Stress is inevitable – it’s found in mounting workloads, family obligations, daily responsibilities, and even a rush hour commute.
If we don’t learn to manage it properly, our emotional, physical and spiritual health may suffer.
The good news is there are many ways in which individuals can manage stress through nutrition, exercise, mindful lives and more.
That is key to living a healthy and thriving life.
Selected Podcast
Survive and Thrive in Times of Stress
Featured Speaker:
Courtney Jordan Baechler, MD - Internal Medicine
Courtney Jordan Baechler, MD, practices with and is vice president of the Penny George™ Institute for Health and Healing, part of Allina Health. Baechler attended the University of Minnesota, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, a medical degree from the School of Medicine, and a master’s degree in epidemiology and public policy from the School of Public Health. Baechler is a consultant to Minnesota’s Statewide Health Improvement Plan and chair of the clinical work group for Minneapolis. Transcription:
Melanie Cole (Host): Stress is inevitable. It’s found in mounting workloads, family obligations, daily responsibilities, and even a rush-hour commute. If we don't learn to manage it properly, our emotional, physical, and spiritual health may suffer. My guest today is Dr. Courtney Jordan Baechler. She practices with and is vice president of the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, part of Allina Health. Welcome to the show, Dr. Baechler. Tell us a little bit about how rampant stress really is in the United States.
Dr. Courtney Jordan Baechler (Guest): Well, it's quite a large problem. Let me give you an idea of some of the statistics that people report. Folks who report regular physical symptoms that are caused by stress is up to 77 percent of people; 73 percent of folks report experiencing psychological symptoms from stress; 33 percent of people feel they're living in extreme stress, and 48 percent of people feel that stress has increase over the past five years of their life. So as you can see, for the majority of Americans, it's quite a big deal. In fact, we attribute $300 billion to employers as it relates to stress-related healthcare and missed work.
Melanie: What are some of the biggest sources of real stress that we face every day?
Dr. Baechler: It comes from a variety of sources. We see it coming from job pressures, financial troubles with money, our health, our relationships, poor nutrition, and even media overload and sleep deprivation.
Melanie: So how big of an impact does this have on our health? Does this psychological stress have a physiological and actual physical effect on our body?
Dr. Baechler: It absolutely does. As a practicing cardiologist, part of my interest in helping my patients manage their stress better is the recognition that we know stress can actually cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease. And while it doesn't cause cancer, it can worsen the growth of tumors once you have them. It’s related to obesity, sleep problems, infections, flus, and the list just goes on and on as it relates to symptoms—fatigue, headaches, stomachaches, et cetera. So it really is a big cause of physical health problems.
Melanie: Now, as big a cause as it is, Dr. Baechler, as physical health problems, it can also be positive, in a way. Tell us how stress can help us and be a little bit positive for us.
Dr. Baechler: That’s right. So in small doses, stress does have some advantages. For instance, on a day-to-day standpoint, in small doses it can help you meet daily challenges and help motivate you to reach those goals of the day. So it can make you work efficiently. It’s just in the larger doses that it can be a problem.
Melanie: Now, give us some tips for managing day-to-day stress. As a cardiologist, you see the results of stress and what it can do to our body. Help us to develop ways to manage our stress.
Dr. Baechler: Yeah. I think one of the first things is knowing what your triggers are. Each of us is different, but we know that for some folks, a stressful commute can cause that stress response. So you need to know what your individual triggers are and then have ways to cope around that to brainstorm solutions. For some of us, it can be exercise, and taking a little break for exercise in a day is a great way to do that. Ideally, we want to get 30 minutes of exercise a day, and there’s lots of data on how that helps us relieve stress. I think for most of us, learning how to relax is actually something we have to be trained to do. We’re inundated in a world and a culture that has high, high stress, so we actually have to teach ourselves to let things go, that you can’t do it all, and to really learn to breathe. Things like yoga are a great way to help teach us how to calm both our body and our mind and spirit. I think managing your time well is another great way on a day-to-day standpoint, that recognition that you're only going to get so much done and some of that can wait until tomorrow, so really setting realistic expectations. And multitasking, as great as we feel culturally that this is such a great attribute to have, it can actually cause stress if we’re doing it too often. The other piece is taking a look at how much caffeine you're getting in a day. You don't want to be getting so much that you're feeling jittery because that is pushing us into that fight-or-flight response, getting all those catecholamines going and the things that raise our stress to inappropriate levels, so no more than one or two cups of coffee a day. And finally, looking at nutrition and how important nutrition can be to help us feel calm inside. Food is really medicine in that way.
Melanie: Well, I also love that you pointed out that we cannot do it all. Especially women, we tend to, as you say, multitask. That does increase our stress levels. Sometimes the laundry will just have to wait, and all of these things. And nutritionally, because you brought up nutrition, I would like to ask you. Do you have some foods that you just really want us to make sure to include in our diet? Because food is medicine as exercise is medicine, and we have to make the time. We don't have the time. So give us a little bit of exercise advice and nutrition advice from a cardiologist.
Dr. Baechler: Yeah, absolutely. So this probably sounds so basic, but when it comes to nutrition, we’re really talking about a variety of fruits and vegetables and thinking about the rainbow of colors. I know we like to make it so much more tricky in the media, but the reality is it's those whole foods that give our body that sense of calm, and very few of us get the recommended 5 to 11 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. So for me, one of the things I do: I’m a busy working mom, my husband is also a physician, we have two young kids, and there’s not a lot of extra time, but there is a little bit of time on the weekends, and I will actually cut things up ahead of time so when you get home and you're in a rush and you want to eat something quick, there’s a bowl of berries to go to or whatever might be seasonal that you're reaching for that rather than a box of crackers that’s going to have a lot of processed elements in that food that’s going to create that stress response and just worsen your body. And I do the same thing with grains. So grains are not the enemies, as much as carbohydrates get a bad name. Whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, farro, barley are all great sources of complex carbohydrates. You can batch-cook those on Sundays so that you can quickly, on a weeknight, get home, throw some vegetables—I’ll often buy frozen vegetables that are already chopped up—put them in with the grains and season them with a bunch of anti-inflammatory spices—turmeric, cumin—things that are great-tasting. Garlic, onions are also very anti-inflammatory and help control that stress response. That’s what I do for nutrition. When it comes to exercise, the biggest piece is trying to get it in and prioritizing it just like you do your work, because it is critical to our overall health long term. So for me, I find as much as I thought I would never get up in the morning and exercise, that something that is slow-moving so that I’m probably not going to go for a really, really fast run at 6 in the morning. But for instance, this morning, going for a half-hour moderate walk where I’m getting my heart rate up, I know I’m actually exercising that heart, but I’m able to take in the beautiful scenery on a beautiful summer morning like this. And I actually set myself up by filling myself up rather than depleting myself, and I think that’s key. So I alternate that with yoga and walking routine and add in some strength training as well, which is so critical to our metabolism as we age. But for people who are even more busy and don't want to get up in the morning, I think finding 10 minutes three times a day to get outside and take a short walk or walk the stairs at your office, parking your car further away is a great way to do that.
Melanie: And, Dr. Baechler, just the last couple of minutes that we have left, when does a person know they need to seek medical help for their stress and why should they come to the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, part of Allina Health, for their stress care?
Dr. Baechler: I think you want to watch for a few signs and symptoms: one, inability to concentrate or complete tasks—if you just feel like you're not getting what you used to be able to get done; two, getting sick more often, so you're experiencing more and more frequent immune challenges; getting all-over body aches, headaches, if you're feeling just more irritable, if you're having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or changes in your appetite and just feeling more anxious or even angrier than usual. I would always say, just like our heart, when you're having some of these symptoms that you feel like they might be related to stress, it's always better to go in early rather than later. That’s our body’s SOS saying, “Hey, help me out. I don't feel right inside.” And the reason you should think about the Penny George Institute is that we have a variety of non-narcotic, non-medication ways to help you with this stress management. We’ve got aromatherapy, mindfulness training, meditation training, health coaching—you name it—as well as consultation with integrative medicine doctors who are really going to help you get the best approach to the mind, body, and spirit.
Melanie: What a wonderful multidisciplinary approach you offer at the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, part of the Allina Health. You’re listening to the Wellcast by Allina Health. For more information, you can go to allinahealth.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
Melanie Cole (Host): Stress is inevitable. It’s found in mounting workloads, family obligations, daily responsibilities, and even a rush-hour commute. If we don't learn to manage it properly, our emotional, physical, and spiritual health may suffer. My guest today is Dr. Courtney Jordan Baechler. She practices with and is vice president of the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, part of Allina Health. Welcome to the show, Dr. Baechler. Tell us a little bit about how rampant stress really is in the United States.
Dr. Courtney Jordan Baechler (Guest): Well, it's quite a large problem. Let me give you an idea of some of the statistics that people report. Folks who report regular physical symptoms that are caused by stress is up to 77 percent of people; 73 percent of folks report experiencing psychological symptoms from stress; 33 percent of people feel they're living in extreme stress, and 48 percent of people feel that stress has increase over the past five years of their life. So as you can see, for the majority of Americans, it's quite a big deal. In fact, we attribute $300 billion to employers as it relates to stress-related healthcare and missed work.
Melanie: What are some of the biggest sources of real stress that we face every day?
Dr. Baechler: It comes from a variety of sources. We see it coming from job pressures, financial troubles with money, our health, our relationships, poor nutrition, and even media overload and sleep deprivation.
Melanie: So how big of an impact does this have on our health? Does this psychological stress have a physiological and actual physical effect on our body?
Dr. Baechler: It absolutely does. As a practicing cardiologist, part of my interest in helping my patients manage their stress better is the recognition that we know stress can actually cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease. And while it doesn't cause cancer, it can worsen the growth of tumors once you have them. It’s related to obesity, sleep problems, infections, flus, and the list just goes on and on as it relates to symptoms—fatigue, headaches, stomachaches, et cetera. So it really is a big cause of physical health problems.
Melanie: Now, as big a cause as it is, Dr. Baechler, as physical health problems, it can also be positive, in a way. Tell us how stress can help us and be a little bit positive for us.
Dr. Baechler: That’s right. So in small doses, stress does have some advantages. For instance, on a day-to-day standpoint, in small doses it can help you meet daily challenges and help motivate you to reach those goals of the day. So it can make you work efficiently. It’s just in the larger doses that it can be a problem.
Melanie: Now, give us some tips for managing day-to-day stress. As a cardiologist, you see the results of stress and what it can do to our body. Help us to develop ways to manage our stress.
Dr. Baechler: Yeah. I think one of the first things is knowing what your triggers are. Each of us is different, but we know that for some folks, a stressful commute can cause that stress response. So you need to know what your individual triggers are and then have ways to cope around that to brainstorm solutions. For some of us, it can be exercise, and taking a little break for exercise in a day is a great way to do that. Ideally, we want to get 30 minutes of exercise a day, and there’s lots of data on how that helps us relieve stress. I think for most of us, learning how to relax is actually something we have to be trained to do. We’re inundated in a world and a culture that has high, high stress, so we actually have to teach ourselves to let things go, that you can’t do it all, and to really learn to breathe. Things like yoga are a great way to help teach us how to calm both our body and our mind and spirit. I think managing your time well is another great way on a day-to-day standpoint, that recognition that you're only going to get so much done and some of that can wait until tomorrow, so really setting realistic expectations. And multitasking, as great as we feel culturally that this is such a great attribute to have, it can actually cause stress if we’re doing it too often. The other piece is taking a look at how much caffeine you're getting in a day. You don't want to be getting so much that you're feeling jittery because that is pushing us into that fight-or-flight response, getting all those catecholamines going and the things that raise our stress to inappropriate levels, so no more than one or two cups of coffee a day. And finally, looking at nutrition and how important nutrition can be to help us feel calm inside. Food is really medicine in that way.
Melanie: Well, I also love that you pointed out that we cannot do it all. Especially women, we tend to, as you say, multitask. That does increase our stress levels. Sometimes the laundry will just have to wait, and all of these things. And nutritionally, because you brought up nutrition, I would like to ask you. Do you have some foods that you just really want us to make sure to include in our diet? Because food is medicine as exercise is medicine, and we have to make the time. We don't have the time. So give us a little bit of exercise advice and nutrition advice from a cardiologist.
Dr. Baechler: Yeah, absolutely. So this probably sounds so basic, but when it comes to nutrition, we’re really talking about a variety of fruits and vegetables and thinking about the rainbow of colors. I know we like to make it so much more tricky in the media, but the reality is it's those whole foods that give our body that sense of calm, and very few of us get the recommended 5 to 11 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. So for me, one of the things I do: I’m a busy working mom, my husband is also a physician, we have two young kids, and there’s not a lot of extra time, but there is a little bit of time on the weekends, and I will actually cut things up ahead of time so when you get home and you're in a rush and you want to eat something quick, there’s a bowl of berries to go to or whatever might be seasonal that you're reaching for that rather than a box of crackers that’s going to have a lot of processed elements in that food that’s going to create that stress response and just worsen your body. And I do the same thing with grains. So grains are not the enemies, as much as carbohydrates get a bad name. Whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, farro, barley are all great sources of complex carbohydrates. You can batch-cook those on Sundays so that you can quickly, on a weeknight, get home, throw some vegetables—I’ll often buy frozen vegetables that are already chopped up—put them in with the grains and season them with a bunch of anti-inflammatory spices—turmeric, cumin—things that are great-tasting. Garlic, onions are also very anti-inflammatory and help control that stress response. That’s what I do for nutrition. When it comes to exercise, the biggest piece is trying to get it in and prioritizing it just like you do your work, because it is critical to our overall health long term. So for me, I find as much as I thought I would never get up in the morning and exercise, that something that is slow-moving so that I’m probably not going to go for a really, really fast run at 6 in the morning. But for instance, this morning, going for a half-hour moderate walk where I’m getting my heart rate up, I know I’m actually exercising that heart, but I’m able to take in the beautiful scenery on a beautiful summer morning like this. And I actually set myself up by filling myself up rather than depleting myself, and I think that’s key. So I alternate that with yoga and walking routine and add in some strength training as well, which is so critical to our metabolism as we age. But for people who are even more busy and don't want to get up in the morning, I think finding 10 minutes three times a day to get outside and take a short walk or walk the stairs at your office, parking your car further away is a great way to do that.
Melanie: And, Dr. Baechler, just the last couple of minutes that we have left, when does a person know they need to seek medical help for their stress and why should they come to the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, part of Allina Health, for their stress care?
Dr. Baechler: I think you want to watch for a few signs and symptoms: one, inability to concentrate or complete tasks—if you just feel like you're not getting what you used to be able to get done; two, getting sick more often, so you're experiencing more and more frequent immune challenges; getting all-over body aches, headaches, if you're feeling just more irritable, if you're having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or changes in your appetite and just feeling more anxious or even angrier than usual. I would always say, just like our heart, when you're having some of these symptoms that you feel like they might be related to stress, it's always better to go in early rather than later. That’s our body’s SOS saying, “Hey, help me out. I don't feel right inside.” And the reason you should think about the Penny George Institute is that we have a variety of non-narcotic, non-medication ways to help you with this stress management. We’ve got aromatherapy, mindfulness training, meditation training, health coaching—you name it—as well as consultation with integrative medicine doctors who are really going to help you get the best approach to the mind, body, and spirit.
Melanie: What a wonderful multidisciplinary approach you offer at the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, part of the Allina Health. You’re listening to the Wellcast by Allina Health. For more information, you can go to allinahealth.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.