Our brain & nervous system are always on the lookout to make sure we are safe. This is a subconscious process called neuroception where they are scanning our environment.

When our brain senses a stressor, our hypothalamus is alerted and it kicks off a cascade of events that are all part of the stress response. This looks like our hypothalamus, which sits at the base of our brain, telling our pituitary that we are experiencing a stressor.

Then our pituitary communicates this to our adrenal glands, which then produce stress hormones: cortisol, adrenaline, and DHEA. This is a healthy stress response and allows our body to adapt to whatever stressor it is experiencing. 

It’s not the stress that kills us, but our response to it. 

When this process is happening, the first mineral used up is magnesium. We will then also use up sodium and potassium. We also use B vitamins and vitamin C. When we are dealing with chronic stress, we can eventually deplete magnesium, which then leads to the body using up more zinc. This is why magnesium and zinc deficiencies are a common side effect of chronic stress. 

The goal is not to get rid of all stress, but to support our minerals on a daily basis to help make our bodies more resilient to stress.

Not sure if minerals are an issue for you? Take my mineral quiz to get an understanding of whether or not you are at low, moderate, or high risk for mineral imbalances.

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