60 Second Stress Relievers

Don't miss any of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line. Add our address, HealthyWomanfromBottomLine@ebhw.bottomlinesecrets.com, to your Address Book or Safe List. Learn how here. December 23, 2010  Burn Off Toxic Energy with 60-Second Stress Relievers Mind-Boosting Secrets Can Potatoes Give You Cancer? Drug-Free Diabetes Cure What's Making Your Periods So Heavy?   Burn Off Toxic Energy with 60-Second Stress Relievers Judy Kuriansky, PhD Columbia University Usually we think of stress relievers as calming, quieting techniques. But sometimes, such attempts at self-soothing only leave the stress bottled up inside and make the pressure build. In those situations, what we really need is a way to release the tension -- fast. So the next time stress threatens to make you blow a gasket, try any one (or more) of the simple 60-second strategies below, repeating as necessary. Within one minute, you’ll feel the toxic energy leaving your body, restoring peacefulness and productivity. Vocalize. Feeling stressed is an indication of deeper troubles, worries or anger. In a private place, speak aloud to yourself and say what is bothering you ("I am so upset about... ") without worrying about the words you use or whether they even make sense. Keep talking, and don’t be concerned if the topic changes. Purposely escalate the outburst, screaming as loud as you can or speaking gibberish if it feels good. You may, in fact, gain insights into your situation or emotions -- but the main goal is to let out the steam so that, like a child after a temper tantrum, you will find yourself almost magically calmer. Get physical. Since emotional upset is stored in the body, a physical release also releases emotional tension. Try this: Stand erect, hands at your sides, with legs firmly planted and shoulder-width apart. Inhale deeply as you lift your arms in front of you, palms down... then exhale slowly as you reach your arms behind you, bringing your shoulder blades together (this expands the chest, freeing your breathing for more positive energy). On the next breath, lower your arms... then lift your arms as high overhead as you can, reaching upward with fingers outstretched. Next, stretch your arms out at your sides... and twist your trunk side to side several times as you let out a guttural sound from as deep in your belly as possible. Curl up. Sit on a couch, a sturdy chair or the floor and curl up in a ball, hugging your knees to your chest in a safe, protected position. Continue for one minute, focusing on the resulting feeling of relaxation. Smash and thrash. Punching pillows is a proven psychological technique for releasing stress. If there’s no handy bed pillow or sofa cushion nearby, punch the air as if shadowboxing... pound your fists on a desk or tabletop (preferably after covering the surface with something soft to cushion the blows)... or squeeze any pliable object (your coat, for instance) as hard as you can for one minute. Growl or grunt if it feels good. Switch gears -- by doing something you can control. Since much stress comes from feeling like you don’t have control, stop whatever you’ve been doing and briefly engage in some quick act or task over which you do have complete control. Believe it or not, you can get a stress-relieving sense of satisfaction from spending just one minute doing something for yourself -- even something as simple as sharpening your eyeliner pencils, massaging your neck or texting a joke to a friend. Source: Judy Kuriansky, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and sex therapist on the adjunct faculty of Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City. She is the author of five books, including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to a Healthy Relationship (Alpha), and is a columnist and advisory board member for HealthyWoman from Bottom Line. www.DrJudy.com Mind-Boosting Secrets Ray Sahelian, MD, put the medical world in an uproar with his discoveries that turn ordinary people into super-brains -- and rapidly reverse "incurable" mental decline. Thousands of patients are proving now that his powerful therapies work, and skepticism is yielding to thunderous applause. Reverse age-related memory loss with stunning speed... even say good-bye to Alzheimer’s disease -- with Dr. Sahelian’s astonishing cure in a can... Read on... Can Potatoes Give You Cancer? Over 17 years, women whose diets had the highest glycemic loads -- typically from white breads, potatoes and other carbohydrates that cause a rapid surge in blood sugar -- had an 81% higher risk for the second most common type of breast cancer (estrogen-receptor-positive/progesterone-receptor-negative) as compared with women whose diets had the lowest glycemic loads. Theory: High-glycemic foods increase levels of insulin and sex hormones in the body, which help breast cancer cells grow and spread. Best: Maintain a diet rich in low-glycemic-index foods, such as whole grains, vegetables and beans. Editor’s note: To learn the glycemic index of various foods, visit www.GlycemicIndex.com and click on "GI database." Source: Susanna C. Larsson, PhD, is a researcher in the division of nutritional epidemiology at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and lead author of a study of 61,433 women. Drug-Free Diabetes Cure Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh have established that 83% of obese patients who try a new natural treatment code-named "LGB," that dramatically corrects the way your body metabolizes food, see dramatic improvement in their diabetes. In fact, many see total reversal of the disease. Dr. Philip Schauer, who led the study, also comments, "Most patients in the study with type 2 diabetes... achieved excellent biochemical [blood sugar] control and were able to reap the clinical benefits of withdrawing from most, if not all, antidiabetes medications, including insulin." LGB works in as little as 90 minutes, even on morbidly obese patients... Learn more... What's Making Your Periods So Heavy? Have your periods gotten so heavy that you now worry about where you sit for fear of leakage? Are you changing your pad or tampon more than six times a day or waking up at night to do so? Is excessive bleeding interfering with day-to-day activities? According to Linda D. Bradley, MD, director of the Center for Menstrual Disorders, Fibroids and Hysteroscopic Services at the Cleveland Clinic, a single heavy period is not cause for concern... but if you generally answer yes to any of the questions above, it’s time to see your gynecologist. Fact of life: Menorrhagia (men-uh-RAY-jee-uh), the medical term for excessive menstrual bleeding, is common during perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause). But there are treatment options, including a newly approved nonhormonal medication, to prevent periods from getting in the way of your life. To help with the diagnosis, be prepared to tell your doctor... The typical length of and interval between periods... how many pads or tampons you go through... how long this level of bleeding has been going on. Which supplements and medications you take. Some (including ginkgo biloba, aspirin and ibuprofen) can increase bleeding. Whether you are in a new sexual relationship. Sexually transmitted diseases can inflame the endometrium (uterine lining) and trigger unusual bleeding. Any other symptoms you have, even if they seem unrelated to menstruation. For instance: Menorrhagia plus fatigue, shortness of breath, hair loss and a racing heart suggest anemia... heavy periods plus nosebleeds, bleeding gums and easy bruising could signal leukemia. Most midlife menorrhagia is caused by one of the following... Hormonal and ovulatory changes. The dramatic fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone levels and the episodes of intermittent anovulation (absence of ovulation) that typically occur during perimenopause can lead to heavy and erratic periods, Dr. Bradley said. Obesity. Belly and buttocks fat convert a hormone called androstenedione into estrogen, creating an estrogen excess that triggers heavy periods. Obesity also disrupts communication between the brain and the ovaries and uterus. Endometrial polyps. An overgrowth of endometrial cells, polyps usually are pea-sized or smaller but can grow to the size of a lemon. Additional symptoms include irregular periods and spotting between periods or after sex. Polyps that cause symptoms should be surgically removed and also checked for cancer, Dr. Bradley said, though fortunately most are benign. Fibroids. These tough knots of muscle and connective tissue can grow on the inside or outside of the uterus or within the muscular uterine wall. They may cause pelvic pressure or pain. Most are small, but some are as large as a basketball. Doctors aren’t sure why fibroids cause heavy bleeding, but it may be because fibroids increase the surface area of the uterine cavity and/or secrete chemicals called prostaglandins that affect bleeding. Adenomyosis. This occurs when endometrial tissue grows within the uterine wall. Symptoms, which typically worsen with age, may include severe cramps, bleeding between periods and painful intercourse. TREATMENT OPTIONS Often menorrhagia can be treated without resorting to surgery. What to discuss with your doctor... Lifestyle changes. Stress can lead to changes in menstruation, so stress-lowering techniques, such as meditation or yoga, may help reduce bleeding from various causes. When obesity is the trigger, weight loss can ease or even eliminate menorrhagia, Dr. Bradley said. Birth control pills. Within three months of starting oral contraceptives, 70% to 90% of users have decreased menstrual bleeding. Birth control pills may help patients whose menorrhagia is due to any of the conditions above except polyps. Prescription-strength nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Motrin) and meclofenamate (Meclomen). Taken during menstrual periods, these medications not only ease pain, they also reduce prostaglandins and thus decrease bleeding in patients with fibroids or adenomyosis. Caution: NSAIDs increase the risk for cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems. Lysteda (tranexamic acid). This is the first nonhormonal prescription drug approved for menorrhagia due to various causes. Taken during your period, it works by inhibiting the abnormal breakdown of blood clots, reducing bleeding by about one-third without affecting fertility. Caution: Lysteda can increase the risk for blood clots when taken with hormonal contraceptives or certain other medications. Mirena (levonorgestrel). This hormone-releasing intrauterine device (IUD) has been used as a contraceptive for a decade and was recently FDA-approved to treat menorrhagia. Possible side effects include abdominal pain and an increased risk for pelvic inflammatory disease. If the above treatments are inappropriate or ineffective, your doctor may recommend surgery. Possible options... Operative hysteroscopy. The doctor inserts a lighted scope into the uterus via the vagina, then surgically removes polyps or fibroids using a cutting or cauterizing device. This outpatient procedure has a two-day recovery time and preserves fertility. Growths that are removed do not grow back, but new ones may form. Uterine artery embolization. This fibroid treatment involves injecting substances that close off arteries that feed the fibroids, causing them to shrink over time. Typically it requires an overnight hospital stay and a one-week recovery. Fertility may be compromised... fibroids may recur. Endometrial ablation. With this minimally invasive procedure, a device that utilizes heated fluid, microwaves or other technology destroys a thin layer of the uterine lining, stopping or significantly reducing menstrual flow. According to Dr. Bradley, this outpatient or office procedure typically is used to treat unexplained menorrhagia. Endometrial ablation involves a recovery time of one to two days... and usually ends a woman’s fertility. Hysterectomy. When all else fails, a woman with severe menorrhagia may want to consider surgical removal of the uterus. Hysterectomy involves a one- to two-day hospital stay. Recovery takes about two weeks if the uterus is removed vaginally or laparoscopically... or four to six weeks if an abdominal incision is required. Source: Linda D. Bradley, MD, is director of the Center for Menstrual Disorders, Fibroids and Hysteroscopic Services at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. She is a gynecologic surgeon and internationally recognized authority on the diagnosis and evaluation of uterine fibroids and menstrual disorders. Tamara Eberlein, the editor of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line, has been a health journalist for nearly three decades. An award-winning author of four books, she is committed to helping other women in midlife and beyond live healthy, fulfilling lives. She is also the "chief health adviser" to her husband of 25 years, college-age twins and teenaged son. BOTTOMLINESECRETS.COM Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy About Us Contact US Bottom Line Publications | 281 Tresser Boulevard, 8th Floor | Stamford, CT 06901 You received this free E-letter because you have requested it. You are on the mailing list as healthwellness82@gmail.com. Or... a friend forwarded it to you. Click here to easily unsubscribe. To change your e-mail address click here. To update your e-mail preferences click here. © 2010 by Boardroom Inc. All Rights Reserved.