The Healthy Bride

If anyone has ever calculated her BMI, which only takes into account one’s height and weight, it may have been frustrating that the BMI ignores gender and muscle mass. These factors make a huge difference in a person’s perceived health. I’m sure we’ve all seen some female trainers at the gym who look rather thick because they are SOLID MUSCLE! If we look at these women’s BMIs, they may border on the obese categorization, which is ridiculous.

Review this article about the Waist to Height Ratio. This hopefully will replace the BMI, as it more accurately calculates a person’s health. Apparently the most dangerous area to carry one’s weight is in the waist, which is why this measurement is more useful. This is unfortunate for those of us who happen to gain weight first in the waist region (“No I’m not pregnant; I just look like it when I gain weight!”). There is some wiggle room, though. There are more categorizations, such as basically 3 ranges of healthy weights, one for underweight, and 3 ranges for overweight. This at least feels better to look at than the BMI chart, in which one is either healthy or one of 3 labels for overweight.

The World Laughs with You
by LiveScience

Just as watching someone yawn can induce the behavior in yourself, recent evidence suggests that laughter is a social cue for mimicry. Hearing a laugh actually stimulates the brain region associated with facial movements. Mimicry plays an important role in social interaction. Cues like sneezing, laughing, crying and yawning may be ways of creating strong social bonds within a group.

Check out the other 9 Things you didn’t know about you.

It’s April Fool’s Day but studies are finding that there’s no fooling when it comes to the importance of a good night’s sleep. It is now even being related to weight loss as researchers discover that sleep deprivation affects your metabolic rate and the release of hormones found to control appetite. While we don’t think of nourishing ourselves to sleep — there is a close relationship between how well we nourish our bodies when we are awake and how well we sleep.

by George Mateljan

Here’s what we’ve found about How Foods Affect Our Sleep

There’s no doubt that there are many of us in the United States that have trouble getting a good night’s sleep. The statistics here are striking. 42% of all healthy, middle-aged women report some kind of sleep trouble, including difficulty falling asleep, awaking during the night, or not feeling refreshed in the morning. For women 65 years and older, this percentage drops slightly to 30%, but the impact on other health problems may in fact increase. Even in younger age brackets, sleep problems are significant. Almost 17% of all 21-30 year olds report insomnia in research studies.

Sleep is a “Mind-Body” Experience

There’s also no doubt that from a physiological standpoint, sleep is a complicated event and one that’s related to many factors that cut across the “mind-body” spectrum. When we can’t get to sleep because we’re worried and feeling anxious, or depressed and feeling down, or confused and can’t figure something out, we obviously aren’t going to get to the root of our sleep trouble until we’re able to work through the parts of our lives that we’re feeling anxious or depressed about. At the same time, however, our nutritional status and the food we eat always influence our sleep. While we can’t afford to overlook the psychological aspects, we also need to pay attention to the way we eat.

Patterns and Timing Make a Difference

We’ve all heard the advice, “don’t eat a big meal too close to bedtime.” Although this advice sounds simple, it’s actually very important and not that easy to follow. On our World’s Healthiest Foods website, we’ve tried to emphasize the sheer joy of eating healthy food. Getting to savor the aroma, and taste, and visual beauty of food is a part of what it means to be healthy. Many of us eat a meal late at night – within 2 hours of bedtime – precisely because we haven’t made time during the day to enjoy food. In fact, we let ourselves get so hungry that we don’t really care any more about the joy of eating. We just want something in our stomach! Research shows that the timing and size of our evening meal is closely related to the timing and size of our other meals throughout the day. When we have a cup of coffee in the car on the way to work, grab a sandwich for lunch or take care of all the household chores before getting around to dinner, we are setting ourselves up for a bad night’s sleep.

Sometimes we rationalize and think that a big meal will actually help us get to sleep by exhausting our body and having it slow down from exhaustion as it tries to digest the large meal. It’s tempting logic, but research evidence points in the opposite direction. A large meal does the opposite of slowing our body down. It asks our circulatory system to move more blood to our digestive tract. It asks our stomach to secrete more gastric acid. It asks our pancreas to become more active and produce digestive enzymes. It asks the smooth muscles around our intestines to become active. In short, a large meal does anything but relax us. In addition, our digestive tracts are set up to work best when we are standing; lying down results in gravity pulling the “wrong way” to help food digest. Even though the practice of napping after a meal is common, it isn’t ideal from the standpoint of digestion. Sitting and resting are fine. For example, enjoying each other’s company around the table after a delicious meal is a good idea. But lying down to sleep just doesn’t help digestion.

It’s also worth thinking about the physiological purpose of eating in regard to late-night meals. Nutrients and energy get released from food after we eat, not before. They help increase our vitality hours after the meal has been eaten; they cannot go back and compensate for a prior day’s worth of activity that received no nutritional support. The time to have our largest meal is always before we need the most nutritional support, i.e., before we have the most physically demanding part of our day. Sleep is the least physically demanding part of the day, and the least logical target for release of food energy and nutrients. We tell ourselves we’ve had a hard day, and we’re starved, but at this point, it’s too late to repair the nutritional damage. We need the nourishment before the hard day, and hopefully it will make the day less difficult!

We should also mention the problem of going to bed actually hungry; this other extreme also interferes with sleep, usually by failing to keep the brain supplied with enough glucose (sugar). A small snack in the hour before bed is usually not problematic if you are truly hungry, but the ideal solution is to time your last meal so that you donâ€^(TM) feel hungry during the 1-2 hours before bed.

Food Stimulants

Some components of food, such as caffeine, artificially wake us up, so it makes no sense to have stimulant-containing foods before bed. Unfortunately, this applies not only to caffeinated coffee, but to all caffeine-containing foods, and to theophylline-containing foods (like black tea) as well. Chocolate and many soft drinks (including diet soft drinks) have substantial amounts of caffeine. An ounce of chocolate can contain from 10-60 milligrams of caffeine, and a soft drink will usually fall into this same range. Brewed coffee can have over 100 milligrams per cup, depending on the grind and brewing time. Eliminating these foods from your evening meal routine is recommended for improved sleep.

Although alcohol acts in the opposite way – as a depressant that slows down our nervous system activity – it has also been shown to interfere with the quality of sleep.

Serotonin, Food and Sleep

The hormone serotonin is an important factor in triggering sleep. Since our nerve cells use the amino acid tryptophan to make serotonin, much attention has been given to the role of tryptophan (and tryptophan-containing foods) in promoting sleep. First, we don’t recommend increased intake of high-tryptophan foods as a way of improving your sleep. Second, studies of tryptophan’s impact on sleep have found that it is only one phase of sleep — the falling asleep part — that is enhanced by tryptophan. Other aspects of sleep, such as the amount of deep-sleep reached during the night, are actually harmed by supplemental tryptophan.

Researchers typically divide sleep into two basic types, REM and non-REM. REM stands for rapid eye movement, and it’s the phase of sleep that corresponds to dream sleep. Non-EM sleep has four stages, and we typically move through these four stages into REM in about 90 minutes. This 90-minute period is called the sleep cycle. In healthy sleep, we experience 5 or more sleep cycles per night, and the length of the REM phase increases as we move from one cycle to the next. Supplemental tryptophan gets us into the non-REM stages of sleep more quickly, and in this respect can be helpful with insomnia. At the same time, however, tryptophan has been shown to increase non-REM sleep and decrease REM sleep — a non-desirable outcome in most situations.

Many animal foods are relatively high in tryptophan and might sound like logical candidates for improving sleep because their tryptophan could be used to produce serotonin. However, these same animal foods are also fairly high in other amino acids (like tyrosine) that could be used to produce other regulatory substances (like adrenalin) that would usually decrease with the onset of sleep. In summary, we don’t recommend trying to up your serotonin by increasing your evening intake of high-tryptophan foods as a way to improve your sleep.

Our serotonin levels respond to other aspects of our diet, however, and one of those aspects is carbohydrate intake. Eating foods higher in carbohydrates raises our blood insulin level. This is because carbohydrates are digested relatively quickly and raise our blood sugar level more quickly than proteins or fats. Along with this increased insulin level there is an increased transport of amino acids into our brain, including tryptophan. More brain tryptophan leads to more brain production of serotonin and increased likelihood of sleep onset.

This line of thinking has been explored by researchers Richard and Judy Wurtman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, particularly with respect to carbohydrate-craving during depression. With respect to sleep, our conclusion would be: if you’re going to eat a snack 1-2 hours before bed, a small carbohydrate-based snack that includes some protein and some fat would make the most sense. This snack could be a slice of whole grain bread with a little almond butter, or a 1/2-serving of our website Perfect Oatmeal.

Food, Sleep and Exercise

In many studies, and in our own practical experience, being physically tired from a healthy day’s activity — including morning, mid-day, or early evening exercise — is one of the best promoters of a good night’s sleep. We can be mentally exhausted from the day, but if our body is not physically tired as well, it may not feel ready for a night’s rest. Exercise helps regulate our appetite just as much as it helps regulate our sleep. When we’re active, moving and placing physical demands on our body, it gives our body a healthy context for deciding when food is needed and when it is not. Even if it’s simply a twenty-minute walk, coordinating our meal plan with an exercise plan is a huge plus when it comes to sleep. Food, sleep and exercise are three components of our life that are meant to work together. Replacing your lunch hour with an exercise hour does not make sense, any more than skipping a walk to provide a more leisurely dinner. For healthy sleep, we need to plan our day so that both components get included.

Overall Nutrient Supplies and Sleep

The complex nature of sleep means that all nutrients — including amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals — are needed in optimal amounts to support the sleep process. Some of our most important immune system functions occur only during sleep, as well as some of our most important “antioxidant balancing” activities. On this website, we list literally dozens of food components that act as antioxidants, and we explain how specific vitamins and minerals support immune function. Sleep requires many nutrients to support a very complex process so the World’s Healthiest Foods strategy of enjoying nutrient-dense foods will also help you get a better night’s sleep. It will also allow you to relax and enjoy the pleasure of real food.

Note: (For additional information on sleep, you may want to visit the following websites: www.sleepnet.com, www.sleepohio.com)

Practical Tip:

What should I eat to help me sleep?

Not too much! It is important that your body be able to focus on rest and repair while you sleep, rather than on digestion. It is more important to gear your evening meal towards relaxation and good digestion than to consume any particular food or drink before bed. Try some of our delicious, easy to prepare recipes, for a healthy promoting evening meal. Your evening meal should:

• emphasize low-to-medium glycemic index carbohydrates, such as whole-grain breads, rice, or pasta, yams, a mixed green salad, or lightly sauteed vegetables
• include a small portion of a healthy fat-containing food, such as olive oil, avocado, or nuts or seeds or their oils or butters
• include herb tea (especially chamomile or peppermint) or other non-stimulating water-based beverage
• include only fresh, dried, or cooked fruit for dessert, if dessert is desired.

Your evening meal should be eaten about 4 hours before bedtime so that the main digestive effort is finished, but the energy from these foods can be released gradually throughout the night. If it is necessary for you to eat a snack at bedtime, choose one or two of the following:

• small cup of herb tea or warm milk (soy, nut, or dairy) — not so much that you must wake up to use the restroom in the middle of the night
• small serving of fresh or dried fruit
• small handful of raw nuts or seeds

References

• Breslau N, Roth T, Rosenthal L, Andreski P. Sleep disturbance and psychiatric disorders: a longitudinal epidemiological study of young adults. Biol Psychiatry 1996;39:411-8.
• Hayes MJ, Parker KG, Sallinen B, Davare AA. Bedsharing, temperament, and sleep disturbance in early childhood. Sleep 2001;24:657-62. Moldofsky H. (1995). Sleep and the immune system. Int J Immunopharmacol 17(8):649-654.
• Newman AB, Enright PL, Manolio TA, Haponik EF, Wahl PW. Sleep disturbance, psychosocial correlates, and cardiovascular disease in 5201 older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study. J Am Geriatr Soc 1997;45:1-7. Owens JF, Matthews KA. Sleep disturbance in healthy middle-aged women. Maturitas 1998;30:41-50.
• Reynolds CF 3rd. The implications of sleep disturbance epidemiology. JAMA 1989;262:1514.
• Wetter DW, Young TB. The relation between cigarette smoking and sleep disturbance. Prev Med 1994;23:328-34.
• Wurtman RJ, Wurtman JJ. Brain Serotonin, Carbohydrate-craving, obesity and depression. Adv Exp Med Biol 1996;398:35-41.

Valentine’s Day was created with brides (and grooms!) in mind. It’s the holiday for lovers and encourages lots of celebration.  Maybe you went for it yesterday! So, now how do you survive today? The morning after?

Did you overindulge yesterday? Eat the whole box of chocolates in one sitting? Drink the entire bottle of wine
and then order more?  I hope you had a great celebration with the one you love, but if you feel bad today,
here are a few tips to help you get back to healthy.

1.  Start with water, but go carefully.  If you drink too much at one time, it might upset your stomach.

2.  Coffee. One of the wonders of life. It’s a stimulant and will help you get going.

3.  Dry toast. Your tummy is probably somewhat upset.  Dry toast should help get it settled.

4.  Aspirin or ibuprofen.  Will help with the pain

5.  Eat light. After the toast has settled, you might want to try a couple of eggs with a little fat.  Don’t get carried away on the fat. A big, rich, buffet breakfast is not the way to go.
6.  Go for a walk. Fresh air and light exercise will help move the toxins out of your system.

7.  Take a cool shower. A hot shower might overheat you and won’t help you feel better, so go for a cool shower.

8.  Still feeling poorly? Take a nap. Sleep is an amazing healer.

Over the years I have heard from many brides that their fiancé’s are often very resistant when it comes to jumping on the fitness and healthy eating bandwagon.  It seems that many grooms-to-be are fond of fast food and old habits and are not motivated to drop them for a healthier lifestyle.

It can be hard for a bride to make healthy changes when her Mr. love-of-your-life is not on board.  What can you do?  Perhaps remind him that now is the time to make healthy changes while you are starting a new life together.  By starting now, your newly married life begins with all things healthy.

Below is an article 11 things a man should eat every day – read on for advice for a healthier hubby.

From Oprah.com: Typically, men think about their health at one time — during a crisis. But the problem with that wait-and-treat approach is that men are constantly responding to health emergencies rather than preventing them.

So what’s the prescription for better men’s health? Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen say there are 11 things a man should eat every day –or nearly every day –to keep things running smoothly.

1. Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals that will keep your body healthy. Foods rich in magnesium like beets, raisins, dates and soybeans are especially important because they’ll keep your bowels moving regularly. Dr. Roizen says a man should eat about five handfuls of fruits and vegetables a day.

2. A man should shoot to get about 25 grams of fiber in his diet every day. You can reach this goal through foods like artichokes, lima beans, soybeans, grapefruit, certain berries and whole grains.

Dr. Oz says that eating whole grains isn’t just the latest craze — they offer multiple benefits to health, including achieving proper poop. But first you need to read the label. When you’re buying bread, make sure it says “100 percent whole grain” or “100 percent whole wheat.” If the label says something else –like “7-grain” or “multigrain” — it may not be whole grain.

One of Oprah’s favorite whole grain choices is steel cut oatmeal for its crunchy texture. To reach your goal for fiber, the USDA recommends eating at least three servings of whole grains a day.

3. Dr. Oz says you can significantly reduce your chances of getting cancer by eating foods rich in folate — you should get about 800 milligrams a day. If you don’t take it as a supplement, you can find folate in orange juice, spinach and other leafy green vegetables.

“Folate decreases arterial aging, decreases blood pressure and decreases cancer rate,” Dr. Roizen says. On labels, look for the words “folate” or “folic,” he says.

4. As well as being good for the heart, tomatoes decrease risk of arterial aging, heart disease, stroke, memory loss, impotence and wrinkling of the skin, Dr. Roizen says. And tomato-based products contain lycopene, which has been shown to fight cancer.

But to really reap the benefits, you can’t just put a few slices of an heirloom tomato in your salad. The best way to get the positive effects is by eating 10 tablespoons of tomato sauce a week. “It takes 165 raw tomatoes to equal 10 tablespoons of tomato sauce,” Dr. Roizen says. “So it’s much easier to have tomato sauce.”

Dr. Roizen adds that it doesn’t matter what kind of tomato sauce you have, “as long as it’s cooked, and you eat it with a little olive oil and a little healthy fat because it’s much better absorbed with it.”

5. Dr. Roizen says walnuts and almonds are excellent for health. And not only are walnuts and hazelnuts excellent sources of heart-healthy omega-3s, but if you eat nuts before sugars (in dishes like pasta or corn on the cob), the fat in the nuts will slow your stomach and help your body most effectively process that sugar. One thing to remember is to keep nuts refrigerated so they don’t oxidize.

6. If there’s a true magic pill, Dr. Oz says it could be baby aspirin. “It’s cheap and easy to take aspirin,” he says. “Aspirin has many, many helping elements. It helps your skin, it helps about anything you can imagine. It has some potential risks if people have sensitive stomachs. But for cancer, you’ve got to be on it.”

A man over 35 should take two baby aspirin –or 162.5 milligrams –every day. It can reduce his rise of arterial aging by 36 percent.

7. In recent years, there has been a lot of conflicting information about eating fish. On the one hand, fish is consistently regarded as a terrific source of low-fat protein. On the other hand, there are persistent concerns about mercury and other environmental impurities.

Dr. Roizen says you just have to remember a few great fish — tilapia, salmon, flounder, cod and mahi-mahi –especially if they are wild caught. And not only is salmon a great source of protein, it has the added health bonus of being full of omega-3s, which are important for a healthy heart. According to Dr. Roizen, you should eat a serving of these fish three times a week.

8. Dr. Roizen says that it is important to drink eight glasses — or about 64 ounces — of fluid every day. “It helps move the poop and gives you better hydration. It actually cuts down on wrinkles, too, because you hydrate your skin when you take it internally.”

9. “Red wine has a chemical in it called rezveritrol, which is a very strong antioxidant that’s also been shown to be heart-healthy,” Dr. Oz says.

Why red and not white? “Red wine has the material from the skins of the grapes [which provides the rezveritrol]. The white wine has that skin stripped away. So if you’re going to drink wine and you’re going to take the hit on calories, drink red wine.”

10. Men will stand up and cheer for this next Dr. Oz tidbit –coffee is actually good for you in reasonable amounts.

Coffee actually has been shown to reduce liver cancer and to be effective with — or with symptoms of — Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, Dr. Oz says. “So there are a bunch of different places where coffee can play a role. The reason it got a bad name is because it does have side effects, for example, migraine headaches and heart palpitations. But if you’re not having them, coffee is reasonable.”

Did we mention, it’s good for those bowel movements, too? Dr. Oz suggests 24 ounces of coffee a day is a rational amount for one person.

11. The calcium in milk is obviously good for bones — any man with a mother has heard that one. But the other important ingredient is vitamin D, which is a cancer-fighting agent. While your body can actually get this vital nutrient from the sun, if you live north of Los Angeles or Atlanta, you won’t get enough vitamin D in winter and you’ll need to supplement it. A glass of milk or fortified orange juice a day should do the trick.

Some brides have a hard time getting started on their bridal fitness and weight loss programs.  There is really no better time in life to start down a path to fitness and health than now.  It’s a happy time, you are in transition, and you’re deciding who you will be as a married woman and couple.  Health is a gift, one both you and your fiance can decide to give each other – from this day forward.

Below are 12 steps to move you toward building a healthy lifestyle for the long term.

Step 1 – Admit you are powerless over your resistance to exercise – that your life is badly in need of a fitness make-over.

Step 2 – Come to believe that a power greater than your own “willpower” can restore you to activity.

Step 3 – Made a decision to turn your “willpower” over to the care of a well organized, balanced, realistic workout schedule.

Step 4 – Make a searching and fearless inventory of your obstacles, objections and resistances to exercise.

Step 5 – You are entirely ready to rely on the plan you have outlined that addresses and overcomes the issues you listed in step number 4.

Step 6 - Admit to yourself and to another human being that healthy eating and exercise is your path to a healthier future.

Step 7 – You have humbly resolved to start slow and build on your successes and you vow to believe that some activity is always better than none.

Step 8 – Make a list of all the diets and workout programs that have not worked for you over the long term, and vow not to go back to them.

Step 9 – Make a direct admission that diets do not work, and you will therefore embark upon a program of eating that includes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean meats and you will eat in amounts that support your best health.

Step 10 – Continue to take personal inventory of your activity and eating programs and promptly correct what you find out of balance with your health goals.

Step 11 – Seek through planning, scheduling, support and forgiveness to improve your health through knowledge, awareness and the power to carry out your plan.

Step 12 – Having a healthy awakening as the result of these steps, you will carry this message to others offering your support and encouragement for their success.

If you need help organizing your 12 steps to bridal fitness bliss, give us a call, or send us an email. We are happy to help out!  It’s not too late to join our bridal bootcamp classes or our free 2010 Healthy Bride challenge.

Winter solstice,  Hanukkah, St Nicholas, Kwanzaa, Christmas and a whole list of additional reasons for gift giving, celebrating and eating lots of food are on the way.

Change your gift exchange moment into a Healthy Bride moment.  Below are our top  gifts for The Healthy Bride this season.

1.  Private Yoga sessions Learn how to do yoga in the privacy of your own home.  What I love about this is that you can have the yoga instructor set up a program for you that you can do every day.  Simple, convenient, and something that will stay with you as long as you wish!  Try Sound Yoga or Organic Movements $90 per session

2.  Waterproof cover for your ipod. Swimming is one of my favorite exercises, and I have just been re-invigorated by plugging into my mp3 player while I swim.  It adds a whole new entertainment level to swimming laps.  I have music and also a book loaded.  I can’t wait to get back into the pool!
From $50 and up (depending upon your ipod) on Amazon

3.  One year gym membership to the gym that makes you feel GREAT!  Not all gyms are alike, and some are DEFINITELY nicer than others.  This year you are a bride and you should splurge on the gym that is convenient to your work or home, has a nice locker room, a pool if you swim, a sauna, a steam room and great classes!  Go for it! $400-$1000

4.  Really cute weights for your home workout. I found some I really like at Target!  They have colors, are a funky shape and look pretty.  They will make you want to workout out those bridal arms!  Check them out, they are called “Savasa Hand Weight Set” $14-$25

5.  A few nice workout outfits. Choose one for inclement weather, the other just to feel hot. For your outdoor workout outfit try REI or Patagonia.  They have lots of options and the staff can help you figure out the perfect layering system for the activity you are going to do (x-c skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, etc).  The second outfit is all about fashion, feeling good and turning heads.  Try lululemon or lucy
Expect to spend about $100-$200 per outfit

6. Shoes. Workout shoes.  Get good ones, that match your activity.  Proper shoes help keep your knees, joints and feet happy.  I love Seattle Running Company.  Shoes will run you about $100

7. Garmin Forerunner. This is on my own wish list.  I don’t know why I don’t have one yet.  There is a 205 and a 305.  The 305 has a heart rate monitor and both track your distance, pace, route, and more.  You can get the 205 for about $125 and the 305 for around $150.  REI carries them.  Super cool!

8. Music. You need great music for your ipod or mp3.  A great gift is to give a bride a playlist of great workout music. It’s only $1 per song!

9.  Post Workout body lotion. This is an essential item in your workout bag.  If you are taking more than one shower per day (and you will be when you are working out every day) you need good lotion to keep your skin feeling great.  I love the products by Sister Creations another company with nice, organic products in the local area is Lilie De Vallee.  Creamy!   $20-$80

10. Workout Hat and Gloves. These are staples in my workout bag.  I have multiple hats and gloves and all have a special use for my varied activities.  I do lose gloves more often than I like to admit…..but I find buying them fun and I like lots of different patterns and colors.  REI, Seattle Running Co,  and every Holiday Craft Sale in town! $20

11.  YouBar. “With These Nutrition Bars, Every Order Is Special” You can design your own workout bars!  Choose from a list of ingredients you like – and are good for you. They even allow you to customize the label. $39 for a case.

12.  Healthy Bride Bootcamp Workout Class. The classes are fun, you meet great women, and you get a great workout.  Sorry for the self promotion, but I really believe these classes are special. 8 weeks for $175

Have a great healthy holiday!

Not sure you read USA Today, this morning, but there is an article about the high level of children’s stress.  Now, brides are not children, but the adults in the survey also reported feeling stressed.    There is really no time that is happier and more stressful all rolled into one big happy event than a wedding.  The economy is definitely adding to the stress level of the average American, and adding the cost of a wedding to an already shaky economy is enough to elevate anyone’s stress level from average to high.

So what’s a bride to do?

The best advice is to find a way to manage the stress.  Catching the level as it rises is much better than letting it go to the explosion level.

Exercise is (of course) our #1 recommendation for stress management.  Regular exercise can be a major stress reduction strategy.

The American Psychological Association just released their “”Stress In America 2009” report.  They surveyed 1568 adults in July and August 2009.

Their findings:

This year, 49% of respondents reported turning to tunes when worried; 44% said they exercise. Reading helps calm 41% of respondents, while watching television or a movie and social interaction help ease the stress of 36% of those surveyed.

Despite the prevalence of sedentary activity, a bright spot is that the report found that Americans are looking less to smoking and alcohol use than they did a year ago. In 2008, 18% of respondents said they smoked or drank to reduce stress. This year, that number shrank to 14%. The number of Americans–4%–who said they gamble away their worries was the same this year as it was in 2008.

Though 42% of Americans this year say their stress is rising, compared with 47% in 2008–nearly a quarter of respondents say they experienced high levels of stress in the last year. (This is measured by an eight, nine or 10 on a 10-point scale.) Irritability or anger, fatigue and lack of interest or motivation top the list of symptoms.

Such high stress levels can result in conditions such as high arrhythmia of the heart and hardening of the arteries, says Dr. Joseph W. Stubbs, president of the of Physicians and an internist in Albany, Ga. Stress also increases adrenaline, which increases the heart rate, potentially leading to high blood pressure. The number of migraine headaches may also increase for sufferers.

The Cost of Stress
The workplace also suffers in absenteeism and lost worker productivity. A study conducted last year by the Emory Institute for Advanced Policy Solutions found that firms that focus on improving employee health through worksite health promotion programs showed that the savings are greater than the cost. The study reported that program, for example, reduced health risks such as high cholesterol levels, smoking and high blood pressure, and saved the company up to $8.8 million annually.

“We found that the design of some of these programs have been found not only to reduce medical costs, but more immediately increase productivity,” says Ken Thorpe, professor of health policy at Emory University. We know the designs of these programs can produce return on investment of up to five to one.”

Such programs may help Americans deal with health-related stress issues, but with unemployment at a 26-year high of 9.8% and expected to grow by year’s end, it’s not likely that Americans’ stressors will soon abate. Still, there are ways to cope.

Those dealing with job-related stress should maintain healthy habits, even if the amount of time available to devote to them has lessened. This includes setting aside time for daily exercise and relaxation techniques. Taking attention away from work by socializing with friends also may also help relieve anxiety.

It may seem counter-intuitive in uncertain economic times defined by the constant threat of unemployment, but taking a vacation could help alleviate job worries. Removing yourself from daily demands and changing your environment allows you to recharge so you’re better able to perform in the office.

If getting away isn’t an option, Stubbs recommends lifestyle changes such as getting a good night’s rest, eating well and exercising. He also suggests cognitive behavioral therapy, and in some cases, medication.

The experts have spoken.  Make your plan for how you will manage your stress….from this day forward.

We all know that Halloween kicks off the holiday season.  Now is the time to start making plans for how you will stay “on the bridal fitness wagon” and not fall off this fall!

I have a few tricks that might help, as well as a few treats to give you the rewards you deserve for doing such a great job!

Trick #1 Make a plan for what you will do from now to the end of the year. Be specific “I will workout 3 days per week, two days cardio and one day weights” or “I will do 2 circuit workouts and one long cardio workout per week”.  Put the schedule in your calendar and make it a “true” appointment.  Try to add in the days you will be away for the holidays, bring a jump rope or a band so you can do some workouts even when you are on the road.

Trick #2 Find a bridal workout buddy and share your goals with her (or him).  Choose your fiance, maid of honor, bridesmaid or your mom.  Having someone on the same schedule that you are on is a great idea. Supporting each other, and helping each other stay accountable makes a huge difference! This also allows you to have someone to share your successes!

Trick #3 Don’t strive for perfection.  If you eat some Halloween candy and feel guilty, don’t give up!  Just be sure you do your workouts, and don’t worry too much!  One day or one deviation does not a goal make or break.

Trick #4 Be sure to include veggies in your meals.  They are full of fiber, are healthy and will keep you feeling full.  Make sure your meals and snacks all include fat, fiber, and protein for the best balance of nutrients and you will feel full longer.  Also remember, to EAT BREAKFAST every day.

Trick #5 Drink plenty of water.  When you think you are hungry, start with water – you might just be thristy.  In the winter a nice cup of herb tea is a great option too!
TREATS
Treat #1 As you set out your weekly plans for the holiday season, be sure you schedule a few fun activities along the way (go ice skating, snowshoeing, skiing or a weekend get away by the fireplace in a cozy lodge). This will help you fend off the stress of the season, which is often enhanced with the added stress of planning your wedding.

Treat #2 Make yourself “do it anyway” you will feel SOOO good about yourself.  Something is always better than nothing, so even 20 minutes is a good idea.  Set up milestones for you and your workout buddy to meet and when you achieve them, celebrate with a new book, a magazine, or a mani/pedi.

Treat #3 Get enough sleep.  Maybe set it as a goal.  We think better, feel better, and get better workouts when we are rested.  It’s really a treat!

Treat #4 Don’t forget to include goals for your emotional health.  Set aside some time to nurture yourself, whether that means painting, listening to music, calling your mom, taking a hot bath, whatever you need
to feel good about your self – on the inside.

Treat #5 When January rolls around you will be SOOO happy you set up some goals to guide you through the holidays.  You will avoid the Holiday 1 pound gain that most American’s experience, and can just roll into the new year feeling good, successful and celebrate your victories from 2009!