Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Hormones: Venus, Mars -- Fire, Ice (John Gray)

How Stress Affects Hormones on Mars and Venus
What do you think of when you hear the word stress? Is it having too much to do? Maybe it’s a traffic jam, or concern over unpaid bills? Or perhaps it’s a teenage son or daughter who is being uncooperative or a boss who is making impossible demands at your job?

One thing we can agree upon is that in today’s society the sources of stress are many. The production of adrenaline and cortisol by our adrenal gland is how our bodies respond to stress. Unfortunately, the production of these stress hormones can gradually deplete our supply of feel good hormones such as testosterone for men and oxytocin for women.

The release of stress hormones was an important factor in the basic survival of primative people. Confronted by a bear, for example, the release of adrenaline, cortisol, and other hormones gave our bodies a short burst of energy and acute mental clarity. More>>

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