Health Maintenance - Diabetes

Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death by disease in the world today. More and more people are now afflicted with diabetes. Today diabetes is affecting about 250 million people and the trend is set to increase to almost 400 million by 2025. We can prevent the increase in the disease by taking good care of our body.

Diabetes is the largest cause of kidney failure. This aside, the complications of diabetes include heart and blood vessel disease, nerve damage, and retinopathy.

Now that we know the consequences of diabetes, we can keep it at bay by constantly monitoring our health, especially our diet. Even if we are healthy, there is no guarantee that diabetes will not strike.

As medical research has proven time and again, continually consuming high sugar content in food coupled with a high carbohydrate diet can cause the body cells to become less sensitive to insulin.

Once the body becomes insensitive to insulin, the pancreas compensates by making more insulin. Years later the pancreas will simply snap.

For healthy body maintenance in diabetes, it is best to take note of the following:

1. Focus on eating a balanced diet where you go for good protein and good fat with low glycemic carbohydrates. You can take vegetables and its oils, olive oil, nuts and beans for protein and fats.

Salmon and tuna are very rich in the omega 3 fatty acids.

Fowl can be the source of protein while the carbohydrates can come from vegetables. However, you should avoid refined foods. Flour based food should also be minimised or totally eliminated.

Foods like fiber, brussels sprouts, cucumbers, green beans, soy beans, tofu and garlic have an insulin-like action on the body and should be included in the diet regularly.

2. Make sure you exercise regularly to ensure body sensitivity to insulin. Even brisk walking for about 30 minutes 3 times weekly is sufficient.

3. Supplements like Vitamins C, E and Selinium in addition to a good combination of multivitamins and minerals should be taken everyday for body maintenance.

Omega 3 as well as evening primrose oil capsule 1000 mg daily should be included in your daily supplements

Lastly, stop drinking coffee and alcohol, and quit smoking. Where possible, avoid stress and obesity.

Diabetes Control Solution

If you happen to have diabetes, keeping your blood sugar under control is important. This is why you use a diabetic monitor to keep track of your blood sugar. Along with the monitor, it is important that you use diabetes control solution as well. However, many people are not aware of what these solutions are, how they work, and why they should be used. Here's a closer look at these diabetes control solutions and how you can use them to help keep your diabetes well under control.

What is It?

First of all, you may be wondering what exactly diabetes control solution is. Well, when you use strips sometimes the chemical on them is not as effective and readings can end up looking wrong to you. Instead of trying your own blood again, you can use the solution on the strip to see if there is a problem. Essentially these diabetes control solutions are sugar water. It comes in a little vial and usually comes along with your monitor. While some people think it is for cleaning, this is not the case.

When are You Supposed to Use It?

Wondering when to use the solution? Well, this should be used on strips that you just open. This way you can make sure that the strips are good. Also, if you have a bottle of the testing strips that has been open for some time, it's a good idea to use the diabetes control solution to test them to make sure that the chemical on them is still working the way that it should.

Using the Solution.

So, how do you use control solutions? It's actually fairly easy to do. You perform the test with the solution the very same way that you would test your own blood. Place the strip into the meter, then put a tiny drop of the diabetes control solution onto your finger and touch the strip to the solution so that it sucks in the solution. After it does the count down, it will give you a number. On the back of your strips, you'll see a number which is usually between 120 and 198. This will let you know the range that the number should be in. If it is within range, then your strips are fine. If it is higher or lower than the range on the strips, then there is probably a problem with those strips and you should not use them.

As long as you don't open the diabetes control solution, it will last for a year and it probably has an expiration date on it to let you know when it is outdated. However, if you decide to open and use the solution, it will only be good for 3 months after you open it. So, if you go beyond that, make sure that you get a new bottle to use so that you don't get false readings from outdated solution.

The Solution to Reversing Diabetes

Maybe you have just been told that you are diabetic or someone in your family is a diabetic. Understand that diabetes is a serious chronic illness, but there are solutions out there that can help you reverse this disease. Diabetes is an abnormal blood sugar which can cause damage to your kidneys, eyes and nerves.

The solution to this situation is changing the way you eat, lose weight and start exercising. Almost everyone wants to lose weight, but if you have diabetes you will need to lose weight. It is believed that being overweight is one of the causes of diabetes, so in order to reverse diabetes you need to drop some weight.

Exercise needs to be done every day in order to control your blood sugar. If you exercise regularly you will lose weight, bring your blood glucose down and probably take no medication. There is another side effect of exercise and that is it will bring down your blood pressure and your cholesterol level.

Consider joining a gym and think about a personal trainer until you feel comfortable and know what you need to do. A personal trainer could set up a work out plan for you and guide you along the way. Also with the gym there are no excuses in bad weather and you will meet some nice people along the way.

Diet for diabetes does not contain any special food just healthy food. A blend of carbohydrates, protein and fat separated during the day to give you energy and supply the needed nutrients and fiber so you will feel full and your blood sugar will come down to normal.

Decide that today is the day that you will follow that diet, exercise and lose weight. Don't let diabetes control you - you control it! There are diabetic meals plans online.

Diabetes Solution to Cure This Metabolic Disorder

Have you tested positive for high sugar levels? If so, there is no need to panic, as the good news is that if you follow the right diabetes solutions to keep insulin resistance at bay, you will be leading a much healthier and happier life than your counterparts with normal sugar levels! Here are some tips that will help you lead a normal life if you are a diabetic:

• Get your sugar checked regularly: - If you have a family history of diabetes, it is advisable to go for annual blood sugar testing. The doctors will ask you to get your fasting, as well as post meal sugar tested to get a clear indication if you are at risk of developing this disease. If you are already suffering from the disease, then a periodic health checkup becomes all the more important. Get your blood sugar or urine tested at least once a month and get the checkup done of all your vital organs to rule out any complications. Early detection will always help you find a viable and better solution for your diabetes.

• Shed those extra pounds with diet and exercise: - A bulging belly is one of the leading causes of insulin resistance. Visit a nutritionist who can help you come up with a right diet chart to keep abdominal fat in check. A high fiber, high protein, and complex carbohydrate diet will not only help you lose weight, but will also regulate your sugar levels. Along with a healthy diet, regular exercise is equally important if you want to bring you're the disorder under control. Indulge in a physical activity of your choice for 45 minutes every alternate day to balance your sugar levels.

• Try natural supplements: Aloe Vera gel, ginseng, and other supplements made using essential minerals and vitamins stimulate insulin production and prepare your cells to absorb the insulin. You should include these herbal supplements in your daily routine, as they are certainly one of the best diabetes solutions. However, do not forget to consult your doctor or stop taking your medications initially when you start taking these supplements to regulate your sugar levels.

• Keep away from alcohol and fruit juices: - Do you know that alcohol is prepared from molasses, which is nothing but fructose? Regular consumption of alcohol will shoot your sugar levels sky high, so if you want to control diabetes, say no to alcohol. Instead, quench your thirst with plain water or sugar free drinks. It is also better to eat a fresh fruit rather than have fruit juice, since the latter contains more sugar and little or no fiber. Stress can also trigger diabetes. Follow some relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation to keep the disease at bay.

A Teacher and Stress - Food That Amplifies Anxiety

Teachers and stress actually go hand in hand. With teaching, there is always that loop of anxiety. And stress is always associated with any profession regardless if it is teaching or what not.

The most that a teacher can do is to prevent and stop stress from happening. Much more, it is also suggested to avoid amplifying it for it can produce more damage on your end. As a teacher, our health is one thing that we need to value and treasure because if we are sick, we surely can't perform our best. Thus, if you know that you are under this terrible spell, it is better to prevent it as early as possible. And one thing that can aid you in this venture is to not take foods that can only augment stress. Here are some things that you must definitely stay away from.

Food #1: Coffee. This is definitely a no-no when you are under stress. Coffee has been known to contain neuro stimulators. One instance of which is caffeine. Since you are already anxious in time of stress, aggravating the initial emotion can only worsen the situation. This in turn can induce more sleeplessness on your end and even involuntary shaking. This also adds nervousness and even worse, peptic ulcers.

Food #2: Junk foods and fast foods. These foods are considered delicious in the taste buds of many. But even doctors and health enthusiasts would tag these types of food as dangerous and lacking in nutrition. Thus when under duress, it is better not to take junk foods and fast foods. They contain fats and carbohydrates in inappropriate proportions. When you are experiencing anxiety, it is better to induce more energy by using vitamins to fill our body with the much needed nutrition. Junk food definitely can't deliver it.

Food #3: Beverages. Sodas and alcoholic drinks are top beverages that you must not drink when you are under stress. Just like junk foods and fast foods, these don't contain any nutritional value. They have large doses of sugar and carbon dioxide. When your body is experiencing anxiety, it actually accumulates carbon dioxide, which can deteriorate one's health. If you take in sodas and more, you are actually adding the pressure into your system causing more harm and evsen the risk of diabetes.

Food is a very essential tool that must be used properly to help our body cope with stress. Thus if you are a mentor experiencing a difficult time, do your body a favor. Do not push it to its limit. Rather, help it and reduce the pressure of anxiety. As a teacher and stress piling up everyday, the best solution you can actually do is to take in foods that are both recommended and healthy.

Top 5 Best Stress Relief Tips

Our world today is filled with stress. Just take a look around the office and also right there in your home. You will find someone close to you who is suffering from it, perhaps even you as well. That is why it is best for you to learn about some stress relief tips so you can live a more relaxed and meaningful life.

The truth is because of the way we are living our lives today, it is almost impossible to live without being hounded with stress. You need to learn how to take in charge of your body, mind and life and to manage stress in general. You can do this by making some changes in your environment, your daily schedules or just to take a break every now and then. This last one is where we will base most of the tips that we will discuss in this article.

The following are just some of the best stress relief tips that you can give a try. Check which one will be perfect for you.

One of the top stress relief techniques would be enjoying some day spa services. Top of mind would be some massage services. Among the popular ones are shiatsu, Swedish massage, Thai massage, sports massage, and reflexology. There are also facial treatments should you want to have a cleaner and more glowing skin.

Take your lunch break and coffee break when you're at work. Office breaks are designed to help employees regain their energy and to, well, take a break from their jobs. Your one hour lunch break is very important and you should eat during time because it will give you the energy to continue working.

You can also do some exercise. It might surprise you but many people can better cope with stress if they exercise on a regular basis. This actually makes sense because exercise makes your body stronger and more resistant against common diseases and also stress.

Why not try some stress relief toys? The most popular of this would be the stress ball. Just a squeeze or two and you can immediately feel that your stress has been lessened. Aside from balls there are also board games, pillows, stuffed toys and other similar items designed to keep stress at bay.

Go on a vacation. Go to the beach. Spend a day or two in a resort. Ride a horse in a farm. Go and see the world. Sometimes when your stress has gotten too grave, that only a vacation can truly help lowering it. And do not say you cannot afford to be away from the office even if just for a day or two. You can always go for a leave, after all you will not be away for a long time.

These are just some of the stress relief tips that you can always try. The keyword in these tips is break. You should know when to take a break because if you just continue working, you will eventually get sick or at the very least, get really tired, too tired to any other tasks.

Learning to Avoid Stress in the Workplace

Most people assume that when you are talking about work, you mean going to an office. Work for each of you is individual, it could be a home office, at your kitchen table, or on the move somewhere. Wherever you are working and also whether employed or self employed you will experience frustrations and annoyances, which over time can manifest into Stress.

Stress can be caused by your own behaviours or by outside influences, however ultimately we all have some degree of control in how we manage ourselves.

I'm making an assumption that because you are reading this article you want to learn about reducing stress in the workplace, or remind yourself on what you could do.

One of my specialist areas is self awareness, so I'm going to focus much of what I say around that, along with some other snippets thrown in. So, here are my thoughts:

Learn to understand what is frustration, anxiety and full blown stress. By recognising this within yourself you will be able to detect the subtle differences between those emotions (plus any others you might experience in between)

Consider any specific trigger points, a certain person that you just can't seem to get on with, a person who approaches tasks in a completely different way to you...these are all common in triggering a stressful moment

Write it all down. Whether its a 'download' journal, just getting how you feel on paper, or writing a to do list, the act of writing can help you see things from a different perspective. This can sometimes cause overwhelm and more stress in itself short term, but its how you handle it that makes the difference.

Learn what you need to do yourself along with what can be delegated, outsourced or declined. One of the top issues that people come for coaching on is the act of saying "No". In a corporate environment you could be doing this because you don't want to be perceived as weak, if you are self-employed or freelance you might be afraid of declining work for fears of a different nature.

Take a break. I know, I know, but really and truly a break will make you more alert and have a clearer mind when you return to your workplace. A break could be reading, calling a friend, getting some fresh air, or just sitting quietly for a while. Most importantly eat lunch as far away from your main work area as possible - even if this is just the next room.

Eat and drink - I just alluded to it, but when we are not fed and watered, everything can seem a bit more difficult and long term it's not healthy

Take up a hobby or get together with a group of like minded people. Especially if you work on your own or from home, its very easy to start to feel isolated.

Speak up. When you are getting annoyed about something, speak up. Choose the appropriate time, place and person (if needed) but just get those anxieties out on the table. Even saying out loud to yourself what you feel stressed about can give you that different perspective that I mentioned earlier.

When people are experiencing stress over a sustained period of time it can have a serious impact on both physical and mental health. So hopefully I've reminded you of a few simple techniques that you can use to avoid stress.

Some of you will have methods for avoiding stress that I haven't mentioned, I'd love to hear what these are so please feel free to add your comments.

Acne Treatments - Acne and Stress

Acne is such an aggravating problem to have, it feels nice to believe that if you just fix one thing, it will cure the whole thing. Many people look to stress for this cure-all, partly because it is one thing and partly because you can't entirely be blamed for being stressed. It takes the responsibility for having acne out of your hands and makes it easier to deal with. There's nothing wrong with that, but stress is not necessarily the culprit you're looking for.

Many people think that stress and acne are related. This is because acne can have a hormonal component, and high stress also has an effect on hormones. However, any effect stress might have on acne is far less powerful than what you can do to counteract it. Your daily regimen and other ways of dealing with acne will overcome any slight bobbles that stress might cause. Don't let stress get you down; getting overly concerned about being stressed will, unfortunately, make you even more stressed! You're much better off focusing your energy on things you can control, like how you wash your face and how much time you spend in the sunlight and so on.

While acne might have a stress-related component, it is hardly the fix-all that some are looking for. However, it never feels good to be stressed. Here are a few strategies for coping with stress.

Relax

If you're able, get away from the stress-inducing thing that is raising your blood-pressure and do something that relaxes you. This might be taking a bubble-bath or going for a walk or listening to music or talking to friends. Figure out what it is that helps you and do that.

Laugh

It's always possible to get away from a stressful situation. It can be helpful to find something funny in whatever is stressing out, or think of a joke. Laughing is very good for the body, not just emotionally but physically too.

Exercise

If your body is constantly tensing up, some hard work might help it let go of the tension it's holding. Jog or walk briskly, punch a bag at a gym, do aerobics, dance, bike, swim, or some other activity that makes you sweat. When your body is busy doing something difficult and maybe a little complicated, your mind will be able to shut off, and you'll sleep better afterward.

Breathe

In the middle of stressful situations where you can't get away to exercise or relax or find anything humorous, try taking deep breaths. Imagine filling the bottom of your lungs, and feel your abdomen move in and out with your breath. Even just a few deep breaths can settle your heart, and your body will be more oxygenated and feel much better for the brief attention.

How Stress Causes Low Back Pain

The stress connection to low back pain is one of the more common scenarios seen with patients who are suffering from this sometimes debilitating condition. Back pain is a 60 BILLION dollar problem in the U.S. and stress is one of the biggest factors involved. Stress is defined here as anything that is having a negative effect on our nervous systems and consequently influencing our musculoskeletal systems. Stress can be dietary, physical, emotional, occupational, etc. It all counts and it is all accumulative regarding the potential to impact our physiology in a manner that is far from positive.

The U.S. is one of the most stressful countries to live in. Americans work longer hours and take less time off than the rest of the industrialized world. Dealing with ever increasing required government demands, taxes, etc. to keep the treadmill running is a fact of life here. Combine that with the Standard American Diet (SAD) and it is a recipe that guarantees physical ailments like low back pain and chronic degenerative disease. Americans consume more junk food (756 doughnuts per person per year), more refined sugar, and use more prescription drugs than any other people in the world. The different sources of stress also feed off each other. For example, many who are emotionally stressed, may find comfort in high sugar snacks or alcohol. Because of their stress they can't sleep or have panic attacks and wind up taking prescription drugs for these problems. Their short term solutions may exacerbate the stress response in the body.

What happens physically when we are under stress? The body secretes stress hormone (cortisol) that has a flight or fight function. This is very good if you are running away from a tiger, but very bad if this response is going on all the time. Excess cortisol depletes your immune system, which is why people get sick when they are continually stressed. Cortisol also leaches calcium from your bones causing osteoporosis, puts a toxic load on your liver and kidneys, contributes to diabetes, and makes you fat. It also affects the brain, lowering intelligence and causing memory loss. There's more, but you get the picture. This is not a good thing.

What does this have to do with your back? Under stress, it is the adrenal glands that must respond. If they are over stimulated they become exhausted. When the adrenals fatigue, there are direct consequences to the musculoskeletal system. For starters, the nerves supplying the adrenals are affected. Nerves are two ways streets. They can not only be affected at the spinal level of origin, but also peripherally, at their destination, back to the spine. One of the common lumbar areas affected is at the third lumbar vertebra. Muscles are also affected. All muscles innervated by the irritated nerve can contract. Trigger points can develop. There are muscle-organ correlations. The work of Dr. Goodheart in the 1960's has withstood the test of time. There are predictable muscle imbalances with organ stress. In the case of the adrenal glands, one of the primary muscles involved is the sartorius. It is a major pelvic as well as medial knee stabilizer. This is why so many people, including athletes, injure their knees when under stress. There was a pre-existing imbalance from the adrenals causing an improper or inadequate response on the part of the sartorius muscle. The demand on the muscle exceeded its threshold to handle it resulting in an injury. Another affect from exhausted adrenals is ligament weakness. Ligaments hold joints together. Put a demand on a joint and the body responds by getting stronger to resist that demand. When one has an adrenal syndrome issue, there is an opposite affect. There will be weakening of the joint when challenged. This is another major reason why people injure themselves under stress.

The direct connection to the low back from stress is that the sartorius imbalance in the front of the thigh has an impact on the sacroiliac (SI) joint integrity on the posterior side of the pelvis. When the SI is affected by either the sartorius or from weak ligaments, there can be pain directly at the joint, or the lower lumbar vertebrae may be the source of discomfort since their position may be altered. Further, the gluteus maximus muscle on the involved SI side will be weakened. Muscles that attach to or cross an involved joint will be affected as well. The gluteus maximus muscle is a strong, major lifting and anti-gravity muscle. People with weakness will experience difficulty getting up from a seated position. They will usually put their hands on their knees and push themselves up. In grocery stores, these people are often leaning over their shopping carts to support themselves.

Treatment should be muti-faceted. Balancing the adrenals is a must. This needs to be done specifically based on individual needs, but some of the common natural supports are choline, licorice, ashwaganda, rhodiola, and Siberian and American ginseng. Structural work, focusing on involved nerve roots and muscle balancing techniques work well to eliminate or reduce pain. I also utilize a cold laser to "reset" the adrenals (techniques from Dr. George Gonzalez, Quantum Neurologist). Of course, emotional stress must be dealt with to change one's response to the triggers. A counselor, aromatherapy, journalling, etc. may be useful. Exercises should focus on the extensor muscle groups and forward flexion movements should be limited. Over exertion should be avoided. Tai-Chi and Chi-Gong are excellent. A low sugar and carbohydrate diet is essential. Higher protein and vegetable consumption is recommended. Organic sodium should be increased, as sodium is dumped in the urine when one is stressed. Zucchini, squash, green beans, and celery fit this need. Proteolytic enzymes help pain as do anti-inflammatories like turmeric, ginger, and yucca.

Stress and Sleep: Tips for Getting a Good Night's Sleep

Sleep is far more valuable to our health than we realize. However, getting a good night's sleep under stress is a challenge experienced by many people. Tossing and turning in bed coupled by racing thoughts can be both frustrating and exhausting. A good night's sleep greatest enemy is loads of negative stress that activates the "fight or flight" part of the nervous system. This is due to the release of adrenaline and other chemicals in the body that allow us normally to move and make decisive actions. This certainly is counter active to relaxation necessary for sleep.

Getting enough sleep may also contribute to weight loss. Another recent study indicates that getting enough sleep along with reducing stress may help you lose weight more effectively.

Proper sleep allows our bodies to rest and prepare for the day ahead. Are you ready to get a good night's sleep? Here are some tips to help to sleep well

Count Sheep, Not Bills to Pay. Stop doing activities that cause high stress early in the evening. If, for example you are experiencing stress around money, you should avoid paying bills before bedtime. Set a time aside early in the morning or early on a day off to complete paying bills. Automate your bill paying as much as possible. A tip that I practice is downloading banking transactions and entering data after breakfast. It doesn't take long to complete bill paying if you make this a daily routine.

Stay on a Sleep Schedule. Getting to sleep around the same time each night helps your body regulate a sleep pattern. A sleep schedule helps set your internal clock. While you generally might not have control when you get up, you can crawl into be a little earlier.

Turn off Electronics before Bedtime. Electronics, such as a computer or television can cause too much stimulation just before bedtime. DVR your favorite show and get some good sleep.

Create a Bedtime Routine. Make the bedroom a place to relax and sleep as much as possible. Begin to wind down before bedtime. Drink your favorite sleep tea and settle into a good book. Soak in the tub with some relaxing essential oils, such as lavender or sandalwood. Add relaxations techniques or meditation before bed.

Avoid Stimulants Around Bedtime. Eliminate your favorite caffeinated beverages 4-6 hours before bedtime. Try to exercise earlier in the day as aerobic activity can rev up your body too much for sleep.

Funny Stickers As Stress Relievers

It seems the older we get the more responsibilities we have and the less time we have to see to them. There are so many things that go on in day to day life it's no wonder that people get overwhelmed and stressed out. Work is a primary concern for many people. This is because most people must work in order to provide a life for themselves and their families.

Additionally, many employers do not respect the idea of "life-work balance". This concept extols the virtues of having a healthy balance between personal life and work. Personal life comprises anything that defines who you are and what you believe in. Personal life includes your family, friends, hobbies and religious beliefs. There should be a good balance between your involvement with these components of your life and your work life. Too much work can be a definite stress. Conversely, not enough work and stress builds because of financial concerns. Most people have accepted the fact that stress is a natural part of life and unfortunately it cannot be eliminated completely. However, stress can be managed successfully with regular exercise, taking the time to laugh at life and a healthy diet.

Regular exercise is one of the best things that a person can do for themselves. Studies show that people who exercise regularly are less likely to have a heart attack or stroke. They also are at less risk of developing hypertension and diabetes. Additionally, people who exercise are rarely overweight, have fewer joint problems and hardly any flexibility issues. Because exercise releases certain bodily chemicals known as endorphins, exercise is a natural stress reliever.

Taking the time to laugh at life is another natural stress reliever. Just like when you exercise, when you laugh your brain releases endorphins. These endorphins help to promote a sense of well-being. Try to see the humor in life on a daily basis. This can be accomplished by adding funny stickers to your surroundings. Placing funny stickers around your home, car and workplace or anywhere appropriate will help remind you to laugh. Funny stickers can be used on several different locations throughout your home and office. For instance, if you find a funny sticker that really puts a smile on your face, stick it in your desk drawer at work. Then whenever, you are having a bad day at work, you need only to open your desk drawer to bring a smile to your face.

Finally, research shows that eating a healthy diet can help to alleviate stress triggers. As we age, our bodies do not process fatty, high calorie foods the way that they did in our younger years. This is due in part to the fact that as we get older, our metabolisms slow down on a continuous basis. It is important to choose foods high in fiber and low in fat and calories to ensure that you will feel your best. Another benefit of eating a healthy diet is that people who eat well also have lower cholesterol. High cholesterol has been proven to increase the chances of developing heart disease.

By taking just a few small steps, you can effectively lower and manage your stress levels. It is important to remember stress will not go away on its own. If you ignore it the problem will only get worse. If you feel that you are under a large amount of stress, take proactive measures now to manage it before the stress gets worse. Stress can lead to a multitude of medicals issues, but you can take control of it and take your life back.

How Can You Overcome Stress?

Meditation is a highly effective means to overcome stress. It helps restore the body to a calm state. A knowledgeable expert can guide individuals using the correct stress management meditation techniques, helping to relax and focus the flow of thoughts over a sustained time period.

If you regularly feel stressed, then perhaps you will find some comfort in the fact that most people suffer from some sort of strain. Statistically speaking, more than 40% of adults are adversely affected by stress. If untreated, stress can inflict serious, detrimental effects to one's physical and mental health.

Numerous different factors may contribute to an individual's elevated stress level. Perhaps you have a serious communication problem with one of your loved ones. Or maybe you hate your job but have no other options. You may be living alone, gradually cultivating a feeling of loneliness. Indeed, there could be any number of reasons for an individual's stress.

Stress often manifests itself as discomfort, worry, anxiety, uncertainty, fear, and excitement. The behavioral symptoms of stress include eating more or less, isolating oneself from others, sleeping too much or too little, neglecting responsibilities, and using alcohol, cigarettes, or other substances to relax. Stress can lead an individual to develop other tell-tale habits such as nail-biting and pacing.

The effects of stress vary from person to person. Some people thrive upon stress, while others feel bogged down by the slightest obstacle or frustration. The ability to withstand the negative effects stress depends on several factors including one's general outlook on life, the quality of the relationships one has, one's emotional intelligence, and genetics. Additionally, a strong network of supportive family members and friends acts as a buffer against stress. And, if you possess confidence in your ability to influence events and overcome challenges, you will find it easier to take stress in stride.

Optimistic individuals can cope with stress much better than those with a negative view of life. Stress-hardy people embrace challenges and are willing to accept change. One's ability to deal with emotions also counts. If you know how to soothe yourself when feeling sad, angry, or frightened, you will be able to balance your emotions. It also helps to be prepared for a stressful situation. For example, if you undergo surgery keeping realistic expectations post-op, your recovery will be less stressful. Conversely, if you expect to bounce back immediately and this does not happen, you will feel more stressed.

In order to successfully combat stress, you need to develop resilience. If you do so, you will be able to bounce back more easily. Everyone faces challenges in their lives, whether they are financial, personal, or professional. Regardless of social or economic status, every person faces some sort of adversity. The important thing is that you are able to move past it!

Meditation is a highly effective means to overcome stress. It helps restore the body to a calm state. In order to achieve the utmost results, one needs to practice meditation under the guidance of an experienced instructor. A knowledgeable expert can guide individuals using the correct stress management meditation techniques, helping to relax and focus the flow of thoughts over a sustained time period.

Free Yourself From Stress And Frustration With Emotional Freedom Technique

Stress and frustrations can mar your entire life if you fail to do something positive to deal with them. If you're constantly stressed up, there's no way you can succeed in any venture in life. The same scenario is also applicable when you're frustrated. The good news is this: there's always a way out of stress and frustrations. You can use Emotional Freedom Technique to free yourself from such conditions.

Basically, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) refers to an alternative intervention being propagated by the proponents of energy psychology. The famous psychologist, Gary Craig was the brain behind the invention. EFT is also a kind of technique in psychotherapy which is used in helping individuals suffering from all kinds of mental or emotional problems. Desensitization is the major goal in EFT. It makes uses of the tapping of acupuncture points in helping an individual when he or she focuses on a specific issue during therapy.

Despite the many criticisms leveled against the Emotional Freedom Technique, it has continued to be very beneficial to people who use it. In most cases, the technique has a placebo effect on patients. It can also distract your attention from negative thoughts and also gives you a therapeutic effect when used properly.

Really, Emotional Freedom Technique can actually help a lot in dealing with stress and frustration. There's always a particular process of using the technique in order to realize great results. In most cases, emotional intensity of the individual involved is rated on scale while some positive affirmations are repeated at the same time when a specific spot on the chest is being rubbed. The next process that follows is the tapping of a series of acupressure points while some affirmations are still voiced out. At the end of the therapy, the person's emotional intensity is properly re-scored.

Indeed, with EFT, one can bid goodbye to stress and frustration. When properly engaged, the technique deals with stress and also removes the self sabotaging tendencies that lead to stress and frustration. The tapping process is mainly the aspect you need to learn in EFT. If you're confused about that, you need to watch the EFT video online to discover how the technique actually works.

Meanwhile, it's very important to know the root cause of your stress and frustration before attempting to use Emotional Freedom Technique. In most cases, the problem is half-solved when you're able to decode the root cause of your ugly condition. If for any reason you find it difficult to decode the root cause, you might consider meeting a psychotherapist to help you out. In most cases, the psychotherapist will take you through a counseling or probing process in order to decode the root cause of your problem. He or she will also recommend EFT or any other means to help you deal with the problem.

In the final analysis, it's very important for you to know that Emotional Freedom Technique is a gradual process. You don't engage in it to expect automatic or instant results. You have to stay at it and take the processes involved regularly in order to deal with stress and frustration disturbing your life.

Reduce Stress in Your Life With a Vision Board

If you suffer from stress and anxiety there is a good chance that these conditions are also affecting your physical health in some way. Headaches, indigestion, fatigue and depression can all be products of stress and anxiety. There is one simple tool that can help you reduce stress in your life and that can be used in many different situations. Keep reading to find out how you can reduce stress in your life with a vision board.

First you must understand what this is. While it may sound a bit more complicated than it actually is, a vision board is a tool that you can use to help you see the steps needed to achieve a goal, to keep yourself motivated and to work through complicated problems to find clear cut solutions. Think of the charts and graphs a business may use to track their growth- a vision board is similar but on an individual personal level.

Let's suppose that you have a great deal of stress because of an upcoming move. You have a million things that need to be done to make the move go smoothly. Sure you could use a hundred different to-do lists or you can just make a large vision board with each step laid out clearly. This will help you visualize accomplishing each task such as obtaining packing materials or making arrangements to transfer utilities. From start to finish you can place the steps toward your move on the vision board and as you achieve each one you can move on to the next. No, this doesn't remove all the stress from the process but it helps make it manageable and sensible rather than chaotic and headache inducing.

Whether you need to visualize a life change, a promotion at work or simply the exploration of a hobby or passion that has been swept aside due to day to day stress. You can make a vision board your own motivational, inspirational, expressive tool that will help you visualize your success and move on to the next challenge.

Stressful situations and anxiety inducing events can hinder your day to day performance, your health and most definitely your mood. Learning how to work through and deal with the situations with a vision board can help you keep your stress under control, your anxiety at bay and your mood positive. Consider a vision board your very own motivational speaker! You choose how it's laid out, you choose the colors, the style...it is YOUR vision, make it work for you.

How to Recognize and Handle Stress

Do you know when you are under stress? I am often surprised to discover high levels of tension in my clients that goes unnoticed until I point it out. For example, someone may say "I haven't been able to sleep, but I just don't know why," or "My stomach has been upset all week, but I don't think I've eaten anything bad," or "I've been getting these headaches for no reason." There is often little conscious connection made between physical symptoms and the stresses in our lives.

A second kind of statement is more emotionally-oriented. For example, "I just don't feel like myself," or "I feel off, but I don't know why," or "I feel sad and I can't seem to shake it. I don't know what's wrong." In most of these cases, almost invariably, a few questions will arrive at some stressful event that happened previous to these physical or emotional symptoms. Yet, again, the link between this event and the symptoms experienced afterwards is rarely made.

Stress often goes unacknowledged until it builds to a point where it is causing real problems. However, what if you could trace your symptoms to stressful events to get a handle on how to resolve them? Even better, what if you could identify stressful experiences as they occur and handle them successfully right then and there, so these symptoms never happen? In this brief article, we'll look at a simple practice that can increase your awareness of stressful events and give you insight on how to handle them better. The practice is keeping a "Stress Mastery Journal."

The key to this practice is to identify four things: a stressful "seed" event, your interpretation of that event, the symptoms that resulted from your interpretation of that event, and the action you can take right now to handle that. To keep a Stress Mastery Journal, get a small notebook that you can easily carry around with you. Any time that you feel stressed, tense, uncomfortable, unable to sleep, or any physical or emotional symptom that feels other than relaxed, positive, well-being, you can make an entry.

Your entry consists of five things:

1. The time, date, and environment you are in now.

2. Your current physical or emotional symptom, what you sense or feel inside, and when you began to feel this way.

3. A stressful "seed" event that preceded this feeling or symptom. One way to do this is to note when you began to feel this way and then note what happened just before that.

4. A statement that describes what you were thinking and feeling at the time of that "seed" event. In other words, what was your mindset at that time?

5. An action that you can take right now to make the situation better for yourself and others.

As you make notes on your symptoms, trace them to stressful events, and remember your mindset at that time, you may start to notice personal patterns. You'll likely find that you have a habit of having certain kinds of experiences and interpreting them in specific ways. As you identify actions that can make those situations better, you'll gain new ways to relate to whatever is happening in your life.

Taking time to be more conscious of the connection between stressful experiences, interpretations you make, symptoms you have, and actions you can take will empower you to be a more conscious participant in the creation of your life experiences, rather than being a passive victim of stress. Stepping back from your symptoms and shining awareness on "what is really happening" can make a huge positive difference.

Reading Can Reduce Stress

Stress is one of the most common problems that almost all people experience due to work-related issues, family issues and many more. If you are not going to do anything about stress, it will lead to a more serious problem like making your immune system weak and making you less productive.

Allowing yourself to suffer from stress is no longer an option for you because stress can be eliminated if you want to. For instance, you will be able to reduce stress and tension from your body when you get a massage or perhaps take a rest in a relaxing place.

Yoga can also help you do away with stress. Definitely, this only means that there are so many things that you can do in order to reduce stress. But aside from massage, exercise and rest, there is another thing that you can do to reduce stress and that is reading.

Many people consider reading as their past time which is really good considering that it can open up an individual's imagination. When you read, you will be able to reach faraway places which you have never been before. You will be able to find out the things that people do in such places and other interesting facts written in the book.

If you want to go back in the past and find out what the people had done before, reading would be the best way to make this possible. So even if you were not yet around in such time, you are still knowledgeable of whatever important events that happened in the past. But this is not the only benefit that you can enjoy when you read. As mentioned earlier, you can also reduce stress through reading.

Of course when you read, you will be able to gain knowledge about something. You will be able to find some information on the things that you should do to reduce stress and how to prevent it. After a long day at work, you can also sit on your favorite chair in a quiet and relaxing place while reading your favorite book.

Reading a wonderful story would somehow relax your mind which is one of the main keys to reduce stress. Reading will take you away from pressure, your frustrations and other things that make you stressed out so you can free up your mind. Hence, through reading you can gain a lot of useful information and at the same time, you are gradually reducing stress.

However, this is not applicable to all cases. There are some times when reading itself can cause stress or increase the stress level. For instance, if you are reading something because you are required to do so for your work, it would somehow be stressful for you.

Basically, it depends on the main purpose why you are reading something. If you reading because you just want to relax, then it would definitely help in reducing stress but if you are reading under pressure, then it will just increase your stress level.

Yoga Fights Stress

A research in England shows that more than 30 percent of women are not happy with their lives and they do not find the meaning of it. The lack of meaning can cause crises, conflicts, lack of understanding with others, not much qualification skills, lack of ideals, difficulties when dealing with every problem on the way to success, lack of philanthropic feelings and aspiration for beauty, egoism, avidity and greediness, limiting the freedom, sexual and intellectual degradation, destructiveness, alcoholism and drug evil. We can overcome the art of living, only on condition we understand that it is subordinate to the same laws, which are functioning in nature, but are already known from people and they are applying them. When we have an optimistic attitude for life we are turning ourselves into original and creative people. This leads to a feeling of satisfaction and makes a balance between the human being, nature and society. Once we manage to do that, we will be much calmer and happier and the nature and society will reveal its secrets and treasures.

American research shows that yoga is a great tool used to fight stress. Scientists compared yoga exercises with the usual routine walking. It was determined that people, who practice yoga exercises are in good spirits and they are not that anxious. This research was examining 19 people, that went for this program connected with yoga exercises and other 15 people, who went into the program connected with daily walking. The participants of the two groups were taking 1 hour daily in a period of 12 weeks for their own program and they have been through several tests that were examining their anxiousness and their moods. Except for this the scientists used nuclear magnetic resonance to examine the levels of the chemical substances and the gamma acids in our brains. This is a neurotransmitter which is relaxing the brain activity, decreasing the anxiety and causes the state of peace. The participants, who were doing yoga exercises, demonstrated a better temper and less anxiety in comparison with the other group, who were walking one hour a day. Yoga exercises caused the increasing of the levels of this acid, which is connecting with the higher spirits and the happiness.

Nowadays many people do yoga to control effectively the stress and to manage things such as overweight. Overweight could also be caused by stress. Actually most of the diseases (a research shows that it is 90 percents of them) are caused by stress. The idea of yoga is to do it on a regular base and to seek for perfection (even if you are unable to do the exercises correctly at first, you should strive for this perfection) and you will make it. You will see the difference in your stress levels if you practice yoga daily. Also if you want to control your weight, you can practice yoga for this purpose too. The results are unbelievable.

Yoga Fights Stress

A research in England shows that more than 30 percent of women are not happy with their lives and they do not find the meaning of it. The lack of meaning can cause crises, conflicts, lack of understanding with others, not much qualification skills, lack of ideals, difficulties when dealing with every problem on the way to success, lack of philanthropic feelings and aspiration for beauty, egoism, avidity and greediness, limiting the freedom, sexual and intellectual degradation, destructiveness, alcoholism and drug evil. We can overcome the art of living, only on condition we understand that it is subordinate to the same laws, which are functioning in nature, but are already known from people and they are applying them. When we have an optimistic attitude for life we are turning ourselves into original and creative people. This leads to a feeling of satisfaction and makes a balance between the human being, nature and society. Once we manage to do that, we will be much calmer and happier and the nature and society will reveal its secrets and treasures.

American research shows that yoga is a great tool used to fight stress. Scientists compared yoga exercises with the usual routine walking. It was determined that people, who practice yoga exercises are in good spirits and they are not that anxious. This research was examining 19 people, that went for this program connected with yoga exercises and other 15 people, who went into the program connected with daily walking. The participants of the two groups were taking 1 hour daily in a period of 12 weeks for their own program and they have been through several tests that were examining their anxiousness and their moods. Except for this the scientists used nuclear magnetic resonance to examine the levels of the chemical substances and the gamma acids in our brains. This is a neurotransmitter which is relaxing the brain activity, decreasing the anxiety and causes the state of peace. The participants, who were doing yoga exercises, demonstrated a better temper and less anxiety in comparison with the other group, who were walking one hour a day. Yoga exercises caused the increasing of the levels of this acid, which is connecting with the higher spirits and the happiness.

Nowadays many people do yoga to control effectively the stress and to manage things such as overweight. Overweight could also be caused by stress. Actually most of the diseases (a research shows that it is 90 percents of them) are caused by stress. The idea of yoga is to do it on a regular base and to seek for perfection (even if you are unable to do the exercises correctly at first, you should strive for this perfection) and you will make it. You will see the difference in your stress levels if you practice yoga daily. Also if you want to control your weight, you can practice yoga for this purpose too. The results are unbelievable.