HealthyLife Articles

Tag: stress

Stress Hormones & Your Health

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

When you are under stress, your body has a physical and chemical reaction that helps it respond to trouble. It releases hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones speed up your heart rate, make you sweat, send sugar into your blood and give you a burst of energy.

This stress response has helped humans survive over time. It’s not always a bad thing. Without some stress, our bodies would not learn how to adapt to challenges. But, these hormones are meant to be released in short bursts only, to help a person get out of immediate danger.

The problem arises when someone is stressed all the time. Being under stress every day means these stress hormones are never fully turned off. This constant flood of stress hormones can be harmful to your health.

Cortisol and adrenaline can shut off body functions that are not essential to survival at that moment. Those functions include your immune system, reproductive system and digestion.

In addition, having high levels of stress hormones for a long time can raise your risk of heart disease, digestive problems, depression, anxiety, sleep problems and weight gain.

There is good news. Researchers are finding that certain activities can help lower your stress hormone levels. They include:

* Getting exercise. Although you may not feel like walking or swimming when you’re stressed, exercise lowers stress levels. And, it boosts serotonin, which is a hormone that helps you feel calm and happy.

* Listening to music. Have a favorite relaxing song list on your phone or computer that you can use to feel calmer.

* Getting a massage. This can also help your body produce more serotonin, which can improve your mood.

* Finding something funny. Laughing and humor can lower cortisol levels. Laugh with a friend or family member, or read a humorous book.

* Dancing. People who dance regularly may have lower cortisol levels.

* Drawing, coloring or painting. In fact, any activity in which you create something can work.

Other activities that help reduce stress include getting adequate sleep, avoiding excess coffee and eating a healthy diet.

If you feel overwhelmed by stress, talk with your doctor. There are therapies that can help you. Remember, lowering stress can help you enjoy life more and take better care of yourself.

Sources: American Heart Association, American Institute of Stress, American Psychological Association, National Institute of Mental Health

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
A Healthy Diet Helps With Stress

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

Can the foods you eat help you cope with stress? Yes, according to experts at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. When you can’t avoid stress completely, focus on these foods to help you through it:

Whole grains and healthy carbohydrates

Whole grain bread, pasta, brown rice and sweet potatoes are all complex carbohydrates, which may help boost feel-good hormones in the brain.

Heart-healthy fats

Foods rich in omega-3 fats, such as salmon, flax seeds and walnuts may help improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety.

Soothing hot teas

Lavender and chamomile teas are good choices to help you relax and potentially get better sleep – keys to dealing with stress.

Dark chocolate

The antioxidants in this treat may help reduce stress. Be sure to keep your portion to one ounce or less a day, and choose dark varieties only. Milk and white chocolates do not offer these benefits.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Stressed? Try This

WELL-BEING

If you’re feeling stressed, learn from research at the University of Cincinnati that looked at ways college students could unwind and unfrazzle. The study was published in the Journal of Happiness & Well-Being.

Immediate actions

* Stop, pause and breathe: Slow down, take deep breaths, and count backward from 10.

* See the bigger picture: Ask yourself if this is a big deal or not.

* Contact a friend: Everybody has a phone. Call someone who can listen.

Long-term actions

* Diet and exercise: If you’re eating healthy and being active, you’ll tend to have lower stress levels overall. Exercise burns off negative energy. And the right food in moderation helps you avoid feeling weighed down.

* Daily “me time”: Take time, even just 10 minutes, and go outside, walk, enjoy something.

* Remember to HALT: Take care of 4 things: Make sure you’re not Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Are Stress And Cancer Linked?

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

Some stress is a normal part of daily life. Though stress can cause some health problems, the link between stress and cancer is not clear. Here’s what the National Cancer Institute says about stress and cancer:

* Chronic, high levels of stress can lead to unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and unhealthy eating. Though these habits may cause cancer in some people, the stress itself is not the cause of cancer.

* Stress may cause certain tumors to grow or spread more quickly. More research is needed to learn more about this.

* Cancer patients face high levels of stress. Lowering their stress levels through emotional and social support can help them have better outcomes.

Nature reduces stress

Do you wonder why a walk outdoors feels so relaxing? Researchers at the University of Minnesota say that being in nature can help reduce fear, anger and stress. If you can’t get outside, consider placing plants inside or hanging relaxing nature photos on the walls.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Using This Credit Card May Be Bad For Your Health

WELL-BEING

High levels of credit card debt and the stress of having debt may be bad for your health, a study in Social Science & Medicine suggests. People who reported higher levels of stress about their debt showed higher levels of physical impairment and reported worse health than those with lower levels of debt.

In the study, researchers asked people to rate their own health on a scale of very poor to very good. They rated how much they worried about their total debt. Researchers also asked how difficult it was for survey participants to do everyday activities such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries. Participants also reported how many credit cards they have and whether they carry a balance from month to month.

But it didn’t matter how many credit cards a person had, the big stress factor related to health was the ratio of credit card debt to their total family income-in other words, how much you owe compared with what you earn.

“The stress of owing money, and knowledge that we’re paying high interest rates, may lead to increased stress resulting in worsening health,” said the director of Ohio State’s Center for Survey Research. Credit counseling is one way to reverse debt-stress.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Boost Your Own Emotional Health

SELF-CARE CORNER

Our emotions have a lot of control over our lives. After all, if you’re feeling angry or sad, this can affect your work, personal life and even your food choices for the day.

That’s why good emotional health is just as important as your physical health. People with good emotional health are not necessarily happy 100% of the time. But, they know how to cope with life’s challenges and have healthy relationships.

Better emotional health is a skill you can learn. These habits can help you get there:

* Think about your feelings. Do certain things make you feel sad, stressed or frustrated? If you can, take steps to change them. If you can’t, work on accepting them.

* Don’t keep feelings inside. It’s okay to tell others how you are feeling. With time and practice, this can be done without yelling or emotional outbursts. Try to talk things through in a calm way.

* When you feel yourself getting angry, stop and breathe. Take a deep breath and count to 10. Leave the room if needed. This can help stop you from saying or doing something you may regret later.

* Focus on a healthy body. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help you feel more energized and ready to take on the world. These healthy habits can even help relieve mild depression or anxiety.

* Be social. Even if you’re shy, it’s good to connect with others. Have lunch with a friend or family member regularly. Join a group or volunteer at a charity you love.

* Do something relaxing every day. Try deep breathing, meditation, exercise or yoga. These practices can help you keep stress levels in check, which improves emotional health, too.

* Do things you love. If you love music, art, sports or a special hobby, find a way to do this regularly. This is a great way to help you feel more positive about life.

* Find purpose for your life. What is important to you? Whether it’s family, volunteering or something else, people need purpose and meaning to feel good. Try to think about your special purpose each day. If you’re not sure what it is, connecting with people may help you find it.

Mental illness can stand in the way of your emotional health. See your doctor as recommended and talk about your mental and emotional health during your checkups.

Source: American Academy of Family Physicians

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026