At the end of the day, all of the healthy eating and supplement intake means nothing if you lose your life to stress.
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Ultimate Stress Buster>>PAUSE
Recording artist Lisa McClendon's YOU SO GREEN column shares the experiences and knowledge she has gained while in pursuit of her second passion—holistic health.
//If I could put the world on pause...and get away from it all//
excerpt from the track "Pause" on Lisa McClendon's new album "Reality"
As I was preparing to write my "You So Green" article for this month, I was doing my intense research on probiotics when I felt compelled to make a sharp u-turn and address a No. 1 killer, STRESS!
I recently finished my fourth project that showcases perhaps one of my favorite songs I've written, "Pause," which addresses the need for us to break from life's continuous movement. With the continued loss of jobs and homes in America at an all time high, people are perhaps more stressed than they've been their entire lives. Even our children are stressed with the harsh reality of having to relocate due to unfortunate foreclosures.
So what does stress have to do with health? It has everything to do with health. At the end of the day, all the healthy eating and supplement intake means nothing if you still lose your life to stress. Stress has been called the "silent killer." I just recently learned that stress is also a major factor to memory loss. Ever went into the grocery store and couldn't remember where you parked your car when you came out? Or like me, have you ever looked for your glasses that are already on your face? Now stress may not be a factor in these cases; however, stress does play a significant role in memory loss.
Stress starts in our brain. The brain is the control panel for our entire body. When the brain is overloaded, it is extremely difficult for it to properly send messages to the rest of our body. The body becomes extremely tense and our hormones can become uncontrollable, causing depression, memory loss, and even headaches. Stress can also cause high blood pressure because it forces the heart to pump faster and harder.
There are so many things that stress attacks in the body such as your immune system, your digestive system, your vision, mouth, hair, joints, muscles and bones. But instead of going more in depth on what stress attacks, here are some tips on how to avoid it:
Exercise is always ideal for maintaining stress. The ultimate goal is 30 minutes a day. At least start somewhere.
"Laughter doeth good like a medicine." Laughter can undo all the things that stress does to the body. It reduces stress hormones, lowers blood pressure and boosts the immune system.
Protect your inner circle. Today may be the day to delete names out of your cell phone—people who are constantly negative; relationships that you work so hard to keep but don't have time to enjoy.
Get a good night's sleep. Ideally 6 to 8 hours a night.
Eat healthy. Be sure to include a balanced ratio of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
"PAUSE!" My chiropractor recently told me to find time to do nothing. Even down to thinking about nothing. I found that during my "relaxation" time, I used that time to mentally organize my life. That's work! So while it is good to get away to a quiet place to regroup and organize, don't forget to get away from EVERYTHING and do NOTHING.
©2009 VERTICAL FIX, LLC
