Biochemic Phosphates - 500 Tabs - Hylands

Stress

Stress is usually thought of as a negative factor in our daily lives but it is necessary part of life. Without stress life becomes boring. The key to stress, as with everything else in life, is balance. Enough to keep you interested but not enough to become overwhelmed. Individuals have different thresholds for stress. What is seen as stressful to one person may not be stressful to another.

The stress response is the body's way of preparing for action. As our species evolved it kept us safe, allowing us to fight for survival, or to flee from dangerous situations. The sympathetic nervous system response involves increased heart rate, blood pressure and adrenal output, as well as increased blood flow to the brain, muscles, lungs and heart. Those organs that are not needed to fight or flee receive less blood flow, for example, the digestive organs. This response is very efficient for a short period of time but it is meant to be used sparingly.

There are three types of stressors and the body deals with each one the same way. The three general categories are:

Emotional stress can be caused by any emotion including love, hate, anger and envy.

Chemical stressors are microbes, poisons, oxygen deprivation, drugs, nutrient deficiency, pollution, alcohol and junk foods.

Physical stressors are loud noises, x-rays, UV light, gravity and temperature. Nowadays our body's reaction to stress is seen as inappropriate, because the stressors we face are not usually life-threatening or dangerous, yet our body responds as it always has.

The result of constant stress can be tense muscles, headaches, stomach cramps, teeth grinding, decreased immunity, exhaustion and insomnia. Emotionally stress can lead to memory problems, depression, emotional outbursts and panic attacks. It is believed that constant stress is a factor in the development of many chronic diseases.

Certain factors make individuals more likely to suffer from stress related illnesses:

• Personality traits



• Ignoring the body's signals



• Dietary deficiencies



• Irregular daily patterns



• Lack of physical activity

Certain personality types are more likely to exhibit stress related problems. Individuals who exhibit workaholic behaviour and have exceptionally high standards are labelled as having a "Type A" personality. These individuals are constantly under stress and as a result have increased risks of stress related diseases such as heart attack.

We often ignore the first signs of stress, such as headaches and insomnia, and use medication to stop the symptoms. We use stimulants, like caffeine, to allow ourselves to keep working when the body is trying to tell us to slow down. The masking of stress symptoms eventually causes the body to breakdown.