In my previous blog, I highlighted how acupuncture is so powerful to reduce effects of stress on the mind-body. Here I want to give you even more guidelines for crafting your healthy lifestyle and fortify yourself against the barrage of the outer world and all the stress it throws at us.
Which of these have you adopted, and which are new to you? Can you identify little tweaks in your daily routine to increase wellbeing?
Dietary Hacks
- Eat protein at breakfast and fat and /or protein with a higher carb meal.
- Avoid excess sugar especially refined sugar. This can upset your body’s blood sugar regulation. According to Dr Datis Karazian – Managing low blood sugar balance is foundational to improving your brain and hormone health.
- Caffeine can often cause blood sugar dysregulation.
- If you know a certain food causes symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating, constipation, hives, or agitation, these create inflammatory responses that tax the body. Do your best to avoid them, even if small quantities don’t cause the symptom, they’re still creating inflammation.
- Everything you consume is a part of your diet – so turn off the news! Stop hanging around negative people.
Mindfulness Practice
There’s so much talk and research around mindfulness – many companies are incorporating offerings for their employees and there’s a number of apps full of meditation timers and guided meditations. The methods vary, from simply paying very close attention to the present moment in every day activities, to listening to a guided meditation, to sitting in close-eyed silent meditation. I recommend reading Bliss More by Light Watkins to learn more about what mediation does for you that’s easy to understand.
Physical Activity that’s Enjoyable
If you like running – power to you. It is very stress-relieving for many people. Maybe for you it’s tennis, or weight lifting, or dancing. Other powerful stress relieving movement therapies include qi gong, tai chi, and yoga. The key: move that body to release tension and deepen breathing.
community is a human need
We are social creatures. Don’t isolate to the point of loneliness. We need each other. Find people you can relate to and figure out how to connect.
Nature Soothes the nerves
Please please make time to be with green things outside!!! There’s tons of research about this, and such a thing as Nature Deficit Disorder. It’s real folks. Aim for at least 1 hour outdoors every day.
What Does having balanced hormones feel like?
The ultimate goal of pursuing health is to become more adaptable. When we adapt we thrive!
Additional resources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S138994571730093X
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5981243/
