This post is just the tip of the iceberg! For even more of Dr. Lissa Rankin's wisdom, be sure to check out her newest class, Getting Back To 100%: A Six-Step Process For Radical Self-Healing.
We all know stress is bad for us, yet many of us wear it like a badge of honor. We claim to want inner peace, but if life gets too calm, we go seeking our next hit of cortisol and epinephrine.
It’s almost as if being stressed makes us feel important, valuable, and useful. But the biggest problem with being a stress addict is that it can destroy our health.
As I explain in my new book, Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself, the body is equipped with natural self-repair mechanisms that can kill stray cancer cells, fight infections, and even slow the aging process.
But these mechanisms only work when the nervous system is relaxed. When the body senses immediate danger (a screaming boss or a hungry tiger —the part of your brain that controls fear doesn't know the difference!), these repair mechanisms shut down so you can deal with the threat.
So how do you know if you’re a stress addict? Here are 10 signs that you’ve made cortisol your drug of choice.
You experience backaches and headaches.
You’re not sleeping well.
Even when you sleep well, you’re still tired.
You're gaining weight.
You catch colds and other infections easily.
You crave unhealthy foods.
Your sex drive is in the crapper.
Your gut acts up.
You feel anxious.
You feel blue.
Write your own prescription!
Ready to learn more about how to unlock the power of food to heal your body, prevent disease & achieve optimal health? Register now for our FREE Functional Nutrition Webinar with Kelly LeVeque.
