The Irony of Stress
Love this! I am live-streaming a conference on the Immune system and wanted to share this slide.
We are often reminded of how the stressful/high paced lives we now lead have become what the tiger was in Paleolithic times (yet worse given it’s a stress that is rarely turned off!) But remember that food also activates similar mechanisms in the body. Our immune system literally ‘checks’ what food comes in. Broccoli = happy. Cinnamon rolls = unhappy static (and release of unhappy messengers). Over time poor choices in food will result in chronic immune activation, which triggers inflammation and puts us all at risk for Autoimmunity, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, Infections, Eczema, Arthritis, and Cancer. (Just a select few diseases where inflammation is a root cause driver).
All that being said, I want to simultaneously honor that food is deeply emotional and sometimes the right approach is compassionately looking at what drives food choices as opposed to feeling harshly judgmental about what you are eating. *AND* and I want to encourage balance …as limiting yourself too much to the point of restriction/isolation from social events etc. can clearly lead to other problems.
No surprise, balance is key. But leaning toward foods that make your immune system happy is a good goal. Happy to answer any questions related to this journey!
© DCIM
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The team at District Center for Integrative Medicine specializes in helping patients get to the root cause of their conditions. If you’re looking for 1-on-1 help from naturopathic doctors who care, request a free consultation today!
