• ABOUT
  • —> START HERE <---
  • SHOP

Eat.Move.Meditate.Wellbeing for women of culture

Simple habits. Sustainable health. Wellbeing for women of culture.

Flight or Fight

November 9, 2009 Uncategorized

Recall driving in traffic trying to stay calm and focused when a car cuts you off and you slam your brakes. You sigh with the relief of avoiding an accident but your body doesn't know that. This is known as the flight or fight syndrome or stress response. The cavemen often found themselves in situations where they were face to face with animals twice their size and they had the option to run or attack back. Either action requires intense muscular function which is supported by the physiological response of increased heart and lung action and hormonal responses which trigger release of nutrients like fat and glucose. The extra energy and blood rush was a key survival mechanism for the cavemen and as our environments evolved from hunting and gathering to driving, grocery shopping, emailing, and texting unfortunately our physiology didn't get the memo to inhibit this response. Why is this bad? When your body is experiencing stress it releases the stress hormone cortisol. In small amounts Cortisol has some positive benefits like a quick burst of energy for survival reasons or lower sensitivity to pain. But it is important that the body returns back to a state of relaxation after this response. Unfortunately in our high stress culture our body does not get the opportunity to return back to a relaxed state and in turn we experience chronic stress. This results in higher blood cortisol levels for prolonged periods of time meaning higher blood pressure, higher blood sugar, muscle degeneration, and increased FAT! Since our bodies do not use the energy that is sparked by this response it eventually gets stored as fat, pair that with high blood sugar and high blood pressure and you have an equation for heart attacks and stroke.

Before you start thinking you are doomed, here are some tips to relax your body and mind and prevent chronic stress:

  • Guided Imagery
  • Journaling
  • Self-Hypnosis
  • Exercise
  • Yoga
  • Listening to Music
  • Breathing Exercises
  • Meditation
  • Sex
  • Other Techniques

Also check out this article for more info Top 10 Stress Relievers: The Best Ways to Feel Better.

What's your stress buster? Post to comments…

~Ritu

Leave a Comment

SHARE
« Guest Post: Let’s Make Nutrition Simple, by Dr. Joe Kosterich
14 Ways to Save Money Being Paleo »

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

  • Recipe of the Week: Summer squash PASTA?!Recipe of the Week: Summer squash PASTA?!
  • Which fish oil is the right one?Which fish oil is the right one?
  • Food is a drug outside inFood is a drug outside in
  • Zico- A natural replenisherZico- A natural replenisher

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hi I’m Ritu (Ree-thu)! A primal girl figuring it out in a modern world.  I’m obsessed with living healthy and keeping it simple.

Fortunately, I don’t have to do it alone, neither do you. This blog is a curation of simple habits shared by wise women (I personally know) from around the globe. Together we are building a culture of wellbeing that works.

If you’re looking to make the healthy choice the easy choice… you’ve come to the right place.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

PRESS PAUSE: MEDITATION

https://youtu.be/sfb6HX5TvmU

SHOP WELLNESS PRODUCTS WE LOVE

NEVER STOP LEARNING

WHAT I’M EXPERIMENTING WITH?

Eat: truBrain Nootropics

Move: Bikram Yoga

Meditate: 5 Minute Meditation

 

[instagram-feed]

© 2018 EAT MOVE MEDITATE

THEME BY ECLAIR DESIGNS