Inflammation is a dangerous thing for our bodies and has been established as a key role in the development of disease and illness. For diabetes patients, in particular, inflammation can be a fast track to serious complications if left unchecked.
Inflammation and Diabetes
Inflammation is damaging to the lining of blood vessels, especially in the heart. This is why diabetes is the greatest risk factor for heart disease as it remains likely that people with diabetes will also have heart problems. If inflammation subsists for a long period, it can also lead to poor cognitive functioning and even dementia. In short, inflammation is the bane of existence for people with diabetes.
Inflammation and the Stress Response
Inflammation wasn’t always such a bad thing, though. It is the body’s natural response to stress. Ironically, inflammation is a good thing. When the body encounters something bad, the immune system responds by flooding this “bad” thing with all its force until health and stability are restored. From the outside, this looks like inflammation.
When your body can no longer control its own stress levels, it also loses control of inflammation. Stress can then bring about inflammation in a way that is damaging to your body, bringing forth nasty diseases. In the case of people with diabetes, this can pave way to heart disease.
The greatest stressors aren’t always major life events such as death and job loss. They can be as mundane as traffic, an overflowing inbox, and a hyperactive child that just won’t quit. This is because these events happen daily, hourly, and even moment-by-moment. To us, these insignificant stressors don’t seem like cause for disease, but to our bodies, this relentless attack on the immune system is what breaks us.
So with this, let’s all take a deep breath and practice these five easy ways to de-stress.
#1. Laugh. For decades, laughter has literally been diagnosed as an alternative medicine. It effectively reduces anxiety, depression, and stress—in each and every study conducted—which helps cancer patients, sick people, and us regular folks all heal more quickly, no matter the ailment. Find a comedy to watch, read some memes online, or go to lunch with your funniest friend. Find a way to laugh! 
#2. Meditate. Meditation is a science-based approach to reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and hotheaded anger. You don’t need to be a yogi to do it, either. Five minutes of controlled breathing is enough to get you started. In fact, ten deep, focused breaths is a good place to start if you’re new to it!
#3. Exercise. Exercise seems to cure all ailments of the mind and stress is no different. This doesn’t mean that you need to head to the nearest box for a Cross Fit session. Even a 10-minute outdoor walk can be enough to release all the right chemicals in your brain and flush your blood enough to clear out some stress.
#4. Go Outside. Being outside is like a flower getting the first ray of sun in the springtime. It lifts your body and fills your lungs, and it helps you rid your stress pretty easily according to science. Try taking your 10-minute walk outdoors where you can hear the birds sing and feel the sun on your skin (aka best to stay out of busy sidewalks and alleyways for this exercise).
#5. Make Art. Remember when adult coloring books hit the scene, and everyone was coloring everything? Well, there is actually a lot of science to support this habit. Art of any variety helps relieve stress effectively and healthily. It uses many different areas of the brain, allowing your brain to use its full faculties to process emotions, memories, and stress.
Give these methods a try. Add one or all to your weekly habits and watch how your stress levels will respond. Let us know which is your favorite!
[expand title=”References“]
Circulation Research. URL Link. Accessed February 7, 2017.
Psychological Bulletin. URL Link. Accessed February 7, 2017.
Harvard Medical School. URL Link. Accessed February 7, 2017.
Cleveland Clinic. URL Link. Accessed February 7, 2017.
Biological Psychiatry Journal. URL Link. Accessed February 7, 2017.
Alternative and Complementary Therapies. URL Link. Accessed February 7, 2017.
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. URL Link. Accessed February 7, 2017.
American Journal of Public Health. URL Link. Accessed February 7, 2017.
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