Stress Relief
- There are many ways to help relieve stress using natual methods.
- Americans identify stress as their #1 health concern today.
- 50%+ of adults in the U.S. report high stress on a daily basis.
- Untreated, stress can seriously affect performance, health, & well-being.
Keep up to date with the latest research and recommmendations from health practitioners.
Aromatherapy Lessens Schoolteachers' Stress
Aromatherapy involves effecting health benefits through the inhalation of scents from essential oils. This is a technique used by many massage therapists.
New research among elementary school faculty, shows that aromatherapy benefits the autonomic nervous system.
In this study, 54 elementary school teachers were recruited to evaluate aromatherapy performance on stress reduction.
Researchers noted that "Bergamot essential oil was used for aromatherapy spray for 10 minutes. Blood pressure and autonomic nervous system parameters were recorded five minutes before and after the application of the aroma spray."
Results showed that there were significant decreases in heart rate and blood pressure.
Source:
www.massagemag.com
7 June 2011
Breathe Stress Away!
Famous Singers croon about the benefits of just breathing, for example, Faith Hill, but while we may be keen on huffing out the words of their latest songs, we don't always embrace the message behind the lyrics.
Research shows us, however, that focusing on our breath and how we use each inhale and exhale can help reduce stress and in turn, enhance the quality of our lives.
While our natural "fight or flight" response can help protect us when in danger, many of us overuse the response because we are too stressed in our daily lives. When our body's fight or flight response is triggered, epinephrine in our system raises the hair on our arms, squeezes sweat out of our pores, and speeds up our heart rate. In situations where we are truly in danger, this response helps us to appropriately react to take ourselves away from danger. However, fight or flight can also be triggered by less critical, stress-inducing situations such as financial worries, relationship issues and undue pressures from school or work.
An overabundance of physiological fight or flight stress responses can be detrimental to our health, leading to immune deficiencies, high blood pressure, depression or anxiety. An immediate response to these health issues might be to visit a doctor and get a prescription. But would you believe one of our greatest tools is right at our fingertips- or, more accurately, at our lips?
Our parasympathetic nervous system slows our heart rate and helps us relax. When evoked, it can help relieve the symptoms of stress. One way to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system is by focusing on the breath, breathing deeply and fully. When we practice deep, focused belly breathing, our brains receive a message to relax-a message then relayed to our bodies, which react by letting go of anxiety and panic.
Practicing focused breathing can help us use this technique as a tool when we are feeling anxious or stressed.
1.Sit in a comfortable position, supported, if you choose, with a cushion or blanket. Gently close your eyes.
2.As you breathe in through your nose, picture the breath moving into your belly. Allow your belly to expand outward like a balloon fitting up with air.
3.Breathe out completely through your nostrils or gently parted lips, pulling your navel toward your spine to ensure that the full breath leaves your body.
4.Repeat this breathing for several minutes, focusing on filling the belly and then, letting everything go.
In a culture where flat stomachs are prized, where we tense our stomach muscles to "strengthen our abs," deep belly breathing feels awkward. But shallow breaths lingering in our chests make us feet short of breath; they can add to anxiety rather than relaxing us.
If you have trouble focusing on the practice of focused breath, it can be helpful to use a relaxing visual image or a calming word connected with each breath. Counting can help return focus to the breath. In fact, some experts believe that relaxation is facilitated when the exhale is longer than the inhale.
The way we breathe affects our whole body, more than we may even realize. Knowing we have such a powerful tool within ourselves, and understanding how to use that internal tool, can help us prevent tension and stress and, if they do arise, to nip them in the bud.
Source:
www.empowher.com
27 July 2011
How Meditation Helps Beat Stress
Scientists have achieved a breakthrough in understanding how relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, and prayer improve health.
Research collaborators from the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Genomics Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center say that such relaxation techniques work by changing patterns of gene activity that affect how the body responds to stress.
Dr Herbert Benson of the institute says, "It's not all in your head. What we've found is that when you evoke the relaxation response, the very genes that are turned on or off by stress are turned the other way. The mind can actively turn on and turn off genes."
During the study, Benson and his colleagues compared gene-expression patterns in 19 long-term practitioners,19 healthy controls, and 20 newcomers who underwent eight weeks of relaxation-response training. The researchers observed that over 2,200 genes were activated differently in the long-time practitioners relative to the controls, and 1,561 genes in the short-timers compared to the long-time practitioners.
The researchers also saw changes in cellular metabolism, response to oxidative stress and other processes in both short and long-term practitioners.
Source:
www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
February 7, 2011
Protein that Improves DNA Repair Under Stress
Cells in the human body are constantly being exposed to stress from environmental chemicals or errors in routine cellular processes. While stress can cause damage, it can also provide the stimulus for undoing the damage.
A team of scientists at the University of Rochester has unveiled an important new mechanism that allows cells to recognize when they are under stress & prime the DNA repair machinery to respond to the threat of damage.
This new research is published in the journal Science.
The scientists, led by biologists Vera Gorbunova and Andrei Seluanov, focused on the most dangerous type of DNA damage -- double strand breaks. Unrepaired, this type of damage can lead to premature aging & cancer. They studied how oxidative stress affects efficiency of DNA repair. Oxidative stress occurs when the body is unable to neutralize the highly-reactive molecules, which are typically produced during routine cellular activities.
The research team found that human cells undergoing oxidative stress synthesized more of a protein called SIRT6. By increasing SIRT6 levels, cells were able to stimulate their ability to repair double strand breaks. When the cells were treated with a drug that inactivated SIRT6, DNA repair came to a halt, thus confirming the role of SIRT6 in DNA repair.
Gorbunova notes that the SIRT6 protein is structurally related to another protein, SIR2, which has been shown to extend lifespan in multiple model organisms.
"SIRT6 also affects DNA repair when there is no oxidative stress," explains Gorbunova. "It's just that the effect is magnified when the cells are challenged with even small amounts of oxidative stress."
SIRT6 allows the cells to be economical with their resources, priming the repair enzymes only when there is damage that needs to be repaired. Thus SIRT6 may be a master regulator that coordinates stress and DNA repair activities, according to Gorbunova.
Source:
English.vietnamnet.vn
21 December 2011
Yoga’s Stress Relief: An Aid for Infertility?
KIMBERLY SORANNO, a 39-year-old Brooklynite undergoing an in vitro fertilization cycle as part of her quest to become pregnant, had gone to her share of yoga classes, but never one like that held on a recent Tuesday night in a reception area of the New York University Fertility Center. There were no deep twists or headstands; just easy “restorative” poses as the teacher, Tracy Toon Spencer, guided the participants — most of them women struggling to conceive — to let go of their worries.
"Verbally, she brings you to a relaxation place in your mind,” Mrs. Soranno said, adding, “It’s great to do the poses, get energy out and feel strong. But the most important part for me was the connection to the other women.”
Besides taxing the mind, body and wallet, infertility can be lonely. Support groups have long existed for infertile couples, but in recent years, “yoga for fertility” classes have become increasingly popular. They are the latest in a succession of holistic approaches to fertility treatment that have included acupuncture and mind-body programs (whose effectiveness for infertility patients is backed by research); massage (which doesn’t have specific data to support it); and Chinese herbs (which some say may be detrimental).
No study has proved that yoga has increased pregnancy rates in infertility patients. But students of yoga-for-fertility classes say that the coping skills they learn help reduce stress on and off the mat. For many, it’s a support group in motion (or lotus).
“As important as the yoga postures was the idea that women could come out of the closet with their infertility and be supported in a group,” said Tami Quinn, the founder, with Beth Heller, of Pulling Down the Moon, a company with holistic fertility centers in Chicago and the Washington area. “If you say come to my support group, women going through infertility are like, ‘I don’t need some hokey support group’ or ‘I’m not that bad.’ But with yoga they are getting support and they don’t even realize it.”
Holly Dougherty, 42, didn’t want to talk about her drug-infused slog through fertility treatment that began seven years ago. “I didn’t tell anyone,” said Ms. Dougherty, with the exception of her parents.
This changed after she started going to yoga-for-fertility classes taught by Ms. Spencer at World Yoga Center in Manhattan in 2005. The gentle poses helped take her mind off her setbacks, and each week, she found the community that she hadn’t realized she needed.
“Being able to open up in a safe environment with support and encouragement of others on the journey, everyone became each other’s cheerleader,” said Ms. Dougherty, now a mother of two who still socializes with students from Ms. Spencer’s class. “I learned to become so open about it.”
SMOKING, alcohol, caffeine and some medications can hurt fertility, as can being overweight or underweight, said Dr. William Schoolcraft, a medical director of the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine, whose main branch is in Lone Tree. As for improving one’s chances with massage, diet or yoga? “That’s where the data gets murkier,” he said.
“We will never promise that you will get pregnant by doing yoga,” Ms. Quinn said. “We can tell you many women who have done yoga have gotten pregnant. But there’s no clinical data supporting the fact that yoga increases conception rates. The last thing we would want to do is give false hope.”
Stress, however, has been shown to reduce the probability of conception. Alice Domar, who has a Ph.D. in health psychology and is the director of mind-body services at the Harvard-affiliated center Boston IVF, said of yoga: “It’s a very effective relaxation technique, and a great way to get women in the door to get support. It’s a way to get them to like their bodies again.”
Recently, Dr. Domar, a psychologist whose research has shown that participation in a mind-body program can positively affect fertility, joined with Ms. Quinn and Ms. Heller to take wellness programs, including yoga and acupuncture, to infertility clinics nationwide. They have formed a new company, Integrative Care for Fertility: A Domar Center, and plan to open seven branches this year.
In 2009, the New York University Fertility Center in Manhattan brought in two yoga instructors to help patients. “We really do push it,” Dr. Frederick Licciardi, a founding partner of the center, said of its wellness programs that include mind-body work and acupuncture along with yoga. “We put it up front. We know they are doing it anyway. We want to show we are supportive that they are doing it.”
Some infertility clinics advise patients not to do vigorous exercise like running for fear of twisting their drug-stimulated enlarged ovaries. (This excruciating condition, called torsion, is rare, but surgery is often required if it happens with the possibility of losing the ovary, said Dr. Brian Kaplan, a partner at the Fertility Centers of Illinois, who advises his patients to limit exercise while taking stimulating drugs.)
But Dr. Domar, the executive director of a namesake center for mind-body health in Waltham, Mass., has found that some women are loath to give up their daily anxiety-relieving run during infertility treatments, or are “freaked out about gaining weight on fertility drugs.” In some cases, yoga is her bargaining chip. She tells those patients, “you can do hatha yoga and stay fit and toned, and give up your run.”
Ms. Spencer explained in an e-mail that for many patients, “There is a feeling of walking on eggshells and also that one false move may throw off the chances of success.” A class like hers lets them move and blow off steam, students said. “It’s like a can of worms,” she said in an interview. “You can’t stop women from talking to one another.”
But the relief can be quiet as well. Elaine Keating-Brown, 38, an elementary-school teacher in Manhattan who is in her last trimester after in vitro fertilization, found the yoga classes she took with Laura O’Brien, then at N.Y.U., helped her silence a tireless negative voice in her head. Her fertility-related worries felt endless, from “What happens if it doesn’t work?” to “financially, it’s not exactly cheap,” Mrs. Keating-Brown said.
But “once you’re in the yoga room, you haven’t got all that anymore,” she said, “you’re concentrating on you, and put those thoughts aside, put your body in a good place, and come out of class feeling a real feeling of relaxation and it’s going to be O.K. If it isn’t, it isn’t.”
Lori, a 32-year-old management consultant who asked that only her first name be used for privacy, lived with “the chatter in the back of her mind” so constantly after losing twins and suffering two miscarriages that she named that voice Constance in a yoga class she took at Pulling Down the Moon. After learning meditation techniques in class, Lori, the mother of a newborn, said she could observe, but not succumb to her negative thoughts. “I’m aware I feel that way,” she can tell herself when an anxious thought surfaces, “but I’m not going to let it overwhelm me right now.”
Ms. O’Brien summed up the infertility roller coaster this way: “You have to get screened all the time. You have to take certain drugs. You’re at the mercy of everyone telling you what to do and when to do it.” Ms. O’Brien added that loss of control is challenging, “especially for people in this part of the country, if they have a goal and work hard, they get it.”
“This throws that whole mentality out of whack,” she said. But yoga, she contended, helps type-A’s to learn that “you cannot control what’s happening to your body, but you can control how you feel about it.”
In 1998, when Brenda Strong first starting teaching fertility-focused yoga at the Mind Body Institute in Southern California, she said, “people were so ashamed and so isolated because no one else was talking about it.” In her classes, she facilitates conversation among yogis. “In yoga, suffering is caused by attachment to a result or by resistance,” said Ms. Strong, the actress who is the narrator on “Desperate Housewives” and herself has struggled with infertility. “There’s nothing that brings up these two things more: you’re attached to wanting to get pregnant and you’re resistant to the fact that you can’t.”
Medical acceptance of yoga as a stress reliever for infertility patients is slowly growing. In 1990, when Dr. Domar first published research advocating a role for stress reduction in infertility treatment, “I wasn’t just laughed at by physicians,” she said. “I was laughed at by Resolve, the national infertility organization. They all said I was perpetuating a myth of ‘Just relax, and you’ll get pregnant.’ ” At the last meeting for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Dr. Domar, now on the national board of Resolve, gave multiple talks, including one about how to help the mind and body work together in infertile couples.
Jill Petigara, teaches in the Philadelphia area. “A lot of people want to boil it down to ‘If you relax, it will happen,’ ” Ms. Petigara, a former in vitro fertilization patient who adopted a son, wrote “I absolutely feel that yoga can have a very positive impact on infertility, but infertility is a lot more than ‘just relaxing.’ ”
Source:
www.nytimes.com
By Catherine Saint Louis
February 4, 2011
Diet, Exercise And Sleep Boost the Immune System.
While more people seem to get colds in the winter months, none of us wants to be feeling horrible and sick in any season. So what can you do to stay healthy and keep your immune system strong? Experts say there is no magic bullet, but nutrition science provides important recommendations that everyone can follow to lessen the chances of getting sick.
• Eat a balanced diet. All nutrients contribute to good health and maintenance of your body's disease fighting capability. Eat lean proteins, unsaturated fats, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Carrots, apples, broccoli, beans, mushrooms, bell peppers, nuts and seeds are just some examples of foods that are good for you.
Eat natural foods with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants to support the immune system. Use immune boosting spices and herbs like turmeric, oregano, and ginger for flavoring your foods. Also, look at what you are eating and see if you are missing a certain nutrient.
Are you eating enough omega 3 fatty acids from fish? Eat salmon, mackerel, or halibut weekly. Or maybe you are not getting enough vitamin D like low fat or non fat milk, yogurt, cheese and fish, or take a vitamin D supplement.
• Get regular exercise. Continual aerobic exercise has been shown to improve immune function and help fight infections, but exhausting exercise has shown to suppress it, so do not overdo it with your routine. Try taking a brisk walk every day. Get at least 30 to 45 minutes of exercise five times a week.
• Get adequate sleep. It Will repair your body at night and reduce stress. Try for at least seven hours of sleep a night.
• Drink plenty of liquids daily. Water is best, but tea, unsweetened drinks, and low -salt soups and broths are good additions.
• Monitor stress levels. Too much physical or emotional stress can weaken your immune system. Have balance in your life. Do things that you enjoy. Try a new hobby, read a good book, or spend time with old friends and laugh.
• Wash your hands. Basic personal hygiene is the best protection against many infections.
Source:
San Diego Union Tribune
11 November 2011
How Forests Boost Immunity
New research shows that besides lowering blood pressure and pulse rate, and reducing levels of the stress hormone cortisol, spending time in nature boosts your immune system, too.
In a study in Japan, 12 healthy men between the ages of 37 and 55 took a three-day, two-night trip to the forest. On the first day, the men spent two hours in the afternoon walking in the forest. On day two, they walked in the forest for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.
Blood samples tested on days two and three showed that in 11 of the 12 men there was a 50% increase in natural killer cells. These cells are one of the main components of the immune system, & they play a central role in fighting tumors and viruses. Further studies show that these positive immune benefits can last up to a month after a visit to the woods.
Researchers believe that the increase in natural killer cells is in part a response to phytoncides, the essential oils in wood that help protect it from insects and rotting. In Japan, where the studies were first conducted, the practice, dubbed "forest bathing," has become so popular that the government there is creating official "forest therapy" sites, and companies are adding "forest therapy" to their health plans.
Source:
Experience Life
13 October 2011
Napping May Help Keep Blood Pressure & Stress Levels Low
A new study suggests that having a 45 minute nap during the day, can help stressed-out people lower their blood pressure and protect their heart.
The finding comes from a study that is being published in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. Eighty-five healthy university students, divided into two groups. One group had an hour-long period during the day to sleep, and the others group had no time to sleep.
Both groups were given a mental Stress test. Blood pressure and pulse rates increased in both groups of students when they took the stress test, but the average blood pressure of those who slept for at least 45 minutes was considerably lower after the Stress test than it was for those who did not sleep.
"Our findings suggest that daytime sleep may offer cardiovascular benefit by accelerating cardiovascular recovery following mental stressors," wrote the researchers, Ryan Brindle and Sarah Conklin of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. "Further research is needed to explore the mechanism by which daytime sleep is linked with cardiovascular health and to evaluate daytime sleep as a recuperative and protective practice, especially for individuals with known cardiovascular disease risk and those with suboptimal sleep quality," they added.
According to information, on average, Americans get nearly two hours less sleep a night than they did 50 years ago, which could affect long-term health.
Source:
health.usnews.com
13 April 2011
10 Foods that Reduce Stress
How you feel can be directly related to what you eat.
If you frequently feel stressed out, it is tempting to grab refined carbohydrates, otherwise known as comfort foods, and eat them in unhealthy quantities. Instead of reaching for a pint of premium chocolate ice cream, try changing your diet to include some of the foods below, and see if your stress level decreases.
Chances are, when you add in these vitamin powerhouses, you will feel a difference.
1. Blueberries Besides having been identified as one of the healthiest foods around, blueberries are very high in vitamin C, which has been shown to give the body added reserves to help it deal with high levels of stress. Also, blueberries contain a high amount of fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels that fluctuate too much are a major contributor to stress for some people.
2. Low fat or skim milkMilk is very high in calcium and B vitamins, which help to build your bones and protect nerve health. It is also high in protein, and protein also helps blood sugar to stay stabilized. Try mixing some milk, a sweetener and some frozen blueberries in the blender for a healthy pick-me-up that is super good for you, and an excellent alternative to ice cream!
3. Oranges Oranges are very rich in vitamin C. When you are stressed, your body releases even more free radicals than usual. Vitamin C helps to keep the free radicals in check, and repairs the body. Basically, it helps protect the body from the cumulative effects of stress.
4. Brown rice All whole grains, including bulger wheat, quinoa, oats and brown rice contain plenty of B vitamins and also supply serotonin producing carbohydrates that do not spike blood sugar levels. They also contain plenty of healthy fiber. \
5. Green vegetables Broccoli, kale, and other dark green vegetables are powerhouses of vitamins that help replenish our bodies in times of stress. Many vegetables also contain potassium, which is good for our nerves and can calm them. Also, when we eat a diet high in vegetables, we do not feel weighed down by our diet, and it is easier to get stress-reducing exercise.
6. Dried apricots These are rich in magnesium, which is a stress-buster. Some people even say that magnesium helps reduce heart palpitations brought on by stress. Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant as well. Apricots are also high in fiber and vitamin C. Don’t eat too many of them, though, because they also contain quite a bit of fructose, a type of sugar.
7. Turkey Turkey contains an amino acid called L-Tryptophan. This amino acid triggers the release of serotonin, which is a feel-good brain chemical. This is the reason why many people who eat turkey feel relaxed, or even tired, after eating it. L-Tryptophan has a documented calming effect. Chicken is also high in this amino acid. However, don’t eat them fried, or your body will be so busy digesting the fats that you will miss out on the benefit of these foods!
8. Soy Try adding foods that are made out of soy to your diet, such as soymilk, tofu, tempeh and soy nuts. Soy is high in protein, B vitamins, calcium and magnesium.
9. Sweet potatoes Sweet potatoes can be particularly stress reducing because they can satisfy the urge we get for carbohydrates and sweets when we are under a great deal of stress. Instead of reaching for a donut, eat one of these instead. They are packed full of beta-carotene and other vitamins, and the fiber helps your body to process the carbohydrates in a slow and steady manner.
10. Water While technically not a food, it is important to have sufficient water intake, as even a mild state of dehydration can stress your entire body. Keep your nerves steady by staying well hydrated.
As you can see, the foods listed above are not only healthy, but they taste good as well!
Next time you crave sweets because of stress, reach for some dried apricots, a sweet potato, or make a blueberry smoothie.
Eat other wholesome foods the rest of the time, and eventually, your level of stress will decrease, leaving you less susceptible to unhealthy food cravings.
Source:
Essortment.Com
Electromagnetic Fields - Danger?
Electromagnetic fields (EMF) remain the subject of intense controversy.
Though they are present everywhere electricity flows, the health effects of exposure to them are still being debated. There is concern that electromagnetic fields around high-voltage sources such as power transmission lines may be linked to cancer. Studies have also implied that electric fields emitted by household wiring and appliances may effect production of certain neurohormones, disrupting sleep patterns.
What Are EMFs?
In all examples of EMF, the energy field causes a change
in everything it encounters.
EMF (or ElectroMagnetic Field) is a broad term which includes electric fields generated by charged particles, magnetic fields generated by charged particles in motion, and radiated fields such as TV, radio, and microwaves. Electric fields are measured in units of volts per meter or V/m. Magnetic fields are measured in milli-Gauss or mG.
The field is always strongest near the source and diminishes as you move away from the source. These energies have the ability to influence particles at great distances. For example, the radiation from a radio tower influences the atoms within a distant radio antenna, allowing it to pick up the signal. Despite the many wonderful conveniences of electrical technology, the effects of EMF on biological tissue remains the most controversial aspect of the EMF issue with virtually all scientists agreeing that more research is necessary to determine safe or dangerous levels. Iron, necessary for healthy blood and stored in the brain, is highly effected by EMF.
The permeability of the cell membrane of our nerves, blood vessels, skin, and other organs is effected. The intricate DNA of the chromosomes has been shown to be effected by EMFs as well. In fact, throughout our bodies, every biochemical process involves precisely choreographed movement of EMF-sensitive atoms, molecules, and ions.
When Are EMFs Dangerous?
2.5 mG is the generally accepted limit of ELF magnetic field exposure but no one tells you that the average hair dryer, vacuum cleaner, or can opener you use EMITS AN AMAZING 300 mG or more!!!
After more than 25 years of intensive study, the health and safety conscious Swedish government has established a safety limit for exposure to ELF magnetic field at 2.5 mG, and VLF magnetic fields at only 0.25 mG. Although the U.S. government has been slower to act in establishing its own standards, the Swedish standard is generally accepted throughout the world.
What this possibly means is that if someone consistently experiences exposure which exceeds the standard, that person could be at risk for developing health problems which can range from headaches, fatigue, and dizziness to skin rashes, miscarriage, leukemia, and cancer. In fact, numerous court cases where plaintiffs claim to have been injured by EMFs are now in progress.
Even though the controversy of conflicting scientific studies persists, it seems strange that cigarettes and alcohol are packaged with warnings we already know about, and the sodium, fat, and cholesterol content of foods must appear on the labels, but NO ONE TELLS YOU THAT THE AVERAGE HAIR DRYER, VACUUM CLEANER, OR CAN OPENER YOU USE EMITS AN AMAZING 300 mG OR MORE!!!
What Can You Do About EMFs?
The Office of Technology Assessment of the Congress of the United States recommends a policy of "prudent avoidance" with respect to EMF. Prudent avoidance means to measure fields, determine the sources, and act to reduce exposure.
1. Detect EMFs in your home and work environment.
You have to know where the sources of EMF are in your everyday world and how strong these sources are. Is there wiring in the wall behind your bed that you don't even know about? Is the vaporizer emitting strong fields in the baby's room? How much EMF are you and your family getting from the power lines in the street? Get a meter, share it with your friends, and test the areas where you spend time.
2. Diminish your exposure to the EMFs you find.
Remember that EMFs go right through doors and walls.
Determine how far you must stay away from the EMF emitters in your home & work environment to achieve less than 2.5 mG of exposure... the microwave oven, the alarm clock, the computer, and so on.
Rearrange your furniture (especially the beds, desks, and couches where you spend the most time) away from heaters, wiring, and fluorescent lights, electric doorbells, and other EMF "hot spots".
Test electrical appliances before you buy with a hand held meter in the store. Know what you are buying and buy the lowest EMF emitter. Where practical, replace your electric appliances with non-electric devices.
Contact your local utility if you suspect high radiation from power lines near your home, schools, or workplace. They will come out and test. If they find high levels of EMF (ask for the report!) they may be required to re-route the power lines, move them higher, or bury them.
Turn off, don't use, or throw out electrical appliances that you can do without!
Have an electrician correct faulty high EMF wiring and help you eliminate dangerous stray ground currents. Consult a qualified EMF engineer if necessary.
Here's a simple way to reduce exposure from idle computer monitors using the "Low-Power Standby" mode: In Control Panel, locate the "Display Properties". Click the Screen Saver tab and check the Low-Power Standby box. Set the amount of minutes of idle before activation of standby mode. Click OK.
What this accomplishes is that the monitor will power down (almost zero radiation output!) when the keyboard is idle for a short while. To "wake up" the monitor, simply touch the keypad or mouse. Note: this is better than Screen Savers, which do not reduce radiation or power consumption! This may only be available in some Windows 95/98 computers. For other computers use the Monitor Miser to accomplish the same radiation savings.
3. Shield yourself.
Use shielding devices on your computer screen and Cell Phone. Add shielding to your household wiring, circuit box, and transformers. Use shielding-enhanced materials in your bedding or your clothing if you must be exposed to EMFs.
Did you know?
- you can reduce the EMF exposure from your hair dryer 90% or more by arranging to hang the dryer on a wall hook, get a flexible plastic hose for the nozzle, and direct the hot air to your head with the hose!
- USA Today conducted a survey of 4567 readers and reported that EMF pollution is the #1 environmental concern in America today.
the Wall Street Journal reported in 1993 that the real estate resale value of homes decreased by as much as 30%, if exposed to EMFs! - that electric fields are measured in units of volts per meter (V/m) and magnetic fields are measured in units of Gauss (G) or Tesla (T). 1 tesla = 10,000 gauss.
- microwaves are within the upper part of the radio frequency part of the electromagnetic spectrum? Radio frequencies range from kilohertz (thousands of cycles per second) to gigahertz (billions of cycles per second). Check your microwave oven for leakage!
epidemiological studies in Sweden by Maria Feychting showed that individuals exposed to high magnetic fields at home and at work had 3.7 times the risk of developing leukemia compared to those not exposed. - that 2 recent research reports have identified elevated risks of breast cancer among women working in jobs with presumed higher than average exposure to EMFs.
- the US Postal Service has agreed to allow installation of 200 foot high towers supporting clusters of cellular phone antennas on the rooftops of 11,500 US Post Offices. By using this federal land, the installers can circumvent local planning boards
- the electromagnetic radiation from 4 watt walkie-talkies and 0.6 watt cell phones can cause medical life support equipment (such as infant apnea monitors) to malfunction?
- the back of your computer is actually more EMF dangerous than the front? The safe distance from the front of your computer is about 30", while safe EMF levels from the back are about 40"! Think about what this means in schools and offices with rows of terminals. Suggest computer shielding to your employer and school board.
- when shopping for appliances, those with a higher EER (energy efficiency ratio) generally produce lower EMF levels and are therefore safer!
- one study (Ahlbom & Feychting, 1993) reported that at 2 mG and above, exposed children were 2.7 times as likely to develop cancer as unexposed children, and at 3 mG and above, the odds rose to 3.8 times as likely!
- another study (Wertheimer & Leeper, 1986) stated that couples who use either electric blankets or electrically heated waterbeds had a significantly higher miscarriage rate
Gratitude Adjustment is simple therapy ... and it works
Does Your Happiness depend on your circumstances or your Attitude?
Try this on yourself.
- First, on a scale of one to ten, with one being blah and ten being the best you ever felt, give yourself a number.
- Next, write down or think about the things you’re grateful for.
- Now rate yourself again.
- Did your number go up, even a little?
- At every moment, you have a choice to look at what’s right or wrong with yourself and your life.
- Gratitude is like a flashlight, shining on what’s good.
- When you turn it on, you feel happier, no matter what else is going on.
Science is now confirming the power of good attitude. Studies show that being grateful increases happiness by 25% and boosts the amount of time people spend exercising. Being positive even seems to create greater equality in dividing up chores between partners.
The great thing about the gratitude flashlight: It works no matter who you are young or old, fat or thin, rich or poor, sick or well. All you need to do is turn it on.
Source:
M.J. Ryan
Health.Com
Help Your Child Reduce Stress
How do you help your child reduce stress?
The following suggestions may help reduce overwhelming stress, both for you and your child:
Breathing exercises/meditation
Write in a journal
Talk to a friend or family member
Exercise
Cut down on activities
Pick a hobby
Get enough rest, but don't oversleep
Source:
FamilyGuide.Com
Now that you know a few methods for helping your child reduce stress.
Work through tense situations more easily.
As soon as you begin to recognize the symptoms of stress, remember to help use techniques that work. f
If your child continues to feel stress and anxiety, consider speaking to a school counselor or your family doctor for further help.
Source:
How to Reduce Stress at Work
Improve your time management and organization skills.
Of the many things you can to in this area the best ones include getting a to do list that works, learning to say "no", asking for help when you need it, and stop setting unrealistic goals for yourself.
Whether you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount or work you have to do or if someone is "in your face", a good thing to do is to "breathe through your nose". You can't get as worked up if you force yourself to breathe through your nose. Your body simply can't maintain the same level of energy without that extra oxygen you get when breathing through your mouth.
Even a five-minute break will help. Get away from your desk. Go for a walk - outside is better, but up two flights of stairs and back down is good too. Getting more exercise in general will help you reduce your overall stress levels and that will make it easier to reduce your stress level at work.
Smile more. We all know laughter reduces stress. You will be amazed at how much more pleasant the people around you are when you make an effort to be pleasant yourself.
Rather than getting upset when others disagree with you, listen actively and find the areas of agreement. Be assertive and stand up for yourself, but don't be rigid.
Make whatever adjustments you need to the lighting, temperature, noise level, and other controllable factors in your office.
Realize that there are some things that just aren't worth worrying about and there are some things you just can't change. Don't waste time stressing over the things in either category.
This is another of the things you can do to reduce your overall stress that will have benefits at the office as well. In addition to reducing your stress, it will increase your energy level and your ability to concentrate.
or a friend. Having someone to talk to can take a lot of stress off you.
Spend more time with optimistic people.
Negative people will pull you down to their level. Choose to work with people who have a positive attitude instead.
Magnets Used to Treat Patients With Severe Depression
John O'Sullivan had struggled with bipolar depression since he was a teen. He has tried numerous types of psychotherapy and medication but nothing seemed to help for long.
A salesman whose profession required the constant projection of a positive, upbeat image to be successful, O'Sullivan found that his condition frequently left him feeling listless and restless. He switched jobs often and had difficulties in his family life.
"When you're in a maniacal state with bipolar, it's not like you're often happy. You're irritable and hard to live with," said O'Sullivan, a husband and father of five. "That's been tough on the family."
At age 50 and desperate, O'Sullivan was cautiously intrigued when his Loyola University Medical Center psychiatrist, Dr. Murali S. Rao, told him about a new high-tech, non-invasive therapy that uses magnetic waves to treat his condition.
"My first thought was, 'What is this?'" said O'Sullivan, a resident of Downers Grove, Ill. "But, really, I was open-minded to it because I was desperate for anything that would work quicker and more effectively."
Known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), the treatment delivers a series of electrical pulses to the part of the brain associated with depression and other mood disorders. The pulses generate an electric current in the brain that stimulates neurons to increase the release of more mood-enhancing chemicals like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.
"The electrical pulses target the nerve cells in the region of the brain called the left prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain that regulates our moods," said Rao, chairman of Loyola's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience Services.
A study involving 301 patients that was recently published in the journal Brain Stimulation found TMS to be "an effective, long-term treatment for major depression."
O'Sullivan's treatment took place over a span of about three weeks. It involved a series of sessions lasting about a half hour each, five days a week. He remained awake and alert throughout each session and no anesthesia or sedation was required.
"The results have been what I would call surprisingly good," O'Sullivan said. "From my experience going back to my teenage years, I've never been as optimistic about life as I am now after TMS. I feel like a million bucks. I feel great. It's a pretty big change."
There is nothing new about the use of electricity to treat depression. For years, a treatment called electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) -- also known as "electric shock treatment" -- has been used to induce seizures in anesthetized patients for therapeutic results.
"But since TMS uses an electrical field, not electricity like ECT, there is very little risk of a seizure from the procedure," Rao said. "The pulses are mild and painless and patients are able to immediately return to normal activities."
The short-term side effects of TMS are usually minor. Some patients experience tingling in the scalp or twitching of facial muscles. Others experience a headache, which can be relieved by any over-the-counter pain-relief medication.
"It's not all unpleasant," O'Sullivan said. "During treatment, I could feel a pulsing around my left eye but it wasn't painful."
TMS is FDA approved and is performed on an outpatient basis in a psychiatrist's office. Patients sit in a device that resembles a comfortable dentist chair. The chair reclines and has a padded headrest. It also has a touch-screen control panel and an electrical magnetic coil that is positioned on a precise spot on the patient's head.
"I've had tremendous results in the three weeks I was undergoing it," O'Sullivan said. "Medication would take six to eight weeks before I knew it was working or not. The TMS results were pretty quick and pretty dramatic."
Source:
www.sciencedaily.com
Loyola University Health System, via Newswise
Oct. 19, 2010
Meditation Teaches How to replace the Mental Chaos with Stillness and Clarity.
Techniques used to relieve stress and live more consciously in the present moment
www.now-zen.com
Meditation is a brain-boosting, stress-busting activity that is now embraced by everyone from the U.S. military to corporate executives. And if you're living a busy, hectic life — and cant fathom finding time to sit cross-legged in a quiet room ,you're an ideal candidate, too.
"If you don't have 30 minutes to meditate, you probably need an hour, said Tamara Gerlach, a San Francisco-based meditation student and teacher. "The people who race through their life are usually the ones who could use some focus and serenity" Your mind is a muscle you can train; meditation is the tool used to focus it or quiet it down. Every day thousands of thoughts zip through our heads, something Gerlach likens to a jar of dirty water: Keep shaking up the jar — or your head - and it will remain clouded. But "if we set the jar down, letting the dirt particles settle to the bottom it leaves clarity at the top," she said.
Meditation will not stop your thoughts. It will not empty your mind. Instead,proponents say, it teaches you how to replace the mental chatter in your head with stillness. This ability helps us live more consciously in the present moment. "Through more mindful attention, we can make wise choices," said Joseph Goldstein, who has been leading meditation retreats worldwide since 1974 and co-founded the Insight Meditation Society. "As the Vietnamese meditation master Thich Nhat Hahn remarked "Happiness is available. Please help yourselves to it."
Still confused?
Take a long, slow, deep belly breath and read on.
What is meditation, exactly?
It's the "art and practice of being present for your life," said meditation teacher Elesa Coinmerse. The key words here are "art and practice." Meditation requires effort and an ocean of patience, especially in the beginning. One of the biggest obstacles for beginners is that they get bored or expect Dalai Lama-like results over night. Meditation can be relaxing, but relaxing isn't meditation. Meditations sitting with a purpose.
How does meditation work?
There are many forms, but all involve focusing on a single stimulus, such as your breath, a particular word, or an image. Get your body in a comfortable position. When random thoughts barge into your head, label it as "a thought" and bring your attention back to your chosen stimulus, such as your breath. "It's like training a puppy," Jack Korn-field said in "Meditation for Beginners." "You say "stay" but after a few breaths, the puppy wanders away. You go back and gently pick it up and bring it back." Kornfield says the practice of learning how to sit still and become mindful is one of the most important forms of meditation.
Who can benefit from meditation?
Anyone who feels stressed, tired, overburdened, has a chronic injury or illness or who doesn't want to miss out on their life. "Meditation is a way to plug people back into the deepest part of who they are," said executive meditation coach Mark Thornton. "It will reconnect you to parts of yourself you've forgotten about or lost.' Meditation is increasingly being used in the health care field; Doctors treat stress-related illnesses ussing a meditation technique called mindfulness-based' stress reductions created by meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn.
When should I meditate?
Whenever you can; when you wake up, in the shower or during a board"meeting. Once chief operating officer for JP Morgan, Thornton found that taking micro-meditation breaks while moving during the day could be just as profound as going on a retreat. "I thought meditation was something you did on your own; in fact it Can be an integral part of the day," he said. Constantly interrupting the mind to make a stillness connection can "interrupt suffering and create peace," said Thornton, author of "Meditation in a New York Minute."
Can I meditate while I ride a'bike or run?
It's possible to practice mindfulness in any activity, Goldstein said. "It means paying attention to what we're doing, rather than having our minds wander."
How do I fight boredom?
Actually, boredom is a sign that meditation is working. "It means you're learning to shift your attention away from your mind, which wants complex puzzles to solve," Thornton said. If you're bored, you may have lost sight that every moment in life is unique, Commerse said. "When you're, in the present moment"every leaf,blade of grass, brush of wind, bird song, baby's cry, every everything becomes magical, alive, discoverable and infused with the ability to transform your life," she said.
No time to meditate?
You can use meditation techniques wherever you are, including the shower, Thornton said. Start by noticing sensations, Listen to the sound of the water, notice the fragrances of soaps and shampoo's. How do your shoulders, neck, legs and arms feel as you bathe them? Then, try to "widen your attention" and to experience the sensations at once. Make a conscious decision to take a complete break from your mind. If you're bombarded by thoughts, choose to return to them later.
Try tai chi showering. Move your body in slow motion and notice the sensations. Take a moment to be still, close your eyes and notice how the body responds. Sing! Notice the vibration in your throat, chest and other body parts.
Source:
The San Diego Union Tribune
By JULIE DEARDORFF
More Americans using Complementary & Alternative Medicine.
James T. Mulder writes for The Post-Standard, Healthy Central New York. He tells us that about four of every 10 U.S. adults use some type of complementary or alternative medicine, even though many of these therapies are unproven.
Complementary and alternative medicine - CAM - covers many different practices and products that fall into four main categories:
1) Alternative medical systems such as homeopathic medicine, naturopathic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.
2) Mind-body interventions such as meditation, prayer, biofeedback and hypnosis.
3) Biologically based therapies such as herbs, supplements and aromatherapy.
4) Manipulative and body-based methods such as acupuncture and chiropractic care.
One of the best places to learn about the effectiveness and safety of CAM therapies and products is the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The site, part of the National Institutes of Health, contains a wealth of research-based information on everything from acupuncture, an ancient Chinese healing practice, to St. John's Wort, an herb used to treat depression and anxiety.
Dr. Lisa Kaufmann, a University Hospital internist, says "People should tell their physician and their pharmacist about any complementary treatments they are using," she said.
Interest is growing in CAM because many people have become disillusioned with the way traditional medicine is practiced, said Dr. Scott Treatman, director of employee health services at Crouse Hospital. He teaches mindful living and stress reduction through SUNY Upstate Medical University and provides acupuncture."There's been a bad taste in peoples' mouths when they saw Vioxx and other medications pulled off the market," Treatman said. "Acupuncture has been around 3,000 years and it hasn't been recalled."
Crouse is becoming a leader in what Treatman calls "integrative medicine." Integrative medicine combines treatments from conventional medicine and CAM for which there is evidence of safety and effectiveness.
He said mainstream medicine has become much more accepting of alternative approaches, especially those aimed at reducing stress. "When you think of all the common diseases we have like migraines, irritable bowel syndrome and high blood pressure, stress is what's making us sick," he said.
Kaufmann teaches mindfulness and meditation to help people with weight problems. "I kept seeing patients whose major problem could not be helped with traditional medical treatment," she said. "Much disease is caused by behavioral problems like overeating."
Most people pay for CAM out of pocket because health insurance often does not cover these treatments and products. CAM therapies most likely to be covered by insurance include chiropractic, massage therapy and biofeedback.
Source:
Post Standard, Syracuse NY
July 27, 2009
Positive Emotions Increase Life Satisfaction By Building Resilience
People who seed their life with frequent moments of positive emotions increase their resilience against challenges, according to a new study by a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill psychologist and colleagues.
Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., Kenan Distinguished Professor of Psychology in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences, author of the book Positivity and the principal investigator of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory says, “This study shows that if happiness is something you want out of life, then focusing daily on the small moments and cultivating positive emotions is the way to go.
Those small moments let positive emotions blossom, and that helps us become more open. That openness then helps us build resources that can help us rebound better from adversity and stress, ward off depression and continue to grow.”
86 participants were asked to submit daily “emotion reports,” in the month long study, rather than answering general questions like, “Over the last few months, how much joy did you feel?”
Fredrickson, a leading expert in the field of positive psychology, said that getting those daily reports helped them gather more accurate recollections of feelings and allowed them to capture emotional ups and downs. She added that building up a daily diet of positive emotions does not require banishing negative emotions. The study helps show that to be happy, people do not need to adopt a “Pollyanna-ish” approach and deny the upsetting aspects of life.
“The levels of positive emotions that produced good benefits weren’t extreme. Participants with average and stable levels of positive emotions still showed growth in resilience even when their days included negative emotions.” Fredrickson suggested focusing on the “micro-moments” that can help unlock one positive emotion here or there.
“A lot of times we get so wrapped up in thinking about the future and the past that we are blind to the goodness we are steeped in already, whether it’s the beauty outside the window or the kind things that people are doing for you,” she said. “The better approach is to be open and flexible, to be appreciative of whatever good you do find in your daily circumstances, rather than focusing on bigger questions, such as ‘Will I be happy if I move to California?’ or ‘Will I be happy if I get married?’”
Additional authors of the study include: Michael A. Cohn, Ph.D., of the University of California San Francisco; Stephanie L. Brown, Ph.D., from the University of Michigan; Joseph A. Mikels, Ph.D., of Cornell University; and Anne M. Conway, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh.
Source:
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
July 9th, 2009
Probiotics strains could help stress
For those who thought probiotics were just for your digestive health, we’ve got some news for you.
New research published in the British Journal of Nutrition shows that two particular strains of probiotics — Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum –have “beneficial psychological effects in humans” and may play a key role in reducing some people’s anxiety.
The research by French scientists found that “levels of psychological distress, including measures of depression, anger-hostility, anxiety, and problem solving, were significantly improved in the probiotic group, compared with placebo.” According to the researchers:
These results provide further evidence that gut microflora play a role in stress, anxiety and depression, perhaps via the enteric nervous system as well as centrally. … Subject to the confirmation of these results, probiotics might offer a useful novel therapeutic approach to neuropathological disorders and/or as adjunct therapies in psychiatric disorders.
Research has shown probiotics to support immunity, as well as other important areas of one’s health. Probiotics, tiny microorganisms that help maintain a healthy balance of essential bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, are becoming increasingly popular in today’s health & nutrition market.
It is important to understand, though, that while some products claim to provide large quantities of probiotics, the diversity of strains, total bacterial count and protection of the probiotics are key elements in a powerful product.
Source:
isotonixblog.marketamerica.com
Author: James Moffat
Stress Disorder Disrupts Daily lives of Returning Soldiers from Iraq
New research shows that up to 14 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq suffer post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) or depression that is severe enough to disrupt their daily lives. Major Jeffrey L. Thomas, chief of the department of military psychiatry at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and lead author of a report in the June issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry says that overall, between 8.5 percent and 14 percent of soldiers reported mental health issues that caused difficulties in work or private life.
Thomas also noted that surveys of self-reported depression and PTSD among 18,305 Iraq veterans in four regular army units and two National Guard infantry brigade combat teams found a significant difference between National Guardsmen and those on active duty.
A first survey, taken three months after returning from Iraq, found almost equal rates of mental health problems among Guardsmen and regular Army soldiers. A second survey, done at 12 months, found unchanged rates among the regulars but a sharp increase among the Guardsmen.
"That's the one that surprised our team the most," Thomas said. "We don't know why, but we have some speculations."
When they come home, the Guardsmen have the \stress of going back to whatever job they left, Thomas explained. "They have less contact with the peers they were activated with," he said. "Also, they don't have continual medical care. They have benefits for six months, then can buy into a government care program or get care on their own."
And in a sense, the regular Army soldiers didn't have the time to succumb to PTSD and depression, Thomas said. They knew they would be rotated back into Iraq within 12 months, which probably led to suppression of symptoms, he said.
PTSD is a set of psychological symptoms that can include nightmares, flashbacks to scenes of combat, surges in heart rate and periods of heavy sweating, alcohol misuse and aggressive behavior as minor as punching a wall or as great as a threat of committing physical violence.
The study graded the degree of psychological problems reported by individual soldiers. The least stringent definition, which included minor upsets, produced an incidence rate of PTSD ranging from 20.7 percent to 30.5 percent, and depression rates between 11.5 percent and 16 percent.
The strictest definition, with high incidence rates and serious impairment of normal functioning, found a PTSD rate of between 5.6 percent and 11.3 percent, with depression ranging from 5 to 8.5 percent.
"That rating scale will help doctors determine when intervention is necessary," Thomas said. "It is a risk stratification system that clinicians can use."
About 50 percent of those with strictly defined depression or PTSD also admitted to alcohol misuse or physical aggression.
The findings suggests a need for improved post-deployment screening, the researchers said.
Source:
Health Day reporter
By Ed Edelson
June 7, 2010
Stress Management Using Various Meditation Techniques
Many people especially those who have stressful jobs use various meditation techniques as a form of stress management. This is because meditation techniques are effective in relieving stress because it targets specific body parts that are easily affected by stress attacks.
Nowadays, meditation techniques can be classified as “concentrative” that involves the means of focusing into a specific object and the other can be termed as “expansive” that involves a person’s free flowing thoughts, observation, and reflection.
Being an ancient practice, experts say that meditation techniques can vary depending on the origin of the practice and the culture in that place. The use of these in stress management also depend on the personality of the person and where he or she comfortable with.
Today, it has evolved into so many forms and types. But, most people who use meditation techniques as a form or stress management use the most popular ones including the mantra meditation, the trataka or steady gaze, and / or the chakra meditation.
The mantra meditation refers to one those meditation techniques that involve production of sound or the combination of one or more sounds that are played in a very spontaneous manner. When the sounds are spontaneously played, it can greatly affect the metal process and psychic consciousness of the person practicing it.
The Trataka or Steady Gaze, on the other hand, is one of those meditation techniques that have been commonly practiced by majority of the religious systems in the world such as Sufism and Christianity. When translated literally, “trataka” means to “gaze steadily” into a specific object. In this meditation technique, the person meditating is asked to gaze steadily in a certain an object and focus his or her attention to it. Because of its effectivity in holding a person’s concentration for a long period of time, the “trataka” is considered as one of the most effective yet simple means of meditating.
Among the benefits of this meditation technique is that it helps in the improvement of the person’s external and internal optic function, alleviates visualization disabilities as well as poor eyesight, develops deep mental concentration, enhances the person’s ability in maintaining single point sight as well as developing a person’s sense of intuition.
Another meditation technique for stress management is the chakra meditation, which greatly helps in the manifestation of energy and mind control. It is also known to be very effective in developing a person’s deeper consciousness. For beginners, there are actually seven Chakras available to be tried on but the most popular among them is the “chakra anusandhana,” which can be self-tutored. This meditation technique helps awaken the chakra of a person in a very gentle and balanced way. It is also one of those meditation techniques that are easy to do. What you can do is to sit or lie and close the eyes.
Once you have done this, you can now adjust body as well as your clothing for proper breathing control. Once you get hold of it, you can let the chakra flow into you slowly. Although this is very effective, don’t overuse it because it can lead to various side effects including exhausted mental capability.
Source:
Michael Mclaren
07.06.2010
Stress Management in the Work Place
Emotions and mental health greatly affect overall health and wellness. Every wellness program ought to incorporate some services, programs, resources or activities to address mental health issues. Mental health topics can be sensitive areas for personnel. As a result, it's vital that you provide information in a selection of ways, worksite presentations being just one possibility.
Healthtipsatoz.com has good advice to help staff members understand simple stress management strategies for lowering stress levels
Here are some simple activities and practices that may help staff members understand the role stress plays in effecting health, safety, and productivity. It's necessary to help staff.
Have stress management tools available for worker use during a scheduled break time. Consider providing relaxation music or programs including player and headphones; mat or blanket to lie on; neck pillow; eye mask; and stress massage rollers.
Give a stress management brown bag event at which employees can try different kinds stress management tools.
Make sure to encourage staff to take 10-minute relaxation/exercise breaks. Post reminders.
Give a comfortable staff member break area.
Designate a "quiet room" for meditation and relaxation, when possible.
Make certain to work with Management to keep supervisors informed about the effects of stress in the worksite. Supervisors are often the first step in assisting staff members find different ways of managing work related stressors.
Offer stress management self-assessments to interested personnel. Follow these up with a stress management videotape, a brown bag presentation, or a community guest speaker. When planning to offer an oratory event or presentation a neutral class title will ensure potential participants won't be put off by the name. For example, "Parenting in 2004?, "Positive Parenting", or "Parent University" is much more appealing than "Stress and Parenting". Make sure to allot enough time when hosting psychological health seminars for a question and answer session so participants may ask specific questions.
Always remind participants that individual help is available through the employee assistance program and through their health benefits. Provide written contact information for your EAP, but do so discretely.
Transcendental Meditation Helps Heart Patients Lower Risks
Transcendental Meditation Helped Heart Disease Patients Lower Cardiac Disease Risks
by 50%.
Patients with coronary heart disease who practiced the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation® technique had nearly 50 percent lower rates of heart attack, stroke, and death compared to nonmeditating controls, according to the results of a first-ever study presented during the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Fla., on Nov.16, 2009.
The nine-year, randomized control trial followed 201 African American men and women, average age 59 years, with narrowing of arteries in their hearts who were randomly assigned to either practice the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique or to participate in a control group which received health education classes in traditional risk factors, including dietary modification and exercise.
All participants continued standard medications and other usual medical care.
The study found:
• A 47 percent reduction in the combination of death, heart attacks, and strokes in the participants
• Clinically significant (5 mm Hg average) reduction in blood pressure associated with decrease in clinical events
• Significant reductions in psychological stress in the high-stress subgroup
The trial was sponsored by a $3.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and was conducted at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee in collaboration with the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.
According to Robert Schneider, M.D., FACC, lead author and director of the Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention, "Previous research on Transcendental Meditation has shown reductions in blood pressure, psychological stress, and other risk factors for heart disease, irrespective of ethnicity. But this is the first controlled clinical trial to show that long-term practice of this particular stress reduction program reduces the incidence of clinical cardiovascular events, that is heart attacks, strokes and mortality."
"This study is an example of the contribution of a lifestyle intervention -- stress management-- to the prevention of cardiovascular disease in high-risk patients," said Theodore Kotchen, M.D., co-author of the study, professor of medicine, and associate dean for clinical research at the Medical College. Other investigators at the Milwaukee site included Drs. Jane Kotchen and Clarence Grim.
Dr. Schneider said that the effect of Transcendental Meditation in the trial was like adding a class of newly discovered medications for the prevention of heart disease. "In this case, the new medications are derived from the body's own internal pharmacy stimulated by the Transcendental Meditation practice," he said.
Fast Facts on Coronary Heart Disease
• Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States
• There are nearly 1.5 million heart attacks per year in the US, according to the American Heart Association
• An American will suffer a heart attack every 34 seconds
• Coronary heart disease is also the leading cause of health care costs. More than $475 billion is spent annually on treating CHD, including:
- ◦$100,000 for each coronary bypass surgery
- ◦$50,000 for each angioplasty
- ◦$30,000 for each diagnostic cardiac catheterization
•There are nearly 500,000 coronary artery bypass grafts and 1.3 million angioplasties performed every year
•Stress is thought to contribute to the development of CHD
Source: ScienceDaily.com
Nov. 17, 2009
Transcendental Meditation Lowers Cardiac Disease Risk by 50%
Transcendental Meditation Helped Heart Disease Patients Lower Cardiac Disease Risks by 50 Percent
Patients with coronary heart disease who practiced the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation® technique had nearly 50 percent lower rates of heart attack, stroke, and death compared to nonmeditating controls, according to the results of a first-ever study presented during the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Fla., on Nov.16, 2009.
The nine-year, randomized control trial followed 201 African American men and women, average age 59 years, with narrowing of arteries in their hearts who were randomly assigned to either practice the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique or to participate in a control group which received health education classes in traditional risk factors, including dietary modification and exercise.
All participants continued standard medications and other usual medical care.
The study found:
•A 47 percent reduction in the combination of death, heart attacks, and strokes in the participants
•Clinically significant (5 mm Hg average) reduction in blood pressure associated with decrease in clinical events
•Significant reductions in psychological stress in the high-stress subgroup
The trial was sponsored by a $3.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and was conducted at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee in collaboration with the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.
According to Robert Schneider, M.D., FACC, lead author and director of the Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention, "Previous research on Transcendental Meditation has shown reductions in blood pressure, psychological stress, and other risk factors for heart disease, irrespective of ethnicity. But this is the first controlled clinical trial to show that long-term practice of this particular stress reduction program reduces the incidence of clinical cardiovascular events, that is heart attacks, strokes and mortality."
"This study is an example of the contribution of a lifestyle intervention -- stress management -- to the prevention of cardiovascular disease in high-risk patients," said Theodore Kotchen, M.D., co-author of the study, professor of medicine, and associate dean for clinical research at the Medical College. Other investigators at the Milwaukee site included Drs. Jane Kotchen and Clarence Grim.
Dr. Schneider said that the effect of Transcendental Meditation in the trial was like adding a class of newly discovered medications for the prevention of heart disease. "In this case, the new medications are derived from the body's own internal pharmacy stimulated by the Transcendental Meditation practice," he said.
Fast Facts on Coronary Heart Disease
•Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States
•There are nearly 1.5 million heart attacks per year in the US, according to the American Heart Association
•An American will suffer a heart attack every 34 seconds
•Coronary heart disease is also the leading cause of health care costs. More than $475 billion is spent annually on treating CHD, including:
◦$100,000 for each coronary bypass surgery
◦$50,000 for each angioplasty
◦$30,000 for each diagnostic cardiac catheterization
•There are nearly 500,000 coronary artery bypass grafts and 1.3 million angioplasties performed every year
•Stress is thought to contribute to the development of CHD
Source:
ScienceDaily
Nov. 17, 2009
Which Stress Relief Practice is Best?
Stanford University's Robert Sapolsky and others have shown how chronic stress may contribute to the death of neurons in our brains.
The question is, with all the thousands of courses and products out there that promise stress management miracles, how can one evaluate them?
Alvaro Fernandez is the CEO and Co-Founder of SharpBrains.com aska - How do we know which ones are science-based and have shown results?
He says that probably the most promising area of scientific inquiry for stress management is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
An increasing number of neuroscientists (such as UMass Medical School's Jon Kabat-Zinn and University of Wisconsin-Madison's Richard Davidson) have been investigating the ability of trained meditators to develop and sustain attention and visualizations and to work positively with powerful emotional states and stress through the directed mental processes of meditation practices. And have put their research into practice for the benefit of many hospital patients through their Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs.
The Mind & Life Institute, led by Adam Engle, has provided critical support to many neuroscientists who want to study the health benefits of meditation and have developed MBSR programs.
Fernandez and his wife have recently conducted a brain training experiment, in the form of a breathing & meditation retreat, with some neuroscientists and Adam Engle, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Mind & Life Institute.
The Mind and Life Dialogues "started in 1987 as an experiment to determine whether a scientific exchange could occur between modern science and Buddhism. MLI has now sponsored 14 dialogues (between the Dalai Lama and neuroscientists) over the last 20 years. In that time MLI has become a recognized world leader in the emerging scientific investigation of the effects of contemplative practices on the brain, behavior, and the translation of this data into effective tools to benefit all people everywhere."
The Institute sponsors research in a number of ways, and they have just announced that the 3rd annual Scientists Retreat will take place at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts, January 8-15, 2008.
A description of the program: "This course has been organized by scientists, for scientists. Its goals are to help researchers in the mind sciences experience in-depth training in meditation and explore ways in which a rigorous and systematic approach to introspection can inform research.
We consider this to be a rare opportunity to advance the scientific study of the human mind. Vipassana is an ancient method of introspection that readily conforms to the spirit of empirical science. It is simply a means of training the mind to be more keenly aware of sensory phenomena and the flow of thought."
Source:
Ehealths.net