Do You Have A Lot Of Stress In Your Life? Do You Wish There Was A Way You Could Reduce It?

11/15/2009 - Wellness and Diet - 18 Views

First and foremost - stress is one of the worst things for your health. Believe me I know first hand. And ignoring it? Does nothing. In fact, I think it only festers and makes it even worse. Recently I started getting really sick within the last 5 or 6 months - here I came to find out that it was from all the stress I have been going through these last few years; between start a company, my younger years as a chef, and family - I guess it finally got to me! I decided to visit a doctor that was of the "alternative" medicine type.

I like these guys because they don't just shove you off with medicine in hand. They actually try to help you fix the problem in a healthy way. There was three specific things he suggested to me - and none of them involved quitting the company thank God! If you have stress like I do - you know already that it can only lead to even worse problems such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, flu like symptoms and even death. So this is NOT something you should be putting off any longer. Deal with it and deal with it the right way. Listed below are three of the options my doctor suggested to me!

The emWave Personal Stress Reliever: Yes, this is an actual product that you will be using. The emWave stress is based on more than a decade of research, the product from HeartMath emWave enables you to transmute stress into increased energy, emotional poise, and psychological clarity. Fast and simple to learn, the emWave Personal Stress Reliever helps you sync your nervous system by analyzing your heart rhythms for "coherence". Coherence is a term used by scientists to describe a highly efficient physiological state where your nervous system, hormonal, immune, and cardiovascular systems are working together efficiently and harmoniously.

The emWave is currently being used by many top medical centers to reduce stress, fatigue, sleep problems, and improve emotional fitness. Those using the emWave include: Duke Medical Center, Stanford, Kaiser, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UNC, and Sutter Health, just to name a few. After doing some research on this specific product, I found that it was actually ONE of the most popular types of products to relieve stress!

Yoga: Yoga was first started as a spiritual practice in Hinduism almost 5000 years ago, but now in the more modern age a part of Yoga known as Asana has grown purely as a form of exercise. Asana is simply a way of keeping fit and healthy. According to a survey by the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine yoga is one of the 5th most used CAMs (complementary alternative medicines) in the US! Yoga is a terrific exercise through mind and body to reduce the symptoms of generalized stress.

Also, according to Yoga Journal magazine, Americans spend about

3 billion dollars annually buying things like yoga products and classes. This is something that anyone can do - it is so versatile. The point of Yoga isn't to actually be able to "hit" all the poses they have, but to mentally calm yourself and feel relaxed. Yoga can be done almost anywhere - and there are a few thousand different ways to utilize this terrific type of exercise - most of which can be found online!

Pilate's: This is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilate's in Germany. As of 2005 there are 11 million people who practice the discipline regularly and 14,000 instructors in the United States. The program focuses on the core postural muscles which help keep the body balanced and which are essential to providing support for the spine. In particular, Pilate's exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and aim to strengthen the deep torso muscles.

According to practitioners, the central aim of Pilate's is to attempt to create a fusion of mind and body, so that without even engaging the mind, the body will move with economy, grace, and balance. There are seven main principles to Pilate's; breathing, centering, concentrating, control, precision, flow or efficiency of moving and flexibility.

Hammocks: Lying in a hammock is practically synonymous with relaxation and escape from pressures, and I've found this stereotypical image to be accurate. I have a hammock, and when I lie in it and close my eyes, I can't help but feel great, even if I've had a hectic day up to that point. With the comfortable hammocks and sturdy stands currently available, owning a hammock is no longer a luxury reserved for those with two trees the perfect distance apart! Hatteras has some great options.

Electronic Massager: It's always great to get a massage from a loved one or a professional, but it's perhaps even better to have an electronic massager, always there at your beck and call, never complaining of tired fingers or expecting a tip! There's a variety of massagers out there, ranging from handheld models to vibrating chair attachments, and at all different price levels. I like this hand-held massager because you can actually effectively massage your own back with it, without paying the steep price of a massage chair.

I know that a lot of people consider Pilate's and Yoga to be the same thing. But frankly, I think they are two completely different types of fitness options. First off Yoga is MUCH easier to do for the untrained person - even I do it on occasion, and I have next to zero flexibility. Whereas Pilate's is for people that do have a little bit more experience in physical fitness. Over all you could use a product and an exercise option or one or the other - obviously this is going to depend on you and what you want to do, how much you want to spend, and how well the options work for you. For me, the emWave worked wonders. I absolutely love it, and I hope that you do as well if you decide to try it out!