Tag Archives: natural health

3 Simple Techniques to Help You Deal With Stress

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1168651_tulipsWhen we are stressed our bodies go on alert and hold on to tension and fatigue. I have researched many ways to help me to relax and de-stress and I found three simple techniques that really helped me, and I hope they help you too.

De-stressor No 1 – Body Attention

Martial arts and yoga practitioners know that where you focus your attention in the body has a big effect on how you feel. It is known as centering and this is how you do it:

  • start by standing up in a relaxed fashion, with your feet parallel and about shoulder width apart
  • place one of your hands over your stomach so that the index finger is directly over your navel, now look down to where your ring finger is resting and imagine a point at that level right in the middle of your body. In the martial arts traditions this is the centre of power in your body and is known as the tan-tien in the Chinese tradition.
  • relax your eyes and let your eyes soften and go into peripheral vision
  • allow your body to relax, and make sure your knees aren’t locked
  • keep your attention focused on that central point inside your body and continue to breathe easily and naturally – don’t force it
  • notice where you are holding tension in your body and just calmly direct your attention to that point and keep breathing.

This level of focus on your body will help you to block out worry, panic and fear. It is also very useful to practice if you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks. You can use it anywhere because the point is in the focus inside the body, you don’t have to be standing still or sitting, Just allow your attention to go 100% to that spot and breathe naturally and easily to help you relax.

De-stressor No 2 – Forming a protective shield

If things seem to be just too much for you to cope with and the thought of coping with just one more thing is unbearable, then this technique can be helpful to distance you from the confusion and chaos that goes on in the outside world. It might seem a little strange, but it does work, so try this:

  • imagine that you are sitting in the centre of a clear bubble which is acting as a protective shield between you and the outside world.
  • the bubble is transparent so you can see what is going on, but it is also very, very strong so that everything stressful that happens outside just bounces off and away from you.
  • as you are safe inside this bubble you are able to stay calm, and relaxed. In fact, the more stressful it is outside, the calmer you are inside.

This exercise works because your unconscious mind doesn’t distinguish between imagination and ‘reality’. This means that if you imagine you are shielded from stress, you will feel exactly as if you are being shielded and protected from it.

If you have to do any public speaking and are feeling nervous, this is also a great technique to heop with that. Just extend the bubble to cover the whole room and let yourself know that nothing outside can get in to disturb your concentration or upset your presentation.

De-stressor No 3 – Become detached

Sometimes in emotionally fraught situations, or if there is an argument or disagreement that is upsetting you, it can be helpful to use this very simple technique to detach or distance yourself from what is going on.

It helps you get a clearer perspective and stay calm by literally allowing yourself to detach and float above the situation. Here’s how it works:

  • imagine that you are floating up and out of your body, higher and higher, as far up as you feel comfortable and where you are able to look down on yourself.
  • what you will notice is that the higher up you float, the more detached and calm you will feel.
  • stay ‘above’ the situation until you feel comfortable enough to gently come back down to earth and releasde yourself fully into the moment.

These are three simple techniques that you can try anytime. I hope they are as effective for you as they have been for me in dealing with stress.

AnnA is the author of the ebook,’How To Handle Stress’ and is an inspirational writer and speaker on health, personal development and creativity. For more information on her Stress ebook please visit http://www.sortingstressout.com If you would like free email newsletters and creative resources then visit her main website at http://www.catalystonline.co.uk

Motivation & The Blues!

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960054_lilly_dot_comWhile I like to work swiftly with clients toward their outcome, I’ve never been one for what I call the ‘double jeopardy high-five’ motivational approach. Too much of the ‘wahooooooo!’ or ‘Yaaaay goferit!’ makes me want to puke.

I’ve certainly worked with clients who’ve come to me after seeing a ‘wahooo’ coach or attending a ‘wahooo’ seminar or training. And while the initial effect for them was ‘yay!’, like an old plaster peeling off round the edges, they soon plummeted down to earth with a rough bump.

I remember one corporate client telling me she felt more inadequate and unskilled than she did before the seminar. Clearly she was doing something wrong for the seminar not to have worked… which made her feel even worse about herself. Oh pleeeez!

Of course it hadn’t worked because her emotional, psychological and cognitive state was such that she was in a change process. Precipitous ‘wahooo-ing’ lays double-whipped cream over a cake that’s not yet been cooked. Pretty sloppy!

Another corporate client was very clear about what happened. He said he realised he needed to stop papering over cracks and encouraging other people to do so too. When we worked with what he needed it was time out for reflection and chilling as a way forward from his blues.

Down time rather than high up time which, of course, could come later if he chose.

Times of aliveness and dormant times are in fact the rhythm of nature. To our cost, we’ve discovered we’ve impoverished soil by continuously growing on it with artificial fertilisers. Just like the earth, we need time out to reconstitute and develop our potential.

So, be sure your motivation isn’t the hype type which pops like a balloon at the first pin it comes across. Motivation comes from purpose, passion & power… and the process of growth within.

So, what to do if you’re motivation has got up and gone? Here’s some tips…

***Accept it for now!***

It’s normal to have ups and downs. It’s all part of being human… and I just don’t believe anyone who says they’re never down. What?! Never?! If you tell yourself it’s OK and it’s just for now, you’ll be surprised at the inner relief and relaxation you’ll feel.

***Nourish Yourself***

This is a time for pampering. So go for fragrant baths, massage, or listening to inspirational music, or visiting an art gallery. Draw, paint, walk, write, dance… Do whatever it takes for excellent care of you, to give yourself grade A nourishment during this fallow time

***Monitor Your Language***

It’s so easy to fall into talking with negativity and self-abuse language. So monitor what you say to others and, most importantly, what you say to yourself! When you’ve caught yourself at it, reframe what you’ve said. Like, ‘I’m learning to write more courageously’ rather than ‘My writing’s a pile of doo-doo!’

***Vision Buddy***

And, if you haven’t done so already, entrust your vision of how you want things to be to a great buddy. Ask them to gently remind you from time to time what you’re working towards with encouragement and love. Because even in the down time you need to be reminded you’re still moving forward however static it feels!

Then, as all things pass, so will the Summertime Blues. And, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, you too can spread your wings newly invigorated and motivated from within.

© Sharon Eden 2009 All Rights Reserved

With 30 years’ expertise in personal & professional development, Sharon Eden MA is a Certified Coach, Registered & Accredited Psychotherapist & NLP trainer, and founder of Women of Courage. Take just 20 seconds to sign up for her Ezine rich with tips & techniques to boost your purpose, passion & power AND get her ’5 Day Energiser Plan’ absolutely free. Sign up now at: http://www.womenofcourage.co.uk

Healthy Weight Loss Plan: How Trish Lost 283 lbs

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1204446_hot_air_balloonSuccessful Weight Loss Plan.
Trish Cubias Lost 283 pounds with her Healthy Weight Loss Plan! You can lose weight too if you have a sound plan with the components necessary for successful weight loss. This is how Trish did it.

Motivation.

First and foremost you must realize you have a problem and be motivated to fix the problem. Unfortunately we often have to go through tragedy in our lives before we realize there is a problem and address that problem. In Trishs’ case it was the death of her mother. You see her mom weighed over 550 lbs when she passed and the death certificate listed obesity as the cause of death. Trish saw herself going down the same path. This was her personal motivation to change what she was doing so she would not experience the same outcome. Whoever we are and whatever we do to achieve any goal we must have a personal motivation. We are not successful because it is important to other people. We are successful when in our heart we have a burning passion and desire to achieve our stated goal. So the death of her mom excited that burning desire in Trish to lose weight. So this became the motivation Trish needed to achieve her goals. What is your motivation? Why do you want to lose weight? No one can answer that for you. It must come from within. Even if I were to give you examples of other peoples motivation if it is not your own their motivation is useless to you. Frankly you can stop reading here if you have no motivation to lose weight. Without passion or a burning desire it is less likely that you will be successful.


Your Weight Loss Plan.

Just like your motivation your weight loss plan has to be personal and come from within. That is not to suggest you create a plan out of your imagination and hope it works. No, I mean the plan you choose, you adapt it to your lifestyle and internalize it to fit you. Your goals and action steps are tailored to fit who you are and your needs. But, there are certain things you must do to be successful.

Whole Body Cleanse.

The first step is a whole body cleanse. I always suggest that as first for a few reasons. first of all we are often full of toxic waste that are deadly to our systems and need to cleansed for our overall health. Secondly when you do a whole body cleanse you get more energy and your metabolism increases. Increased energy and metabolic rate are essential to weight loss. Finally, you will have immediate success. Within 2 weeks you will see results and this will help keep you motivated and working toward your goals. Initial and quick success are always a helpful motivational tool to keep you going. Trish used a Natural Herbal Cleanse as a whole body cleanse and to start her weight loss plan.

Healthy Diet.

One the most important components of a successful weight loss plan is to eat healthy. Without a healthy diet it does not matter what supplements you take nor how much exercise you do. By continually eating a high fat, low fiber diet without complete and proper nutrition you are setting yourself up for failure. Your healthy diet should center around fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains vs. processed foods, nuts, seeds, and beans. Limit your fat intake by reducing the meat, sugar and salt in your diets. Drink plenty of water and eat 5 to 6 small meals each day (starting with a healthy breakfast) versus 1 or 2 larger meals. Fore many people it is hard to limit the calories the eat because it is sometimes a major change. After you complete the Natural Herbal Cleanse I suggest a natural meal replacement shake for breakfast and starting Metabolic Nutrition System that will give you full array of vitamin and minerals you need while helping to suppress your appetite for those unhealthy foods.

Regular Physical Exercise.

Equally important to a healthy diet is regular physical exercise. Both cardio and resistance training are necessary to effectively lose weight and keep it off. Exercise burns calories and fat. As you build muscle mass your body continually burns fat to feed the muscle. In reality the fat that our body stores up is the fat that we do not use. So conversely we either exercise to burn the fat or the fat will build up in our systems. When we exercise we get more energy as we build more muscles. We often need a boost. The Boost that Trish used and I recommend is natural nutritional energy boost supplement.

Essential Components.

The four essential components to a successful weight loss plan are motivation, natural nutritional supplements (starting with a whole body cleanse), a healthy diet of high fiber and low fat, and regular physical exercise (both cardio and resistance training). I only presented the outline and three major components to include in your weight loss plan and would encourage you to consider professional help from a nutritionist and professional trainer. This is how Trish Cubias lost 283 lbs.

Louis Jeffries. As a healthy diet, fitness and weight loss professional, Louis publishes encouraging tips and advice to enhance our lives. Louis is committed to share how people can lose weight, get fit and stay healthy. For additional free tips and advice and to see the Trishs’ video go to Trishs’ Testimony


Weight Loss Foods: What the Diet Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

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1151571_yellow_pepperSo-called “weight loss foods” are a rip-off. Most supplements do nothing, or even more harm than good. How many times have these products been widely advertised and then yanked off the market? Not a wise use of your money.
“Hey, Jennifer, don’t sugarcoat it or anything”, you say. I know, no introduction, nothing, just ripped that band-aid RIGHT OFF.

I won’t name names but I can’t believe how some companies are able to sell—like crazy, no less, their prepackaged food-ish substances. These faceless corporations (yeah, I don’t care if the company name is that of a person, hint, hint) do NOT care about you. Or their spokesmodels, for that matter. Look at Kirstie Alley. She’s done SO well with it, and she’s getting paid, well, she was. In case you don’t read the headlines at the grocery store checkout, this is complete sarcasm, she’s gotten quite large again. Anyway, these huge companies care about profits. They know you are busy and desperate to lose weight. So they prey on people’s desires and sell crap that I, quite frankly, would not feed my dog. If you need portion control, you can try this and it’s free: Just eat a handful.

True weight loss foods are natural items that do not require any ingredients that you can’t pronounce. Spinach, berries, almonds, walnuts, seeds. Items like these are the ultimate in convenience, too, so I really don’t know why anyone would buy frozen dinners. Yuck. If they can’t even make it look good in the commercial, I shudder to think what it tastes like when you reheat it.

Really, the term “weight loss foods” is simply referring to eating healthy, in my opinion. Most healthy eaters I know have an attitude of balance about it. Balance is key. There’s no need to skip your own birthday cake, but if you eat sweets every time you go to a party, that can easily add up to a problem. Especially if you have little kids. My thinking on this is, unless I know it’s a really, REALLY good cake, there’s no sense in wasting those calories. Heck, if you know me at all, you know I’d rather spend my wasteful calories on wine. (: After all, we still must enjoy life.


On a small side note: I can’t believe that incredibly intelligent, highly successful women (I’m talking about my clients) will fall for these appetite suppressants. From my personal experience, I eat more out of overindulgence than a feeling of hunger. Like today for lunch, as a perfect example, I made softshell tacos. (whole grain tortillas and ground turkey, of course!) I totally could have eaten two. I didn’t need two. And half an hour later, I was very glad that I did not. But I certainly thought about it. And it was nothing to do with appetite.

Think about that. Because as I’ve mentioned before, I know moms (myself included) who clean leftovers off the kids’ plates by shoving them in their mouth. Needless calories that have no link to appetite.

Besides, your body is a complex creature. Your appetite is a very valuable communication of your body’s needs. You SHOULD eat if your body is saying you need food. Because otherwise your body swings into starvation mode and you are instantly storing whatever fat your body can grab. YIKES! Totally the opposite of what you were going for! But that food can be a healthy choice. A weight loss food like an apple. No preparation needed. Add a handful of almonds and a big glass of water and you just had one of those small healthy meals that people claim they don’t have time for. Bullocks. That takes ten minutes. You can do ten minutes.

Jennifer is a caring, real-world weight loss coach, specializing in assisting busy women with quick and easy weight loss. If you have tried every diet gimmick and exercise program with little to no lasting success, check out the $176 gift certificate at http://www.quick-weight-loss-success.com


The Thunder of Leaves

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1191092_oak_leavesThey say in Calgary that if you don’t like the weather out your front door, look out your back door. Well, it was one of those dynamic fall days.

I was standing on my front porch, absorbing the golden beauty of the aspen trees around our house and enjoying the cool fall air. The sky from my front door had a mix of cumulus clouds and a bit of blue. But a closer look at the clouds showed how quickly they were moving. I didn’t know that the weather service had predicted gusts of up to 100 kilometres per hour for that day.

Suddenly, a blast of wind sent every fallen leaf in sight into whirlwinds of movement. If I had looked out the back door, I would have seen the storm coming. Leaves filled the air making every movement of the wind visible in whirlwinds, eddies, updrafts, downdrafts and currents. It was an incredible sight.

Even more amazing was the sound. If leaves could sound like thunder, this would have been it. The sound of the leaves drowned out any sound of the wind. I stood on the porch spellbound.

Shuffling through fallen leaves on the sidewalk or in the yard in the fall has always been one of my favorite things. I love the sound! For me, it is the best part of the experience. I don’t think I have met anyone who didn’t like the sound of shuffling through fallen leaves or who carries a fond memory of jumping into a big pile of leaves as a kid.

When I thought about the sound of these leaves after the storm, it reminded me of white noise. White noise is like the “shhhhhh” you hear when you tune your radio in between the stations. Technically, it represents all frequencies, or a wide band of frequencies sounded equally together. It can also be a background noise that you ignore, like a fan running.

The brain has a response to repetitive noise in the background called auditory habituation. You may have heard of or know people who live near train tracks or a busy highway who no longer notice the sound of the trains or cars. The noise doesn’t bother them. Through auditory habituation, the brain also no longer registers the sound as important or creates an emotional response to the noise.

White noise in the background may help to mask distracting sounds you don’t want to listen to. For example, if you are in a hotel and voices from the next room are disturbing you, turning on a fan or playing a CD with recorded white noise may be helpful in blocking out the sounds. If you work in a busy office with cubicles and are distracted by noise making it difficult to focus on your work, a fan or recorded white noise may be helpful to block out the sounds. If you live by train tracks or a busy road and the sound disturbs you, white noise may helpful in masking the sounds. White noise may also be helpful for those who suffer from insomnia, tinnitus or ringing in the ears. If you are working with your doctor or audiologist for treatment of these conditions, you might ask him or her about the possibility of trying white noise.

Sounds in nature, similar to white noise, may also be helpful in masking distracting sounds. Do you enjoy sitting on the beach and listening to the waves? The sound of waves, a babbling brook, a waterfall, falling rain, rustling leaves are examples of nature’s version of white noise.

I hope you find a few moments to playfully shuffle through the leaves this fall. Maybe we will meet as we zigzag along the sidewalk shuffling happily.

Sharon Carne has transformed a successful 30-year career of teaching and performing the classical guitar to teaching within the wellness programs of corporations. She is asked to speak for numerous groups on the power of healing sound to reduce stress, create deeper meditations, ease emotional release, create focus and concentration and ease the symptoms of illness and disease. http://www.mountainrosemusic.com

Photo: Chris Martin

Easy and Natural Ways to Raise Low Serotonin Levels

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414163_blue_flower_2Research indicates that in the United States 60-80% of the people, especially women, have low serotonin levels. You don’t have to get caught in the low serotonin cycle of hopelessness and despair. You can alter your low serotonin levels by carefully orchestrating your foods, activities and daily routines and habits.

You alter your brain chemistry, manipulate your neurochemical profile and affect your body’s physiology every day by what you do and don’t eat, what you think about, and how and where you spend your time. Through your daily behaviors and the environments in which you spend your time, you create your biochemical profile and this is reflected in the emotions, energy, thoughts, actions, and psychological states that either bring you into peak performance or that block your best functioning.

You have an enormous power to shape your inner world – your experience of life. What you do every day, what you eat, when you eat it, what activities you engage in and when you engage in them, what kind of environment in which you live and work – everything you do and do not do – shapes how you feel, think and how you experience your life.

You can create the range of emotions, energy levels and intellectual and creative functioning that you want. You can learn how to use what you do and do not do everyday and how you do it to create inner strength, hope, joy, mental alertness, and enthusiasm. By designing a life that keeps your biochemistry in balance you can maintain a state of optimal wellness, vitality and performance. When you understand the optimal physiological requirements of your body operating at its best, you can design your lifestyle to provide the diet, exercise, behaviors, thoughts, scheduling, and environment to support and nourish this optimal state of functioning in your body.

1. Serotonin levels are increased by a carbohydrate rich diet.

When you eat carbohydrates it results in a rise in insulin levels that acts to usher the amino acid tryptophan into the brain. Tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin. One and a half ounces of carbohydrate food (1/4 cup of oatmeal or a piece of sourdough bread) will significantly boost brain levels of serotonin. The healthiest carbohydrates to use are whole grain, low glycemic index carbohydrates such as barley, oats, buckwheat and carbohydrate rich vegetables such as yams, sweet potatoes and squashes. Fruits and most other vegetables have a neutral effect on brain chemistry.

2. Eat the kinds of protein that favor serotonin production.

These proteins are high in the amino acid tryptophan: chicken, white flakey fish, lean cuts of pork, veal, cottage cheese, lamb, low fat cheeses, low fat milk and dairy products, soy and legumes.

3. All meditative activities raise serotonin levels.

Spend time in a natural place such as a forest, park, mountains, or seashore.

Prayer, meditation, positive visualization boost serotonin levels and your feelings of well being, relaxed concentration and peace.

Engage in low arousal, highly meditative and internal spiritual practices that relax you.

Try relaxing activities such as hobbies or crafts.

4. Engage in exercise that increases your heart rate somewhat but not significantly.

Strolling, yoga, non-aerobic swimming, bike riding when done at least 4 days in a row a week will over a period of 60 days increase your baseline serotonin levels.

5. Have a regular wake sleep cycle.

The production of serotonin for the next day requires at least 7 continuous hours of sound high quality sleep the night before.

6. Get out in the sun at least 30 minutes in the morning and for 2 hours throughout the day.

Sunlight burns off melatonin produced the night before. The presence of high levels of melatonin consumes serotonin. Sunlight suppressed the production of melatonin and allows your serotonin levels to rise during the day. Without the exposure to adequate natural light your melatonin levels will be higher and your serotonin levels will be lower.

7. Eat a meal with high level of proteins that contain tryptophan and follow that by a carbohydrate snack two hours later.

This will act to drive the lingering tryptophan into the brain and set up the production of greater amounts of serotonin the next day.

8. Do things that revitalize you and let you feel good.

Take a low activity, high relaxation vacation with your family or by yourself with plenty of time to slow down.

Listen to classical music, light rock, folk or easy listening music.

Visit a museum, go to the theater, the symphony, or watch TV or films about love stories, comedies and other feel good movies.

Engage in long, deep conversations with one or two other people.

Clean and organize your environment.

Read: Self-help books are especially complimentary.

Copyright © 2009 Mary Ann Copson; Mary Ann Copson is the founder of the Evenstar Mood & Energy Wellness Center for Women. With Master’s Degrees in Human Development and Psychology and Counseling, Mary Ann is a Certified Licensed Nutritionist; Certified Holistic Health Practitioner; Brain Chemistry Profile Clinician; and a Health, Wellness and Lifestyle Coach. Discover ways to positively affect your neurotransmitter profile at http://evenstaronline.com/brainchemistry