What is stress? Why do we have stress? How can we relieve stress?

    Do you ever feel like you have too much on your plate? Everyone expects something from you and you don't seem to have the time required to deliver. You notice the muscles in your neck and shoulders become tense and painful, your head hurts, you feel a bit queasy in your stomach, and your heart races. These are all signs that your body is stressed. 

    Stress is inevitable and no one can ever be stress free. The body has a built in mechanism to push us through difficult situations. When you have a lot on your plate the biological changes that occur are that your body releases two stress hormones, one is cortisol and the other adrenaline. Prolonged affects can become destructive in that these two chemicals actually suppress the immune system and can cause numerous health problems like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and depression. The stress hormones are released in the body, this is referred to as the "fight or flight" response. The adrenaline and cortisol is released to aid in a physical form，for example you are in a car accident and a loved one is pinned under the vehicle, you suddenly have the strength to pick up the vehicle to pull the loved one out. You didn't turn into the incredible Hulk although the chemicals in your body do provide an instant surge of strength that makes you feel like the big green monster! 

    Over time when you suffer from psychological or mental stress these chemicals build up in the body without an outlet to dispel them. An abundance of these stress hormones over a prolonged period of time can cause numerous health issues, depression, anxiety, and panic disorders.

    Three Tips for Relieving the Stress Hormones

    1. Exercise

    Taking time to exercise will not only improve your body and its physical appearance it will assist in releasing the stress hormones that have been building up. A daily vigorous walk, jogging, weight lifting, aerobics, swimming, bike riding, dancing or a dance class, football, basketball, etc are all great ways to relieve the chemical stress hormones. 

    2. Eating Right

    Eating a balanced diet will not only make you feel better it will relieve some of the stress and certainly won't add to it. When you eat a diet high in sugars, cholesterol, and fat, you add to the trauma in your system. Concentrate on a high protein, veggie, fruit diet and you will see remarkable improvements. Also whole grains promote production of the brain neurotransmitter serotonin for a greater sense of well-being. When you combine healthier eating with exercise your body will respond favorably and the stress levels will start to decrease. 

    3. Change Your Mindset

    If you walk around all day saying "I'm so stressed", you will be. Positive thinking is crucial to relieving the mental stress. Our minds are so powerful that we can actually increase our stress by the way we think and the things we speak. If you develop a new mindset that is positive in nature and optimistic, studies have shown this to be a reliever of stress. Meditation is a prime way to change your mindset and refocus on the positives and what is really important. Try yoga or visualization imagery to assist.

    什麼是壓力？為什麼我們會有壓力？如何才能減輕壓力？

    如ru果guo在zai你ni的de餐can盤pan裏li有you很hen多duo吃chi的de，你ni會hui喜xi歡huan嗎ma？每mei個ge人ren都dou想xiang從cong你ni那na裏li得de到dao些xie什shen麼me，而er你ni卻que看kan上shang去qu沒mei有you足zu夠gou的de時shi間jian給gei他ta們men。你ni注zhu意yi到dao你ni脖bo頸jing處chu的de肌ji肉rou和he腰yao部bu變bian得de緊jin張zhang和he疼teng痛tong起qi來lai，感gan覺jiao大da腦nao受shou到dao了le內nei在zai的de傷shang害hai，胃wei有you點dian難nan受shou
，心xin跳tiao加jia速su。這zhe些xie症zheng狀zhuang都dou表biao示shi你ni的de身shen體ti正zheng處chu在zai壓ya力li之zhi中zhong。

    壓ya力li是shi不bu可ke避bi免mian的de

，每mei個ge人ren都dou有you壓ya力li。身shen體ti中zhong存cun在zai一yi種zhong類lei似si機ji械xie的de裝zhuang置zhi，它ta促cu使shi我wo們men克ke服fu困kun難nan。如ru果guo你ni的de餐can盤pan中zhong有you過guo多duo的de食shi物wu時shi
，你ni的de身shen體ti就jiu產chan生sheng出chu兩liang種zhong壓ya力li激ji素su。一yi種zhong是shi皮pi質zhi醇chun
，另ling一yi種zhong叫jiao腎shen上shang腺xian素su。這zhe兩liang種zhong物wu質zhi在zai體ti內nei存cun在zai時shi間jian過guo長chang就jiu會hui導dao致zhi不bu良liang後hou果guo
，因yin為wei這zhe兩liang種zhong化hua學xue激ji素su會hui抑yi止zhi免mian疫yi係xi統tong，導dao致zhi各ge種zhong健jian康kang問wen題ti的de產chan生sheng，例li如ru心xin髒zang病bing，癌ai症zheng和he抑yi鬱yu症zheng。這zhe些xie壓ya力li激ji素su在zai體ti內nei釋shi放fang，被bei稱cheng為wei“對抗和逃跑”反fan應ying。釋shi放fang的de腎shen上shang腺xian素su或huo者zhe皮pi質zhi醇chun以yi一yi種zhong物wu質zhi的de形xing式shi存cun在zai人ren體ti內nei。舉ju個ge例li子zi來lai說shuo，在zai一yi場chang汽qi車che交jiao通tong事shi故gu中zhong，你ni所suo愛ai的de人ren被bei壓ya在zai汽qi車che下xia麵mian。你ni沒mei有you變bian成cheng令ling人ren難nan以yi置zhi信xin的de廢fei物wu，此ci時shi，你ni體ti內nei會hui突tu然ran產chan生sheng一yi股gu力li量liang把ba你ni所suo愛ai的de人ren從cong車che底di下xia拖tuo出chu來lai。盡jin管guan你ni體ti內nei的de化hua學xue物wu質zhi提ti供gong了le一yi種zhong巨ju大da的de能neng量liang
，但dan你ni感gan覺jiao你ni像xiang個ge巨ju大da的de藍lan色se魔mo鬼gui。

    隨sui著zhe時shi間jian的de推tui移yi

，當dang你ni患huan了le生sheng理li或huo者zhe精jing神shen方fang麵mian的de壓ya力li時shi，這zhe些xie化hua學xue物wu質zhi不bu是shi排pai出chu你ni的de體ti外wai，而er是shi在zai你ni的de體ti內nei產chan生sheng。如ru果guo這zhe些xie多duo餘yu的de壓ya力li激ji素su長chang期qi存cun在zai

，會hui導dao致zhi各ge種zhong健jian康kang問wen題ti，例li如ru抑yi鬱yu，焦jiao慮lv和he恐kong慌huang性xing紊wen亂luan。

    三種減少壓力激素的建議

    1. 鍛煉身體

    鍛(duan)煉(lian)身(shen)體(ti)不(bu)僅(jin)能(neng)夠(gou)改(gai)善(shan)身(shen)體(ti)的(de)質(zhi)量(liang)和(he)體(ti)形(xing)
，而(er)且(qie)有(you)助(zhu)於(yu)釋(shi)放(fang)已(yi)經(jing)產(chan)生(sheng)的(de)壓(ya)力(li)激(ji)素(su)。每(mei)天(tian)精(jing)神(shen)飽(bao)滿(man)地(di)步(bu)行(xing)，慢(man)跑(pao)，舉(ju)重(zhong)

，體(ti)操(cao)
，遊(you)泳(yong)，騎(qi)車(che)，跳(tiao)舞(wu)，足(zu)球(qiu)
，籃(lan)球(qiu)等(deng)等(deng)，都(dou)是(shi)減(jian)少(shao)壓(ya)力(li)激(ji)素(su)的(de)有(you)效(xiao)方(fang)法(fa)。

    2. 合理膳食

    均衡膳食不僅可以讓你感覺良好
，而且可以緩解壓力，當然
，更不會增加壓力。攝取高糖、高膽固醇和高脂肪的食物


，這會增加對你機體的傷害。吃些高蛋白
、素su食shi和he水shui果guo，你ni的de身shen體ti會hui得de到dao明ming顯xian的de改gai善shan。同tong時shi，穀gu物wu可ke以yi促cu進jin腦nao神shen經jing傳chuan遞di素su複fu合he胺an的de產chan生sheng，使shi機ji體ti反fan應ying靈ling敏min。把ba健jian康kang飲yin食shi和he鍛duan煉lian身shen體ti結jie合he起qi來lai
，你ni的de機ji體ti將jiang會hui反fan映ying良liang好hao，壓ya力li也ye會hui開kai始shi減jian少shao。

    3. 調整心態

    你每天都說“我壓力真大”，說shuo明ming你ni的de壓ya力li還hai真zhen的de不bu小xiao。積ji極ji向xiang上shang的de心xin態tai對dui減jian少shao神shen經jing壓ya力li非fei常chang重zhong要yao。我wo們men思si想xiang的de力li量liang非fei常chang強qiang大da，以yi至zhi於yu我wo們men實shi際ji生sheng活huo中zhong的de所suo說shuo和he所suo想xiang
，都dou會hui給gei我wo們men增zeng加jia壓ya力li。如ru果guo我wo們men樹shu立li起qi一yi種zhong新xin的de樂le觀guan向xiang上shang的de心xin態tai
，而er研yan究jiu顯xian示shi這zhe些xie將jiang是shi減jian少shao壓ya力li的de釋shi放fang劑ji。沉chen思si是shi一yi種zhong改gai變bian你ni心xin態tai的de方fang法fa，它ta可ke以yi讓rang你ni關guan注zhu積ji極ji向xiang上shang的de和he真zhen正zheng有you意yi義yi的de東dong西xi。你ni可ke以yi試shi下xia瑜yu伽jia或huo者zhe視shi覺jiao想xiang象xiang療liao法fa。