Grace’s Blog

Have you had any stress lately?  Who hasn’t?  With the stock market falling, the mortgage crisis, loss of jobs and more, everyone is a bit stressed these days.

We try to cope and do the best we can.  Have you ever wondered how your body is responding?

There is a definite reaction in the body as a result of the thoughts and concerns of the mind.

What the mind harbors, the body manifests in some way.

Your stress level influences the rate of aging in the body.

Over-reacting to harmless situations increases aging.  Does it really matter if your child spills the milk?

Negative thoughts in your mind produce stress and speed up the aging process.

The skin reacts to stress and has two basic response patterns:  Skin temperature and electrical activity.

During tense, anxious times, the blood vessels shut down and allow less blood to pass..causing the skin temperature to decrease.

Have you ever noticed your cold hands when you give a speech?

At other times the blood vessels open and allow the skin to flush with blood, increasing the skin temperature.  Think of blushing.

There are two major effects of stress:  Physiological–damage to organs and Resistance to disease is lowered.

Under stress, the body automatically prepares for “Fight or Flight.”

The body pulls together all its resources to accomplish this.

What does the body do?

The upper half of the body speeds up its functions.   The pulse increases, respiration increases, blood pressure goes up and hormone levels drop.

The lower half slows, or shuts down.

The heart beat increases, and has to work harder.

Blood is pulled from extremities to the center of the body.

Blood thickens and clots more easily.  Digestion stops.

Think of the health problems you are aware of.

Heart disease, male and female problems, digestion problems, blood clots (remember, the blood is thickening as the coagulation chemistry prepares to resist wounds with quick clotting.)

Muscle and bone are cannibalized to provide nutrients!

Colon function is impaired, resulting in: constipation, diarrhea, bloating from gas produced by undigested food.  (the lower half of body shuts down)

The Immune system slows down substantially. You are more susceptible to illness, infection and degeneration.

The reproductive system shuts down.  Menstrual cycles may change or stop.  Infertility may result with men or women.

The reproductive system is nonessential to life, consequently it is one of the first body systems to suffer under stress.

Your body manufactures 55,000 new cells every second!

Cells require Protein, Vitamins and Minerals.

What happens to these nutrients under stress?

Protein is used 3 times faster.

Calcium is used four to five times faster.

Vitamin C is used in 12 minutes.

Zinc is lost in perspiration

B-Complex is used in 14 minutes.

Why are these nutrients important?

Protein builds cells and is necessary to all body actions.

It is a component of hormones and is necessary to the immune system.

Calcium relaxes muscles and neutralizes stomach acids.  An insufficient supply in the body leads to osteoporosis, backaches, headaches and muscle spasms.

Vitamin C strengthens the immune system. It is necessary for healthy teeth and gums and it builds collagen.

It counters the effects of stress as it provides resistance to infection.

Zinc is a part of all enzymes.  It is important to the function of the reproductive system, for both males and females.  There is substantial losses in perspiration.

B-Complex calms the nerves.  It is needed to produce energy from foods and in the production of antibodies.

Ways to cope with stress:

Identify what is stressful

Talk with someone important to you

Plan ahead

Exercise

Tackle problems one at a time

Have a positive attitude

Avoid alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, caffeine, and sugar

Know what you can and cannot change

Use quality nutritional supplements to quickly replace used up nutrients.

Shaklee Dist.

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of  irreversible vision loss in older Americans.

Clinical trials or studies are the gold standard of scientific research because of the rigorous standards.

In a recent clinical study it was found that those taking a supplemental B vitamin had a 34% lower risk of developing AMD than those taking a placebo.

Even though specific B vitamins folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 were used, it is important to remember that all eight of the B’s work together for the best benefit.

B vitamins are easily destroyed by heat.  Eating your veggies raw or slightly steamed is best.  If that isn’t possible, consider a high quality B vitamin supplement.

B vitamins are used up quickly by the body when under stress.

Stress?? What’s that?

The body does not store B vitamins and need to be replaced daily.

When reading supplement labels, make sure you are getting 100% of folic acid and 100% of biotin.

Shaklee Dist.

Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin because when exposed to the sun, your body makes vitamin D. 

In the winter time, many people don’t get out to take advantage of the sun and sometimes the sun doesn’t want to come out and shine on us.

Using sun block has also prevented the body from converting the sun rays into Vitamin D.  A case of which do you choose?… skin cancer or vitamin D deficiency?

A recent study suggests that vitamin D supports the immune system and helps battle the common cold.  The higher the blood level of vitamin D, the lower the frequency of upper respiratory tract infections.

What about calcium?

Recently, studies by the National Institutes of Health found that women who increased their calcium intake had a lower risk of developing cancer.

Eating calcium rich foods and supplements could lower the risk of developing cancers of the digestive system, including colon cancer.

Make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D and calcium in your diet.  It is important to your health.

Shaklee Dist.