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