Stress Relief

Stress is the condition that results when person-environment transactions lead the individual to perceive a discrepancy, whether real or not, between the demands of a situation and the resources of the person's biological, psychological or social systems. It is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings. Usually, stress is one of those things that can't be seen, but you know it's there. It's sort of like an evil entity that attacks the body and mind. You get the aches and pains, right? I think it's safe to say that we all do at times. For some of us it is much worse than it is for others. Maybe it's connected to work, or possibly related to your home life. Some folks even inherit high stress levels. Pretty much everything is genetic we're finding out. And then there's stress relieving. But, how is this done? Well, this really depends on you and what you prefer. There are several routes to stress reduction. As a part of my experience, I have been a social worker for many years. I know that the course of my career I have worked with various groups of people needs assistance. My formal training is working with youth and families, so this is where the focus of my career has been. I was not working as a social worker very long before I realized that I needed to find a stress relief for myself to remain effective in my job.Particularly, working with people in general can be stress producing and when you add in mental health and domestic violence issues as well as chemical dependency the amount of stress goes way up. One of the things that I was doing with families was helping them find stress relief, yet I knew that if I did not accomplish this myself first I would not be able to teach others. You can find so many books, programs and audio tapes available that focus on stress relief. Many are very good, but they are also time consuming. I found that trying to fit in the programming to relief my stress was causing me even more anxiety. I went to a conference that had several break out sessions. One of the sessions was on stress relief. The presenter had great ideas of simple things that can be done in a few minutes throughout the day to help relieve stress from building up. One of the first things he started talking about was breathing. I had heard about deep breathing in the past, but the way he presented this concept and the exercises he showed us were very helpful. Breathing is something that we do all the time and learning to breathe properly can be accomplished in minutes. I find that when I am getting stressed I take shallow breaths and also hold my breath. Remembering to take a few deep breaths and hold them in and blow them out has an amazing calming effect. I have used this technique with children and parents as we are sitting outside of the courtroom waiting to go into family court. One day one of the public defenders heard me remind his client to take some deep breaths as we were going into the courtroom. The attorney told me after the hearing that he did this also and was amazed at the stress relief he experienced. There are many things that we can do during the day to reduce stress. Sometimes simply getting out of your chair and pacing or walking to a vending machine for coffee will help clear your mind and acts as stress relief.In fact, vitamins is one of the most common dismissed answers if you have stress. You can take a multivitamin each day and it does aid with your stress issues. We all require daily nutrients that assist our body's recovery. I have been doing this since the age of 18, which adds up to over a decade now. And in all honesty, I feel little stress in my life. Relaxation is another secret in relieving stress. Just when you begin to stress-out about something, STOP. Relax and take your emotions to a different place. Stressing-out solves nothing. It's like worrying. Nothing great comes from it. All these things do is throw off your game so that you miss stuff that's really there. Calm down. I will offer a few ways you can do this and get that stress relieving game in full motion. Number one; try a massage therapist. This is something every human being should indulge in from time to time. It helps greatly with your body's circulation and it pulls much of the tension from your aching muscles. I fully admit that I would like a massage daily. Number two; get the proper amount of sleep each and ever night. This is essential. Your following day with be so much better. And number three; try meditation. This is one of the most outstanding ways to clear your mind of pollutants such as stress and chaos at work. Try a beginner's course for fun. We all know that, the body’s natural relaxation response is a powerful antidote to stress. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and yoga can help you activate this relaxation response. When practiced regularly, these activities lead to a reduction in your everyday stress levels. What’s more, they also serve a protective quality by teaching you how to stay calm and collected in the face of life’s curve balls. Literally, it's imperative that we don't allow stress to rule our lives. Whether it takes stress relieving via massage therapy or meditation, we must strive to keep it away. Life is so much better and richer without this irksome burden. Live stress-free.

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Do You Want to Know the Shocking Truth About What is happening to our Healthy Food Supply?

Do you care what you and your family eat? I'm sure you do.But, in today's fast paced life, most of us often just grabsomething quick - - - Fast Foods / Processed Foods - - - We are getting empty calories filled with ingredients thatincrease our appetites and cause cravings for more junk food. No wonder "weight loss products" are such a big business. Then, those of us who really do care and want tonourish our bodies with the necessary ingredients turn to supplements.What Gives You the Most Real Nutrition?According to researchers at Cornell University . . . . Eating one small apple is more beneficial than taking a megadose of vitamin-C. An apple does contain vitamin-C, but it also contains many other healthy naturally-occurring substances such as antioxidants. . . You can get more calcium,from one pint of fresh carrot juice then, you can from 25 pounds of calcium tablets.The Truth is, there are literally thousands of naturally-occurring nutrients in fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts,and sprouts that you simply can't get from synthetic or isolated vitamin and mineral supplements. The Facts are - - -Live Whole Foods are a better source of nutrients for our bodies then Supplements.But, What has happened to our healthy food supply? Why aren'twe getting the same nutritious foods our Grandfathers or evenour Fathers did?1. Years of farming - trying to get the maximum yield from each field - has depleted the soil. Hence the chemical fertilizer industry was born. These chemicals have tainted our foods and water supply.2. We are often eating produce that has been sprayed withbug poison.3. We are eating produce that has been treated with radiation. Yes, treated with radioactive gamma rays so theywill appear fresher by the time they reach our grocery stores.4. In many cases, even foods advertised as natural foods arenot really what we think they are. Because, of the time-distance from the fields to your grocery store, many fruitsand vegetables are prematurely picked, before nature and sunshine can do it's best work. Many prematurely picked tomatoes are artificially ripened with unnatural hormones.What is the Toxic and Potential Risk from these foods?5. Research shows that Hormones, Steroids and, Antibiotics, found in animal products can be absorbed by fruits and vegetables grown in soil treated with manure from animals fed these products.How Safe are Genetically Engineered foods?What is the genetically altering of seeds doing to our foodsupply? What are the hidden Health Risks of Genetically Modified foods?Genes from, bacteria, viruses, plants, and animals are inserted into seeds, creating plants that are more drought and pest-resistant. If, we can get more yield from our fields,it could help the world hunger challenge. But at what risk? Over 70% of processed foods in our grocery stores contain genetically modified ingredients? The chief offenders are corn, soy, cottonseed and canola. High fructose corn syrup converts to fat more than any other sugar. This is usually made with genetically modified corn and genetically modifiedenzymes.Author Jeffrey Smith, in his book "Seeds of Deception" reveals that between 1994 and 2001 when genetically modifiedfoods hit the market --- Food related illnesses Doubled.What do you think is happening to our Honey Bees? How willthe disappearance of bees affect crop yields? I have read that the organic farmers aren't having the same challengewith their bees.Do you get Your Five to Nine Servings of Fruits and Vegetables Daily?Eating the Five to Nine Serving of Fruits and Vegetableevery day as recommended, by the U.S. Government disease control in Atlanta, is not that easy. Most of us only geta fraction of that, especially in the winter months. If, we try to eat only organic, it gets really expensive andeven more difficult.So, What Can We Do?Some of us can grow some of our own foods, whether it bea farm, a small garden plot, or even patio containers. Thisthough, is only a seasonal solution, and for some it is impossible. Local farmers markets, Health and Whole Foods Stores if available, can be an option.Ask questions, find out where and how your produce is grown.Read labels. When buying supplements, be sure they are all natural. Isolated vitamins and minerals may not be the bestway, but better then not getting any.What Do you Want?The key is to be aware of what you really do want for you and your family. By knowing what would be ideal for you, you are more apt to achieve the goal of good Nutrition.If you are like me, - - - You want more Real, Whole. Foodbased Nutrition. That has all the natural vitamins, mineralsand antioxidants that we need. Guaranteed to be of the highest quality, certified organic, naturally grown fruits and vegetables of ideal quantity and variety. Tastes good and be affordable. Is convenient and quick enough to fit into my busy life style.I recommend, you actually write down, what you feel wouldbe an ideal diet to best nourish your body. And, how wouldyou feel if your body was getting the proper Nutrition? Good Nutrition can change your life!

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