The brain thrives as the regulatory center for physiological processes. Many of the body’s mechanisms for dealing with stress are activated in certain centers of the brain, such as the hypothalamus. This is the regulator and communicator to other brain networks of stress-related activity. When the hypothalamus is activated through a stress response, it dumps the CRH molecule into the blood vessels surrounding the pituitary gland. This causes the pituitary gland to produce ACTH, which stimulates the cells of the adrenal glands to produce a third hormone, cortisol.
If one were to measure the stress hormone in the blood or saliva, there would be a marked increase within three minutes of the stress-related event. The hormonal and nervous systems function rapidly under such demand. The immune system, on the other hand, can take days before the stress is realized at the cellular level.
Cortisol is a stress hormone secreted by the adrenal glands. These are kidney-shaped glands that rest on the kidneys. Cortisol can have a wide-ranging effect on disease within the body if left unchecked. Cortisol learns through repeated exposure to down-regulate the immune response to foreign invaders. The body and brain become adept at learning stress-related responses in a feedback loop mechanism. The key is to interrupt the signal that the brain constantly receives, related to stress. Chronic stress can also shut down and inhibit reproductive functions in men and women, as the hormonal system is compromised.
Cortisol can act in many other ways to damage cells in the body. It can contribute to unwanted energy reserves at certain points in the body. We don’t always have a lot of glucose floating around. Cortisol stores energy. It converts protein into glycogen and stores it as fat. If the stress is chronic, the greatest amount of body fat is stored around the abdomen. This is the reason why many people have a reserve of fat around the abdomen, since cortisol works to store energy.
There are three main networks within the immune system. They include the thymus, lymphatic system, and spleen. All of these work together in harmony to balance immune function by regulating potential invaders. Through repeated exposure to cortisol, the thymus gland that sits behind the breastbone shrinks over time. This immune organ is considered one of the important networks of the immune system.
Stress can also appear in other tissues within the body. For example, it only takes one lost thought about the possibility of a stressor in our future to change the degree of acidity in our stomach secretions. The acid content in our stomach is regulated by pepsin and hydrochloric acid. These are essential enzymes important in the breakdown of food entering the stomach. As we age, the acid content becomes less able to break down starch (carbohydrates) and protein. At this stage, the intake of digestive enzymes to help the assimilation of food becomes essential.
The intestine is one of the most essential organs for the assimilation of thoughts and emotions. Besides the skin, the intestine is the main site of internal conflict that arises from toxic emotions. Intolerable feelings that cannot be expressed, or even consciously thought about, become internalized and find expression in the digestive system. Subsequently, the desire to give and receive will be accompanied by the activity of the upper intestinal tract, since it deals with the first intake of food.
Constipation is seen energetically as the inability to assimilate the flow of life. One’s thoughts get stuck in the past, thus restricting the flow of life through the body. As a consequence, the intestines contract retaining the content as if the individual were retaining the past. This is known as identification and can lead to digestion-related problems if left unresolved.
Repeated stress puts enormous pressure on the body’s organs. They begin to make and release hormones and molecules to cope with the demand of the stressor placed on them. Over time, the organ can lose its ability to perform this function efficiently, leading to a catabolic state of tissue and organ breakdown. Diabetes is one such disease that manifests itself as a result of the demands for sugar being placed on it through the pancreas. When it can’t process the cocktail of sugar and stress in the form of caffeine and alcohol, it loses its normal function as a regulator of insulin production.
Stress can lead to sleep disorders. Those who are prone to repeated stress may have elevated cortisol levels at night just before bed. There is often a correlation between stress and the intake of stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol. One of the effects of the caffeine in coffee is to stimulate the release of hypothalamic CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone); in other words, it stimulates stress hormones. Alcohol will also have the same effects on the body as caffeine.
The underlying mechanism implies that the body is already stressed through repeated stressful external stimuli. The mind and body are doing their best to compensate for stress by coping and dealing with the influx of chemicals and hormones being released into the blood, tissues, and organs. Taking stimulants that recreate another stress response only increases internal stressors. Not surprisingly, the subsequent result is organ shutdown and withdrawal of normal, healthy function.
Look at the stressors in your life right now. If you are consciously seeking health, wellness, prosperity, and abundance, make a decision to let go of those behaviors, habits, and foods that are not serving your full potential. Health, well-being and prosperity await you on the other side.