Stress & HormoneS

Stress is one of those things that we all experience. But, we all cope with stress in different ways!

From an evolutionary perspective, we require stress. For example, if I see a bear, I would be stressed. This is the "fight or flight" part of the nervous system that begins to kick in. But, if I had the stress of meeting a deadline in 1 week - hopefully that same "fight or flight" response wouldn't also be kicking in at that time - as that is a long time to be in that "fight or flight" response, where all of the body's resources go towards survival mode. However, stress may become chronic – and this is when our nervous system might begin to interpret unhealthy stress as normal; and so, anything other than stress is difficult for our minds & bodies to cope with. At times we may not be able to recognize stress, simply because we have so much going on. Often this might become more discernible months or years after a stressor.

From a hormonal perspective, cortisol, DHEA, insulin, thyroid and hormones ALL respond and affect one another when it comes to stress. Therefore, common signs of chronic stress may include, increased sugar intake/cravings, mental and physical fatigue, sub-optimal sleep, inability to exercise due to low energy, reduced motivation, aches and pains, unexplained weight gain and so much more. Each person deals with stress differently - one individual may cope by eating more for example and another may cope by forgetting to eat at all.

I am going to leave the physiology behind stress for another post, but let's review a few points that might impact the stress response.

What are signs of stress/cortisol dysregulation?

• Do you drink a lot of coffee because you feel like you NEED it? (especially over the course of the day). Caffeine has the ability to impact cortisol release from our adrenal glands, the organs responsible for our stress response.

• Trauma may manifest itself as stress from immediately during the event up to years after the event.

• Do you have issues falling or staying asleep? Do you get a second wind at nighttime, when you tend to become more productive? Are you waking up unrested in the mornings? Could you hit "snooze" again?

• Do you crave sugar? Insulin (a hormone) may respond to cortisol (also a hormone) changes and potentiate sugar cravings.

• Do you have thyroid abnormalities on bloodwork? Thyroid and adrenal health are often connected.

• Do you have brain fog? Can’t remember things? Difficulties concentrating?

• Not all of these are always linked to stress, but they are potential signs and symptoms to keep in mind.

The bottom line is that we all have stressors in our lives. We are all human. We are all trying to better our lives and the lives of others around us. Sometimes, having guideance and accountability may support health goals. Stress is a combination of physical and mental-emotional components. Coping with stress and finding that balance can TAKE TIME. Create a team of health providers to support you including your MD and ND, mental health provider and more!

Naturopathic medicine may be able to support stress management through diet & lifestyle changes, supplement support, hormone & nervous system support, acupuncture, and more.

Dr. Nadia Mawji, ND

Calgary Naturopathic Doctor

**Any information provided in these posts are intended for information purposes only and not to be considered naturopathic medical advice. See your naturopathic doctor for individualized support & guidance