Ep. 021 - STRESS!!! - How It Impacts Your Brain and Body and What To Do About It

Nutritional Therapy and Wellness Podcast

On this episode of The Nutritional Therapy and Wellness Podcast, hosts, Jamie Belz, FNTP, MHC, and Mike Belz, CEO of the Nutritional Therapy Association discuss types, current stats, symptoms of chronic stress, and solutions for creating stress resilience for better mental health which tends to make way for better physical health.

Join them as they touch on mental and physical stressors common in today's world, such as inflation and financial uncertainty/hardship, kids, busy schedules, societal pressures, work, daily tasks, relationships, divorce, isolation, socialization, screens, social media, politics, news, violence, prescription drugs, recreational drugs, environmental inputs, toxins, mold, weight management, health issues, loved ones who are suffering from mental or physical illnesses. Learn about the biological response to stress, and how to practice healthful stress management practices, as well as what to eat and what to avoid.

6:53 The resounding impact of the COVID pandemic from "Stress in America 2023: A Nation Recovering from Collective Trauma"

8:21 The abundance of stressors

11:31 The body's stress response - fight or flight - overstimulation of stress response

12:32 Working with an NTP to optimize digestion to help minimize stress and improve mental health/reducing stress to optimize digestion

13:35 Hitting the stress wall and the key to beating the stress epidemic - mindfulness and a healthier lens - avoiding "breathing life into" your stress

15:17 Work hard, play hard -> work hard, work harder

16:04 Physical symptoms of stress - aches and pains, insomnia, chest pain, heart damage, esophageal spasms, heartburn/acid reflux/GERD, digestive dysfunction, weakening of the intestinal lining, intestinal permeability/leaky gut, decreased immune function/increased susceptibility to pathogens and disease, exhaustion, increased cortisol, increased abdominal fat, weight gain, weight loss

17:42 Nervous breakdown

19:49 Mindfulness, meditation, relaxation - the role of the nervous system (enteric, autonomic, parasympathetic, sympathetic) - rest and digest - fight or flight - cortisol and adrenaline - the impact of the stress response on hunger cues, digestion, gut motility

23:27 Stress eaters, emotional eating, over-eating

27:13 Maldigestion/poor digestion, the impact of stress on HCl production and the digestive process - heartburn, GERD, leaky gut/intestinal permeability

Digestive Hell Podcast Episode

30:32 Gut brain connection

30:55 Reinforcing and empowering stressful states versus resilience - daily habits

32:06 Mike's tips for reducing stress/growing stress resilience - mantra mindset

35:10 Things that will force you to stay in a stressed-out state - relationships - toxic people - who you're spending time with - Dr. Henry Cloud's book, "Necessary Endings"

https://www.drcloud.com/books/necessary-endings

36:20 Jamie's tips for reducing stress - things you can do

38:12 Reduce stress nutritionally with foods, herbals, and supplements - the endocannabinoid system -

39:52 Working with an NTP to address stress

40:18 Things to avoid

41:39 The importance of healthy boundaries

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Record an introduction

https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/342744/3/1fyqu83iaf707ggt

Nutritional Therapy and Wellness Podcast Episode 011: Digestive Hell

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nutritional-therapy-and-wellness-podcast/id1733339864?i=1000652219979

Dr. Henry Cloud's book, "Necessary Endings"

https://www.drcloud.com/books/necessary-endings

You can also connect with us online at www.NutritionalTherapy.com/podcast.

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