Welcome to A-M B-WELL inc. Welcome to A-M B-WELL inc.
Welcome to A-M B-WELL inc.
Home
Fish Oil
Products
The Zone
Forums
Order
Contact
Quick Introduction to the Zone
Analogy of a Life in the Zone
How To Enter the Zone
Food Basics
Eyeballing Method
Top Ten Basic Zone Principles
A Day in the Zone
What is a Block?
Fine Tuning in the Zone
How to Zone a Recipe
Recipes
Top Ten Ways to Eat Out Zonefully
Exercise in the Zone
Top Ten Zone Exercise Tips
Kids in the Zone
What are Eicosanoids?
Living in the Zone
Four Pillars of Aging
How to Reduce Stress
Short and Long-Term Goals
How to Survive Holiday Eating
How to Break a Hormonal Plateau
Maintenance in the Zone


 
 

supplement with pharmaceutical grade fish oil

exercise

meditate - Yoga is a great stress reliever

take mini vacations

laugh - laughter reduces stress hormone levels

How to Reduce Stress
Finding a correct level
S T R E S S
It can wreak
havoc on one’s health!
We all experience stress from time-to-time at different levels and variances as it is an unavoidable consequence of living.   Hans Selye (who coined the term as it is currently used) noted, "Without stress, there would be no life". 

There are two types of stress; one being eurostress, which is good stress (ie winning a competition), and the other being distress, which is bad stress (ie losing the competition).  However, these two types of stress can trigger very different biological responses ranging from wellness to disease.  One must find the proper level of stress to enable him or her to perform optimally as we go through life.

What is Stress?

The body responds hormonally to stress by releasing stress hormones called epinephrine or adrenaline and cortisol.  These hormones result in increased blood sugar and insulin levels and can impair one’s efforts to stay in the Zone.  Virtually all systems (ie the heart and blood vessels, the immune system, the lungs, the digestive system, the sensory organs, and brain) are modified to meet what they believe to be a  perceived danger. 

Stress can also be referred to as acute (ie short-term) or chronic (long-term). 

Acute stress is the body’s reaction to an immediate threat and is often referred to as the fight or flight response.   In most cases once the threat has passed one‘s stress hormones will return to normal.

Chronic stress is a result of on-going stressful situations that are not short-lived.  The fight or flight response must be suppressed and as a result the stress becomes chronic.  Unfortunately, chronic stress will chronically elevate insulin levels.  Weight gain and a wide variety of other negative consequences will result from chronic stress.

The Zone Can Help Control Stress

A hormonally correct diet is one’s primary tool to improve emotional control.  Conversely, a hormonally incorrect diet is one’s passport to emotional chaos. 

Emotions cannot be isolated, but hormones can.  Since eicosanoids are controlled by the Zone diet, it is possible the Zone diet can be used to manipulate emotions.

For example, when we are stressed or depressed we tend to reach for carbohydrate rich foods (ie chips, chocolates, dessert, alcohol) which give a temporary increase in blood glucose to the brain.  Unfortunately, this causes an insulin spike, glucagon is suppressed, cortisol is increased and bad eicosanoids are produced, which leads to more depression.  It is a vicious cycle!!  Improved control over insulin and eicosanoid balance leads to better emotional health.

To help reduce stress one should:

    • supplement with pharmaceutical grade fish oil
    • reduce excess insulin by following the Zone
    • exercise
    • meditate - Yoga is a great stress reliever and has been clinically proven to lower cortisol levels
    • book frequent massages
    • take time for recreation
    • take mini vacations
    • laugh - laughter reduces stress hormone levels
    • think positively

 
continue to next section ..  Short and Long-Term Goals

|| Home || Fish Oil || Products || The Zone || Forums || Order Info. || Contact ||

[ Quick Introduction to the Zone   ][  Analogy of a Life in the Zone  ][  How To Enter the Zone  ][  Food Basics  ][  Eyeballing Method   ]
[ Top Ten Basic Zone Principles  ][  A Day in the Zone  ][ What is a Block?  ][  Fine Tuning in the Zone  ][  How to Zone a Recipe  ]
[ Recipes  ][ Top Ten Ways to Eat Out Zonefully  ][  Exercise in the Zone  ][  Top Ten Zone Exercise Tips  ][  Kids in the Zone  ]
[ What are Eicosanoids?  ][ Living in the Zone  ][  Four Pillars of Aging  ][  How to Reduce Stress  ][ Short and Long-Term Goals  ]
[ How to Survive Holiday Eating  ][  How to Break a Hormonal Plateau  ][  Maintenance in the Zone  ]

[ Disclaimer  ][  Privacy  ]

© All images and content are Copyright A-M B-WELL inc. 2005

For technical questions about this website, please email the webmaster.