Stress at is Killing You

© 2012 VitalObjectives
The Stress That is Killing You (v. 1.0)
Mental- and Environmental Stressors as Drivers of Health- and Performance Issues
Health Mastery for Thinkers & Achievers
The Body's Priorities Under Stress
(Survival First — Health Later)
The healthy body is continuously engaged in a
balancing act between using its resources to
preserve life in the moment versus investing in
reproduction, regeneration and longevity.
Consider these important sources of chronic stress which will all eventually cause maladaptation and
disease. Note that what we commonly associate with the word ”stress”, which tends to be lifestyle- or
psychological stress, is only one category out of several types of stressors that may undermine our
health.
Many stressors are related to how the typical modern diet and lifestyle differ from the evolutionary
environment that shaped our physiology. Other stressors are a function of sensitivities unique to the
individual. We become vulnerable as a result of weaknesses due to past exposure to chronic stress.
It is a biological fact that the human body (or any
living organism) is unable handle sustained stress
over long time frames without maladaption.
Maladaption can be viewed as a genetically
programmed sacrifice of long term health in an
attempt to guarantee short term survival.
Stress of all kinds shifts the body's priorities
away from repair/reproductive processes and
toward processes needed for survival in the
moment (the "fight-or-flight" response).
Psychological Stress
caused by for example:
High stress lifestyle
Constant Worries
Bad relationships
Cable news
Fascist assholes in Gov't
Duty based ethics.
(Sacrificing your own
goals and values to
other people's needs
and demands.)
At the deepest level the issue is that the body
cannot create something out of nothing, so if
the body is pushed by the need to respond to
stress to use up more of its available raw
materials, it must (given unchanging nutritional
inputs) have less of those materials available for
other things.
In a situation of stress, the body always
prioritizes responding to the immediate
stressor before investing in long term health
and survival. (If your house is burning, you try
to extinguish the fire, or escape, before you
think further about renovating the kitchen,
right? The body uses the same logic.)
Blood Sugar
Irregularities
exacerbated by for
example:
Eating refined sugars
Eating too many (or
too few) carbs for one's
individual metabolism
Sleep Deprivation
Inappropriate fasting or
under-eating
Think of a country engaged in war: The longer
the armed conflict goes on, the more resources
that would in peacetime be used for making life
better such as gourmet meals, household
appliances and cars must instead be used to
make field rations, bullets and tanks.
The longer and the more intensely the body is
engaged in fighting chronic stress, the less it will
be able to dispose of cancer cells, clean up toxic
waste, repair tissues, build muscle and bone,
clean up plaques in the blood vessels and brain,
and turn back the biological clock (reset
telomeres).
Maladaptation to Chronic Stress and Steroid
Hormonal Balance
Steroid hormones (yes, everyone, not just
bodybuilders have steroid hormones) exist in
two major categories: stress/survival hormones
(e.g., cortisol and adrenaline) and repair/
reproductive hormones (e.g., DHEA,
testosterone, and estrogens).
The shift of priorities during the body's war
against chronic stress results at first in a lower
ratio between repair/reproductive hormones
and stress hormones, but relatively high
absolute levels of each.
In this stage people often feel ”high on
adrenaline". Falling asleep at night may be
difficult; pulse rate, blood pressure, and fasting
glucose levels may be elevated; fat often
accumulates around internal organs (a
particularly bad type of fat) and/or
subcutaneously around the belly button. (I call
the latter a ”Manhattan belly”.)
Chronic stress shifts hormone
production toward stress/
survival pathways.
Stress/survival
hormones
Restorative/reproductive
hormones
Pregnenolone
+
Aldosterone
Cortisol
–
Inflammatory,
allergenic or
immunogenic foods
(e.g., grains, engineered
"foods", omega-6 fats ,
foods that trigger
genetic- or acquired
food sensitivity)
Gut pathogens / gut
flora imbalance
Exercising when already
stressed
A sense of ”duty”/dread
when exercising
Long ”cardio” sessions
Insufficient recovery
between training
sessions
Over-use of
Stimulants/Drugs/
Pharmaceuticals
such as:
Caffeine
Alcohol
NSAIDS (GI tract
destruction.)
Antibiotics (they
destroy normal gut
flora.)
Prescription drugs
(including
contraceptive pills)
mess with hormonal-,
liver- and/or GI health.
Maladaptation
to
Chronic Stress
Characteristics: steroidal hormonal
imbalance; suppression of restorative/
reproductive hormones and processes;
the "burning-in" of stress related biochemical
pathways;
pathological changes in tissues and organs;
(eventually) collapse of steroidal hormone
production and other functions. End-state:
HOSPITALIZATION/DEATH ("Rock-StarCarry-Out")
MALADAPTION LEADS TO FUNCTIONAL DEGRADATION OF SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES IN THE BODY
(Techical Note: Among biomarkers of maladaptation are an elevated cortisol to DHEA ratio, and/or declining steroid hormone production overall.)
Neural Tissue
Degradation affecting…
Memory and Learning
Quality of Sleep and
Mood
Related symptoms/
complaints/diseases
(examples)
absentmindedness
ADD/ADHD
angry often
apathetic
best sleep between 7 – 9 a.m.
concentration difficult
decreased tolerance of others
depression, sadness, melancholy
anxiety, anxiousness
feel unwell often
emotionally stressed
feel best in the evenings
feel overwhelmed often
hard to do tasks quickly
forgetful
get confused often
foggy thinking
hard to get going in a.m.
hard to think or act quickly
hopelessness feelings
inability to calm down
insomnia - hard to fall asleep
insomnia - hard to stay asleep
irritability
lack of drive, motivation
learning is difficult
loud noises bother
memory poor
mood swings
nervousness
panic attacks
procrastinate often
sleeping pills needed for sleep
spacey, hard to focus
startle easily
suddenly run out of energy
tearful, could cry easily
timid, overly cautious
work best late at night
alzheimer's disease
parkinson's disease
Distorted Carbohydrate
Metabolism
affecting cellular
utilization of energy and
glucose homeostasis
Musculo- skeletal issues
affecting bone density,
muscle- and connective
tissue integrity
Distortion of Endocrine
Function affecting…
Pancreas - Insulin
Thyroid Function
Ovarian Hormone Levels
Distorted Fat/Protein
Metabolism causing…
Destruction of
mucosal linings (1st-line
Immune Defense)
Fat gain
Related symptoms/
complaints/diseases
(examples)
Related symptoms/
complaints/diseases
(examples)
Related symptoms/
complaints/diseases
(examples)
Related symptoms/
complaints/diseases
(examples)
alcohol intolerance
craving for sweets
irritability relieved by eating
excessive hunger
feel faint often
feel weak
hyperglycemia–high blood
sugar
hypoglycemia–low blood sugar
insulin resistance
light-headed often
nausea, eating relieves
often awake 2-3 a.m. w. hunger
shakiness relieved by eating
diabetes, type II
cancer
cardiovascular disease
arthritis, osteo
arthritis, rheumatoid
circulation poor
difficulty building muscle
losing muscle mass
low back pain
muscle weakness
osteopenia
pain in jaw (TMJ)
pain in joints
pain in low back area
pain in lower neck
pain in sciatica
pain in shoulders
pain in upper back
sprains or strains occur easily
stiffness or achiness
cardiovascular disease
osteoporosis
asthma
bruise easily
cold often
decreased ability to handle cold
diminished sex drive, low libido,
impotence
dizzy upon standing
wake up feeling tired
dry skin
fluid retention
endometriosis
exercise feels exhausting
energy low
excessive facial or body hair
fibrocystic/tender breasts
brittle hair
headaches/migraine
heartburn, reflux, or GERD
blood pressure high or low
menstrual irregularities/PMS
nails brittle, break easily
rashes, dermatitis, itching skin
swelling or puffiness under eyes
thin or delicate skin
thyroid disorders
low stamina/endurance
low energy, especially in PM
unable to get pregnant
unable to maintain pregnancy
uterine fibroids
vaginal dryness
cancer
cardiovascular disease
stroke
digestive disorders
"leaky gut"
slow healing
sweat has an ammonia odor
unable to lose weight
weight gain - waist, hips, thighs
weight loss
autoimmune diseases
cancer
diabetes, type II
acne
alternating constip./diarrhea
aversion to certain foods
burping or belching
bloating
constipation
dark circles under eyes
diarrhea
intestinal gas
irritable bowel
kidney disorders
leaky gut
liver disorders
loss of appetite
lung disorders
often have nightmares
rashes, hives often
skin problems
strong body odor
cancer
alzheimer's disease
parkinson's disease
Below is an example of the progression of health degradation in a hard-driving person who
”inexplicably” develops health problems in their 30s to 50s. (The example is a ”composite” from several
people that I have worked with.)
Estrogens
After some time of further stress exposure (this
could be months or years depending on the
person and their circumstances), the body will
have depleted internal resources to the point
where repair/reproductive hormones (DHEA,
testosterone, estrogens) begin to decline below
healthy levels. Common symptoms are
declining libido, PMS issues, poor recovery
from exercise, and joint pain (see more
examples of symptoms to the right). Stress
hormones may still be elevated, but on the way
down, often with a disturbed daily rhythm
experienced as morning fatigue or an afternoon
”dip”.
If chronic stress remains constant and nothing
is done to support the body against further
resource depletion and damage, the body will
increasingly have problems with maintaing
basic life preserving functions. Symptoms
intensify and the risk of acute health events
requiring medical attention increases.
During the body's prolonged war against stress,
physiology adapts to the possibility of even
higher levels of stress in the future and/or a
permanently sustained level of chronic stress.
This means that even after stress factors have
been removed the body may still be hyperresponsive to new stress as well as not being
able to restore optimal ratios and output of
hormones – a form of "burn-in" of stressrelated pathways. (These problems can be
corrected with certain nutritional protocols.)
Detoxification Capacity
Reduced impeding…
Heavy Metal Disposal
Disposal of excess
hormones and cholesterol
Disposal of carcinogens
Anti-ox systems
Related symptoms/
complaints/diseases
(examples)
Note that chronic stress always leads to health problems in one form or another, but the sequence of
steps toward pathology depends a person's genetic- or acquired susceptibility and pattern of stress
exposure, so no two people are identical.
DHEA
Testosterone
Chronic Over-Training
Watch out for:
THE TOTAL ”BODY BURDEN” OF CHRONIC STRESS (REGARDLESS OF SOURCES) PUSHES THE BODY TOWARD MALADAPTION.
When episodes of stress are resolved quickly
(say, a sprint to safety from a hungry lion, or a
session of intense exercise) the body
subsequently restores proper balance between
processes and uses of resources without
negative repercussions. (In fact, the body
thrives on brief exposures to stress because
such make the body build a higher degree of
resiliency to cope with future stress episodes of
the same kind.)
However, when stress exposure becomes
chronic, such as from a high stress job or from
low grade inflammation, or from any other type
of chronic stressor (see the examples in the top
portion of the graphics), the body must at
some point in order to keep responding to
current stress begin to deplete internal
resources needed for reproduction,
regeneration and longevity.
Chronic Inflammation
often caused by:
For instance, the trigger stressor doesn't have to be work stress as in this example. It could be blood
sugar swings from eating Gov't subsidized junk food, or over-use of antibiotics, or any other stressor
that the individual is particularly vulnerable to.
Case Study: A Path Towards Stress Induced Health-disaster
Obituary (excerpt):
"X was so healthy…
always ate his broccoli. It
is inconceivable that he
would come down with
[insert killer disease]!"
High Stress
Lifestyle
(Rock star,
globetrotting CEO,
Type A careerist)
Lost tolerance to
certain foods.
(Typically unnoticed)
Increased Probability
Malabsorption of
nutrients causing low
grade systemic
nutrient deficiency.
When the body has been fighting stress for a
prolonged time, it becomes increasingly vulnerable
to new types of stress such as pathogens, immunetriggering foods and toxins. These new stressors
become part of the total body-burden of stress, and
accelerate the progression of dysfunction. In other
words, in an early stage, exposure to, for instance, a
certain pathogen might not be a problem, but in a
later stage the same exposure may lead to chronic
infection and associated damage.
Moderate stress
induced destruction
of the
gastrointestinal (GI)
mucosal lining.
Systemic functional
problems resulting in a
plethora of symptoms
depending on individual
predispositions. (See
symptom chart above)
Opportunistic
microbes move in
causing further GI
damage, immune
disruption, and stress
induced hormonal
imbalance.
Once pathology has progressed beyond a
certain point (say, in the example above,
when GI damage has become entrenched),
mitigation of the trigger stressor (in this case,
the stressful lifestyle) will not completely
restore health. Restorative therapy is needed
to re-institute GI- and hormonal health.
Gut flora disruption.
(Symptoms typically
present at this point.)
Low grade
inflammation causing
further damage to
the GI tract and
proper immune
function.
Immune
Dysregulation resulting
in
Hyper- or hypo
responsiveness of
inflammatory cascades
and other immune
activity.
Related symptoms/
complaints/diseases
(examples)
allergies
bacterial infections
catch colds easily
CFS-chronic fatigue syndrome
chemical sensitivities
coughs or colds last for weeks
environmentally sensitive
food intolerances, allergies
fungal infections
get sick easily or often
gum infections (gingivitis)
headaches
immune deficiency
inflammation without injury
often get colds or flu
pain (not due to injury)
parasite infections
sensitive to odors, chemicals
sick often, takes long to get
well
sinus problems
tooth infections (pyorrhea)
urinary tract infections
viral infections (e.g., herpes)
yeast infections (candida)
autoimmune diseases
cancer
cardiovascular disease
What to do about it
(Checklist)
1) Discover any present damage and your
body's stress response pattern. I find that a
great individualized "whole-body" assessment
of one's degree of stress maladaptation is to
take an "adrenal stress indicators"
questionnaire and have it interpreted in
combination with a saliva profile of steroid
hormones (diurnal cortisol, DHEA, estrogen,
testosterone and progesterone). The latter is
the most important laboratory test that
anyone could get as a big picture health
assessment.
2) Remove common dietary stressors. This
means eating an evolutionary- or ”paleo” diet. I
don't care if it is ”low carb” or higher carb, but
you must eat this type of diet, which is
essentially free of refined/engineered foods,
grains, legumes, and industrial (damaged)
dairy. (Ultimately, further customization is
possible and needed, but a basic evolutionary
diet is the template to start with.)
3) Sleep in a cool, completely dark room (I
mean completely dark, as in a cave – a sleep
mask is not enough). Go to bed early. The
body performs hard-wired restorative and
immunological activities that go on in stages
at a rather fixed schedule throughout the
night. You need to let the body perform these
in order to achieve needed recuperation. (Poor
sleep, sleep deprivation, and/or light exposure
are clearly linked to cancer and other
diseases.)
4) Search and destroy hidden stressors such as
acquired food sensitivities, foods that cause
blood sugar issues, micronutrient imbalances,
GI pathogens, and environmental toxins.
These are almost always major or dominant
stressors. If you can identify and get rid of
them, your body will tolerate more lifestyle
related stress. Properly applied and
interpreted lab tests (e.g., MRT food sensitivity
testing) accelerate the discovery process.
5) Learn to manage psychological stress and
”life-stress”. These are issues of lifestyle design
and psychology. However, as a start: Turn off
cable TV; turn off Nancy Pelosi; exit unfulfilling
jobs and relationships.
6) Exercise in a way that is appropriate for
your level of stress and your hormonal profile.
You may need some help in determining what
may work best. As a rule of thumb, if you ever
leave your training sessions with a feeling of
exhaustion, you are overdoing it. Most people
with stressful lifestyles should focus on weight
training using heavy weights with few
repetitions and sets.
7) Identify and repair damage to organs and
systems, restore function, de-program ”burnin” of stress-response pathways. Substantial
amounts of specialized restorative
supplements are typically needed in this
process. (I apologize to current and future
clients for the expense and nuisance attached
to taking supplements, but this is the way to
go until we have nano-technology and a
complete understanding about how to rebuild
tissues in the body.)
8) Re-test hormones and other functional
markers at regular intervals to monitor
progress. Adjust restorative protocols as
needed. Continue to look for hidden stressors
and eradicate them.
Remember that a lot of ”treatments” and
”remedies” exist for all of the different
symptoms that manifest as a result of chronic
stress. However, symptomatic treatments (e.g.,
pharmaceuticals and surgeries) will not stop
the progression toward escalating malfunction
in the body. Only removing causative stressors,
repairing damage, and dissolving vicious cycles
will do the job.
Most problems are highly reversible if
corrected in time. The body has an enormous
capacity to rebuild itself given stress removal
and correct restorative nutrition. However, if
tissues and organs become damaged past a
certain point, health may never be completely
restored.
As a rule of thumb, assume that you can stop
and reverse damage, and start the process
now. I have not seen a single person (including
myself) who hasn't benefitted in terms of
mental- and physical function even when
symptoms have been relatively few. The longer
you wait, the more you will ultimately have to
invest in terms of time and money to get back
to full function and health.
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