reaction to can create infl ammation and stress on the body.


• Toxic beliefs about yourself. Beating yourself up and depriving yourself as punishment are also forms of stress on the mind and body.


• Full-plate syndrome. Continuously piling responsibilities onto your plate creates a tremendous amount of stress on the body.


• Toxic exposure. Heavy metals, industrial pollutants, plastics, formaldehyde, and nonstick cookware also increase your toxin load and stress on your detoxifi cation pathways.


• Uncontrolled blood sugar. Chronic insulin spikes stress your pancreas and liver as well as create infl ammation and stress on your entire body.


• Overtraining. Avoiding adequate rest and recovery between your exercise routines puts physical stress on your body.


• Sleep Deprivation. If you have diffi culty getting quality sleep it imbalances your natural cortisol levels which stresses your adrenal glands and nervous system.


• Injury or Illness. Cuts and fl us also creates a tremendous amount of stress on your immune system and other body systems.


All of these accumulated stressors, how you perceive those stressors and how you try to manage your stressors will dictate your stress load. So how do you reduce your stress in this crazy world we live in?


Destress Your Body You can never completely eliminate stress, but you can reduce


its effects on your body. Here are some tips on how to start reduc- ing stress.


• Eat slowly and mindfully to enhance digestion and reduce stress.


• Smell the roses. Slowing down, thinking positively and prac- ticing stress management techniques like meditation reduces infl ammation and improves gut and brain health.


• Exercise, with adequate recovery, helps release feel-good chemicals and aids digestion.


• Create a sleep ritual to calm you before bed and enhance sleep quantity and quality.


• Read labels to understand what potential toxic ingredients are hiding in your favorite foods.


• Eliminate processed foods, sugars, trans fats and artifi cial ingre- dients. Removing these foods from your meal plan will greatly reduce your toxin load and stress on the body.


• Focus on quality whole foods such as organic fruits and vegeta- bles, free-range and organic lean meats, whole unrefi ned grains, raw nuts and seeds as well as cold-pressed and unrefi ned oils. These provide necessary nutrients for gut and brain health, help regulate blood sugar, and reduce infl ammation and stress on the body.


• Consume Fermented Foods such as kefi r, kimchi and kombucha to help rebalance your microbiome.


Determine if you have any potential food allergens. Hidden food allergies can increase systemic infl ammation and compromise gut and brain health. Consider an elimination diet to see if you have an allergy or intolerance to one or more of the six com- mon food allergens – gluten, dairy, corn, soy, eggs and peanuts.


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• Consider a safe liver detox, such as The 21-Day Holistic Detox. This program is meant to help you remove stored toxins, elimi- nate potential food allergens, reduce infl ammation and improve gut, brain and overall health.


• Consider basic supplementation such as a high quality multivi- tamin, omega 3’s and probiotics.


• Consider antioxidant supplements such as vitamins A, C, D, E and K; as well as alpha lipoic acid. These will help reduce infl ammation and stress on the body.


• Consider targeted supplementation, such as adaptogen herbs or cortisol-modulating supplements, based on your symptoms and goals. Of course, always check with your doctor before adding any of these supplements to your current regime.


Incorporating some or all of these tips into your life can turn the tides to a healthier and happier gut, brain and life!


Stephanie Walsh, CPT, CNTP, CEPC is a Certifi ed Nu- trition Therapy Practitioner, Certifi ed Eating Psychol- ogy Coach and Certifi ed Personal Trainer. Contact Stephanie at (207) 730-2208 or email her: swalsh@ theholistichealthapproach.com. www.theholisti- chealthapproach.com. See ad on page 26.


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