How Stress Influences Disease

Stress is something we all experience throughout life, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The stress response is a natural reaction to life experiences and can help us to cope with potentially serious situations. However, if this stress response doesn’t stop firing, then long-term stress takes a toll on your health.

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Prolonged stress wreaks havoc on the mind and body. Research shows that the effects of psychological stress on the body's ability to regulate inflammation can promote the development and progression of disease.

When under stress, cells of the immune system are unable to respond to hormonal control and consequently produce inflammation that promotes disease. Inflammation plays a role in many diseases such as heart disease, asthma, autoimmune disorders (like arthritis, crohn’s disease, hasimotos’s disease, Ulcerative colitis), and cancer.

Your hypothalamus, a tiny region at your brain's base, sets off an alarm system in your body in response to stress. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. In response to stress, adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure, and boosts energy supplies. 

Cortisol is known as the primary stress hormone. It increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain's use of glucose, and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. Cortisol also curbs functions in the body that would be considered as non-essential in a fight-or-flight situation. This hormone response suppresses the immune system, digestive system, reproductive system, and growth processes. 

When the natural stress response goes wild

Stress has a huge impact on your health when stressors are constantly present and you constantly feel under attack. The long-term activation of the stress response system and the overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones that can disrupt almost all your body's processes. The impact puts you at increased risk of many health problems, including:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Digestive problems

• Headaches

• Muscle tension and pain

• Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, and stroke

• Sleep problems

• Weight gain

• Memory and concentration impairment

• Cancer

Stress management strategies include:

• Healthy Lifestyle - Eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and getting plenty of sleep

• Practicing relaxation techniques - such as yoga, deep breathing, massage, or meditation

• Keeping a journal and writing about your thoughts or what you're grateful for

• Happiness / Laughter - Having a sense of humour and finding ways to include humour and laughter in your life, such as watching funny movies or looking at joke websites

• Time Management - Organizing and prioritizing what you need to accomplish at home and work. Remove tasks that aren't necessary and say no!

• Seeking professional counseling to develop coping strategies to manage stress

• Avoid unhealthy ways of managing your stress - caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or excess food. 

Next time you start to feel stress creeping back into your life, give these tips a try to maintain a healthy, happy, and stable body & mind.

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Create a Wellness Retreat at Home

Countrywide lockdowns, a slow economy, and a pandemic on your doorstep may have taken a toll on your mental health and lead to stress & anxiety. A lockdown is an ideal time to practice self-care and focus on your well-being to recharge your energy. 

 It's the wellness weekend you've been needing - relaxation, self-care, healthy meals, physical activity, and all your favorite wellness treatments. Retreats allow you to truly unplug, harmonise the body and mind, and recharge your energy. You don’t need to go anywhere to get these benefits and you can create your own wellness retreat at home. 

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Steps to create a home retreat:

1. Create a schedule for the day or week. Just like going on a retreat, give yourself an agenda. Schedule both energising and relaxing activities, meal plan, and create downtime. Type them up and put the agenda on your fridge.
   
   A sample day might look something like this - morning meditation and journaling, breakfast, mid-morning yoga flow class or walk, lunch, a nap after lunch, downtime, dinner, evening restorative or yin yoga or bedtime meditation or journaling, or an Epsom salt bath.
   
   

2. Eat healthy Wholefoods. Plan meals, eat meals at the table, chew slowly, consider doing intermittent fasting or a juicing cleanse. Create a healthy menu. Shop for groceries and prep food ahead of time.
   
   

3. Disconnect. Go on a digital detox on the weekend or one day a week.  Alternatively, limit screen time each day. Turn off your phone. No emails, no social media, and ignore the TV.
   
   

4. Home Day Spa. Create a home Day Spa experience. Do a home facial and facemask, have a bubble bath or Epsom salt bath, self-massage, manicure/pedicure, or dry skin brushing before a cold shower.
   

5. Be organised. Do all your household jobs before your retreat day / week. Plan to spend a few hours getting rid of clutter and cleaning up before you begin your retreat. Set aside a yoga mat, your journal, and other items you would take on a retreat to have them ready to go. They're all set aside and ready to go, just as they would be when you arrive at a retreat centre.
   
   

6. Schedule down-time. Make space for "Do-Nothing-Time." This allows you to reflect and to cherish this experience. Too often on Retreat, we try to cram in as many activities as we can. Read a book, sit in the sunshine, and lounge around the house.  Give yourself time to rest & recharge.

During the lockdown enjoy your self-care at-home wellness retreat! Have fun creating an at-home retreat that is perfect for you to rest and recharge.

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8 Tips to keep your Immune System Strong

When we’re feeling strong and healthy we can take our immune healthy for granted. Yet when the sniffles start we hope our immune system will pick up the slack. The colder months often make it harder to keep up with a healthy lifestyle. However your first line of defence is to choose a healthy lifestyle.

Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies. I’ve listed my top 8 tips for keeping your immune system strong as the seasons change.

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1. Sunshine

Vitamin D is important in keeping your immune system ready to fight infections. When possible, get outside and soak up the sun. Foods that contain Vitamin D include oily fish and eggs, however the skin's exposure to sun produces the largest amount in the body. If you're not getting enough sun you can try taking a Vitamin D supplement.

2. Get your dose of Vitamin A, C and E to help fight off nasty infections

• Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that helps rid the body of free radical waste that is produced during normal bodily functions. A deficiency can weaken the immune defences of the respiratory tract by damaging the mucous membranes that form a protective barrier against bacteria and viruses. Top food sources for Vitamin A are all orange and dark green fruit and vegetables (carrot, sweet potato, papaya, spinach, silverbeet etc).

• Vitamin C is an antioxidant is responsible for keeping the number of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies needed to ward off bugs. 

• Vitamin E for an extra healthy immune system – this antioxidant has been known to improve upper respiratory immunity. 

3. Minerals

Iron, zinc and selenium help nourish the immune system and cells active and healthy. Include mineral-rich foods such as. nuts, seeds, meat, fortified cereals, kale, broccoli, quinoa, and pulses. 

4. Sleep

Getting enough sleep is one of the ingredients to keeping strong and healthy. Rest is important to keep your heart and other organs functioning correctly. 

5. Exercise

Regular exercise promotes good cell circulation, improves mood, energy levels, heart health and prevents weight gain. 

6. Water

Drink plenty of water in winter because your body needs just as much hydration as it does in summer. Drinking water can help maintain regularity and flushes out toxins.

7. Lay off the sugar

Refined sugars negatively impact the body's defence structure. Sugars increase inflammation and can damage your cells. Try to avoid refined sugars as much as possible. To curb a sweet craving, eat more foods with protein and fats to stabilize your sugar levels.

8. Try to minimize stress

When we're stressed, the immune system's ability to fight off antigens is reduced to make us more susceptible to infections. The stress hormone cortisol can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system.

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10 Essentials to Boost your Immunity Naturally

1. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole foods.

   For our immune system to function optimally it relies on nutrient dense whole foods. Majority of people are deficient in one or more nutrients which can lead to poor immunity and disease. Vegetables are the foundation for a healthy diet as they provide the body with essential nutrients like Vitamin C and antioxidants. We should aim for at least two fruits and 6+ servings of vegetables everyday.

2. Hydrate the body.

   Our body is made up to 60% water. Consuming adequate fluids supports the bodies functions for elimination of toxins. Dehydration can cause headaches and increase your susceptibility to illness. To prevent dehydration you should be drinking enough fluid daily to make your urine pale yellow. Aim to drink at least 8 cups of water or herbal tea throughout the day. Keep a bottle of filtered water with you at all times. If you struggle to drink plain water add cucumber, lime, lemon, or any other fruit into your water bottle for a little flavour.

3. Exercise

   It is best to exercise everyday to support the immune and lymphatic systems. Avoid over exertion like long runs especially when you are feeling rundown. Do a variety of activities to stay active like walking, swimming, jogging. cycling, yoga and any other fitness routines you enjoy. Aim for at least 150 minutes per week which is about 20 to 30 minutes per day.

4. Get adequate sleep

   Sleep restores and heals the body. The key component is deep sleep as this is the time where the body can do a lot of healing and repairing. Create a sleep routine to allow the body to have a set circadian rhythm. Aim to head to bed earlier before 10:30pm and aim to sleep 7 to 8 hours per night. If you struggle to get to sleep and have a busy mind try to incorporate relaxation and breathing techniques in the evening before bed.

5. The Trinity roots - Onion, garlic and ginger

   These provides a wide spectrum of anti-microbial properties to help the body fight Infections. These are known to treat the common cold and ward off viruses with their anti-viral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Add these ingredients to soups, stir-fries, dips, and curries.

6. Stress Management - Yoga, Breathing, and Meditation

   Long-term stress promotes inflammation and reduces the immune cell function. When we have prolonged psychological stress or physical stress it’s suppresses the immune system. We can reduce stress through the use of meditation, exercise, yoga, mindfulness, and journaling. Create a daily practice to be consistent. Choose one stress management tool and aim to do 10 minutes daily. Little and often is more beneficial than once a week. These techniques will calm the nervous system and reduce your perceived stress levels.

7. Supplements

   Studies indicate that the following supplements strengthen your bodies immune system:

   ⁃ Vitamin C. Taking 1000 to 2000 mg of vitamin C can reduce the duration of colds and boosts your immune system to recover from infection.

   ⁃ Vitamin D. When we are deficient in vitamin D it may increase your chances of getting sick. Our main source of vitamin D is sunlight on the skin, however, during winter we may need to supplement to get adequate vitamin D.

   ⁃ Zinc. Supplementing with 50 mg per day is known to reduce the duration of the common cold.

8. Herbal medicine

   The following herbs will enhance the immune system:

   ⁃ Astragalus

   ⁃ Echinacea

   ⁃ Elderberry

   ⁃ Andrographis

   ⁃ Goldenseal

9. Reduce sugar intake

   Eating or drinking too much sugar reduces the immune system function and the ability to fight off infection. Research shows that consuming 75 to 100 g of sugar can hinder the body is immune function. The suppression of the immune system starts as soon as 30 minutes after the consumption of sugar and can last up to 4 or five hours!!

10. Eat more fibre.

    Fibre is key for proper elimination of toxins through the digestive system. We need a Combination of soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre mainly comes through fruits like bananas mango avocado. This type of fibre helps to form soft stolls. And insoluble fibre is the more stringy rough fibre which comes mainly through leafy greens and vegetables. Fibre helps to move waste through the digestive system and maintain bowel movements daily.

WINTER WELLNESS IS GOLD

~ 1 ~ Nourish your body

Eat plenty of whole foods packed with vitamins and minerals.  Nutrient dense homemade soups are great to boost your intake of vegetables, plant based protein from lentils or beans, and spices that can assist fighting colds and flu’s.  Soups are quick to prepare and help to warm the body from the inside out.  Try to use fruit and vegetables that are seasonal and local so they are packed full of nutrients.  Smoothies and juices are also great to boost your energy and increase your vitamins and minerals.

~ 2 ~ Stay hydrated  

During the winter months we generally do not drink as much water as in the summer months.  Herbal teas or warm water with lemon are great options to boost your fluid intake and keep the body warm.

~ 3 ~ Exercise daily

When we move our bodies it helps to cleanse the lymphatic systems and flush the toxins out of the body.  Aim for 30 minutes of exercise everyday to boost the immune system.  It is best to choose low impact exercises like yoga, walking, swimming, cycling that will get your body moving but will not stress the body.  Exercise that is pushing your body to extreme levels actually lowers you immune function as the body moves into 'fight or flight' mode and the cortisol levels will rise in the body.  Exercise daily will help you to fight off nasty bugs and protect you from winter blues so you feel happy and positive.

~ 4 ~ Beat Winter Blues and Slow down

Quieten your mind and take at least 20 minutes every day to slow down.  Focus on your breath rhythm or repeat a phrase of words (mantra) to bring calmness to your mind and allow you to feel connected to live consciously conscious.

~ 5 ~ Maintain good hygiene

One of the best preventative measures to keep you healthy during the cold / flu season is to keep up good hygiene habits to reduce bugs from spreading.  Wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water after coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, after being in contact with someone showing symptoms, or before preparing food. When you are in contact with anyone with cold or flu symptoms then make sure to keep your distance and avoid sharing personal objects that could be contaminated.

~ 6 ~ Dehumidify and reduce winter dampness

Dampness is the prefect breading ground for nasty bugs, mould and mildew.  Keep your house dry and warm to reduce the incidence of Respiratory illness, asthma, and chest infections.

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Natural Remedies to fight colds & flu:

~ Vitamin C: is a potent antioxidant that is involved in hundreds of the body’s biological processes.  It supports immunity and helps maintain resistance to infection due to its involvement in the normal healthy functioning of the white blood cells and antibodies.

~ Active Elements 7.1:  A mineral therapy to relieve the congestion & fever of minor infections such as, colds, flu, upper respiratory tract and middle ear infections, tonsillitis and hay fever.

HERBAL MEDICINE

~ Echinacea root: Maintains upper respiratory tract health and supports the body's own natural immune system to bring effective relief from the symptoms of colds, flu and minor infection.

~ Astragalus: A traditional Chinese herb to enhance immune function and has a mild antiviral activity to help prevent colds.

~ Andrographis: Supports the body's immune system when dealing with cold symptoms.

~ Withania (Ashwaganda): Enhances immune function and is a natural antioxidant.

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