| This description of a typical high-stress lifestyle may | | | | December 2005 issue of "Medicine and Science in |
| sound familiar to you... very familiar...You get up in the | | | | Sports and Exercise" concluded that walking on a |
| morning, and you're running late, so the stress begins | | | | treadmill for just 30 minutes can boost your mood |
| before you're even done eating breakfast. You rush | | | | and feeling of well-being.(2) Eat Regularly and |
| off to work, stressing about whether you'll make it | | | | Healthfully - Skipping meals is probably the worst |
| to work on time and then stressing about whether | | | | thing you can do for your health. Low blood sugar |
| you'll get a speeding ticket on the way and end up | | | | levels that result from skipping meals not only slow |
| really late. When you get to work, you're stressing | | | | down the metabolism but slow down virtually every |
| about your job performance, your demanding boss | | | | system in the body. This in turn affects your ability |
| and whether you'll get that promotion. When you're | | | | to think clearly and contributes to stressful feelings |
| not stressing about your performance at work, | | | | because of hunger pangs.Have a healthy breakfast |
| you're stressing about your son's performance in | | | | for starters. One of my favorites is one cup of slow |
| school. As you're stressing over the traffic on the | | | | cooked oats, (not instant oatmeal which is loaded |
| way home, you're stressing about your upcoming | | | | with preservatives) with banana, blueberries and a |
| vacation plans. Finally, you're on your way out the | | | | tablespoon of lecithin granules (very effective for |
| door for vacation, but now you've got airport and | | | | lowering cholesterol). Avoid processed foods such as |
| flying stress!It seems like you can't avoid it. Out of | | | | bacon and sausage, which are high in fat and lack |
| the frying pan into the fire, from one stress to the | | | | fiber and nutrients. You should also eat small portions |
| next you go. It may even seem amusing on the | | | | throughout the day. This will keep your metabolic fire |
| surface, all these little things stressing us out, but it's | | | | burning hot and keep your blood sugar levels |
| not a laughing matter at all. Getting control over the | | | | stable.(3) Learn to Meditate - Research indicates that |
| stress in your life can be a matter of life and death. | | | | meditating for less than 20 minutes a day is |
| If you're perpetually stressed and you don't learn | | | | extremely conducive to mental health and minimizing |
| what to do about it, you could become a prime | | | | stress levels. The key is finding the time to meditate |
| candidate for high blood pressure - the silent | | | | and then sticking with it once you start. A study |
| killer.Medical experts estimate that 90 percent of | | | | published in the journal of Psychosomatic Medicine |
| Americans will have high blood pressure at some | | | | concluded that a short program in "mindfulness |
| point in their lives. With staggering statistics like this | | | | meditation" produced lasting positive changes in both |
| on their minds, researchers from the University of | | | | the brain and the function of the immune system. |
| Pittsburgh embarked on a 13-year study to see if | | | | The University of Wisconsin-Madison research team |
| early-life stressors impacted someone's future blood | | | | found that meditation, long promoted as a technique |
| pressure levels.Following more than 5,000 men and | | | | to reduce anxiety and stress, might produce |
| women between the ages of 18 and 30, the | | | | important biological effects that improve a person's |
| researchers studied the subjects' cardiovascular | | | | resiliency.There are many ways to meditate, but |
| activity through a series of rather unusual tests, | | | | start by finding a serene location, one where there |
| including submersing the subject's hands in ice cold | | | | are little to no distractions, where you can separate |
| water and having them engage in stressful video | | | | yourself from the world. Then, just like you see on |
| games.After taking each person's blood pressure, | | | | television or in any other place that illustrates |
| they hypothesized that participants with the highest | | | | meditation, sit upright with your legs crossed and |
| blood pressure readings would be precursors to high | | | | take long, deep breaths in and out. Focus as much as |
| readings later in life. Thirteen years later, when the | | | | you can on your breathing and try to not let your |
| test results were re-evaluated--you guessed it--a | | | | mind wander. Be an observer; focus on your inner |
| significant number of those same participants had | | | | self.One of the reasons meditation is so effective at |
| become hypertensive. The study was published in the | | | | reducing stress is because of the power of breathing |
| American Heart Association journal Circulation.So how | | | | properly. Go ahead and try it - right now. Take a |
| do you go about minimizing your tendency towards | | | | long, deep breath through your nose... hold it, hold it.... |
| getting stressed? Is it even possible in today's fast | | | | Then slowly let it out through your mouth, and say |
| paced, information-overloaded and hectic society? | | | | to your self, silently, RELAX. Even with that one |
| The answer is yes and you're about to learn | | | | single breath, you felt a wave of relaxation pass |
| how.First, I'd like you to consider the fact that I'm | | | | through your body as tension drained away. Now |
| not suggesting that you stop everything you're doing. | | | | imagine what a session of twenty, fifteen, ten or |
| You don't necessarily have to slow down, you simply | | | | even just five minutes per day, whatever you can |
| need to calm down. With that thought in mind, here | | | | manage, of deep breathing meditation or guided |
| are some action steps you can take starting today, | | | | relaxation will do for you.The benefits of meditation |
| which will make a big difference in keeping your | | | | are remarkable and this is not just some mystical |
| stress levels under control, and minimizing the | | | | Eastern "new age" prattle - the scientific research |
| negative effects of stress that cannot be avoided.(1) | | | | now proves it. One way to easily get started with a |
| Exercise - Besides being good for your body, | | | | meditation is with hypnosis audios. Did you know that |
| exercise is good for your brain. Exercise stimulates | | | | hypnosis sessions begin by using deep breathing to |
| the release of endorphins, which make us feel happy, | | | | induce a state of deep, deep relaxation? In fact, |
| and at ease. It also helps to increase the flow of | | | | when you "let go" and let a hypnotherapist guide you |
| blood in the brain, ridding the mind of waste products | | | | through it, whether in person, or more conveniently, |
| that develop in the course of stressful times when | | | | by listening to audio, you automatically release |
| mental processes are in excess. Furthermore, the | | | | tension, reduce stress and reach a deeper state of |
| more fit you are, the more you're able to cope with | | | | profound relaxation than any other way.Frank |
| events in life that bring about stress.I recommend a | | | | Mangano is a natural health expert and best selling |
| minimum of 30 minutes of walking most days of the | | | | author who teaches you how to dramatically improve |
| week, gradually increasing to 45 minutes to 1 hour | | | | your health naturally without expensive and |
| most days of the week. A study published in the | | | | potentially dangerous prescription drugs. |