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Stress and Sickness

A recent article in PARADE Magazine asked if stress can make a person sick. The answer? Yes. More importantly, stress can mess with your normal defenses. In the short term, a little stress can actually be beneficial. Stress can trigger that good old “fight or flight” response, releasing adrenaline into your system to increase strength and stamina. But your body wasn’t designed to function at full alert for long periods of time. Chronic or long-term stress can be bad for you in a number of ways. Stress and your head… as in headaches. With all the “fight or flight” chemicals … Continue reading →

Family Fitness: Stress and How it Affects the Family

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How many arguments do parents have when one or the other arrives late from work? How many times have you heard a partner say, ‘I thought this was the one place I could catch a break!’ The myth of family is that the home should be a bastion of peace and tranquility. The stresses of life should not walk in the front door and sit down to share the supper table with the wife, kids, parents and in-laws. Family Stress Family stress is very much like normal stress in that the stress itself is inevitable. Families, after all, are comprised … Continue reading →

Ways to Avoid Stress: Lifestyle Changes

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Making changes to your lifestyle can help lower your stress level. Starting with basic good health is a good idea. If your body is in good condition to begin with, it may be able to cope with stress better — or in a more healthy way. Eat a balanced diet — fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to fight stress and other health issues. Get moderate exercise at least three times per week — the more the better. Get enough sleep — your body recovers from the day’s stress while you sleep. Balance work, family needs, personal needs, … Continue reading →

Worrying About Losing Your Job is Bad For Your Health

Are you worried about losing your job? You’re certainly not alone. But a new study says that worrying about losing your job can be worse for your health than being unemployed. Researchers from the University of Michigan, the University of California, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development took a look at data from some long-term studies on American workers. The two studies — one done during the 1980s and one during the 1990s — interviewed workers about physical and mental health. People who were persistently worried about losing their jobs reported … Continue reading →

Ten Tips for Weight Loss Success

If you are looking for some good ways to eat right and not necessarily diet then here are ten simple steps toward a healthier you. You will most likely lose weight following these tips depending on how well you follow them, but you will definitely be healthier. 1. Do not skip meals, especially breakfast. Even a light meal is better than no meal at all, as this will keep your metabolism running. 2. Cut calories to about 1200 to 1400 calories a day. 3. Eat more vegetables and fruits. 4. Keep breads to a minimum. Cut back to just a … Continue reading →

What Are Adaptogens?

I was at a holistic health expo this weekend and visited a booth offering “adaptogen sprays”. I’d never heard of adaptogens before, and grabbed a brochure. Adaptogens are plants and/or herbs that supposedly have the ability to increase the body’s resistance to fatigue and stress. Although certain adaptogens have been in use since ancient times (many were and still are popular in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine), modern investigation into adaptogens did not begin until the 1940s. In 1947, an adaptogen was defined as an agent that helps the body counter physical, chemical, and/or biological stress. Adaptogens help boost the … Continue reading →

Five Tricks for Navigating My Mom’s Dementia-Filled Days

When my mom had her mini-stroke a few weeks back, it negatively impacted her dementia in a major way. She went from exhibiting mostly mild symptoms with a few moderate ones thrown in, to exhibiting mostly moderate symptoms with a few severe ones thrown in. If I was gulping about being a caregiver before, I’m triple gulping about it now. I had hoped some of this was related to the stroke and that in time she’d come back to me. But she’s not shown any improvement. If anything, she gets a little worse each day. This has presented major challenges … Continue reading →

Using Food to Change Mood

Prefer a natural alternative to changing your state of mind? While major chronic mood disorders require counseling and intermittent drug treatment, often we can make small but significant changes to our diet and lifestyle to assist us to get out of a bad frame of mind. Try these simple tips next time you have a case of the “blahs”. 1. Feeling Irritable? Maintaining steady blood sugar levels will help stave off sugar swings that can lead to irritability. Eating 5 to 6 small meals throughout the day and never missing breakfast can make for a much more stable mood. Supplementing … Continue reading →

Want To Lose Weight? Paint Your Kitchen Blue

Have you ever wondered why “Healthy Choice” frozen entrees are packaged in green boxes? Or why fast food chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell and Arby’s use the color red in their logos and in their restaurant’s décor? Researchers say a correlation exists between color and appetite. If you understand what it is and learn how to apply it when decorating your home, your entire family could benefit. In lab tests, when volunteers were shown the colors red, orange and yellow, their appetites were stimulated. Conversely, a decrease in appetite occurred when participants were shown the colors blue, indigo … Continue reading →