Relieve Stress at Your Workplace: It Might Just Help You Manage Your Weight!
No doubt about it, when we feel stressed we want to raid the candy machine, or down a pint of ice cream. Of course we feel immediate gratification because of the "feel good" endorphins that are released when we eat something we love but now new research confirms these food urges are caused by more than endorphins.
Elissa Epel, PhD, a health psychology researcher at the University of California at San Francisco explains that when we are stressed a hormone called cortisol is released which can increase our appetite specifically for sweets. Moreover, the more ongoing stress we have on a day to day basis such as a demanding job can lead to cortisol levels being elevated all of the time, and can facilitate the deposit of fat in the deep belly area which is known to increase health risks.
Stress is a fight-or-flight response characterized by increased heart rate, increased breathing, increased blood pressure, and a 300 to 400 percent increase in the amount of blood flowing to our muscles, which prepares us to run or to flight. Unfortunately, in today’s world we don’t run nor do we flight. Yet the adrenaline and other hormones released during this process leads to a number of symptoms including:
? Anxiety
? Depression
? Excessive anger and hostility
? High blood pressure
? Insomnia (lack of sleep)
? Racing Heart
? Risk factor for heart attacks
? Tiredness
The most common behaviors that people use to cope with the symptoms of stress are:
? Critical attitude towards others
? Overuse of alcohol
? Compulsive eating
? Inability to get things done
? Smoking
As you can see, the most common coping strategies are not exactly healthy or positive choices. One problem is that many of the healthy choices such as exercise, yoga, and meditation aren’t easy to do during the workday. What is easy is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup calling your name every time you pass the vending machine. But wait! There is another choice to relieve stress while at work. Deep breathing can help you to get through the extra stress of the workday.Deep breathing can help you to relax by lowering your blood pressure, slowing your heart rate, and easing muscle tension and the best part is you can do it at your desk. The Mayo Clinic Women’s Healthsource offers instructions on how to practice deep breathing.
* Sit in a comfortable chair with feet flat on the floor.
* Close your eyes or focus on an object in the room.
* Inhale slowly through your nose. Visualize your diaphragm moving down to create more room for your lungs to expand.
* Notice your lower abdomen expand as it fills with air
* When your lungs are full, slowly let air out through your mouth.
* Repeat as many times as you need to. Be sure you have cleared your mind of the worry list that was present before.
* When you are ready to end your session, don’t jump out of your chair. Slowly bring yourself back into your surroundings.
Practicing deep breathing regularly can provide great health rewards such as reducing anxiety, conserving energy, improving sleep, improving concentration, and relieving muscle tension. Coping with your stress in a healthy manner will help you to avoid the stress-induced temptations of the vending machine so you can manage your health and your weight with success.
? Meri Raffetto, 2005
Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and a recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. She is the owner of Real Living Nutrition Services providing interactive online weight management programs. Sign up for her free monthly nutrition newsletter at reallivingnutrition.com
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Hoodia – An Elixir that Fights Obesity Part 1
Humanity is always in search of a wonder drug that ends all physical ailments. While it is a wishful thinking yet, there are areas where the dream is almost accomplished. One such problem that has got an answer is obesity.
Obesity is the excessive deposition of fat in the subcutaneous layer that increases the weight of the body. It creates an imbalance, renders the body inefficient in terms of normal physical activities, and runs the risk of catching fatal diseases like cardiac disorder. What if there is a natural cure of obesity?
With the discovery of Hoodia, a natural ingredient obesity is no longer a major problem. Hoodia Gordonii is a cactus originally used by the Bushmen belonging to region around Kalahari Desert. These undernourished people used the cactus to repress the desire for food during their hunting expeditions.
Why Hoodia is a wonder drug?
Scientifically speaking, glucose is the basic energy releasing substance. Hoodia contains a molecule that is exactly 10,000 times more active in comparison to glucose. There are nerve cells within the brain that judge glucose sugar. When they realize the presence of glucose, they charge up the body as if it has taken food. Thus, Hoodia diminishes hunger and the person does not need food for a considerable period.
Hoodia is coined as the ‘new miracle diet ingredient’ and no wonder it is a natural miracle. It lowers the food intake by 30% to 40% and this astonishing figure can really bring back the obese in figure. Hoodia strikes on the root cause by lowering the appetite. When one does not feel the appetite, he or she is unlikely to take food.
The benefits of Hoodia
1. Hoodia is very effective in minimizing weight. It reduces the food intake by 1000 calories a day.
2. Hoodia is a completely natural ingredient. The tablets formed from it are made by concentrating the extracts of the cactus plant.
3. It reduces the appetite without any ill effects.
4. It lends the feeling that the stomach is full.
5. When the urge for food is minimal, the intake of junk food, one of the primary causes of obesity, is also reduced.
6. It keeps the body charged with energy, so one is charged up even after reducing the food intake considerably.
An experiment conducted on an obese group with sedentary work revealed that they were able to minimize their food intake by 1000 calories a day by using Hoodia. Any negative effect of Hoodia has not been found yet and that makes it an ideal choice. Excessive use of Hoodia may cause some harm; food intake should not be completely substituted with Hoodia. Food is an essential requirement of a living body and nothing could replace it.
Thus, this extract, which served the African tribe, San to combat hunger, is ready to serve its new users, the tremendously overweight people to combat the hazards of obesity. It is a wonder drug with miraculous effect.
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