Cancer and Stress

“You don't know what people are really like until they're under a lot of stress” Tim Allen

Unlike our ancestors, we live with ‘round-the-clock stimulation and stress. Instead of meeting occasional, acute demands followed by a period of rest, we’re constantly over-worked, under-nourished, over-stimulated, under-rested, exposed to environmental toxins, worrying about others - with no let-up. It’s not just the dramatic life events that produce that familiar “stressed-out” feeling.

Each and every challenge to the mind and body creates a demand on the adrenal glands. And the list of challenges is endless: lack of sleep, the commute to work, a demanding boss, the threat of losing your job, financial pressures, personality conflicts, yo-yo dieting, relationship turmoil, death or illness of a loved one, skipping meals, reliance on stimulants like caffeine and carbs, digestive problems, over-exercise, illness or infection or surgery, unresolved emotional issues from our past or present, and more! The result is adrenal glands persistently on “high alert” that leads to too much or not enough hormone Cortisol.

The adrenals don’t know the difference between physical and mental stress; they treat both with the same stress hormones. Every type of stress influences these glands: injury, infection, divorce, financial and job stress, irritable people, drugs and medication, pain, surgery, illness, extreme cold or heat, giving birth, menstrual cycle, eating junk foods, starvation diets. And when the adrenals are chronically overextended, you can end up with issues like cancer, thyroid imbalance, weight gain, insomnia, severe fatigue and more.