By Patricia AdamsRegardless of your age, there is a good chance that you have experienced some form of stress in your life. Stress is your body's way of preparing itself for dealing with a tough situation by increasing focus, strength stamina and the body's level of alertness. While stress helps keeps us safe in potentially dangerous situations, too much stress can actually do our bodies more harm than good which is why it is so important to learn how to reduce stress. When you become overstressed, your body is always at a heightened level of awareness which can affect how you deal with your day to day responsibilities.
Our bodies commonly respond to stress inducing situations by activating the nervous system and certain hormones. When our stress levels rise, the body's hypothalamus sends a signal to the adrenal glands to produce more adrenaline and cortisol and then release these two hormones into the bloodstream. This combination causes your heart rate to speed up, your breathing to quicken, your blood pressure to rise and your metabolism to increase.
Stress also quickens your physical responses by allowing you to react quickly and effectively to any event. Commonly known as the stress response, it is the body's normal response to a stressful situation. In normal situations the body will eventually return to normal once the stressor is handled but problems start to occur when the stress levels in the body never seem to decrease which is commonly known as over stress. In order to learn how to reduce stress, you need to first learn the type of situations that commonly cause over stress. They are:
- Exams
- Dealing with constant problems at school or work
- Dealing with sexual, physical or emotional abuse
- Dealing with relationships
- Being required to handle new responsibilities
- Moving to a new place
- Dealing with a traumatic event, such as the death of a loved one
- Dealing with a new or chronic illness or disability
- Dealing with peer pressure or dealing with being bullied
- Dealing with unrealistic expectations that have been placed on you by yourself, your friends, your family or your culture
While occasional stress is fine, being over stressed all the time can have negative effect on both your physical and mental health which is why it is so important to learn how to reduce stress. Some of the most common consequences of over stress are:
Psychological and Emotional Consequences:
- Feeling hostile, angry, or irritable
- Feeling anxious
- Choosing to avoid other people
- Crying
- Moodiness or feeling frustrated with things that normally wouldn't bother you
- A low self-esteem or lack of confidence
- Anxiety attacks
- Depression or sadness
Physical Consequences:
- An upset stomach, diarrhea, or indigestion
- Headaches
- Backaches
- An inability to sleep
- Eating either too much or too little
- An increased heart-rate
- Smoking
If you find that you are suffering from one or all of these symptoms then you may want to consider talking to your doctor or counsellor in order to learn how to reduce stress. Choosing to not reduce your stress will only end up doing your physical and mental health more harm than good.
Patricia Adams of PanicAnxietyCure-Reviews.com, had suffered from panic attacks for over twenty years, but fortunately found help from it's debilitating effects and cured herself permanently. She now dedicates her time in helping other panic and anxiety sufferers get the info that they need to gain ultimate freedom. Patricia now constantly reviews new products and natural cures in the market to make sure you get the best value products that work for you. Check out actual user reviews of the best panic and anxiety natural cures atPanicAnxietyCure-Reviews.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_Adams
By James J WhiteThe effects of sleep deprivation are so severe that the subject of not getting enough sleep should never be skimmed over. A surprisingly large percentage of people are not getting the quality and quantity of sleep that they should. The human body has a natural sleep/wake cycle (circadian cycle) that is in time with the sun and the planets. What this basically means is that when the sun sets and it gets dark we should get tired and go to sleep and when the sun rises and it gets light we are designed to wake up and get ready for the day. This is not just humans that work this way, as light has a huge influence over the physiology of all life and nature. When the solar eclipse happened in 1999, birds, horses and many other creatures went to sleep in the middle of the day when the sun eclipsed.
How does this happen?
When light from the sun or artificial light stimulates your skin or eyes your brain and hormonal system think its morning. This will make your adrenal glands secrete the hormone cortisol which will wake you up and prepare your body for the day. Your cortisol levels peak at around 6-9am then drop a little but remain elevated throughout midday to support daily activities. In the afternoon cortisol levels drop significantly, especially as the sun goes down. These decreasing cortisol levels allow the release of melatonin and growth and repair hormones.
If our bodies follow the natural sleep/wake cycle we should start winding down as the sun sets and should fall asleep by about 10pm. Physical repair mostly takes place between 10pm - 2am and after 2am psychogenic (mental) repair takes place.
This is all supposed to happen in an ideal world or at least it did happen in the past. But now with all the artificial light, television, computer games, parties, etc our cortisol levels don't drop as they should towards the end of the day which results in a hormone imbalance and reduced repair hormones being released. Also as we have this artificial light to keep us entertained way past sun set, we only go to bed around 12am or later! This results in not only poor sleep quality but sleep deprivation.
So what are the effects of sleep deprivation? Here is a short paragraph on three parts of the body that are severely effected by sleep deprivation.
Hormonal - A Lack of sleep can cause havoc with hormones and the glands that release them. Not getting enough sleep will increase your cortisol levels and decrease testosterone and growth hormone. The end result of this will be less muscle and more fat. This will get worse as well because your metabolism will have dropped due to having less muscle. It is a major contributor to adrenal fatigue with leads to depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, viral infections, bacterial infections, fungal infections, headaches, weight gain, reduced sex drive, lack of energy and many more.
Physical - The effects of sleep deprivation on your performance is that your performance is severely reduced when your not sleeping correctly. You will not only feel tired and fatigued all day but training at the gym will feel a lot harder than it should do. This will obviously mean that your session will be less effective and you will relate the gym with bad experiences which means you will soon give up going.
Mental - The effects of sleep deprivation on your mental health are probably the most recognizable and worrying. It ranges all the way from not being able to concentrate, getting grumpy and ratty with people for no reason, forgetting things, showing dyslexic tendencies all the way up to hallucinating, dizziness, depression.
So how can you make sure the effects of sleep deprivation doesn't happen to you?
* Make sure your bedroom is pitch black - Light hitting your skin or eyes will disturb your sleep.
* Start winding down at the end of the day - If you begin to turn lights down or off at least 2 hours before you go to bed then your body recognizes this as sun set and time to sleep.
*Go to bed by 10pm and be asleep by 10.30pm. Waking up is less important to address as your body should start to wake up when it needs to, but around 7 is advisable.
* Avoid the consumption of stimulants (caffeine, sugar, cigarettes) after lunch.
* Drink plenty of water. If your body is dehydrated then it treats this as a stress. Stress equals the release of cortisol which wakes you up!
* Unplug all your electrical items for a few nights and see if your sleep improves. If it does you should keep all electrical items as far away from your bed as possible. The low frequency electromagnetic energies can disturb your sleep.
* Try exercising through out the day. This can help you to sleep at night. However if you exercise in the evening and the exercise is intense and longer than 30 minutes this can disrupt your sleep by releasing too much cortisol.
James is a coach at the Dax Moy Personal Training Studios, Islington, where he works with clients to achieve rapid fitness and fat loss results.
To find out more or to contact James with questions related to this article please visithttp://jameswhitepersonaltraining.co.uk
If you are interested in building muscle and burning fat then visit my site at http://build-muscle-burn-fat.com to learn how.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_J_White
By Laura McCallumKnowing the most common causes of fatigue can help you to figure out what is standing in your way of great health and vitality. What are they? And what impact does this have on your health? Find out here.
What are the most common causes of fatigue today? First of all, let's define what is fatigue? Fatigue has been described as a state of exhaustion, tiredness, or lethargy. It can be either physical or mental, or a combination of both. It is not the same as drowsiness, which is a tendency to fall asleep, although you may be fatigued and drowsy at the same time. Fatigue is pretty common nowadays. Most of us have experienced it at some point in our life, and we can manage it, but for some of us, fatigue interferes with our normal quality of life. If this is true of us, we may need to find out what are the most common causes of fatigue, to see if we can get our health and vitality back!
When you can't keep up with your normal routine due to lack of energy, you are probably suffering from one or more of the most common causes of fatigue. If you cannot keep up with your physical routine because you are too tired to carry it out, then you are likely suffering from physical fatigue. If you are having trouble focusing your thoughts or staying awake, then you are likely dealing with emotional fatigue. Any combinations of the above may be manifest as both physical and emotional fatigue. If just reading about it is making you fatigued, read on! There is light at the end of this tunnel. The most common causes of fatigue may be traced to our routine, or our habits in everyday life. So they may be a reflection of our lifestyle, or have emotional or medical aspects to them, or a combination of these factors.
The most common causes of fatigue may be classified as either Physical or Emotional.
The Most Common Causes of Fatigue that are Physical Include:
- Stress
- Depression
- Grief
- Extreme physical activity
- Athletic overtraining
- Lack of sleep- shift work, night work,
- Sleep disturbances- insomnia, jetlag, sleep apnea
- Vitamin or Mineral Deficiencies - Iron (anemia), B12, low Potassium or Magnesium
- Heat Poisoning or Heatstroke
- Food poisoning
- Blood loss
- Medical treatments, for example radiotherapy or chemotherapy for cancer
- Trauma
- Multitasking/overwork
- Too much caffeine
- Food allergies
- Processed/fast food diet
- Malnutrition
- Alcohol abuse
- Sedentary lifestyle/lack of exercise
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Surgical recovery
- Toxic/ poison overload
- Adrenal fatigue
- Low glutathione levels
- Chronic physical pain
- Not eating enough- skipping meals
- Illness - infection or disease that you may know about, or may be undiagnosed may be some of the most common causes of fatigue.
- Medications - there are several medications that can contribute to the most common causes of fatigue.
The second category of the most common causes of fatigue are emotional.
Here are the Most Common Causes of Fatigue That Are Emotional:
- Stress/anxiety
- Overstimulation
- Understimulation
- Information overload
- Boredom
- Depression
- Fear
- Grief
- Overachieving
- Overcommitting
- Lack of sleep/sleep disturbances
- Anhedonia- lack of desire or pleasure in life
These are some of the most common causes of fatigue. They can be classified as physical and emotional causes. Some of these most common causes of fatigue may cause both physical and mental fatigue, such as the case with grief, depression, stress, and anxiety. You should always seek out the advice of a medical professional when dealing with excessive or prolonged fatigue.
Copyright 2009 Immune Health Solutions: You may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links and this copyright notice remain intact. Laura McCallum is the owner of Immune Health Solutions and enjoys writing helpful information about the immune system and glutathione. She regularly consults with medical professionals and published research, and believes in giving her readers the information they need to take charge of their own health. Please see Dealing With Fatigue for help in regaining your energy and vitality on a cellular level.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_McCallum
By Russell SymondsChronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a controversial condition with no precise definition or single known cause. Various things can cause it and the only way known to diagnose it is through a diagnosis of exclusion of all other pathologies known to cause chronic fatigue such diabetes, depression, anemia, leukemia, malnutrition, etc. However there are some specific terms or conditions associated with CFS such as encephalomyelitis, post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS), Epstein-Barr virus, adrenal fatigue, etc. The condition must also be present for more than 6 months for it to match most diagnostic criteria.
More women than men are said to have this disorder and it has been more commonly diagnosed in young children and especially teenagers. Many other symptoms ranging from mild to life-threatening such as cardiac problems, asthma, muscle fatigue, pain, spacey feelings, digestive problems, depression, immune weakness, and oversensitivity have been reported by those suffering from CFS but are not officially a part of this ailment. Some get better over a period of time and some cases do respond to various treatments.
The main symptom of CFS is an unrelenting tiredness not relieved by rest and greatly exaggerated through even the smallest amounts of exertion. One often feels like one is walking through molasses with weights tied to every part of one's body. Some days are so bad that one may need to stay in bed and sleep all day. Also not only physical body is affected, the mind and emotions are equally thwarted. CFS is an extremely serious and very frustrating condition to deal with as all aspects of one's life are seriously compromised if not ruined. It may take four times as much effort to accomplish one tenth of what the average person can achieve.
I suffered periods of what seemed to be CFS throughout most of my life starting at very early age. I was considered "lazy" and inattentive at school and used to "daydream" during class. I was actually going into deep meditative states even though no one, not even myself, realized it at the time. After a long day at high school I would often feel so exhausted that I would immediately go to sleep the moment I entered my room at 3:00 in the afternoon (school usually started at 8:00 AM and finished around 2:35 PM). I had a tough time finding enough mental energy to get any homework done and needed 14 hours of sleep!
My symptoms were quite worrisome and this problem continued in various degrees of severity throughout my life and had very little sympathy, only accusations of being "lazy" which really upset me. I never was able to overcome this problem until I regularly took the correct amounts of the right combination of certain herbs, vitamins and antioxidants. Like I said in so many other articles I have written on health, drinking loads of alkalized water also seemed to help. Not surprised because alkalized (negatively ionized) water acts as a buffer to neutralize acidic toxins of metabolism. Quercetin helps because it protects the potency of adrenalin in the body, therefore increasing overall energy efficiency.
If you or someone you care about appears to be suffering from CFS, you are going to have to get a thorough diagnosis to rule out all kinds of possible causes. I was checked and double-checked and it turned out my anxiety-disorder was to blame. I found out that my CFS would tend to get much worse after very stressful days. Depression also greatly effected it. Therefore even though I had definite symptoms of fatigue, they may not been the official, bona fide form of CFS. Instead, my chronic fatigue was most likely a "spinoff" of other problems I was presently suffering from such as my anxiety disorder and depression while developing agoraphobia. But none of this knowledge satisfied my main concern as to how to really get rid of this devastating problem, which alone was making my life miserable.
I proved to myself it was a part of my depression by noticing that when my moods would swing back toward anxiety, I would seem to have more energy. After all, even though high anxiety is not at all a positive energy, at least it was some form of energy nevertheless forcing me to get things done to distract me from the sheer terror of the highly undesirable thoughts and feelings I would often suffer from.
It was not until much later that I came across two books by Patrick Holford: Natural Highs: Feel Good All the Time and Optimum Nutrition for the Mind that I found out I was pyroluric and suffering from a common metabolic disorder known as pyroluria. There is actually a one in ten chance that you, the reader of this article could actually have at least a trace of this condition, however, not everyone reacts to it the same way. Strangely enough, some may actually have no depression, anxiety, or fatigue whatsoever, just a greater tendency toward contracting lung cancer. Anyway, I saw my entire life story written all over the symptoms related to pyroluria. After taking the zinc, B6, niacin, and many antioxidants regularly things got somewhat better. Now I feel much more emotionally balanced, however, it did take a few months and I'm still not 100% perfect. Trying to find complete wellness and maintain it is very tricky business.
My search never really comes to an end, there always seems to be something more I need to learn and use to improve my condition even further. I recently learned that chronic fatigue syndrome can also be a symptom of one or several endocrine gland disorders involving mainly the adrenal glands, sometimes the thyroid and even the pituitary and hypothalamus. Recent saliva and blood tests revealed that indeed I have adrenal and thyroid insufficiency which is a result of massive emotional stress starting from very early in life.
More information and movies related to the above article can be found here ==> Chronic Fatigue
Russell Symonds (Shaktivirya) has dedicated his life to finding wholeness and is living the "wholeness" lifestyle. His website, Science of Wholeness is a spiritual and nutritional information and research center dedicated to helping you find your keys to wholeness (everlasting joy, love, bliss, rejuvenation, and much, much more). Wholeness can be many things and his website not only discusses all the different aspects of wholeness but also all the different ways toward wholeness. There is no greater thing of beauty, value and joy as wholeness!
The rest of his original articles and his free online book, Science of Wholeness I & II can be found here ==> Wholeness Site Map
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russell_Symonds
By Andrew StrattonIn 1998, the term "adrenal fatigue" was coined by Dr. James L. Wilson to indicate the symptoms of low adrenal function associated with chronic stress and other causes. The purpose of the adrenal glands is to regulate the body's response to stress by producing hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, estrogen and testosterone that are required for a number of vital functions. However, when we experience chronic stress, such as that brought on by modern lifestyles and poor nutrition, it causes the adrenals to overproduce hormones in response, and ultimately wear out from exhaustion. If you often experience fatigue for no reason, feel tired in the morning, crave sugary snacks or caffeine to keep your energy levels up or feel stressed and generally run down, you may be experiencing adrenal fatigue. It can also result in secondary disorders, such as obesity and allergies. It may not be practical to completely change your lifestyle overnight, but there are a number of stems that can be implemented quickly to effectively treat this syndrome and prevent it from worsening. Here are some things that help: 1. Eat a healthy diet This is hardly a mystery. It's a well-known fact that modern lifestyles and eating habits cannot support our body's requirements and are largely responsible for causing syndromes such as this. However, making better choices can be as easy as switching to high-fiber or multi-grain bread, instead of white breads and eating more vegetables and raw foods instead of processed ones. And no, ketchup doesn't count as a vegetable. Laying off the colas, caffeine and energy drinks can help as these can stress the adrenals into pumping out greater amounts of hormones and too much consumption of them may even be a cause of this syndrome. 2. Supplement your diet It's also a well-known fact that industrial farming and animal husbandry have caused a significant amount of deterioration in the quality of produce that reaches our tables. Even if it is fresh produce, it may not provide you with the amount of nutrients you need to fight the effects of pollution and a modern lifestyle. Supplementing your diet with vitamins like B-complex, Vitamin E and C, and with healthy fats rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can boost immunity, fight allergies and help your body cope better with the effects of stress. 3. Use herbal remedies A number of herbs such as Skullcap, Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Maca and Ginseng can act as calming agents and adaptogens, helping the body adapt better to the effects of stress. Most have to be used regularly, over a period of time to show beneficial effects, but they should always be used under the supervision of a herbal or medical practitioner. 4. Get regular exercise Any form of exercise can help reduce stress levels by producing endorphins and chemicals that boost immunity. Some especially beneficial types to treat chronic stress are yoga, qigong and martial arts like tai chi, that regulate and balance energy flow throughout the body. While the best way to deal with adrenal fatigue is to prevent it, making changes in your lifestyle using the steps above can reduce and alleviate the damage caused by stress so that you can get your life and your health back on track again. Consuming well-formulated adrenal fatigue supplements is one of the steps you can take to aid in your recovery from adrenal fatigue syndrome. For high-quality supplements that promote optimal wellness and hormonal balance, visit http://www.goodelements.comArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton
|
RSS Feed