The Science of Stress:   Formulating your Personal Plan of Attack

by:  Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, LMHC

Inevitably, we will all meet the Hurricane Andrews (now Floyd) of life. Although hurricane level stress is seasonal, other daily stresses affect us daily in our homes, offices and personal lives. Efforts to overcome stress are defeated without a strong food and fitness foundation. Poor nutrition and lack of exercise can paralyze our coping mechanisms for dealing with stressful individuals, projects and daily chores.

Stress Science 101

In the short run, stress causes the "fight or flight" response. Our bodies immediately deal with stress by dilating our pupils, consuming more oxygen, shutting down the gut, elevating blood sugar and fat levels, pumping more blood to the heart, which elevates heart rates and blood pressure. As a result, your body is prepared to attack or flee from the annoying source.

In the long run, hormones which control the body’s delicate, harmonious balance react by storing fat in the gut, suppressing the immune system, affecting your mood with anger, fatigue and depression and causing permanently damaging your blood vessels and gut with chronic conditions such as elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, sugar and triglyceride levels, illness and ulcers.

A new field of research called "psychoneuroimmunology" (PNI) also provides evidence that stress prevents timely healing from the physical and mental wounds of daily life. Healing from a daily cold to major surgery is also affected by: smoking, alcohol and drug abuse and malnutrition since each of these habits affect the body’s hormone levels. Chronically distressed individuals are also more likely to experience appetite and sleep difficulties, which also impact one’s ability to cope and manage daily stress.

Plan of attack?

The best ways to manage stress are to prepare the body to cope with stress. The first step is with the first step, literally. Daily exercise, any activity that is continuous and weight bearing (preferably but not exclusively) is your first stress-fighting tool. Put your sneakers on and jog up the steps to your office. Bring your sweats to work and stop by "The Villa" on Brickell for a spin-class or personal training session. Your first spin class is free! You can also take a brisk walk at lunchtime, on the beach or around your street corner before or after work. Additional programs are abundant and include the University of Miami daily swim classes and the Miami Runner’s Club weekly training sessions for members, just call 305-227-1600.

Stress-Free Eating

Foods that are best for managing stress are considered "irritant" free. Irritating foods are like the people, items and chores that upset your daily routine. Caffeine rich, sugar laden, chemically created and fat saturated meals will challenge your metabolism and prohibit energy from being used for maintaining "cover." Functioning on a caffeine or sugar high, compromised nutritional value or heavy cakes, meats and beverages (alcohol is metabolized to fat in the body) will prevent your body from using carbohydrates, protein and fat and the vitamins and minerals that help you to use them to be unavailable.