Turn top stressors from hazards to health

Life’s biggest challenges often are centered around your physical and fiscal health — and those two issues have profound effects on one another. Money worries can torpedo your health, social relationships, happiness and longevity. Health problems may make it impossible to work and can quickly drain your bank account. That’s why we are so committed to helping you reduce your stress response to both physical and financial problems by offering sure-fire ways to upgrade your health and your wallet.

You know that stress — whether physical, psychological or financial — can be a pain in the neck (literally); gives you chronic headaches, lowerback pain, insomnia and depression; contributes to interpersonal conflicts; derails your sex life; fuels obesity; upsets your digestive system; taxes your heart; and triggers abuse of alcohol or drugs.

But research shows that chronically elevated levels of stress hormones (epinephrine and cortisol) contribute to a far wider range of health problems than you might suspect.

Macular degeneration (a leading cause of vision loss in older folks) is an inflammatory disease, and research indicates that inflammation-triggering chronic stress may worsen the condition.

Stress worsens upper respiratory illness and increases susceptibility to colds.

Chronic stress shortens the dendrites that are on the ends of brain neurons. That reduces your brain’s ability

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to process information and store new memories.

Chronic stress promotes development of age-related diseases and can shorten your telomeres, the ends of your DNA strands.

You have the ability to turn off the stress spigot. How? By understanding how worries about health and wealth intersect, and taking steps to make choices that will upgrade both.

» Here’s how you get started: 1. Assess where you stand.

Get a thorough physical and financial checkup from trusted experts. Knowing the bottom line lets you set realistic goals and start to move forward.

2. Budget your finances and your calories.

Take time to write out a very specific plan for your week’s food intake and cash outflow. (Talk with a nutritionist and a financial planner for guidance.)

Even if you’re in bad shape physically or financially, it’s never too late to make improvements. Adopting small changes will help you see results.

3. Erase mistakes.

4. Create strong environments at work and at home to make these dual goals easier.

You can do that by letting family and colleagues know of your commitment to improved health both physically and financially. And make sure that at home and at work you stick with your new, good habits.

5. Speaking of teaming up, build strong teams:

Having the proper team around you (including family and professionals) is key to helping you achieve optimum levels in health and wealth.

Mehmet Oz hosts “The Dr. Oz Show.” Mike Roizen is chief wellness officer at Cleveland Clinic. Visit sharecare.com.