ance, and it is your stress-response that gets you back to equilibrium. So having a stress response is a good thing! The problem arises when your stressors – including your perception of those stressors – never allows your body to get back to baseline.


This can lead to the final phase, the Exhaustion Phase. It takes frequent and/ or prolonged stressful events to enter this phase. But, if your body does reach exhaustion, it leads to organ damage and severely compromised health.


Each time you handle a stressor, it gets


added to your current stress load. The high- er your stress load, whether you perceive it or not, the more your health is affected.


When it comes to gut health, stress can both indirectly and directly affect your digestive system. Stress indirectly affects your gut health by increasing inflammation


throughout the body which can eventually damage the gut lining and your accessory organs. Stress also creates a direct snowball effect on your digestive system. The inter- communication between your brain and gut controls how fast or slow food moves through your digestive tract and controls the production of the protective mucus layer along the gut lining. Stress compro- mises that communication which creates constipation, diarrhea or IBS, and a thinner protective layer. This leads to malabsorp- tion of nutrients, increased toxin load and a leaky gut. Additionally, healthy movement through your digestive system and the integ- rity of your gut lining are critical for your microbiome. So if both are compromised the number of good or commensal bacteria in your system decreases and allows the bad bugs to thrive. This creates a state of dysbiosis which decreases nutrient absorp- tion, increases intestinal inflammation, reduces elimination of toxins and compro-


You are unique, which means a nutrition program focused on you, your goals, your life, your habits and your happiness will give you the best results.


Stephanie Walsh, CPT, CNTP, CEPC


Certified Nutrition Therapy Practitioner Certified Eating Psychology Coach Certified Personal Trainer


260 Western Ave., Suite 204, South Portland, ME 04106


theholistichealthapproach.com swalsh@theholistichealthapproach.com I can help you:


• Uncover Hidden Food Allergies/Sensitivities • Take Control of Emotional Eating • Enhance Digestive Health • Detox for Long Term Health • Learn Healthy Meal Planning • Lose and Maintain Weight


Contact me to achieve your health goals through Holistic Nutrition Consulting. Call 207.730.2208


mises immunity. At this point your gut and overall health has been compromised.


The following is a long list of con- sequences that have been shown to be caused from living a prolonged, stressed out life:


• High cholesterol


• Insulin resistance, Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes


• Increased risk of heart disease


• Reduced ability to burn calories and build muscle


• Increased ability to store fat • Salt retention and bloating • Hormone dysfunction


• Erectile dysfunction and inability to conceive


• Increased risk of infection and disease • Impaired kidney function • Insomnia • Depression


• Increased signs of aging • Inflammation and oxidative stress • Impaired memory


• Heartburn and risk of ulcers • Impaired digestion • Gut dysbiosis


• Nutrient deficiencies • Food sensitivities and allergies


What’s Got You Stressed? There are several types of stressors to


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the body, including nutrition and psycho- logical stressors.


• Poor diet & Toxic foods. Artificial in- gredients, processed foods, pesticides, conventional meats, sugars, and trans fats increase your toxin load and lack nutrients which creates stress on the gut and detoxification pathways.


• Eating too fast. Inhaling your food skips the first phase of digestion, the cephalic phase. If you rush through this phase, foods cannot properly breakdown, stressing your stomach and pancreas to catch up with digestion and stress- ing the body by reducing absorption of nutrients.


• Food allergies. Consuming foods you have an immediate or delayed immune


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