By Jenna Jackson

During my time studying holistic health, I learned that there is one specific root cause of the many ‘dis- eases’ we are seeing today. Stress. Here is a look into stress’ toll on the body and the brain, and a quick peak at how we can put stress to rest.

Stress’ Affect on the Brain:

During stress, the adrenal glands pump out a hormone called cortisol. High levels of cortisol increase the activity level in the amygdala (part of the brain associated with fear), and also decreases activity in the hippo-campus, the part of the brain responsible for learning, memory and stress control. Excess cortisol can actually shrink the brain and decrease the number of brains cells made. Cortisol specifically shrinks the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain in charge of memory, social interactions and concentration.

Stress’ Affect on the Body:

During a stress response the adrenal glands also pump out epinephrine, norepinephrine and of course cortisol. This triage of hormones increases blood pressure and increases risk for atherosclerosis (hardening of the artery walls) by decreasing the integrity of blood vessel walls. Stress initiates a fight or flight response, channeling all energy to areas needed for fleeing from danger, even if we aren’t in danger. This takes energy away from our rest and digestion phases, leaving us with digestive issues of all kinds. Cortisol also increases appetite especially for energy dense foods (sugary snacks, carbs, fast foods etc.) and these foods get stored as visceral fat. The fat is deposited around and between organs around the midsection. This fat releases cytokines and these increase risk for chronic disease and auto-immune conditions.

Stress does have some benefits to us, but only in the short term. Cortisol fluctuates throughout the day. During the morning we get a surge to get us out of bed and mid afternoon it gets us through to bedtime. If you experience trouble getting out of bed and a big crash in energy mid afternoon, your cortisol rhythm may be a bit off, but that is a whole other topic for another day.

Adaptogens and Stress

Luckily mother nature has created some wonderful antidotes to stress in the form of certain plants. Adaptogens are plants that produce phytochemicals to help them adapt to stressors in their environments. Taking adaptogens  helps the body to modulate its response to stress. Some work by calming anxieties from stress, while others give a pick-me-up to help with fatigue caused by stress. Some adaptogens even modulate the immune system. They decipher whether the immune response needs to be elevated to help fight off infection or whether it needs to be calmed down like in the case of an autoimmune disease.

Some adaptogens and adaptogenic formulas at Infinity:

• Ashwaganda
• Astragalus
• Adrenal support by Purica
• Strest by St. Francis Herbs Farm
• Chaga
• Ginseng – panax & siberian
• Maca powder or supplement
• Tulsi & Ginger tea by Traditional Medicinals
• Deep Immune by St. Francis Herbs Farm
• Immune 7 by Purica

Although these plants seem like the answer to all our problems in our extra stressful lives, it is important to find the root cause of your stress, both for your own well being and to safeguard the survival of these plants. Due to the popularity of adaptogens in our overextended society, these plants are starting to become over harvested, endangered and even adulterated.

I find these methods helpful in reducing root causes of stress:

Meditation: I like to use this app

Time in nature: daily walks, skiing, hiking, biking, snowshoeing

Self care: time for restorative activities like yoga, baths, reading a book, finding a creative outlet

House plants: shown to reduce cortisol and improve sleep

*Talk to your primary healthcare provider to see if adaptogens are right for you.