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| Stressed Out? Try Natural Relief |
By Joseph McCaffrey, MD, FACS
What if you knew that poisonous chemicals were slowly
accumulating in your body? Only tiny amounts at a time,
but steadily and gradually accumulating to a level that
eventually exposed you to illness. Would you want to stop
that accumulation and reverse what had already occurred?
Of course you would.
Most likely this is in fact happening to you. Only the source
isn't some external form of pollution -- it's your body's own
stress response constantly being triggered.
Stress is a fact of our every day life. One definition is
anything that requires a response and adaptation on our
part. In today's world, we respond all the time -- we have
to. Things change quickly and information comes at us from
all directions.
Over time, chronic stress shifts our internal chemical
balance. For example, people under chronic stress have
higher levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) and lower
levels of DHEA (the "youth hormone"). These changes
severely impair your well-being and vitality.
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to defuse
the situation and restore balance.
The Basics
First of all, a healthy lifestyle goes a long way toward
creating stress hardiness. Eating a healthy diet, exercising
well and getting rest all help minimize the effects of daily
stress.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
One helpful thing you can do in the moment of stress is
breathe. Really breathe. Since we have to breathe to live,
you'd think we'd all be pretty good at it. The fact is, most
of us breathe poorly.
We draw air into our lungs by expanding the volume of our
chests. We do this by moving our rib cage and moving our
diaphragm. The diaphragm moves much more air, yet most
people mainly use their rib motion to breathe.
Under stress it gets even worse -- breathing becomes
tense and shallow.
To break the stress cycle, you can take a deep breath
from the diaphragm. In a sense, it gives your body an "all
clear" message. But to do it properly, you need to learn to
use your diaphragm.
The diaphragm is a thin (about ¼-inch) layer of muscle
separating the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. At
rest, it's like an upside-down bowl. When it contracts, it
flattens, pushing down toward the abdomen.
If you use your diaphragm, your stomach should expand as
you breathe in. Babies naturally breathe this way. The rest
of us have to practice a bit.
You can check if you are breathing properly from the
diaphragm by lying down and resting your hand on your
stomach. Take a deep breath. Your hand should move up.
If it doesn't, play with your breathing until you find how to
move your hand up. When you do, you've just used your
diaphragm.
A good practice is to consciously take 10 slow deep
breaths, using both your diaphragm and rib cage, several
times a day. If you feel yourself becoming tense, use deep
breathing to break the cycle.
If it appeals to you, you can also imagine yourself
breathing in relaxation and breathing out tension.
Meditation
The science is in -- meditation neutralizes stress. Dr.
Herbert Benson did the first serious research on the
physiology of people meditating. He described his findings
in his book The Relaxation Response and several books
since. The relaxation response is the physiologic opposite
of the stress response.
Further research has only confirmed the value of
meditation. For example, dynamic brain scans demonstrate
differences in brain function between people who meditate
regularly and those who don't.
Even though most people have heard of the benefits of
meditation by now, they don't do it. One reason often given
for not meditating is that they don't want to buy into a belief
system. You don't have to. While meditation can be done
as part of a spiritual practice, it can be done simply for the
physiology it induces.
Another reason given is lack of time. Some programs do
call for 20-45 minutes twice a day, and that is a lot of time.
However, much shorter periods, even 5 minutes, yield
benefits. If you can't find 5 minutes to sit quietly and slow
your racing mind just a bit, that's all the more proof you
need to make time to do it. You better aim for 20 minutes.
Lots of resources are available to learn meditation. One
site I like because it is very low key and not at all
intimidating is http://www.learningmeditation.com/. (disable
link) It gives good general instructions and has several free
meditations available.
Positive Emotion
One the most efficient ways to defuse stress while it's
happening is to use positive emotion. In the January 18,
2008 issue of Total Health Breakthroughs, I described a
technique to help you think better under stress. What I
didn't mention in that article is that this simple technique
prevents the physical effects of stress from accumulating.
An advantage of this technique over meditation is that you
can do it in the moment you're feeling stressed -- stuck in
traffic, having an interesting "discussion" with a co-worker,
etc. You don't have to wait to be alone to quiet your mind.
Supplements
I don't recommend supplements specifically for stress
relief. I think it's more effective to focus on the basics -- a
healthy lifestyle and the techniques mentioned above.
However, one supplement you might consider is
phosphatidylserine. It contains a group of chemicals called
phospholipids that are important components of cell
membranes. Studies show measurable benefit and
improved response to stress in people supplementing with
phosphatidylserine.1-2 It seems to work by blunting the
usual increase in stress hormones. The dose used in one
study showing effectiveness was 400 mg a day.
The daily little (and big) stresses of modern life can seem
like "death by a thousand paper-cuts." The approach
outlined here will help you avoid their toxic effects.
References
Benton D. Nutr Neurosci 2001;4(3):169-78.
Stress 2004 Jun;7(2):119-26.
Note: Joseph F. McCaffrey, MD, FACS is a board-certified
surgeon with extensive experience in alternative medicine,
including certification as a HeartMath Trainer. His areas of
expertise include mind-body interaction and cognitive
restructuring. Dr. McCaffrey strives to help people attain their
optimum level of vitality through attention to all aspects of
wellness.
What if you knew that poisonous chemicals were slowly
accumulating in your body? Only tiny amounts at a time,
but steadily and gradually accumulating to a level that
eventually exposed you to illness. Would you want to stop
that accumulation and reverse what had already occurred?
Of course you would.
Most likely this is in fact happening to you. Only the source
isn't some external form of pollution -- it's your body's own
stress response constantly being triggered.
Stress is a fact of our every day life. One definition is
anything that requires a response and adaptation on our
part. In today's world, we respond all the time -- we have
to. Things change quickly and information comes at us from
all directions.
Over time, chronic stress shifts our internal chemical
balance. For example, people under chronic stress have
higher levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) and lower
levels of DHEA (the "youth hormone"). These changes
severely impair your well-being and vitality.
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to defuse
the situation and restore balance.
The Basics
First of all, a healthy lifestyle goes a long way toward
creating stress hardiness. Eating a healthy diet, exercising
well and getting rest all help minimize the effects of daily
stress.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
One helpful thing you can do in the moment of stress is
breathe. Really breathe. Since we have to breathe to live,
you'd think we'd all be pretty good at it. The fact is, most
of us breathe poorly.
We draw air into our lungs by expanding the volume of our
chests. We do this by moving our rib cage and moving our
diaphragm. The diaphragm moves much more air, yet most
people mainly use their rib motion to breathe.
Under stress it gets even worse -- breathing becomes
tense and shallow.
To break the stress cycle, you can take a deep breath
from the diaphragm. In a sense, it gives your body an "all
clear" message. But to do it properly, you need to learn to
use your diaphragm.
The diaphragm is a thin (about ¼-inch) layer of muscle
separating the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. At
rest, it's like an upside-down bowl. When it contracts, it
flattens, pushing down toward the abdomen.
If you use your diaphragm, your stomach should expand as
you breathe in. Babies naturally breathe this way. The rest
of us have to practice a bit.
You can check if you are breathing properly from the
diaphragm by lying down and resting your hand on your
stomach. Take a deep breath. Your hand should move up.
If it doesn't, play with your breathing until you find how to
move your hand up. When you do, you've just used your
diaphragm.
A good practice is to consciously take 10 slow deep
breaths, using both your diaphragm and rib cage, several
times a day. If you feel yourself becoming tense, use deep
breathing to break the cycle.
If it appeals to you, you can also imagine yourself
breathing in relaxation and breathing out tension.
Meditation
The science is in -- meditation neutralizes stress. Dr.
Herbert Benson did the first serious research on the
physiology of people meditating. He described his findings
in his book The Relaxation Response and several books
since. The relaxation response is the physiologic opposite
of the stress response.
Further research has only confirmed the value of
meditation. For example, dynamic brain scans demonstrate
differences in brain function between people who meditate
regularly and those who don't.
Even though most people have heard of the benefits of
meditation by now, they don't do it. One reason often given
for not meditating is that they don't want to buy into a belief
system. You don't have to. While meditation can be done
as part of a spiritual practice, it can be done simply for the
physiology it induces.
Another reason given is lack of time. Some programs do
call for 20-45 minutes twice a day, and that is a lot of time.
However, much shorter periods, even 5 minutes, yield
benefits. If you can't find 5 minutes to sit quietly and slow
your racing mind just a bit, that's all the more proof you
need to make time to do it. You better aim for 20 minutes.
Lots of resources are available to learn meditation. One
site I like because it is very low key and not at all
intimidating is http://www.learningmeditation.com/. (disable
link) It gives good general instructions and has several free
meditations available.
Positive Emotion
One the most efficient ways to defuse stress while it's
happening is to use positive emotion. In the January 18,
2008 issue of Total Health Breakthroughs, I described a
technique to help you think better under stress. What I
didn't mention in that article is that this simple technique
prevents the physical effects of stress from accumulating.
An advantage of this technique over meditation is that you
can do it in the moment you're feeling stressed -- stuck in
traffic, having an interesting "discussion" with a co-worker,
etc. You don't have to wait to be alone to quiet your mind.
Supplements
I don't recommend supplements specifically for stress
relief. I think it's more effective to focus on the basics -- a
healthy lifestyle and the techniques mentioned above.
However, one supplement you might consider is
phosphatidylserine. It contains a group of chemicals called
phospholipids that are important components of cell
membranes. Studies show measurable benefit and
improved response to stress in people supplementing with
phosphatidylserine.1-2 It seems to work by blunting the
usual increase in stress hormones. The dose used in one
study showing effectiveness was 400 mg a day.
The daily little (and big) stresses of modern life can seem
like "death by a thousand paper-cuts." The approach
outlined here will help you avoid their toxic effects.
References
Benton D. Nutr Neurosci 2001;4(3):169-78.
Stress 2004 Jun;7(2):119-26.
Note: Joseph F. McCaffrey, MD, FACS is a board-certified
surgeon with extensive experience in alternative medicine,
including certification as a HeartMath Trainer. His areas of
expertise include mind-body interaction and cognitive
restructuring. Dr. McCaffrey strives to help people attain their
optimum level of vitality through attention to all aspects of
wellness.
