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Stress and high blood sugar are connected, so your ability to manage stress plays a big role in managing your diabetes.
Sources of Stress
Our stress comes from two main places:
- External sources: such as demanding jobs, problematic relationships, negative people, and financial problems
- Internal sources: how we perceive and respond to these and other events. Let’s take a closer look at both and see how these affect your ability to manage diabetes.
When you are under stress, your body works overtime to help you cope. One of the ways it does this is to release hormones, such as epinephrine and adrenaline, both which give you added energy and concentration. But, in addition to the hormones, your body also releases glucose (sugar) from your liver, muscles and stored fat reserves. This bodily response to stress is called the “fight or flight” response.
For example, if you needed to fight off or run away from a angry bear, these hormones and extra glucose would give you an enhanced ability to do so. In the process of running or fighting the bear you would use up the hormones and glucose and your body would quickly regain an internal balance.
But short, acute situations like the bear scenario are not our main source of stress. The stress that plagues most of us is chronic stress; the kind that goes on for days and weeks.
The same “fight or flight” stress response occurs with chronic stress as in acute stress. The difference is that we keep it turned on perpetually for long periods of time because we feel an ongoing anxiety about our finances, jobs, health and people we love. Chronic stress is not healthy for anyone but it is especially troublesome for people with diabetes because you do not need the additional glucose being continually released into your bloodstream. This glucose is in addition to what you take in from food.
What is Stress?
Stress is a
response produced by your body when you are subjected to various types
of demand, whether physically, mentally, or emotionally. Contrary to
what most people believe, stress is not associated with the negative
only since excessive positive emotions can result to stress as well.
When something that takes place or is about to take place in the
environment is producing stress in a person’s body and you feel some of
the symptoms of stress, it results into the release of certain chemicals into your bloodstream.
On the positive side, these chemicals can be utilized to produce more energy or added strength. This is helpful when the cause of your stress is something physical. But when you are dealing with emotional stress, it can cause a negative effect on your body since there is no outlet for releasing that extra boost of energy and strength. Therefore, stress results to various types of emotional or physical responses because each individual’s body respond differently to the stimulus.
Types and Causes of Stress
Whether you admit it or not, stress is a part of everyday life. Whether you are at school, at the office, or just about anywhere you are forced to deal with people and the environment. Hence, the types of stress is closely associated with its cause. And because your physical body is closely connected to your emotional and mental state, you will notice some connection to their effects when you begin to experience stress. This is also the reason why it is important to combat the cause of stress since it affects several vital aspects of your body in order to function.
Here are some of the most common sources of stress that must be dealt with on an everyday basis.
Internal Stress: There are times when you constantly worry about certain events without having enough control to determine its outcome. Internal stress is also one of those kinds of stress that needs to be addressed quickly. Most of the source of stress is rooted in the person’s mind, which makes it difficult to manage and would entail more work to get rid of. Oftentimes, people suffering from internal stress subconsciously puts themselves in stressful situations or feel stressed out about things that aren’t stressful to begin with.
Survival Stress: This type of stress deals with the danger, mostly physical, that an individual is subjected to. It can be prompted by an attack made by either human or animal that could potentially hurt you in the process. Therefore, your body releases this burst of energy that you need to utilize to respond quickly about the situation at hand whether to confront it or escape from it.
Environmental Stress: This type of stress is your body’s way of responding to changes or activities in your environment that could produce stress, such as extreme levels of noise or pressure from work. As compared to the other types of stress already mentioned above, this one is a lot easier to deal with. The best way to get started combating this stress type is to determine the source. Once you have identified the source of environmental stress, find a way to avoid them.
Stress Due To Work and Fatigue: Another common type of stress and probably the most prevalent. This one though does not happen in an instant, but rather builds up over time. When you are spending too much time working or forced to deal with excessive amount of work, then it can take its toll on your body. To deal with work stress, you need to make sure you have enough rest and relaxation in between so your body can recover from the tremendous amount of work. There are relaxation methods that you can apply in order to find relief from stress.
Stress Management: Learn to Control What You Can
It’s not realistic to think you can avoid stress completely. There are some things over which you don’t have complete control: roofs occasionally leak, jobs can be a hassle, relationships can end and investments sometimes go down in value.
Worrying about things you have no or limited control over is not your best strategy for your overall health or for managing your diabetes. Instead, focus on managing your response to these kinds of events. You have the ability to control your attitude, help calm your bodily reactions to stress and make sound choices. The goal is to mobilize the available resources to help you cope with stress in a healthy manner.
In addition, ensure that you eat balanced meals such as the super meals. These types of meals will provide your body and its cells with the proper nutrients so that you can handle stress and prevent stress from causing damage to your body.
For example, you cannot change the fact that your boss is a dimwit but you can choose how you respond to him. Spend your limited time and energy on trying to make the situation better instead of being anxious about the current state.
Consider these ideas for starters:
- Help a friend
- Go for a ride or visit the mall
- Tour a museum
- Take a walk in nature
- Write in your journal
- Talk with a close friend
- Take a bubble bath
- Get a massage
- Read a good book like Death to Diabetes
- Diaphragmatic breathing. In a sitting or lying position, breathe in through your nose, pulling the air deeply into your lungs until you feel your lower abdomen begin to extend. Take in as much air as you can. Hold it for a count of five and then slowly exhale through your mouth. Do this several times.
- Progressive relaxation. In a lying position, tense one muscle group (calves, for example) for a slow count of 10 while keeping the rest of your body relaxed. Stop tensing that muscle and relax for a few seconds. Then move to the next muscle group (thighs) and repeat. Progressively work your way through the entire body. This exercise is great to help bleed out the tension in muscles before sleeping.
- Exercise. Find an aerobic activity (running, walking, swimming, cycling, water exercise, tai chi, dancing, etc.) that you enjoy and participate in it regularly. Exercise is one of the best ways to release tension and keep your blood sugar in check.
Here are some additional ways to handle the stress in your life:
- Identify a strong motive for getting healthy, e.g. financial, your children, family, quality of life, religious, disdain towards drugs, fear of a painful death. Ensure that your motive is strong enough to overcome the setbacks you’re going to have during your journey.
- Embrace change and the adversity that you will face during your journey. Adversity will build your character or reveal it.
- Ensure you obtain at least 6-7 hours of quality deep sleep each night.
- Find quiet time for yourself each day, even if it's only 15 minutes.
- Avoid the emotional vampires and toxic relationships that drain your hope and your soul.
- Look for ways to use your talent and your passion to help your family and/or your community.
- Join an ADA-sponsored or church-sponsored diabetic support group as part of your support system.
- Read Chapter 13 for more ideas about reducing stress and improving your emotional well-being.
- Laugh! Laugh! Laugh! Laughter is a wonderful stress-reducer. Laughter relieves muscular tension providing a discharge of nervous excitement. It improves breathing, regulates the heartbeat and pumps endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers) into the bloodstream.
- Let go of the anger, jealousy, and envy in your life. These negative emotions trigger the release of stress hormones and weaken the immune system, making you more susceptible to disease.
- Listen to positive and powerful messages that will help to motivate you. Here's an example of a positive message that reminds me of my father, who convinced us that 'failure was for weak people and not an option for his kids'. He felt that you had to be höngry if you wanted to succeed at something. This audio clip was a reminder of my father preachin' at us.
Food for Thought: There is a fine line between denial and faith: Denial is believing you can’t win the battle against the disease because of all the facts. Faith is believing that you can win the battle despite all of the facts.
During the 1990s I volunteered as a math tutor for one of the local high schools. Because I had been blessed with a father who drilled mathematics into us, and great teachers who taught me the "patterns of mathematics", I was able to help many students and give them their hope back. During many of these tutoring sessions, I shared some inspirational quotes that I had come across over the years -- from people such as Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey, and Billy Graham. Maybe one of these quotes will help you.
Anti-Stress Foods
^ Khansari, D., Murgo, A., & Faith, R. (1990). Effects of stress on the immune system. Immunology Today, 11, 170-175.^
Graham, J., Christian, L. & Kiecolt-Glaser, J. (2006). Stress, Age,
and Immune Function: Toward a Lifespan Approach. Journal of Behavioral
Medicine, 29, 389-400.
It is a known fact that stresses are among the factors that destroy our body and our health; and, cause our blood sugar to rise. The good news is that you can control your blood sugar and limit the damage to your body caused by living a stressful life. How? By simply embracing a superior nutritional program such as the Death to Diabetes Super Diet. Although this diet was designed to address your diabetes, it also reduces the impact of stress on your body.
There are some simple rules, like avoiding caffeine and alcohol, avoiding fried and fatty foods, and so on. Here are some foods that can you add to your daily diet to combat stress and relieve the effects of stresses.
Almonds. Other great sources of magnesium, zinc and the above mentioned vitamins. Have a little snack and eat a handful of almonds, but remember that eating more of this delicious natural foods is linked to increased risks of cardiovascular problems.
Asparagus. This amazing green vegetable is an excellent anti stress food, a natural source of folic acid, which is an important chemical that helps to balance your mood and block the hormones produced when we are stressed out.
Bananas. These natural foods are rich in vitamin B, an important nutrient to keep stress hormones and blood pressure levels under control even in the most stressful situations.
Blueberries. This great low calorie product is rich in antioxidants, fiber and vitamin C, can also effectively help us fight against stresses.
Dark chocolate. It is known as one of the best anti-stress foods which is packed with flavonoids with amazing relaxing properties. Phenethylamine is another very important natural substance which can be found in dark chocolate. This chemical enhances our mood and makes us feel relaxed too. In addition to this, studies have shown that regular consumption of dark chocolate in small doses is linked to lower levels of cortisol, known also as stress hormone.
High in flavonoids, which are lauded for their relaxing properties (Lemon Balm and chamomile tea – other excellent sources), chocolate also contains phenethylamine, a chemical that enhances your mood. The darker the chocolate, the more healthful substances you’re being paid in your diet, so look for bars that are 70 percent cacao or privileged. Researchers found that eating the equivalent of one mean-sized dark chocolate candy bar (1.4 ounces) each day for two weeks reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as the “fight-or-flight” hormones known as catecholamines in vastly stressed people.
Bison/Beef. Rich in iron, vitamin B and zinc, beef and other types of red meat can be the best choice for the main course on a stressful day. However, remember that red meat has unhealthy saturated fat which is very harmful to your health.
Cantaloupe is an excellent source of vitamin C, which is crucial in combating stress. In fact, prolonged periods of stress deplete levels of vitamin C in the adrenal glands, so it's important to consume foods that contain high levels of it.
Cottage cheese. This type of cheese is very rich in proteins, calcium, as well as vitamins B2 and B12, which assist in banishing such symptoms of stresses as anxiety and restlessness.
Since cottage cheese is a good source of vitamins B2 and B12, mixing it with cantaloupe for breakfast or a midday snack will help you banish your feelings of anxiety.
Milk. A rich source of antioxidants, vitamins B 12 and B 2, raw milk (or goat's milk) can be used to block the activities of free radicals associated with stresses. A study has shown that the women who drinks lowfat milk on a regular basis displayed twice less symptoms of stresses in their PMS period.
Oatmeal. Carbs help you produce serotonin, a kind hormone that helps fight anxiety’s negative things-which is doubtless why many of us crave them when we’re stressed. Go with the appetite and choose healthful sources. The B vitamins in oats stimulate production of serotonin, a key neurotransmitter that sends soothing signals to your brain. Oatmeal is high in fiber, which means that your body will absorb it at a snail’s pace. In one fell swoop, you’ll prolong the serotonin boost, keeping physically feeling full for longer (and on less) and building sure your blood sugar’s in check.
Oranges. Oranges have high vitamin-C content. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that fights the free radicals that get unhindered when you’re stressed. It also lessens symptoms and shortens the duration of colds, which may be brought on by stress. Other excellent sources include kiwi fruit and strawberries.
Salmon. This is one of the best natural sources of Omega 3 fatty acids are reported to be an excellent food to slow down production of hormones adrenaline and cortisol, associated with increased levels of stresses. Also, good amounts of Omega 3 acids in our body can help boost serotonin levels making us feel more happy and content.
Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids-overflowing in fish like wild salmon-can help back stress symptoms by boosting serotonin levels, and that an omega-3-rich diet can also help suppress the production of the anxiety hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
Sunflower Seeds: A excellent fund of folate, which helps your body produce a pleasure-inducing brain chemical called dopamine. Low levels of zinc are common among those suffering from stress. It is elemental for boosting the immunelogic and fighting infections.
Sushi. Aside from the benefits of fish described on the first page, the seaweed in maki (rolls) also has anxiety-fighting properties. It is packed with stress-relieving magnesium, as well as pantothenic acid and vitamin B2 (riboflavin).
Pantothenic acid is crucial, as it contributes to the health of the adrenal glands, which play a vital role in stress management. In times of stress, a deficiency in pantothenic acid can lead to feelings of anxiety and increased vulnerability to infection, illness and chronic fatigue.
Walnuts: They’ve been shown to help lower blood pressure, which is critical for those whose hearts are by now working overtime thanks to high adrenaline levels. In fact, research so strongly backs their health repayment that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration goes so far as to recommend 1-1/2 oz per day (Brilliant raw, organic walnuts, 1/4 cup daily but watch depression on thyroid function).
Breakfast. Almost every other person has a practice of regular skipping breakfasts. Why do we do this? Sometimes we sleep too long and have no time for having breakfast before leaving our house. Some people believe that skipping breakfasts can help in weight loss, but this idea is absolutely incorrect. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and skipping breakfasts does not lead to anything positive.
But, you must eat a properly-balanced meal in order to reap the benefits of breakfast. So, follow a program such as the Death to Diabetes Super Breakfast protocol to ensure optimum health.
Moreover, according to famous British expert nutritionists Professor Tanya Byron and Amanda Ursell, who recently published their Kingsmill Breakfast Report, eating healthy breakfasts can help us to reduce negative effects of our daily stresses.
A research leaded by these two specialists showed that eating a good nutritious breakfast in the morning helps to boost our resistance to stresses and improve our mental functioning during the day.
Note: Skipping breakfast or eating a poor one leads to substantially heightened stress levels and given the understanding of the role of stress in the deterioration of thinking, problem solving, focus, concentration and behavior, has profound implications for everyone, adults and children alike.”
For more details about stress, read Chapter 13 of the Death to Diabetes book or get the How to Reduce Stress ebook.
References
- ^ a b Keil, R.M.K. (2004) Coping and stress: a conceptual analysis Journal of Advanced Nursing, 45(6), 659–665
- ^ W. B. Cannon. ‘‘Physiological regulation of normal states: some tentative postulates concerning biological homeostatics.’’ IN: A. Pettit (ed.). A Charles Richet: ses amis, ses collègues, ses élèves, p. 91. Paris: Éditions Médicales, 1926.
- ^ The Stress of Life, Hans Selye, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1956.
- ^ Koolhaas, J., et al. "Stress revisited: A critical evaluation of the stress concept." Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 35, 1291–1301, 2011.
- ^ Urban, Janice, et al. (2008). "Neuropeptide Y in the Amygdala Induces Long-Term Resilience to Stress-Induced Reductions in Social Responses But Not Hypothalamic–Adrenal–Pituitary Axis Activity or Hyperthermia" The Journal of Neuroscience, 28(4): 893-903; doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0659-07.2008
- ^ http://www.tufts.edu/med/news/newsitems/regulatestress.html
- ^ Khansari, D., Murgo, A., & Faith, R. (1990). Effects of stress on the immune system. Immunology Today, 11, 170-175.
- ^ Khansari, D., Murgo, A., & Faith, R. (1990). Effects of stress on the immune system. Immunology Today, 11, 170-175.
- ^ Kemeny, M. E. (2007). “Understanding the interaction between psychosocial stress and immune-related diseases: A stepwise progression.” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 21 (8), 1009 – 1018.
- ^ Khansari, D., Murgo, A., & Faith, R. (1990). Effects of stress on the immune system. Immunology Today, 11, 170-175.
- ^ Dantzer, R. & Kelley, K. (1989). Stress and immunity: An integrated view of relationships between the brain and the immune system. Life Sciences, 44, 1995-2008.
- ^ Glaser, R. & Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K. (2005). “Stress-induced immune dysfunction: Implications for health.” Immunology, 5, 243-251.
- ^ Graham, J., Christian, L. & Kiecolt-Glaser, J. (2006). Stress, Age, and Immune Function: Toward a Lifespan Approach. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 29, 389-400.
- ^ Khansari, D., Murgo, A., & Faith, R. (1990). Effects of stress on the immune system. Immunology Today, 11, 170-175.
- ^ Powell, Brasel, & Blizzard, 1967.
- ^ "Renew-Stress on the Brain". The Franklin Institute. http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/stress.html.
- ^ Alice Park (2009-08-08). "Fat-Bellied Monkeys Suggest Why Stress Sucks". Time. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1915237,00.html. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
- ^ Selye (1975). "Confusion and controversy in the stress field". Journal of Human Stress 1: 37–44.
- ^ Ron de Kloet, E; Joels, M. & Holsboer, F. (2005). "Stress and the brain: from adaptation to disease". Nature Reviews Neuroscience 6 (6): 463–475. doi:10.1038/nrn1683. PMID 15891777.
- ^ Lazarus, R.S. (1966). Psychological Stress and the Coping Process. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- ^ Aldwin, Carolyn (2007). Stress, Coping, and Development, Second Edition. New York: The Guilford Press. ISBN 1572308400.
