Health Concept: How Stress Affects Blood Glucose, Diabetes and Disease
Many of us are juggling careers, kid’s sports and school activities, caring for elderly parents, furthering our education, serving on boards, managing a home and much more. Often, we wait until there is a breaking point to learn how to deselect activities or manage our daily stressors. In this module, we want to grow in the area of stress management. It is important to learn techniques to deal with daily stressors and also prioritize breaks from the normal routine to keep from getting burned out.
Let’s start by covering how glucose levels are impacted by stress. When our bodies produce cortisol (the stress hormone), glucose is released from the liver to produce energy. Our bodies are designed this way so we can “run from a saber-toothed tiger” if needed. But when there is chronic stress and the glucose stays high for much of our lives, this constant release of glucose (which leads to an increase in insulin) sets up the body for diabetes.
In episode #446 of the Whole View podcast, Dr. Sarah Ballentyne speaks about Nutrient Deficiencies Caused by Stress. She states, “Chronic stress never goes down to a baseline, so what would be essential functions are never prioritized. We end up with shifts in immune function which can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and autoimmune disease and we inhibit basic things like digestion and detoxification.” With chronic stress she shares that vitamin C, magnesium, iron, calcium and Niacin (vitamin B3) are often depleted. Have you ever thought about changing the way you eat during periods of high or prolonged stress?
We know that stress causes cortisol to be released. Ben Bikman shares on Instagram (@benbikmanphd) how stress affects our fat cells. He explains that cortisol has a unique effect in that it is lipolytic or promotes the breakdown of fat in subcutaneous fat cells, especially those on the limbs. So cortisol will promote the breakdown of fat cells on the arms, legs, hips and butt areas but then promote the growth of fat cells on the central cavity of the body. Both thin and overweight people may have visceral fat around their organs which is thought to be more concerning than subcutaneous fat. Here is an article on skinny fat and why it is dangerous.
I will tell a quick story…back in 2015 when I was sick, prior to being diagnosed with a second autoimmune condition, I was seeing a doctor in the Functional Medicine department at Cleveland Clinic. I was as skinny and unhealthy as I had ever been. After preforming a Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis test, the doctor told me that I have lots of fat around my internal organs. I was “skinny fat.” At the time I heard this I was unsure what caused visceral fat but now I know that this displacement of fat can be the result of chronic stress.
Chronic stress also ages the body and affects the nervous system. There is not one aspect of our health that chronic stress does not negatively affect. It is easy to see why managing your stress is essential to your health and wellness.
Health Concept: Self-Care
Self-care is non-negotiable for a healthy life. When we take time for our bodies to be in a parasympathetic state (our rest, digest, and healing state), suddenly we are able to handle life’s stressors with greater ease.
The foundation of self-care is getting good sleep, eating a nutrient dense diet, and regular movement. At the bottom of this page there is a longer list—there are so many ways to show love to yourself! By taking time to relax we help to prevent all of the health issues discussed in the last topic.
Top Stressors – Do You See Yours Here?
| Relationships | Overcommitment | ||
| Death of a Loved One | Perfectionism | ||
| Career | Fears | ||
| Balancing Multiple Roles | Financial Concerns | ||
| Lack of Time | Depression | ||
| Addictions | Anxiety | ||
| Partner/Friend with Addictions | Chronic Illness | ||
| Divorce | Overexercising |
Ideas for Self-Care
Practicing self-care helps our bodies enter into a relaxed state. It is in the parasympathetic state that we have an increase in serotonin (the feel good hormone) and dopamine. Engaging in self-care and allowing our bodies time to relax is a way to help our bodies properly handle life’s stressors. What if you would treat yourself like you do your best friend? You are worth it! What are you doing to help yourself relax or for self-care? Here are some ideas for you to try:
Forest Bathing (aka walk in the woods) 
Down Time, Quality Sleep 
Cooking (relaxing for some), Nutrient Dense Food 
Art Projects 
Laughter and Fun 
Acupuncture 
Meeting Friends for Lunch 
Listening To/Playing Music, Singing 
Knitting, Crocheting 
Journaling/Gratitude Journal, Writing 
Reflexology, Massage 
Fishing 
Reading 
Tai Chi, Yoga, Exercise 
Vacations, Time off Work, Breaks from Technology 
Sauna 
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) 
Asking for Help When Needed
Self-care is non-negotiable for a healthy life. When we take time for our bodies to be in a parasympathetic state (our rest, digest, and healing state), suddenly we are able to handle life’s stressors with greater ease.
The foundation of self-care is getting good sleep, eating a nutrient dense diet, and regular movement. At the bottom of this page there is a longer list—there are so many ways to show love to yourself! By taking time to relax we help to prevent all of the health issues discussed in the last topic.
Top Stressors – Do You See Yours Here?
| Relationships | Overcommitment | ||
| Death of a Loved One | Perfectionism | ||
| Career | Fears | ||
| Balancing Multiple Roles | Financial Concerns | ||
| Lack of Time | Depression | ||
| Addictions | Anxiety | ||
| Partner/Friend with Addictions | Chronic Illness | ||
| Divorce | Overexercising |
Ideas for Self-Care
Practicing self-care helps our bodies enter into a relaxed state. It is in the parasympathetic state that we have an increase in serotonin (the feel good hormone) and dopamine. Engaging in self-care and allowing our bodies time to relax is a way to help our bodies properly handle life’s stressors. What if you would treat yourself like you do your best friend? You are worth it! What are you doing to help yourself relax or for self-care? Here are some ideas for you to try:
Forest Bathing (aka walk in the woods) Down Time, Quality Sleep Cooking (relaxing for some), Nutrient Dense Food Art Projects Laughter and Fun Acupuncture Meeting Friends for Lunch Listening To/Playing Music, Singing Knitting, Crocheting Journaling/Gratitude Journal, Writing Reflexology, Massage Fishing Reading Tai Chi, Yoga, Exercise Vacations, Time off Work, Breaks from Technology Sauna Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Asking for Help When Needed
Habit Hack: Healthy Stress Response
Three Step Process for Responding to Stress
1) Recognize
Notice the stress. Do you have tense shoulders, a clenched jaw, fatigue, headache, an inability to cope with normal stressors? Scan your body and be aware of what you feel.
In the On Being podcast # 939, Christine Runyan says, “when we can just name it and put it out there, it brings our thinking brain back online. And we can begin to quiet our nervous system by leveraging our thinking brain, as well.” There is power in naming the stressor!
2) Pause
Take time to feel and acknowledge the stress – breathe, meditate, offer gratitude, think of values, give time for the initial intense feelings to subside, use character strengths, accept criticism as a way to better yourself, use a mantra, know what is yours to carry and what is someone else’s issue. There is power in a pause.
3) Respond
How do you deal with the stress? Reframe negative thoughts (this takes us back to the mindset unit!), think about what is needed in the moment…a walk outside, a change of scenery, deep breathing, a walk with a friend, gravitate toward positive things that help you deal with the stress at hand.
Post-it Challenge
Grab your Post-it pad and write down this three step process for responding to stress. Write it as many times as you think you might need the reminder and then post in the places you are most likely to feel stressed (i.e. computer, desk, vehicle dashboard or console, etc.).
Be ready to share an example with your HealthJourney Partner of a time you used this process to help you deal with a stressful situation.
Action Guide: A Day Of Purposeful Interruptions
A Day of Checking In
Many of us go through our days without much thought about how we are functioning. We run from meeting to meeting and rarely check in with ourselves. This task is intended to help you touch base with yourself throughout the day. This puts you more in touch with your feelings and body sensations and will help you deal with the effects of stress.
Pick a day to run the experiment. Set a timer for every 1.5 hours. When the timer goes off take three deep breaths. Then “check in” with yourself.
- How are you feeling emotionally?
- Is there any physical tension?
- What could you do in the next few minutes to release the tension?
- Is it time to move for a few minutes?
- Does your body need a break from sitting and staring at a screen?
- What do you need?
This week we continue to fill in our tracker. At the bottom of the tracker, it says, “Did you manage stress?” This is the section we want you to fill in during this module. Writing it down means that you have recognized it and that is the first step in managing stress. You can add an arrow to the stress you documented and identify what you did to manage the stress. Be ready to share this with your partner during your next meeting.