Health benefits of lettuce

Lettuce, in my opinion, is one of the most commonly undervalued super foods. People assume that it is healthy because it is a plant-based food that hasn't been pushed out of a machine, but don't fully realize how much it contributes to overall health.

The difference between lettuce and cabbage

Before we begin, I'd like to clear up the difference between lettuce and cabbage. Lettuce contains more water and is crunchier than cabbage, making it great for salads and burgers. Cabbage has less water and is tougher, making it great to cook with. The only salad that cabbage is commonly used in, in its raw form, is coleslaw.

The health benefits of lettuce

Lettuce is high in fiber

Lettuce is very high in fiber, a part of food which our bodies can't use. Ironically, this makes fiber extremely useful. It adds bulk to feces and helps to clean out our digestive tracks. Your body needs fiber to attach smaller, unwanted items like toxins and waste products to a bowel movement. Without it, there might not be enough mass to create feces when there are smaller waste products that need to be eliminated. Foods that are high in fiber are commonly referred to as nature's broom, because of the cleansing effect that it has on our bodies.

Fiber helps the body to detox itself

Eating foods that are high in fiber, like lettuce, is one of the top three ways to detox your body - along with drinking lots of water and sweating. All three are needed to keep the body clean of harmful waste products. Water consumption increases the elimination of water-soluble waste products, while sweating increases the elimination of fat-soluble waste products. Fiber increases the body's ability to eliminate the physical materials that don't fall into these two categories.

Fiber encourages digestive health

Foods that are high in fiber are also good to protect digestive health because they are not easily absorbed. If you eat a higher concentration of processed foods that doesn't have enough fiber content, your digestive system can suffer because it will adapt to these kinds of foods and decline in its ability to pull usable nutrients from non-usable ones.

Fiber can decrease appetite by making you feel full

Since fiber is not broken down, it stays in your digestive track instead of being absorbed immediately. This is beneficial to people that want to lose weight because it will help them to decrease their overall caloric intake. When you eat foods that are rapidly absorbed, your digestive track clears quickly and makes it feel empty a lot sooner. Foods that take longer to digest prolong feelings of satiety and fullness.

Lettuce is a low-calorie food

There are only 15 calories in 100 grams of lettuce, compared to 265 calories in the same amount of bread. That's 4 calories per ounce, compared to 75 calories per ounce of bread. This makes lettuce a filling, low-calorie, high fiber food source that is great for people who want to decrease their daily calories, lose weight, detox or improve their digestive function.

High water content

Livestrong explains that iceberg lettuce, for example, is 96% water - and that food should provide about 20% of your water intake. Eating foods that have a higher water content helps to keep us, and our digestive tracks, well hydrated.

Dehydration can decrease energy levels, impair the immune system and increase the stress response to mental tasks. Lack of fluids is one of the biggest reasons why we can feel cold or sick after working out, and water is needed to shuttle out the lactic acid that creates the burning sensation in our muscles when we exercise.

Lettuce is a leafy green

Leafy greens in general are an integral part of a healthy diet for a variety of reasons. Leafy greens reduce the risk of heart diseases like heart attacks and stroke, help to lower blood pressure, fight against obesity and protect the brain from mental illnesses. Leslie Beck tells us that leafy greens have an essential component, called sulfoquinovose, which helps good gut bacteria to grow. She recommends at least one serving every day. Leafy greens also help to protect bone health and aid in the prevention of cancer.

Lettuce is high in nutrients

The USDA lists some of the important nutrients that are found in lettuce:

Vitamins

• Vitamin C: a potent antioxidant that helps with healing and boosting immunity
• Vitamin B1 or Thiamine: helps to convert food into energy and is needed by every cell in the human body
• Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin: good for overall health and growth
• Vitamin B3 or Niacin: lowers cholesterol and eases arthritis. Also boosts mental performance
• Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic acid: needed to make and use proteins, fats and carbohydrates
• Vitamin B-6 or Pyridoxine: protects the central nervous system and is needed to form serotonin
• Vitamin B9 or Folate: needed for red blood cell formation and to make DNA
• Choline: needed for metabolism and for cell membranes
• Betaine: helps to metabolise homocysteine, which is needed for proper functioning of the heart, blood, bones, nerves, brain and eyes
• Vitamin A (retinol): needed for growth and development, immune function and eye health
• Beta Carotene: a precursor of Vitamin A, is needed for healthy skin, bones, eyes, immune system and mucus membranes
• Lutein and Zeaxanthin: powerful antioxidants needed for eye health
• Vitamin E: an antioxidant that helps with skin, nails, hair and nerve health
• Vitamin K: helps with blood clotting, bone formation and calcium regulation

Minerals

• Calcium: needed for bone formation, heart functions and muscle contraction
• Iron: carries oxygen throughout the body
• Magnesium: needed for bone, muscle and brain function
• Phosphorus: the second most abundant mineral in the body after calcium, needed by every cell to function properly
• Potassium: needed by muscles - including the heart and breathing muscles
• Sodium: needed by the body to hold onto water stores
• Zinc: boosts immune function, stabilizes blood sugar and is needed for skin, heart and eye health
• Copper: helps to form red blood cells and maintains bone, blood vessel and nerve tissue. Copper is also needed for iron absorption and improves immune function
• Manganese: needed for many chemical processes and aids metabolism, regulates blood pressure and decreases inflammation
• Selenium: An anti-oxidant that fights against oxidative stress, supports immune and brain function, helps with fertility and helps to prevent disease

Read more about how each mineral benefits your body here.

*Note: Lettuce is still about 96% water. Therefore, the vitamins and minerals found in lettuce are in relatively small amounts. You can't eat one piece of lettuce and think that you have got all your required vitamins and mineral for the day - but it certainly contributes to your daily micro-nutrient intake.

Who knew that lettuce was so good for you!? Add a serving to your lunchbox for a boost in much needed nutrients and have a great day. Stay Strong!

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Dealing with low blood pressure

Low blood pressure can occur because of a variety of reasons like a lack of certain nutrients, dehydration, hormonal issues and more. Find all the most common reasons here. It can lead to symptoms like low energy, weakness and fatigue, lack of concentration, poor blood circulation that culminates in different ways such as cold hands and feet, dizziness and fainting. You can find the symptoms of low blood pressure here.

If you suspect that you have low blood pressure, you need to consult your medical practitioner immediately. Although low blood pressure is usually not life threatening and only becomes a medical concern when it negatively impacts your health, your medical practitioner will be able to determine whether your blood pressure is too low (and how much of an issue it really is), identify the causes of your lowered blood pressure and suggest the best possible treatment that is tailored to your condition. This site does not replace the advice or necessity of a medical practitioner in any way. I am simply sharing a few tips and tricks that have helped me out personally.

Treating low blood pressure by identifying the cause

If you can identify why your blood pressure is lower than normal, you would be able to solve the cause and then return blood pressure to its normal state - while resolving any other symptoms you might be having because of the initial cause. For example, if you have low blood pressure because you are not eating enough, understanding that lower food intake is the cause and solving that by eating more would improve your blood pressure as well as increase other symptoms like low metabolism - which would give you more energy. Metabolism (the rate at which your body turns food into energy) is closely related to food intake.

Low blood pressure and low food intake

Since we've used the connection of food intake and blood pressure as an example, the connection between the two will be our first possible cause of low blood pressure. In my personal experience, I've found a correlation between low blood pressure and food intake: I have personally found that people who don't eat enough often have low blood pressure, while people who eat too much (more than what their bodies require) often have high blood pressure. This observation is purely anecdotal and just a correlation I have found. I could not find any evidence or studies to support this. 

Low intake of certain nutrients

Healthline does not say that a greater food intake will help with low blood pressure, but that certain nutrients will. Besides increasing fluid intake, they recommend getting more B12 vitamins (found in almost all animal products, while fortified cereals are an option for vegetarians), folate (leafy greens, legumes and fruits) and salt (sodium consumption directly increases blood pressure). It looks like eating more meat, fish, diary and veggies gives your body the nutrients that it needs to increase blood volume. Some people with low blood pressure feel drops when they eat big meals because more blood is directed to the digestive process. Simply eat smaller meals more often to counteract this.

Body mass index (BMI)

Your body mass index, or BMI, calculates your obesity level by looking at the proportion of your weight compared to your height. You can calculate your own BMI levels here by putting in your height and your weight. Higher BMI's indicate a greater chance of obesity, while a BMI lower than 18.5 will indicate that you are underweight for your specific height. This study found that BMI was the biggest factor in differences between high or low blood pressure - when studying the connection between blood pressure and nutrition. I would assume that this is because greater body mass increases the amount of nutrients available for blood volume; or that the more you eat, the more likely you are to eat foods that encourage blood formation. You can increase your BMI by eating more food and by increasing muscle mass through exercise.

Exercise and activity level

Blood Pressure UK explains that exercise temporarily increases blood pressure, while it drops back to normal shortly after exercise - depending on how long the body takes to rest and return to normal. One of the benefits of exercise is that it regulates blood pressure. Since low blood pressure can result in weakness or fatigue, people with lower-than-normal blood pressures might gravitate towards activities that require less physical activity. Exercise, however, will increase natural energy production and reduce the effects of fatigue over time. It will also teach the body to respond to its own needs much faster. Blood pressure is closely tied to heart health. Heart rate should increase when blood pressure is too low. Exercise will improve heart health and therefore improve the body's natural response to blood pressure drops.

Hot or cold whether

Mayo Clinic says that blood pressure is usually lower in warmer climates, while higher in colder climates. They explain that this happens because colder temperatures have a constricting effect on blood vessels. When your body is cold, blood is brought to your core to keep your internal organs warm so that they can perform their important functions. The body responds to hotter temperatures by spreading blood out to the skin and extremities so that it can cool down. Ironically, feeling cold (in the hands and feet or being more susceptible to colder temperatures) is one of the symptoms of low blood pressure. Personally, I have had relief from a sudden dramatic drop in blood pressure when a compressed my body to something cold. By keeping yourself warm or cool enough, you can minimize the negative effects of the weather or temperature on your blood pressure.

Stimulants like nicotine and caffeine

Stimulants like nicotine (found in tobacco) and caffeine (found in coffee and tea) heighten blood pressure by increasing the heart rate and constricting blood vessels. Does your blood pressure drop after a long period of time without one of these stimulants? If so, decreasing the consumption of these chemicals will decrease the withdrawal effect, and therefore, drop in blood pressure when you don't have them.

Medical

Some drugs can lower blood pressure, such as diuretics, beta blockers, Parkinson's disease medication, narcotics, antidepressants, sexual enhancements and alcohol; according to Heart.org. There are medical conditions that lead to low blood pressure, such as pregnancy and conditions affecting the heart, hormones, diabetes, severe infection, and allergic reactions. In all these cases, the best way to identify and deal with the underlying cause is to contact your medical practitioner.

My personal story: Why you need to find the underlying cause

I have always had low blood pressure, which negatively affected my energy levels. As a child, I was advised to eat a bag of salt and vinegar chips when my blood pressure went through a dip to pick it up quickly. I always drank a lot of water, which washed away a lot of the salts that my body needed to hold onto its water volume. I added salt to my water, which increased my blood pressure in the short term - but my blood pressure would start to fall within a few days, even though I continued adding salt to my water. The salt provided a short-term benefit, but my blood pressure would return to lower levels after some time because lack of salt was not what was causing my low blood pressure. It took a while for me to realize that low activity levels were causing my low blood pressure. By increasing my daily physical and mental workload, my blood pressure slowly rose on its own to normal levels. 

In my case, I needed extra stimulus to increase my blood pressure. I also noticed that it needed to be in physical (exercise) AND mental workload form. Cortisol is a hormone that is released when we stress. This hormone does a variety of positive things if it is produced and used in the right quantities. One of the things that it does is increase blood pressure and energy production.

I would recommend consulting your medical practitioner first if you suspect a problem with your blood pressure. For me, trial and error helped me to find what the initial cause was of my low blood pressure. Stay Strong!

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The 11 Causes of Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)

Low blood pressure is only considered a problem if it brings about negative side effects. Read more about the 9 symptoms of low blood pressure here; which can include low energy, lack of concentration, poor blood circulation leading to cold hands and feet, sensitivity to cold temperatures, nausea, fainting and more.

Blood pressure refers to the amount of pressure between blood and blood vessels, similar to the way that pressure allows water to flow through pipes and out of taps when opened. Low blood pressure may reduce the amount of blood made available to the rest of the body. Normal blood pressure should create a good blood flow without any blockage.

Why does blood pressure drop? 

Our blood pressure naturally fluctuates throughout the day. It should be the lowest at night before and during sleep, while increasing in the morning and slowly tapering off towards the end of the day. Changes in body position, breathing rate, stress level, physical activity and food or water consumption affect blood pressure. Overall health affects blood pressure as well - a healthier body is better able to regulate blood pressure and heart rate.

Causes of Low Blood Pressure:

1) Dehydration

Dehydration reduces blood volume and therefore blood pressure. This can result in weakness, vomiting, fainting and eventually death. You can get dehydrated from being in hot climates or exercising for too long with replenishing liquids. Illness is another cause for dehydration. Sweating and urination lead to water loss. It is also important to replenish electrolytes and minerals, not just water.

2) Loss of Blood

Sever blood loss can be fatal as blood pressure drops below what the body needs to circulate oxygen, nutrients and by-products like carbon dioxide. In healthy individuals, a small drop in blood pressure from a little blood loss through a cut or scrape is not potentially fatal - as long as the bleeding is stopped through a band aide or bandage as soon as possible.

3) Not Enough Nutrients

A lack of sodium and other electrolytes can reduce the body's ability to hold onto water and therefore decreases blood pressure. This is why it is important to replace electrolytes after strenuous exercise or sweating, or after diarrhea or vomiting. Other nutrients obtained through food are also important in maintaining blood volume. B vitamins, iron and folate are needed to produce red blood cells. Lack of these nutrients can lead to anemia and cause low blood pressure.

4) Poor Heart Health

Your heart is responsible for pumping blood through your body continuously. Blood pressure could drop as a result of a heart complication or poor hear health. Bradycardia, for example, is a slower-than-normal heart rate which decreases the amount of times that blood is pumped throughout the body. Other heart problems like heart attacks and heart failure dramatically decrease blood pressure.

5) Unbalanced Hormones

Hormones have a large effect of blood pressure. The thyroid hormone regulates heart rate, body temperature, metabolism and blood pressure. According to Mayo Clinic, thyroid conditions like parathyroid disease, adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease), low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and diabetes can trigger low blood pressure.

6) Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening, allergic reaction to a specific food, medication or insect bite. Anaphylaxis causes breathing problems, itching, a swollen throat, hives and a potentially dangerous drop in blood pressure.

7)  Septic Shock

Spesis, or septicemia, occurs when an infection spreads to the blood and then spreads throughout the rest of body. This can drop blood pressure down to life-threatening levels.

8) Pregnancy

Blood pressure can drop during pregnancy as circulatory systems rapidly expand. Blood pressure should start returning to normal after giving birth.

9) Drugs and Medication

Certain drugs can cause blood pressure to drop. These include diuretics, drugs used to lower high blood pressure, Parkinson's disease medication, some antidepressants, sexual enhancement drugs, other medications and some heart drugs.

Examples of these drugs include furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (Maxzide, Microzide), prazosin (Minipress), atenolol (Tenormin), propranolol (Inderal, Innopran XL), pramipexole (Mirapex), levodopa, doxepin (Silenor), imipramine (Tofranil), sildenafil (Revatio, Viagra), tadalafil (Adcirca, Cialis) and nitroglycerin.

10) Standing (Orthostatic or Postural Hypotension)

When blood pressure drops after moving from a seated or lying position to a standing position, it is called orthostatic or postural hypotension. In these cases, blood pressure drops when you stand up after a relatively long period of time.

Blood pressure can also drop when standing for too long, as gravity pulls blood to the lower parts of the body. This is usually regulated by constricting blood vessels and increasing heart rate, but people with orthostatic hypertnsion can get dizzy or light headed after standing for too long because the body is not bale to regulate the drop in blood pressure properly. In severe cases, this can lead to fainting.

Neurally Mediated Hypotension 

Neurally mediated hypotension can also lead to low blood pressure from standing for too long. This happens because of distorted brain signalling which creates a miss-connect between the brain, heart and legs.

11) Food Intake (postprandial hypotension)

Postprandial hypotension is a condition that refers to dropped blood pressure after a meal. This happens because blood is directed to the digestive system after eating for the digestive process to take place. The body usually regulates this by increasing heart rate and constricting blood vessels. Postprandial hypotension refers to the failure of these mechanisms to increase blood pressure after the drop from food intake. Ironically, postprandial hypotension is more common in people with high blood pressure. Eating smaller meals more regularly, instead of larger meals less often, may help to reduce the effects of postprandial hypotension.


If you feel like your blood pressure is too low or too high, consult with your medical practitioner immediately. Stay Strong!

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9 Signs and side effects of low blood pressure (hypotension)

There are signs and symptoms that you can use to determine whether your blood pressure is too low.

Since high blood pressure is so common, it is possible to overlook the dangers of low blood pressure. According to WebMD, normal blood pressure is anything below 120/80. Having blood pressure that is a little lower than average is okay, and many people with lower than usual blood pressure don't experience any negative symptoms. Blood pressure that is too low, though, can lead to symptoms like dizziness, fainting and death. According to Mayo Clinic, anything below 90/60 is considered low blood pressure. Low blood pressure is only considered to be a problem when negative symptoms appear as a result. Many times, there are no negative side effects.

Normal blood pressure is anything between 90/60 and 120/80.

Blood pressure is measured in two numbers, systolic and diastolic. The first one, systolic, measures the pressure of blood against blood vessels when pressure is at its highest: when the heart beats and pushes blood through vessels. Diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure of blood when the heart relaxes before beating again.

Symptoms of low blood pressure

Common symptoms of low blood pressure include:

1. Weakness and fatigue

Our whole body needs nutrients and oxygen. Oxygen is our primary source of energy. It is converted into carbon dioxide and the energy that is released during this conversion is used to power our cardio-vascular energy systems. A decrease in blood pressure leads to a decrease in flood flow or blood circulation. This, in turn, decreases the amount of oxygen and nutrients that our organs can use to create energy.

2. Lack of concentration

For the same reason listed above, low blood pressure can result in less oxygen reaching the brain, leading to decreased mental performance and ability.

3. Cold hands and feet

This happens because of lowered blood circulation, which regulates body temperature. Blood carries warmth. When we are hot, our skin goes red because blood is moved closer to the surface of the skin so that the excess heat can dissipate. When we are cold, we go pale because the warm blood is held closer to our core to keep our internal organs warm. Low blood pressure decreases blood circulation, which limits the amount of warm blood that reaches extremities like the hands and feet.

4. Higher sensitivity to cold temperatures

Lower blood pressure often results in lower body temperature, since less blood is pumped throughout the body. This results in a greater sensitivity to the cold. People with lower body temperatures struggle more to generate body heat.

5. Tiredness after eating

People with low blood pressure may experience tiredness and fatigue after eating food as blood is redirected to be the digestive system.

6. Blurred Vision

Your vision can become blurred because of a lack of oxygen from the blood to the eyes and the brain.

7. Nausea

Nausea is also a common symptom associated with low blood pressure. It is linked to symptoms of dehydration and loss of important electrolytes and minerals.

8. Dizziness and feeling light headed

Dizziness and feeling light headed occurs when you have low blood pressure because not enough oxygen-rich blood reaches to the brain. Abrupt changes in blood pressure is why many people feel light headed or dizzy after doing certain exercises like squats and dead lifts. People with low blood pressure often feel light headed after standing for long periods of time as well.

9. Fainting 

Fainting because of lack of oxygen to the brain is known as syncope. This can be caused by low blood pressure, along with other reasons like a decreased heart rate or loss of blood.

Severe hypotension can lead to death

If blood pressure drops too low, it can be fatal. Fatality through low blood pressure usually occurs because of severe blood loss, extremely low amounts of electrolytes and minerals, too much of a certain chemical or toxin, or because of disease.

If you suspect that your blood pressure is too low, consult your medical practitioner. Stay Strong!

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Do fitness trackers cause cancer?

Fitness trackers have taken the world by storm. The ability to monitor everything from the steps you take to the amount of high quality sleep you get and the amount of exercise you do has made the recording of personal progress as simple as looking at your watch or tapping on your phone. Since the people that would most want to use these devices are the ones who are most concerned about their health, an obvious question would be about whether they have any negative health effects.

Can fitness trackers cause cancer?

The mechanism used by fitness trackers to transmit information is very similar to that used by mobile phones. They do this using something called non-ionizing radio frequencies or radiation (RF). Radiation is a scary word, but the sun's rays and our own body heat emit a form of radiation. Some forms of radiation can cause cancers, whiles others don't. Since the form of radiation emitted by tracking devices is non-ionizing, the energy is not strong enough to alter molecules or atoms. They do, however, make electrons go into a higher energetic state. Forms of radiation that alter molecules are the ones that cause mutation and cancer. The radiation from fitness trackers doesn't directly change your molecular structure, but they do energize electrons. This means that the cancer-causing risk of these devices are low... but not absent.

The World Health Organisation states that mobile phones are possibly carcinogenic because of the long-term radiation that they emit. More research needs to be done, since mobile phones have not been around for as long as we think and cancer takes a long time to form. This makes it very hard to study and draw definitive links between the two. More research is currently being done. The radiation in these devices is relatively low. There are bodies like the FCC that closely monitor the amount of radiation emitted from consumer devices to make sure that they stay within pre-determined limits. Fitness trackers emit far less radiation than mobile phones.

Should we be wearing fitness trackers all day long?

Fitness Finest explains that researchers have pointed out that the increase in mobile phone usage without an increase in brain cancers shows that there might not be a link between the two. They also say that since fitness trackers emit even less radiation, long-term cancer should be 'the least of your worries for now'. They also say that the unproven cancer risk of wearing one of these devices is far less than the risk of diseases caused by living a sedentary lifestyle. If you live a healthier lifestyle than what you would without a fitness tracker, you would be better off wearing one.

The New York Times quotes Dr. Joseph Mercola, who has had a lot of focus on the connection between mobile phones and cancer. Dr. Joseph Mercola says that as long as the fitness tracker does not have 3G capabilities, the cancer-causing effects of fitness trackers are "minimal, if any". He says that fitness trackers with a 3G connection, though, would equate to having a phone strapped to your wrist permanently.

My verdict

I would look at whether or not wearing a fitness tracker encourages you to live a healthier lifestyle. If the answer is yes, then the known positive effects will outweigh the unknown negative health effects. If wearing one of these devices does not affect the amount of exercise you do, restful sleep you get or the food you eat, there is not much point in using one anyway.

I am looking forward to reading what you have to say about whether or not you think fitness trackers can cause cancer in your comments below. Stay Strong!

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How mental stress affects muscle growth

Do stress levels at work or home affect muscle growth? Absolutely - but there are things that you can do about it.

Cortisol

You've probably heard of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is released as a response to stress and one of its primary roles is to give your body the energy it needs to fight off or escape a potential threat. Cortisol stimulates energy production and immune response. Cortisol levels are naturally higher in the morning and taper off throughout the day until they reach their lowest before bed time and during sleep. This makes sure that you have the energy that you need throughout the day while ensuring that you can get the recovery that you need at night. People with cortisol levels that are too low have constant fatigue and vulnerable immune systems. Healthy cortisol levels are good for you, but too much is not good either. Your body needs periods of low stress (and lowered cortisol) to calm down and recover. Thinking about stressful things at night can increase cortisol levels, which puts your body into a fight-or-flight response when it needs to start the recovery process instead.

One of the benefits of regular exercise is that it teaches the body to deal with stress. Exercise improves the way that cortisol is used by providing an outlet for the energy that cortisol creates. It also ensures that we don't experience the negative effects of too much cortisol production. Exercise tricks our bodies into thinking that a potentially harmful (or stressful) situation is over and that it can go back into rest and recovery mode. Too much exercise, though, can elevate cortisol levels. Physical stress (or physical exertion) can also trigger the release of cortisol. In order to recover sufficiently, our bodies need periods of low stress to enter its rest mode. If mental stress from work and physical stress from exercise releases more cortisol than what your body can recover from, your body will spend too much time in overdrive and too little time in recovery. Exercise can help you to deal with mental stress, but only to a certain point until it becomes too much. How do you make sure that you aren't stressing more than what your body can handle? Make sure that you balance out overall stressful situations with relaxing ones. Mental tranquility triggers speedy physical recovery. There is nothing wrong with feeling a little stress every now and then, but you need to make sure that you make time to feel relaxed. You can do this by spending time with a loved one, enjoying a hobby or through positive reflection. Doing these things at night will increase sleep quality.

Tension

Tension is one of the ways that cortisol affects muscle tissue. Cortisol tenses muscles so that they are primed for action. In nature, this would help you to make the fast movements that you need to eat (catch prey) or avoid being eaten. Think of the muscular tension as your muscles' version of 'standby mode'. As great as this is for action, it's not so great for recovery. Your muscles need to get out of 'standby mode' and enter 'rest mode' to grow. Tensed muscles cannot recover as well and relaxed muscles. If mental stress increases muscular tension, they will take longer to recover from exercise.

Exercise can decrease tension caused by stress, but prolonged physical stimulus and increased tension from non-exercise stress without sufficient relaxation can severely decrease the amount of optimal recovery time that your muscles need. If you feel like your muscles are negatively affected by stress, here are 7 ways to decrease the effects of stress from work. If work stress creates muscular tension, exercising after work will release the tension and give you the evening and night's sleep to recover. Applying heat (like through a hot bath or sitting in the sauna), stretching regularly, massage and aromatherapy are great ways to relieve tension and speed up muscle recovery.

Poor decisions

Stress can also negatively impact muscle growth by negatively impacting the decisions that you make. Stress can cause us to make unhealthy decisions in an attempt to cope with that stress. Drinking alcohol negatively affects muscle growth, and so does smoking. Irregular sleeping habits and erratic diet choices are other ways that our attempts to cope with stress can lead to decisions that hamper muscle growth.

In the above ways, mental stress can have an indirectly negative affect on muscle growth. Some stress is not too bad, but when you stress more than you relax; you risk sacrificing muscle because of it. Stay Strong!

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