Take a Bite Out of Stress By Boosting Your Immune System

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Is Stress Making It Hard to Balance Life?

Are you a stressed-out workaholic burning the candle at both ends? If so you are probably feeling the effects in your body and energy level. In fact, you’ll learn there are 4 ways you are weakening your immune system everyday…and how to solve it.

Healthy Food to Eliminate Stress

4 Tips Relieve Stress & Boost Your Immune System

I was eating fast food, cereal for dinner, skipping breakfast and very quickly losing my energy and coffee wasn’t helping.

I thought I just needed to sleep more, maybe meditate or go on a short vacation to relax, although that is important, not all that I needed.

What I was missing didn’t have to do with just needing to relax it was many other pieces that were missing to relieve my stress.

My stress, lack of energy, brain fog, sleeplessness, and depression were not caused only by my life situations but from a poor immune system response due to a poor diet.  Hence the mind/body connection. I kept picking up every germ out there and was an angry person.

Use Color To Reduce Your Stress Levels

I finally figured out that stress relief required implementing many pieces and the piece missing for me was my diet. 

There was no color on my plate. OH, and can you relate to this scenario:  you are working and have only 15 minutes for a break and the break room is full of donuts, sweets, and lots of coffee, UGH. 

Sugar, preservatives, additives, processed foods in vending machines, irresistible, right? 

Especially if you are stressed and in a hurry to get back to work, and of course like me didn’t think to bring anything from home.  Soo! Now you are running on a sugar high and the Crash is coming.

We are what we eat, so a healthy diet can go a long way to preserving our health.

Many over the counter products, vitamins, and supplements claim to help improve your health.  The best strategy for boosting your immune system involves a number of simple strategies anyone can follow through in 4 easy steps.

1. Eat Breakfast to Relieve Stress

You are trying to get yourself and your family together so the last thing you think about is breakfast.  Then when you get to work and that break comes around, can you say Hangary?

You have basically fasted all night and your blood sugar is usually low in the morning.  Your brain needs glucose to function properly.  Skipping meals will cause your body to go into survival mode and you tend to crave unhealthy foods like those donuts in the break room.

According to the Huffington Post: 31 million people skip breakfast every day and that females are more likely to skip breakfast due to being busy or running late.

Check out these healthy Breakfast ideas

2. Reduce Stress by Planning Ahead

Planning ahead prevents you from going to that vending machine for chips and candy.  It really feels great when you open the lunch you packed and see a healthy balanced meal.

Pack your lunches the night before, so all you have to do is take it out of the refrigerator the next morning.

 Take time on the weekend to plan out your meals for the week. Place leftovers in the freezer for future lunches and meals.

Healthy soups with lots of vegetables and spices can be made ahead and frozen to pull out for lunches or dinners.

Check out these recipes:

3. Choose Food Wisely for Optimal Stress Levels

Make sure most of your diet includes nutrient-dense foods that let you accomplish more with less. Avoid sugar and empty calories and instead, focus on making sure each snack and meal packs as much punch as possible.

Remember, you’re going for fueling your body and mind so you can accomplish more.

Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables offers a range of nutrients and antioxidants as well, powerful disease-fighting properties are found in certain foods such as berries, legumes, and apples.

Eating a rainbow every day will help you achieve a balanced diet.

4. Stay Hydrated

According to Holtorfmed: 8 Ways to Weaken Your Immune System “Dehydration affects your energy levels.”

Skip that coffee first thing when you wake up and drink a glass of water.  You are dehydrated after 8 hours of sleep and coffee only causes more dehydration. 

Water flushes toxins and wastes from your body. Drink 50% of your body weight in ounces daily and you are on the right track.

Adopt these simple success strategies to boost your immune system and see how much lower your stress can go.

Blessings,

Bonnie

Stress with Busy Professionals

CALM ANXIETY: 3 WAYS TO INNER PEACE for Busy Professionals

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What does calming anxiety have to do with illness and immunity? 

Everything.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America:  Nearly 40 million people in the United States (18%) experience an anxiety disorder in any given year. 

As a busy professional chronic stress & ANXIETY can undermine your body and immune system and create or worsen many disease processes.

High Expectations & Anxiety Go Hand In Hand

I have been there struggling with the high expectations I placed on myself and a mountain of anxiety.  I wanted to excel in my nursing career, be a good parent, care for my parents when they needed help, and spend time with loved ones. 

Does this resonate with you?  

What I realized was that I needed to have a plan to calm my stress and care for myself, so I could enjoy being in the present with each world. 

I asked myself, why shouldn’t I take the time to learn how to calm my stress?

After all, as a nurse I should know better, right?  

As a health professional and business owner, I had to let go of the high expectations I placed on myself and the need to do it all.

These high expectations created negative feelings, which I was projecting onto my family and peers. I was exhausted, frustrated and physically ill.  

Maybe you have already experienced a physical health problem trying to navigate your professional and personal life.  When you are a busy professional trying to juggle these two worlds it is really difficult to turn off one and fall into another.   

Anxiety Comes from Long-Term Stress

Anxiety is caused by long-term stress which many of us experience daily with work deadlines, home responsibilities, and illness. Anxiety and stress keep you in a state of dis-ease you are not at peace living day-in and day-out with elevated stress hormones.

Many of the clients I serve have chronic health issues which create anxiety then they add responsibilities of work and family to their plate which is a recipe for disaster.

Here are 3 tips you can do now to calm your anxiety and the cycle of stress to reclaim inner peace.

3 Tips to Calm Your Anxiety

#1: Check in with yourself: Check out of Anxiety

Beauty Arises in the Stillness of Your Presence


Eckhart Tolle

When was the last time you took time to ask yourself, how am I doing?

As a Registered Nurse with a stressful job and also juggling a family, I knew when I was starting my day there would be many hats that I would be wearing. 

What I realized was that I needed to take a few minutes before starting my day just to check in with myself and really connect with how I am feeling.

Constant distractions and multitasking, UGH!

I was trying to juggle as if carrying a stack of plates waiting for them to come crashing down.

It caused me to struggle harder in my profession and personal life, so I learned to put the brakes on BEFORE starting my day.

Start your day off on the right foot by getting up in the morning and finding a quiet place to take 15 minutes to check in with yourself.  These moments enable you to connect with your intuition, get answers and seek relief.

#2: Mindful Breathing

According to Dr. Andrew Weil:

“Practicing a regular, mindful breathing exercise can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.”
Andrew Weil, M.D.

This breathing exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. Unlike tranquilizing drugs, which are often effective when you first take them but then lose their power over time, this exercise is subtle when you first try it, but gains in power with repetition and practice. Do it at least twice a day. You cannot do it too frequently. 

Many of my busy clients are dealing with serious medical issues along with trying to balance life and they are able to decrease their anxiety with mindful breathing.  This exercise sends a signal to the neurotransmitters in the brain and therefore calms the nervous system. The best part is you can do it anywhere anytime and you will be amazed at the results. When I feel stress and anxiety coming on I do this practice which gives my mind a total reset.

 Exhale completely through your mouth making a swooshing sound.  Close your mouth and inhale through your nose to a mental count of 4 then hold for a count of 7 and exhale through your mouth to a count of 8. Repeat 4 times and do it twice a day.

#3: Setting Limits    

According to the Mayo Clinic: Work-Life Balance: Tips to reclaim control

“You can’t manufacture time. If you don’t set limits, then work or other obligations can leave you with no time for the activities and relationships you enjoy.” Consider this one idea:

Learn to say no. Whether it’s a co-worker asking you to spearhead an extra project or your child’s teacher asking you to organize a class party, remember that it’s OK to respectfully say no. When you quit accepting tasks out of guilt or a false sense of obligation, you’ll have more time for activities that are meaningful to you.

Calming your anxiety will not only create inner peace but outer peace for you to navigate through the many hats you are wearing every day.

Let’s work together to develop your individualized plan to inner peace.

Blessings, Bonnie