My Secret to Coping with Stress

As you know, this time of year can be stressing and I personally have had an extra stress load this year. Not to mention my sources of stress are drawn from several areas. Either way, I mange with prayer, a healthy diet, exercise, a supporting circle of friends, family and… my Bach Rescue Remedy. Bach Rescue Remedy is a homeopathic supplement that I have used on occasion for years. It’s a natural stress relief that works almost instantly. You can buy it in spray form or tincture. I prefer spray because I can carry it in my purse and use it when I need it. Bach Rescue Remedy consist of the Bach Flower Essences; Rock Rose, Clematis, Impatiens, Cherry Plum and Star of Bethlehem. Each flower has its own function. For instance, the Rock Rose brings courage in times when one is faced with fear or terror. This is common around the time of family reunions or family get togethers lol;-). Clematis, works by allowing you to focus more on the present rather than the future, which is uncertain. Cherry Blossom brings clarity and rationalization to your thinking. It also brings a sense of calm and balance when you feel that your loosing control. Lastly, Star of Bethlehem encourages a calm and lessens the impact of grief, fright or shock. Bach Rescue Remedy can be purchased at Clark's Nutritional Centers (www.clarksnutrition.com) or your local health food store

No one supplement can solve a problem but for some people it may help. Eating a balanced diet along with exercise and some quiet time can provide the essentials to maintain better health. We also have to keep in mind that we can’t change everything and taking on additional stress will do more harm than good. So my thoughts to you are to focus on the things you can change and let the rest go. Have a very Merry Christmas and be good to your body and it will be good to you.

You can eat the holiday goodies, less the extra pounds

It’s that time of year again when we spend too much and eat too much. Spending less and eating less can address both problems…right? Sometimes that’s easier said than done. Especially when my eight year old puts a Smart car at the top of his Christmas list. I have explained to him that by law he needs to be 16 years old and have a driver’s licenses before he can drive. But he’s still convinced that the Smart car is just the right size for him to drive. I would not be surprised if he already knew how to drive since he has not missed a NASCAR or Indy car race. Not to mention he has mastered Mario Kart game. In his eyes, I guess that qualifies him to drive. My words of wisdom to him were, “well son, start saving now and by 16 you should have enough money to buy that Smart car yourself.”

Weight loss kinda follows a similar concept, keep working out and reducing calories and overtime the weight will come off. But the problem is, it’s so darn easy to overindulge than it is to go through the motions of exercising and eating less. I can vouch for this because I too have failed victim to food indulgences and the work to get off the extra is just that…work. But how can one resist such sweet temptations, especially at this time of year. Should you avoid all the goodies, eat in moderation or overindulge and pay the price later? Well let’s look at all three scenarios, should you avoid the sinfully tasty goodies? You could but making it completely off limits is like telling yourself that you can never eat these foods and after a while you will eventually give in and your likely to over do it. Moderation, that sounds like a good idea. Allow yourself a certain amount of goodies but be careful not to over do it. One of my personal favorite ways to accommodate my preferably “naughty but goody” foods is to workout a little more. For instance, I'll workout an extra 30 minutes on top of my regular exercise time and reduce my calories prior to the event I plan on attending and eating at. The other option is to overindulge and from my experience, I have been there, done that and don’t like it. For one thing it may be very satisfying while your eating. And yes it’s a symphony of palatable pleasure in your mouth and comforting during the whole eating experience. However, it’s the aftermath that stinks. You don’t feel good when the food is gone but the reality is, it hasn't really left you, you just don’t see it in the form of food. It transforms to a layer of fat on your butt, hips, thighs, you fill in the blank. The extra calories that you consumed has now turned into a pound or more of fat and you'll have to work to get it off. Having an extra pound of fat is going to require you to burn 3500 calories to rid yourself of the evil. And that can take a week or more for some people. So my advice to you is to stay within a healthy caloric range and if you plan on taking part in the goodies. Consider doing a little more exercise on top of your regular routine and reduce your calorie intake prior to the food event. This will allow you to accommodate the holiday treats.