The word Stress originates from the French – Estrece, meaning Narrow, Constricting or Limiting. Think about the last time you were very stressed. Probably the thing you wanted to do most was just remove yourself from the situation. Your thinking is limited and your capacity to make logical decisions is diminished. That is why the stressed out student or parent or business executive is not as successful as that person has a right to expect. Signs that stress may be reaching damaging levels are; Outbursts of aggression, tendency towards mistakes, irritability, feeling consistently glum, hostility, problems with concentration and easily distracted, time urgency, tiredness, muscle tension.

Prolonged Negative Stress triggers a cascade of Chemical Reactions in the Brain. Prolonged Stress limits your possibilities and locks you into Alarm Mode with a subsequent outpouring of Cortisol and Adrenalin that can be very damaging in the long term. Cortisol fights inflammation and controls protein and sugar metabolism. Cortisol also helps to control muscle tension. Too much stress and seesawing cortisol causes a problem in part of the brain known as the Hippocampus. The result is fragile emotions and memory. Prolonged elevated adrenalin can cause a narrowing of capillaries, raised blood pressure, increased clumping of platelets so as a consequence, increased possibility of embolism and stroke or heart attack.

The onslaught of sugar is causing huge chemical stressors to occur. Too much sugar magnifies adrenalin. Sugar increases Calcium and decreases phosphorus. Minerals work in tandem and assist enzymatic action. At the start of the 20th century the annual consumption per capita of sugar was 4kgs. Now it is about 58 kgs. Many folk enduring prolonged stress are eventually sucked into agitation and that can’t cope feeling that can ultimately lead to depression.

800,000 people cannot function in Australian society because of depression. Many cannot hold down a regular job.
6, 000, 000 days of work lost annually
12, 000, 000 days of Reduced Productivity
Depression now ranks as the uppermost cause of non fatal disease burden on the Australian Tax Payer.

Depression is a common marker for cardiovascular disease and may increase diabetic complications and osteoporosis. People with depression should have their Homocysteine Levels checked. In my opinion this can be a more accurate clinical marker for Heart Disease in some cases than Cholesterol.

SOLUTIONS

• You must learn to be Proactive not Reactive. Set little goals and make little wins straight away - Break the Negative Cycle.

• Make a promise to yourself that you will take something positive from every negative situation - you will grow stronger

• Learn to relax in traffic. Heart attacks are now 2.6 times more prevalent for people stuck in traffic every day than for those who aren’t.

• Learn to engage in Respectful Listening and Talking with eye contact with someone you love. This establishes a special mental connection where your needs and those you love can be met.

• Reduce reliance on Stimulants such as tea and coffee.

• Flick switch from hibernation to active each morning with exercise and proper breakfast including protein that will balance blood sugars for the day ahead and make you less likely to succumb to sugary junk foods.

• The frantic pace of the world today has shredded community bonding. Join a group of like minded individuals. The old African saying - It takes an entire village to raise one well adjusted child - raises a very significant point. The fences we erect around us in suburbia symbolises what we do to the bonding that should take place in our every day lives.

• Learn the role of nutrients in good mental health particularly Omega 3 Fatty Acids and S – adenoyslmethionine. It is interesting that people living on the island of Okinawa in the sea of Japan have both low rates of depression and heart disease. One reason might be that their diet is high in fish which delivers high rates of Omega 3 Fatty Acids that combats inflammation.