TriVita’s Weekly Wellness Report
by Brazos Minshew, TriVita’s Chief Science Officer
Protect Yourself from Stress, the Silent Killer
February 14, 2009 – www.trivita.com/12239764
Stress is an engineering term. It describes the forces that try to tear a structure apart such as weight, wind, temperature and pressure. In humans it is much the same: Certain pressures try to tear us apart. Sometimes these stresses come from inside of us; sometimes the pressures tearing us apart come from the outside.
Homeostasis is a gift that humans and other living creatures possess but bridges and buildings do not have. Homeostasis is the force that moves resources from our reserves to wherever they are needed to combat stress.
Where stress begins
Stress is caused by change – any change. Change requires us to rearrange our priorities to meet new circumstances. Stress can also be the same circumstance over time because time itself is change.
An easy way to conceptualize stress is to say it comes from inside of us and outside of us. Some examples:
Stress from inside
Hunger
Aging
Time pressure
Stress from outside
Air pollution
Water pollution
Noise pollution
Stress is the accumulation of all the things that pull us apart.
Homeostasis
The antidote to change is homeostasis. The Greek word “stasis” means to stand still or to stand equally. It describes a point where the tug-of-war balances out and motion ceases. Homeostasis is the ability of living organisms to adjust their internal environments to create balance. Of course, people can adjust their external environments as well (at least to some extent).
Just imagine all of the stresses pulling you apart every day: gravity, temperature, emotional upsets and expectations, etc. What balances that tug-of-war? The 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness!
Nutrients and nurturing
A body and mind deprived of proper nutrients and nurturing will be more prone to disease. “Disease” is the joining of two words. “Ease” is the freedom from difficulty, hardship or effort. “Dis-ease” is the opposite of ease: the things that make life more difficult and hard. It is also the abnormal functioning of the body or mind when the balancing forces of homeostasis fail to meet the demands of change.
The 10 Essentials create a reservoir of energy to combat the destructive forces of stress. For example, the simple act of breathing deeply can reduce the level of toxicity in our body and therefore reduce the state of imbalance.
Vitamins and minerals
Nutrients create a bulwark against stress as well. A reservoir of vitamins and minerals can help protect you from deficiency. Nutrient deficiency means specifically that you lack the nutrients you need to meet the stress imposed on your system. Without nutrients you will be weakened and you will lose the tug-of-war with stress. You will develop disease.
Adaptogens
Specific plants called adaptogens help pull us back into balance. Adaptogens help us adapt no matter what the situation is – no matter where stress tugs at our body and mind. A recent conference of psychiatrists and psychologists demonstrated that a single adaptogen (Rhodiola rosea) was as effective at reducing emotional stress as several popular medications.
Another paper published by the University of Toyama in Japan demonstrated that in animal models, the adaptogen Eleutherococcus senticosis hindered the brain plaque associated with Alzheimer’s disease. It even helped slow some of the brain damage. Given the safety of adaptogens and the extreme nature of this stress-related disease, supplementing with these nutrients should be a daily routine for anyone concerned about the possibility of Alzheimer’s.
Conclusion
Stress pulls us apart. Homeostasis struggles to put us back together. Disease is the result of an imbalance between stress and homeostasis. Nutrients and nurturing support homeostasis and help build a bulwark against stress – the silent killer!
Take Control of Your Health
Reduce stress wherever possible
Breathe deeply 20 minutes daily
Eat nutritious meals at a regular schedule
Develop loving social networks
Be forgiving – reject the poison of resentment
Build up reserves daily
Take your nutrients:
A multiple vitamin/mineral supplement
An essential fatty acid supplement
Sublingual B-12
Non-acidic Vitamin C
Take adaptogens every day!
Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports…
Heart diseases
The connection: heart, mental and dental health
Send us your topic suggestions!
If you have specific health topics you’d like Brazos Minshew to discuss in upcoming reports,
click here to submit your suggestions.
Please note that Weekly Wellness Report topics will be chosen at the
discretion of Brazos Minshew and based on general relevance.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
© 2009 TriVita, Inc.
