B Y N A N C Y G E L S T O N F R I E S

It’s the most wonderful

time of the year.

stressed
With the kids jingle belling Today’s stress arises mostly from
psychological rather than physical influ-
ences, yet it induces the same physi-
And everyone telling you, ologic responses that were meant to help
us escape from, say, a saber-toothed
“Be of good cheer.” tiger. When that saber-toothed tiger
takes the form of boss, your husband,
or your unruly toddler, there may seem
It’s also the most STRESSFUL to be no escape.
“Stress creates disease through
time of the year. interaction of the brain with the immune
and hormone systems,” Hamilton says.
“Think of the brain as the general or
commander, the hor mones as the
manage your stress with physical outlets like exer-
cise, especially when it includes social bonding.
pp Do you have aches and pains and feel
exhausted? You’re probably a HypoS, char-
acterized by low cortisol, the most common
stress type. You could benefit from rhythmically
paced exercise like Pilates, swimming, walking
or meditation.
ppAre you disengaged and emotionally flat?
You may be a HypoP, a rare state in which the
nervous and hormonal systems become imbal-
anced. If so, you should keep an emotion log
to help correlate thoughts and feelings with
physical symptoms like intestinal pain.

s
It isn’t easy to be of good cheer when stress
pervades your daily existence. Whether it’s the
in-laws overstaying their welcome, piles of
presents to wrap, crowds at the mall, or just
the harried pace of everyday life, stress affects
each of us. Yet it affects each of us differently.
ppNo matter how you respond to stress, a new
book by two local obstetrician-gynecologists
may help you feel merrier, not just for the holi-
days, but forever. Stephanie McClellan, M.D. and
Beth Hamilton, M.D. are so approachable and
downright normal; they’re as likely to be your
BFFs as your OB-GYNs. Which makes it all the
messengers sending signals through-
out the body to coordinate their actions, and
the immune system as the warriors to protect
from foreign invaders. These systems work
together to protect wellness, but when things
break down, they can promote disease.”
Bearing in mind this delicate balance,
McClellan and Hamilton engage their patients
in small talk before their exams. Their theory is,
if they know what’s happening in a patient’s life,
they are better able to gauge her stress level
and its impact on her health. “There are only a
few patients a day who say, ‘I feel fantastic,’”
McClellan says. The rest are typically stressed
ppAre you a high-achiever who pushes herself
until she crashes? You may be a HyperP, with a
transient stress rebound response that resolves
with rest. If so, you could benefit from better
time management and dietary changes.
McClellan and Hamilton offer detailed recom-
mendations on nutrition, exercise, and restor-
ative practices specifically tailored to each stress
type. For example, you may already know it’s
best to eat whole, unprocessed foods, but are
you getting enough tryptophan and tyrosine?
The book tells you which foods contain these
amino acids and why they might ease your
stress. The doctors also note the profound

25 more impressive that, in addition to raising kids

and running their practice, they’ve written So
Stressed: The Ultimate Stress-Relief Plan
for Women, to be released in January (Free
Press, $26).
“The greatest biological experiment in the
last 50 years is the way we’ve changed how
we interact socially and how we have changed
our food source,” McClellan says. Think texting,
internet, fast food, prepared foods. “We’ve never
been sicker, we’ve never been sadder, and we’ve
never been fatter,” she says.
out. Many go from doctor to doctor seeking
relief from symptoms caused by a hormonal
imbalance due to stress.
To feel well, women need to restore the
balance between the brain, the hormones
and the immune system by managing their
stress. But stress elicits different biochemical
and behavioral reactions in different people.
In their book, McClellan and Hamilton identify
four different stress types and provide practical
advice for managing each type. To summarize:
ppAre you wound-up, edgy, and unable to relax?
You’re likely a HyperS who produces a high
level of the hormone cortisol. You should try to
impact of a woman’s perceived quality of friend-
ships on her ability to cope with stress. Email
is no substitute for lunch with a good friend.
Can behavioral modification really make
a difference in your stress level? “Cognition
trumps emotion,” McClellan says. In other
words, knowing you are armed with the tools
to control your stress, you can overcome the
emotional component that triggers the stress
in the first place. So, even if you can’t escape
the saber-toothed tiger, you can remain calm
in his presence.

About the Authors

the ultimate Stephanie McClellan, M.D., and Beth Hamilton, M.D., both educated
at USC, are partners in a Newport Beach practice specializing in

stress-relief plan
gynecology and women’s health. Dr. McClellan has served as Chairman
of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department and as a consultant to
Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital for 10 years and helped found the

for women
Women’s Health Pavilion. Dr. Hamilton serves as a women’s health advisor
to the hospital. Dr. McClellan is mother to three grown sons and
Dr. Hamilton has two school-aged boys.

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