Stressed out?

In our modern society, stress seems to be the biggest enemy of man. It has infiltrated our lives and become part of our daily routine.

But what is stress really doing to us and how can we tackle it naturally?

Believe it or not, a certain amount of stress is sometimes useful to get us charged up and productive. Imagine you're giving a public presentation and you're nervous. That nervousness might be pumping adrenaline into your system, which will make you perform better.

Your body should be able to handle short-term stress. It is equipped with mechanisms and hormones to deal with it. It's a survival mechanism, which kicks in when you need it.

For example, if you need to run away from a predator, you will get a boost of energy. Your heart will beat faster, your pupils will dilate, blood will rush to your muscles to help you run, and sugar will be released from stores to give you energy.

This usually continues for 10 to 15 minutes until you reach safety. And then you start to recover to default status.

The problem occurs when stress becomes prolonged. You start off in that 'fight or flight mode' but then your body cannot sustain it and you never really run off the danger because most of the time your stress will be mental, not physical, so your body tires and your stress-response mechanism goes faulty.

The long-term effects of stress can be detrimental.

It is estimated that stress contributes to as many as 80 per cent of all major illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic conditions, skin disorders, infections, back problems, and many more.

Stress also affects the psychology, often resulting in depression, anger, or anxiety. And it influences blood pressure, blood sugar balance, immunity, and even the intricate balance of acidity and alkalinity in the blood.

You might not see all these things going on inside you, but you might be feeling their effects. If you would like to know whether or not you're stressed, take this quiz:

Do you suffer from mood swings?

Do you find yourself worrying more than you'd like to be?

Are you irritable and/or tearful?

Do you feel hostility or anger toward any person or situation?

Do you have bad dreams?

Are you acting defensive?

Do you have difficulty concentrating?

Are your muscles tense?

Do you experience aches and pains?

Are you tired?

Do you experience sleep disturbances?

Do you have diarrhoea and/or other digestive symptoms?

Do you get headaches?

Are you overeating?

Are you more forgetful than usual?

Are you clumsy?

Do you suffer from depression?

Are your eating habits deteriorating?

If you answered 'yes' to three or more of these questions, then you're most likely suffering from stress and it's various effects on your body. But before you despair, there's a lot you can do.

People often resort to eating unhealthy food when they are stressed although that's probably the time when they need a healthy diet the most.

Some people even resort to eating foods from their childhood which remind them of a time when things were easier.

Many disorders related to stress are not a direct cause of the stress itself, but of nutrient deficiencies caused by increased metabolism during periods of stress.

Vitamin C, for example, is one of the first vitamins to get depleted during stress. That's why people under stress often have lowered immunity. B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and zinc are other examples of nutrients that become deficient during stressful periods.

When we are under stress, our blood becomes acidic. And because acidic blood is not ideal for the body's functions, calcium is taken out of the bones to buffer that acidity. But once it's out of the bones, calcium cannot go back into the bones.

So it circulates in the body and can sometimes lodge in areas such as joints (causing arthritis), gallbladder (causing gallstones), and kidneys (causing kidney stones).

Sometimes excess calcium released after a stressful period can also be excreted in the hair follicles, causing hair to become grey.

From a nutritional perspective, there are a lot of things you can do.

The best place to start is by eliminating stress triggers. Junk foods and refined foods, for example, create further stress on the body. Caffeine drinks trigger panic and anxiety attacks and put a further strain on the heart.

Smoking and toxins also stress the body and use up valuable nutrients for their excretion.

Once you've eliminated the stress triggers, remember the 'stress calmers'.

Raw honey is a great example of a soothing, calming option on a stressful day. Onions also induce relaxation and drowsiness.

You should also remember to keep your body alkaline as much as possible. Foods that alkalise the body include vegetables and salads, so have lots of those!

Do not skip meals and make sure to have breakfast every day.

Get regular exercise (even if it is the last thing on your mind on a stressful day); it makes a big difference. And, learn to relax and manage your stress with hot baths, aromatherapy, massage, yoga, meditation, prayer, or music. Find out what works for you and do it!

For more information, to book a seminar, or to join my personal mailing list, go to www.AliaAlmoayed.com