From too many bills to too little time, stress takes a toll on all of us.
What do you think of when you hear the word stress? Is it having too much to do? Maybe it’s a traffic jam, or concern over unpaid bills? Or perhaps it’s a teenage son or daughter who is being uncooperative or a boss who is making impossible demands at your job?
One thing we can agree upon is that in today’s society the sources of stress are many. The production of adrenaline and cortisol by our adrenal gland is how our bodies respond to stress. Unfortunately, the production of these stress hormones can gradually deplete our supply of feel good hormones such as testosterone for men and oxytocin for women.
The release of stress hormones was an important factor in the basic survival of primative people. Confronted by a bear, for example, the release of adrenaline, cortisol, and other hormones gave our bodies a short burst of energy and acute mental clarity. Either we escaped, or we were eaten.
The problem today is that for many of us who find ourselves in frequent high-stress situations, the body was not designed to accommodate a continual release of stress hormones. Over time these hormones disrupt our digestive and immune systems. Long-term stress can create unhealthy fluctuations in our blood sugar levels that can produce moodiness, mild depression, irritability, anxiety, and a sense of general and unrelenting distress. Men can lose interest in their partner and women have a sense of being overwhelmed with having too much to do without enough time or support.
This stress related release of high amounts of coritsol could be at the root of our wanting “comfort food.” Cortisol stimulates insulin release, which results in an increase in appetite. Have you ever noticed that at times of stress you might be thinking about a plate of mashed potatoes and meatloaf. You might crave warm chocolate chip cookies, and a drink with lots of sugar or a cold bowl of ice cream. Women particularly with stress-induced high levels of cortisol are likely to crave foods that have high-fat or highly refined carbohydrates.
This becomes an even more troublesome trap when stressed men and women feel that they don’t have the time to prepare a healthy meal so they grab fast food burgers, or pizzas and sodas for dinner. With elevated cortisol levels we only burn carbohydrates or sugars for energy. Once again, our primitive design made this logical because high levels of cortisol signaled our bodies that we needed fuel that could be quickly converted to energy (carbohydrates) to give us extra speed as we sought to escape danger.
The bottom line facing all of us in modern civilization is that we have to learn to better manage our stress so that a man and a woman can grow old together both in love and in good health. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity have all been linked to chronically high levels of cortisol. If we learn to lower our stress levels, we will not only be healthier but we will awaken our potential for increased energy, passion. patience, and happiness.
The subject of stress and the toll it takes on both men and women is discussed in detail in John Gray’s newest book, “Why Mars & Venus Collide; Improving Relationships by Understanding How Men and Women Cope Differently with Stress.”
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Other MarsVenusLiving.com Health & Happiness Articles
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Jackson Story Reveals that Both Mars and Venus Jump Online
The Best Relationship Stress Buster: Exercise
Processing Your Negative Feelings
Michelle Obama’s Garden of Hope
From Bonnie’s Garden: Feed Your SOL, One Ingredient at a Time
Both Mars and Venus Need a Good Breakfast
Sugar Substitutes Prove to Be a Not So Sweet Deal
When the Search for the Perfect Diet Goes Too Far
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