For most people, life today means less sleep, less leisure, and less exercise; semi-present parenting, junk food eaten on the run, more caffeine and more work. Our 24/7 news cycle shouts at us from every screen, keeping us on edge with haunting images of war abroad, terror at home, and threats to our finances and health around every corner. The depth and breadth of these phenomena have so profoundly impacted the quality of our lives that the way our bodies respond to it has devolved into a new diagnosis - SuperStress Syndrome - a form of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder produced by the 21st century's over-stimulating lifestyle.Under normal conditions, confronted with dangerous challenges, the human body releases stress hormones that prepare it to meet the demands of the perceived emergency, but then returns the nervous system to a restorative state when the crisis has passed. With SuperStress, stress hormones flow unabated and, unable to adapt to and accommodate this chronic hormonal surge, the human body begins to break down. In addition to immune deficiencies, acute gastrointestinal issues, high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, obesity, and insomnia, this process creates a numbing effect, causing those who experience SuperStress to often mistakenly identify themselves as 'being in control' and able to 'rest' at will. And so the insidious biological cycle continues.The SuperStress Solution shares world-renowned integrative physician Roberta Lee's unique prescription for recognizing, rebalancing, and protecting against the symptoms of SuperStress. It provides a comprehensive questionnaire to help readers evaluate their own level of stress, as well as a healing four-week programme - a series of small, easy-to-incorporate steps toward physical and emotional wellness - that will reset the nervous system and restore a sense of serenity, a well from which to draw strength day to day.The innovative SuperStress Solution programme includes-* Specific recommendations for healing nourishment - the super-foods, herbs and supplements that repair SuperStress damage and that will sustain the body during inevitable times of stress* A detoxification diet to jumpstart the physical repair process, as well as sample menus and a long-term eating plan* Novel ideas for synchronizing routines to a saner pace as well as Dr. Lee's prescription for better sleep* Illustrated exercises that can be done in 5 minute to 1 hour increments- from walking to stretching to golfing - there's something for everyone!* Proven meditative and relaxation techniques that create sanctuary, peace and calm in the moment
Author Biography
Roberta Lee, M.D. is Vice Chair of the Department of Integrative Medicine , Director of Continuing Medical Education, and Co-Director of the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel's Continuum Center for Health and Healing (CCHH) at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. She attended George Washington University Medical School and following the completion of her residency in Internal Medicine, she served as a U.S. Public Health Service physician in Micronesia for five years. For the past ten years, she has travelled back to Micronesia as the ethno-medical specialist on an interdisciplinary team of biologists, ethno-botanists, ecologists, and conservationists studying a cross-section of cultural and botanical influences on health, healing, and the promotion of wellness in chronic disease. Dr. Lee is one of the four graduates in the first class from the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona conducted by Andrew Weil, M.D. She lives in Chappaqua, NY.
