How To Manage Stress & Live A Long Happy Healthy Life
There have been more changes in the last 50 years to the western diet than in all of human evolution and the experiment is clearly not working. It took 50,000 years to reach a human population of one billion in 1830. We soared above six billion in the year 2000 and passed seven billion in 2012. Wealthy nations eat increasing amounts of meat, while nearly one billion people go hungry. Agribusiness ignore the nutrient cycle, and rather than rebuilding soil, they saturate it with petrochemicals. Soil is over-tilled, overgrazed, made toxic and infertile, and turned into desert. One-third of all farmable land is now degraded. That is the deadly cost of a heavy animal based diet and contributes to our nutritional stress that is killing our gut flora. Soil and man are not separate.
How does stress affect us?
One of the main effects of stress is that it affects our adrenal glands. These glands produce the hormones adrenaline, nor epinephrine, DHEA and cortisol. When we go through life in a state of emergency the adrenals become overworked and we become prone to anxiety and stress responses.
What is the difference between stress and burnout?
When the adrenals become over-worked they eventually cannot produce hormones in sufficient amounts or cannot utilize the hormones they do produce, basically the adrenals get wiped out. This is called adrenal exhaustion (burnout). This state of exhaustion is emotional, mental and physical.
Are people becoming more stressed?
In this 24/7 busy, busy, busy existence people become more stressed due to the increased reliance on caffeine containing products like coffee and fizzy drinks, as well as chemicals in foods and excess sugar. When health is not good we become less adaptable. The over-use of mobile phones and computers, lack of being in an outdoor environment and not getting enough physical exercise also contribute.
How can we learn to manage our stress?
Adopting a wholefood natural vegan diet can make the biggest impact on stress. When we eat food it should energize us, and create vitality and adaptability. What we eat today is who we are tomorrow. By removing animal foods, processed and fast food from our diets will make the biggest impact on stress at a cellular level. We do not hear about nutritional stress but it is very real.
Ill health in any form comes from a weakened system. The problem is the food. Instead of a healing nature of blood that should be flowing through our tissues we eat foods that create or exacerbate inflammation. This is true for all who have had decades of eating a diet of animal foods. It comes as a major shock for many to hear that dairy and eggs are more acidic than meat. When you eat an egg, you are eating a whole animal.
Why do people seem to be more reluctant to deal with their stress, or admit it’s a problem whereas they will happily spend and commit to weight loss?
We live in a world where it seems the more stress you have to deal with the more important you are, it’s almost like wearing a ‘badge of courage’ kids even talk about being ‘stressed out’. We are setting ourselves up for illness if we do not address these issues. When the body becomes overwhelmed (stressed) it’s a signal to take stock and listen to the message.
Weight is often seen as a cosmetic issue, or obsession with appearance, when it often overrides more serious health issues. We are miraculous in our design; the body is a self-healing organism so when we eat in a way that nourishes us from the inside out we are better geared up to deal with life on a daily basis.
The money that is wasted on weight loss products is perhaps one of the most ridiculous marketing scams of the 21st century. Cortisol as I mentioned above is produced by the adrenals when we are stressed, the interesting point to note here is that Cortisol is a fat storing hormone, any wonder then why people find it hard to lose weight?
At MACROVegan we have a programme designed to address all of these issues. Weight Loss Nature’s Way, Reverse Diabetes, The Natural Woman and The Great Escape to name but a few. All our programmes address issues on stress, weight gain and non-communicable diseases. Our latest books How To Eat Right & Save The Planet and Go Vegan are packed with all you need to remove stress and live a long happy and healthy life.
How can food help us de-stress?
Natural un-processed foods in their whole-form are packed with every vitamin and mineral to create a healthy equilibrium that does not cause stress to the body. The modern diet is a strange mix of chemical additives and the excessive use of fats, protein and sugars. This mix puts the body under a constant pressure to either store or detoxify acids and fats. This is a constant battle within us to achieve the constant state of chemical balance that keeps us alive – we are fighting ourselves. When we treat the body kindly and only eat foods that are easy to digest and metabolize, it is like tuning in a clear channel on the radio and getting rid of the static.
Here is what I do to combat stress
“If you don’t take care of your body, where are you going to live?” This has been my mantra for over two decades. Stress ages our cells, robs us of good health and kills us before our time. It is a downward spiral. What I teach my clients is how to reverse this spiral and bring back homeostasis.
It is easy to deal with stress in such a simple way. I work hard, play hard, but rest also. Balance is the key to a healthy and happy life. Eating good healthy food, fun exercise, short 5-minute sessions of deep breathing and relaxation/mediation every day keep the stress to a minimum is my ritual. If you create healthy habits stress is not an issue.
In good health
