We compartmentalized the stress and ongoing trauma, flattening it into something survivable, but we nonetheless ate it for breakfast, and lunch, and dinner. We swam in that stress. We slept in it. We swallowed it in gulps. We lived through it, and we told ourselves stories of resilience, because what other choice did we have. But the body is bad at... See more

Studies show that physical stressors like exercise or fasting trigger adaptive responses in our cells, boosting resilience and longevity. Mice exposed to mild stressors (e.g., temperature changes) outlived their pampered counterparts. Apply that to humans: a 2021 study in Nature Aging linked regular physical challenge—hiking, running, lifting... See more

When stress hormones stop insulin from storing glucose for extended periods of time, we are at greater risk for diabetes and obesity. When they make the heart pump harder and the blood vessels constrict for months on end, we become prone to cardiovascular disease. And when inflammation goes unchecked, the immune system can become overactive—so

... See more