Managing Chemical Stress

Managing Chemical Stress

The chemicals (food, drink, pills, etc) we put in our bodies can cause a surprising amount of stress.


Similarly, if we are eating an unbalanced diet, we may be stressing our bodies by depriving them of essential nutrients. And eating too much for a long period causes obesity: This puts your heart and lungs under stress, overloads your organs and reduces your stamina.


You should be aware of the effects of the following:

* Caffeine:
Caffeine is a stimulant. One of the reasons we drink it is to raise our levels of arousal, particularly at the start of the day. If you drink many cups of coffee a day, then you may become twitchy, hyperactive and irritable. You may find that you can eliminate a lot of stress by switching to a good decaffeinated coffee (or an alternative).
* Alcohol:
In small amounts, alcohol may help you relax. In larger amounts, it may increase stress as it disrupts sleep, reduces your effectiveness, and possibly harms working relationships. Large amounts of alcohol over a long period of time will damage your body. Be aware of this, and keep your alcohol consumption under control.
* Nicotine:
While in the very short term, nicotine can cause its users to relax, its toxic effects raise your heart rate and stress your body. If you smoke, try taking your pulse before and after a cigarette, and notice the difference: You will probably see your pulse rate increase. After the initial period of giving up smoking, most ex-smokers report feeling much more relaxed than they did beforehand.
* Sugar:
Sugar-rich foods can raise energy in the short term. The problem with this is that your body copes with high levels of sugar by secreting insulin, which reduces the amount of sugar in your blood stream. Insulin can persist and continue acting after it has controlled blood sugar levels. This can cause an energy dip.

If you eat a good, well-balanced diet, you should be able to minimize this sort of chemical stress. With a little forethought, you can make sure that your body receives all the nutrients it needs to function effectively.