In 52 Healthy Changes, Everyday Life
Full of Days Healthy Change #23 Identify Stress
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e all know that too much stress isn’t good for our health, but it happens all the same. We wake up late, rush to get ready for work only to get stuck in rush-hour traffic. We stress about deadlines. We stress over a fight with our spouse. We stress over our kids, family and loved ones. And then we stress about stress!

For the most part, stress is obvious and easily recognized, but did you know there are hidden stressors most of us are unaware of? Below I’ve listed five of the most common “hidden stressors” that could be negatively affecting your health today:

1. Lack of Sleep – We’ve talked before about how not enough sleep negatively effects your health by putting stress on your body. If you wake up feeling tired, that’s your body saying, “I’m stressed”. There’s no magic number for how many hours of sleep we need, but studies have shown 7-9 hours per night is a good place to start. And it’s not only the amount that’s important but the quality of your sleep as well. A crummy night’s sleep happens…sick kids, crying babies, barking dogs or ambulance sirens, but did you know there are other culprits that might be affecting your sleep?

A lack of sleep affects the movement of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (as well as increased levels of the “stress hormone,”) cortisol. When excess cortisol is released it triggers our “fight or flight” reaction. When our body recognizes this “stress” it shuts down normal maintenance and begins storing fat while releasing sugar into the bloodstream (for quick energy). Nutrients become quickly depleted and cravings for simple carbohydrates and sugars are felt. Prolonged or chronic stress can eventually lead to insulin resistance. Which takes us to the second hidden form of stress…

2. Unstable Blood Sugar – This affects everyone. Blood sugar isn’t only an issue for those with type 1 or 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, gestational diabetes or insulin resistance, but high and low blood sugar affects us all.

Let’s compare our blood sugar to the ocean for a minute…ideally our blood sugar should swell like the gentle, low waves on a calm, windless day, gently rising up and down. But what happens when we indulge in excess carbs (hello sugar-laden treat) is that our blood sugar skyrockets and then plummets shortly after. These highs and lows are like a stormy sea, putting stress on the body as cortisol or insulin try to right your ship on these monstrous waves.

Unfortunately there’s no one “perfect formula” to keep this from happening, but rather each of us must learn our “Unique Carb Tolerance” (UTC). We will find this from cues our body gives us before and after eating. If you find you’re very sleepy and foggy before a meal, that’s your body signalling low blood sugar. If you feel like you need a nap shortly after eating, that’s your body signalling high blood sugar. But it’s a bit more tricky because this can also happen if you have overworked adrenals (which makes it difficult to keep blood sugar up between meals) or if you’re insulin resistant (which makes it difficult to lower your blood sugar back down after meals). For more on this, read this article by Dr. Brook Kalanic.

Blood sugar swings cause a merry-go-round cycle of cravings. When we have low blood sugar, we reach for the carbs, our body gets put under stress as our blood sugar spikes, then plummets about an hour later and we again, reach for the carbs…and around and around it goes!

3. Food Sensitivities – Many of us have food sensitivities that can go undiagnosed for years. Ever feel gassy or bloated after eating? Think that’s just a normal reaction to certain foods? Think again! It’s likely you’re dealing with a food sensitivity. The most common are gluten, dairy and soy, and some others include eggs, grains and, nightshades. Sensitivity to these foods doesn’t equate to a food allergy though, it could just mean you’re dealing with a leaky gut and need to focus on healing that up a bit. Having a leaky gut can also lead to false allergy test results, so getting tested for sensitivities isn’t the best option to remedy this issue.

Eating foods we’re sensitive to causes inflammation in the body. This inflammation causes enough damage on its own, but inflammation paired with stress can wreak havoc over time. Doing a simple elimination diet for 30 days (such as The Whole 30) could clear things up enough to introduce them back into your diet in moderation. If you’re questioning whether or not you have food sensitivities read this post.

4. Over-training – Yes, it’s possible to workout too much. There, I said it! How can something so good be bad? Well, too much exercise without enough recovery causes stress on our body. If you’re still wiped out 24 hours after a workout session, with zero motivation to workout again, you may be over-training (or not fueling your body with adequate nutrition). Also, if you feel achy or look puffy, experience gas or bloating, have extra breakouts or notice changes in your menstrual cycle or sleep patterns, you may be over-training.

But how much is too much? Again, I wish there was a simple plan that worked for everyone, but this is another individually unique area of health. If you’re dealing with excess stress and are suffering from hormonal imbalances because of it, hitting it hard on the treadmill for an hour, or even doing a 30 minute HIIT program (High Intensity Interval Training) may be doing more harm than good.

Listen to those cues your body is giving you. It may be hard to recognize them at first, but chances are, if you’re looking for them, you’ll see them!

5. Nutrient Deficiencies – And last, but definitely not least, are nutrient deficiencies. When we’re stressed we try to cope with that stress, and not always in the best ways! Have you ever noticed your craving for sugar is heightened during a stressful situation? Or even, perhaps, after the stressful situation has passed? As mentioned before, stress wreaks havoc on our hormone balance, and if the balance is off then our other bodily functions will be off as well. This includes digestion! Our gut is comprised of millions of bacteria, and if the ratio of good guys:bad guys (beneficial bacteria:harmful bacteria) is off, then we wind up back at stressor #2. Our digestive system is how our body absorbs (and eventually utilizes) nutrients, so if this is out of whack, it’s very likely we’re not getting adequate nutrition, especially if we’re caving under pressure and consuming sugary, carb-laden foods. This is why it’s of utmost importance to be sure we’re eating a healthy diet (and why we try to follow some of these basic traditional diet principles). 

The most common nutrient deficiencies include protein, zinc, magnesium, selenium and essential fatty acids. If your nutrient deficiencies are severe, you may need to take supplements to help get them up to a normal range. If you think you’re dealing with deficiencies, it’s my recommendation to seek out a naturopathic healthcare practitioner who is educated in hormone health and can offer proper testing.

OK, I’m Stressed…What Now?

It’s no good to just point out areas of stress and leave you hanging; keep reading in our 52 Healthy Changes series because Healthy Change #24 is all about coping with stressthe right way!

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