet

Speaking from experience, if these were not a common practice in your life, then it will take some time to get proficient, but the pay off is tremendous.  Start simply by making a commitment to yourself to begin today to take better care of yourself.  Start routinely taking a walk…enjoying quiet time with the Lord…eating healthy foods…and getting a good nights rest.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the importance of dietary supplements as you move through your “Wellness Journey”.  Taking nutritional supplements with a combination of adaptogens, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids can provide the food your body needs for healing, repairing, and infusing your system with vitality.

Start today taking care of yourself!

To your health and success,
Colleen