Stress – Part 1

Now that we have discussed the importance of RESTING and how it can be beneficial to give your body an occasional break from diet and exercise, let’s further discuss overtraining. The people that don’t have a regular workout may find the term “overtraining” foreign. Exercising and healthy eating can have so many health benefits but it is a possibility that too much diet and exercise over a long period of time can create additional stress on the body. Stress, whether it is physical, mental, or emotional, is one of the leading causes of sickness and disease. It is impossible to go through life with zero stress. Everyone has a different level of stress in their life whether it comes from work, finances, family, poor diet, or over or under exercising. If too much stress is present, then the body’s adrenal glands will begin to secret addition cortisol. Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone”. Even though our bodies need some cortisol to function properly, higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream are associated with chronic stress. Chronic stress has been shown to have many negative effects on the body. Taking a look at all the negative effects of cortisol will help you to learn to manage our stress better!