Stress Busters ...Right From the Kitchen

Okay so we all get a tad stressed from time to time. Some more than others, and it can be anything. Time of the month, the weather, money, food, body issues, kids, spouse...well you get it, if I kept going I would never finish this blog.  Instead of going to that "comfort" food, or that fattening beer, or too many drinks or worse.  Just look right in your home for some pretty natural and healthy "stress busters".

I assume that most everyone knows about lavender.  Well I hate to assume so maybe I shouldn't, I  guess it is because I live in the Wine Country and it is everywhere.  Back to why I mentioned the lavender.  You can diffuse lavender oil with a ceramic candle warmer and let sit in a room.  This is suppose to lower anxiety levels.

The coconut, let's talk about that.  I know I love coconut oil on my skin after a hot shower or warm bath.  I love to use it for shaving my legs, because I don't get that irritating razor burn.  But did you know that the scent of coconut may actually slow down the heart rate when in a really stressed mood?  It has been studied that people who breathed in coconut fragrance "actually saw their blood pressure recover more quickly after a challenging task.  It seems that inhaling a pleasant scent can enhance alertness while soothing our responses to stress.  I know I love the smell of coconut and normally I am taken away in my mind to some exotic beach location, works for me.

What about those green apples?  What is the saying? "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"?  But did you know that embracing the aroma of a green apple can help to alleviate headaches?  Good for our bodies and our heads.

Tea, love drinking tea.  I recall just posting something on black tea just last week.  Apparently drinking caffeinated black, green or oolong tea can elicit a "more alert state of mind".  An amino acid which is present in these teas seem to work synergistically with the caffeine to improve our attention and focus.  Don't drink sodas or coffee, go with the tea.  Well you should not be drinking soda at all! That is an entire different post.

What about carbs? Well we know that unless we are training our butts off and burning a ton of calories, then normally carbs are something we don't really want alot of .  However, eating carbs can stimulate the release of serotonin, you know, the "feel-good" brain chemical.  Opt for the whole grains like quinoa and oatmeal, these will have more fiber and nutrients than refined.

Oh the dark chocolate....where do I start and how can we go wrong? This beautiful food can help reduce the levels of cortisol and catecholamines (the hormones associated with stress) and this is even more so for those with high anxiety. You don't need to tell me twice. Of course the darker the chocolate, the healthier.  However, though stress relieving, it can also put on the weight if we take advantage of it.  So go easy but keep it in the fridge.

Of course there are many stress relievers that are good for us, exercise, working out , sex, laughter,crying.  But I thought I would share these tips from Eating Well. 

Well Thanksgiving has come and gone... and now with  just weeks away from Christmas, there seems to be so much going on (as if we don't have enough on our plates this time of year)....The week prior to Thanksgiving started off with the unexpected arrival of our 20 year old needing to "move home" for a while, what is a parent to do and especially at holiday season..So we made a space for him on the floor of his younger brother's room, then squished all the clothes that came along with him into the now shared closet...I never knew a 20 year old man had so many clothes! Then it hit me, even though our two younger children who still live at home (ages 11 and 9) have their own bathroom, they never use the tub or shower in there, they use ours...(why would I want to clean an extra shower)? Well so much for only cleaning one shower...

Being the "control freak" that I am, I have now taken on the extra task of feeding and cooking for another person, packing lunches for him to take to work, and doing his laundry ( I know, I can hear the words from you now) but it must be that high energy I have and the need to be the "do it all" mom and wife syndrome...

So moving forward, Thanksgiving came and went....I woke early like all of you, and went to work to create my famous "Gourmet/Food and Wine" version of a Thanksgiving meal...this is my one meal a year that I take complete control of, and love it...I research the recipes weeks prior, and sticking with the Fitnessmom theme, I make sure they are healthy and low cal enough to be able to enjoy the meal without the quilt and wanting to fall into a coma afterwards.  I carefully cut and paste every item to match the picture, creating my version of a work board.  Of course the house is always open to the neighbors and visiting friends to pop on over for the ohhhh so needed Bloody Mary's...(after all the family will arrive at some point)...and then it's time, we all gather and the hours pass, the day has actually gone off without a hitch this year...

Moving to current time, another new addition to the home (and family) Stryker, our new 7 month old Pomeranian/Chihuahua...You see one of the other things I had taken on, was walking this sweet little guy once a day for a friend, who after 2 months had asked my husband and I if we would like to give him a home...you know, since we have kids and I am home all day anyway, instead of leaving him in his crate...He has been here two weeks and this coming from a cat person, it has been so wonderful, he is a great addition to the home and we just love him (and his small size).  We take him everywhere with us, I have now become one of those people who drive around with their small dog sitting next to them in the seat....Good Lord...

All this and keeping up with Fitnessmom (my facebook page) ....not only reminding people to take care of their bodies, but also how to eat "real food", eat healthy, this is the time of year that we get completely carried away with all the goodies around us, my job is to hopefully help those out there that are listening and following me...

With everything that has gone on in just a few short weeks, I have had to really learn to keep reminding myself to find my "mentally happy"...it has been tough and stressful, a few meltdowns and anxiety attacks, but nothing like a good workout at least once a day to help fix that, whether it is a run, yoga, kick boxing, weightlifting, working out to a DVD, etc. we need to remember to stop (especially during the stressful times) and take care of ourselves....being "physically healthy" and "mentally healthy"...that is the key to successful living :)

It's Been Too Long

It's been too long since my last post..I am hoping to get into the habit of "visiting" or "sharing" on here more often. My facebook page Fitnessmom is doing very well and I could not  be happier. If even half of the followers on the page are actually reading and paying attention to my so called "words of wisdom" then I am successful.  Now I am hoping to capture the attention of fellow bloggers "peeps" out here:)

We are two weeks away from Thanksgiving - and it all begins, the start of the emotional roller-coaster.  Families either flying or driving from afar, staying with us or at hotels.  Trying to find time to take care of kids, homework, activities, work (for some) , thinking about maybe getting the house together, the menu together and all of the family drama that goes along with this wonderful holiday..and let's not forget the fact that this time of year can cause many of us to totally and completely fall of the "health and fitness" wagon.  This is where Fitnessmom comes in.  I am the first person to admit how easy it is to pull open that tub of sour cream and add that onion pack to go with those wavy chips, I am the first to admit how tempting it is to hit every aisle in the market that is decorated with all the holiday food items.  You know the one's, the baked goods, or the boxes of bake from home items.  Of course they make everything in the aisles look so tasty and pretty and colorful, and this time of year, the stores put all of it on some kind of special, so if you "buy one, you get one", etc..

Well, listen up peeps..if we don't have the will power now, it is only going to get worse (we still have December to get through).  Who says or who ever said that we had to buy all this food? That we had to bake all the pies, cakes, cookies, etc..? Did someone put a "Holiday Food Law" in place? 

We need to be smart and really get on the path of eating properly and healthy, yes even during holiday season..now I am not saying don't enjoy ourselves, but be smart about it.  Starting now and continuing  through the next two weeks is a perfect time to get mentally prepared to take charge of what we are going to be putting into our bodies and just as importantly, how much.  We can enjoy this season and we can enjoy it in a good way...More to come, we have a lot of work to do...:)