Have you been doing essentially the same workout for the past several months?  Have you become bored or unmotivated with your workout routine?  Are you frustrated with your lack of results from the same old exercises?   Well this is a very common problem and all is not lost.  In fact, lack of variety in training regimens is the second most common reason why people eventually stop working out altogether (The first is consistency, which has much more to do with an individual’s priorities and has already been discussed in a previous article entitled The Six Most Important Steps to Making A Healthy Lifestyle Change - go to http://www.ingoodhealthinc.com to view this article).    

Despite all of the numerous methods and theories out there about the best way to workout, they are all really quite ineffective without variety in training.  It is true that countless people have lost weight and inches and gained muscle tone and self esteem by following a certain method of weight training or cardiovascular exercise --- be it the Body-For-Life or the super slow or the high reps-less weight or the low reps-more weight or the super set or the pyramid training or the cross training, or any other method that has been written about in books and fitness magazines or praised by celebrities.       

However, after following any one of these proven methods for more than six or eight weeks the results you may have been experiencing begin to diminish.  Eventually, you reach a plateau or point of no more progress.

In the shadow of the recent and, for many, ongoing financial crisis, many of us are experiencing a higher level of stress on a daily basis.   Many of our clients share feelings of increased anxiety, depression, difficulty staying focused at work, and chronic insomnia.  All of these feelings are stressful on our bodies as well as our minds.   Stress not only feels bad, but is implicated in the promotion of hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and various other degenerative diseases.

One of our spiritual advisors described a collective sense of dread and just heightened tension, regardless of whether we have been watching the reports on television or experiencing them ourselves.  This phenomenon is evidence of our interconnectedness to one another.  Some may refer to this as an increased awareness of our spirituality.  The question is:  What do we do about the stress?   Here are ten practices that have worked for us:      

1. Exercise - This is an obvious one that bears repeating --- over and over again.  Exercise is certainly the most effective way to help you manage stress because it directly addresses your physiological response to stress.   Exercise lowers your levels of catecholamines (harmful hormones released during stress) and blood pressure.  It also increases the distribution of oxygen throughout your body, which, among other things, helps your mind and your muscles to relax.   Exercise also raises levels of endorphins (there's that word again) resulting in a soothing, calming effect, increases your metabolism --- allowing you to burn off hormones released in response to stress, increases alpha wave activity in the brain (wave pattern exhibited in relaxed, meditative states), and strengthens the cardiovascular system which is most seriously affected when under uncontrolled stress.   Remember, when it comes to exercise, consistency and variety is the key.
   
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QUESTION:  What is the best way to stay healthy during the cold and flu season?

ANSWER: Getting sick is your body’s way of saying "slow down, you need a break!" Our immune systems are designed to fight off colds and flus. But when we get sick, especially when the illness hangs around for more than a couple of days, it’s typically a sign that we are doing or taking on too much. What I’m talking about here is stress. In fact, research has shown that stress is the common denominator with many forms of disease, not just the common cold.  

Stress compromises the immune system. So the best way to combat illness is to exercise good stress management techniques, such as conscious breathing, exercising regularly, eating healthy, whole foods, getting sufficient sleep, and taking mental breaks. 

QUESTION:  Why do I always feel bloated after eating?

ANSWER: Digestive issues are very common. In fact, antacid drugs are consistently the most prescribed drugs on the market.  Whether your issue is acid reflux or gas and abdominal bloating, these are typically symptoms of digestive disorders that can inhibit your body’s ability to absorb key nutrients from the food you eat and can even promote more degenerative conditions. In fact, digestive issues are linked to arthritis, skin disorders, hormonal imbalances, obesity, and even cancer. And the problem with relying on antacids as a long-term solution is that they actually exacerbate the underlying cause of the problem.

There are many factors that contribute to digestive issues including dehydration, eating too many over-processed foods, and more significantly, poor stress management. So here are some simple steps to take to eliminate or at least minimize digestive issues:

1. Stay hydrated – drink at least ½ ounce per pound of body weight of water per day, mostly between meals.
2. Minimize or eliminate over-processed foods like breads, pastas, crackers, etc.
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