Is stress in the driving seat?

Few years ago, I attended a 10 days Vipassana meditation course. The beauty about these courses is that they are silent. Complete silence of body and mind.

I was mid 30s and by then the weight of modern living was very tangible, at least to me.

I needed something to take me away from the noise, the rush, the achieving, the expectation of perfection and the need to be ok to the word.

It was such a life changing experience and if I can take one thing away from it to share with you today is the concept of stressors and our ability to manage our reaction to them.

We will always be surrounded by whatever makes us stressed.

Life can be a tough gig but as my Vipassana teacher told me: The road might be full of pebbles, but if you wear shoes you can walk over them without hurting your feet.

So, it’s not necessarily about the surrounding, it is also about us.

Are we wearing shoes?

How can we make ourselves wearing tough and resilient shoes? Shoes that make us connected to the ground to feel the pebbles, without being too stressed by them.

The food we eat, our lifestyle, our supporting network all play a role.

Several studies suggest that incorporating healthy foods and a variety of nutrients into our diet, plays an important role in reducing stress and improving emotional well-being.

A randomized controlled trial found that a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein sources led to significant reductions in anxiety and perceived stress compared to a control group.

While another study found that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, anchovies etc led to reduced cortisol levels and improved stress responses.

And likewise, many studies also suggest that lifestyle factors like mindfulness, exercise, yoga, and social support can play an important role in better managing the physical and emotional effects of stress.

Regular exercise was associated with reduced levels of perceived stress and improved psychological well-being in a large population-based sample of adults, while a six-week yoga intervention led to significant reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression in a group of women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Stress is also such a broadly used word.

How do we know whether we are stressed? And whether it is stress driving our symptoms?

Today I am sharing Gaia’s story.

She struggles with anxiety, sleep disturbances, brain fog, fatigue. She is perimenopausal, struggles to lose weight, has high blood pressure, high glucose level and high cholesterol. Something we would define as metabolic syndrome. She has ache and pains through the body and struggles with multiple colds and infections through the years. Work and home responsibility are daily stressors. She skips breakfast, has lunch and dinner on the go, and craves high calories foods multiple times in the day.

We did few functional tests to understand the root causes of her symptoms.

This is her cortisol level.

As we know, cortisol is a hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. When the body experiences stress, whether physical or psychological, cortisol levels increase as part of our body’s natural “fight or flight” response.

Fight or flight: we are running away from danger. So, cortisol helps mobilizes energy stores, increasing blood sugar levels, constrict our blood vessels increasing blood pressure, and suppress our immune system, reproductive system, digestive system and any other thing that has no immediate purpose in saving our life from danger.

This is absolutely fine (actually amazing) in an acute scenario; this is great for survival. It is chronic levels of stress, where cortisol levels remain elevated for a long period of time that it can have negative effects on the body and contribute to a range of health problems, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, weight gain, and heart disease.

How can we support Gaia?

• Skipping breakfast was not great for her, as her cortisol peak 2 H after waking shows us. A balanced breakfast was added in her routine. With smoothies and overnight porridges being the winners.
• Gaia’s meals were all very poor in protein content. I asked her to have proteins at every meal. Proteins are important to stabilize blood sugar levels, reducing cravings. To regulate mood and promote feelings of calm and well-being. For muscle repair and good immune function.
• Her meals were mainly beige. Sandwiches, pasta, croissants, porridge. I asked Gaia to have at least 3 additional colours in her plate at every meal. Green to increase magnesium (relaxation). Berries to increase antioxidant content, including Vitamin C. And to aim for at least 20 different fruit and vegetables a week. Vegetables to be 70%-80%.
• Fats were limited in her diet given her fear to add weight. But fats, especially omega 3 fatty acids, are essential to reduce inflammation and support brain health. We added things like salmon, anchovies, herrings etc, as well as nuts and seeds like walnuts and flaxseed.
• We cut down on processed foods and refined carbs while opting for complex carbohydrates and balanced snacks to help regulate blood sugar levels and reduce stress-related cravings.

On the lifestyle front:

Priority was addressing the cortisol peaks in the evening. Gaia was having her HIIT and cardio classes in the evening. Although she was able to fell asleep exhausted, her sleep was very disrupted, and she was waking up not feeling rested.

Yoga and more restorative practice were introduced in her evening / bed time routine, while cardio activities were moved earlier on in the day. Also making sure she had rest days.

Coffees were reduced and swapped with water (2L a day) and herbal teas.

Exposure to nature and time for herself were added to the plan.

Gaia felt so much better after following those few simple initial recommendations. We went on to do more tailored work, adding a bespoke supplement plan and foods providing the nutrients she needed the most during the process.

She is thriving now, she sleeps better. She lost weight despite eating the double of what she was eating before. And more importantly, she is happy. The stressors are there but she is grounded, and she has learned to manage them.

I see people like Gaia everyday, depending on the need we work to address the underlying imbalances using a holistic approach addressing the entire body.

Book a free 30 minute discovery call today to see how we can help you.