Stress: What You Eat Can Play a Major Role

Emotions, after all, are little more than biochemical storms in a body and mind. A healthy diet invariably makes for a better forecast.                            Nora Gedgaudas                                                                                                                               Primal Body, Primal Mind

Stress, most of the time, is not the result of what happens to you, but how you respond to the situation. Again, here comes that little brat that owns us, EGO.  For me, it has been such a blessing to have been through so many “horrible situations” and have applied the Buddhist philosophy mentioned in my last article entitled “Be Thankful.” Due to this philosophy, I am able to brush off situations that might cause others heavy stress. When that brat called EGO gets dismissed from your life, it’s like getting a monkey off your back.

When you add a bad diet to stress and allow sugar cravings to totally change your intestinal bacteria to Candida, your ability to cope can be minimized. Recent studies have revealed that proper bacteria in your digestive system are closely associated with cognitive function. In other words, the more you give in to eating junk, the less ability you have to use your brain to fight back and address your problems. To add insult to injury, as primitive humans with a fight or flight response to stress, we build up the stress hormones, adrenalin and cortisol, which further diminish our ability to digest properly. This can sometimes cause excessive weight gain which adds to stress by creating a poor self-image.

In my book WHY? The Question That Could Save Your Life, I emphasize the importance of being proactive and researching your own answers. Every tiny step you take in learning how to be healthy is important. Even though I could retire, I choose to continue working because I truly enjoy leading my patients away from what causes their pain, and more importantly, leading them to vitality, resistance to illness, less stress, and a lifestyle that can slow down the aging process.

We don’t beat the Reaper by living longer. We beat the Reaper by living well… land living fully.

                                                                                    Randy Pausch                                                                                                                                                            Carnegie Mellon University

At Advanced Oral Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Danville we treat patients not just symptoms.  Because of this approach we often find something, not related to the dental complex, that is responsible for the illness and then make the appropriate referral. If you have any concerns about your quality of sleep or about any TMJ/TMD symptoms you may be having, we can help. 925-837-8048 and www.aodtc.com