5 Powerful Ways to Beat Stress!

By Dr. Stephen Sinatra - a cardiologist with an integrative approach to health and healing.

Dr. Sinatra is also the author of the monthly newsletter Heart, Health & Nutrition, which includes his best advice on heart health, diet and nutrition, exercise, and much more.

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Dear Friend,

I’ve always had mixed feelings about Labor Day. It’s the “unofficial” end of summer, with pools closing, shorter days, and a return to the busy season. While there’s comfort in going back to more structured days—not to mention the cool, crisp days and beautiful fall foliage here in New England—it’s also the start of what can be a very stressful time for many people.

Not only do we have the stress of more time pressures, and impending holidays just around the corner, the change of season is also a stressful time for your immune system. So, I thought now would be a good time to give you a few stress-busting tips for fall.

1) Fortify Your Body with “Anti-Stress” Vitamins.
B vitamins are often called the “stress vitamins” because they’re quickly depleted from your body during times of stress. That’s because your body needs B vitamins to create the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin, to boost your immune system, to give you energy, and more.

As a cardiologist, this greatly concerns me, because a deficit of B vitamins can put you on the road to a heart attack. Your body requires niacin (B3) to keep your good HDL cholesterol up, and vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid are essential to neutralize homocysteine, a widely-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

I recommend taking 250 mg of niacin three times daily and slowly working up to 1-2 grams daily in divided doses (many people notice flushing as they start taking niacin, so don’t be alarmed). I also recommend taking vitamin B6, 40 mg daily; vitamin B12, 500 mcg daily; and folic acid, 200–400 mcg daily.

2) Boost Your Immune System with Vitamin D.
I’ve been writing about the health benefits of the “Big D” for years, long before it became the subject of numerous new studies. At this time of the year especially, I highly recommend supplementing with vitamin D. That’s because beginning in the fall and continuing through winter we get less sunlight, so our bodies manufacture less vitamin D. Plus, the change of season is stressful on your immune system, and your body counts on vitamin D to keep your immunity strong.

Vitamin D works by increasing the activity of your natural killer and T-cells supporting your immune system. In research, people with higher levels of vitamin D were less likely to have poor immune health. There’s also a distinct relationship between vitamin D and the health of your cells. Plus, vitamin D promotes bone health, heart health, normal blood pressure, healthy joints, colon health, and normal blood sugar. It also plays a critical role in brain function.

I recommend taking 2,000 to 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day if you’re healthy, and 5,000 to 10,000 IU a day if your immune system is compromised with a chronic illness, or if you have an illness of uncertain cause like fibromyalgia. The best way to get that is through a good vitamin D supplement, and eating foods like vitamin D-fortified milk, salmon, and tuna.

3) Diffuse Your Stress with Exercise.
One of the best antidotes for stress is physical activity. Exercise not only works the stress out of your muscles, it also stimulates your body’s creation of feel-good endorphins. So, grab your walking shoes and take advantage of the crisp fall air to take a brisk walk. If you can, wear leather-soled shoes like moccasins because they help to ground you to the Earth which helps to improve your mood and mental state.

A mile of walking—at any speed—burns as many calories as a mile of running, and I’ve rarely heard of people injuring muscles, ligaments, or joints while walking. I recommend walking every day for a minimum of 20 minutes. Better still, walk for 20 minutes twice a day. If you become bored with that routine, get creative. Go to a park or try hiking through the woods. Or try an activity that incorporates a lot of walking. For example, I’m an avid fly fisherman, and I frequently must walk up and down river banks and through fields to be where the fish are.

4) Look at the Glass as Half Full.
Research has found that optimists are not only happier, they’re also healthier, live longer, and recover from illnesses better than those with less cheery outlooks. Optimists interpret events in a way that gives them hope to keep on trying. Pessimists look at an event with a negative slant.

One way to start each day on the right foot is to think about what you are grateful for. However, don’t just rattle off a list. Really take the time to contemplate your feelings about each thing and internalize how each positive feature makes your life better.

Also, as you encounter frustrations during the course of your day, try to put a positive spin on them, also known as “reframing,” to encourage an optimistic perspective. For example, if you don’t feel like going to work, be thankful that at least you have a job during this time when 10% of Americans don’t have that luxury. If you failed at a task the day before, be grateful if you have the chance to try again. If a relative has irritated you, remember good times you have had together. Reminding yourself of what you are grateful for will promote optimism and hope, even if your life has been difficult lately. You’ll feel serene as opposed to agitated and depressed.

5) Breathe! Proper breathing is one way to reduce stress.
When you find yourself under stress, focus on your breathing. The act of observing your breathing will cause feeling, rather than thought, to take over. Intense feeling activates healing mechanisms.

So, the next time you feel stressed take a deep breath and sigh deeply. Make noise as you exhale. Do this several times, as loud as you can. After several breaths, you should be aware of how much more you need to breathe and how much relief it offers you. If you continue this, you may find that you release strong emotions–sadness, fright, or a sudden desire to cry or burst out laughing. Releasing these feelings will help bring on a feeling of serenity. If they come up, just go with them.

Here’s to an enjoyable, stress-free holiday weekend!

Stephen Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C.,
_____

And now, few related quotes from Jacques:

"I really do think that any deep crisis is an opportunity to make your life extraordinary in some way."
- Martha Beck, Author

"When you find yourself stressed, ask yourself one question: Will this matter five years from now? If yes, then do something about the situation. If no, then let it go."
- Catherine Pulsifer, writer