Anti-Aging, Health & Nutrition Facts

By Brad Bahr

Stress is a normal and necessary response to life changes. It is something that everyone experiences as part of his or her everyday life. To better give you an understanding of the role that stress plays in life is to remember that stress is a perception. It only becomes a problem when it causes physical, emotional and psychological reactions that do not go away. When your stressors are channeled properly stress is actually what can lead you to your best outcome however when not channeled properly these same stressors can wreak havoc on your life. There are some ways to reduce the impact that stress has on your health and emotional well -being and to manage your stress to remain at a healthy level. Some natural or holistic approaches to stress management involve expressive therapies. Art therapy is one such method.

Art therapy in a clinical setting combines development, visual art, and the creative process with models of counseling and psychotherapy. An art therapist will most likely have you create something that expresses the feelings that you are having at the particular time. They will encourage you to discuss what your creation means. Art therapy can work in any medium and is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic expression can help people to develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, help to resolve conflict or problems, increase self esteem and self awareness, achieve insight and in turn these will help to reduce stress and goes a long way toward stress management. Art therapists are skilled in the application of several different modes of art including drawing, painting, sculpting, along with other media for assessment and treatment. While art therapy is its own field and therapists are master’s level professionals it is something that you can practice on your own, whenever and wherever you feel the need.

Many find that using art therapy is both cathartic and inspirational. Whether it is painting, drawing or some other method creating art can help you to manage or relieve stress in more ways than one. During the creative process you can take your mind of what it is that is stressing you, being in the moment and the flow of the art is very engaging and can bring you to an almost meditative state. The finished product is rewarding since it is something that you created. Having a hobby or something that you do for yourself can go along way toward bringing a sense of balance to your life and help with stress management. Often just putting your problems out there on paper, as a clay model or whatever making them external makes them easier to deal with and you have the emotional satisfaction of having created something that is all your own. Art is a window into human emotion, thought, expression and personality. Too much stress can cause you to lose touch with your true thoughts and feelings and artistic expression can help you to get them back. Art is a way of healing.

About the author: Brad Bahr is the editor of many health related websites and publications. He has been testing and reviewing nutritional supplements for over 20 years. After trying hundreds of products, he recommends one supplement above all others for renewing health and energy: Learn More

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By Brad Bahr

Stress is necessary. It occurs as a normal part of life in response to changes, and real or perceived threats. Stress is also helpful in the face of a threat or challenge. Stress is harmful and can be dangerous when the emotional, physical and psychological reactions do not abate or return to normal. Since stress is subjective and affects everyone differently taking a holistic approach to stress management is most beneficial. Many practices used in holistic medicine today are based on Ancient Healing Ways. Practitioners of naturopathy, homeopathy and allopathic medicine believe that through reclaiming the old ways and connecting you with nature and your own innate being that your life will be fulfilled with wisdom, balance and meaning. Most of this basis is in energy. Some forms of ancient healing have been used regularly through the times, and some are gaining in popularity and widespread use by the western world as more information and research is available and holistic practices are becoming more widely accepted.

Ayurveda for instance has been practiced in India for thousands of years. It is described as a science of life. Writings about this type of practice exist from six thousand years ago but it is believed to have been in practice even longer than that. There are those that say it has been around since the dawn of time because our very existence is governed by nature. Aromatherapy is one practice used in Ayurveda. Aromatherapy is the name given to holistic treatments that use essential oils of plants for healing and to improve physical and emotional well -being. Most parts of the world have a history of using plants for medicinal purposes. Indian Head massage is another ancient practice that helps to counterbalance the effects of stress. American Indians, Indonesia, Ancient Greece and Rome, France, Russia and the United Kingdom have used different forms of massage for thousands of years around the world. The applications of Seichim are believed to go back as far as Ancient Egypt and even Atlantis. Their uses in treatments are almost identical to that of Reiki. Other ancient types of manipulation of the body include Reflexology, Acupuncture and Acupressure and are considered extremely useful for relaxation and stress management.

Another ancient form of treatment that is used in stress management today is gemstone therapy. Its use has been attributed to ancient Greeks, Egyptians and in Judaic cultures however the Vedic culture of India most verbalized the use and gave instructions on the methods in their writings. Gemstones are thought to have metaphysical properties that can improve healing and promote overall well being which is why there use may be helpful in stress management. Different stones have different properties. Color therapy or chromotherapy is one form of gem therapy. Nearly 2000 years ago, color halls were made in many countries where patients used to take color bath for cure of their diseases. As far as today and stress management it is well known that color affects mood and has a great influence on the body.

About the author: Brad Bahr is the editor of many health related websites and publications. He has been testing and reviewing nutritional supplements for over 20 years. After trying hundreds of products, he recommends one supplement above all others for renewing health and energy: Learn More

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By Brad Bahr

While everyone faces stress on a day to day basis, some people experience extreme shock or stress at some point which can permanently damage the way they their bodies and minds work. This worrisome problem is known as post traumatic stress disorder. In this article, we’ll focus on the topic of post traumatic stress disorder in order to shed some light on the ailment and to increase your knowledge of it.

Psychologists tend to group post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, into categories based upon how they happened. Man-made PTSD events are incidents that involved other people when the traumatic stress occurs, and natural disaster PTSD events such as earthquakes or volcano eruptions which can be equally damaging to an individual’s persona. Most often, close calls with serious injury or death are responsible for the development of the condition. Any incident that significantly causes an intense emotional response of fear or helplessness may lead to a case of PTSD.

Signs of PTSD will begin to manifest between one and six months after the traumatic event occurs, but some individuals who fall victim to it never experience any symptoms until a type of event triggers their response. Some of the symptoms that you can watch for include irritability and constantly feeling as if you are in danger. Some people experience painful memory flashbacks and nightmares of the traumatic experience as part of their post traumatic stress disorder, while some go emotionally numb when the problem hits and are unable to respond to outside stimulus. Individuals may also do their best to stay away from places or things that may trigger their fears, and they may find that they are unable to concentrate fully throughout the day. Some signs to look out for in a friend that may have the condition include noticing them not seeming to care about the long-term future, and a lack of ability to remember certain parts of the traumatic event that started the condition.

If not treated, post traumatic stress disorder can eventually lead to long-term life problems. Sufferers often find that they have an inability to fall asleep easily or for long periods of time. Consequently, they may find themselves feeling angry and irritable throughout the day with no easy explanation. The sufferer may also have a difficult time when trying to concentrate, and they may remain extremely vigilant and wary of phantom threats.

If you or someone you love is afflicted with post traumatic stress disorder, the best thing that you can do is to pay a visit to a therapist. They can help you to sort out your problem, realize why you feel the way you do about the situation and hopefully be able to make you get over the issue that is causing the condition to occur. While it’s no easy task, many people are able to overcome problems with post traumatic stress disorder with time and effort. Psychiatrists continue to learn more about the problem and hopefully in the future it will be even easier to help negate its effects.

About the author: Brad Bahr is the editor of many health related websites and publications. He has been testing and reviewing nutritional supplements for over 20 years. After trying hundreds of products, he recommends one supplement above all others for renewing health and energy: Learn More

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By Brad Bahr

There are many different things that occur within our lives that can cause us to feel stressed out, but without a doubt, one of the most significant sources of stress-related problems are problems with burnouts. In this article, we’ll explain what burnouts are and we’ll suggest some possible courses of action that you can take in order to eliminate burnout problems from your life.

Burnout occurs when we have too many things to do and too little time with which to do them. To that end, we’ve all suffered from burnout at one point or another, but for those who are dealing with very busy jobs or similar circumstances, burnouts can be an ongoing struggle that never seem to go away. To that end, if you work or are commonly participating in a place where the environment is stressful, you need to take some course of action in order to lessen the burden on your body and your mind.

If you feel like that type of burnout exists within your life, there are a few things that you should do immediately. You should do your best to prioritize a list of tasks that you need to accomplish so that you can make your mind feel more at ease about having to make difficult decisions. Stick to your list and don’t shy away from it unless you feel that there is a more significant way in which to use your time.

People that suffer from burnout often do so because they give themselves too many tasks to accomplish. They may be individuals who are too accommodating of others, who would stop at nothing in order to please everyone that is around them. If this is the type of problem that you are having, and you are the kind of person who has a hard time saying ‘no’ to a task, you should try to gain some assertiveness by taking classes or reading some books about the topic.

When you are being thrown around from task to task by different people, it can be next to impossible to manage your life in any sort of normal way. When someone proposes something to you, first be sure that it is not too big of a task for you to take on. Also, make sure that you are taking care of the immediate issues affecting you before concerning yourself with the problems of others. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t help those around you, just remember to not be afraid to say no when the situation merits it. Also, don’t be afraid to ask others for help when you are feeling overwhelmed by the number of tasks that you have to take on.

Burnouts happen to the best of us, but that doesn’t mean that there is nothing you can do to lessen the problem. Familiarize yourself with as many coping skills as possible and you will find that you are an altogether more productive person that is leading a happier life due to your assertiveness and prioritization skills.

About the author: Brad Bahr is the editor of many health related websites and publications. He has been testing and reviewing nutritional supplements for over 20 years. After trying hundreds of products, he recommends one supplement above all others for renewing health and energy: Learn More

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A stressor is an object, activity, event or any other type of stimulus that can cause you psychological stress. Stressors can be very minor, and in many cases they may not appear to be adding to your overall stress levels. However, adding stressor upon stressor throughout the day on top of obvious stress-causing activities such as work, traffic and financial worries, will definitely contribute to your tension levels.

Let’s take a look at how we can identify some of the smaller stressors that may occur on a daily basis and eliminate them, thus reducing over all stress levels.

We know that large stress inducers such as an approaching deadline at work can cause physical changes in your body that are not pleasant. These changes can take the form of increased heart rate, headache, irritability and even emotional reactions. These changes and reactions are both physical and psychological stress. Keep those in mind for a second.

Now think about a dripping faucet in your home. You hear a constant drip all night as you try to sleep. Every time you hear that dripping noise your body cringes and you run over to try to stop it. That dripping faucet is a stressor. It might not be as large of a stressor as your fast approaching deadline at work, but it is adding to your stress level.

Perhaps you have a closet door that keeps sliding off its track. Every morning when you get dressed for work, you have to fight with the door, shake it and force it back onto its tracks. This door is a stressor that adds to your daily levels of stress as well. Even something as simple as an over-flowing garbage can cause stress build-up. It is important to learn how to identify these small stressors that you might tend to ignore and work towards removing them. In doing so, you will alleviate much unneeded stress and be better prepared for dealing with your major stresses.

To identify small stressors begin to pay attention to yourself. Notice your reactions to the small things that you see and do during the day. If you have a sore-looking hole in your living room wall that makes you sigh deeply out of frustration, make it a point to go to the nearest furniture store and get a painting or wall hanging to cover it up! When you eliminate a small stressor such as a hole in your living room wall by covering it up, or getting the leaking faucet repaired, or even emptying the over-flowing garbage can, your are eliminating a moment in time where you would have become more tense.

So take time to learn about yourself and the little things that may upset you throughout the day. You might find that you can become more relaxed simply by paying more attention to these smaller things, removing them from your environment and thus reducing your overall stress levels.

Brad Bahr is the editor of many health related websites and publications. He has been testing and reviewing nutritional supplements for over 20 years. After trying hundreds of products, he recommends one supplement above all others for renewing health and energy: http://www.hgh-facts.com

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Life has a way of getting the best of us some days. Whether it’s working too many hours, shuffling your kids all over town for their activities, taking care of your household, or dealing with personal or family matters, stress can take its toll on you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. But there are simple steps you can take to combat stress, starting with the foods you eat.

Avoiding caffeine and alcohol is a good start when life’s particularly stressful. Stimulants and depressants like these can both zap your energy and rob you of the fuel you need to successfully cope with tension. Sugary foods should also be avoided as well, as they cause your blood sugar levels to spike then dip rapidly, which can in turn make your energy levels spike and dip at the same rate.

However, there are several superfoods out there that provide you with the energy and nutrition your body needs to keep stress in check

Asparagus, which is high in folic acid, can help level out your moods. Folic acid and vitamin B are key players in producing serotonin, a chemical that gets you into a good mood.

And though we may hear negative things regarding red meat, it’s actually a wise dinner option for a stressed-out family. Beef’s high levels of iron, zinc and B vitamins not only help get you into a good mood, but help you stay there as well. Your local butcher can help you select lean cuts for the healthiest options

Milk really does a body good. Chock full of calcium, protein, antioxidants, and vitamins B2 and B12, it helps strengthen bones and promotes healthy cell regeneration. Paired with a healthy whole-grain cereal choice in the morning, low-fat milk is a great way to start your day and arm yourself to do battle with the stressors that await you. Cottage cheese is also another great dairy choice, and when coupled with a fruit that’s high in vitamin C, it helps the body battle free radicals that run rampant during your most stressed periods.

Almonds are also an awesome choice when it comes to arming yourself against stress. They’re high in magnesium, zinc, as well as vitamins B2, C, and E and unsaturated fats, all which are great warriors against free radicals, which have been shown to cause cancers and heart disease.

Brad Bahr is the editor of many health related websites and publications. He has been testing and reviewing nutritional supplements for over 20 years. After trying hundreds of products, he recommends one supplement above all others for renewing health and energy: http://www.hgh-facts.com

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