Hyvin
A Natural Health and Wellness Blog

Here’s another natural health and wellness tool: writing! There are some very specific research findings relating the practice of journaling with better health for cancer patients. According to HealthDay, “The research suggests that by spending 30 minutes each day for four days to write out their innermost thoughts and feelings, patients can significantly boost mental and physical health. And experts say nearly everyone who tries journal therapy stands to benefit.”

The scientific link between writing and improved health isn’t fully understood, but it’s believed that writing eases stress which improves the immune system. Makes perfect sense to me. I’ve journaled off and on in the past, and recently carried out a commitment to daily journaling (although for five minutes a day only …well, you gotta’ start somewhere). I intend to assess my stress level and see if I notice a difference!

Dr. Stephanie Studenski, a member of the American Geriatrics Society who helped organize a recent conference on “cognitive vitality”, opines that building your brain early in life may also protect against age-related cognitive decline. That building process comes through exercise of mind and body and a healthy lifestyle. Specifically, Dr. Studenski mentions exercise, getting enough sleep, eliminating stress, socializing, thinking challenges for your brain, and nutrition, including B Vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids and a multi-vitamin. Also, a diet low in saturated fat and rich in fruits and veggies. You can read more detail about her “tips for keeping the aging mind sharp” in this Reuters Health report.

Ready or not, we’re entering the holiday season. Stress is a huge health issue during the holidays. The body’s stress response (extra adrenaline, muscle tension, rising blood pressure) can help you get a lot accomplished! But, it can also take its toll on your health both short and long-term. There are a number of ways you can help the body deal with stress without losing the positive side of helping you through the additional demands of the holidays.

1) Take extra B-Complex. Known as the “happy vitamin”, B nutrients are rapidly depleted by stress, yet they are needed to convert food into energy, for brain function, learning & memory, digestion, and many other functions.

2) Breathe deeply. I’ve been trying this myself lately and notice that I normally do not fill my entire chest cavity when I breathe. When I DO breathe deeply enough to fill-’er-up, I can almost feel the oxygen push into the tips of my extremities

3) Sleep! Be sure to get enough of it. It’s truly a “wonder drug”… if only we would take enough of it! And if you’re having trouble sleeping, try a valeriarn supplement and/or some calcium, nature’s tranquilizer and a natural muscle relaxant.

4) Exercise – There are scientific reasons why it helps de-stress, but the best explanation is that it just does!

5) Lighten up – I know that I take myself and my to-do list way too seriously sometimes. That self-imposed stress rarely helps. Smile. Laugh. Count your blessings. Think about something pleasant for a few moments. Remember the “reason for the season.” Try it!

6) Try an herbal formula designed to relieve stress without causing drowsiness. Be sure, though, that the manufacturer can be trusted to use only ingredients that are completely safe and natural. Even better yet, use one that provides stress relief and also addresses the short-term and long-term damage to the body that stress can cause!

May you enjoy a stress-free, peaceful and blessed Thanksgiving!

Everyday fatigue is a common complaint in our fast-paced society, ranking among the top five health problems reported by adults in 1998. Four out of 10 adults across all age groups experience fatigue, and it affects women far more than men.

Interestingly, less than half of people who feel stressed and exhausted consider this to be a health problem! Of those who admit they may need help, only half have tried any treatment.

Yet an astonishing four out of five Americans consume caffeine every day, causing the Center for Science in the Public Interest to label caffeine “the world’s most popular stimulant,” and the “drug” most frequently and casually consumed.

And our national caffeine consumption may be higher than reported. Sales of “energy pills” are on the rise, yet a look at the ingredient list of many popular products often reveals guarana, mate, bissy nut, or cola nut, which are all simply herbal sources of caffeine. Ma huang and Chinese ephedra are herbal sources of ephedrine, another central nervous system stimulant.

The effects of caffeine in the body are linked to our “hardwired” biological stress-response mechanisms. Because life has always presented hazards, the human body is designed to react quickly and decisively to dangerous situations. When triggered by “watch out!” signals such as loud noises, rapid movement, strong odors, and more, the body automatically produces both physical and chemical responses. Surges of adrenaline heighten your mental awareness and sensitivity and prime your muscles for demanding movement such as jumping or running. Your pupils dilate, your breathing quickens, and eventually your natural cooling system kicks in and you start to sweat.

A single 250-milligram serving of caffeine (the equivalent of about 2.5 six-ounce cups of coffee) has been shown to increase levels of adrenaline by more than 200 percent! Caffeine also stimulates the production of norepinephrine, another stress chemical that acts directly on the brain and nervous system. With daily use, caffeine can elevate levels of another stress chemical known as cortisol. Together, these biochemicals can increase heart rate and blood pressure and produce that “emergency” feeling.

In a real-life emergency, all these survival mechanisms would help you get out of the way of a charging elephant or the 5:05 commuter train. But what happens to the body when you are triggering a full-blown “fight or flight” response at regular intervals throughout the day, every day?

The fact is that caffeine doesn’t produce energy. It stimulates your nervous system and adrenals, which is actually a form of stress on the body. Caffeine intake has been linked to increased blood pressure. Research shows that people who consume more than 250 milligrams of caffeine per day (remember, that’s what you’d get in 15 ounces of coffee) tend to have poor sleep quality. One study showed that 250 milligrams of caffeine decreased whole-brain cerebral blood flow by 30 percent. Other studies have found that caffeine reduces the oxygen level of brain tissue.

Research also shows that caffeine may be more damaging to women, producing adverse effects at lower intake levels. Women eliminate caffeine from their bodies more slowly than men, and this rate also changes significantly with the menstrual cycle.

So, are there any options if we want the pick-me-up we experience with caffeine, but DON’T want the negative health consequences of this “drug”? YES! Cordyceps, Panax Ginseng and Green Tea are all traditional Asian ingredients used for centuries for sustained enduring energy. Based on this experience, clinical use in Europe and recent scientific studies, an optimum combination of these three ingredients for energy and sustained vitality has been developed into tablet form by Shaklee. For more detailed information about this product and how it works, click here.

OK, we learned earlier this week that work stress can contribute to the risk of heart disease. Now, it seems, the stress of noise might do the same thing! This stress business is serious… it seems to be coming in all shapes and sizes.

The study, found in the February 2006 edition of the European Heart Journal, was reported by Reuters Health:

Researchers in Germany found that urban middle-aged adults who lived near high-traffic roads were 46 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who lived in more peaceful neighborhoods.

Similarly, men whose jobs exposed them to high noise levels were about one-third more likely to have a heart attack than their peers in quieter workplaces.

The reason for these associations is not completely clear, but the stress of dealing with chronic noise may be involved, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Stefan N. Willich of Charite University Medical Center in Berlin.

Did you know you can blunt the physiological effects of stress using natural compounds? Seems like we better be doing all we can to minimize its impact, since it’s coming at us from so many different directions!

Stress at work is a common issue. Now, research findings suggest that if you are chronically stressed at work, you’re more likely to exhibit the early warning signs of diabetes and heart disease.

According to the Fox News report of the British study, “the researchers aren’t sure if chronically stressed workers are less likely to have healthy lifestyles, or if people with unhealthy habits tend to feel more stressed at work. Possibly, years of constant work stress chip away at a person’s health…”

Chalk up another strike for stress!

Have you ever noticed how appealing people can be when they laugh? Notice I didn’t say “attractive” (I’ve looked at myself in the mirror while laughing! ). But it not only feels good, it’s good for us!!

A week or so ago I referenced an article in the March/April edition of Positive Thinking magazine about the health benefits of music. Well, laughter gets equal billing. According to the article, laughter can alleviate pain, strengthen the response of the immune system, contribute to heart health, reduce stress, and promote general healing. These findings have been documented by both anecdotal reports AND research studies. And that’s no laughing matter!

Natural approaches to stress management come into play in two ways:

1. Enabling the body to reduce the effects of stress:

Certain natural compounds have been identified to help the body reduce the effects of stress:

• L-theanine (Camellia sinensis), a naturally occurring amino acid found in green tea, helps generate alpha waves that creates a relaxed yet alert mental state. It promotes relaxation without drowsiness.
• Beta-Sitosterol, a natural plant sterol, helps blunt cortisol, a hormone produced during physical stress that contributes to many health challenges.
• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an Ayurvedic herb that aids the body’s ability to adapt to continuing stress.
• L-tyrosine is an amino acid produced by the body to make the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Studies suggest that norepinephrine levels, which are involved in mood regulation, may decline with stress.

You can get one formulation containing all of these ingredients in a natural supplement.

2. Learning new ways to respond to stressful situations so we don’t evoke the damage response to start with:

For this second aspect of natural stress management, the National Mental Health Association has a PDF document with some tips for coping with stress.

I saw in my local paper recently that the World Health Organization has declared stress a global epidemic. I believe it! How we managed to get ourselves in this predicament, I’m not quite sure, but I know it’s an issue for me.

When we experience a response to stress, what happens in our body? A lot:

• Constriction of our blood vessels, which can cause the blood pressure to rise and diminish the brain’s ability to be creative.
• Increased heart rate and respiration speed, which puts a strain on the heart and lungs.
• Increased clotting factors in the blood stream, thus increasing our risk for strokes, heart attacks, and blood clots.
• Suppression of our immune system, thus making us more vulnerable to disease.
• Shutting-down of our digestive tract, which can cause nausea, bloating, and bowel problems.
• Increased adrenaline, which uses up many nutrients.
• Release of excessive sugar into the blood followed by increased insulin to metabolize it, resulting in headaches, nausea, etc.
• Increased cholesterol in the blood (increasing the rise of artery congestion).
• Increased release of the hormone cortisol, which can contribute to decreased concentration, memory loss and confusion, and impaired immune function.
• Acceleration of the aging process at the cellular level. The January 2005 issue of the AARP Bulletin reported on a study that found chronic stress appears to accelerate the aging process by shortening the life span of cells, opening the door to disease.

… And all for the purpose of preparing us for “fight or flight”! In today’s stressful situations, neither fight nor flight are the typical responses, but the body still reacts in the same way, often causing more harm than good. And in fact, repeated daily stressors, even little things like heavy traffic or running late, can contribute to the stress response system getting stuck in the “on” position… definitely not a good thing for our mental OR physical health.

Stress is truly killing us! What can we do?! I’ll tell you just that in another post, coming soon.