Terrain Ten Highlight: Stress & Biorhythms

The Terrain Ten focus on Stress and Biorhythms from The Metabolic Approach to Cancer couldn’t have come at a more poignant time for me.

Over the past few weeks, my family and I packed up our lives and moved from Arizona to northern Nevada—our third major multi-state move in just 3.5 years. And while there’s excitement in starting fresh, there’s also the inevitable upheaval that comes with change. Amid the chaos, I started waking up at 4am, feeling more stressed and anxious than usual, and noticed how off my sleep had become. There was a metaphorical tiger chasing me, and I was about to be dinner.

I know how important sleep and stress management is for long-term health, especially when it comes to supporting the body in cancer prevention and healing. So I made restoring balance a priority—and I’m happy to say that I’m now sleeping through the night and feeling grounded again. My tiger stopped its chase.

Why Stress & Biorhythms Matter

We all deal with stress—it’s a natural part of living life as a human. But when stress becomes chronic and starts affecting our sleep, hormones, and nervous system, it can create a perfect storm for illness (like cancer) to take root or progress.

Let’s break it down:

 1. Chronic Stress Impacts the Entire Body

Stress affects the immune, endocrine, and nervous systems. Long-term elevation of cortisol (the stress hormone) can:

• Suppress immunity

• Promote inflammation

• Increase blood sugar

• Disrupt healing processes

• Contribute to cancer progression

• Increase oxidative stress

  
  

2. Tools for Stress Management

This is where mind-body practices come in—meditation, mindfulness, yoga, breathwork. These aren’t just “nice-to-haves.” They’re proven ways to activate the parasympathetic nervous system—our body’s built-in healing mode.

3. Your Body’s Internal Clock: Circadian Rhythms

Our bodies are wired to follow natural 24-hour cycles. But with poor sleep, erratic schedules, and exposure to blue light from screens, these rhythms can get completely thrown off. When that happens, it impacts everything:

• Hormone regulation

• Immune system function

• Detoxification processes

• Cellular repair during sleep

  
  

4. Aligning with Nature’s Rhythms

The Metabolic Approach emphasizes syncing our lives with nature’s rhythms. Simple steps can help restore equilibrium:

• Stick to a regular sleep schedule

• Get sunlight exposure in the morning (even when it's cloudy or inclimate!)

• Reduce artificial light and screens at night

• Support melatonin production naturally

  
  

5. Lifestyle as Prevention

Exercise, unprocessed food, nature time—these basics matter. They’re not just for “wellness” but for metabolic health and cancer prevention. When our daily habits support our rhythms, we become more resilient to inevitable periodic stressors—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

6. Integration Is the Key

When we support both stress management and biorhythmic alignment, we create the internal conditions our bodies need to heal. This balance supports not just prevention, but also treatment effectiveness.

We may live in a modern world, but our bodies still operate with ancient intelligence. Chronic stress, to our biology, still feels like a tiger is chasing us. And when we live in that constant state of hypervigilance, our systems never get the chance to do important biological processes—like catching and correcting a rogue cancer cell before it becomes dangerous.

By choosing rest, rhythm, and relaxation, we allow our bodies to focus on what truly matters:Repairing, detoxifying, and protecting us. The tiger chasing us needs to sleep too.

So whether you’re navigating a big move like me, or just feeling the daily grind of modern life, take a moment to ask:

How can I support my body’s natural rhythm today?

Your health—and your future self—will thank you for it.