Less Stress for More Years

Stress is defined as: “a specific response by the body to a stimulus, as fear or pain, which disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism; physical, mental or emotional strain or tension; a situation, occurrence, or factor causing this.” 

Our jobs, our relationships, the commute, and time constraints can all create stress. McDonald’s or Starbuck’s offers up that morning caffeine/sugar/artificially sweetened/Trans fat laden jump start. After work, some of us stop at the local gym to be kicked around for an hour, battle traffic again, microwave a lean cuisine backed with diet soda to keep us, well, lean, watch TV until midnight, then toss and turn until morning. 

The latest fitness crazes are “Six Weeks to Total Fitness” boot camps, eating “foods made more functional” and the relentless pursuit of non-functional “six-pack abs”. Experts remind us that we must exercise ninety minutes daily to combat stress; the good old “No pain, no gain” adage.

Hmmmmmm…

Re-read that stress definition: “pain (boot camp class) interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism (that would be you)”; “physical (running, health food bars), mental (work deadlines, finances), emotional strain or tension (relationships at home or work); a situation, occurrence or factor causing this (see all of the above)”.

No wonder we’re crabby, tired, overweight, stressed out and hate the “E” word! The very things that supposedly relieve stress actually add to the stress mess! Our body doesn’t know we’re trying to be healthy; it thinks we’re being chased by a herd of tigers all day as we run or bike searching for food and water that is never in our caves, obligingly bathing every cell in our body with cortisol. Consider why elite athletes are chronically injured and die at relatively young ages.

The single most potent change to lessen stress is eating wholesome, nutritionally dense food. This enables the millions of cells that die every second to be rebuilt from good “material”. We truly are what we eat. If we live on fast food because we drive fast cars, our cells are literally built from that KFC drumstick or roiled up pieces of conventionally farmed BBQ’d steak we ate on Memorial Day.