How stress is affecting your body and your fat loss goals.
Our minds and bodies constantly communicate through neural pathways controlled by our nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. These channels send signals from the mind to the body – and the body to the mind – to control bodily functions, such as breathing and digestion as well as thinking and feeling. Today, many mind-body therapies are used to enhance mind-body functioning, stimulate the body’s relaxation response to reduce stress, and improve overall well-being.
The connection started when a nurse ran out of morphine during a war and gave normal saline as a placebo... and the soldiers found pain relief!
One way to take a deeper look at the mind-body connection is by examining the science behind it. The field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is a great example of this relationship in action.
Definition of PNI
Explores the cyclical interactions between the mind and body – specifically those that occur between the nervous system and the immune system. PNI studies how emotional states and nervous system stress can influence immunity as well as how immune system responses, such as inflammation, can affect emotional states and stress.
PNI in action
An autoimmune condition called psoriasis demonstrates this link. For individuals with psoriasis, skin cells are shed and replaced more rapidly than usual, resulting in painful red patches of inflamed cell buildups on the skin’s surface.
Psoriasis occurs when a dysregulated immune system causes inflammation and releases immune system proteins called cytokines. Cytokines can cross a network of tissues and blood vessels known as the blood-brain barrier, which then puts the brain, a key organ of the nervous system, into a state of alert.
This can lead to stress, further activation of the immune response, the release of additional cytokines in the brain, inflammation in the body, and a worsening of psoriasis symptoms.
PNI implications
This continuous cycle of the mind-body relationship highlights the importance of managing stress and inflammation levels to support both mental and physical well-being.
Stress and the Nervous System
Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension that comes from demands or challenges, like falling in love, getting a new job, or buying a home. It can be caused by a wide range of factors, both positive and negative.
Normal Stress: A normal human response that helps us deal with difficult situations. It can give us a burst of energy and focus to meet a deadline or overcome a challenge.
Chronic Stress: When stress becomes chronic or long-lasting, it can have negative consequences for our physical and mental health. Chronic stress can lead to problems like anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, and digestive issues.
The Nervous System: Fight, Flight, or Chill
The nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord, and nerves that reach out to all your organs. Consists of two parts:
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Governed by conscious thinking mind
Walking, talking
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
Governed by subconscious
Heart rate, hair, nails, cut healing
Two branches: Sympathetic Nervous System (fight or flight) and Parasympathetic Nervous System (rest and digest)
Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)
Also nicknamed the "fight-or-flight" system. It is a key player in our body's stress response. It's part of a bigger network called the autonomic nervous system, which controls various involuntary functions like heart rate, digestion, and pupil dilation.
Function:
The SNS springs into action when we perceive danger or experience stress. It prepares our bodies for immediate action, whether it's fighting a threat or fleeing from it.
What Happens When the SNS Activates?
Heart Rate Increase: The SNS speeds up your heart rate to deliver oxygen-rich blood to your muscles for a quick response.
Increased Breathing: Your breathing becomes faster and shallower to take in more oxygen for energy production.
Energy Mobilization: The SNS taps into your body's energy stores, specifically glucose, to fuel your actions.
Pupil Dilation: Your pupils dilate to allow more light to enter your eyes, enhancing your vision in a potentially threatening situation.
Non-Essential Functions Slow Down: Digestion, urination, and other non-critical processes are temporarily decreased to focus energy on the immediate threat.
The SNS and Chronic Stress:
While the SNS is crucial for survival situations, constant activation due to chronic stress can be detrimental.
Long-term exposure to stress hormones like adrenaline can lead to high blood pressure, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping.
It can also weaken the immune system, making you more susceptible to illness.
Think of the SNS as a red zone.
This system gets activated based on how we perceive situations, and even caffeine can trigger it. The problem is, many people spend way too much time in this red zone.
Why? Because stress is often psychological – we're constantly juggling tasks and feeling overwhelmed. This perception of danger, even if there's no real threat, keeps our bodies pumping out adrenaline and therefore, glucose.
Adrenaline tells every cell we're in danger, but at work we're usually sitting down, not using that extra energy. Unlike physical stress where we burn off the fuel produced, chronic psychological stress just builds up, keeping us stuck in the red zone and disrupts our energy metabolism.
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)
The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), often referred to as the "rest and digest" system, acts as the calming counterpart to the SNS or the "fight-or-flight" system. It's part of the autonomic nervous system, which controls functions we don't consciously think about, like heart rate, digestion, and breathing.
Function:
The PNS is all about promoting relaxation and recovery after the body has experienced stress. It works to bring the body back to a balanced state.
What Happens When the PNS Activates?
Heart Rate Slowdown: The PNS slows down your heart rate, allowing your body to conserve energy.
Relaxed Breathing: Your breathing becomes slower and deeper, promoting relaxation and better oxygen exchange.
Digestion and Elimination: The PNS stimulates digestion and elimination processes that were put on hold during the stress response.
Pupil Contraction: Your pupils constrict to their normal size, adjusting vision for calmer situations.
Increased Blood Flow to Non-Essential Organs: Blood flow is redirected to areas like the digestive system that were put on hold during the stress response.
Think of the PSNS as the green zone.
A place of relaxation and restoration. This green zone is activated by diaphragmatic breathing, where your belly expands instead of just your chest rising shallowly. Shallow, rapid breaths fueled by adrenaline are a sign you're stuck in the red zone (fight-or-flight mode). In contrast, deep, slow breaths taken through your nose and filling your belly signal to your body that it's safe. This "baby breathing" is a natural way to activate the PNS and promote optimal health.
This red zone is crucial for responding to real threats, but chronic stress can keep us stuck there.
Constant adrenaline production can lead to a craving for sugar because the body prioritizes readily available glucose for quick energy. Frequent sugar crashes can create a cycle of binging and guilt.
Elevated adrenaline disrupts sleep, hindering the body's natural repair mechanisms.
Non-essential functions like digestion suffer, potentially leading to issues like IBS.
Both are important, but ideally, we want to spend most of our time in the green zone.
Deep, diaphragmatic breathing (belly expands) activates the PNS, signaling safety to your body- allowing you to use energy more efficiently and burn fat stores.
Heart rate slows down, breathing deepens, and blood flow returns to all organs - optimal circumstance for the body to work on self-healing mechanisms.
The digestive system gets back to work, allowing for proper nutrient absorption and detoxification.
Managing Stress
Self-care strategies that can balance the nervous system, relax the body’s stress response, and help prevent a wide range of health issues include:
Practice calming activities
Calming mindfulness activities that harness focus and peaceful energy, such as meditation and tai chi, can lower heart rate and allow you to release tension. Additional benefits include lowering anxiety and increasing self-awareness and attention.
Breathe deeply
Deep, purposeful breathing can give the body’s stress response a break. It’s also been shown to improve heart rate variability (HRV), the natural occurring beat-to-beat variation in heart rate, which is beneficial for heart health.
Organize your space
Environment plays a crucial role in health and happiness. Organize your spaces to be clutter-free, peaceful environments. The empowering act of sorting, donating, or otherwise letting go of things that take up space can feel liberating physically, mentally, and emotionally! - Plan ahead
Schedule your time in a daily or weekly planner. Having a list of activities you’re committed to and looking forward to can be soothing. Planning can also quell stress and anxiety by dealing with cognitive clutter and the fear of forgetting events.
Delegate
You don’t have to do everything yourself. Delegate tasks whenever possible if you feel overwhelmed. Delegating doesn’t just prevent stress and burnout by taking items off your list; it also enhances the other person’s skills and capacity.
Take breaks
Take a break to restore energy and mental resources as well as decrease fatigue. Breaks function both as prevention and intervention as regular breaks help you be more resilient when stressors arise.
Conclusion
By understanding the interplay between your nervous system and stress hormones, you can unlock a powerful tool for achieving your goals.
Remember, chronic stress keeps you stuck in the "red zone" (SNS dominance), fueled by adrenaline and glucose. This not only hinders sleep and digestion, but also disrupts your body's ability to access fat stores for energy.
The key is to cultivate the "green zone" (PNS dominance) through stress management techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and organization. This allows your body to relax, optimize energy usage, and burn fat more efficiently.
Take charge of your stress levels and watch your body transform! By incorporating these practices into your routine, you'll not only feel calmer and more in control, but you'll also be well on your way to achieving your fat loss goals!
References
(2023) Soothing Stress Exercise. Integrative Nutrition LLC.
Weaver, L. (2023). The Perception of Stress. Module 5: Connect Mind and Body. Retrieved March 21, 2024, IIN Students Webapp.
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