The effect of stress on the human body is a very complex subject, so I am not going to do it justice by some introductory notes here. There will be numerous videos and blog posts going into this subject in much greater detail at a later date and in other areas of the website.

Stress comes in many forms it may be physical, mental or diet related to mention just a few. The common factor is that as a result of perceived stress the body goes into fight or flight mode and the hormones cortisol and adrenaline get released into the bloodstream. The intention is that this hormone release is temporary, takes care of the problem then everything returns to normal referred to as homeostasis once the threat has been averted.

An excellent example of this would be in the hunter-gather days of our evolution a wild animal may threaten your life. Once the body perceives the threat it goes into fight or flight mode releases the appropriate hormones, dilates the blood vessels allowing increased blood flow to the body’s extremities allowing for a quick getaway. The heart rate increases your brain goes into hyper-concentration mode your hunger, and elimination functions close down, and your body is primed to deal with the threat. A good and temporary form of stress for which the body is well equipped.

Another example, you sprain your ankle causing a release of hormones ramping up the immune system to send the necessary fighting elements, basically your immune system, to the site of the injury causing acute inflamation, again temporary.

So a normal healthy temporary stress response is something the body is designed to deal with. The problem arises when the response is no longer temporary and goes on for an extended period, even years, This is when serious negative long term effects begin to manifest.

One such example is chronic exercising. Some people go to the gym and work out like crazy, you know the “no pain no gain” mentality or they take the approach ” I have to burn more calories than I eat to lose weight” or they go to the gym every day afraid to miss a day and miss their “target”. All of these activities create a stress response in the body, and if it goes on for an extended period, you will eventually burn out or injure yourself or get sick due to the constant pressure on your immune system.

Another example is anxiety. Now I know this is a severe condition that many people suffer from and it is not my intent to trivialize it here. The primary cause of anxiety is the belief that something terrible or inconvenient is going to happen and you feel powerless to affect the outcome perhaps to the point of paralyzation of some bodily functions. So the anxiety is caused by something that happened in the past or something you perceive is going to happen in the future. The longer this goes on, the more the toll on the body. Now what I am about to say is easy enough to say but sometimes very difficult to do, and that is to live in the current moment where there is no past or future, just now, a much better time to deal with the anxiety-inducing issue. I recognize how difficult it is to mentally arrive in the current moment, this is where the science of the quantum field comes in and the act of meditation. Both of these topics are separate pillars in my program and will be dealt with in the appropriate section. So I’m not “kicking the can down the road” here these subjects will be given serious attention elsewhere.

Now let’s get to the biggie Leaky Gut or Permeable Gut Syndrome leading to systemic inflammation as opposed to acute inflammation. The simple explanation of this is as follows: Your intestines or your gut wall has a single cell lining. By eating certain foods on a regular basis, the process associated with digesting that food may break through the cell lining and release undigested food particles into the bloodstream. As soon as that happens and the bad guys are recognized in the blood stream the immune system kicks into high gear to fight and eliminate the bad guys. If this were a one-off instance, the bad guys could probably be removed the gut wall repaired, and life goes on unharmed. However, leaky gut in those that suffer from it is far from a one-off, it becomes an ongoing condition may be for a lifetime and if so, assuredly reducing that life span. The problem is the body is in a continuous state of stress, hormones going crazy, etc. So much so, the immune system starts to degrade. Too many resources are required throughout the body trying to deal with the invaders. When your immune system gets compromised, it leads to a myriad of health problems. Sometimes the bad guys getting into the bloodstream (proteins) either mimic or attach themselves to vital bodily proteins, now the immune system is confused and starts attacking the body’s cells this leads to autoimmune diseases that come in many shapes and forms, all of them awful for you and potentially life-threatening. The immune system may no longer be able to deal with allergies, so now you start developing all sorts of allergies foodborne and otherwise. Probably worse of all this whole mess can lead to non-communicative metabolic diseases such as heart attack, stroke, obesity, cancer, and cognitive disorders such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers to name but a few. So permeable gut syndrome is a severe and potentially life-threatening condition.

So now you are probably thinking, OK Richard how do I go ahead and fix this problem if I have it? Not to leave you hanging, I cover this topic in the subject of gut health in numerous videos and blog posts elsewhere on the website. To give you a clue its all about the food you do or don’t eat. Hint, one of the bad guys, is a protein called gluten. However, this condition is reversible, and I will explain in great detail how to do that and return to optimal health and Be Lean For Life.

In the notes associated with my Meditation Pillar , I go into a little more detail as it relates to using mediation as a means to reducing mental stress within the body in the latter part of those notes.

Essential Oils play a large role in Stress Management.

Emotional: Arborvitae, Bergamot, Black Spruce, Cilantro, Citrus Bliss, Clove, Copaiba, Eucalyptus, Frankincense,Geranium, Ginger, Green Mandarin, Hinoki, Jasmin, Juniper Berry, Lavender, Melissa,Neroli, Orange, Passion, Petitgrain, Roman Chamomile, Rose, Sandalwood, Serenity, Spearmint, Spikenard, Yarrow Pom, Ylang Ylang

Note: Many different oils are listed above. While they are all relevant, nobody would ever use them all. If you are a Be Lean For Life Coaching client you may have the oils personally mapped to your specific requirement based on data collected during the coaching program.Paragraph

If you want to go it alone feel free to peruse the doTERRA Ebook Library. Alternatively, you can buy all these oils at wholesale prices by becoming a member