How to reduce stress

We all (hopefully) realize that lifestyle choices (how we eat, sleep, move our bodies, etc) can either make life more or less stressful. But I always think it's more motivating when you understand how those habits actually impact your body, mind and spirit. So below is some of that information, from a recent story I wrote, Goodbye Stress.

Exercise. When your body is stressed and prepared to fight or run, it's full of stress hormones. If you're sedentary, those hormones will continue to circulate and cause damage to your body. Vigorous exercise, however, burns off those hormones. Exercise also releases feel-good chemicals like serotonin.

Caffeine. If you need caffeine to wake up or get through the day, it's masking other problems, perhaps an overscheduled lifestyle. Caffeine increases the effects of your body's own stimulating neurotransmitters: norepinephrine and dopamine, which are similar to adrenaline in their effects. Caffeine and these natural stimulants provide short-term energy, focus and even a lifted mood. But in the long term, caffeine depletes your stores of norepinephrine and dopamine, leaving you more tired, sluggish and down than you were before the caffeine habit.

Sleep. If you don't get enough sleep (most people need between seven and nine hours), your body interprets that as a major stress signal. Lack of sleep triggers the body to increase production of the stress hormone cortisol, which makes it harder to fall asleep and stay in a deep sleep because on some level your body and brain think they need to stay alert for danger. Cortisol also tells you to eat more, leading to weight gain. Adequate sleep, on the other hand, repairs your body, sharpens your mind and stabilizes emotions.

Food choices. People who are stressed often crave and overeat sugar and simple carbohydrates, like chips, cookies and white bread or pasta, because those foods provide a fast release of the feel-good chemical serotonin. But eating this way causes a blood-sugar crash a couple hours later, leaving you tired and moody. Plus, sugars and simple carbohydrates lead to fat buildup around the mid-section. And belly fat acts like adrenaline -- it actually pumps out more stress hormones. Complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, brown rice or oatmeal, allow your brain to gradually process more serotonin for the long haul. Eating protein and healthy omega-3 fats, found in fish, walnuts and flax, will also improve mood. B vitamins, which are abundant in fresh leafy greens and in chemical-free, pasture-raised meat, are another important factor because they're needed for serotonin production.

Quieting body and mind. The body and mind need periods of activity followed by quality rest and recovery in order to be healthy. Meditation, yoga, prayer and music therapy all activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which soothes the body and mind and helps with recovery from stress. Practices that quiet and connect the mind, body and spirit also calm the brain's neural circuits.