The Impact of Stress on your Gut Health

Stress and Gut Health

We all experience stress, and I'm no different.

A little bit of stress does us no harm, but prolonged stress can have a major impact on our body.

Stress can impact our gut health, especially if we stay in a state of stress for a long period of time. It stops our digestive system working well, which can then lead to weight gain, sleepless nights, and a weakened immune system. And when we’re stressed, we are more likely to make poor food choices, snacking on sugary foods or reaching for convenience foods. This can put our body into nutrition stress, and again can lead to weight gain.

Cortisol is a hormone that surges around our body when we’re stressed. It increases the amount of sugar in your bloodstream, causes your heart rate to quicken, increases blood pressure, and also impairs your immune system and your ability to fight infection.

It’s important to manage our stress levels as much as we can, reducing cortisol levels, and helping our digestive and immune systems to get back to normal functioning.

When we’re experiencing long periods of stress it can increase our risk of many health problems, so finding ways to manage our stress should be something we do daily, even on the days we don’t feel stressed.

This is how stress can affect your body

• Stress causes weight gain because our gut is unable to digestive food as well as it could.
• It weakens our immune system so we can’t fight infections as well.
• It can cause inflammation in the body that can lead to degenerative disease such as stroke and heart disease.
• It can lead to sleepless nights.
• It can affect our mood and may lead to depression.
• It can affect the health of our skin.
• Muscular aches and pains can appear from tense muscles.

What can you do to help lower your stress levels?

For me, breathing techniques help to relax me when I start to feel a little stressed. It works really quickly, and I start to feel calmer and more relaxed in just a couple of minutes.

I do find that it works best when you do it on a regular basis. Twice a day, every day, even when you’re not feeling particularly stressed works well.

Here is a simple technique you can do right now!

Breathe in through your nose for a count of 7.

Breathe out through your mouth for a count of 11.

Repeat 3 times.

 Supplements to help with occasional Stress 

InnerCalm with Ashwagandha & Saffron

Feel less stressed. This vegan food supplement is formulated with sustainably sourced Ashwagandha (a powerful adaptogen) plus sustainably sourced Saffron to help manage occasional stress. Featuring the tea-leaf derived amino acid L-theanine, mix one scoop into any beverage. With a delicious Peach Green Tea flavour, you'll love how this vegan food supplement tastes -- and how it quiets your mind. Formulated without artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners; formulated without high fructose corn syrup, dairy or soy. Formulated without gluten.

What is Ashwagandha?

 Ashwagandha is a herb that is often used to help with stress. It is classed as an adaptogen, which are plants that help your body respond to stress, anxiety, fatigue and overall wellbeing. Several studies have shown that ashwagandha extract can help reduced perceived stress and levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

 Ashwagandha may help to calm the brain and lower blood pressure, helping the body resist physical and mental stress.

 Click here for InnerCalm with Ashwagandha & Saffron Vegan Supplement and receive up to 40% off when you sign up as a Preferred Client.