Aug
5
Comfort Food And How They Really Affect You
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They say you are what you eat. So if you’re starting to feel as sluggish and as coagulated as a big bowl of chocolate pudding, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate your eating habits…specifically the stuff you call “comfort food”.
Instead of calorie-laden snacks on a gloomy day, why not try these healthier alternatives? Research shows that, eaten in moderation, certain food can help bring about a more relaxed and calmer state.
For instance, those that trigger happy memories or associations, based on their presentation, scent, or taste, subconsciously connect people to their childhood or beautiful moments from the past. Mac and cheese, always a childhood favorite, has become many a grown person’s comfort food because it was usually served as an after-school snack. Today, however, make sure to substitute low-fat ingredients when making your mac and cheese if you’re figure or weight conscious.
Or have a turkey sandwich. Yes, you read it right. Just make sure the bread is whole wheat and not white to stick to your caloric counter. Turkey has healthy protein that produces dopamine and norepinephrine, which are brain chemicals that have something to do with you being mentally alert. Plus, protein is more easily digestible than carbs, so you can go on without feeling hungry for longer. A good turkey sandwich also helps calm you down because of the chemical tryptophan. It’s an amino acid that raises serotonin levels. Add to that the selenium coming from the whole-wheat bread, and you’re as calm and serene as a baby with a pacifier, while you munch away at this Thanksgiving staple gone deliciously healthy between slabs of bread.
Finally, milk is alway something good to pour in a glass and down, because calcium has been proven to regulate the tension and relaxation of blood vessels. So if you’re feeling a sudden rush of adrenalin, drink some of this pristine white childhood beverage. Remember when your mom would heat up some milk for when you can’t sleep at night? There’s some truth to that, because a warm glass of milk has about 300 mg of calcium to make you relaxed enough to harvest some Zzzz’s not long after you drink it.
Jul
21
Some Q’s for you to gauge if you’re not getting enough Zzzzz’s:
1. Are you the type who becomes unconscious as soon as your head hits the pillow? Y/N
2. Do you find yourself nodding off when you’re supposed to be relaxing for a couple of hours in front of the TV at night? Y/N
3. Are you always moody, grumpy, and easily distracted under daily circumstances? Y/N
4. Do you rely on an alarm clock to wake you up, and when it does, do you hit the snooze button repeatedly? Y/N
5. A cup of coffee is your lifeline every morning. Y/N
6. You find yourself overcompensating for sleep during weekends, because the rest of the week you are always burning the midnight oil. Y/N
Now, tally your scores. Count the number of times you said “yes” to the questions and statements above. If you have no “yes” answers, chances are you have pretty sound and healthy sleep habits.
If you answered “yes” once or more, you may be sleep deprived and need to review your current lifestyle. The quality and quantity of sleep get directly affected by your schedule, and other things that you don’t think matter. If you suspect a sleep disorder that is not easily remedied, consult your doctor.
Jul
16
Creating Calm In The Workplace
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Getting into a peaceful state of mind need not be the expensive, seminar-induced way to go when you really, really need to deal with stress ASAP. This especially holds true when you’re at work or in any other situation where you can’t just walk off and take a vacation somewhere far. Sometimes, a little mental adjustment is all you need to get through the day without feeling physically, emotionally, and mentally run through the clothes wringer.
First off, start the day by pacing yourself slowly. Whereas you used to rely on the alarm clock to signal your military-like preparations for the day, why not get up ten minutes earlier so you won’t have to rush around like a headless chicken? Same goes with driving: there’s no need to beat every red light or be all Schumacher-like on the fast lane. Leave the house earlier than usual, take in the sights and sounds of the neighborhood, and get to work on time with some more minutes to spare. And when you’re conversing with people, don’t say the first thing that comes to your noggin. Pause for a few seconds, think the questions over, and then give your well-digested answers. That way, you’ll be creating an overall calm aura that can be contagious to other people rushing about and insisting on being all hectic.
Also, to avoid tension from coagulating the duration of the day, try this simple formula. For the span of an hour, work for 55 minutes and take a break for 5 minutes. Not only will you feel rejuvenated, but this can actually increase productivity in the work place. You don’t have to go anywhere for such breaks all the time. You can simply ease your mind into screensaver mode and think about nothing. In this case, having a poster of something calm or visually pleasing would help wonders in your cubicle. Or perhaps a bowl with a goldfish or a lovely flowering plant can help. Just don’t overdo it, or the flora and fauna in your workstation might prove more stress-inducing in terms of upkeep.
Also, make sure you put your vacation leaves to good use. A two-week break has been proven in researches about office goers to be more mentally soothing and calming to the spirit, in comparison to those using up their office leaves whenever they feel too stressed. Before you know it, you’ve used up all your breaks, and the stress still keeps piling up.
In case this does happen, don’t blame yourself or try to heap your plate with more responsibilities. Seek help from family, friends, and colleagues, and you’ll be surprised at how much easier it gets when they’ve extended their helping hands. Just make sure you ask nicely and not be an ogre, or else you’ll be passing on the stress to everyone else.
Jul
11
The Top Ten Stress Inducers To Avoid (For A Sound Mind In A Healthy Body)
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A survey conducted by the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachussets has gleaned that the bigget sources of stress for working adults have a lot to do with trying to balance the demands of a job and a family. They are the following:
1. Time pressures, especially deadlines and bills payment.
2. Feeling a lack of control.
3. Worry about one’s physical apperance.
4. Job pressures.
5. Health concerns.
6. Lack of joy.
7. Family relationships.
8. Friends/social life.
9. Lack of self-esteem.
10. Worries about marriage or primary relationships.
There are ways to cope with minor stresses, to be discussed more thoroughly in another post. Meantime, take a deep breath, relax, and take a mental dive into a pristine blue sea which mirrors a turquoise sky…