Stamp Out Stress!

More than likely, you’ve felt that you just cant unwind after a demanding week! That’s because stress triggers your body’s fight or flight response: your adrenaline starts pumping, your heart beats faster, and your blood pressure rises. Long-term overexposure to stress hormones can cause increased risk of health problems such as anxiety, depression, heart disease, weight gain, and memory and concentration problems.

Wake up early

It may seem unreasonable to deprive yourself of sleep, but giving yourself an extra 15 to 20 minutes before you head out the door will leave you feeling a lot more refreshed and less frazzled. A lot of people shoot out into their days like a rocket ship and it never gets better from there, so it is important to center yourself before you head out.

Consider that caffeine takes 20 minutes to be metabolized for you to feel its effect. During that time, think about your goals for the day or read something inspirational. You might find that your normally crazy day goes a little smoother.

Find a soothing place

Research suggests that warm colors like red excite you and cooler, muted colors like blue, green, or grey relax you, but surrounding yourself in any color you find soothing can help bring on calm emotions. The theory behind the use of color therapy is that colors enter the eyes, which then send messages along the nerve pathways to the area of the brain that regulates emotion. So whether it’s a certain colorful room in your home or a spare room at work during your rest break, it’s a good idea to go take yourself there when all seems too much to handle.

Clear out unusable objects

If you’re like the majority of people that can find nothing worse than clearing out when they’re already experiencing a horrible day then you must read on! Truth is, tidying up your home can also tidy up your mind. Having a mindset of de-cluttering helps to manage stress, purging unused items gives a sense of order to your physical environment, which helps you feel calmer about your stressors.

Visualize your stressful thoughts

Your coworker have left outstanding amounts of work behind. Your husband/wife forgot to walk the dog. When it’s just that kind of day, try thought diffusion, a sort of visual mindfulness meditation, a way to sweep out whatever is buzzing around unhelpfully in your head.

• Here’s how it works: Imagine your thoughts are like clouds in the sky, and let them drift by above you. When you begin to observe your thoughts as mental objects that simply come and go, they become less unpleasant, less threatening and less emotionally powerful.

Sing your problems away

As sound reverberates through the body, your mind relaxes, whether singing in a chorus or meditatively chanting. Singing has even been found to reduce levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body, and one case study revealed that singing prior to surgery reduced blood pressure.  However, we don’t all enjoy the sound of our voices, so if you’re not ready to belt out a classic track in the office or an empty room. Start by singing in the shower. Singing tunes you love brings up positive memories and takes your mind off the stressors.

Start a physical hobby

What stress does to someone’s mind is flood it with thoughts, all of these thoughts knock about your head and they make you feel overwhelmed. The best way to stop the stress spiral is by refocusing your mind on one thought, and it doesn’t always have to be the gym: Gardening focuses you on the physical feeling of the soil that you can hold in your hands. Knitting concentrates your thoughts on the predictability of loops of yarn. The important thing is that you channel your energy into one thing and this, in turn, relaxes your mind by eliminating all of the distracting stresses.

And Breath!

No matter if you’re checking out in the supermarket or waiting to pick up your kids from school, take one minute to breathe deeply through your nose into your abdomen. Breathing fully and deeply into the abdomen brings about a sense of calm because more oxygen is getting delivered to the body’s cells, which helps the body to relax. This type of breathing also helps to increase what is known as the ‘relaxation response,’ which is connected to the parasympathetic nervous system involved with calming the body.

Write mental thank you notes

Before stress gets worse, it’s so important to learn to harness your thoughts, for example, when you notice the tension in your body, picture a big red stop sign. Immediately switch your thinking to start mentally focusing on all the things you are grateful for. Look around you to include anything you find beautiful or pleasant in your present moment. Store a gratitude list on your smartphone so you can reference it any time things get hectic. Why not place smiley post it notes with messages that will make you smile when you find.

Feel your pressure points

You’re stuck in traffic and feeling like you’re going to explode. Time to try pressure point therapy, a form of acupuncture you can practice on your own. Pressure to certain points on the body can help to release muscular tension and promote blood circulation. It’s easiest to start with the Third Eye Point, the space between your eyebrows where the bridge of your nose meets your forehead. Place your middle and index finger on it and hold the position for one to two minutes using gentle to firm pressure.

Smell the roses

It is believed that once inhaled, the scents alter the mood by stimulating various parts of the brain associated with emotion. Try a scent that reminds you of nature, add a few drops of your favorite scent or coconut oil in your bathtub so that the scent can linger longer once you’ve come out of your candlelit relaxing experience. Smells like salt water or fresh rain are especially calming because they help you to think of life outside of your current stressor.

Weight Loss Drugs

Weight-loss drugs/pills are currently attracting enormous amounts of attention, but the following expert tips are a better bet for dropping pounds for good.

What do you think of when you read a headline about a new diet pill?

Are you really filled with hope that this will be ‘THE’ weight-loss magic you’ve been waiting for, or do your eyes glaze over as you quickly dismiss it as complete rubbish? According to new research presented at this year’s joint meeting of the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society, the weight-loss pill which expands in your stomach, signaling your brain that you’re full, showing a huge promise for those struggling to shed weight.

“Given the excellent safety profile observed in the study, weight loss pills have the potential to fulfill the unmet need for a safe and effective weight-loss agent”

Effective and safe? Although we’ve heard this before,  safety of course, is of the utmost key importance when it comes to ingesting a pill on a daily basis. After all, it was only April 2015 when Eloise Aimee Parry, 21, from Shrewsbury tragically died from taking something she believed was a slimming pill, ‘burned up from the inside’ after taking tablets believed to contain highly toxic chemical dinitrophenol.

“Diet pills, especially over-the-counter, can be harmful and dangerous when not under the supervision of a trained medical professional,”  “Make sure you consult with your doctor to discuss the pros and cons. Not everyone is an appropriate candidate for weight loss drugs.”

The nutritionists alternative to pills and diet fads: a healthier lifestyle. “I always encourage my clients to lose weight without the aid of weight loss supplements or drugs, because I believe it is not only more empowering that way, but it also forces you to make permanent behavior changes,” says Moskovitz.

“It’s easy to get swept up into the quick-fix weight loss claims we hear so often today,” says Glassman. “But making meaningful diet and lifestyle changes are the key to long-term weight-loss success.”

So the experts rightfully agree: Making behavior changes is the key to permanent weight-loss. If you want to flaunt that bathing suit on the beach like a true supermodel, not only this summer but for the next several years then follow Glassman’s advice for diving head-first into a healthy lifestyle:

1. Healthy Habit : Drink up.

Dieters who replace sweetened drinks with water have been shown to lose more weight. Staying hydrated helps to keep feelings of hunger at bay and fills up your stomach.

Tips: Bored by plain H2O? Add some fresh lemon or cucumber slices to give it some flavor!

2. Healthy Habit : Eat breakfast.

Start every day with a balanced breakfast that combines a high-fiber starch source with lean protein to help rev your metabolism, stabilize your blood sugar, control your hunger, and boost your energy levels.

Tips: Every now and then try something new, maybe a veggie omelet with reduced-fat cheese and a slice of whole wheat toast, or top whole wheat toast with 1 tablespoon of nut butter.

3. Healthy Habit : Go nuts!

Tree nuts like almonds are full of healthy fat, protein, and fiber, making them a perfect snack to keep you satisfied until your next meal.

Tips: Toss a handful into your bag for an easy on-the-go snack to keep you energized on busy days.

4. Healthy Habit : Embrace the snack attack.

Waiting too long between meals can slow your metabolism, increase hunger, and lead you to reach for that mid-afternoon candy bar!

Tips: Aim to eat 3 small meals and 2 snacks throughout the day to keep your metabolism revved and those cravings at bay.

5. Healthy Habit : Sleep tight. 

Experts agree that lack of sleep has been correlated to an increased risk of obesity, and when you’re tired, you tend to crave those high-fat, sugary foods too.

Tips: Getting adequate sleep (7-8 hours) has added benefits for aging and disease prevention.

6. Healthy Habit : Keep track.

Take out that old diary or maybe buy yourself a new one and start writing down all the foods you eat. Journaling can help you stay accountable and keep you on track.

Tips: Yes, even note down them sneaking handfuls of M&Ms when no one was watching! It is very important you monitor what you’re consuming.

7. Healthy Habit : Veg out.

Eat lots of veggies, but also remember to relax! Stress increases cortisol levels in the body, which in turn increase abdominal fat. Say sayonara to stress, and you’ll also wave goodbye to unwanted pounds!