Stay healthy in times of stress
New Zealand has had its fair share of distress in the past six years, including the most recent quakes in the South Island, and Wellington region. Whether you are directly affected or not, natural disasters impact adults and children in a variety of ways and, for many, stress levels are high. In light of this, here are some ways to look after your health and your body in times of distress.
When we experience an event like a natural disaster, our bodies activate our stress response commonly referred to as the ‘‘fight or flight’’ response. This is the ancient response system that is ultimately tied to the nervous system (specifically our sympathetic nervous system), and charged with the responsibility of keeping us alive. It changes our biochemistry in a very specific way. If we needed to fight or flee from danger, we would need the use of our arms and legs; so in times of acute stress, our bodies shunts the flow of blood to our limbs. It also floods us with adrenaline: a (historically) shortterm stress hormone that jolts us into action. Adrenaline is our high alert hormone – it makes us hyper alert to anything that might be dangerous in our surroundings.
If you’re having trouble sleeping, it’s possibly because of adrenaline. A sleep pattern affected by cortisol may look like falling asleep with relative ease (unless you stay up later than 10pm, and then you’ll get a second wind and stay up until at least 1am), and waking up somewhere between 2am and 3am with a racing mind that makes it near impossible to get back to sleep. An adrenaline-affected sleep pattern may look like not getting to sleep easily, or waking up at regular intervals throughout the night.
Good quality sleep is essential to help us repair and restore our bodies during times of stress. Doing everything you can to promote a good sleep cycle is one of the best things we can do for ourselves during a period of stress. We need to communicate to our bodies that it’s OK to relax, and science tells us the best way to do this is through long, slow diaphragmatic breathing. A daily routine of taking 20 long, slow breaths into your belly, or pausing regularly throughout your day to focus on your breath for a few minutes, can help make a difference to your body’s ability to relax enough into a deep sleep. Any restorative practice like yoga, tai chi, qi gong, or meditation will also help to balance the nervous system which, in turn, will help to restore our sleep.
Another system regularly affected by stress is the digestive system. With safety as our top priority and the vast majority of blood flow pushed out to our limbs, the body is not focused on digesting food. With digestion down regulated, our body’s capacity for absorbing nutrients is compromised. I probably don’t need to tell you that in times of stress, our nutrient requirements are only increased, so promoting good digestion is also vitally important. On top of supporting the nervous system with good sleep and restorative practices, taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in warm water, 10-20 minutes before eating, can help boost our stomach acid and improve digestion.
Making sure we eat well – whole foods, loads of vegetables – and minimising our intake of caffeine, alcohol, refined sugars, and trans fats (all of which put added pressure on our body systems) is also going to be highly beneficial. It may be a good time to boost our nutrition with supplements. A ground-up green vegetable powder can increase our overall nutrient intake, along with magnesium, vitamin C, and herbs that support the adrenal glands and nervous system. ❚ Dr Libby is a nutritional biochemist, best-selling author, and speaker. The advice in this column is not intended to be a substitute for direct, personalised advice from a health professional. Visit drlibby.com. Support your health through the festive season with Bio Blends by Dr Libby, her foodbased nutritional supplements at bioblends.co.nz.