This past week, I read this study about how chronic stress impacts your circadian rhythm. According to the study, “Circadian disruptions and frequent exposure to stressors promote or amplify a broad range of health disorders.”
If you follow me on Instagram (and if you don't, please do) you know that I won't shut up about the circadian rhythm and all the ways first responders can rehab their own so they don't fall victim to the numerous health issues that come from being a shift-worker.
But this study reminded me of a conversation I recently had with a firefighter from a small-town department about stress. He told me that he and his guys didn't really experience stress like they do in bigger departments and cities because they only went on “bullsh*t calls.” I told him I begged to differ.
Here are some of the different types of stress first responders encounter every time they show up to work:
1. Emotional (you see some awful stuff out there)
2. Physical
3. Waking up suddenly in the middle of the night (alarms and lights are not a gentle wake-up for anyone)
4. Eating fast
5. Eating big, heavy meals
6. Snacking and grazing throughout the day/night
7. Any sort of digestive issues (1 in 2 Americans suffer from digestive distress but I would venture to say that it's actually 100% for first responders)
Maybe my small-town firefighter friend doesn't experience the awful emotional or demanding physical stress that comes with being on a busier department but I can almost guarantee that are some big meals, snacking, and fast-eating going on in his firehouse (I wasn't wrong with this assumption.)
You see, there are so many different types of stress you encounter as a first responder. There is the obvious emotional stress of what you have to see on some of the calls you go on. There is the physical stress that can come with the exertion of the job (training, actual fires, etc.) Then there are the lesser known stressors that you likely face the most. Waking up suddenly in the middle of the night to an alarm and lights telling you about a call. Eating really quickly - either because slow eaters were penalized in your house growing up or because you have to shovel it all in when your busy at work. Big, heavy meals can be stressful. Eating and snacking and grazing throughout the day is a huge stressor on your digestive system. Having digestive issues is another stressor on your system.
As you can see, so much stress seemingly has nothing to do with what we perceive to be actual stress. But one of the reasons why I focus so much on stress is because it impacts your nutrition in a huge way. During a stressful event (emotional, physical, waking up abruptly, digestive, etc.) the body needs more nutrients to support its stress response and increased energy needs which, in turn, can lead to the depletion of certain nutrients (B vitamins, C, D, zinc, magnesium.) This is why I wanted to create a multi specifically for first responders - or anyone with stress in their lives. Not only did I put the most absorbable forms of these nutrients in this multi but I put a good amount of them in there. Also, I added ashwagandha and other adaptogens which help your body manage the stress it encounters. So you will be a stress-free person whether you’re fighting a huge fire or just a really fast eater.
If you follow me on Instagram (and if you don't, please do) you know that I won't shut up about the circadian rhythm and all the ways first responders can rehab their own so they don't fall victim to the numerous health issues that come from being a shift-worker.
But this study reminded me of a conversation I recently had with a firefighter from a small-town department about stress. He told me that he and his guys didn't really experience stress like they do in bigger departments and cities because they only went on “bullsh*t calls.” I told him I begged to differ.
Here are some of the different types of stress first responders encounter every time they show up to work:
1. Emotional (you see some awful stuff out there)
2. Physical
3. Waking up suddenly in the middle of the night (alarms and lights are not a gentle wake-up for anyone)
4. Eating fast
5. Eating big, heavy meals
6. Snacking and grazing throughout the day/night
7. Any sort of digestive issues (1 in 2 Americans suffer from digestive distress but I would venture to say that it's actually 100% for first responders)
Maybe my small-town firefighter friend doesn't experience the awful emotional or demanding physical stress that comes with being on a busier department but I can almost guarantee that are some big meals, snacking, and fast-eating going on in his firehouse (I wasn't wrong with this assumption.)
You see, there are so many different types of stress you encounter as a first responder. There is the obvious emotional stress of what you have to see on some of the calls you go on. There is the physical stress that can come with the exertion of the job (training, actual fires, etc.) Then there are the lesser known stressors that you likely face the most. Waking up suddenly in the middle of the night to an alarm and lights telling you about a call. Eating really quickly - either because slow eaters were penalized in your house growing up or because you have to shovel it all in when your busy at work. Big, heavy meals can be stressful. Eating and snacking and grazing throughout the day is a huge stressor on your digestive system. Having digestive issues is another stressor on your system.
As you can see, so much stress seemingly has nothing to do with what we perceive to be actual stress. But one of the reasons why I focus so much on stress is because it impacts your nutrition in a huge way. During a stressful event (emotional, physical, waking up abruptly, digestive, etc.) the body needs more nutrients to support its stress response and increased energy needs which, in turn, can lead to the depletion of certain nutrients (B vitamins, C, D, zinc, magnesium.) This is why I wanted to create a multi specifically for first responders - or anyone with stress in their lives. Not only did I put the most absorbable forms of these nutrients in this multi but I put a good amount of them in there. Also, I added ashwagandha and other adaptogens which help your body manage the stress it encounters. So you will be a stress-free person whether you’re fighting a huge fire or just a really fast eater.
