Stress Triggers
The stress response is not only elicited as a response to psychological threats. It also occurs when the physiology is exposed to damaging conditions or disturbances that threaten to throw it out of balance. Thus the stress response occurs at e.g. physical exertion, physical trauma, extreme heat or cold, diet, environment and when the body is diseased. In summary, stress triggers can be from different sources: chemical, physical, nutritional, financial, or psychological. While short term stress is healthy, long term stress or chronic stress trigger diseases and cause faster aging.
Stress Triggers
One of the the biggest stress trigger (or stressor) can be the food we eat. The stress response in our body created by "foreign" molecules in food is called xenohormesis[6]. The concept of xenohormesis describes the effect of these foreign molecules on our biology. They produce a stress response triggering the whole cascade of stress-related cellular signals that makes us sick. Dr. Rawlings has listed the following substances that most commonly cause a defensive reaction [9]:
Wheat and gluten products
Milk and dairy products
Chocolate
Sugar
One remarkable study in the American Jounal of Clinician Nutrition found that stress genes, inflammation genes, and insulin resistance genes were all turned on in people who ate more refined (not total) carbohydrates.
Alcohol
Tea and coffee
Caffeine raises stress-hormone levels
Smoking
Grass pollens
Fumes
In addition, stressors also include:
Taking everything personally, any negative thought or perception, or rigid beliefs or attitudes can trigger the stress response
Anything that creates nutritional imbalances, inflammation, digestive imbalances, any toxin, or anything that messes up your energy production, will all cause an activation of the stress response
Overwork and schedule disruption
Sleep disruption
Inactivity
Extreme exercise
Low-carb, high-fat diet
Carbohydrates are crucial in the synthesis of serotonin, a natural mood-enhancing neurotransmitter, so diets low in carbohydrates may predispose you to anxiety and depression, which in turn raise cortisol levels. However, you should consume complex carbohydrates which release sugar to the blood more slowly.
Low-carb, high-protein diet
A diet high in protein and low in complex carbohydrates has been associated with high cortisol levels along with depression.
High ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s (see Omega-3 Fatty Acid)
Overeating
See Holmes and Rahe stress scale for a list of 43 stressful life events that can contribute to illness
See CareerCast for a list of most stressful jobs
References
Brown, D. P. 2007. The energy body and its functions. Immunosurveillance, longevity, and regeneration. Ann NY Acad Sci. Epub 2007 September 28.
"The UltraMind Solution" by Mark Hyman, M.D.
Sloan, R. P., et al. 2007. RR interval variability is inversely related to inflammatory markers: The CARDIA study. Mol Med 13 (3-4):178-84.
Pavlov, V.A., and K.J. Tracey. 2005. The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Brain Behav Immun 19 (6):493-99.
Theise, N.D., and R. Harris. 2006. Postmodern biology:(adult) (stem) cells are plastic, stochastic, complex, and uncertain. Handb Exp Pharmacol (174):389-408.
Yun, A. I., and J. D. Doux. 2007. Unhappy meal: How our need to detect stress may have shaped our preferences for taste. Med Hypotheses 69 (4):746-51.
Understanding Stress HelpGuide.org. Retrieved on 2010-01-19
"Food that Helps Win the Battle Against Fibromyalgia" by Deirdre Rawlings, N.D., Ph.D.
"Life Over Cancer" by Keith I. Block, M.D.
"Prime-Time Health" by William Sears, M.D. with Martha Sears, RN
Holy Basil to Combat Stress by Andrew Weil, M.D.
"The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan" by Michael Breus, PhD.
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