Stress Awareness
You must have heard that April is Stress Awareness Month, and I’m sure it’s no newsflash to you that chronic stress isn’t going to help with balancing your hormones!
Feelings of stress, overwhelm and anxiety are on the rise. Especially for women, and especially women over 40.
It’s not surprising. We are all juggling like crazy. Family commitments, a fulfilling career and a social life, whilst also trying to look good and stay healthy, can lead to burning ourselves out.
If we don’t prioritise self-care, our overall health is going to suffer.
Here are my tips to keep stress under control.Practice self-care: Make time for activities that you enjoy and that help you relax, such as reading a book, taking a walk, or practicing meditation.
Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can exacerbate stress, so make sure to prioritize a good night’s rest.
Exercise regularly: Physical activity can help reduce stress levels and boost our mood.
Connect with loved ones: Social support can be a great stress reliever, so spend time with friends and family.
When we get stressed, tired, or even nervous, our digestion doesn’t function properly, and certainly not optimally. It’s so important to slow down chewing and eating so you can have more energy and avoid bloating.
Stress impacts the vagus nerve, a long, cranial nerve that travels from the forehead to the pelvic floor. It has a massive impact on your digestive system and your stress response. It plays a particularly key role in how we feel and digest. It also has a significant impact on blood pressure and heart rate. It affects the adrenals, kidneys, and the amount of serotonin in the body.
We know that stress causes havoc with weight, digestion, fatigue, and brain function. The DUTCH (dried urine test for comprehensive hormones) test precisely measures the main stress and sex hormones and shows how much cortisol is being produced. Suffering from consistently high cortisol levels can cause oxidative stress and DNA damage. The amount of free cortisol will impact mood and energy, and liver and kidney function. This will also have an effect on sleep. There is an interconnected response with blood sugars, insulin production, and heart rate.
Would you like to order the DUTCH test to see what your hormones are doing and how stress may be contributing to your symptoms?
Email: trish@trishtuckermay.com