Stress and Aging

Our bodies were designed for short term stress responses.  The longer the stress response, the greater the risk to our health.  Cortisol, a stress hormone released by adrenal glands, functions to raise blood pressure and break down stored energy reserves in the face of a real or perceived threat.  Long term release of cortisol kills memory-forming neurons.

A study conducted on men and women over 60 found that those with high cortisol levels performed poorly on memory tests.

Numerous studies at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami demonstrated that massage therapy is a very effective tool in intervening in a long term stress response and lowering cortisol levels.  Aging is a process that begins in our early adulthood, and accelerates into our 50's.  Today we know that we can dramatically slow down the aging process in many ways.

EXCERCISE.  Regular exercise strengthens your body, maintains healthy weight and reduces mental tension.

NUTRITION.  Most of us have bad eating habits due to our lifestyles!  Eating a healthy diet adds years to our lives while delaying, even preventing, disease processes.

• Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
  
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to properly flush the systems of the body.
  
• Eat fish and chicken instead of red meat.
  
• Eat grains such as oats, millet, and wheat from breads, pasta or cereals.
  
• Eat breakfast: it sets the energy tone for the day
  
• Make lunch your biggest meal; eat a light dinner, and a healthy snack in the evening.

RELAX.  Meditation, yoga, or stretching are great goals for relaxation!

Also, get a regular massage... the therapist does all the work and you reap all the rewards of deep relaxation.

Neuroscientists at Rockefeller University in New York and at two Canadian universities have found evidence that stress-related brain damage may explain why we often have trouble remembering things as we age. 
- Discover, May 96, pg. 28