Stress is not the enemy. Rather … you might think of it as the grease for the squeaky wheel.
But wait …
“Dr. Gala, you said stress causes 90+% of disease. I thought we were trying to eliminate stress.”
That’s the conundrum.
Stress is good for us … until it’s not.
The good stress is referred to as “eustress.” Hormetic stress is a form of “eustress” that’s seen a resurgence recently.
Hormetic stress is a type of stress that involves short, intense bursts of pressure that can have positive effects on the body, mind, and emotions. The goal of hormetic stress is to challenge the body without overfatiguing it, so that it can adapt to stressful events and build resilience.
Some examples of hormetic stress include:
- Cold showers – end your shower with a minute of cold water
- Hot saunas – spend 20ish minutes in a sauna regularly to induce sweating from the inside out
- Intermittent fasting – practicing 18:6 fasting (6-hour eating window) regularly is a great way to improve metabolic flexibility … and it’s easy
- Mindful Breathing – breath for 10 minutes with an exhale longer than the inhale
With all of these examples, you can take it to the extreme creating more stress than your body can handle.
Of course, this is subjective. Some have a nervous system that isn’t already on overload.
Most women, have some degree of adrenal fatigue. So, don’t overdo it! Stress can become toxic … and then the “wheels start falling off.”
I developed the MOLT Method because stress isn’t going away. We have to learn to manage it … even master it!
Until next week …
Be Well!
