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Stress and anxiety affect every living person. Men, women, young and old. No one is immune. The causes of stress and anxiety are all around us: high-pressure jobs, bad relationships, money problems, weather, crowding, poor diet, and loneliness are just a few.

Even the well-off, educated and healthy experience stress. Some people seem prone to create their own stress when nothing is actually wrong. They will create things to worry about. Today environmental pressure is greater and most of us are exposed to this mentally taxing situation.

Long-term stress is the culprit that causes the body to break down over time. Everyone experiences stress, but not everyone handles it constructively. Our body, unless afflicted by a dread disease, can handle stress, whether physical or mental. Most people cope with it and move on. If the stress is short-term, then the chances are good that it does little harm.

The stress-related symptoms, or “nerves”, some suffer do in fact effect the parts of the body that are relate to the nervous system, especially in the digestive and intestinal systems. The first signs of stress-related digestive disorders may be an ulcer attack or colitis. Irritability, high blood pressure, headaches and neck aches, diarrhea, dizziness, and loss of appetite are some disorders brought on by stress. More serious illnesses occur if the stress that produced theses symptoms is not dealt with.

So what can one do to reduce stress and anxiety? Relaxation, although difficult at first for chronic stress sufferers, alleviates stress. Try to visualize a time or place when you had no stress. Go to a quiet place such as a park and practice this visualization. I know it has helped me cope on numerous occasions. Also very important is exercise. Exercise causes the release of serotonin which creates a general feeling of well-being throughout the mind and body.

A proper diet is also extremely important. The disorders that arise from stress are often the result of nutrient deficiencies; the body doesn’t handle nutrients well during this time. B complex vitamins are important for proper functioning of the nervous system. They aid in improving brain function and reducing anxiety.

Besides B-complex vitamins there are other important to consider in the fight against stress and anxiety:
• Calcium and magnesium
• L-Tyrosine which is an amino acid that helps reduce stress and is an effective and safe sleeping aid.
• Vitamin C which is essential to the adrenal gland function, which id depleted by stress.
• Lecithin
• Multivitamin
• Vitamin E for immune function
• Zinc for immune function

Get started as soon as possible in your efforts to fight stress. Consider what you can do with diet and exercise to reduce the effects of stress and anxiety against health.

# posted by Medical Information : 4:49 AM