When you think of stress causing issue in your life you likely think of your demanding job, chores at home, children, family relationships, etc. etc.
And those are all very valid and true stressors in your life. But what if I told you that you may have even more stress that is declining your health and holding you back from healing that are not so easy to spot?
In Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® we like to classify these as H.I.D.D.E.N. stressors. these hidden stressors are found as internal stress in your body, causing fatigue, autoimmunity, gastrointestinal issues, weight gain, among many other symptoms. They are how you work to identify the underlying cause of your symptoms instead of just treating at a surface level.
Where are H.I.D.D.E.N. stressors found?
Hormonal system
Immune system
Detox system
Digestive system
Energy production
Neurotransmitter production
Our body is made to endure times of short-lived stress, the "fight or flight" signal is necessary for our survival. However, if you are under constant triggers of stress this signal starts to take a toll on your body. Cortisol and adrenaline are hormones that get raised in stressful times (among many others), they are very important for your health and are very necessary, however when too high for too long they start to break down systems. Anytime a system starts to breakdown inflammation will occur. When this inflammation goes up it that is when symptoms will start to occur.
These H.I.D.D.E.N. systems are the foundation of your body's functions and must be working properly for you to feel great and symptom free. If you have an issue in one of these systems than that is going to spread throughout your entire body creating a cascade of stress and inflammatory responses.
Do you have a chronic gut infection? Do you have an imbalance of cortisol in your body? Too much estrogen? Is your liver not being supported and functioning well? Do you have poor melatonin production? Are your mitochondria not producing the energy as they should?... these are all questions that we may encounter when we are looking for hidden stressors.
If they are never identified and addressed you will never find true health or overcome symptoms. That is a sad guarantee
So how can we find your hidden stress?
Trying to overcome health concerns is not always an easy process. You may have experienced this, going from Doctor to Doctor, getting diagnosis's, maybe you have tried prescriptions, maybe you have tried a trailer load of different supplements.
Where these actions come up short is that they are not truly investigating your body and how it is functioning. That is where functional lab tests come into play. What makes these tests invaluable is that they are not just a black and white answer... "your results are normal," or "you have a disease now take this drug."
But they show you specific and detailed information into how your body is operating, patterns can be found, clues can be given, it is never just a yes or not answer.
It is not just a conventional way of "treating" test results, but using the information, along with your health history, your symptoms, your uniqueness to find answers to why your health issues are happening and formulating a plan to move forward.
Finding hidden stress can help you actually prevent disease, not just watch and wait for it to happen. We are working at the roots of your body so that you can heal and resolve issues from the core outward, to work in a way that support true "health care."
