Are You a Stress Eater?

Are You a Stress Eater? Try These Tips

frequent topic in weight loss forums. It seems hardly anyone is immune. So, how do we cope and not turn to food for comfort?

Taking steps to reduce the stress in your life can also help to improve hypertension.

Even though it's vital to survival, stress has a bad reputation. When you perceive stress, your sympathetic nervous system triggers the "fight or flight" response to prepare your body for action.

A release of hormones quickens your heart rate and breathing, and extra blood is pumped to your muscles and organs to provide them with a burst of energy. Stress keeps drivers alert, helps students excel, and spurs competitors to win.

But ongoing stress has harmful long-term effects, including raising your blood pressure.

Try these tips:

Stress Less. If you are often tense, the following stress reduction strategies can help.

Get enough sleep. Lack of sound sleep can affect your mood, mental alertness, energy level, and physical health.

Exercise. Physical activity alleviates stress and reduces your risk of becoming depressed.

Learn relaxation techniques. Meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, deep breathing exercises, and yoga are the mainstays of stress relief. Your local hospital may offer meditation or yoga classes, or you can learn about these techniques from books or videotapes. To get started, try a quick relaxation exercise (see "Quick Stress Relief Exercises").

You may also want to explore a more integrative approach to stress management known as the "relaxation response," a term coined by Dr. Herbert Benson of the Mind/Body Medical Institute. The relaxation response is the opposite of the stress-induced fight or flight response, and it is elicited by daily practice of relaxation and meditation. As its name implies, the relaxation response is characterized by a slowing of the breathing and heart rates, lowering of blood pressure, and a calm state of mind. It is so effective at reducing blood pressure over the long term that a one study even suggests that it may help some patients reduce or even eliminate their need for antihypertensive medications.

Strengthen your social network. Studies show that social ties significantly protect health and well-being. Try to connect with others by taking a class, joining an organization, or participating in a support group.

Learn time-management skills. These skills can help you juggle work and family demands.

Confront stressful situations head-on. Don't let stressful situations fester. Hold family problem-solving sessions and use negotiation skills at work.

Nurture yourself. Treat yourself to a massage. Truly savor an experience: Eat slowly, focusing on each bite of that orange, or soak up the warm rays of the sun or the scent of blooming flowers during a walk outdoors. Take a nap. Enjoy the sounds of music you find calming.

Talk to your doctor. If stress and anxiety persist, talk to your doctor about whether anti-anxiety medications could be helpful.

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DishyDelishy

Thanks for the stress management tips, I guess I could make use of those or maybe share to my pals. Actually, a lot of my friends eat-out their emotions. So, after getting depressed they got added weights, too!