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Ten Things Every Dad Should Tell His Son
Can’t stop yourself from reaching for those cookies? Well … It’s NOT that there’s something wrong with you; it’s NOT that you have no will power – maybe you’re just stressed.
When we feel threatened or stressed, our neuroendocrine system kicks into high gear and releases a series of hormones. One of these is Cortisol, which gives us the biochemical strength we need to fight or flee our stressors. Back in evolutionary times, this served us well. We needed to replenish our bodies after a bout with a man-eating lion. It was a survival issue.
In modern times, most of our stress comes to us in a less physical form from balancing our checkbooks, filling out college applications to making car payments. Yet, we are still hard-wired to release the same hunger-causing hormones as our loin-cloth wearing ancestors. The stress is still there, but the physical exertion isn’t.
We can’t help feeling hungry, but we can work at ways to feel less stressed, which will keep the food cravings in check.
Here are some ways to short circuit stress and weight gain.
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1. Exercise: Still the best stress-buster in town.
2. Never Skip a Meal: Keep the blood sugar levels even.
3. Restful sleep: When we don’t get enough rest, Cortisol levels rise!
4. Relax: What activities make you feel relaxed and calm? Keep a list handy, in case you’re so stressed you can’t remember!
5. Breathe: Take a moment to stop everything and breathe!
6. Spiritual Break: Sit and center yourself. Take a spiritual break.
7. Drink Water: Hydrate thyself! And while you’re at it, avoid caffeine, cigarettes and alcohol: All three can cause Cortisol levels to rise.
8. Express Yourself: Feeling stressed? Say so. I feel stressed and then … let it go!
Spread the word … NOT the icing!
Janice
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posted July 28, 2010 at 5:10 pm
I’ve never been one to eat when I’m stressed. I clean…a lot…when I’m stressed as in wash the walls, vacuum the carpet, dust my ceramics, wash my car, sweep and mop floors, handwash laundry clean. There are definitely times when others may enjoy me being stressed because since I’m already a neatfreak, if I can’t clean at my own place I’ll go to someone else’s house and ask to clean something.
posted July 29, 2010 at 10:55 am
I don’t know the level of my stress,Janice,but i think it always goes up soo high when i am approaching my monthly period,lol.,so,sometimes,i wanna disconnect from people when im at those peak times,i am really sensitive and will take anything i hear into big deal,lol,then adter that,i became the nicest person in the whole universe,lol.
I just wish that man knows how to handle their woman,lol,to avoid sresses,and vice versa Janice.thanks!
posted July 29, 2010 at 11:15 am
I become stressed when family want me to drop everything and do what they want done. It doesn’t matter if I have something planned or have a prearranged activity. Then I am made to feel like the bad guy. I try to take big breaths and relax. Most of the time this doesn’t work.