One of the key tenets I have learned through my study of functional medicine is that reaching and maintaining a state of wellness does not need to be complicated. In fact, there are three main areas in which to focus. The first is to Maximize what you (as a unique individual) needs, the 2nd is to Minimize what you DON’t Need, and the 3rd is to Prioritize an environment for healing.
One of the huge culprits that gets in the way of this optimal health, however, is stress. As a Functional Medicine practitioner, I am very serious about reversing disease dynamics, and stress is therefore something I have to help my clients take seriously -- and do something about (not just look at and lament about)! The reason is this, 75 - 90% of all doctor’s office visits in the U.S. are for stress-related problems and complaints.1
Although stress is a natural response that our bodies are hard wired to be able to have, we are not meant to be in the stress state for prolonged periods of time. Instead, our bodies are only meant to be in this state of fight or flight for short periods of time. The reason is that being in a fight/flight (or sympathetic nervous system dominant state) also has downstream consequences that cause wear and tear on our bodies.
Of course, like all things - it’s about balance. Not all stress is bad - some can actually promote and stimulate healing mechanisms in the body through the process of hormesis. Things like challenge, adventure, motivation to meet a goal -- these can be good in small doses. The same is true with exercise. Putting our muscles and organs under a bit of pressure and stress actually helps them to grow and strengthen. However, the problem that we see that is all too common in our society is when stress becomes ongoing and constant...
For the majority of our time, we are designed to operate in the parasympathetic nervous state - the rest and digest state of being - like the lithe, stealthy cheetah seen in the diagram below. But the reality is, many of us spend the majority of time in the state of sympathetic dominance - fight or flight (more like a hyper gazelle), and when this happens, it can and does cause all kinds of chaos on the body.
Source: English Wikibooks.
This diagram shows the two states of your nervous system - sympathetic (fight or flight), and parasympathetic (rest and digest). You can see the signals sent from your brain to various parts of your body can either increase contractions and secretions, or reduce them throughout our various organs and systems. The signals totally depend on what nervous system state you are in. In the stressed state - things happen like increased heart rate, increased focus and alertness, increased metabolic activities to prepare the body for emergency activity (like sprinting for your life from a bear or lifting a car off a child). But these activities are designed to be short term exceptions for survival. In the rest state - your muscles externally are relaxed, you have increased digestive activities to store energy for future use, your immune system can function optimally (whereas it can’t in a stressed state because your body is prioritizing SHORT TERM survival over fighting a simmering infection).
Other things to note regarding stress:
- It depletes our nutrients - meaning that even if you eat a very healthy and nutrient dense diet, stress uses up much of those nutrients, leaving little for the functioning of the rest of the body
- It impairs digestion (not allowing you to absorb what you need from your food
- It impairs detoxification capability (so you can’t get rid of the toxins that are so ubiquitous in our environment)
- It causes inflammation and oxidative damage internally - like in the lining of your arteries, in your gut, and all over your body in seemingly unrelated places.
The problem is, our body doesn’t differentiate between a bear attack and being late for a meeting. To the body, the stress is the same and triggers the same physiological actions. So what can you do about this in your day to day to incorporate a healthier way of life?
One of the best things we can do is purposefully move into Parasympathetic mode, often.
We are capable of shifting gears-- and when we do, we can consciously make choices that tell our body that it is safe, that it can relax, and we can promote the rest/digest/heal/procreate and THRIVE processes. However, this doesn’t happen on accident -- most people aren’t even aware that their automatic choices are promoting stress.
A few ways to purposefully move into Parasympathetic dominance:
- Breathe, consciously. Try a conscious breath exercise: Breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 6, and exhale slowly for a count of 8. Repeat for at least 1 minute.
- Spend time outdoors, in nature - Nature has been shown to help you release endorphins and put you in a more relaxed state. Scientific peer reviewed research studies show a negative correlation between higher green space and stress (as measured through salivary cortisol). Meaning -- more green space, less stress.2 Additionally, getting fresh air daily is a key tenet for sustainable health. Indoor air can get stale and toxic from out-gassing (from things like furniture, textiles (rugs/curtains, etc), as well as chemicals and building materials.
- Gentle movement and exercise. Things like yoga , walking, stretching - that emphasize breathing and the mind/body connection
- Gratitude. Focusing on the things you are grateful for daily can reduce stress. The simple exercise of writing down 3 things that you are grateful for each day trains the mind to look for positivity in all aspects of your life.
- Meditation. Having a consistent practice can do wonders for reducing stress that has been stored in your body through past experiences.
- Find MORE JOY. Make time to do things that bring you true joy in your life. This will bring you into more of a relaxed state, not to mention, make you a happier person and more fun to be around :).
All of these activities are choices that we can make daily -- that tell our bodies that it is safe. It’s not enough to just outwardly say, “oh, I’m not stressed, everything is fine” if, in fact, it’s not really how you feel. The reason is that the number one component that makes up our environment (that we should be prioritizing for healing) is our thoughts -- and we can’t trick our bodies just with what we say, we have to BELIEVE that we ARE fine.
So, how do we do this? One way is through nature. Spending time outdoors has a host of benefits, but we could also do well by taking cues from nature. Look at wild animals, for example. Why do they do so well in the wild when they are being chased by actual predators daily, while humans do so poorly in civilization when we aren’t nearly at so much risk for our lives daily? Well, one reason is because animals literally know how to “shake it off.” Have you ever watched a dog or even a deer or other wild animal after a chase or a scare? They shake their body from head to tail. This act allows them to shake off the stress and return to a parasympathetic state.
Animals do not ruminate on what has just happened. They put it out of their minds and move about their business. Humans, on the other hand, tend to do the opposite. We ruminate on our stressors and this creates an often vicious cycle of thinking - impacting our thoughts and then our bodies. The body follows the mind! In order to help strengthen this for the human mind, practices that incorporate mindfulness can be very beneficial. In particular, practices that connect the breath and the body like yoga, tai-chi, and stretching.
Another way we can use nature to our benefit is to bring nature into you! What Do I mean by this? Being conscious of the food we are consuming because food plays a huge role in our well-being. The more that we consume that which is of the Earth (rather than processed and man-made in factories) -- things like whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy grains, and plain, clean water -- the better off our bodies are, and the better off our minds too. These are the most nutritious foods we can find, not the processed and packaged junk that brings more toxins and chemicals into our bodies than nutrients, and is a wonderful way to bring nature into us!
Nature is a brilliant, free way in which we can strengthen the connection between the body and the mind through the vagus nerve. Activities like exposing yourself to natural beauty, seeking out natural daylight and fresh air everyday are also beneficial.
So remember, optimal health doesn’t need to be complex: if we focus on maximizing what our unique body needs, minimizing what it doesn’t and prioritizing an environment for healing. To learn more about functional medicine health coaching and to see if it’s the right approach to help you get and stay well, reach out to Payal at www.arorawellness.com or email her at Payal@arorawellness.com.
Sources:
1. Web MD; “The Effects of Stress On Your Body.” https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/effects-of-stress-on-your-body#:~:text=Seventy-five percent to 90,arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3799530/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8001092/