Eliminating stress a key to good health

Regardless of the cause of your stress, when your brain reacts to something you find stressful, you experience an elevation of stress-reactive hormones that cause mental and physical health effects.

Research has found that chronic stress causes as much as 60-90 percent of all illnesses, including immune system responses and other physical symptoms such as chronic unexplained pain, ulcers, high blood pressure, migraines, PMS, irritable bowel syndrome, just to name a few. From a mental standpoint, you have less ability to focus, think clearly and remember things.

Some stressors we have some control over, such as getting enough sleep, time management, proper exercise and consuming enough of the right nutrients. Having these basic needs taken care of may eliminate some of the day to day stress.