 Health and Wellness
Best Practices
High Anxiety
Lowers Health
By Dr. Cesar Lara
Published: February / March 2008
In our society, it is common for all of us to have more
responsibilities in a day than the time necessary to
accomplish them. Furthermore, those among us who manage
to get things done typically pile upon ourselves even
more things, as that old saying "If you want something
done, ask the busiest person to do it and it will be
done!"
How does this reflect on health? It is known that an
increase in stress leads to an increased production of
cortisol. This is associated with the "Flight or Fight"
cascade of events whereby our pupils dilate, our muscles
constrict, our blood pressure rises and our heart rate
increases. While this is an essential survival
mechanism, in our day-to-day lives it is not surprising
that stress is associated with hypertension and higher
risk levels for heart disease.
In the typical circadian rhythms, as it relates to
sunshine or darkness and awake or sleep cycles
accordingly, it is known that a larger percentage of
coronary events will occur in the first four hours of
awakening. This directly correlates to the higher levels
of epinephrine and cortisol in the body at these times.
In persons with high levels of stress, the following
medical conditions are typical: peptic ulcers,
headaches, backaches, hypertension, heart disease,
insomnia, depression and obesity, or excess weight, and
diabetes as it relates to it. In reference to the
stomach, the higher stress levels may lead to a higher
production of acid in the stomach, and in the absence of
food, or "with bad food choices," this can lead to
ulcers. The headaches and backaches may be directly
associated with poor sleeping patterns, poor posture,
increased muscle spasms, and poor nutrition.
Hypertension and heart disease are obviously tied to
poor diet, lack of exercise and chronic constriction of
arterial blood vessels and recurrent stimulation of the
heart muscle. Insomnia and depression, while tied
together, are also related to a total lack of balance
between rest, work and play.
Recently there have been
reports of stress and its relationship to obesity that
are independent of how much or what we eat. The thought
being investigated is that there may be a chemical
reaction whereby stress directly effects the cellular
pathway and causes obesity independent of excess caloric
intake. Obesity's relation to stress, while logical in
the idea that many of us are emotional eaters, also is a
direct physiological relationship. The more stress we
feel, the higher the induction of insulin, which is the
number one fat maker in the body. In turn, the higher
the insulin, the lower the glucose level will be, which
leads to increased cravings for sugars and
carbohydrates. And thus begins the "Catch 22" whereby we
eat more carbohydrates, hence producing more insulin
until we eventually develop insulin resistance and,
consequently, Diabetes Type II.
What one must realize is that the world will turn with
or without us, so as much as we may want to control
everything, what we need to focus on is balance. A
balance to stress is eating right, exercising (35-45
minutes, 3 to 4 times per week) and taking the time to
put fun and joy in our schedule. While those may sound
simplistic, the key to their success is our ability to
plan and execute them in our daily schedule.
Eating right means having breakfast, lunch and dinner
and a few healthy snacks per day. The meal should be 40%
protein to 30% good carbohydrates (i.e. vegetables) and
20% good fats. Portion control becomes more manageable
after we plan snacks between our meals. The exercise can
be a good walk or bicycle ride or a trip to a health
club; the point is to do something you enjoy.
Fun and joy: what is life without these? Laughter is
healthy and causes us to release endorphins that not
only make us feel good, but drop our blood pressure as
well. Sex is a good release of tension and the emotional
experience connects each partner in a supportive and
reassuring moment. Playing with the kids rekindles our
desires for family, and making time for good friends
ignites our thoughts of adventure and prosperity.
In all, stress is what we make of it, and as much as it
may at times seem untamable, we must focus on being
healthy, which means eating right, exercising and making
joy and fun priorities in our lives. As we pursue these
goals, the forces of stress will always be there, but
our desires and thoughts will take the lead in creating
our healthier reality.
Dr. Lara is a Board
Certified and Diplomat in Family Practice with over 20
years of extensive experience helping manage Diabetes,
Hypertension, Heart Disease, Cancer, Strokes, Arthritis,
Depression, and many other illnesses. Now he is
dedicating his experience and expertise to fight
obesity.
www.cesarlaramd.com.
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