Stress and Clutter

Living the simpler life. We are seeing this more often, yet many are feeling overwhelmed by their busy lives. Clutter can be one thing that adds to the feeling of stress. “Where are my keys? Where are the kids papers to sign?” This weekend, take a couple of hours and pick one area of your house to tackle, such as one pile of clothes, one counter of clutter, etc. Clearing out the clutter, one section at a time, helps clear out the stress.

 

Mindful Eating-Less Calories

Adding extra calories to your meals can sneak in by the way you serve them. If you serve family- style meals, you are more likely to take 2nd (or 3rd) helpings, maybe only small spoonfuls at a time. If you place your serving on your plate in the kitchen before you sit down (and don’t go back for extras), you’ll consume less food. But, keep the salad on the table for extra servings, just be mindful of the dressing

 

Stress Relief and Yoga

Stress can affect your body in many ways. According to a Yale University study, the most stressed women had bigger waistlines, probably due to excess cortisol. It has long been known that bigger waists predisposes us to cardiac disease and diabetes. One way to decrease your cortisol level is an hour of yoga. If you haven’t tried it, start with a beginner’s class or DVD and relax and enjoy!

 

Stress and Massage

What can you do for yourself that lowers levels of stress hormones, eases sore muscles and stiff joints, can reduce blood pressure and heart rate, helps manage chronic pain and enhances immune function? Go for a professional massage! For anyone who has experienced massage, the health benefits alone are excellent, but the total relaxation is hard to describe. Treat yourself or ask for a gift certificate. You are worth it!

 

Eat Less by Candlelight

Some interesting facts that may help you to eat less, from the research of Dr. Brian Wansink from Cornell University Food and Brand Lab. Bright lights boost your appetite, causing you to eat more quickly, not registering fullness and therefore causing intake of larger portions. Some suggestions are dimmer switch that you can turn down during meals, or my favorite, eat by candlelight.

 

Stress and Guided Imagery

The weekend is coming and for many it is a time to recharge for the next week. But it can turn into 2 days of whirlwind activity and we return to work on Monday still exhausted. Have you tried guided imagery to relax? Do you have a “happy place” to go to when you need down time? Guided imagery is active visualization that does take practice to achieve the best results, but works not only for stress, but for pain.

 

Green Tea Boost

Green tea is a great way to start your day on a cool morning, adding healthy antioxidants called catechins. A study at Purdue University indicates that adding citrus juice, such as lemon or orange juice to green tea, increases the absorption of the catechins by up to 80%. The health benefits of green tea have just been boosted!

 

Increase Your Melatonin

The long days of summer are gone. Some people are very sensitive to the decrease in sunlight which can lead to a decrease production of the hormone, melatonin. This can alter sleep, mood and brain function. According to a study published in Nutrition, snacking on walnuts (great source of melatonin), can boost your levels of melatonin threefold. Also an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids, try a handful each day.

 

Sugar Cravings

What do you do when those sugar cravings strike? We are hardwired to prefer sugar from birth and ingesting sugar releases dopamine, the “feel good” neurotransmitter. But then we get the blood sugar crash shortly after ingesting it. Next time, eat a fruit and protein snack (yogurt, cheese), take a brisk 5 minute walk, take 5 deep belly breaths or distract yourself by calling a friend. It stops the cycle of craving…

Stress and Coping

Your boss just gave you and a colleague a huge project with a short deadline. You begin stressing out and your colleague takes it in stride. Why the difference? We all have different patterns of coping with external events, learned over time. Do you let negative thoughts take over, worry instead of become productive? We can replace our old patterns with new techniques. Remember…it’s not the external event, but our reaction to it that causes our stress.

 

Mindful Eating

What did you have for dinner last night? Eating our meals too quickly has become so common, that sometimes we forget to truly enjoy our food. Mindful eating is about savoring each bite, being aware of what we are putting into our mouths, feeling textures, noticing different flavors, chewing well, making eating an experience. If you did not take 20 minutes to experience your meal, your brain could not even register satiety. Slow down…

 

Obesity and Portion Size

What is one of the contributors to obesity in the U.S.? Our very large portions sizes… supersize that please! Do you “listen” to your body or mindlessly eat the portions society has decided is acceptable? Try this. Eat 1/2 of what you normally eat and see if you remain satisfied for 3-4 hours. If not, try 3/4. Your body will probably be satisfied with somewhere between 1/2-3/4 of the amount, depending on what you normally eat.

 

Increasing Your Happiness

To bring more joy and happiness into your life, send some anonymous joyful, happy wishes onto someone else. Leave a note in random places wishing the recipient a day filled with happiness. Keep the message simple and sincere. You may alter that person’s outlook in a very positive way and hopefully they will pay it forward. Whenever you give with no expectations, you always get back.

 

Weight Loss and Veggies

What is one of the best strategies for successful weight loss? Eating five serving of fruits and vegetables per day. People who made this adjustment lost 25% more weight than those who focused on reducing fat. Focusing on whole foods- foods in their natural state, not processed with sauces and preservatives are best! Fill your plate with colors, which are plentiful year round.

 

Yoga, Stress and Energy

What is a natural way to calm down, relieve stress and energize your body? Try the yoga pose, downward-facing dog (see photo). It is also a great all-over stretch. If you have difficulty getting into the position, email me at jan@inspiredhealthcoaching.com and I will send you easy to follow instructions. Sure beats sugar and caffeine for a pick me up and TV to relax!

Metabolism and Spicy Food

Are you a lover of hot, spicy food? If you enjoy those spicy dishes, there is some animal research that the capsaicin that causes the zing, appears to lower blood pressure. Follow-up studies are needed to see if it works as well in humans, but capsaicin does enhance the metabolism of fat and help fight inflammation.

Stress And Happiness

Every day we are bombarded with stress from the “outside world”. Relaxation and happiness comes from a state of mind and heart from within, such as kindness or gratitude. Digging in the soil to repot houseplants, playing with your children, petting your dog, sitting with your purring cat, taking a dinner to an elderly neighbor, waking up in the morning and being grateful… What do you do?