Dear Friend,

Have you ever thought that stress is like chocolate? Well, it's true. A certain level of stress keeps you focused and alert and can actually make you feel good, just like that single dark chocolate truffle. But constant stress, like a box of truffles a day, can damage your body and set up a cycle of symptoms affecting many aspects of your life.

The Stress Response

If a little stress is good, why does too much sap your energy, depress your morale, thin your bones and bring unwelcome thickness to your waistline? The answer is hormones.

Your body reacts to stress by stepping up production of several key hormones. These include epinephrine, commonly known as adrenaline; norepinephrine, its chemical cousin; and cortisol, "the stress hormone." Produced by your adrenal glands, these hormones work together to prepare you for "fight" or "flight" by raising your blood pressure, increasing your heart rate, releasing sugar into the bloodstream, tightening certain muscles and constricting others. Unrelenting stress can lead to abnormally high levels of these hormones in the body, particularly cortisol. It can also dampen your level of DHEA, a hormone with important effects on your energy level and overall sense of well-being.

The Cortisol Response

One of the "helpful" things that cortisol does during stressful times is stimulate your appetite, so you eat more and have extra fuel to burn. Unfortunately, for most of us the end result is weight gain. Cortisol also encourages the extra weight to accumulate around the midsection where studies show there are more cortisol receptors. Cortisol, and its balance with another hormone, DHEA, is also associated with loss of muscle mass through its affect on testosterone. Too little DHEA can limit production of testosterone, which is an important hormone for building lean muscle mass, and too much cortisol can block the effects of testosterone.

Cortisol can also affect other aspects of your health. Too much cortisol is associated with an increase in bone resorption or breakdown, raising your risk of osteoporosis. Along with the threat to your bones, excess cortisol can also induce insulin resistance and spike your blood sugar, associating it with type 2 diabetes.

The Cumulative Effect Is Costly

Long-term, stress is exhausting and depleting. It alters the body's ability to fight infection, and studies show it also negatively impacts the immune system. Some experts estimate that stress-related symptoms account for up to 75% of all doctor visits. In women, it can worsen PMS, increase hot flashes associated with menopause and affect fertility. Chronic, unremitting stress can also be deadly. Research shows that stress is associated with the leading causes of mortality: heart disease, cancer, lung disease, accidents, liver disease and suicide.

Warning Signs

For many of us, stress is such a routine part of life that the signs may seem "normal." But if you are experiencing more than half of these symptoms, it's time to listen to what your body is telling you.

• Trouble falling or staying asleep
• Waking up very early, feeling anxious
• Increased colds/flu
• Lack of energy
• Weight gain, especially around the waist
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• Headaches, back, shoulder, and neck pain
• Feeling overwhelmed or hopeless
• Upset stomach
• Racing heart
• Cold, sweaty palms

What Can Be Done?

While the sources of stress in your life cannot always be changed, what you can change is your response to these pressures. Your first defense is exercise and nutrition. Even a little exercise can have immediate and measurable effects such as steadying your heart rate and lowering blood pressure. Longer term you'll build more muscle mass, burn fat more effectively, stabilize your blood sugar and even sleep better, all of which further protect you from stress.

Practical Tips For Stress Relief

1. Do something physical. Take a walk, ride your bike, lift weights - choose any activity you enjoy and start a regular program of exercise you can stay with.
2. Do nothing. Meditate, stretch, breathe deeply, take a warm bath or just lie down on the floor and do nothing for a few minutes every day.
3. Cut out "stress" foods. Forget the morning latte. The same goes for alcohol, sweets and salty snacks.
4. Snack healthy. Eating regularly staves off fatigue and anxiety, but be sure to substitute vegetables, fruit and lean protein for chips.
5. Supplement with ProCycle® or ProCycle® Gold to be sure you are giving your body the nutrients it needs when it needs them most.
6. Know What You're Up Against. Our stress hormone profile measures your cortisol and DHEA levels, giving you an objective record of your stress hormone level and important baseline information that lets you measure the effectiveness of your stress-reduction program.

In Good Health,