Archive for July 2011
No matter where you are in life, there is always more journey ahead.
I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.
Nelson Mandela
Believe in yourself! Take power over your thoughts and actions.
Make the rest of your life the best of your life!
There is “good stress” and then there is the ”bad stress” Physiological stress response is the “fight or flight” reaction to get us out of danger. This is a good response on a short term basis, when you need that burst of energy. But if the stress is chronic, and goes on too long, it takes it’s toll on the body. Caregivers, people undergoing job stress, marital stress, people who have lost their jobs or homes are experiencing major stressors.
When you are under constant exposure to stress your immune system will wear down caused by the hormone Cortisol. Cortisol tunes down the immune system’s ability to fight infection. The immune system also functions as a surveillance mechanism to help our body get rid of cancer cells, and fight common cold and flu conditions. Cortisol also increases weight gain especially in the midsection, increasing risk of heart disease and other serious diseases.
What can you do to reduce stress in your life?
You can’t get rid of all bad things in your life but coping is the important word.
Get help from friends, family or professionals, because you can’t do it all on your own.
Hire a trainer to help get you started with an exercise routine until it becomes routine. Most people don’t think they have the time or energy, or, not sure about the appropriate exercises for them. An exercise professional will give you the guidence and support to help you through the stressful patch.
Activities that help bolster your immune system are: Walking 30 minutes daily, strength and fitness training, meditation, and eating healthy nutritious meals and snacks. Massage therapy is not only good for relaxation, it also activates the valgus nerve (the thick cable of nerve fibers that extend thru the spinal cord to the brain) which in turn lowers blood pressure, slows the heart rate and puts the brakes on the stress response.
You need to treat the mind and body together, and seek the help of professionals who will help design a program to fit your individual unique needs.
If you find yourself saying….. “But I don’t have time to exercise”
Ask yourself this question….. “Do I have time to get sick?”
Resource: Article in Idea Fitness Journal July 2011. A conversation with Esther Sternberg MD. How the mind, the body, and the environment affect our health. Written by Rosalind Gray Davis
It is really in ourselves, in our emotions and in our memories,
that we can each find our healing space. For the most powerful
of healing places is in the brain and in the mind.
Esther Sternberg MD and Author of Healing Spaces
Beauty, truth, friendship, love, creation. These are the great values
of life. We can’t prove them, or explain them, yet they are the most
stable things in our lives.
Jesse Herman Holmes
Purpose is the driving force in our lives. It keeps us striving to reach our goals and dreams. While it’s important to have purpose, it’s also important to slow things down, and appreciate the many blessings we have in our lives.
Read the rest of this entry »
America was not built on fear, America was built on
courage, imagination and unbeatable determination
to do the job at hand.
H.S. Truman
Today we celebrate our countries independence, and honor the brave men and women who fight and protect to keep us safe and free.
Let Freedom Ring!
