YOUR LIFE: October 2008

Friday, October 31, 2008

LIVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT !

Focus on what's right in front of you, using your senses to connect with the environment. Take a few seconds to smell the aroma of the food you're eating and savor its taste. Take a few steps and let go of thoughts, feeling the ground massaging your feet with each step.

FOOD MAGIC FOR THAT SPECIAL FEELING !

Certain foods contain compounds that may help the body produce mood-boosting neurochemicals.The following foods have been shown to produce a noticeable calming effect: turkey (high in tryptophan, taurine and B6); pumpkin seeds, spinach and black beans (all high in magnesium); papaya (high in vitamin C); and bananas (high in potassium).

LAUGH AT LIFE !

According to a University of California, Irvine study, even the expectation of a laugh boosts stress-busting hormones and increases hormones that induce relaxation—an effect that can last for up to 24 hours. Read a comic strip, check out the joke of the day or make funny faces in the mirror until you bust out with a belly laugh.

JUMPING JACKS ARE COOL !

Break the tension of long days by doing 10 jumping jacks, push-ups or anything that gets the blood flowing through the body. "This helps to release endorphins, which are a natural stress reliever.

CARBS FOR THAT CALM FEELING !

Complex carbohydrates boost serotonin levels and keep a heightened sense of calm and relaxation for a longer period of time. Target carbs include whole-grain foods and cereals—such as whole-grain breads, oats and brown rice—as well as legumes such as peas, beans and lentils.

THINK RELAXING THOUGHTS !

"Reframing simply means putting a different context around the situation. For example, think of time spent in a long line as a break from a busy day—a chance to relax your mind or meet someone new like the person standing next to you. A positive spin can counteract the stress-induced physiological changes that wreak havoc on your body

STRETCH FOR THAT RELAXED FEELING !

Sit in a chair with your left foot on the floor. Put your right ankle on your left knee and lean forward with a stretch. Hold it as far as you can go, then bend forward a bit more. Repeat on the other side. This opens up your hips and balances that tensed up muscle feeling.

YOGIC POSTURES DO HELP !

"When we get stressed, we tend to tense up and cave our chest in," says Lissa. She recommends folding your hands as if in prayer behind your back, then pulling your shoulders back, tilting your head back and breathing deeply.

DID YOU MEAN BERRIES ?

Blueberries, blackberries and other berries contain some of nature's most powerful antioxidants and are jam-packed with vitamin C, making them potent stress-busters. Stress causes the body to release free radicals—highly unstable oxygen molecules that can damage normal cells—and antioxidants help to neutralize those harmful molecules.

Self-administer acupressure," suggests Susan Lark MD, a leading authority on integrative medicine and women's health. Put your left finger at the base of your skull, then move it down the width of one finger, and then move it to the left the width of one finger. Position your right finger in the same place on the right side. Press both points for one to three minutes. According to Dr. Lark, a second stress-busting point is located four finger-widths below your kneecap and one finger-width to the outside of your shin. (You should feel a slight indentation.)

POP THAT STRESS PILL !

Researchers at the University of Alabama say that vitamin C reduces the levels of stress hormones in the blood, which may alleviate the body's response to stress. Studies suggest that 1,000 mg of vitamin C is most helpful.

SURE SMELLS REAL GOOD !

Aromatherapy has calming effects that can tame the tension in no time. Proven stress-reducing aromas include lavender, lemon balm, chamomile and geranium. Carol Duncan, a registered aromatherapist and owner of Massage Central says to place a few drops of essential oils on cotton balls and place them a few inches from fans or heater vents or underneath your car seat. "Each time air passes over the cotton ball, the essential oils are reintroduced to the area," she explains.

ARE YOU ALL EARS FOR THIS ?

"According to Ayurveda, India's 5,000-year-old 'science of life,' there are marma points—like acupuncture points—in the ears that correspond to the various parts of the body," says Lissa Coffey, author/producer of the Dosha Yoga DVD. Simply rub the circumference of each ear—right hand on right ear and left hand on left ear—to instantly ease tension.

ARE YOU NUTS , REALLY ?

Next time you feel a bit cracked up, forgo the junk food and snack on some nuts instead. Nuts are typically high in tryptophan and magnesium, two key nutrients that support serotonin production. And almonds are especially high in stress-busting B vitamins, zinc, vitamin E and antioxidants

BLACK TEA IS GOOD FOR YOU !

Black tea has been shown to have an effect on stress hormone levels in the body. Researchers in England have found that people who drink black tea de-stress more quickly than those drinking a fake tea substitute. Tea contains catechins, polyphenols, flavonoids and amino acids that affect your brain's neurotransmitters and ultimately reduce blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

LEARN TO DESTRESS YOUR LIFE !

Whether we're fretting over that pile of monthly bills or anticipating an exciting change like the birth of a new nephew, the million things we've got going on can leave us all feeling like big balls of stress—and that can wreak serious havoc on our health. But you don't need to turn your life inside out to beat the effects of stress. You need to learn quick and easy natural solutions that can help you stay mellow in a crazy world.

SEEK OUT LAUGHTER IN YOUR LIFE !

Watch comedy DVD’s and TV shows. Remember classics like the Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges.
Go to comedy clubs.
Listen to comedy while driving.
Read comic authors.
Seek out funny people.
Spend less time with overly serious people.
Bring humor into conversations. Ask people, “What’s the funniest thing that happened to you today? This week? In your life?”

THE JOKE IS ON YOU !

Laugh at yourself.

Share your embarrassing                     moments. The best way to take ourselves less seriously is                     talk about times when we took ourselves too seriously.

YOUR LIFE TOO SERIOUS ?

Be less serious.

Realize that while your ambitions may be noble, being overly serious about them weighs you down and lessens your chances for achieving them.

YOUR LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE !

View your life in context.

Even world leaders realize they have limited ability to affect others’ lives. While we might think taking the weight of the world on our shoulders is admirable, in the long run it’s unrealistic, unproductive, unhealthy and even egotistical.

BLESSINGS IN YOUR LIFE !

Count your blessings.

Literally make a list. The simple act of considering the good things in your life will distance you from negative thoughts that are a barrier to humor and laughter. When in a state of sadness, we have further to travel to get to humor and laughter.

SMILE ALL YOUR LIFE !

Smile.

Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Like laughter, it’s contagious. Pioneers in “laugh therapy,” find it’s possible to laugh without even experiencing a funny event. The same holds for smiling. When you look at someone or see something even mildly pleasing, practice smiling.

LAUGH YOUR LIFE TENSIONS AWAY !

Laughter stimulates both sides of the brain to enhance learning. It eases muscle tension and psychological stress, which keeps the brain alert and allows people to retain more information

LAUGH THOSE CALORIES AWAY !

Laughter can be a great workout for your diaphragm, abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg, and back muscles. It massages abdominal organs, tones intestinal functioning, and strengthens the muscles that hold the abdominal organs in place. Not only does laughter give your midsection a workout, it can benefit digestion and absorption functioning as well. It is estimated that hearty laughter can burn calories equivalent to several minutes on the rowing machine or the exercise bike.

LAUGH AT LIFE TO PROTECT YOUR HEART !

Laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help protect you against a heart attack, according to the study at the University of Maryland Medical Center (cited above). The study, which is the first to indicate that laughter may help prevent heart disease, found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.

LAUGH YOUR BP LOWER !

People who laugh heartily on a regular basis have lower standing blood pressure than the average person. When people have a good laugh, initially the blood pressure increases, but then it decreases to levels below normal. Breathing then becomes deeper which sends oxygen enriched blood and nutrients throughout the body.

LAUGHTER FOR BODY & SOUL !

"Laughter activates the chemistry of the will to live and increases our capacity to fight disease. Laughing relaxes the body and reduces problems associated with high blood pressure, strokes, arthritis, and ulcers. Some research suggests that laughter may also reduce the risk of heart disease. Historically, research has shown that distressing emotions (depression, anger, anxiety, and stress) are all related to heart disease. A study done at the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests that a good sense of humor and the ability to laugh at stressful situations helps mitigate the damaging physical effects of distressing emotions.

A good hearty laugh can help: