16 Ways to De-Stress (the article is available online it its entirety) - There are lots of little things one can do without a lot of effort to help stay calm and centered. There are so many studies that relate stress to sickness and aging, it seems like taking the time to destress is an awesome thing to do for one's health.
"The Influencers" - This article asks 6 important people in Hollywood to share their health/beauty advice. What stuck with me:
Tracy Anderson, fitness guru, says the transformation of a woman's body begins with these principles: 1) Consistency, "You have to exercise five to six days a week;" 2) Nutrition, "I believe that you should get your nutrition from many different sources and food groups. And I do not believe in extreme dieting;" 3) Music, "When you want to see physical changes, you need to move to music" (I agree!); 4) Variety, "I never do any [specific sequence of workout moves] for more than ten days. It takes ten days to wake up the weaker muscles and create a change in them. But then they don't want to change any more without creating bulk;" 5) Pleasure, "You're not going to enjoy [my workouts] in the beginning. But start by being proud of each step. And then, all of a sudden, you're going to really enjoy seeing the results."
Alejandro Junger, who is known as a cleanse master, gives some tips on "Willpower." While I'm not sure that cleanses are particularly healthy, or that good for you in the long run, he does give good advice about hydration, "If you are not peeing every hour, then you are not drinking enough water."
Finally, in the section "Mood News," I found this little blurb on "Controlling Cravings:"
"A simple mental trick can diminish the intensity of cravings, according to Bärbel Knäuper, a psychologist at McGill University in Montreal. Knäuper enrolled study participants who often had food cravings. For four days, they tried to counter these urges in various ways, including reciting the alphabet backward as a distraction and reminding themselves to resist. Only one group significantly reduced the intensity of their cravings: those who imagined, in great sensory detail, doing a favorite activity unrelated to eating. The vividness of the imagined pleasurable activity dulls the craving, Knäuper says. Further research will need to assess the visualization's long-term effect on deterring indulgence."
I love having more tips to add to my mental store of healthy living tools!
"A simple mental trick can diminish the intensity of cravings, according to Bärbel Knäuper, a psychologist at McGill University in Montreal. Knäuper enrolled study participants who often had food cravings. For four days, they tried to counter these urges in various ways, including reciting the alphabet backward as a distraction and reminding themselves to resist. Only one group significantly reduced the intensity of their cravings: those who imagined, in great sensory detail, doing a favorite activity unrelated to eating. The vividness of the imagined pleasurable activity dulls the craving, Knäuper says. Further research will need to assess the visualization's long-term effect on deterring indulgence."
I love having more tips to add to my mental store of healthy living tools!
I love all of these tips! Tracy Anderson's sound more 'balanced' than I expected her to be... I like that she doesn't believe in extreme dieting and like you much prefer exercising to music.
ReplyDeleteI might need to try the trick to avoid cravings as well (though it may be hard to find something to think about which I enjoy as much as I enjoy eating!!!!).
Hope the holiday is going well.
You could think about fake zumba! Or a new house!
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