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June 11, 2004 |
| Stress and Anxiety
Is it Really Stress? How many cups of coffee did you have today? How about candy bars or sodas? One of the early signs of adrenal gland and nervous system exhaustion is the need for stimulants. Another good signal you’ve hit the wall is the way you react to really small annoyances you used to just brush off or even laugh at. Take a look at your lifestyle. Have you given up socializing, exercising, gardening and even shopping to plop yourself in front of the TV every night? Before you get into the cycle of chronic insomnia at night and total fatigue during the day, and before you give up all the things that make life worthwhile in order to have the strength to get through your work day, take a look at my suggestions for dealing with the effects of stress. How do you know it is really stress? You can have your cortisol and other adrenal hormone levels checked in saliva, blood or urine samples. The saliva test accurately reflects the day-to-day functional status of your adrenal glands at your doctors office or by contacting Great Smokies laboratories for an at-home testing kit. If the test of your adrenal system doesn’t “test positive” for stress overload but you are still experiencing symptoms, you’ll also want to have a test for low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can mimic the symptoms of stressshakiness, jitteriness, dizziness and anxiety. The standard for diagnosing hyperglycemia is the glucose tolerance test. Food allergies can also cause anxiety and stress. There are many kinds of tests an allergist can perform to determine what you are reacting to, but you can also do that yourself by a process of elimination. About a quarter of the population is wheat and gluten intolerant, but they are unaware of the source of their discomfort. Try eliminating all wheat products, including pastas, from your diet for one month and see if you feel better. Similarly, many people don’t know they’re lactose intolerant. Skip the dairy products you normally consume for a few weeks and find out.
Read More on Anxiety and Stress: Getting Started Systems in the Body Affected by Anxiety Quiz: How Balanced are Your Neurotransmitters? Keep it SIMPLE tip Think Good Thoughts Nutritional Therapies Restore Your Ability to Manage Stress with a Stress-Reducing Diet Restore Your Ability to Manage Stress with Stress-Reducing Supplements Complementary Therapies Reduce Stress with Reflexology
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