This is the last feature in our Stress Series.

Stress and Cravings

During anxious or highly stressful time, we often crave carbohydrates such as breads and sweets.  Part of this is due to the effect of cortisol to suppress insulin function, increase blood-sugar levels and stimulate appetite.  In addition, however, your brain may urge you to eat more carbohydrates because they act as a tranquilizer by increasing serotonin levels in the brain.

Unfortunately, while caving into the urges and snacking on carb snacks may give you a feeling of calmness temporarily, you pay for it later in the form of low energy level, mood swings, more cravings, and a tendency toward weight gain.

Yes, we all experience stress, especially when we are traveling for business.  When our bodies experiences stress, hormones are secreted that are natural and necessary for survival.  When our bodies are under chronic stress, however, these chemical changes also contribute to weight management hurdles and other health issues.  It is the complex interplay of hormones, secreted during stress, that impacts our ability to manage our weight in our modern, high-stress lifestyle.

All Types of Stress Impact our Inability to Mange our Weight!

· Emotional stress created by lifestyle issues such as over working, family issues, divorce, moving, financial worries, and a host of other mental stressors.
· Nutritional stress caused by skipping meals and eating junk food.
· Chemical stress includes drinking alcohol and taking prescription drugs.
· Physiological stress includes excessive movement and over use (or abuse) of our bodies in physical activities; also includes the stress of chronic pain, sleep loss and inflammation.

Next up in the Stress Series: Stress and Cravings…

In our first article of the Stress Series, we talked about Managing Stress on the Road. Today, it’s all about the impact that stress has on our body. It’s no secret that stress isn’t good for us, but it impacts a lot more than most of us probably realize.

Impacts of Stress on the Body

Stress impacts digestion. Energy is not wasted on the slow digestive process during a stress response.  Stress inhibits the secretion of gastric juices and digestive enzymes and impairs the liver’s ability to detoxify.  Chronic stress can lead to a variety of digestive disorders.

During stress, your body’s immune system is inhibited. Fighting disease is not a priority or your body’s natural stress response.

Stress activates the cardiovascular system; increasing heart rate, blood pressure and rate of breathing to supply necessary blood and oxygen to heart, brain and muscles. Chronic activation of cardiovascular system can result in high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

The normal stress response rapidly mobilizes energy from your body’s storage sites.  Further energy storage is inhibited during stress.  Blood sugar levels increase as the liver dumps stored glucose into the bloodstream. Lack of surplus energy storage results in frequent, even chronic, fatigue.  Stress disrupts normal glucose / blood sugar balance, increasing the risk of diabetes.

Next: Stress and Weight Management

Are you stressed out beyond belief from all that life can throw at us? Join the club! One of the best ways you can take care of yourself and live a healthy lifestyle, is to learn how to deal with stress. Whether we like it or not, stress is a part of life, but how you deal with it can make all the difference in the world.

Welcome to Travel Tabbi’s Series on Stress! We will be covering topics like the impacts stress has on your body, as well as the different types of stress. Today, it’s all about Managing Stress on the Road.

While our bodies are superbly adapted to deal with stress for a short period of time, prolonged stress can lead to illness.  Stressful events are a normal part of living and it is important to recover between stressful events and nurture our stress-fighting systems.  The “relaxation response” is the natural opposite of the stress response.  It is critical to engage in relaxation daily, even when traveling.  This can be achieved in a variety of ways including meditation, prayer, deep breathing, etc.

Lifestyle factors impact an individual’s stress level. Improving your time management skills, working on improving personal relationships, exercising, and eating a healthful diet all contribute to bolstering our stress fighting systems.

Next up…Impacts of Stress on the Body.