Photo by Hape Gera via Flickr

As you all know, today’s fast paced world can be very stressful.  It pulls us in a million and one directions, and we’re always rushing to meet an unending string of deadlines and the expectations placed on us by our employers, friends and even our families.  I know that it can often be hard not to get anxious or stressed.  As if it wasn’t bad enough that all that pressure is zero fun, on top of that, chronic stress negatively impacts our overall health.  It can lead to sleep problems, depression, anxiety, chest pain, high blood pressure, burnout, the inability to enjoy life, etc.  That is why it is important to minimize stress whenever possible.  Because we’re all striving for a contented life, where we’re happy, healthy and free of chronic stress, aren’t we?

So, what should you do if your days are consistently stressful?  Well, the first thing you need to do is learn to manage your stress.  One excellent way to do that is through meditation.  Meditation helps to dissipate tension and bring a sense of calm and inner peace.  Since meditation is such a useful tool for managing stress, I am dedicating this show to the practice of Meditation.  I’ll cover what meditation is, its benefits and some tips on how you can start meditating on your own.

Some references I used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encyclopedia and Mayo Clinic.

The video podcast for this week is:

1. Being Healthy While Eating Out

The blog posts for this week are:

1. Study: More Protein, More Muscle?
2. Don’t Neglect Your Nails!

If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review.  It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners.  Thanks for listening, everyone!

To commemorate what I consider a fun occasion full of costumes, trick or treating and for those that enjoy it, scary movies; I’m dedicating this show to something fun, happy and pleasurable.  And since this is a family friendly podcast, I am talking about the pure joy of laughing.  So, today my goal is to convince you that you need to laugh more and give you tips on how to bring more laughter into your life.

If you haven’t yet, please subscribe through iTunes.

References used while researching this show are about.com and helpguide.org.

Photo by RossinaBossioB via Flickr

Did you know that the right music can give us energy, boost creativity, lift the spirit, make us more alert, lessen anxiety, decrease stress and pain and even aid in digestion and sleep?  Plus, used correctly, it can be a really effective mood boosting tool.

The affect that music has on us is quite profound.  In today’s show, I will go over how music can affect your health and show you how you can use it as a stress management tool.

As promised, here are the links to shows 31 and 32 which talk about “Dealing with Stress.”

Some references I used while researching this show are about.com and musictherapy,org.

The video podcast for this week is:

1. Heading Off Neck Pain!

The blog posts for this week are:

1. Buffalo: Building a Better Burger!
2. Cholesterol? Don’t Forget the Triglycerides!

If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review. It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners. Thanks for listening, everyone!

Photo by dmap via Flickr

Jennifer made a Saturday massage appointment at her local spa in anticipation of the next few weeks at work.  She knew that it was going to be a very stressful stretch because of some impending deadlines and critical meetings.  A long massage would be the perfect outlet to reduce her current stress, muscle tension and anxiety.  She always felt more relaxed and at ease after a good massage and taking the opportunity to start off this difficult stretch as relaxed as possible seemed the way to go.

It used to be that most people saw massages as a luxury, but more and more people are starting to see massage therapy as an essential part of maintaining their physical and emotional well being.  The growing recognition of the health benefits of massage, along with the enjoyment it provides are encouraging many people to get them on a regular basis.

What are the health benefits of massage therapy?
Massage is one of the oldest manual therapies, dating back thousands of years, but unfortunately scientists have paid little attention to it until recently.  Thus, there are limited studies on the health benefits of massage, but what the studies are showing is that massage therapy can help:

1. Induce a sense of relaxation and well being: Massage can ease mental stress and reduce tension, fatigue and anxiety.  It may also be a beneficial tool for people undergoing cancer treatments.
2. Manage and relieve pain: Massage can relax muscle tension and relieve muscle spasms and pain.  It may also be a great pain management tool for people suffering from back pain, fibromyalgia, labor pains or arthritis.
3. Increase blood flow: Massage increases blood flow to the skin and muscles, which can help improve circulation and reduce muscle soreness after exercise.
4. Increase range of motion: Massage can help increase range of motion of joints after injury.

Even though massage can be helpful, it should not be a substitute for medical treatment.  If you have an injury or a medical condition, see your doctor for the best course of treatment.

How is a massage done?
A massage can be performed on the entire body or it can target certain areas, such as the back, neck, shoulders, hands or feet.  It usually involves some form of kneading and stroking of the skin and the placing of pressure on tense, tight muscles.  However, there are many different types of massage styles, such as hot stones, stretching, traction, pressure points, etc. All of these techniques have different strengths and weaknesses.  That’s why it is important to pick a massage style that fits what you want to get out of the massage.  So, talk to your massage therapist prior to the massage and they will help you pick the right massage for your needs.

What all good massages should have in common is that they are supposed to feel good, be comfortable and leave you feeling relaxed and sometimes even energized.  Of course, when very tight, tense muscles are massaged you may feel some discomfort, but it should not leave you more painful, more tense or sore afterwards.  If that is the case, then too much pressure may have been applied.

But they’re so expensive!
I know that a lot of you are thinking that regular massages can get quite expensive. But there are a few ways to make it cheaper.  I’ll go from the cheapest to most expensive.

1. Learn massage: If you and a friend or relative learn massage, you could give them to each other for free.
2. Go to a massage school: If you get a massage from a massage student at the school’s facility, the price is much cheaper than a certified massage therapist.
3. Quantity Discount: Ask your massage therapist if you can work out a discount if you pay for a few massages in advance.

The bottom line:
Massage therapy has a host of wonderful health benefits that can have a positive impact on your emotional and physical well being.  So, don’t feel guilty about getting a massage.  Enjoy it because it is good for you, after all!

Are you staying up at night worrying about your investments, about whether you will lose your job or how you are going to pay your bills? Are you feeling depressed, anxious or getting headaches?  Do you find yourself overeating, unmotivated or withdrawing from others?

If this sounds like you, you are not alone.  Many people are feeling the extra stress caused by the current state of the economy.  And people are trying many different approaches to get rid of that stress. While completely eliminating stress may not be possible these days, it can be managed.

Why is it important to control stress?
Managing stress is important because being stressed for long periods of time takes a toll on almost every system in the human body.  It can can cause anxiety, depression, insomnia, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, increase blood pressure and heart rate and cause digestive problems, among other things.

How can I manage stress?
Here are a few suggestions to help you manage the financial stress you are feeling:

1. Keep a positive outlook: Even though there are many negative stories about the state of the economy, there are also some positive ones.  Try not to focus on the negative stories and don’t panic when you hear something negative occurring.  It is not all doom and gloom. The stock market is starting to make its way back up a little and some analysts believe we might come out of the worst of this in the near future.
2. Take a break from the news: If the news makes you overly stressed, then it might be time to take a few weeks off from watching, listening, reading or talking about the news.  That goes double for checking your investments daily.
3. Make a plan: If money is tight, write a budget: Figure out how you and your family are going to allocate your money to cover your expenses.  Then put the budget into action.  Committing to your new budget will decrease your stress, because you are taking control of your financial situation and one of the most stressful things in life is feeling out of control.
4. Be aware of unhealthy activities: During these tough economic times, many people turn to unhealthy activities to help them cope, like smoking, drinking, gambling or overeating.  If you find yourself doing that, stop.  These unhealthy activities can actually make you spend more money and can lead to family strain and more stress.  If you are unable to stop these unhealthy habits, make sure to seek professional help before it gets worse.
5. Learn to relax: Find something positive that relaxes you and makes you happy.  That could be reading a good book, listening to music, meditating or going for a walk.  Find outlets to relieve your stress.

The bottom line
In these tough economic times, it is important to manage your stress because long term exposure to stress will take a toll on your health.  Luckily, some people think the economy might be making a slight turn in the right direction.  Right now, you need to hang in there and be positive and proactive while finding ways to cope with financial stressors.  Remember, being healthy is the most important thing because without good health, nothing else matters!

Today’s episode is the second part of a two part series on stress. Last week on show #31, I discussed what stress is, how it effects our health, some unhealthy coping strategies and I covered the first of six healthy stress management techniques, which was exercise.  Now, on this show I discuss the other five positive stress management techniques: Having a positive attitude, laughter, learning to say no, learning to relax and having a strong social support group.

Some references I used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encyclopedia and Mayo Clinic.

If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review.  It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners.  Thanks for listening, everyone!

Today’s episode is the first in a two part series about stress.  Now is an appropriate time for this topic because these are tough and stressful times for many people.  Unemployment is up, home foreclosures are high and the stock market is way down.  Some people have lost their jobs and others are worried that they might lose theirs. There are a lot of people worrying about whether they can continue to pay their bills and mortgages.

In this show, I discuss what stress is, describe some unhealthy coping behaviors, talk about why it is important to manage stress in a healthy manner and explain how exercise plays an important role in relieving stress.

Some references I used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encyclopedia, Mayo Clinic and ahealthyme.com.

If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review.  It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners.  Thanks for listening, everyone!

Getting the body that you want isn’t something that can be done in 30 minutes a day or even an hour. Most people think that they are done once the workout is over. That’s just not true.

Working out is an important part of being healthy. However, there are three other key components to getting and maintaining a healthy body.

First piece of the puzzle: Eat right.
Eating right doesn’t mean not eating. It means eating the right foods, in the right portions and at the right times.

Eat throughout the day. Always have healthy foods available for snacks. Having healthy snacks around when you’re hungry can prevent overeating at meal times due to feelings of “starvation.” Also, when hunger strikes, you won’t grab a candy bar from the vending machine, because you have a healthy alternative.

Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because the body is in fasting mode when you wake up. Your body will burn less calories until you eat, or “break your fast.” So, by not breaking your fast shortly after waking up, you lose the opportunity to burn more calories in the early hours of the day.

Don’t take this as an excuse to eat bacon, eggs, and pancakes every morning. While you may have started your engine early, you’d  be drowning it with more fuel than you can easily burn. So, eat a reasonably sized, healthy breakfast.

Second piece of the puzzle: Relax.
If you feel stress building up in your life, take action to dispel it.  Allow yourself the opportunity to relax.

Chronic stress is harmful to our bodies.  It can weaken our immune system and upset the normal balance in our life. Prolonged stress has been linked to  heart disease, certain types of cancer, depression, poor sleeping habits, poor eating habits, anxiety and headaches. It is hard to be healthy when you are chronically stressed.

Take a time out, if you feel stress building. If stress is building up too high, take a short break. During that break put aside whatever issues are causing the stress. Instead, do something that relaxes you. That could be as simple as going for a walk, listening to your iPod, or meditating.  If that doesn’t work, you could try talking to someone sympathetic. The act of sharing often helps to relieve stress.

Third piece of the puzzle: Get enough sleep.
There are four reasons why sleep is important in conjunction with being healthy.

Physical Recovery. If you’re exercising correctly, your muscles gets pushed to the limits of what they are capable of. This produces soreness. While you’re sleeping, the muscles do most of their repairs and make you stronger. These new stronger muscles burn more calories. So, getting an inadequate amount of sleep means that you won’t receive the full benefit from your workout.

Mental Recovery. In order for your brain to be functioning at its peak capacity, you need to get sufficient sleep. Without adequate sleep memory and judgment are impaired.

Preventing a Weakened Immune System. Inadequate sleep suppresses your immune system. That means you’ll get sick more often, you’ll recover slower and feel worse while you’re sick.  Not only does that make you miserable, but it makes it difficult to eat properly or get exercise.

Prevent Disease.  Getting an insufficient amount of sleep has been linked to increased chance of high blood pressure, diabetes, depression or other anxiety disorders according to the Mayo Clinic. Inadequate sleep could also double the chances of becoming obese according to ScienceDaily.com.

So, get enough sleep because it is essential to being healthy. Plus it will help you to get the full benefits of those workouts you put in.

The bottom line, is that being healthy involves more than just working out. You can’t  neglect eating healthy, managing stress or getting sufficient sleep. If you do, the one hour a day you work out will be undone by the other twenty-three.

Then I jump into my next topic related to stress, which is how to manage stress on the job. I look at an article from helpguide.org about stress management.

Finally, I conclude the show by looking at an article from msnbc.com related to how debt stress can affect your health. I recommend people who have debt listen to another great podcast called Millionaire or Bust to help them find ways to decrease or get rid of their debt, because no debt is synonymous with less stress and better health.