In this book, Robert M. Sapolsky delves into the fascinating world of stress and its impact on our bodies. He explains why zebras, unlike humans, rarely suffer from stress-related illnesses. Sapolsky combines cutting-edge research with practical advice and engaging anecdotes to illustrate how prolonged stress can cause or intensify a range of physical and mental afflictions, including depression, ulcers, colitis, and heart disease. The book also provides essential guidance on managing stress responses and offers new insights into how stress affects sleep, addiction, anxiety, and personality disorders[3][4][5].
This book, co-authored by Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn and health psychologist Elissa Epel, explains the role of telomeres in aging and how they are affected by daily habits such as sleep quality, exercise, diet, and stress levels. The authors provide evidence from scientific studies showing that changes in lifestyle can protect telomeres, thereby increasing the number of years one remains healthy, active, and disease-free. They also discuss how chronic stress, negative thoughts, strained relationships, and environmental factors impact telomere health and offer practical advice on maintaining healthy telomeres from pregnancy through adulthood and at the community level.
This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth, Rupa Health, Essentia, and Athletic Greens.
Stress has somehow become a perceived right of passage for adults in the US. Many people feel that if they’re not stressed, they’re not working hard enough. And almost all of us have had stress build throughout our lives, a combination of trauma, life experiences, and our state of mind.
Today on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I’m excited to talk to Dr. Elissa Epel about the wide-ranging effects of chronic stress on our health and how to mitigate it to feel better and even slow the aging process. Elissa Epel, PhD is an internationally renowned health psychologist who focuses on how to live well and thrive with existential stress, despite the challenges we face personally and globally. She is a professor at UCSF and the director of UCSF’s Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center. She is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Telomere Effect which is in 30 languages. Her new book is THE STRESS PRESCRIPTION: Seven Days to More Joy and Ease.
This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth, Rupa Health, Essentia, and Athletic Greens.
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Here are more details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):
- Uncertainty tolerance and finding comfort in the unknown (4:56 / 2:55)
- How our trauma history impacts our ability to tolerate uncertainty (7:06 / 5:00)
- The difference between acute and chronic stress (14:07 / 12:00)
- How our mind states impact how we experience stress (17:21 / 15:19)
- The impact stress has on mitochondria (29:57 / 25:00)
- Incorporating hormetic or “good” stress into our lives (31:57 / 27:00)
- How meaning, purpose, and mindset impact our lives (37:00 / 34:20)
- Taking a stress inventory of your life (51:29 / 46:40)
- Telomere health and aging (56:47 / 52:12)
- Mitigating stress at the start of your day (1:03:13 / 57:25)
Get a copy of The Stress Prescription: 7 Days to More Joy and Ease.
Mentioned in this episode
Sauna use as a lifestyle practice to extend healthspan
The Dr. Hyman Show 
