Stress & Anxiety Changes Your Brain!
What a strange time we’re currently living in right now. The stress and anxiety you are feeling are real. Most stress is unavoidable. It’s possible for you to be strong, happy, and healthy even under stress with the help of a functional medicine doctor in Orland Park, IL.
Your physical and emotional health is important. We know your mind and body are inextricably linked.
Many people see emotional health to be only psychological but at Anchored in Health we also see emotional health as physiological. Physiology refers to how your organs and body systems function. Let’s see how stress affects your body and emotions.
How Stress & Anxiety Affects Your Body
Stress is interpreted by the brain in the hypothalamus. Your hypothalamus communicates through chemical messengers with your pituitary gland. The hypothalamus and the pituitary talk about stress. It sends a message to the adrenal glands, whose job is to physiologically deal with the stress. The body’s primary reaction to stress is pumping out adrenaline (the “fight or flight” hormone), and the secondary reaction is increased cortisol (the stress hormone) and DHEA (the “fountain of youth” hormone).
If these hormones are out of balance (namely the cortisol-to-DHEA ratio), you will maladapt to stress. Here are some symptoms that might result from an inability to adapt to stress:
- Sleep problems
- Depression and/or anxiety
- ADD/ADHD
- Digestive problems like indigestion, gas and bloating
- Hiatal hernia
- Food sensitivities
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Low energy
- Carbohydrate cravings
- Insulin resistance (a precursor to type 2 diabetes)
- Weight gain
- Increased infections
- Allergic reactions
- Yeast overgrowth
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Body aches and pains
- Any condition that ends in “itis,” (arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, gastritis, sinusitis, bronchitis, dermatitis, etc).
If you’ve noticed any of these symptoms over the last few months (or years), now you know why! Meeting with a functional medicine doctor can help you reduce or get rid of these symptoms!
How Your Physiology Affects Your Emotions in Orland Park, IL
Stress has a direct effect on your physical body and your emotions. For example, if your blood sugar is low, you may become “hangry”. The anger and irritability you feel are not a problem with your psychology, it is an imbalance in your physiology.
Low blood sugar affects your brain. Your brain needs sugar (glucose) to function. If it doesn’t receive enough glucose, you will experience brain fog. This can be misinterpreted as a psychological disorder such as depression. Supporting your emotional health means balancing your blood sugar with a good diet (adequate protein and fiber, minimal sugar) and supplements. If this is something you’re dealing with, the SHAPE Reclaimed Program is excellent for balancing blood sugar.
Imbalances in blood pressure, thyroid hormones, steroid hormones (estrogen, testosterone, etc.), liver function, immunity, and other body systems can all affect your emotional health.
What Can A Functional Medicine Doctor Do To Help You With Stress?
Stress is impossible to avoid. The key is supporting your body’s ability to adapt to the stress you experience in a healthy way. One of the best ways to physiologically handle stress better is to add supplemental support and get to the root cause of the problems with functional medicine.
SHAPE Drops and MOOD Balance help your body adapt better to stress. As well as address imbalances in your body that cause emotional symptoms.
SHAPE ReClaimed Drops
SHAPE Drops contain emotional support ingredients to help with sleep, mood, and exhaustion. There is bladderwrack to support thyroid and boost metabolism. While Bach Flower Remedies, Star of Bethlehem, Mustard, and Oak address the emotional aftereffects of trauma, and gloom for unknown reasons. All of which help make you more sturdy in adversity. You can learn more about how the Shape ReClaimed program works here.
MOOD Balance
MOOD Balance combines three adaptogenic herbs: Holy Basil, Rhodiola, and Maca. Adaptogenic herbs work like a thermostat to sense imbalances and naturally correct them. They have a unique ability to “adapt” their function according to your body’s specific needs. MOOD Balance can be taken for physical, mental, and emotional stress. Such as anxiety, depression, adrenal fatigue, blood sugar problems, hormone imbalances, PMS, menopause symptoms, emotional eating, memory, cognition, and energy.
Ready to Work With A Functional Medicine Doctor to Support Your Health?
Are you experiencing any of the stress symptoms listed above? If so Anchored in Health can help you with functional medicine in Orland Park, IL. Stress does have to keep controlling your mental and physical health. Get started with Dr.Cindy, a functional medicine doctor, with these simple steps.
- Contact us to speak with our functional medicine doctor
- Schedule your first functional medicine appointment at Anchored in Health
- Regain your physical and mental health!
Other Services We Offer at Anchored in Health in Orland Park, IL
Our functional medicine doctor uses Shape ReClaimed as not only a weight loss program but to also help balance your physiology. Additionally, we offer chiropractic care, acupuncture, and massage therapy. At our Orland Park, IL-based practice we are dedicated to supporting your entire health and well-being. We look forward to hearing from you!