It’s not stress that kills us, it’s our reaction to it.
– Hans Selye
Hans Selye was the father of stress research. He was followed by McEwen and Stellar in 1993 who coined the term, allostatic load. Allostatic load is “the wear and tear on the body” which accumulates as an individual is exposed to repeated or chronic stress. This is a foundational principle of Functional Medicine with the goal to balance the allostatic load and return to health.
There are many forms of stress whose effects can slowly accumulate and make us unhealthy, break our willpower and stop our forward momentum. Some forms of stress include:
- Environmental Stressors – chemical exposures, molds, unnatural lighting, disorganized home
- Nutritional Stressors – high carbohydrate foods, non-GMO foods, foods where pesticides were used, man-made oils
- Emotional Stressors – Family strife, Toxic boss, Divorce, Children, In-laws (for some families)
- Cognitive Stressors – Negative thoughts, Time urgency, Perseveration, Anxiety
- Social Stressors – trying to fit in, trying to keep up with others, spending time with those who do not fill you up
- Financial Stressors – getting the bills paid, insurance claims, job loss
- Spiritual Stressors – knowing there is more to life and not understanding how to find it, not living your purpose, feeling stagnant
Wow! And there are many, many more things that can lead to stress on your body, physiology and mind. This is why we put together a 4-part coaching series to help you identify, manage and overcome the most common stressors. Learn more below.
Stress Reduction Program from Functional Medicine Plus
Our Functional Medicine Plus Stress Reduction Program will go something like this:
Each session will last approximately 60 minutes.
Session 1 – Stress Identification
- Why do I need to know more about stress?
- What kinds of stress are there?
- How does stress affect my health and wellness?
- Your unique stress indicators
Session 2 – “Let food be thy medicine.” – Hippocrates
- Nutrition is the key to improving your health.
- Drill down on nutrition, foods, chemicals, processed foods, and packaging.
- Vitamins and Supplements
Session 3 – Stress reduction techniques you can put to use
- EFT
- Music therapy
- Essential Oils
- Light therapy
Session 4 – Mind your stress
- Thought, feelings, and actions
- Repetitive thoughts – thought stopping methods
- Negative feelings – getting to the root cause of your feelings
- Awareness of the thoughts and feelings that drive your actions
If this program is something that sounds helpful to you, please contact our team by opening the tab on the right side of this page. We’ll reach out to you to discuss more details, and we can get started helping you balance your allostatic load!