How To Deal: 11 Ways To Reduce Stress Every Day

Few things illuminate the mind-body connection like stress. It affects everything from our physical immunity to our emotional stability, and is one of the largest proven causes of chronic illnesses including depression, inflammation, heart attacks, autoimmune disorders and certain cancers. Even if we're taking other measures to live well, if day-to-day stress management isn't a priority, our health is sure to be compromised. 

How we relax and unwind after a long day is integral to our well being, but relieving the burdens of stress is often easier said than done. Elson Haas, MD and Sondra Barrett, PhD authors of Ultimate Immunity, are sharing their professional expertise once again on the link between stress and our bodies' response to it, and what we can do to keep things in check...

The stress response is a body-mind reaction to perceived danger, whether real or imagined.  It uses up our energy, can diminish memory and weaken immune balance. Stress degrades our body's ability to defend itself by affecting both the immune cells and the cytokines. In some situations, this connection can dim the immune protection response, while in others, it can make immune cells hyper-reactive, especially with inflammation.

The best road to health - immune health and otherwise - is to maintain a more balanced perspective of life by developing systems to manage stress, both before it arrises and once it hits. Our stressful attitudes affect our behavior and our lifestyle choices, usually towards less healthful choices; thus creating more stress. Ask yourself, “What creates the most stress in me?” Then, consider whether that's a real danger or an imagined one.

There are numerous ways to manage stress.  One way is cognitive behavioral conditioning; another is meditation.  Let’s now look at some more general lifestyle tips that incorporate stress, nutrition, and other techniques to reduce stress and maintain a healthy immune system...

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