We’ve all heard the phrase “take a chill pill” but when it comes to stress, that might be easier said than done! If you’re feeling stressed out, you’re not alone. Stress is a normal – but overwhelming – part of life and yet if it’s not managed properly, it can wreak havoc on our body systems and overall well being as well as increasing our blood pressure and cholesterol levels.  

But don’t stress! You can proactively manage your stress levels using natural remedies and holistic health practices that work with your body’s systems rather than against them so you can age gracefully and have the energy and longevity you need to be around for your kids and grandchildren. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore a variety of helpful tools and tactics rooted in traditional healing approaches like yoga, herbalism, guided meditation and more that you can use as proactive measures for dealing with stress on a daily basis. Ready to take a deep breath? Let’s dive in! 

How Stress Affects Your Body, Blood Pressure and Cholesterol – Unravelling the Truth

Stress can trigger a cascade of reactions throughout our bodies – it’s not just your mind that is affected! When we’re stressed, our bodies release adrenaline and cortisol, which can increase heart rate, blood pressure, and contribute to chronic diseases like high blood pressure and heart disease. Stress can also cause digestive issues, such as ulcers and inflammation, and weaken our immune systems, making us more susceptible to illnesses. Understanding the hidden impact stress has on your body is crucial to overcoming its effects. 

Here’s what you need to know about why it’s so important for a healthy heart to make sure that you are keeping your stress under control: 

  • When we are stressed, our stress hormone cortisol levels increase. This signals our body to channel blood away from our organs into our muscles so that we can run away (our fight and flight response). Cortisol also helps with blood pressure regulation. 
  • Most people don’t realise that cortisol production starts with cholesterol. Therefore, when someone comes to see me for high cholesterol, I am thinking what is their body needing the larger amounts of cholesterol for. 
  • Cortisol is a hormone that can promote water and sodium to be retained by the kidneys, this leads to higher blood volume and therefore, higher blood pressure. 
  • Stress and cortisol also affect our metabolism. When we are in the “fight or flight” mode, we often need more glucose to go to the muscles so we can run away. If we don’t use this glucose, then this can contribute to higher blood glucose levels or increasing HbA1c (a marker of blood glucose regulation over the past 120 days). 

Keep Your Cool: Manage Stress Naturally

Now that you know stress can take a toll on both your physical, emotional and  heart health, what can you do to overcome this? Often we turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms, junk food, mindless scrolling, Netflix without the chill… but why not try some natural ways to manage your stress that actually work? 

Here are my top five tips I give my clients to help establishing a regular sleep pattern:

  1. Get some movement in your life! – I often recommend a short gentle 10 minute walk after meals. This gets the blood flowing and uses up some of the glucose from the meal.
  2. Try a short meditation – I struggle to sit in a yoga pose, breathe and clearing my mind. What I find really helpful is to listen to a guided meditation, using one of the many apps that are available to use. It doesn’t need to long, but consistently doing 5-10 minutes at least once a day makes a huge difference. 
  1. Take some deep breaths – for one client, this meant leaving the ringing phones behind and sitting on the toilet to do his 10 deep breaths through out the day. No one interrupted him in this space. Find your space to breathe!
  2. Eat calming foods that nourish your nervous system – Start with 5 to 10 deep breaths, allow your body to see and smell the meal you are about to consume. Chew your food well and rest your fork in between.
  3. Try writing down the thoughts in your head – journalling can be away of not carrying around the thoughts that are weighing you down. No judgement on what you write. After journalling, go for a gentle 10 minute walk, have fun swinging your arms as you walk. The cross talk between your body and your mind helps to clear the emotions. 

All in all, stress is part of life, but it doesn’t have to control your life. 

Can you now see how managing your stress is essential for anyone looking to age gracefully, and have longevity to be around for our kids and grandchildren? 

By taking care of yourself and practising healthy habits, you can manage your stress levels and improve your overall health, lower your blood pressure, cholesterol and reduce your blood sugar levels.  

If you’re struggling with stress, let me know – I’m here to offer support and I have proven methods that have helped many of my clients with high blood pressure and high cholesterol overcome their stress.