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What is stress?

In this ever-going world, the stress is common among all of us. Stress is the natural yet terrible feeling of not being able to cope up with the requirements or responsibilities or demands of day-to-day life. However, a little stress feeling is protecting you while you’re working or while you’re doing a presentation, it helps you to be focused and energetic. But the problem starts when the stress becomes chronic and you become unable to manage it.

Why someone develops chronic stress?

The reasons for being stressed chronically can be quite subjective. Moreover, chronic stress is illness or injury not mostly physical but mental.

What are the effects of cravings?
  • Weight related health problems: Repetitive emotional eating can lead to multiple health related problems likewise high blood pressure, diabetes, fatigue, etc.
  • Guilt: There is generally a sense of huge guilt after the phase of emotional eating and the guilt leads to more emotional hunger.
  • Nausea: The overeating or emotional eating or stress eating could potentially lead to stomach pains and later nausea or vomiting feels.

“The hundreds of hormonal changes and stress feeling can lead to emotional cravings but emotional eating doesn’t heal your emotional stress.”

It is very important to deviate your emotional or physical cravings into something which you won’t regret later. There must be healthy substitutes for all the unhealthy cravings. Initially one person won’t be able to completely finish the cravings but at least you will start suppressing your cravings rather than satisfying them.

What are the basic signs of chronic stress?

  • Excessive sweating
  • Back pain or chest pain
  • Headaches
  • Nervous twitches

Emotional symptoms:

  • Depression or general sadness
  • Loneliness
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Anger and irritability or frustration

Physical symptoms:

  • Diarrhoea and constipation
  • Nausea or dizziness
  • Severe chest pain or rapid heart-rate
  • Loss of sex drive
  • Cold or flu

Cognitive symptoms:

  • Memory problems
  • Lack of concentration
  • Poor sleep cycle
  • Seeing only negative aspects
  • Anxious or wearisomeness

Behavioural symptoms:

  • Eating much more or completely less
  • Sleeping too much or insomnia
  • Consumption of alcohol or cigarettes or drugs
  • Nail-biting
How to improve or handle your chronic stress?
  • Move your body, shake your body more often: Regular exercising or dancing, walking, swimming, running can potentially lift your mood up. Such activities break the cycle of negativity or excess of office work, etc.
  • Connection to others: Talking face-to-face with people around you and a friendly conversation can lessen the stress.
  • Enhancing your senses: Watching your favourite movie, drinking coffee or smelling ground coffee, listening to beach waves, all can help you let go the negative vibes.
  • Strengthening of vagus nerve using breathing techniques, meditation, laughter, positive sounds etc.
  • Meditation and breathing exercise like Diaphragmatic breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, alternative nostril breathing.
  • Eating a healthy diet: A full diet of proteins, vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, vegetables, fruits and nuts helps you to cope with the daily life demands along with mindful eating.
  • Sleep cycle: Giving rest to your body is very vital to fight against chronic or acute stress. A good sleep lifts up your mood physically as well as emotionally.
  • Chamomile and green tea, glutathione as antioxidant supplement.
  • Calming exercise to stimulate parasympathetic nervous system such as Yoga, Qigong etc
What are the other effective ways to heal the chronic stress?

1. Adaptogenic Herbs:

Adaptogens are certain herbs or spices, roots, mushrooms that can make the body much more resilient towards any kinds of stress. Although, adaptogens are not the ultimate cure for chronic stress. One of the most important adaptogens are Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Holy basil, Rhodiola, Eleuthero, etc.

How Adaptogens help you fight chronic stress?
  • Anti-inflammatory support
  • Anxiety support
  • Blood sugar control
  • Cognitive support
  • Depression support
  • Fertility support
  • Gut health support
  • Emotional and physical stress support
  • Enhanced physical performance

2. Probiotic Strains:

Probiotics have the power in reducing certain negative emotions as well as abnormal behaviors caused due to stress and anxiety. Probiotics help in the functioning of cognitive well-being and also help in reducing psychological stress.

  • Lactobacillus acidophilus Rosell-52 and Bifidobacterial longum Rosell-175
  • Bifidobacteria longum 1714
  • Lactobacillus casei Shirota

How probiotic helps in reducing stress?

  • It helps in enhancing your gut health.
  • It reduces the intensity of stress and depression in patients.
  • Helps in cognitive support.

Kindly check with your medical practitioners or therapist for recommendations on right supplements for yourself if necessary.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2568977/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579396/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3749028/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6531156/