Red Mountain Spa
Anyone who needs a break from the continual barrage of tragic news should check out the (not-so) Secret Society of Happy People (www.sohp.com). According to the SSOHP website, the organization was formed in 1998 to "encourage the expression of happiness and discourage parade-raining". The founder, frown-buster Pamela Gail Johnson, Ph.D., provides us with plenty of mood-lifting treasures: "Happy News", a review of "31 Types of Happiness", a listing - by year - of positive news events, even a free enewsletter.
The Society has also proclaimed August as "National Happiness Happens Month" (formerly "Admit You're Happy Month"), an event officially adopted (with proclamations) by 19 state governors. (Note: To find out if festivities will be happening in your area, check out the SSOHP site to see how your governor reacted. Lists are provided of states with "Happy Governors", "Parade-Raining Governors", and "Stick-In-The-Muds").
Apart from you and I, not everyone will be joining in the August celebrations. Over the past 3 years, prescriptions for anti-anxiety drugs have more than doubled. Since the late 80's, prescriptions for Prozac and other SSRI's have tripled. According to the National Institute for Mental Health, 13% of the current U.S. populace would benefit by taking a prescription antidepressant. And, if we weigh these negative emotional indices with likely contributors (terrorism threat, obesity epidemic, record-setting consumer debt, daily doses of horrific news, rising divorce rate and the number of single parent families, etc., etc.), it's easy to see why our stressed-out populace may get an occasional bout with the blues.
Some experts suggest that our emotional health is the strongest determinant of our physical well-being. If we are happy and "in-charge" (so we're told), healthful diet and regular exercise appear to be the norm. In a reverse glance, exercise boosts endorphins (mood elevators) and healthy eating makes us feel better, the consequences of which are vibrant health, controlled waistlines, and good spirits. No wonder the experts are quick to recommend walks, weights, and broccoli to our health-declining populace. BUT IS IT WORKING? For many following a tough day on-the-job, it's time for a mood lift (appropriately called "happy hour"). Exercise? Forget it. According to one resort guest, the last thing she wants to do after a trying day at work is go to the gym. "Vegetating on my Lazy-Boy, staring at the ceiling, and sipping on some Johnny Walker Red sounds much better."
Since continuous stress is mood-suppressing, energy-wasteful, psychologically debilitating, and unrelenting, it's senseless to recommend a regime of non-comforting, high-inertia therapies (diet and exercise) for sufferers of chronic emotional battle fatigue. It isn't going to happen. Exercise and good nutrition should always be a part of a healthy living, but (and in a major paradigm shift) they should be regarded as primary goals, not primary strategies. If we are going to transform today's frazzled out-of-shape American into tomorrow's model-health citizen, we've got to address the consequences of tumultuous living at a more fundamental, more workable level.
So, what can we do to make regular exercise and healthy nutrition less arduous goals, more attainable? Here's a suggestion: Take note of those factors having the greatest negative influences on wellness-affecting behaviors, and proactively minimize their impact using easily assimilated (comfortable) therapies. For example, meditation and ginseng tea would likely be more effective in getting today's stressed-out exec to the gym, than the promise of better health solely through regular workouts - again focusing on exercise as the goal, not the pathway.
Here is a brief sampler of recommended primary strategies:
Stress Management Activities: Adopt one (or more) proven stress-busting activities such as meditation, Hatha yoga, or tai chi. And (pay attention), it pays to be nice (and responsible) to yourself. Enjoy a regular massage, facial, or other rejuvenating treatment. Better yet, vacation at a spa.
Sleep: Generally, getting less than 6 hours of sound sleep per night results in higher blood cortisol levels, increased appetite, and poor mood. To assure a good nights sleep, establish a regular bedtime and wakeup time, relax 1 hour before retiring (read, listen to calming music, meditate, etc.), and avoid exercise within 3 hours of bedtime. Also, avoid excessive alcohol (reduces sleep REM's) and do not eat within 3 hours of the time you expect to be asleep. (The extra metabolic activity following a meal makes sleeping more difficult). Stimulants, like caffeine, should also be avoided in the late afternoon and evening.
Micronutrients: We deplete vitamins faster under stress. Thus, a reputable multivitamin/multimineral product is highly recommended. For those under debilitating stress, consider a stress-formula multi.
Supplements for Cortisol Control: To limit cortisol synthesis, supplements such as magnolia bark (used in Japan to treat anxiety), threanine (increases alpha waves in the brain), and/or horney goat weed (increases serotonin, DHEA, and testosterone) are recommended,
Adaptogens: At work, a feeling of "relaxed alertness" is attainable through adaptogenic herbs such as Panax ginseng (strong scientific support). Evidence for benefits from ashwaganda (Indian ginseng) and suma (Brazilian ginseng) is mostly anecdotal. Many street-wise execs are now opting for an occasional cup of ginseng tea to help feel energetic and "in-control" while working at a blazing pace, (A note of caution: Panax, Chinese, Korean, and American ginsengs may cause hypoglycemia and elevated blood pressure in susceptible individuals).
Calming Supplements: Herbs that help unclutter the mind, improve mood, and relax include valerian (reduces tension, induces sleep), gotu kola (alleviates symptoms of depression and axiety, reduces stress-related binge eating), and St. John's Wort (uplifts mood, reduces emotional fatigue). Melatonin and kava kava are not recommended. (Note: The National Institutes of Health have warned consumers that regular intake of melatonin may cause infertility, reduced libido in males, hypothermia, retinal damage, HRT interference, and hypertension. Kava kava has caused liver damage in some consumers and is currently banned in Canada, Great Britain, and Germany.)
Without question, exercise and healthy diet have to be included in any list of stress-controlling functions, but not as first-line offenses. Rather, we suggest a hierarchal-designed stress-reduction program that initially focuses on comfortable, easily implemented therapies (yoga, massage, meditation, better sleep, supplements, etc). When gusto flourishes as stress is controlled, treadmills and apples become much more appealing.
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