In
a recent study comparing organic versus non-organic produce, organic veggies
outperformed their conventionally grown peers when it came to vitamins and
beneficial micronutrients like antioxidant flavonoids. Why? Apparently stress,
like fending off bugs or surviving a dry spell, triggers plants to generate
defensive compounds which enrich their nutritional value. Crops grown with
fertilizer and pesticides have a cushy life and don’t produce as many of the
stress-induced micronutrients. Interestingly, some of these defensive compounds
add flavor, so that blemished peach is not only healthier for you, but it may
taste better, too.
While
chronic stress can damage internal organs and lead to a host of health
problems, short bursts of stimulation help the body and brain develop and
maintain healthy function.
Scientists have also
been exploring the positive side of stress in human health. Research shows that
mild stress stimulates cells to repair damaged proteins, fortifies the immune
system, keeps bones strong, and may improve memory. While chronic stress can
damage internal organs and lead to a host of health problems, short bursts of
stimulation help the body and brain develop and maintain healthy function.
Pilates
is much touted for its role in restoring balance to the overactive sympathetic
nervous system responsible for the stress response. But pilates also stimulates
and stresses the body, nervous system, and mind in ways that build strength and
fortitude. Movement sequences challenge weak muscles and structural
irregularities, gradually increasing resting muscle tone and improving energy.
Breath training challenge habitual states of being, building inner resiliency
and gradually allowing us to tolerate higher states of energy without anxiety,
anger, or aggression. When we reflect and bring awareness to our body these
‘tools’ often translate into our lives and thinking patterns. Taking on
physical challenges makes us more ‘able’ to approach life situations with
confidence…often this changes our perception for the positive.
Crops
encounter stressors like the potato beetle, fungus, weeds, and the vicissitudes
of weather. But for modern humans, stress usually has less to do with our
physical circumstances and more to do with how we interpret it. Memory,
association, expectation, emotions, and intellectual analysis all contribute to
the perception and assessment of stress and danger. When we feel threatened, we
respond with the instinctive reflex of the limbic brain—the classic stress
response. But, if we interpret the stressor as a challenge instead of a threat,
different physiological reactions take place: we experience stimulation without
the negative hormonal effects of a full-blown stress response, such as fear and
elevated blood pressure. The rational, thoughtful skills of the prefrontal
cortex—our unique human brain—allow us to respond creatively rather than
reflexively, so emotionally challenging situations don’t derail us.
Pilates
can teach us to observe ingrained reactions that may no longer be appropriate,
and to respond instead in fresh, new ways that free us from dysfunctional patterns
and destructive emotions. Like the organic peach, we marshal our full
potentials to create richer, juicier lives for ourselves. Robust, resilient,
and brimming with energy, we use the opportunities life brings us to go on
healing the past and to grow into the divine radiant beings we wish to be.
