Simply Health ME E41 – Stress – Simply Health of Maine

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-np23i-94f801

Chronic Stress leads to chronic disease, shorter lifespan

When stress is encountered, a chain reaction occurs in the body that releases a surge of hormones (adrenaline and cortisol)

Adrenaline increases heart rate, elevates blood pressure and boosts energy.
Cortisol increases sugars in the bloodstream,

Cortisol suppresses the digestive and reproductive systems, alters the immune system and slows growth processes.

Chronic stress weakens the immune system and can lead to chronic disease, along with

anxiety; depression;
digestive and sleep problems;
weight gain;
memory and concentration impairment;
heart disease, including heart attacks arrhythmias and,
in some cases, death.

Causes telomere shortening (increase aging)

Increases whole body inflammation

Like insulin resistance and leptin resistance, there is cortisol resistance

Chronically elevated cortisol

How to We Minimize chronic Stress

SLEEP
Mindfulness / Meditation (I use Simple Habit)

Sometimes I just lie on the floor and stare at fan

Include acute short term stressors which lower overall chronic stress

Like exercise

Avoid processed food which place a stresser on your metabolic machinery
Spend time with people you love
Spend time in Nature

Smart Physical Acute Stress

Healthier Mitocondria

“an organelle found in large numbers in most cells, in which the biochemical processes of respiration and energy production”

“People have always known that prolonged mitochondrial stress can be deleterious. But we discovered that when you stress mitochondria just a little, the mitochondrial stress signal is actually interpreted by the cell and animal as a survival strategy. It makes the animals completely stress-resistant and doubles their lifespan”

Suppresses the accumulation of damaged proteins that can occur in degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Recent research in longevity reveals the importance of healthy mitochondria

Mitochondria need to be challenge periodically

How do we challenge mitochondria