Posts Tagged ‘These’

Stress Relief With Herbs: Discover How These Herbal Remedies Can Calm You Down In A Hurry

You’ve heard about herbs and that they might bring stress relief, but you may have hesitated. Are they safe? Which ones to take? How much? Which ones are the best ones?

Sure, there’s Valium, but synthetic drugs can have so many side effects. How about something more gentle and natural? There are quite a few herbs that can help relieve stress symptoms and generally do so without affecting your ability to think clearly.

Herbs have been used for generations, and for the most part, they’re not only highly effective with few side effects, but they’re cheaper than prescription medication too. Just be sure not to underestimate them. Herbs can be very powerful, and you need to learn how they work and be aware of possible interactions between herbs and any other drugs you might be taking.

In order to understand how herbs can help, it’s useful to know what happens when we are stressed. First of all, when stressed, we become tense throughout our bodies. Our muscles tighten, our brain becomes overwhelmed with stimulation, and our nervous systems go into high gear. If this condition persists too long or is repeated too frequently, our bodies will begin to break down.

That’s why it’s important to find a way to relieve stress without adding even more stressors to our bodies, as is often the case with drugs or alcohol. And that’s where herbs fit in.

Here are some favorite herbs for stress relief. People respond better to some than to others. The key is to experiment, pay close attention to their effects on you, and find those that work best for you.

Hops

We tend to relate hops to beer, but it is also used as tea to relieve depression and calm the nervous system. It also helps alleviate other conditions often associated with stress, such as digestive disturbances.

Skullcap

Skullcap is a plant that grows freely in North American and in tropical climates. It is one of 50 fundamental herbs used in Chinese herbology. For centuries, Chinese physicians have used it as to calm nervous tension and anxiety.

Passion Flower

Passion Flower is found worldwide, except in Antarctica and Europe. It is popular in Europe to relieve nervous tension. The leaves can be used to make tea to relieve insomnia, depression and anxiety.

Valerian

Valerian has been used in Europe for generations. It’s highly effective in calming stressed nerves. Its smell may take some getting used to, but once you reap the benefits, you may actually come to like it (or at least develop positive associations with it). If you find the odour too hard to take, try it in tablet or pill form. It works just as well.

Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is a member of the mint family. Originating in Europe, it is well known for its calming effect. It can be taken as an herbal tea and can be used as aromatherapy.

Chamomile

Chamomile is a long-time favourite that is usually drunk as a tea to trigger relaxation and improve sleep.

Green Tea

We’ve heard a lot lately about green tea. It is now readily available in any grocery or convenience store as an iced tea, in tea bags, and other formats. It is a natural relaxant, in part because of theanine, a main substance of green tea. But be careful… If also contains caffeine, though not very much. However, if you’re not used to caffeine, it may keep you awake at night.

You’ll find various combinations of these herbs as calming teas in your grocery store or in pill form in your local health food store. Which ones work best? Personally, I like ones that include passion flower and/or valerian best. And hops, especially when you’re ready for sleep.

My recommendation for you? Try some of them and keep tabs on how they work for you. You may never need another Valium ever again. Just remember that herbs too are powerful. Be very careful with driving and operating machinery until you know how they affect you. And, of course, you may want to check with your doctor first.

Ready to reclaim YOUR inner calm? Get Elisabeth Kuhn’s FREE stress-busting special report and your free e-course on how to live a more joyful and successful life.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Daily Healthy Choices - May 21, 2010 at 6:20 am

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Why do these yoga pants cost $98?

Why do these yoga pants cost $98?
That’s the question I put to Lululemon Athletica during a recent visit to its Irvine Spectrum store. Its “yoga-inspired athletic apparel” is centered around its pants, and its signature Groove Pant is a cool $98. Other styles cost $68 to $108. So…

Read more on Orange County Register

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Daily Healthy Choices - May 2, 2010 at 3:42 pm

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These is What You Should Achieve in Stress Relief

Stress relief is what every overworked and stressed person wants to hear and the relief needs a lot of planning and care so that it is deliberate and effective. Some people have constantly said that stress can be a good thing and if this is so we need to know when stress can turn harmful to us and what we can do to help ourselves. Many people suffer from stress as a result of poor planning. This is quite broad and when thinking about particular failures in life, we realize that we might have set the bar too high. Therefore, there is a need to ask yourself what you want to achieve. We all want the best but, we must keep in mind the kinds of resources we have that can enable us get what we want.

When you know what you want, put necessary effort in the best way possible and if you do it well, you will definitely land on success. On stress relief, you need to learn how you cope with stress and identify the major stressors. This will help in knowing how best to relieve stress. You need to undertake a search for the best ways to remedy stress and bring relief to you and you can engage in some simple ways to do it like laughing. If you have nothing funny, watch funny comedies and see a light hearted movie which will enable you to appreciate the lighter side of life. If you want to achieve, make certain guidelines which can help you everyday.

There are other ways for stress relief and they include good exercise practices which will enable you keep healthy in all aspects. Eating a balanced diet with sufficient vitamins will help you keep your immunity up and you will not be bothered by stress.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Daily Healthy Choices - April 22, 2010 at 4:33 pm

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Blow Away Your Troubles With These Stress Relief Methods

Stress is the bane of modern society. Ambitions have soared, expectations have risen, failures have become unacceptable, relationships are crumbling and in general no sphere of life remains untouched by stress. In these demanding times it is very important to somehow keep stress under controllable limits. So, while stressful situations may not always be something that you can control, you can try out different stress relief methods to provide you relief.


Relax your muscles:


When stressed, sit comfortably and tense and relax different muscle sets one by one. While using this stress relief method begin with your feet. Tense the muscles and hold for a few seconds then release the tension slowly. Next move on to the legs and repeat the process. Similarly, use this method to tense and relax the torso and arms. Finally clench your teeth and tense the head and slowly let go. You will feel that stress is flowing out of your body as you release the tense muscles slowly.


Look at the sea or any other natural scene:


The seaside is a good place to visit to unwind and relax. Sitting by yourself, watching the waves rolling over is by itself a healing process. If you live inland, a lake or any other naturally beautiful scene will serve the purpose. This method not only helps you calm down but also enables you to connect with nature, something that we have forgotten in modern times.


Walk away your stress:


Get away from a stressful situation, be it in the office or at home and take a walk. Do not engage in conversation and keep your mind free from thoughts of the problems that you are facing. Instead, walk briskly and take in the surroundings; listen to the birds chirping, look at the wild flowers swaying in the wind, enjoy the breeze in your hair, focus on your breathing and your body movements. By the time you reach your office or home in about half an hour, this stress relief method will leave you feeling calm and ready to take on the world again.


Laugh your heart out:


This is a time-tested remedy for stress. Either hang out with friends or pick up a joke magazine and laugh away your blues. Watching a funny video also helps you unwind and cope better with stress. Realizing the benefits of laughter therapy as a stress relief method, several laughter clubs have come up all around.


Music heals:


It has been scientifically proven that music has healing properties so; you can try this method to calm your mind when troubles get on your nerves. Move into a comfortable position and listen to music. Allow it to soothe your mind and relax you. In this context it is desirable that you listen to soft strains instead of loud music as the latter agitates the mind further and does not allow it to calm down.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Daily Healthy Choices - April 6, 2010 at 6:18 am

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Natural Stress Relief – Read These Techniques if You are in Stress

Natural stress relief is quite possible when you undergo some stress relief therapy, which is way of treatment carried out by a health care provider, Ayurvedic practitioners, professional consultants and/or psychologists. The treatment generally is carried out in peaceful surroundings and patient-friendly environment in health centre. The main objective of such kind of natural stress relief is to improve the self confidence of the patient suffering from various mental disorders.

Natural stress relief is a preferred method to treat mental disorder since such therapy not only decreases elevated stress levels but also teaches the person how to cope with the pressure of day-to-day life as well as eliminate unwanted bad habits that might come about as a reaction to stressful conditions.

A typical natural stress relief comprises of many different therapies and techniques those have been specially designed to alleviate the symptoms of stress. Let us learn some important therapies: Some of the more common therapies which are carried out include:

Hypnotherapy - This removes tension and stress as well as negative thinking. The patient would be in a state of natural deep relaxing and concentrating phase. Hypnosis may help you to carefully observe and learn negative patterns in the life and then to treat them positively.

Meditation – This is one of the most important natural stress relief therapies. Ayurvedic and other holistic practitioners such as Yoga Gurus strongly prefer to practice meditation. It will not only work as natural stress relief therapy but will also keep all the bodily hormones and enzymes in harmony.

Counseling - When a patient becomes overwhelmed by stress and anxiety, counseling will certainly help in boosting their self confidence and they will have more power to control their anger and peevishness. 
Medications- In ancient health systems such as Ayurveda, the medications are preferred to heal the elevated ailments internally. Herbs such as brahmi, ashwagandha, shatavari, mandookparni etc have been used to treat various mental disorders including stress and anxiety. However, one has to checkout for the dosage since it depends upon the individual and the case in particular.

Alternative Medicinal Therapy – Natural stress relief is also possible using some alternative medicinal therapy such as aromatherapy, acupressure, acupuncture and various massage techniques. They all help in restoring the brain function and calm down the aggressive mood. They are also reported to correct the altered brain chemistry and its equation.

Exercises and Mood Control – Natural stress relief can be obtained by practicing some exercises such as jogging in calm environment (as in garden) and also to control the mood in tensed situation. However, here, the support of family member may require. This is something like mental consoling that is personally conducted by family member, especially the spouse.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Daily Healthy Choices - March 10, 2010 at 6:19 am

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Quickly Blast Away Your Fat and Get In The Best Shape Ever Using These Secret Multi-Joint Exercises

Let’s face it, we all want to be in shape and catch someone’s eye. None of us like putting on our clothes and seeing our tummy hang over our jeans or our arms looking like a set of bat wings. With multi-joint exercises, you’ll be able to blast away fat at record speed, as well as get your chest, abs, shoulders, back and arms into the best shape they’ve ever been in your life.


When you want to find a way to build strength and fire up your metabolism to burn away all that fat, it is best that you concentrate your exercise routine on including exercises that deal with many joints at the same time. With a perfect foundation, you’ll be able to add lean muscle as well as burn fat. To do this, it is very important to know many single-joint and multi-joint exercises.


What exactly is the difference between single-joint and multi-joint exercises?


Single-joint exercises usually work and engage muscles that surround and focus on one moving joint. An example of this would be a bicep curl because it only moves the elbow joint. Multi-joint exercises are those that engage in rotation around many joints. Multi-joint exercises are said to stimulate how our body both works and plays. Many of our daily movements require multi-joint exercises.


This is precisely why we need to use multi-joint exercises, simply because they determine how our body works and moves. With daily activities, our bodies don’t just use one muscle or one joint at a time. Something as simple as walking is a multi-joint activity. Though walking isn’t complicated, it involves every joint and muscle in our lower extremities.


Why are multi-joint exercises important in a regular exercise routine?


1. Time efficiency. Multi-joint exercises are able to save you time that you have to spend in the gym working out. Because these exercises are able to allow you to engage in many muscles and joints all in the same exercise, you are able to work more of your body, decreasing the amount of time you have to spend.


2. High metabolic cost. That’s right! Doctors have even been able to prove that multi-joint exercises get our metabolism working 30 to 40 percent higher. As you work more muscles at the same time, you are able to burn more calories while your metabolism rates are high and pumping.


3. Helps to train our neuromuscular system. Having a steady and healthy neuromuscular system is able to improve our balance. Whether you plan on walking across the tightrope in the circus or just walking down the street, balance is important. Because multi-joint exercises use many muscles and joints at the same time, your body learns how to work together with the many parts that makes it.


4. They’re more fun. Who said working out couldn’t be fun? With multi-joint exercises, you are able to tone and shape your body while having fun with it. You don’t have to stick to the boring sit-ups or crunches. With multi-joint exercises, you can take pleasure in doing simple exercises while adding a little spice to them.


5. Variety, variety, variety. We all want to be able to have some sort of change in our lives. Start with your exercise program! If you incorporate multi-joint exercises into your routine, you are able to do many different types of exercises each day. Change and variety is good, especially if you want to have fun while getting into shape.


Here are some effective multi-joint exercises:


Squats: Squats, as dreaded and boring as they may be, help to build powerful and strong thighs and hips as well as toned a toned back, shoulders, arms, and chest.


Deadlifts: This exercise uses joints throughout the whole body. They are able to work both your lower and upper body muscles.


Leg Presses: These exercises are used to work the hamstrings, quads, and your glutes. With these, you’ll be able to have toned legs and a firm butt!


Front, Side or Reverse Lunges and Stepups: These exercises are able to work each and every leg muscle. These can get quite boring, so try doing all three types of lunges. A lunge requires you to drop your knee 90 degrees to the ground.


Bench Presses, Dips and Pushups: All of these exercises add muscle to the shoulders, back, and chest as well as the triceps. They are able to work most of your upper body muscles.


Overhead Presses: These exercises are great for working out your triceps and shoulders.


Pulldowns, Pullups, Barbell Rows, and Dumbbell Rows: As you do these exercises, your back and bicep muscles will grow. You are able to work out your back as well as your arms.


Upright Rows: Upright rows are great for exercising the shoulders as well as the upper back.


So when you really want to blast away fat and get your abs, chest, shoulders, back, and arms in their best shape ever then consider using multi-joint exercises.

Be the first to comment - What do you think?  Posted by Daily Healthy Choices - February 24, 2010 at 7:30 pm

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