Stress has both striking and subtle effects on body systems when present on an ongoing basis. To begin with, it changes the pattern of bacteria in your gut from healthier to less healthy, which can affect the immune system, health and disease over time.

In addition, one of the lesser-known effects of chronic stress is how it affects the body's different hormone systems.

During sustained stress, the body needs to produce higher levels of cortisol to adapt to what it perceives is a life or death situation, and it will do everything it can to maintain the cortisol levels.

However, the ability to produce this much cortisol on a sustained basis is a challenge. One of the main ways the body succeeds is by diverting hormone resources into the pathway that makes cortisol.

However, when the body diverts molecules once earmarked for conversion into hormones (like testosterone and estrogen) into cortisol for short-term survival, it decreases the levels of these important sex steroids. This process of redirection is called the cortisol steal.

Mind-body practices like T'ai Chi, Yoga and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), along with adequate sleep, social support and fresh air can all help tone down stress responses.