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Health & wellness. Everything to do with health, body and mind.

Pain Management Focus Group For Practitioners, Coaches, Trainers, Athletes and Chronic Pain Sufferers

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Pain management focus group being conducted in Toronto (near highway 401/404). Practitioners, Athletes, Coaches, Trainers, Elderly and chronic pain sufferers will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the product.

What is required is 2 hours of your time plus post group feedback.

For your time and effort, you get to keep one of these units. The units are not yet on the market.

Two sessions are available:

  1. Tuesday, March 6th (6:30-8:30), or
  2. Saturday, March 10th (1:00-3:00)

Only a few spaces available so don’t hesitate. Send email with your name and telephone number to info@metroactive.org with subject: ‘Focus Group’.

And the Number One Public Enemy – Stress, Still Remains Standing!

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According to the American Psychological Association’s, Stress in America Survey, 2013, high stress does not appear to be going away. It seems that adults are living with stress that is higher than what they believe to be healthy. Women report a higher level of stress than men. Most disturbing is that people are not successful at managing or reducing their stress.

So what’s the problem? Life is full of stress, isn’t it? Perhaps – but it’s how you handle stress and whether you are capable of lowering its impact that’s critical for your health and well-being. People are ignoring the symptoms and most think stress and its ultimate repercussions of heart disease, depression, infections, viruses and immune system dysfunction will just vanish – not true.

According to the Survey, 67 percent of people report experiencing emotional symptoms of stress and 72 percent report suffering physical symptoms of stress. Do colleagues or friends tell you that you seem stressed? If so, believe them.

What Are the Most Commonly Reported Sources of Stress?

1.         Money – 71%
2.         Work – 69%
3.         The Economy – 59%
4.         Personal relationships (spouse, kids, partner) – 54%

Reported Symptoms of Stress:

  • Irritability
  • Anger
  • Lack of interest, motivation or energy
  • Fatigue, depression or feeling sad (feeling like crying)
  • Nervous, anxious
  • Overwhelmed
  • Neglecting responsibilities
  • Upset stomach or digestion

Are Stress Management Techniques Effective?

Many report specific stress management techniques such as going online or watching TV or movies more than two hours a day are only somewhat or not at all effective. While a majority of adults, (62%) who exercise or walk report the benefits as extremely effective for stress reduction. About 56% describe the same effectiveness listening to music and 49% report a good result with reading.

You can reap benefits if you uncover the source of your distress, and determine ways to alter your perceptions of stress. There are people who need and love you. It’s time to take action.

To discover more stress-busting strategies to knock stress to its knees, you’re welcome to join me for my upbeat and informative Free recorded webinar, From Frazzled to Fantastic! Energize with Stress-Relief Coping Strategies. Register as a free member of HR.com at http://web.hr.com/28gsb.

How To Reduce Stress During a Crisis

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By Rosalie Moscoe

There are times in life when an emotional crisis causes enormous stress. During those times you may be worried about the health of a loved one or your own health; you may have lost your job, or perhaps you’re experiencing legal hassles over some major issue. You may be anxious about buying or selling a house, or worrying about your kids who go travelling thousands of miles away from home – and you haven’t heard from them in weeks. Perhaps you’re reeling from financial losses.

Is it possible to reduce stress when life seems to be up-side-down? Yes, and it’s important that you do. When overly activated, the stress response (a biological reaction to a stressor) can make you prone to illness.

Your top five biological reactions to stress:

• Release of sugar into the bloodstream to create more energy to fight off the stressor
• Increased cholesterol in the blood to create energy and to take over when blood sugar levels drop off
• Reduction in sex hormones which results in decreased libido
• Release of thyroid hormone (thyroxine) to speed up the body’s metabolism to burn fuel fast, giving strength to fight or flee
• Decreased digestive activity; energy goes to the limbs for survival

Unrelenting stress causes the stress response to stay on way too often and wears the body out! Finding ways to turn off the stress response and turn on the body’s natural relaxation response will calm you and bring the body and mind back to homeostasis –normal functioning. During crises, you’ll need a cool head to prevail in order to make important decisions.


10 Ways to Stay Calm When in Crisis

1) Realize that fear is the greatest motivator of stress. When your mind drags you to the depths of despair, think about the best possible outcome, not the worst.
2) Taking action during a crisis helps reduce the worry and stress; if there’s nothing you can do – pray.
3) Deep breathe for a few minutes to stop the biological reactions of stress; count to ten.
4) Call a friend or family member and talk it over. Just commiserating with someone who cares can relieve the stress of the situation. Hug someone you love.
5) Watch a comedy show on TV; laughing is a potent stress-reliever.
6) Get out for a brisk walk in nature – mind and body will come into a better place.
7) Cry if you need to; it may release pent-up stress.
8) Sit down and cross your arms over your chest. Rock back and forth for a soothing effect.
9) Get help from your doctor if you can’t sleep; insomnia can make stress worse.
10) For unrelenting stress, contact a psychologist or a spiritual counselor; you don’t have to do this alone.

Natural Ways to Beat the 4:00 O’clock Slump

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Are you sitting all day, becoming sedentary? Are you eating a lunch with no protein? Are you eating desserts with sugar in them – such as ice cream, a piece of cake or pie? Do you have less than 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night? If so, you may be prone to a 4:00 o’clock slump!

Holistic Steps to Boost Your Energy!

1)     Move your body either early in the day, or at lunch to build vitality; even a short brisk walk is beneficial.

2)     Have protein 3 times a day, (2 – 3 ½  oz. depending upon your weight – smaller amount for lower weights) – breakfast, lunch and dinner. The amino acids in the protein feed the neurotransmitters in the brain and give you a wake-up call. Your brain will be happy. Also, fats at every meal – such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds, almonds, hazelnuts or brazil nuts, olive oil – a couple of teaspoons, or a wedge of avocado, or 5 olives or a spoon of coconut oil melted on steamed vegetables. Your brain is 60% fat – dry weight. It needs replenishing all the time. Small amounts are sufficient.

3)     Have a piece of fruit instead of pie, cake or a chocolate bar for dessert –  (unless it’s dark chocolate – 70% cocoa or more and then only a few squares. ) The fruit has vitamins and minerals – anti-oxidant champs that give energy and fuel the body. Fruit also provides needed fiber necessary for proper digestion and bowel health.  (Fruit for dessert will prevent a sugar roller coaster ride!)

4)     Try drinking some water later in the afternoon – you may be dehydrated. Or if you didn’t have enough lunch, you may need a small snack; choose one: turkey slice wrapped around an avocado wedge, plain yogurt and a few apricots or berries, raw nuts or pumpkin seeds and a small piece of fruit.

5)     Reduce non-foods  as much as possible: aspartame, high salt (sodium), sugar laden foods, chemicals that you can’t pronounce! Also white flour products can be energy zappers as they contain less vitamin E, fiber and B vitamins than do whole grain products. Read labels. Your body doesn’t know what to do with engineered, chemical foods. Also the digestion process takes energy and if the body isn’t getting a payback from the foods you eat in the way of nutrients – you’ll be exhausted from all of the digestion process..

6)     Find ways to get 7 hours sleep a night and enough exercise during  the day. Turn off your computer at a decent hour (not just before bedtime); sleep in a darkened room without flashing lights from technology so that your brain can build natural melatonin to help you sleep. Don’t eat fried foods for dinner; – they may not sit well and keep you awake. A good night’s sleep provides more energy throughout the next day and helps you avoid a slump at 4:00 p.m.

Try these easy, enery-giving tips for a week and you’ll find your energy soar. (And if you are tired – take a short power nap!)

 

Reduce Stress from Financial Worries: Manage Money Wisely

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Stress is said to be responsible for 80% of all doctor’s visits. In a survey done by the American Psychological Association, 73% of people listed money as the number one factor that affects their stress level. Many people become stressed or anxious due to financial issues.

Check out these statistics:

  • Results from a 2005 American survey revealed that 53% of working Americans indicated they were experiencing moderate or high levels of financial stress. (Canadians aren’t very far behind.)
  • Financial worries have been cited as the leading cause of chronic stress, causing 25% of people to miss approximately 16 days of work per year.

Physical stress related illnesses include; headache, chest pain, fast heart beat, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, muscle aches, clenched jaws, fatigue, insomnia and more. Chronic stress causes anxiety, restlessness, worrying, irritability, depression, sadness, anger, mood swings, feeling of insecurity, lack of concentration and a tendency to blame others for how you feel. Many people see only the negative aspects of situations when stressed.

Money, or lack of it, creates many different attitudes: power or failure, pride or shame, freedom or enslavement, or feeling vulnerable. When people are in debt it affects one’s mental health: feelings of anxiety or overwhelm may take place, feeling of doom, not seeing a way out, enslavement, feeling like you’ll be paying off debts for life. These feelings can also affect physical health. When we are stressed, the stress response releases chemicals that can raise cholesterol, cortisol and adrenaline. This can lead to all forms of illness and reduced immunity as well as poor mental health.

Financial issues can also affect relationships. Money is one of the foremost reasons for arguments between spouses (excepting children!). We live in a disposable society so we’re always shopping – for a new phone, or computer, a flat screen TV, a larger, fancier car that we deem as ‘necessary’ for our standing in the community. Money creates many attitudes. If you have more money than others in your family, you may feel misplaced guilt. If you have less, self-esteem can sag. The best scenario is to seek self-reliance through financial knowledge and common sense.

Ten Tips to Manage Money Wisely and Prevent Anxiety

1) Know where your money is going; note if you are saving, investing wisely and spending appropriately for your income.

2) Decide if you need to invest in further education to advance yourself or whether you need to take on extra part-time odd jobs for a short time.

3) Make a budget; list how much you will spend on various expenses in your life. Stick to it.

4) Shop for items on sale and cut back on unnecessary expenditures.

5) Eat at home more often. Restaurant bills call pile up.

6) Leave credit cards at home when you go shopping – or don’t go to shopping malls.

7) If your credit cards are maxed out and you’re paying merely interest each month, see if you arrange a credit line at your bank to pay off the debt at a much lower interest rate.

8) Renovate modestly instead of moving to a new house.

9) Move to a city or town that has cheaper rent or property values – and a good public transport system.

10) You may need to cash in some investments for a short time until the employment climate improves.

Finances can often paralyze action and cause a great amount of worry. Some coping skills include:

  • Remember that constant worry doesn’t help matters.
  • Take some deep breaths and assess where your money is going.
  • Decide on an action plan to get your finances in order; face it head on instead of sweeping it under the carpet.
  • Don’t keep financial secrets from your spouse or partner; decide together how you will face this problem.
  • Socializing with friends at each other’s homes with pot luck dinners, and cooking more instead of eating in restaurants are obvious ways to cut back (and still enjoy life.)
  • If faced with any stressor the best practice for stress-relief is to go for walk – especially in nature; this enjoyable act can reduce feelings of anxiety; or exercise vigorously.
  • Try some deep breathing techniques focusing on your breath. Get centered and calm so that you can see a clear plan of action.
  • Enlist positive self-talk strategies: instead of “I’m always broke and never will have any money”, think, “I am a good money-manager and will be even better in the future.”

Enlist the aid of a financial advisor – even one at your local bank branch or other investment counselor to help you sort out a plan, one that takes into account recessions. Trust your capabilities that you can take charge over your financial situatuation. There’s always an answer.

 

 

 

 

Want Less Stress for the Holidays? Holistic Tips to Keep Your Cool!

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1)     Start by going for a walk or swim at least 3 x a week. Get your body used to activity. Pick up a book (or CD) on stretching or yoga and get limber. Start slowly and you will bring oxygen into your muscles (and brain). If you’re already doing these things, continue! Don’t let preparing for the holiday alter your good routine. Your energy will soar .

2)     Don’t bring extra cookies or chocolate into the house in advance of the holidays. They’ll only get eaten (by you) and can increase glucose. This will make you cranky, tired and cause fluctuations of blood sugar (hypoglycemia), a forerunner of diabetes. If you are diabetic don’t think that the medication you’re on will protect you. Keeping your blood sugar under control is the best thing you can do for diabetes. Cut down on the amount of carbohydrates you eat (starchy ones) like extra bread, muffins, potatoes. Increase amount of leafy greens and other green vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts – great cancer fighters. Use olive oil as dressing for your salad plus wine vinegar or other vinegar or lemon juice. Toss out commercial dressings with added chemicals and fillers. Eat 2 to 3 pieces of fruit per day. Remember that you are what you eat!

3)     Take a multi vitamin, mineral tablet each day to increase mood and the amount of nutrients your body needs to fight disease. An omega 3 fatty acid supplement (fish oil) is also recommended for heart and brain health.

4)     Keep to a good sleep routine. The holidays are hectic and full of tension. You’ll need your 7 – 9 hours of sleep per night to cope with added stresses.

5)     Feeling overwhelmed by what you have to do? Shopping, preparing, inviting family, cooking, Entertaining, home improvements? Now’s the time to take some gentle belly breaths to get calm. Breathe in through your nose; feel the air going down to your belly; breathe out through your mouth. Repeat a few times a day for added benefit.

6)     Become a great time manager – don’t dash around the city helter/skelter. Make a plan about all you have to do and allocate time during your week accordingly. Rush slowly; slow your pace and be mindful of your actions – especially when driving.

Taking care of your health and stress through exercise, good nutrition, sleep, better time management and relaxation techniques are the perfect accompaniment for getting you through the holiday season. You may even decide to continue these health-giving activities after the New Year!

Learn how to protect your most important asset – yourself, and build business attributes at the same time

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Self-Preservation is much more than a physical skill set, it is a gateway to problem solving. Extensive training provides a catalyst effect which produces improvements in the areas of self-confidence, assertiveness, strategic planning & execution, calmness, concentration, and stress management.

Through the application of progressive physical and verbal training, the above mentioned attributes lay the foundation of problem solving and conflict resolution skills. All are qualities found in leaders and highly transferable to professional endeavors.

Self-Confidence and Assertiveness – Developing trust in your actions

For fighters, posture and stance provide both balance and facilitate the mechanics required to deliver rapid, powerful movement. For the business professional, It acts as an indicator of someones level of self-confidence and assertiveness. Trusting your actions is about learning triggers that facilitate action, and running with them.

Strategic Planning & Execution – Developing a game plan

Developing a game plan is vital when training for self-preservation. It is important to have a backup plan when you get hit. Because in this game, you will get hit. The same goes for the business world. Utilizing Standard Operating Procedures provide a focus and a backup plan for disasters and business disruptions. Consistently running these procedures, and routinely testing them for gaps, will enable you to build more resilience into your operations. This builds on the trust you first created.

Calmness and Concentration – Developing a focused mindset to solve your problems

Calmness and concentration is developed through the application of a game plan under pressure. By trusting yourself and testing your plan under pressure, you will rebuild neural pathways which enable you to move beyond old dis-empowering triggers, and into a stronger and more focused mindset. When cultivated, it can release you the rigid constraints of left brain problem-solving and out of the box solutions can be found. Problem-solving 2.0 is then utilized.

Stress Management – Developing a healthy sense of humor

Conducting self-preservation training in progressively stressful environments teaches you the ability to mitigate stressful energy. It becomes a positive environment where energy can be converted in a healthy manner and that obstacles are not as difficult as they seem.

About the author

Daniel Hefferton is the owner and chief instructor at Urban Defensive Arts. He teaches clients how to trust themselves, develop game plans, focus their problem solving, and find the humor in life. This is facilitated through his martial arts and self defense programs.

He can be reached at urbandefensivearts@gmail.com.

Check out: www.urbandefensivearts.wordpress.com

About Urban Defensive Arts

Urban Defensive Arts (UDA) is a mobile training unit that operates in central Mississauga area. UDA is an affiliate of Infinity Fighting Systems/Infinity Martial Arts. Our curriculum is based on Jeet Kune Do Concepts and Inosanto/Lacoste Kali.

Our mission is to look at the combat/defence applications of martial systems, teach awareness and other mitigation strategies, and facilitate problem solving skills through the implementation of physical and verbal training methodologies.

Aleksandra Knezevic

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Aleksandra Knezevice, HA Solutions Inc.Aleksandra Knezevic

Aleksandra Knezevice is the Co-Founder of HA Solutions Inc. As an Empath, she handles the sessions with the clients.

Upon graduating Teaching College (Belgrade, Serbia), Aleksandra Knezevic worked in corporate international sales, consistently performing among the top ten results for her firm. In 1999, she and her family moved to Canada.

Aleksandra strongly believes that we create our own reality and that all solutions for our concerns are locked within us. Her ability to find the key and unlock an individual’s true potential inspired her work in the alternative problem solving field.

She creates personalized unique sessions for her clients and enjoys working with people who are willing to accept that all answers are within the self.

In the latter part of 2010, Aleksandra founded HA Solutions with her business partner, Laure Ampilhac. She likes to describe HA Solutions as a train that is discovering uncharted territories.

Aleksandra is married with three children.

Note: For more information about HA Solutions Inc. visit www.hasolutions.ca

Laure Ampilhac

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Laure Ampilhac, HA Solutions Inc. Laure Ampilhac

Laure Ampilhac is the Co-Founder of HA Solutions Inc. She is charge of Sales and Marketing.

A graduate in Business and International Trade, Laure Ampilhac worked for 6 years in corporate sales in France and 9 years in Canada (Export, HR, IT). After taking the Dale Carnegie Course® in 2006, and while working at LaCie Canada she surpassed her sales targets by developing outstanding client relationships building skills. She is known for her diligence, outstanding customer service and effective problem-solving techniques.
This carries over to her personal networks, where she has become the go-to-person for connections, inspiration, open-mindedness and “uplifting” effect on people from all walks of life.

In 2007, she began a personal journey of self discovery, attended the Transformational Arts College, and other diverse schools of thought. She was looking for more meaning in her life. In 2009, she left the corporate world and started her real estate investing business. She trained with Tigrent Learning and Peak Potentials. She also discovered Ho’oponopono, an ancient Hawaiian problem solving technique that gave her the keys to “loving herself” and “looking inside as opposed to reaching outside for answers”.
In the latter part of 2010, combining her passion for metaphysics, philosophy, human relations and business, she founded HA Solutions with Aleksandra Knezevic to share her discovery and assist people and businesses solve their problems, internal or external. She trained at Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto in the Rotman Executive Program and at the Mediation Centre of Southern Ontario to add dispute resolution as a service.

Note: For more information about HA Solutions Inc. visit www.hasolutions.ca

Staying Fit Through the 2011 Summer Season

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Summer is upon us and that means, BBQ’s, Patios and good times. When the summer heat is at its best, many people choose to grab an ice cool drink, light up the BBQ and enjoy.

However how do you make the summer of 2011 healthy and not gain that dreaded weight that most of us try to get rid of come September.

Lets take a look at a few ways that you can make the summer of 2011 the healthiest without sacrificing the fun times along the way.

1) BYOD – (Bring Your Own Drink) – Alcohol can sure increase your waistline fast. Alcohol provides no nutritional value and can actually decrease testosterone levels in males and increase estrogen levels in females. Your body also views it as a poison which creates a very toxic environment within the cells of the body. As an alternative, why not bring your own fruit smoothie which will not only help keep you cool but will also feed the body proper nutrients in the summer heat. Check out this great smoothie recipe:

Pineapple Mango Smoothie:

1 banana
2 dried dates
2 cups of cold water
1/2 medium papaya
1/2 cup pineapple
1 tbsp of flaxseed
1 scoop of protein powder (Vega is recommended)
1 tbsp of coconut oil

Put all ingredients into a blender, blend and serve. Makes about 2 large servings

2)What’s Your Beef…..with Beef! – Red meat is a summer favorite on the BBQ, However there are a number of disadvantages when eating red meat to stay healthy and lean. Red meat has a lot of saturated fats that can increase our waistlines. As well did you know that there is not a lot of usable protein in red meat? Most red meat such as steak offers very little usable protein for the body to repair muscles after a tough workout.

As an alternative chicken or turkey breasts serve as a great BBQ food. It is extremely low in saturated fats and your body uses 80 percent of the protein in chicken or turkey as opposed to less then 20 percent with steak and beef.

3) Show me the….Vegetables – Increasing vegetable intake has lot of benefits when trying to stay lean for the summer. First many vegetables have a lot of fiber which helps you stay full and stops cravings for sugary carbohydrates. (Like Beer) In addition vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals which are often void in other “summer time favorites” i.e – potato chips, cheesies etc… Lastly vegetables help keep you lean and trim throughout the summer because they keep the blood sugar levels stable. All vegetables have a zero impact on the blood sugar levels in the body which is key when trying to lose weight and keep it off for the summer months. A fun fact is that 12 cups of lettuce is equal to only one cup of pasta in terms of total calories consumed. So eat lots of veges!

4)Step-up to Shape up! – StairClimbing is the best way to stay healthy and not increase your waistline over the summer months.

Why?

Because you are moving your entire body vertically which actually burns double the calories you normally would in any other activity performed. StairClimbing also increases core strength and shapes the lower body, particularly the butt and the legs.

Want to try out one of our stairclimbing groups in your city?? Then try our stairclimbing program for one week, on us!

Just click the link above and print out the week free trial card.

Join us in any one of our meet-up groups across Canada

If your interested in starting your own meet-up chapter in your area, check out our meet-up chapter website!

We hope you stay fit and healthy in the summer of 2011!

Step Strong!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB