What If Stress Was the Secret to Feeling Better, Not Worse?

Something I never thought I’d say as a Nutritionist… Stress might be the most underrated health tool we have.

Yes, stress.

The thing we’ve all been taught to avoid. And for good reason—chronic, unrelenting stress is harmful. It’s linked to poor sleep, anxiety, burnout, and even chronic illness.

What if I told you stress isn’t always the enemy?

Cortisol, known as the body’s main “stress hormone,” often gets a bad rap — but it’s not all bad. It's an essential hormone for life. It helps our body to evolve! A vital survival tool, helping us react quickly when faced with danger.

Lets Reframe Stress

More health professionals, especially in the fields of functional medicine, are reframing stress not as an enemy—but as a powerful adaptation trigger. How can we use stressors to our benefit? What if certain kinds of stress could actually help you build strength, energy, and long-term resilience...

Stress becomes a problem only when it’s chronic and there’s no recovery. That’s when cortisol stays elevated, which can lead to fatigue, poor immunity, and hormone issues.

But acute, short-term stress? That’s different.

Is Short Term Stress Is the Key To Resilience?

I am finding that conversations on hormetic stress are circulating.

Hormesis is widely recognised in toxicology and biology as a biphasic dose response — meaning "a low dose of a "toxin" or stressor is beneficial, while a high dose is harmful." These short, intense stressors create a temporary challenge that your body adapts to. And in that adaptation, you become more resilient.

3 Stressors I Advocate For As A Clinical Nutritionist

1. Resistance Training

Lifting heavy weights creates micro-tears in your muscles ( a stressor!). Your body repairs them—making you stronger. Lifting weights also:

Improves blood sugar regulation, bone density, and brain health.
Increases longevity by building more mitochondria for efficient energy.
Raises metabolic rate by increasing lean muscle mass to burn more calories at rest.

2. Heat Exposure (Saunas)

Sitting in a sauna creates physical stress—your heart rate goes up, you sweat, your body activates repair proteins. The result?

Lower blood pressure, improved cellular function, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
Support muscle recovery and growth hormone production by repairing damaged proteins
Activation of hormesis, stimulating autophagy (cell clean-up) and improving mitochondrial health

3. Cold Exposure (Ice Baths or Cold Showers)

A temporary shock that trains your body to handle stress better — and improves both metabolic and mental performance.

May reduce muscle soreness and speed up recovery from physical exertion
Stimulation of the vagus nerve, improving parasympathetic tone (rest-and-digest state) and emotional resilience
Activation of brown fat, increasing thermogenesis and potentially supporting weight regulation and glucose metabolism

Side note: These might not be for everyone!

But here’s the key: Becoming resilient only works if you recover well.

We believe in prioritising recovery practices at Ancestral Nutrition:

Rest days
Breath work
Nature walks
Nutrient support (hello beef liver ✨)

The Role of Nutrients in Stress & Recovery

We keep beef organs in our back pocket for a reason.

Beef liver is rich in bioavailable zinc, B vitamins, copper, and vitamin A—nutrients that your body burns through quickly in times of acute and chronic stress.

They’re crucial for:

Immune regulation
Hormone balance
Energy production
Antioxidant support

👉 Want to bounce back faster? Feed your cells what they need. Check out the science behind Beef Liver and Immunity here:

The Immune-Boosting Benefits of Beef Organs

Bottom Line: Rethink Stress

Modern life has us living in constant comfort—but our biology was built for challenge and recovery.

Instead of avoiding stress at all costs, it’s time to ask:

"How can I be more equipped to handle stress?

📣 Want to learn more?

Tune into this podcast episode. Our founder Stu discusses techniques to reduce the negative impact of stress on their health.

Overcoming Stress & Fatigue the Natural Way with Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo

References

Bleakley, C., McDonough, S., Gardner, E., Baxter, G.D., Hopkins, J.T. and Davison, G.W. (2012). Cold-water immersion (cryotherapy) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, [online] 2(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd008262.pub2.

Garavaglia, S., Perozzi, S., Galeazzi, L., Raffaelli, N. and Rizzi, M. (2009). The crystal structure of human α-amino-β-carboxymuconate-ε-semialdehyde decarboxylase in complex with 1,3-dihydroxyacetonephosphate suggests a regulatory link between NAD synthesis and glycolysis. FEBS Journal, 276(22), pp.6615–6623. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-4658.2009.07372.x.

Huberman, A. (2024). Is stress good or bad for you? | Ask Huberman Lab. [online] Dexa. Available at: https://ai.hubermanlab.com/s/2gti0cRN? [Accessed 20 May 2025].

Ibanez, J., Izquierdo, M., Arguelles, I., Forga, L., Larrion, J.L., Garcia-Unciti, M., Idoate, F. and Gorostiaga, E.M. (2005). Twice-Weekly Progressive Resistance Training Decreases Abdominal Fat and Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Older Men With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 28(3), pp.662–667. doi:https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.28.3.662.

Menzies, F.M., Fleming, A. and Rubinsztein, D.C. (2015). Compromised autophagy and neurodegenerative diseases. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience, [online] 16(6), pp.345–357. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3961.

Mufson, E.J., Counts, S.E., Ginsberg, S.D., Mahady, L., Perez, S.E., Massa, S.M., Longo, F.M. and Ikonomovic, M.D. (2019). Nerve Growth Factor Pathobiology During the Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience, [online] 13, p.533. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.00533.

Srikanthan, P. and Karlamangla, A.S. (2014). Muscle Mass Index As a Predictor of Longevity in Older Adults. The American Journal of Medicine, 127(6), pp.547–553. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.02.007.

van der Lans, A.A.J.J., Hoeks, J., Brans, B., Vijgen, G.H.E.J., Visser, M.G.W., Vosselman, M.J., Hansen, J., Jörgensen, J.A., Wu, J., Mottaghy, F.M., Schrauwen, P. and van Marken Lichtenbelt, W.D. (2013). Cold acclimation recruits human brown fat and increases nonshivering thermogenesis. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 123(8), pp.3395–3403. doi:https://doi.org/10.1172/jci68993.

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