Today’s PrimalMed Prescription…”License to Chill!”
It’s Labor Day. Take the day off! Heed the words of Jimmy Buffett, and give your mitochondria a much needed rest!
I usually end with a song, but in memory of Jimmy Buffett, who sadly passed the other day, let’s start with “License to Chill,” from Jimmy’s 2004 album of the same name.
No one personified the laid back, chill, and stress-free life more than this guy. Now, I’m no Parrothead, but I believe we can all take a cue from Mr. Buffett.
Remember the last post about Lucy and Ethel? Remember about the mitochondria acting as your cellular battery? Remember what happened when that conveyer belt went a little too hard and a little too fast? Kaboooooom!
So we’ve talked about what it means to be PrimalMed approved and we have talked about diet and exercise (or rather nutrition and movement) as key inputs into our cellular physiology.
So how ‘bout STRESS?
Stress is an important cellular input! Stress is normal and not always a bad thing. Remember the concept of hormesis? Acute stressor, recovery. Acute stressor, recovery. It makes us strong. It makes us resilient. As I said in the last post, one measure of health is HOW successfully we deal with acute stressors.
BUT chronic stress is BAD. Unrelenting stress may well be the most important input into our health or more directly, our lack of health.
DO NOT underestimate the impact that chronic stress can have on our health.
Acute stress triggers our “fight or flight” mode. Being chased by a lion? Flat tire? Job setback? Water in the basement? You are on high alert. Cortisol is released. For a reason. Time to jump into action. Digestion is put on pause. Glucose is shuttled to the brain and muscles so you can focus on the task at hand!
Chronic stress…not so good, my friend. Chronic stress DRAINS your batteries. You have incoming stimuli ALL the time. Everything, and I mean every little thing becomes a HUGE issue. A huge hit, every minute, every day. Some researchers find this can affect how your brain is wired. Some researchers note that chronic stress can alter your sleep cycles, and the constant cortisol rush can increase inflammation and even render you insulin resistant. You are in sympathetic OVERLOAD, and you become grumpy, tired and wired!
Having cortisol turned on all the time is a signal to your body that you are IN DANGER all the time. You generally don’t feel safe. This has recently been described as the Generalized Underlying Theory of Stress (GUTS). Your brain is constantly on the lookout for threats. Your body doesn’t know when nutrients will be coming in next, if at all. The constant surges of cortisol effects your insulin levels which cause you to store fat as a future energy source. Not good. The constant sympathetic nervous system alerts do not allow your complementary parasympathetic system to function properly.
Don’t neglect seemingly insignificant stressors. Loneliness, lack of social connection, pollution, fear-based news and media can all lead to a low level feeling of danger and chronic stress.
To learn more about the Generalized Underlying Theory of Stress, Click HERE and HERE.
Our bodies are nothing short of miracles. Our cells, particularly the cell membranes, and mitochondria, as well as our gut microbiome and our brain are all talking to each other. Sending signals to keep us alive and well. Our body temperature, blood glucose, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate are all tightly regulated. We deal with incoming stressors to maintain this balance. This is called HOMEOSTASIS.
The body reacts and adjusts to incoming environmental and psychological stress via ALLOSTASIS. Allostasis is the process by which homeostasis is maintained.
So how much “incoming” can YOU take? How big is your cup? We all differ in this regard. This is your allostatic load.
What we DON”T want is our cup to overflow with TOO much stress. TOO many chocolates on the conveyer belt. This is allostatic OVERLOAD. This is what drains your cellular batteries and can interfere with the smooth functioning of your mitochondrial machinery.
The answer?
Take time to BE BORED! That doesn’t mean be boring. It means that you don’t have to be on alert all the time. You don’t have to always be answering texts and emails. You don’t have to have an opinion. Unplug.
Turn off the distractions, focus on simple tasks and BE INTENTIONAL.
This is kinda Zen-like: Be 100% involved in the task at hand. One reader I know finds inner peace when he is washing the dishes. Each dish. Wash, rinse and dry. Total immersion in this mindless task. Nothing is more important to him than to do this simple task at this very time. Nothing more. Nothing less. It is his form of meditation. It is the antidote to the chronic crazy of our wired world.
Allow your body to FEEL SAFE. Let your body feel safe by improving your cardiorespiratory fitness and your strength. Turn off the news to limit overstimulating negative inputs.
If you are not feeling well or feeling a bit ‘off,’ then consider your STRESS levels. Continuous low levels of chronic stress may cause your ‘cup to runneth over.’
THIS is allostatic overload.
And of course, you may choose to speak with a professional. Dealing with chronic stress is the bailiwick of licensed therapists. I personally read the Stoics to help keep my head screwed on straight. Others have spoken highly of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a way to help them uncover hidden causes of stress that may impact their mental health.
TL;DR…So let’s give Lucy and Ethel a break! Let’s slow down that conveyer belt. Take a walk without your phone. Wash the dishes. Focus on the moment without distractions. Employ strategies to signal your body that you are safe.
Your PrimalMed Prescription encourages you to embrace your moment of zen and CHILL.
BTW, can you identify in that first picture where PrimalMD was enjoying his moment of zen?
And please enjoy this Grateful Dead cover from the master of chillaxin 😎
Great article.. as you know, we have been under a lot of stress at work…good to know doing nothing sometimes is okay!
This is a timely article for me, because I recently listened to a podcast which extolled the benefits of the Sabbath. A day to turn off all your distractions, to enjoy the company of friends, to do things you like that do not require work or just do nothing. It all adds up to a better lifestyle, less stress and even perhaps longevity. So thanks, Ted, for calling attention to the need to chill out. Ida