Stress, Energy Deficiency and Symptoms
Howard F. Loomis Jr
DC
This article will attempt to explain in simple terms how stress causes energy deficiency in our bodies. It is designed to help you understand the cause of symptoms that, at times, can be very elusive.
The American Medical Association has noted that stress was the basic cause of more than 60 percent of all human illness and disease and identified it as the number one proxy killer disease today. Proxy meaning most often stress is the real cause of illness and yet goes unnoticed!
Untreated stress is insidious, dangerous, and very expensive to treat. It affects the body's ability to regulate the psycho-neuro-immunological systems of the body. Thus, it is behind the initiation, exacerbation and maintenance of most killer diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, mental illnesses, etc.
Since stress is so important, it behooves us to understand what the term 'stress' means. Most people assume that stress has an emotional cause. But it has two other equally important causes:
• The body must produce a specific energy source dedicated to opposing gravity on a continual basis. This is what chiropractors are exclusively trained to detect. So, physical stress, traumatic injury or excessive exercise, are a major source of energy deficiencies.
• The body must also produce energy to maintain certain visceral functions, such as body temperature, acid-alkaline balance, blood volume, and concentrations of nutrients to feed its many different cell types. Biological stress would fall into this category following infection, infestation, or allergic response.
Mental stress is certainly a factor and can lead to an inability to maintain emotional and cognitive function.
Regardless of the cause, from the tissue or organ not having adequate energy to perform its normal functions to maintain health.
Unfortunately, it is easy to overlook visceral and emotional stress that often are producing involuntary muscle contractions with subsequent structural misalignments.
Stress is a specific diagnosis that precedes every pathological process. The problem is how to determine the deleterious effects of stress on the body before disease can be diagnosed.
The body's response to energy deficiency (stress)
When the brain recognizes it lacks adequate glucose to meet its energy demands, it strongly stimulates both the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system to elevate available glucose levels. It must change from using glucose to fat for cellular energy. This allows the glucose to be preserved for exclusive use by the brain, eyes, and reproductive system.
Immediate Systemic Changes:
Increases arterial blood pressure - how many of your patients have high blood pressure? Do you check a patients' blood pressure on every visit?
Increases rates of cellular metabolism throughout the bodyhow many of your patients are on have thyroid medications? Increases mental activity - how many of your patients have difficulty sleeping and struggle relaxing and becoming serene? Which of your patients routinely use ''sleeping pills?"
Fat is absolutely essential to health and normally should compose about 20 to 30% Of your caloric intake.
• Increases blood clotting-how many are on so-called "blood thinners" or take a baby aspirin every day?
Increased glycolysis in muscle tissue resulting in increased muscle strength.
Immediate Musculoskeletal system changes:
increased blood flow to active muscles.
• Immediate Visceral Organ system changes:
• Decreased blood flow to organs that are not needed for rapid activity. Which systems would that be?
• Decreased digestive secretions and peristalsis-how many patients have digestive and/or bowel elimination problems?
• The cells send their amino acids to the liver for conversion to glucose. How many of your patients are protein deficient? Are you familiar with the symptoms of a protein deficiency?
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article will prove helpful in understanding why chronic stress is considered a silent killer and helpful to you at recognizing its insidious effects and beginnings, regardless of cause.
Howard F. Loomis, Jr., DC, has an extensive background in enzymes and enzyme supplements. He is the founder and president of the Food Enzyme Institute. His extensive knowledge of physiology, biochemistry, and enzymology has made him a sought-after speaker and a prolific writer.
If you have questions, you can reach The Food Enzyme Institute at 800-662-2630 or go online to www.foodenzymeinstitute.com
