Just imagine what life would be like with less stress! Perhaps you would be calmer. Maybe you'd not worry as much or feel as anxious. You just might have more time for the things you enjoy doing, with the people you care the most about. Or, for some of you, you'd finally get a good night's sleep.

If these are not good enough reasons to start doing something about the stress in your life, here's another one: Every time you experience a stressful event, 1400 biochemicals are released throughout your body and one in particular, cortisol, can accelerate aging.

While cortisol is necessary for a variety of things, including the production of cholesterol which together with cortisol fuels the body, it's also known as the stress hormone. And when you experience chronic stress, you can have too much of it.

One bad day at the office won't hurt. But every stress-related burst of cortisol in response to the traffic, the deadlines or that guy in your department who drives you crazy accumulates in your system. And eventually, over time, the ratio of cortisol to DHEA, the vitality or anti-aging hormone, gets out of whack.

Here’s a partial list of what can happen with chronically high cortisol and low DHEA levels:

1. Brain cell death  (Kerr et al., 1991; Sapolsky, 1992)
2. Impaired memory and learning  (Kerr et al., 1991; Sapolsky, 1992)
3. Decreased bone density; increased osteoporosis (Manolagas, 1979)
4. Reduced muscle mass (Beme, 1993)
5. Reduced skin growth and regeneration  (Beme, 1993)
6. Impaired immune function  (Hiemke, 1994)
7. Increased blood sugar  (DeFeo, 1989)
8. Increased fat accumulation around waist / hips (Marin, 1992)

So next time you feel angry, frustrated or irritated, remember all that is at stake. And then give your DHEA levels a boost: Take a deep breath and recall a positive or fun time in your life and attempt to re-experience it. Doing so is quicker, cheaper and longer lasting than a couple of hours at the spa!

Take care,
Kim Allen

Want more Inner Quality in your organization?
For more information on HeartMath Executive and Team programs, contact our Corporate Division (business@heartmath.com) or
health@heartmath.com).

What other free services can I subscribe to?

Reduce your stress with customized instruction from a HeartMath 1 on 1 Licensed Provider.

More HeartMath news...

10.22.09

HeartMath: A Value-Driven Approach to Some of Healthcare's Toughest Challenges

HeartMath® is a finalist for the 2009 ABBY award. The ABBY award is given each year by Adaptive Business Leaders (ABL). ABL members share with each other proven and innovative approaches for growing their businesses.

HeartMath is one of nine organizations chosen this year for Innovations in Healthcare. The HeartMath health intervention programs and emWave® technologies have been chosen for their value-driven approach to solving some of the toughest problems facing healthcare today.

To view the video,
click here

---

Transforming Stress, Transforming Lives,
the HeartMath Solution
3–hour Workshop

November 13th at Stanford in Palo Alto, CA
A special invitation from Stanford School of Medicine and HeartMath to attend a Health Improvement Program workshop on Transforming Stress. This workshop is available to everyone. Yet, due to the personalized, hands-on nature of this program, space is limited to 25 participants. Please sign up now to participate in this unique program.
Click here

For more information
Click here

HeartMath is a registered trademark of the Institute of HeartMath. emWave and Personal Stress Reliever are registered trademarks of Quantum Intech, Inc. Quick Coherence is a registered trademark of Doc Childre. You are receiving this message because you are subscribed as {emailaddress} to the weekly Inner Quality Tip^TM from HeartMath. Copyright 2009 HeartMath LLC. All rights reserved. HeartMath LLC. 14700 West Park Avenue Boulder Creek, CA 95006