Iron can make the difference between you feeling on top of the world and downright miserable. Check out these surprising signs you need to pump up your iron levels. March 27, 2014 at 01:14AM
22 Ways to Get Happy Now | Health and Burn Weight
Eat better and curb stress with these feel-better tips from health, fitness, and food bloggers. March 25, 2014 at 01:14AM
What the Yuck?! | Health and Burn Weight
Got a truly embarrassing health question? A weird out-of-the-blue symptom? In this sneak peek at our new Health book, Dr. Roshini Raj fields your most personal and provocative questions—about your body, sex, even celeb health fads. March 18, 2014 at 01:14AM
The Beauty Of Reinvention | Health and Burn Weight
When my dad, Joe Brown, was 70, he started a career as a children's book author. Eight years later, he has seven published books and a screenplay based on his stories. Considering he spent 50 years as an attorney, my dad's recent accomplishments prove that reinvention can truly happen at any time.
Find your passion
My first brush with reinvention happened when I was still in college. I had no idea what to study. I started at the University of Wisconsin, transferred to the University of Arizona and came home after my freshman year announcing I wanted to drop out. As you can imagine, my parents insisted that I get a college degree. I told them that I didn't know what to do with my life. My mom said, "Forget about what you want to do with your career. Pretend it's your birthday and you can do anything you want."
The first thing that came to mind was a trip to the makeup counter at our local department store. Seeing the spark in my eye, my mom encouraged me to look at schools that offered courses in makeup. With my dad's help, I found Emerson College, which allows students to design their own major. I ended up with a BFA in theatrical makeup. Even though my dad cracked the occasional joke ("What are you going to take, Mascara 101?"), he supported me 100 percent.
Discovering what you love is an essential part of reinvention. In my 30s, when I was a freelance makeup artist in New York City, my passion for natural-looking makeup led me to develop my own brown-based lipsticks—which expanded into a makeup and skin-care line that was eventually bought by the Estée Lauder Companies. In my 40s, I channeled my passion for women's causes into a partnership with the not-for-profit organization Dress for Success.
Don't let age define you
When I turned 50, I was so adamant about redefining the notion of age, I wrote the book Living Beauty, featuring older women who were gorgeous simply because they'd figured out how to look the best for their age. Rather than trying to recapture who they used to be, they lived in the moment. Living in the moment is no easy feat. Our tendency is to rehash the past and worry about what's up ahead. But in my opinion, it's another necessary element of reinvention. You have to focus on the now to see opportunities.
Push past no
I've been a risk-taker for as long as I can remember. In 2010, I had the idea for Pretty Powerful, an ad campaign featuring pictures of real women. I didn't know how customers would respond, but it's grown into a worldwide philanthropic effort to empower women.
I'm constantly searching for ways to do better because I believe life is an evolution. It's not about reaching an end goal and hanging up your hat (or, in my case, packing up my makeup brushes). It's about continually growing. My dad says he wakes up each day with a smile on his face, his head full of ideas for new stories. With some luck, I'll be just like him when I get to be his age.
BOBBI BROWN is Health's contributing beauty and lifestyle editor. To keep up with Bobbi, follow her at everythingbobbi.com.
March 18, 2014 at 01:14AM
Find your passion
My first brush with reinvention happened when I was still in college. I had no idea what to study. I started at the University of Wisconsin, transferred to the University of Arizona and came home after my freshman year announcing I wanted to drop out. As you can imagine, my parents insisted that I get a college degree. I told them that I didn't know what to do with my life. My mom said, "Forget about what you want to do with your career. Pretend it's your birthday and you can do anything you want."
The first thing that came to mind was a trip to the makeup counter at our local department store. Seeing the spark in my eye, my mom encouraged me to look at schools that offered courses in makeup. With my dad's help, I found Emerson College, which allows students to design their own major. I ended up with a BFA in theatrical makeup. Even though my dad cracked the occasional joke ("What are you going to take, Mascara 101?"), he supported me 100 percent.
Discovering what you love is an essential part of reinvention. In my 30s, when I was a freelance makeup artist in New York City, my passion for natural-looking makeup led me to develop my own brown-based lipsticks—which expanded into a makeup and skin-care line that was eventually bought by the Estée Lauder Companies. In my 40s, I channeled my passion for women's causes into a partnership with the not-for-profit organization Dress for Success.
Don't let age define you
When I turned 50, I was so adamant about redefining the notion of age, I wrote the book Living Beauty, featuring older women who were gorgeous simply because they'd figured out how to look the best for their age. Rather than trying to recapture who they used to be, they lived in the moment. Living in the moment is no easy feat. Our tendency is to rehash the past and worry about what's up ahead. But in my opinion, it's another necessary element of reinvention. You have to focus on the now to see opportunities.
Push past no
I've been a risk-taker for as long as I can remember. In 2010, I had the idea for Pretty Powerful, an ad campaign featuring pictures of real women. I didn't know how customers would respond, but it's grown into a worldwide philanthropic effort to empower women.
I'm constantly searching for ways to do better because I believe life is an evolution. It's not about reaching an end goal and hanging up your hat (or, in my case, packing up my makeup brushes). It's about continually growing. My dad says he wakes up each day with a smile on his face, his head full of ideas for new stories. With some luck, I'll be just like him when I get to be his age.
BOBBI BROWN is Health's contributing beauty and lifestyle editor. To keep up with Bobbi, follow her at everythingbobbi.com.
March 18, 2014 at 01:14AM
Here's the First Medical Marijuana Ad to Air on Major Networks | Health and Burn Weight
Twenty states and Washington, D.C. have legalized the use of marijuana for medical reasons, and now there's a commercial for medical marijuana. Watch the one-minute spot in this video from Time.com . March 14, 2014 at 01:14AM
Your Ultimate Guide to Healthy Ears | Health and Burn Weight
If a typical day finds you blasting your iPod, shouting over the din at dinner and blaring the TV, this will come as no surprise: "Hearing loss is now a growing epidemic among women in their 30s and 40s," says Douglas Backous, MD, medical director of the Center for Hearing and Skull Base Surgery at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle. Even in the quietest places, we can face unrelated issues, like infection, vertigo and congestion. All ears now? Follow our guide to caring for and protecting this key organ.
Problem No. 1: Hearing loss
The lowdown This isn't a concern just for drummers and construction workers. "Even having earbuds at full blast while you're running every day can cause permanent damage over time," says Eric Smouha, MD, director of otology and neurology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. "Intense exposure to sound causes wear and tear on the hair cells in your cochlea."
What it feels like Conversations are muffled; you may notice that you're asking people to speak more slowly or repeat themselves. "If you turn the TV volume up so high that others complain about the noise, that's a red flag," says Barry Hirsch, MD, director of the division of neurotology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Rx See your doctor. The first step is to check your ears—wax may simply be blocking sound waves from entering your ear canal. Otherwise, you'll be referred to an audiologist for a hearing test. "If you have trouble hearing sounds above 25 decibels [dB], it's considered hearing loss and needs to be thoroughly evaluated," says Sarah Sydlowski, PhD, an audiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. While there's no way to reverse noise-induced hearing loss, mild forms can be treated with an assistive listening device. If your loss is more pronounced, you'll need a hearing aid. To keep things from getting to that point, use earplugs whenever you're in a noisy situation—say, a concert or football game. "And when you're listening to tunes, keep the volume at the halfway point," Sydlowski says.
Problem No. 2: Pressure changes
The lowdown You know that awful ear pop (the one your kids shriek about) as the plane you're in starts to descend? It has a fancy name—barotrauma. "The air pressure in your middle ear is usually the same as the air pressure outside your body," Dr. Hirsch explains. But when you're landing, the cabin pressure increases. "The outside pressure pushes your eardrum inward," he says. Your Eustachian tubes—which connect your middle ear to the back of your nose and throat—regulate air pressure, but they can't always react quickly enough. The result: serious discomfort. (When a plane goes up, the reverse happens; it's a lot less likely to cause pain.) These symptoms can get worse if you have a stuffed-up schnoz from a cold.
What it feels like Mild to moderate pressure or pain in your ear, along with stuffiness.
Rx Take a big yawn, chew gum or suck on a hard candy. "These actions pull the muscles that open your Eustachian tubes and equalize the pressure," Dr. Hirsch says. Alternatively, try the Valsalva maneuver: Pinch your nostrils shut, close your mouth and force air into the back of your nose, as if you're blowing it. If you have a full-fledged cold, use a drugstore decongestant nasal spray, such as Afrin, and pop a decongestant pill like Sudafed before you fly.
Problem No. 3: Tinnitus
The lowdown Up to 20 percent of people under age 50 are plagued by tinnitus—ringing in the ears. It's usually a symptom of an underlying condition, such as hearing loss or an ear injury. "One theory about the cause: When hair cells in the inner ear are damaged by a trigger like loud noise, random electrical impulses are generated, which the brain perceives as ringing," Sydlowski says. Other possible culprits include high blood pressure (which can restrict blood flow to ears), stiffening of the bones of your inner ear (a condition called otosclerosis), jaw joint problems (TMJ) and certain medications, such as the antibiotic erythromycin and the antimalaria med quinine.
What it feels like A ringing, buzzing or hissing sound that may vary from a low roar to a high-pitched squeal. You may hear it in one or both of your ears, and it can either be constant or come and go.
Rx If you experience tinnitus after being exposed to a loud noise, wait a day or two to see if it subsides. But if it doesn't, visit an audiologist. Treating the cause or going off the offending meds should make symptoms disappear.
How infections start
While kids are much more prone to them than we are, middle ear infections—which usually develop after fluid builds up there after a cold—may be on the rise in adults, says Dr. Backous. "I see this more and more in my practice," he notes, "probably because there's more particulate matter in the air on account of pollution and smoking that can trigger infections." That said, the most common kind of ear infection in grown-ups is an outer ear infection, aka swimmer's ear. It's typically caused by water left in your ear after a swim, but "it can also be caused by sticking cotton swabs in your ear, which damages the thin layer of skin lining your ear canal," says Sean McMenomey, MD, professor of otolaryngology at New York University. Prevent them by refraining from putting swabs or even fingers deep into your ears. If you swim, rinse your ears out afterward with a mixture that's 50 percent rubbing alcohol and 50 percent white vinegar—use a baby syringe to squirt it in.
How you hear
1. A source of sound sends vibrations, or sound waves, into the air.
2. The waves funnel through the ear opening, go down the external ear canal and strike your eardrum, making it vibrate.
3. The vibrations are passed to the three small bones of the middle ear.
4. The bones transmit them to the cochlea, which contains tubes filled with fluid. Inside the tubes, tiny hair cells pick up the vibrations and convert them into nerve impulses.
5. These impulses are delivered to the brain via the auditory nerve.
6. The brain interprets the impulses as sound (music, voice, a car horn, etc.).
March 14, 2014 at 01:14AM
Problem No. 1: Hearing loss
The lowdown This isn't a concern just for drummers and construction workers. "Even having earbuds at full blast while you're running every day can cause permanent damage over time," says Eric Smouha, MD, director of otology and neurology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. "Intense exposure to sound causes wear and tear on the hair cells in your cochlea."
What it feels like Conversations are muffled; you may notice that you're asking people to speak more slowly or repeat themselves. "If you turn the TV volume up so high that others complain about the noise, that's a red flag," says Barry Hirsch, MD, director of the division of neurotology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Rx See your doctor. The first step is to check your ears—wax may simply be blocking sound waves from entering your ear canal. Otherwise, you'll be referred to an audiologist for a hearing test. "If you have trouble hearing sounds above 25 decibels [dB], it's considered hearing loss and needs to be thoroughly evaluated," says Sarah Sydlowski, PhD, an audiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. While there's no way to reverse noise-induced hearing loss, mild forms can be treated with an assistive listening device. If your loss is more pronounced, you'll need a hearing aid. To keep things from getting to that point, use earplugs whenever you're in a noisy situation—say, a concert or football game. "And when you're listening to tunes, keep the volume at the halfway point," Sydlowski says.
Problem No. 2: Pressure changes
The lowdown You know that awful ear pop (the one your kids shriek about) as the plane you're in starts to descend? It has a fancy name—barotrauma. "The air pressure in your middle ear is usually the same as the air pressure outside your body," Dr. Hirsch explains. But when you're landing, the cabin pressure increases. "The outside pressure pushes your eardrum inward," he says. Your Eustachian tubes—which connect your middle ear to the back of your nose and throat—regulate air pressure, but they can't always react quickly enough. The result: serious discomfort. (When a plane goes up, the reverse happens; it's a lot less likely to cause pain.) These symptoms can get worse if you have a stuffed-up schnoz from a cold.
What it feels like Mild to moderate pressure or pain in your ear, along with stuffiness.
Rx Take a big yawn, chew gum or suck on a hard candy. "These actions pull the muscles that open your Eustachian tubes and equalize the pressure," Dr. Hirsch says. Alternatively, try the Valsalva maneuver: Pinch your nostrils shut, close your mouth and force air into the back of your nose, as if you're blowing it. If you have a full-fledged cold, use a drugstore decongestant nasal spray, such as Afrin, and pop a decongestant pill like Sudafed before you fly.
Problem No. 3: Tinnitus
The lowdown Up to 20 percent of people under age 50 are plagued by tinnitus—ringing in the ears. It's usually a symptom of an underlying condition, such as hearing loss or an ear injury. "One theory about the cause: When hair cells in the inner ear are damaged by a trigger like loud noise, random electrical impulses are generated, which the brain perceives as ringing," Sydlowski says. Other possible culprits include high blood pressure (which can restrict blood flow to ears), stiffening of the bones of your inner ear (a condition called otosclerosis), jaw joint problems (TMJ) and certain medications, such as the antibiotic erythromycin and the antimalaria med quinine.
What it feels like A ringing, buzzing or hissing sound that may vary from a low roar to a high-pitched squeal. You may hear it in one or both of your ears, and it can either be constant or come and go.
Rx If you experience tinnitus after being exposed to a loud noise, wait a day or two to see if it subsides. But if it doesn't, visit an audiologist. Treating the cause or going off the offending meds should make symptoms disappear.
How infections start
While kids are much more prone to them than we are, middle ear infections—which usually develop after fluid builds up there after a cold—may be on the rise in adults, says Dr. Backous. "I see this more and more in my practice," he notes, "probably because there's more particulate matter in the air on account of pollution and smoking that can trigger infections." That said, the most common kind of ear infection in grown-ups is an outer ear infection, aka swimmer's ear. It's typically caused by water left in your ear after a swim, but "it can also be caused by sticking cotton swabs in your ear, which damages the thin layer of skin lining your ear canal," says Sean McMenomey, MD, professor of otolaryngology at New York University. Prevent them by refraining from putting swabs or even fingers deep into your ears. If you swim, rinse your ears out afterward with a mixture that's 50 percent rubbing alcohol and 50 percent white vinegar—use a baby syringe to squirt it in.
How you hear
1. A source of sound sends vibrations, or sound waves, into the air.
2. The waves funnel through the ear opening, go down the external ear canal and strike your eardrum, making it vibrate.
3. The vibrations are passed to the three small bones of the middle ear.
4. The bones transmit them to the cochlea, which contains tubes filled with fluid. Inside the tubes, tiny hair cells pick up the vibrations and convert them into nerve impulses.
5. These impulses are delivered to the brain via the auditory nerve.
6. The brain interprets the impulses as sound (music, voice, a car horn, etc.).
March 14, 2014 at 01:14AM
Everything You Need to Know About Meditation | Health and Burn Weight
"It'll change your life!" my trendier friends say. For the past year, they have been urging me to meditate. "Not my thing," I answer. I'm not good at Zen—I'm good at running late to an appointment as I fire off five texts. But after a particularly chaotic week in which I reeled from work crisis to kid crisis—feeling panicky, my mind whirring nonstop—I decided to try it out. It's not like meditation has any weird side effects or causes injuries. It doesn't require any gear (like my failed cycling venture) or an expensive trainer. So why not give it a go?
Although I couldn't care less about being on-trend, meditation is having a moment. Katy Perry reportedly does a 20-minute session every morning ("the only time my mind gets absolute rest"). Hugh Jackman, who actually sits in stillness with his two children, has said that the ritual changed his life. Actress Jordana Brewster meditates on set. It's become a go-to stress reducer for powerhouses Arianna Huffington and Oprah Winfrey, both of whom have offered classes to their employees.
Meditation used to be viewed as a self-involved exercise done by, as devotee Russell Brand put it, "weird, old hippies." But that perception has vanished thanks to an avalanche of research on the ritual's benefits: It can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, slow Alzheimer's and curb tobacco cravings. One major review from Johns Hopkins University showed mindfulness meditation may be just as effective as antidepressants for treating anxiety symptoms.
I couldn't imagine finding the time to make meditation a daily thing—but, oddly enough, that's what happened.
OK, deep breath
Hindus have meditated for thousands of years. In fact, forms of the practice have been used in most of the world's major religions. It wasn't until Transcendental Meditation's popularity surged in the West in the '70s that scientists started paying attention to its array of health benefits. Known as TM, Transcendental Meditation involves closing your eyes and repeating a mantra to free the mind from conscious thought.
Another popular form of meditation, mindfulness, is also gaining steam among health experts. Doctors at prominent hospitals regularly recommend it for conditions like insomnia and irritable bowel syndrome. All you need to do is pay attention to your inner and outer experience in the present moment, without judgment. Like TM, it's shown to decrease stress within eight weeks. I decided to try it. But first, I consulted a few experts for guidance.
Ideally, you get mindful in a quiet spot—although it can be done while walking, sitting at your desk at work or even standing in a long line at the grocery store. It's more important to be away from engaging distractions, such as your computer, say experts, than it is for your space to be dead silent. "Close your eyes or not, however you feel most at ease," advises Sharon Salzberg, co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Mass. "Settle your attention on the feeling of the normal, natural breath, wherever it's most clear to you—the nostrils, chest or abdomen. See if you can feel one breath fully. Then the next breath." It's that simple.
I sat on my couch with my legs folded, closed my eyes and breathed. In. Out. Soon I felt calmer in my body, but my mind was buzzing with not-very-chill thoughts about a friend who never stops talking about her boyfriend. Perfectly normal, says Salzberg: "It's a common belief that to meditate successfully, you have to wipe all thoughts from your mind. That's unlikely to happen, and it's not the goal anyway."
When you find your mind wandering, the experts say to notice the thoughts, then just let them go. Gently bring your attention back to the present and your breathing. I started with 10 minutes, setting an alarm on my phone (soft church bells, in keeping with the mood). I had to refocus on breathing six or seven times; I guess that's why they call it a practice. At the end of my session, though, I felt like I had awoken from a refreshing nap. The point is not to go into a trancelike state or to be visited by wondrous, life-changing thoughts, but rather to enter a state of relaxed alertness.
"It's ideal to make meditation a daily part of your routine, even if you begin with 5 or 10 minutes," says Hugh Byrne, PhD, a senior teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C. He recommends working up to at least 30 minutes. That proved impossible for me, though it was amazing how much time I freed up when I didn't go online shoe shopping. Yes, I'm perpetually busy, but it's not like I'm the secretary of state.
Serenity now
By week three, I was able to get in the zone faster. I went on for 20 minutes, as does hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, author of the new book Success Through Stillness: Meditation Made Simple. "Starting off my day without meditation would be like going to work without brushing my teeth," he says.
While I'm not that committed, I have grown to love the refreshed and clear feeling that carries over throughout the day. I don't feel as overwhelmed. As many studies show, meditation elicits a physiological reaction that actually dampens your stress response (see This Is Your Body on Meditation, center). Now when I'm in a nerve-racking situation, I can notice it with a bit of detachment, which helps me take action.
I like to do 10 minutes before or after an event that makes me twitchy, like a dentist appointment or a conversation with my accountant. Training myself to refocus my thoughts on the right now has improved my concentration, as well. It's not that my stress has magically vanished; I still have little control over, for example, work dead-lines, the IRS or teeth cleanings. But I do have more of a handle on how I feel. Plus, if I ever run into Hugh Jackman at a party, we'll have some-thing to talk about.
This is Your Body on Meditation
Blood pressure drops
And the effect isn't just temporary: A long-term study from the Medical College of Wisconsin showed that people who meditated twice a day for 20 minutes lowered their blood pressure by 5mmHg.
Your brain releases happy chemicals
You get a boost of serotonin, dopamine and endorphins, all linked to a good mood.
Digestion runs more smoothly
Stress triggers that stomach-churning fight-or-flight instinct, shutting down digestion. Relaxed, the body reboots the parasympathetic nervous system, which gets digestion flowing.
Pain diminishes
The practice appears to change activity in key pain-processing regions of the brain—in one study, meditators experienced a 40 percent reduction in pain intensity.
Inflammation subsides
Meditation can reduce stress-induced inflammation, offering relief from inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and asthma.
March 14, 2014 at 01:14AM
Although I couldn't care less about being on-trend, meditation is having a moment. Katy Perry reportedly does a 20-minute session every morning ("the only time my mind gets absolute rest"). Hugh Jackman, who actually sits in stillness with his two children, has said that the ritual changed his life. Actress Jordana Brewster meditates on set. It's become a go-to stress reducer for powerhouses Arianna Huffington and Oprah Winfrey, both of whom have offered classes to their employees.
Meditation used to be viewed as a self-involved exercise done by, as devotee Russell Brand put it, "weird, old hippies." But that perception has vanished thanks to an avalanche of research on the ritual's benefits: It can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, slow Alzheimer's and curb tobacco cravings. One major review from Johns Hopkins University showed mindfulness meditation may be just as effective as antidepressants for treating anxiety symptoms.
I couldn't imagine finding the time to make meditation a daily thing—but, oddly enough, that's what happened.
OK, deep breath
Hindus have meditated for thousands of years. In fact, forms of the practice have been used in most of the world's major religions. It wasn't until Transcendental Meditation's popularity surged in the West in the '70s that scientists started paying attention to its array of health benefits. Known as TM, Transcendental Meditation involves closing your eyes and repeating a mantra to free the mind from conscious thought.
Another popular form of meditation, mindfulness, is also gaining steam among health experts. Doctors at prominent hospitals regularly recommend it for conditions like insomnia and irritable bowel syndrome. All you need to do is pay attention to your inner and outer experience in the present moment, without judgment. Like TM, it's shown to decrease stress within eight weeks. I decided to try it. But first, I consulted a few experts for guidance.
Ideally, you get mindful in a quiet spot—although it can be done while walking, sitting at your desk at work or even standing in a long line at the grocery store. It's more important to be away from engaging distractions, such as your computer, say experts, than it is for your space to be dead silent. "Close your eyes or not, however you feel most at ease," advises Sharon Salzberg, co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Mass. "Settle your attention on the feeling of the normal, natural breath, wherever it's most clear to you—the nostrils, chest or abdomen. See if you can feel one breath fully. Then the next breath." It's that simple.
I sat on my couch with my legs folded, closed my eyes and breathed. In. Out. Soon I felt calmer in my body, but my mind was buzzing with not-very-chill thoughts about a friend who never stops talking about her boyfriend. Perfectly normal, says Salzberg: "It's a common belief that to meditate successfully, you have to wipe all thoughts from your mind. That's unlikely to happen, and it's not the goal anyway."
When you find your mind wandering, the experts say to notice the thoughts, then just let them go. Gently bring your attention back to the present and your breathing. I started with 10 minutes, setting an alarm on my phone (soft church bells, in keeping with the mood). I had to refocus on breathing six or seven times; I guess that's why they call it a practice. At the end of my session, though, I felt like I had awoken from a refreshing nap. The point is not to go into a trancelike state or to be visited by wondrous, life-changing thoughts, but rather to enter a state of relaxed alertness.
"It's ideal to make meditation a daily part of your routine, even if you begin with 5 or 10 minutes," says Hugh Byrne, PhD, a senior teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C. He recommends working up to at least 30 minutes. That proved impossible for me, though it was amazing how much time I freed up when I didn't go online shoe shopping. Yes, I'm perpetually busy, but it's not like I'm the secretary of state.
Serenity now
By week three, I was able to get in the zone faster. I went on for 20 minutes, as does hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, author of the new book Success Through Stillness: Meditation Made Simple. "Starting off my day without meditation would be like going to work without brushing my teeth," he says.
While I'm not that committed, I have grown to love the refreshed and clear feeling that carries over throughout the day. I don't feel as overwhelmed. As many studies show, meditation elicits a physiological reaction that actually dampens your stress response (see This Is Your Body on Meditation, center). Now when I'm in a nerve-racking situation, I can notice it with a bit of detachment, which helps me take action.
I like to do 10 minutes before or after an event that makes me twitchy, like a dentist appointment or a conversation with my accountant. Training myself to refocus my thoughts on the right now has improved my concentration, as well. It's not that my stress has magically vanished; I still have little control over, for example, work dead-lines, the IRS or teeth cleanings. But I do have more of a handle on how I feel. Plus, if I ever run into Hugh Jackman at a party, we'll have some-thing to talk about.
This is Your Body on Meditation
Blood pressure drops
And the effect isn't just temporary: A long-term study from the Medical College of Wisconsin showed that people who meditated twice a day for 20 minutes lowered their blood pressure by 5mmHg.
Your brain releases happy chemicals
You get a boost of serotonin, dopamine and endorphins, all linked to a good mood.
Digestion runs more smoothly
Stress triggers that stomach-churning fight-or-flight instinct, shutting down digestion. Relaxed, the body reboots the parasympathetic nervous system, which gets digestion flowing.
Pain diminishes
The practice appears to change activity in key pain-processing regions of the brain—in one study, meditators experienced a 40 percent reduction in pain intensity.
Inflammation subsides
Meditation can reduce stress-induced inflammation, offering relief from inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and asthma.
March 14, 2014 at 01:14AM
Pamper Yourself! 8 Natural Stress Relievers | Health and Burn Weight
Stressed? Whether it's a crazy deadline, cranky boss, or mind-numbing commute, these remedies can help March 07, 2014 at 02:14AM
Feliratkozás:
Bejegyzések (Atom)