Taming the Tiger
Apr 04, 2011 by Bill Rawls, M.D. Maribeth Loynes M.D.
The internal responses that served our ancestors so well when escaping a saber-toothed tiger are contributing to our ill health today. Acute stress shifts the resources of the body away from everyday maintenance functions toward confronting a threat. In our world, the “tiger” never goes away; stress is chronic.
With chronic stress, the systems of the body begin to break down and the immune system is thrown into a dysfunctional state. Only by taming the tiger can we overcome this substantial threat to our health. Stress is a normal part of life and can be an important motivating factor that pushes us forward. Stress is only detrimental when it becomes overwhelming. Chronic elevations in the hormones [adrenaline and cortisol] commonly associated with chronic stress cause imbalances in all systems of body and increase risk of all diseases, including cancer.
Impact of Stress on Cardiovascular Health
Stress makes blood more clot more easily. From an acute stress point of view this makes sense. In the case of an accident (trauma), you would definitely want your blood to clot faster, but in the case of chronic stress the consequence is increased risk of stroke and heart attack. Essential fatty acids and many herbal supplements are blood thinners that counteract this adverse effect of chronic stress. For moderation of cardiovascular symptoms associated with stress, hawthorn is a safe and well-known supplement. Hawthorn dilates coronary arteries, improves cardiac contractions, lowers blood pressure, and is calming.
Supplements Associated with Increased Stress Tolerance
There are many supplements known to reduce anxiety and improve stress resistance, but three stand out as being especially beneficial (especially when taken together). The first is L-theanine, a natural amino acid that easily crosses the blood-brain barrier to compete with exciting neurotransmitters. The second is Relora, a patented combination of two Chinese herbs that offer a calming effect and normalize stress hormones. And the final part of the equation is Ashwagandha, an adaptogen with calming effects known to balance hormones of the body and improve immune function. When taken together, this combination normalizes the stress response and improves stress resistance without side effects, drug-like effects or any known harmful effects with long-term use. While these ingredients are currently available on www.thevitalplan.com as separate supplements, we are a just a couple weeks away from launching the first (of many!) Vital Plan exclusive supplements. It will be called HPA Balance and includes patented forms of the three above ingredients. We are very excited about this product, as this will be the first time that this unique and effective blend is available as one supplement (we searched for this combination for years before deciding to make it ourselves!). Stay tuned!
Categories: Stress Relief,
Tags(s): Meditation,
