Stress as a Contributing Factor Stress as a Contributing Factor
Stress changes the body's normal state, but we need a degree of stress in order to be alert and active to prepare and deal with outside stimuli. Stress causes a natural 'fight-or-flight' reaction in our bodies - we become immediately responsive by either running away or fighting back, and this protects us from danger or difficult situations.
The body reacts to stress by sending a hormone called adrenaline to the legs (to enable us to run away) or to the shoulders and upper torso muscles (to enable us to physically fight the enemy). This was good for our cave man ancestors, whose problems were not those of deadlines or traffic jams but those of hunting food or being eaten themselves! They used up all this adrenaline quickly, but when we are put under pressure today we stay in a prolonged state of alertness which, if it continues without rest, will have a damaging effect on our bodies.
At this time of stress the body needs all its resources and so all the other bodily systems temporarily slow down or cease. Blood, for instance, moves away from the digestive system to the muscles in order to prepare for physical action, the bowels empty, the heart rate increases, blood pressure increases, sweating occurs, the pupils dilate, the mouth becomes dry as food is not required — in short, the body has turned away from the essential processes of digestion and absorption of foods and nutrients for repair and maintenance in favour of self-defence.
Remaining in a prolonged state of stress will result in undigested food, the secreting of toxins by the body, and slow and inefficient processing of the waste products in the body. All this causes excess and overload which, if not dealt with quickly, will simply build up each time the body is subjected to further stress.
Part of the Detox Programme involves getting rid of, or
at least managing, some of the stress in our lives in order to minimise the unnecessary disturbance of our bodies.
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