Could your health issues be related to stress?
How does long-term stress impact our health?
I created this flowchart after seeing several clients who had been under considerable stress for the past couple of years. These clients were experiencing gut issues and their blood test results indicated high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, reduced thyroid function and for a few clients, reduced kidney function too.
The interesting thing about these cases was that none of the clients had actually considered that chronic stress may have been contributing to their health issues. Stress had never been discussed by their doctors either, with the focus being on treating the symptoms (e.g. high cholesterol, high blood sugar), rather than trying to address the cause.
Long-term stress has a significant impact on the adrenal glands and often leads to cortisol imbalance.
Whilst it is not possible to eliminate stress altogether, there are things we can do to support the adrenal glands and restore cortisol balance:
Consume a diet rich in adrenal-supporting nutrients and supplement if necessary (nutrients to focus on include magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids)
Swap intense gym workouts for gentle forms of exercise like yoga, walking or pilates
Eat a gut-friendly diet to support optimal production of neurotransmitters, e.g. serotonin, dopamine and GABA
Incorporate some form of stress management into your day, e.g. breathing exercises, yoga, meditation
Have a relaxing Epsom salt bath
Ensure you get enough sleep
Eliminate sugar and minimise caffeine and alcohol
Reducing stress and supporting healthy adrenal function can have a powerful impact on our overall health.
This is particularly important if you have high cholesterol, reduced thyroid or kidney function, elevated blood glucose or insulin, or digestive issues.
For more information about how stress impacts our health and what we can do about it, check out these blog posts: