Building Stress Resistance for a Healthier and Happier life

As we hear more every day that stress is responsible for most illnesses, and that it is everywhere and unavoidable, we need to find new ways to protect our health. There is an epidemic of autoimmune diseases that we haven’t been able to control with conventional medicine, from Thyroid disorders to Rheumatoid Arthritis, and this has urged integrative physicians like myself to look for tools outside the medical prescription box. 

Through the years, I have realized how building stress resistance is crucial in maintaining good health. The best tool I can recommend is a practice that relieves stress, and also builds physical and mental stress resistance. 

Yes, “Food is Medicine”, and certainly a major contribution to health, but we may be eating the best organic vegan diet, take the highest grade supplements on the market, and still not see a major difference. What good are nutrients if we are too stressed to absorb them? 

Also it’s important to know that all our hormones naturally start declining after the age of 35, and our ability to process and utilize nutrients decreases with age. While there are ways to stabilize the decline and decrease the side effects on the body and the mind, we have to stay aware that stress accelerates hormone and nutrient depletion; hence why we age faster when we have too much stress.

The one thing that can be of tremendous help to us is our breathing. We go through the day without paying any attention to the way we breathe, when we can actually use it to our utmost benefit. 

When we are mentally stressed, we breathe more superficially, and we deprive our body from oxygen which in turn causes physical stress, often manifesting in pain. It can be a headache or back pain, but also as time goes on, it can develop into a more serious illness. 

We can develop all sorts of digestive issues, like the so called leaky gut that keeps us from absorbing nutrients.

We need to re-learn how to breathe in ways that serve us best, and use our breath as a powerful healing, disease-preventive, and anti-aging tool.

Some breath work can be used to energize and regenerate our body, other can help calm

down the overactive mind. When we are in a calmer, less reactive state, we are also less vulnerable to illness. 

The most comprehensive practice I have found to build stress resistance is a very unique form of yoga and meditation, accessible at any age. It is based on very solid ancient knowledge, but also integrates the latest scientific information on health. It clears the mind in a matter of minutes and helps overcoming depressive and anxious thoughts. As a result the body feels lighter and more energized. With a regular practice, the long term effects I have experienced myself and witnessed on students are impressive. People are more joyful, more youthful, and especially they have more energy. 

From a scientific standpoint, we call this cellular regeneration, and it is the object of major research right now in Anti Aging Medicine.

Dr Evee

Dr Evelyne Leone DO, FAARFM, ABAARM