Are Your Go-to Stress Foods Making It Worse?

In today's #BWD: How "comfort food" can increase your stress; deciding how fast to move the weights when you are lifting; and a reminder to include gratitude and grit in your workout routine. May it bless you.

Be Well.
Bob


MIND

The more time I spend trying to modify my own eating habits, and talking with others who struggle with food, the more convinced I become that most eating problems are really thinking problems. It's been said that food is our most abused anti-depressant. But researchers at The Ohio State University have found that fatty, sugary comfort foods are especially damaging when we are experiencing stress. How Stress Can Affect Your Weight (It's Worse Than We Thought.) sheds some light on the way eating to feel better may actually be making you feel worse.

BODY

Sean Nalewanyj is a trainer I've been following online for a long time. Don't be intimidated by all the photos of body builders; his advice is good for anybody who ventures into the weight room. How fast should you be moving the bar? The answer is: it depends. Check out Sean's thoughts on The Best Rep Speed for Muscle Growth and Hypertrophy.


SPRIIT
One of the principles of my personal wellness plan is that I don't exercise because I hate my body. I exercise because I love it, and I love being able to do things with it that I never thought would be possible. Next time you look in the mirror or step on the scale and are tempted to hate what you see, try to recall this little tidbit.

Taking Control of What You Can

In today's #BWG, I've pulled some items from the junk drawer that are close to my heart: a couple of them quite literally. Chronic disease and disorders can reduce the quality of our lives. Today's post is about ways to take back control. May it bless you.

Be Well,
Bob

Dr. Nancy Capello's annual mammograms were all normal. She made these important, high tech diagnostics part of her annual health routine, and found comfort in their findings. It took a skilled Gynocologist with experienced hands to find the dense ridge in her breast that the scans had missed and ultrasound revealed Stage 3 breast cancer. Are You Dense? is the story of how taking that extra step saved her life, and gave her a new sense of purpose. 

It might take a long time for you to make your first step toward fitness, but once you begin, the benefits are almost immediate. Here is a link to a 28 day program that will make your heart stronger, right from the starting line.

Living in a democracy means having a voice in the government's values and actions. The LIVESTRONG foundation is all about empowering and fighting for cancer survivors. Making Cancer a National Priority is a guide for letting your leaders know that you want them to be a part of the battle.

You might not think of loneliness as a chronic disorder, but when it leads to depression, it can be fatal. People who are divorced, widowed, or just haven't ever found the relationship they want with another person can slip into depression with deadly speed and fatal consequences. In How I Stay Single and Sane..., Shana Lebowitz talks about her journey from hating loneliness to embracing solitude: and learning to love who you are today.

Stress isn't always bad. It can keep you alert and ready to take action. Back in the days when predators were a constant threat to our lives, successful humans had a powerful fight or flight response to danger. In the absence of big cats and charging Grizzlies, we might experience that response while waiting to hear about a promotion or when some jerk cuts us off in traffic. When our body tells us to fight or run, and there's nobody to hit and nowhere to flee, the result is stress, and it can kill us. 10 Weird Side Effects of Stress is a slide show that teaches you how to recognize when stress is doing you more harm than good.

High Blood Pressure is often called "The Silent Killer." You don't feel it. You don't see it. Sometimes it has no symptoms at all. And it can lead to cardiac-pulmonary disease, kidney disease, heart attack, and stroke. This 8 question Blood Pressure Quiz from SPARKPEOPLE is not easy, I have high blood pressure myself, and I did pretty badly. I hope you take it. What you don't know about hypertension can kill you.

If you have a Facebook account, you hear about insomnia all the time. While a chronic inability to sleep can indicate serious health issues, everybody has trouble sleeping once in a while. Here are 8 Ways to Beat Insomnia when it's way past your bedtime, and you just can't seem to keep your eyes closed.