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COLUMN BY SUSAN HILL |
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Extremes at Both Ends - Anorexia and Bulimia to Obesity Making sense of Cholesterol's ABCs |
Anxiety, Women and Lifestyle
posted 03/17/2008 Exercise: Getting regular aerobic exercise decreases your stress hormones, releases pent-up anxiety and improves your mood. It also re-sets the anxiety/panic button so it is harder to trigger. Yoga, tai chi and other focused practices absorb concentration and calm the mind. Meditation and rhythmic breathing can center the mind and body, providing a lasting effect throughout the day. Just taking a walk every day can help too. Caffeine: Even in tiny amounts it can rev up your system, increase your heart rate, make you feel agitated, and sometimes trigger a panic attack. Coffee, (even decaf has caffeine), tea (green or black), chocolate, hot cocoa, and sodas (colas, Dr. Pepper, orange soda (yes!) and some clear sodas like Mountain Dew) not to mention the host of "energy" drinks (like Red Bull)-all give you a boost through a dose of caffeine. But the cost is high and the agitation can take 12 hours to leave your system, creating havoc with sleep. Limit caffeine or better yet, stay away from it altogether. | |
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Sugar: If you are relying on sugar for energy during the day, (that candy bar or cookie) your blood sugar is going to scream up and then plunge down. The brain is the organ most sensitive to blood sugar changes and will jerk your moods around with the rapid highs and lows. Counter this by avoiding sweets; snack on fruits, and pair them with a protein like low fat string cheese, cottage cheese, or whole grain crackers or nuts. To keep your blood sugar even, be sure to eat breakfast and don't skip meals. Low-fat proteins such as fish, chicken, or lean meats, or complex carbohydrates like beans and whole grains are digested slowly and help maintain normal blood sugar levels. Busyness and stress: Is your day so crazy that you are in constant motion, pulled in several directions at once, eating on the run, barely time go to the bathroom? At the end of your day, when you finally stop, brush your teeth and lie down, do you expect to turn off your uncooperative mind and body like a switch? It just doesn't work. Schedule a little "down time" throughout your day and especially before bed. Try a cup of chamomile tea, eat your meals slowly, close your eyes for 5 minutes, read a book or favorite magazine. |
Sleep: One of the greatest contributors to anxiety is lack of sleep. Many women are chronically sleep deprived, especially teens, mothers of young children, career women, rotating shift workers and menopausal women. If you are short on sleep, your brain has not had adequate time to repair and reorganize nerve endings from the stress and demands of the previous day. Most women need at least 8 hours of sleep a night to feel best, so get your beauty sleep! | |
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Television and electronic media: The graphic urgency of in-your-face news can trigger anxiety and worry. Avoid emotionally jarring TV programs and movies that are violent, scary or about abuse or trauma. Turn the TV and computer off an hour before sleep to let your brain drop to a lower stimulus level. If you have trouble with anxiety, try making some of these simple changes in your life and you will be pleasantly surprised at how effective they are. Those with severe symptoms that interfere with the ability to cope with everyday demands may benefit from a prescriptive medication and/or counseling and should seek medical advice. Susan C. Hill © 2008 To comment on the column, email susan@sanjuanislander.com |
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SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2008 |
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