What Is Stress?

If stress is so bad for us, why have our bodies developed the stress

response in the first place? From an evolutionary standpoint, stress is

not only useful but also necessary for our very survival. For the first

200,000 years of humanity’s existence, stress was a useful mechanism

to get us physically prepared to hunt a wild animal, run for our lives,

fight an opponent, or survive a natural disaster such as a flash flood.

Greater physical strength from the adrenaline rush, sharper hearing

and vision, heightened brain function, and more energy to fight or

run were certainly useful.

The catch-22 is that stress is not meant to be a long-term condition

 of daily life. Our ancestors experienced the heightened physical

response of a stress reaction during times of real physical danger, discharged

their energy dealing with the problem, and then returned to a physiologically 

normal state. But in the modern world most of our stress, unless we are getting 

mugged at knifepoint in a dark alley,is psychological in nature.

Therefore it is difficult to make it go away

by an immediate action that discharges the stress. When you have

twenty hyperactive eight-year-olds over for a birthday party and suddenly

the power goes out and you find yourself in the dark, what can

you do except light candles, try to avoid burning down the house

when a child accidentally knocks one over, and somehow keep them

all safe and happy until their parents come to get them in two hours.

Yelling at the kids or banging on the kitchen counter with frustration

isn’t going to solve the problem.

MAXIMUM ENERGY FOR LIFE

Chemical Changes That Occur during Stress

When you find yourself in a situation that your body perceives as stressful, 

a number of chemical reactions occur that push certain body systems 

into higher gear by shutting down or cutting off energy to others.

1. Stress affects the cardiovascular system. The first to be affected is the

cardiovascular system. In the presence of danger, much of the blood in

your outer extremities is shunted to organs that need more oxygen,

such as the brain (the decision maker), the heart, and your other vital

organs, such as the lungs and the liver. The constricting of the blood

supply to your hands, arms, feet, and legs has another role—it decreases

your blood loss should you be injured. Your body also increases its production 

of endorphins and other pain-reducing chemicals so that you

won’t feel the injury as keenly as you normally would. When these

changes happen, your blood pressure rises, your pulse races, and your

heart must beat faster and harder to handle the strain. Adrenaline

causes glucose and fat to be released from your tissues to give your body

a much-needed energy surge in case you must fight or flee.

2. Some systems shut down. This enormous surge of energy comes

at a price, however. Certain other bodily systems must be shut down

somewhat in order to compensate. Your reproductive system, which

is normally very energy intensive, is suspended so that its energies

can be directed elsewhere. In the short term, this isn’t a bad thing,

since you would never think about fighting off the cave bear and

making love to your mate at the same time. But you can see how

living in a constant state of stress would erode your libido over the

long term.

3. How cortisol affects the body. Another chemical downside following 

the release of stress hormones is that cortisol accumulates in

your body. As the adrenaline rush that released fat and glucose as an

energy source subsides, the stress hormone cortisol becomes active,

causing insulin to be released to stimulate your appetite so that you

can replenish your fat stores. Since most of us don’t reach for an

apple or a piece of swordfish when we are ravenous, this usually leads

to craving a quick carbohydrate snack such as candy, pizza, cookies,

ice cream, or high-carbohydrate fast foods. Unfortunately, living

with a high level of daily stress causes the body to produce a consistently 

high level of cortisol, leading to overeating and weight gain,

especially in the all-important abdominal area in men.