Friday, August 26, 2011

Coping With Stress, Its Effects On Your Skin And Health, And Turning Back The Clock

Stress comes in many forms, workplace stress, family stress, grief over loss of a loved one, etc... Some can be avoided, but as we know, many cannot. Some people handle stress better than others, and some even thrive onit.Regardless, stress takes its toll.

Stress has been proven to rid your body of many essential vitamins and minerals. Particularly vitamins C, E, and B. This leads to lethargy, lower focussed mental activities (clinically stress causes more erratic brain activity and a reduction in short term and long term memory), drying out and aging of the skin (in some), and in others a increase in the sebaceous gland activity - which usually brings postules, acne, and rosacea - which all bring more stress as we then become more entangled in how others view our physical appearance.

We cannot stop all stress, but we can take steps to stop or limit its toll on our skin and body. Take a full vitamin suplament every day. Eat a well balanced diet - especially fish meat like salmon (high in omega 3's which is proven to increase brain function and cellular activity, but it also is proven to reduce the aging process of the skin and make cuts and bruises heal faster). Eat more raw fruits and vegetables - atleast 5 servings per day - you will see a notable difference in 4-6 weeks and you will feel better (along with better colon health.

Exercise more often. Aerobic exercise has been proven to release powerful hormones that actually counteract the harmful chemicals and results of stress as it will also improve your bodys abilities to cope with oxidants.

I can't say enough about meditation and prayer. Study after study have proven a reduction in every skin and body malody even cancer symptoms from people that pray and meditate daily. Take 20 minutes every day and do this you will also live longer.

The latest rage is skin peels for a quick fix. Skin peels will slough off the top layers of skin and reveal fresher, cleaner skin. The most effective are TCA peels and phenol peels (phenol peels are dangerous and should only be performed by a licensed plastic surgeon). TCA, trichloroacetic acid, is a medium depth skin peel that works on the most skin ailments - aging skin, sun damage, even has been proven to treat and cure acne. No other skin peel can safely do all that a TCA peel can.

So there you have it - clear, younger skin in 500 words. Great advice to follow and don't forget to always run anything new by your doctor. They are licensed for a reason and know whats best for you. by your doctor. They are licensed for a reason and know whats best for you.

Read More …

Monday, August 22, 2011

Power Snacks

Do you start to drag in the middle of the day, or need a snack to get you through the evening? Try these power snacks for a quick pick me up, that’s good for you, too.

Mixed Nuts –
Nuts are an excellent source of Vitamin E, which is good news for your heart. They are high in good fats that offer a great boost of energy. Just be careful not to eat too many, as they are high in calories, too. Aim for about a ¼ cup.

Raisins –
Raisins are cholesterol-free, low in sodium, and totally fat-free. They provide many necessary vitamins and minerals, including iron, potassium, calcium, and certain B vitamins. They are a good source of fiber and rich in antioxidants. They are also easily digested, for quick energy. A ¼ cup of sun dried raisins is about 130 calories, and the perfects portion for a snack. Try mixing raisins, mixed nuts, and a few other foods such as cheerios for a great take-along.

Milk –
Milk contains 9 essential nutrients, including calcium, vitamins A, D, and B12, protein, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, and phosphorus. This powerful package of nutrients does more than just build strong bones. 8 ounces of low-fat chocolate milk will give you the sugar you need for energy, and the protein to sustain it.

Yogurt –
Yogurt is an outstanding source of protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamins B6, B12, niacin, and folic acid. It contains just as much potassium as a banana does. This special dairy product contains a lot of friendly bacteria that benefit your health tremendously.

Fruit –
Go for fruits that are high in natural sugar, without the fat. Grapes, bananas, cantaloupe, and watermelon are all good choices. These fruits supply the burst of energy you need without the fat you don’t need. Cut up some pieces of fruit to add to your yogurt for a nutritiously packed afternoon goody.

Mix up your snacks a bit, so that you never get bored. Try new fruits, yogurts, and nuts often. Try out different power snacks together to reap the benefits of a diverse diet. You can truly treat yourself without feeling sinful!

Read More …

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Tips For A Stress Free Trip

Traveling is a time for leisure and we would want it to be hassle free. This is our time to relax and break free from the problems that may have been bothering us. This is the time for us to re-energize and refresh ourselves. Even the seasoned traveler, in one way or another, has encountered problems like losing wallets or having them stolen. I cannot assure you that you wouldn’t encounter any vacation trip problems but by planning and being well prepared you can achieve to having that stress free vacation.

I guess one of the major concerns in traveling would actually be your pocket or travel money. Without money how would you pay for your expenses let alone purchase a souvenir. It is important that you safely secure your money, budget it wisely and avoid overspending to prevent any future problems.

Most travelers store their money, valuables and passports in pouches specifically designed for travel purposes. This is a very good alternative to the traditional wallet for these pouches are fastened or draped around your neck or around your waist beneath your clothes so as not to be visible to potential pick pockets.

It is advisable that you do not bring with you too much cash and instead opt to utilize your credit card in making payments for accommodation, food, and other purchases. If it is necessary for you to bring such an amount of cash, I suggest that you carry just enough for what you need during the day and stash the rest of your cash in the hotel vault for security.

Do not put all your money in one location. If possible, spread them out so that in case you lose some from theft, you still have money to last the trip. You can also put in this extra wallet other credit cards and ATM cards for untoward incidents. Having an extra wallet stored in your suitcase or travel bag would be ideal.

When you will be gone for a long vacation, inform your relatives and friends of your itinerary so that they will be aware of how and where to contact you in case of emergencies. Always keep at home a photocopy of your passport, important documents and identification papers.

If you take certain medications, make sure that you bring along with you enough to last you for the entire trip to avoid the hassle of buying the medicines elsewhere. There might be the possibility that their pharmacies don’t carry the medicine you may need.

With careful planning, you are not far from having a great vacation.

Read More …

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Going for a stress-free travel

Whether you are going on business or pleasure,traveling can be very stressful. Tension can start from the planning stage up to the time you are leaving. However, stress does not have to ruin your business or vacation. These simple tips are guaranteed to help you get rid of that travel stress bug.

Plan ahead
There is no replacing good planning. To ensure that your travel will be stress-free, make sure that your flights and hotel accommodations are booked and confirmed. This will put you at ease knowing that delays are unlikely and there will be no surprises at the hotel desk.

If you arrange for transportation for the duration of your travel, all the better. In case, you will have to get around the city by taxi, it is good to ask the concierge to help you find a reputable taxi company.

Be prepared to get lost
Remember that you are on a foreign land and unless you have already traveled there a couple of time, you’ll have no way of knowing how to get around. Becoming lost is probably the biggest nightmare for travelers.

Before embarking on your trip, buy a travel book with maps and some useful phrases that you can use with the locals. Carry with you a credit card, identification papers and enough money to get around the city in case you get lost. It is also a good idea to ask your hotel for a business card which you can show to locals when you ask for directions.

By acknowledging that you can get lost, you can better prepare and be ready for anything.

Keep the communication open
Nothing can be a better stress-buster than staying connected with your family when traveling. With today’s technology, communication is increasingly more available. People who travel can now keep in touch through cellular phones, emails and text messages. Rates in international phone calls are also cheaper now than before.

Reward yourself
Do not procrastinate. If on a business travel, make sure that you have done all your work before you go sightseeing. Set aside a day where all you can do is travel to different sights in the city. If your schedule is spread out, make sure that you have ample time to go somewhere. It will also help to make out an itinerary of places to see. You can always ask the hotel to help you with that.

Eat local cuisine
Eating can minimize travel stress! So, treat yourself to local foods and stay away from your usual staple of burger, spaghetti and cola. Be adventurous and have fun in local restaurants. Before leaving, you can ask people who already traveled in the country if they can recommend any restaurants. Hotel personnel can also help you immensely. When you’re there, don’t hesitate to ask for the house specialty and enjoy!

Keep a travel journal
Writing down your experiences during your travel will not only preserves the memories, it will also help you relieve stress. Describe the sights that you have seen, the places that you have been to, even the people you have met. Get small keepsakes from each experience, a napkin from the restaurant where you have eaten, a receipt from a souvenir shop, a bus ticket going to a special place. This will keep the magic of your travel with you.

Read More …

Friday, August 12, 2011

Stress! What Causes It? What Is It?

What is stress?

Although we tend to think of stress as caused by external issues, issue in themselves are not stressful. It is the way in which we interpret and react to them that makes them stressful. People differ enormously in the type of events they interpret as stressful and the way in which they respond to such stress.

Stress is generally created when the demands made on a person start to exceed that person's ability, or perceived ability to cope. Essentially a gap is created between what a person needs/wants to do, and what they feel they are able to do.

Many things or even the anticipation of them can lead to stress:

* Pressure to achieve/perform
* Problems at work
* Bullying
* Financial problems
* Arguments
* Family issues
* Divorce
* Bereavement
* Depression
* Unemploymens
* Moving house
* Alcohol or drug abuse

Physical Symptoms of Stress may include:

* Tiredness
* Headaches
* Frequent colds
* Trouble sleeping
* Muscular aches/tension
* Nausea
* Sweating, feeling hot and bothered

Emotional and Mental Symptoms of Stress may include:

* Anger
* Anxiety
* Depression
* Irrational fears
* Mood swings
* Irritability
* Frustration
* Poor concentration
* Confusion
* Loss of sense of humour
* Negative thoughts
* Feeling of overwhelmes
* Feeling out of control
* Loss of motivation

Tackling stress
There are many strategies that can help you deal with stress:

* Realise that it is ok to be stressed and cut yourself some slack
* Try to understand what stresses you and why
* Avoid obvious stressful confrontations/situations
* Learn to be more assertive
* Take regular exercise
* Reduce alcohol
* Eat a balanced healthy diet
* Recognise your limits and learn to say no
* Organise your time better
* Keep your work/home space organised and tidy
* Talk to friends or family
* Listen to relaxing music, or read
* Take time out to relax

Alternatively you may benefit complementary therapies like aromatherapy, acupuncture and reflexology.

If your stress level is making it impossible for you to function as normal, it is perhaps worth seeing your GP as extreme or long-lasting stress can be very bad for your health, not to mention your relationships, so it is better to see a doctor sooner rather than later. Your GP can then advise you on the best course of action.

Read More …

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Learn What Foods Will Infuse Your Body With Energy

Do you want to know how to feel good? Do you want to be vibrant for a long time? Take care of your body and it will take care of you.

Digestion takes probably more energy than anything else. The average meal takes 3 hours and 30 minutes to digest if combined properly. Incorrectly combined food can sometimes take up to 14 hours to digest. This is a very powerful way to conserve energy.

Take note: Recall the last time you had a huge meal…a huge meal when you felt so full you could hardly move. That doesn’t make you feel like going out and running a marathon, does it? How often do you feel like going out and running a marathon after eating a huge steak?

How would you like to learn something interesting? Starches and proteins require different mediums to digest in the stomach. One requires acid in the stomach to digest and the other alkaline. Now anyone with even a basic knowledge of chemistry knows that acids and alkalines cancel each other out.

If you want to have more energy you need to learn to properly combine your foods.

You’ve probably heard people say you need to eat more vegetables. I heard that too for a long time. It didn’t motivate me to go out and eat it. It wasn’t until I understood that food is literally the building blocks of all the substances of your body that I understood the importance of it. What you eat literally becomes your brain, your liver, your kidneys, your skin and your eyes. This is powerful. What you put in to yourself becomes part of your body.

If 70-80% of your body is water, what does it make sense to eat? Foods which have a 70-80% water content. Vegetables are the most important food you will feed yourself in your lifetime. Vegetables will cause your energy to increase, your skin to look brighter, your eyes to sparkle, your energy to rise and your libido to increase. Vegetables are high in almost every substance known to be essential to the building of the body and life.

For the next 7 days eat a salad with every meal.

See, would you take a green shiny apple, spray it with fly spray, then eat it? You know how ridiculous that sounds. Would you eat it? Of course not. Yet that’s what’s happening to our food every day. Our fruits and vegetables are now being treated with pesticides and industrial strength sprays that are poisonous to the delicate insides of our body. Some foods are now being treated with radiation. It’s now proven conclusively that radiation contributes to cancer.

If you tried describing sex to an alien, they probably wouldn’t understand it until they experienced it. They wouldn’t understand it until they did it. You won’t understand the power of making at least 50% of your diet vegetables until you take this and do it. Vegetables are around for a reason, and for the same reason there are no hamburger trees!

Organic food contains up to 3 times the amount of nutrients of conventional fruit and vegetables. How would you like to eat spinach and have the nutrients of 3 times the amount? I certainly would. As food grows, it’s draws nutrients from the ground. The better the quality of soil, the more nutrients can be drawn into the food. Research reports many of our foods are missing vitamins, minerals, enzymes etc because of depleted soils. Buy organic food wherever possible.

The brain knows when you are full, because the stomach sends a signal to a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is 12 minutes “behind” the stomach. There is literally a 12 minute delay between being full, and your body knowing you are full. When you stop eating before you are full, you give your body a chance to recover energy.

Sugar is widely considered to be one of the most dangerous substances for the body. Avoid it at all costs. There are a few other ingredients to keep away from if you are serious about your health and energy. Salt dehydrates the body. It’s not widely known that black pepper is 17 more times irritating to the liver than alcohol.

That brings us to the next point, caffeine. I understand people love their coffee. I was once a coffee drinker, before I became interested in health. Caffeine gives us energy because it opens up the capillaries in the brain. The same effect can be had by deep breathing. The challenge comes when the effect of caffeine wears off. The capillaries in the brain restrict causing us to feel lethargic. Caffeine works because the body has to “speed up” to cope with the dose of poison it’s been given.

Unfortunately, while alcohol has perceived benefits, it is pure fermentation and decay, rotting sugar. It is absolutely toxic. There are other things you also need to be aware of. White rice is treated with bleach. It starts out brown and is bleached to become white. What about white flour? It’s also bleached. What about sugar or pasta? They too have been bleached to give a false sense of purity. Would you go to your laundry cupboard and drink bleach? That’s preposterous, yet most of us eat food treated with bleach. Bleach has the effect of ripping the stomach lining - an effect that is similar to the drug ecstasy. A report out of Germany states “they’re putting fine pieces of cracked glass now in ecstasy, those pieces have the effect of putting finite tears in the stomach lining enabling the substance to enter the bloodstream more quickly”.

Do you like food? Amazingly, most people I interview say “Yes”. What’s the purpose of eating food? While it tastes good and feels good, physiologically eating is the building blocks of the body. Skin, eyes, internal organs, joints, white and red blood cells, they are all built out of the food and liquid that goes into our body. So logically, what’s one of the most powerful ways to change the appearance your eyes, skin and strength of the organs?

Change the building blocks that you choose to take in. Literally improve the food you eat. There’s an old saying that goes “There was no hamburger in the garden of Eden”. Religion aside, when your body starts getting the food it wants and needs, it will start to desire healthy foods. Try it; you’ll literally make new food choices.

Due to the common diet, most people’s bodies are full of bacteria; these bacteria are what are responsible for cravings for terrible food. It’s not the built in mechanism of the body to crave these substances, it’s the bacteria! No one smokes a cigarette for the first time and says “Oh boy, this tastes great!” Over time, the body learns to adapt to the poisons put in.

As you give your body more and more wholesome food and treat yourself with respect, you will naturally crave better and better food. There are plenty of delicious recipes around, recipes that will leave you with energy for hours rather than tired and bloated. It’s just that very few people know about them.

Eating natural food will also return your body to a more wholesome weight. Have you ever had the case of eating a big meal and immediately afterwards having to go and raid the cupboard? Why is that? The brain has a built in survival mechanism that when it senses the body is lacking nutrients, it tells us to get hungry. That is the sense of hunger is the body telling us it needs nutrients. If you suffer from the problem of being frequently hungry, it’s because the hunger mechanism is literally turned on all the time, the body is in a constant state of asking for nutrients. Due to our poor diets and low nutrients in most of our foods now, many people find themselves living in a case of constant hunger.

Ideally, you should invest in a “juicer”. A juicer takes all the nutrients in food and releases it for the body to absorb readily and quickly. A glass of vegetable juice is more filling than an entire pizza because of the concentrated amount of nutrients.

Read More …

5 Stress Reduction Tips To Help You Avoid Holiday Burnout

The festive season is fast approaching and for many people, stress depression and anxiety can make this season anything but merry. Here’s 5 stress reduction tips to help you avoid burnout during the holidays:

• Lower your expectations. The holidays are so exciting! Being with loved ones, Christmas decorations, lights, presents and much feasting! As the holiday approaches, expectations increase as to how the holiday will be only for them to be dashed when the holidays arrive. So, try not to place high expectations on how events will unfold. Always expect the unexpected and remember that humans can react unpredictably and surprisingly. Also, life can throw us the odd curve ball, especially when we least want it, so just have a “what will be will be” attitude and hopefully, the holidays will be perfect. Avoiding high expectations means you won’t become stressed out or upset should things not turn out the way you wanted.

• Plan ahead. Make a detailed plan for all of the things you need to do. Be thorough and try to do as much in advance as possible. The more you can get done before the holidays the less stressful the season will be. Include shopping, decorations, wrapping, meal preparation, sending cards, visiting family, and a schedule for the big day. This will help you get organized so you’ll get more done and you’ll feel less stressed. Make checklists so you can mark progress as you go. Another great tip is to have a backup plan in case things go awry.

• Delegate. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure happy holidays. The Christmas dinner alone really can be hard work for the cook! Too much work leads to stress burnout so make sure the whole family share the workload. Delegate by sharing chores amongst the whole family and get children involved too. It’s true – many hands make light work – and they also reduce stress in doing so.

• As much as the holidays are about spending time with family, having the family over can be highly stressful. Not all families get along, and stress levels can soar at get-togethers. If you have family members who are unappreciative, argumentative, aggressive, sulky – the kind of people who will spoil the day, then say “no!” and don’t invite them. The holidays are about joy and happiness, so inviting people who will ruin everyone’s day isn’t on. But a sense of duty can lead to inviting someone around against your better judgement. Your only duty is to your immediate family – your spouse and your children – not to any other family members. If your family get along, fine, but if you know there’s going to be fireworks, then make everyone’s day by not having stress as an unwanted holiday guest.

• Set your budget and stick to it. It’s really tempting to spend money during the holidays and many people will rack up huge debts doing so. The debt then becomes a major stress factor after the holidays have ended. You don’t need to buy people expensive gifts and you don’t need to go into debt to impress people. The Internet is a fantastic source for finding creative and imaginative gifts that will give the receiver a highly valued special surprise because it shows thoughtfulness. Debt is to stress what pizzas are to waistlines and you can pay a heavy price for impressing people with gifts. Stick to your budget and you will reduce stress, not just over the holidays but for many months after.

Read More …

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Why Hypnosis Is Better For Stress Than Meditating

***** Stress Is The Life Killer

Stress is the greatest problem for people in the modern world, and it's much worse than just health problems such as heart attacks that are brought on by too much stress for way too long.

Stress impacts EVERYTHING.

Stress kills our libido, our enjoyment of life; stress causes disturbed emotions of anger, rage, sadness and depression; stress makes us clumsy; stress causes us to make mistakes and worst of all, stress makes us think stupid thoughts (we become "stress stupid") and it cuts off the internal flow to our creative and innate talents and abilities.

It is clear that we ALL need to de-stress, whether we are teenagers who suffer from acne and migraines as a result of stress, men and women in "anger management", authors who suffer from writer's block, business people who burst a blood vessel, or parents at home who aren't enjoying their kids but end up screaming at them instead.

So how do we de-stress, and urgently, and FAST?


***** Why Stress & Meditation Are At Odds

Many hold that meditating and meditation is the answer to stress.
Meditating and meditation is the act of entering into altered states of consciousness, to widen our conscious awareness and to re-connect with the superconsciousness of our energy mind (subconscious mind, subconsciousness).

This does not happen when we are stressed - a person under stress is like a TV that isn't tuning properly. Everything is disturbed, mad, doesn't fit together, there is no clarity.

Trying to meditate when you are stressed is like trying to be romantic with a pick axe embedded in your forehead - try as you might, it's not going to work very well if ever at all.

So we have the classic Catch 22 and another big stressor to add to all of that stress - a stressed person is TOLD to relax and go away and meditate, but they can't meditate because they're way too stressed!


***** Why Hypnosis Is The Best For Stress

Long before a person who is under a lot of stress can even BEGIN to enjoy harp music to relax them even further, they need to be made to slow down into other states of being, and for that you need HELP.

"A good talking to" by a sympathetic other is the most NATURAL way of getting rid of stress invented by human kind, and it even exceeds physical touch approaches in high stress situations; it precedes them too. We "talk" a potential suicide victim DOWN from the top of a building, not massage them off; we "talk" an angry man with a gun down into lowering it, we don't pat him on the back.

That is exactly where hypnosis comes in to help with stress.

Hypnosis is DESIGNED to assist people to ENTER INTO AN ALTERED STATE of meditation - that is the first purpose of hypnosis, and its speciality.

Often people get confused by the "instructions" or the content of hypnosis - the post hypnotic suggestions for change that take all the attention, but it is the fact that hypnosis brings people into the restful meditative state where they even become RECEPTIVE to suggestions, ideas, visions and new thoughts is where the power of hypnosis to heal the mind actually lies.


***** From Hypnosis To Meditation - Breaking The Stress Loop

"Going into trance" is something that we learn and we are taught when a hypnotist talks to us, and talks us down from the stress of the thoughts that fly here, there and everywhere, into a relaxed state of clarity, and peace, where your body is at ease and mind healing can finally begin.

THE MORE HYPNOSIS YOU DO, THE BETTER YOU GET AT RELAXING.

It is a learned skill that gets ever better with practice.

So my recommendation to combat stress, and to learn how to relax and EVENTUALLY to be able to meditate successfully, which then leads to being able to control one's own stress levels in the real world and to be able to relax and de-stress even in the middle of a stressful situation, is to DO HYPNOSIS - and LOTS OF IT.

Rather than to hopelessly try and "find inner peace" so necessary for mind healing without guidance, do hypnosis inductions. This is as easy as sitting down in a chair, putting on the headphones and letting the hypnotist do their job.

Hypnosis CDs, mp3s and tapes are readily and freely available; there are MANY free downloads and trial downloads available.

Try many, and if you find a hypnotist that YOU GET ON WITH, someone you find relaxing to listen to and who can make you feel safe, relaxed and you can feel your stress begin to drain away as they speak with you, you have struck "Anti-Stress Gold".

Now you have a tool to help you break out of the stress loop.
Use this hypnotist to de-stress you regularly and as often as you possibly can.

You will find after a few repetitions that you LEARN TO LEARN TO RELAX and HOW YOU DO THAT.

Now, you are ready to start meditating on your own.


***** Anti-Stress Meditation In The Moment

When you are out and about in your daily environment and you notice your stress levels rising, remember your hypnotist and what they said, just for a moment. Find out if you can feel your stress beginning to flow away. Even if your stress abates just a little bit, you can know that you are now on your way - you have started to learn to control your states of being, your states of mind.

This is the beginning of a new stress free life.

Life will ALWAYS be stressful.

We need to learn to be able to notice when we're stressed, and to step
back from that into the clarity of altered states.

That is what hypnosis teaches you, teaches you easily, and just for the listening, no willpower required at all.

When you have learned the basics of relaxation, THEN and only THEN are you ready to begin to meditate on your own, or to use meditation devices that require these basic skills of knowing how to shift state in the first place.


***** Hypnosis, Stress & Meditation - In Conclusion

Using hypnosis for stress relief doesn't mean that you should only look at hypnosis programs designed for stress alone. Remember that what you want to learn is the skill of altering your states of being, so that you can also then meditate and get all the health benefits from that; but more importantly even still, so that you can de-stress yourself in REAL LIFE.

You can choose ANY good hypnotist, and ANY good hypnosis program that excites you, in a double benefit, because it is not the CONTENT, but the hypnosis skills themselves you need to learn to put an end to being in stress states all the time.

You can choose intelligence enhancing hypnosis programs; mind healing programs; performance programs, health programs - the CONTENT is irrelevant and just the icing on the cake.

Hypnosis is a WONDERFUL and incredibly USEFUL tool for dealing with the human mind, for healing the mind, and for getting our thoughts and
conscious mind under control.

Explore. Find a GOOD hypnotist who can teach you the life saving skill of going into trance, and you get control not just of your stress, but of your entire WORLD.

Read More …