Health Smart Mom

Hidden Toxins May Be Harming Your Brain Health

healthsmartmom — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:50:12 +0000

You may not have given much thought about your brain health lately, possibly not even at all, but no matter what your age, you should be just as concerned about your brain health as you are with the health of the rest of your body.
In case you haven’t heard, the number of people in the United States with Alzheimer’s is skyrocketing. At least 1-in-8 peopleover age 65 have Alzheimer’s. Nearly 50% of Americans over age 85 have it.
But that’s not all. More than 200,000 Adults UNDER age 65 are suffering right now from early-onset Alzheimer’s. Therefore it’s not just an senior citizen’s disease.
Of course one of the main reasons we are seeing such an increase in Alzheimer’s is due to the growing population of older people as life expectancy increases. But there’s plenty more to it than that. The truth is, our “modern” lifestyle has caused a huge variety of invisible toxins that negatively affect your brain health! You are actually surrounded, on a daily basis, by hidden toxins! Click here for how to protect your brain from hidden toxins.
While many can be invisible to the plain eye, they do exist. It’s hard to believe, but true that heavy metals like aluminum and lead are hidden in your dishes, mugs, toothpaste, water, antiperspirant, household dust, newspaper, magazines, and various other places.
Mercury can be found in everything from your dental fillings to cooler filters and even cosmetics, not to mention the toxic fumes you can’t help but inhale every time you fill up with gas in your car.
And heavy metals, chemicals, and pesticides are in foods we eat such as fruits and vegetables (including some of those labeled organic), bread, cereal, milk, cheese, antacids, aspirin, wine, beer…even your drinking water!
Being exposed to toxic metals and chemicals can cause your brain to “age” much faster. In a 4 year study at Johns Hopkins University, researchers found that people with increased levels of lead in their bodies showed a much larger decline in cognitive performance-making their brains at least five years older than their actual age!
If you think about it…at no era in history have so many Americans been exposed to so many chemicals all at once. It’s no wonder Alzheimer’s is now the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S.
As a matter of, it’s the 5th primary cause for people over age 65-right after coronary disease, cancer, and our other biggest killers!
Not only that but, Alzheimer’s is the ONLY cause of death…among the top 10 in America…that the medical industry doesn’t have a way to cure, prevent or even slow down!
However I’ve got some great news for you. I’ve discovered some surprisingly simple ways you can avoid the damaging effects of hidden toxins…and protect your brain health.
And by protecting your brain health, with these easy, natural solutions you can also dramatically boost your memory… learn new things more quickly…and improve your concentration so you can get more done in less time! You can even start to recall names, phone numbers, shopping lists, and other information just as easily as you did 10…maybe even 20 years ago.
Being forgetful and losing brain capacity doesn’t have to be a natural part of aging. No matter how old you are, now is the time to start taking the steps to ensure your brain health for years to come!

Do You Have Acid Reflux?

healthsmartmom — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:01:09 +0000

Nearly all of us have heartburn at one time or another and end up reaching for the usual heartburn home remedies. The first sign may be that all too familiar burning in the chest and it may be joined by a bitter taste in the mouth. For most, we can pop an antacid or two and be done with it. However, other people will find that acid reflux is occurring regularly – perhaps twice a week or more. When heartburn becomes a regular problem, it is known as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) or acid reflux. Acid reflux by itself is not serious, but frequent bouts over long periods of time can result in damage to the lining of the esophagus and throat. Because of this, it is critical to find proper remedies for heartburn to keep the acid at bay.

Why does Heartburn Occur?

To spare you all the biology, here are the basics: When you eat, food travels from the mouth, through the esophagus and into the stomach. In the stomach, digestive acids will break the food down so that nutrients can be absorbed into the body from the intestines and waste can be removed. At the bottom of the esophagus, there is a round ring that is referred to the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES is responsible for closing the doorway between the esophagus and the stomach once the food passes through. When the LES doesn’t close properly, food particles and digestive juices can regress back up into the esophagus. Since the esophageal lining is not designed to handle the corrosive acids, burning and discomfort can happen. Frequent bouts of improper LES closing results in acid reflux, and often requires treatment to protect the LES lining.

How is GERD Treated?

The most basic way to treat GERD is with an over the counter antacid that will work quickly and effectively. However, due to the nature of acid reflux, you may require a different type of medication that will either treat the heartburn for a longer period of time or prevent it from occurring in the first place. For longer relief, many people turn to H-2-receptor blockers like Tagamet and Pepcid. These medications actually reduce the amount of acid that is produced in the stomach to provide longer relief. Another option is a proton pump inhibitor like Prilosec. These medicines will block the production of acid, giving the lining of the esophagus time to heal. However, they may also have side effects, so be sure to read the labels.

Acid reflux can be an uncomfortable condition that may cause damage if it is not managed carefully. There are many acid reflux home remedies available as well as some that require a prescription. If you suspect that you are suffering from GERD, talk to your doctor about your best options in treatment today.

Common Kidney Conditions

healthsmartmom — Sat, 12 May 2012 14:32:04 +0000

When your kidneys are working properly, most people never think about them, but if you siffer from kidney pain, they are always on your mind. Here is a short list of the most common kidney ailments and conditions.

Kidney Stones (Renal Calculi)

There are a variety of reasons that kidney stones develop. Sometimes a reaction to stress, bodily injury or a poor diet – the kidney’s become over burdened with excess waste products or they are no longer able to function properly, a stone can form inside. This is medically termed renal calculi or renal calculus. Stones are very painful and may even require hospitalization for treatment or surgery although they can be passed at home as well. Sometimes kidney stones are the first signs that something is wrong with proper kidney functions and may even be a precursor to the early stages of kidney disease, though not necessarily. Stones tend to be rough and jagged in nature and are vary painful. In addition, they can scar and damage the kidneys. This is why it is so important to flush or have the stones removed as soon as possible to prevent futher damage. Adopting a kidney stones diet will help flush these stones as quickly and painlessly as possible and is often a sought after alternative to surgery for many.

Kidney Disease

When overall kidney function is affected by reduced ability or disease, they no longer are able to effectively remove the toxins or bodily wastes created everyday. When this happens, it becomes necessary that you make some changes to your lifestyle and start being more vigilant about watching what you eat and drink. Simply making a few dietary changes can help prevent unnecessary complications. If you are suffering from a kidney disease, it is important that you consult a dietitian experienced in kidney and renal issues to find out more about the healthy eating guidelines recommended for you. Following a kidney disease diet means eliminating those foods that produce harmful waste in an effort to lessen the burden put on the kidneys.

Renal Failure

“Renal” is a term derived from the Latin name for kidney. Some, but not all renal failures can be contributed to diet. The primary diet related renal failures are those linked to severe dehydration adn the lack of intake of fluids. Some other common causes of chronic renal failure not related to diet are uncontrolled diabetes and poorly controlled high blood pressure. However, both diabetes and high blood pressure have diet related factors and dietary changes are the primary tool used in controlling these conditions. That is why proper diet and following a renal failure diet can help address not only your renal health, but those other conditions as well.

Kidney Failure

Kidney failure is also referred to as stage 5 kidney disease or end-stage renal disease. This invloves a total or near-total loss of renal or kidney function which then leads to a dangerous accumulation of water, waste, and toxic substances int he body. At this stage of kidney disease, most patients will need dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to survive.

No stage of Kidney Disease is pleasant, however, it is very important to avoid kidney failure if at all possibe, and in most cases the best way to do this is to make the appropriate changes in your diet as soon as you are diagnozed with any of the types of kidney disease. One of my favorites resources for implementing a kidney diet is Kidney Diet Secrets by Rachael Gordon.

Tips of a Balanced Kidney Diet

healthsmartmom — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:29:05 +0000

If you have kidneydisease then you should adhere to a menu balanced for optimum kidney health. It’s good bet, if you’re like me (and most other people) you tend to be somewhat unyielding to change – okay, so I’m very contrary to change. Especially when it comes to my menu. I go for what I eat and my monthly menu doesn’tdeviate any. , as I read more about controlling my renal issues (I’ve suffered from kidney stones since I was 8 years old), I was required to make some changes. And if you, too, suffer from kidney issues, then you will likely need to make some changes in your eating patterns to see that your kidneys will be healthy.

The restrictions on a balanced renal menu aren’t crazily restrictive, they only ask that you make some modest alterations. Thankfully, there are many things you can do to make the sound renal mealplan a great bit more palatable.In the event that some of the changes look like complicated adjustments to you, just keep telling yourself that you can try the changes in tiny steps, and eventually you will end up at the place youshould be to maintain a sound kidney diet.

Here are some suggestions to start with:

• Find new ways to make old favorites work with the mealplan . For almost every great recipe around you can locate a “copy cat” recipe that has been doctored up for the healthy renal menu. The internet is a economical resource to find healthy alternatives to your favorite recipes. There are many old-fashioned food recipes that let people facing kidney failure the benefit of eating foods very similar in taste and texture\feel to familiar favorites without imparing their health.

• Don’t beat yourself up if you have an off day. We all understand that change isn’tsimple. It is especially hard when you’re attempting to change lifelong food habits. It’s acceptable to have off times in there every once in a while. If you start bereating yourself over them you’ll never find peace with your new diet.Nevertheless, just remember to keep at it and don’t get in a rut with too many bad times.

• Experiment with the unique worlds of spices and seasonings. There are unbelieveably amazing flavors available that you may have never tried before. Sodium free mealplans don’t have to be bland and tasteless. Even a sound renal dietcan be fun and flavorful. Don’t let boring food keep you from eating. Spices, herbs, and seasonings can help you love eating the recipes that are balanced for you once again. Also look for a few no sodium sauces to use on poultry and salads.

• Consult a nutritional counselor. Good eating habits is the foundation] of the sound kidney mealplan . It’s about more than just avoiding particular ingredients out of your diet. It’s about making sure that you’re also getting the right amount of the right foods to promote better kidney health.

With these simple tips you should be able to adjust to your new healthy kidney menuin no time and you will once again enjoy eating and feel good that you are doing the best you can for your renal health!

Ms. Padilla has suffered from kidney stones since she was 8 years old. She is now a fourty something happily married mom of four and a healthy eating advocate. For more information on eating properly for your kidney issues please visit http://www.kidneydiethelp.org”>http://www.kidneydiethelp.org>

Taste Great No Pain Product Review Part 3 of 3

healthsmartmom — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 15:32:27 +0000

Since we all know that life isn’t always rosy – especially for those with acid reflux issues, I’ve devoted today to share some of the things that you need to watch for with the Taste Great No Pain system.

Things To Watch For:

The one thing you want to be careful of is that once you start eating as prescribed in Great Taste No Pain, you could quickly begin to feel all powerful. You might start to think you are “cured” of your digestive problems since they went away so fast and since you have so much extra energy.

That would be a mistake.

Because technically there is no “cure” for most digestive problem, because technically they are not diseases at all. They are maladies brought on by eating the wrong foods and by eating them in the wrong combinations. So the principles in Great Taste No Pain is not a “cure,” since people with sensitive stomachs will always be sensitive. GTNP is merely a way to make all symptoms go away forever and give you a lot more energy.

For example, let’s say you’ve got it bad and have Diverticulitis or Crohn’s. Great Taste No Pain can help you get rid of your symptoms very quickly.

But a year later, if you start eating like you used to, guess what? Yep, the symptoms will come back. You see, the principles that Great Taste No Pain is based on are sound. They work for everyone. But if you think that because you’ve been symptom-free for a long time, you’ve been “cured,” think again. Go against these principles of easy digestion, and the problem can come back with a vengeance. Remember, good health comes from living a healthy lifestyle, not a”do it once and you’re fixed” approach.

Another thing you might want to be prepared for is that since Great Taste No Pain cleanses your digestive tract, initially you could get a little diarrhea. If you experience constipation on a fairly regular basis, you might get a little “looseness” at first, but it will end soon.

Also, due to the detoxing going on, you might get a runny nose or get some other cold-like symptoms at first. It’s nothing to worry about. If you do, while it might not be fun, it does mean it’s working. It means your body is becoming purer and the toxins are leaving. And that is a very good thing.

Conclusion:

When I began following the system, I personally was amazed at the amount of energy I had, even late into the evening. I had no discomfort, no bloating, I didn’t feel the need to eat again within an hour and no need for caffeine after meals.

Professionally and personally, my strong recommendation is that for anyone who wants more energy, sounder and longer sleep, migraine headaches to stop almost immediately, pain from gastritis and acid reflux to stop almost instantly, and the pain of digestive problems to stop or be reduced dramatically, get over to:

Great Taste No Pain now and get the whole system. You will be thrilled.

And frankly, it won’t take a full day for most people to feel a major difference in their bodies. Often it just takes one meal. After you have been following it for a week or more, feel free to let me know how you like it. I personally believe that anyone who adopts this simple, enjoyable food combining method will reap gigantic health benefits. So if that is what you are looking for, get over to Great Taste No Pain and get started today.

Taste Great No Pain Product Review Part 2 of 3

healthsmartmom — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:29:19 +0000

Now that I’ve given a brief overview of the Taste Great No Pain system, I want to go a little more in depth into what I like about this amazing product:

Taste: Unlike most restrictive diets, Great Taste No Pain cannot actually be called a diet, because it allows you to eat even great volumes of luscious, delicious food as long as you combine it according to a few simple guidelines. It truly requires very little willpower. Perhaps the greatest news for people who love to eat is that the 176 page recipe book in the system is stuffed with breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks that are unbelievably tasty. No rabbit food. Gourmet all the way, yet the meals (if you like to cook) only take between 15 and 30 minutes of prep time and make tons of yummy leftovers. So you can throw away the belief that you can’t eat healthy on a super-busy schedule.

Speed: I love that you don’t have to read 300+ pages before learning what to do. In the first guide, ‘How To End Stomach Pain Forever, Even If Your MD says, “No Way,”‘ it provides a brief background on the science and then quickly moves onto the step-by-step ‘how to.’ I really love that.

Simplicity: The second Guide in the GTNP System is ‘What To Eat With What.’ This is a massive compilation. Every kind of food that you could possibly put in your mouth is listed, along with the corresponding foods that combine with it for easy comfortable digestion, and those foods that don’t. This guide is so complete and so easy to follow, if you screw this up, it’s back to pre-school for you.

More Simplicity: Traveling is the one thing that can ruin even the healthiest eaters. But in Great Taste No Pain, Sherry gives you a ‘Pocket Guide For Pain-Free Dining Out.’ This tool is phenomenal. You can store this little baby with your credit cards and, until you understand what combines with what, all you have to do is pull out your pocket guide and quickly note the rule, so you can eat and enjoy the rest of your day, pain-free.

Would you believe that you could eat McDonald’s food and not suffer gassiness and reflux? Now you can!

Meat: While meat is not something people with digestive issues usually tolerate well on a daily basis (hence the daily pain), the problem isn’t so much the meat as it is what you eat with the meat.

That is why each of the Guides in the system, including the recipe book, lists every possible food you can combine with meats without suffering. Most people will suddenly be able to eat beef, chicken, fish, pork, turkey, venison and any other type of meat they want. As long as you combine it right… no pain at all! And broccoli, lettuce, cucumbers and other veggies that can create havoc suddenly will not. That I love.

Fruit: Ask anyone that suffers stomach problems about fruit and you’ll hear horror stories. So sadly, the most perfect food on the planet is shunned by a huge part of our world’s population. No longer. Because you will soon learn why fruit causes you trouble and how to easily change that. You CAN eat fruit again, even if it now makes you turn blue! It’s true!

While each Guide in the system is detailed and complete, they are “dumbed down” in the clearest language possible. So I don’t doubt Sherry’s claim that any 11 year old could teach it. This I really love.

Tomorrow I’ll share things you should be cautious about with the Taste Great No Pain system.

If you are interested in learning more about Taste Great No Pain, visit the wesite here.

1 Unique Spice That Will Help You Get a Flat Tummy In No Time!

healthsmartmom — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:09:10 +0000

If you’re a mom like me, then you know how hard it is to get a flat tummy back after childbirth. And sometimes, getting a flat tummy isn’t even on your list of priorities. But what if I told you that there is a spice that can help you get your flat tummy back?

This spice that I’m going to mention is one of the most overlooked, but healthiest spices in the world…

You might even call it a “fat burning spice”… in a roundabout way.

And yes, it can actually help you win the battle against tummy fat if you use it daily…I’ll explain why.

Here are some other benefits of this miracle spice:

controls blood sugar levels
helps maintain insulin sensitivity
a VERY powerful antioxidant
may have antibacterial and antifungal properties
and dozens of other benefits

So what is this miracle spice that beats tummy fat?

Well… it’s good old tasty Cinnamon!

Although cinnamon does NOT directly increase fat burning (such as by increasing metabolic rate, etc), it CAN actually help you to burn off tummy fat and get leaner in an indirect way.

Here’s how…

Although cinnamon has dozens of health benefits, the main benefit that will help you to get leaner is through it’s strong effect on controlling blood sugar levels in your body.

In a study published in 2003 in the medical journal Diabetes Care, groups were split into people taking 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon per day in capsule form (the equivalent of approx 1/4th to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon).

The results of the study showed that all 3 amounts of cinnamon reduced fasting blood glucose levels by 18-29% after 40 days.

Cinnamon can also increase insulin sensitivity, which essentially means that it is helping your body to control blood sugar while simultaneously allowing your body to produce less insulin.

As you know, chronically high insulin levels can make your body pack on the blubber.

How to harness cinnamon to lose stubborn tummy fat…

One possible way to benefit from cinnamon to lose more tummy fat is to use cinnamon daily in your meals when you can, such as in yogurt or cottage cheese, in smoothies, oatmeal, or anything else you can think of where it would go well.

Also, you could use a cinnamon capsule before each of your meals, particularly if you’re going to have more than 30 grams of carbs in that meal.

This could help to control blood sugar and insulin response from your meals and thereby control your appetite and cravings throughout the day… hence, helping you to lose body fat more effectively over time.

So now you can see that not only is cinnamon a powerful antioxidant that can help you stay youthful longer, it can also help you to control blood sugar and get a leaner body!

If you want more tips on getting a flat tummy fast, check out The Truth About Six Pack Abs by my friend Mike Geary.

Great Taste No Pain – Product Review Part 1 of 3

healthsmartmom — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:45:59 +0000

Overview of Taste Great – No Pain

To really cover in depth all the ins and outs of Great Taste No Pain I’ve decided to make it a three post series. Each day we will cover a little more of the program. Today is of course Day 1!!

With more than 1 out of 3 adults in the US (70 million) taking OTC or prescription pills for digestive disorders and the pain associated with them, as a nation, we have serious health problems. And we’re spreading our problems around the world.

What most people are frustrated with is that even if they eat how most health professionals consider to be healthy, a large percentage of people STILL experience digestive problems. And so most people resort to drugs, surgery or eating bland foods. Or they just continue to suffer.

That’s why the Great Taste No Pain System was developed — to help slash some of the $42 billion dollars spent on those pills in the US alone.

This simple eating system is designed to dramatically reduce the acid pH measure in a person’s entire body — not just in the stomach. It does so by increasing the ratio of alkaline forming foods eaten and by showing you how to combine foods in a way that radically decreases the amount of acid digestive juices in the stomach and small intestines required to break down foods. With me so far? Hope so, because this is important stuff.

One of the primary components of the Great Taste No Pain System is the science of food combining, which was first introduced into the US in 1911 by Dr. William Hay, a New York surgeon who used it to cure his Bright’s Disease, a kidney disease which was often fatal at that time. In fact, among the many thousands of lives it claimed was Teddy Roosevelt’s first wife, who died of Bright’s Disease at just 22 years of age.

A basic knowledge of Junior High chemistry is all it takes to see the logic behind this science: Mixing foods that require alkaline digestive enzymes with foods that require acid digestive enzymes slows and can even stop the digestive process. It can and does delay digestion by as much as 10 hours and more. This is incredibly bad for the body. The Great Taste No Pain system alleviates this problem, speeding food through your body, allowing it to absorb nutrients from foods at a much higher level.

In addition, one of the manuals in the Great Taste No Pain system, ‘Foods That Create Acid, Foods That Take It Away,’ is as clear as I’ve ever seen this data presented. Follow this simple guide and your body will use a minimum of energy in the digestion process, which leaves more energy for healing and other daily functions your body carries out.

This is a timely set of guides, because with our society’s addiction to the convenience of processed foods, in many respects our health challenges are far worse than they were in 1911.

Great Taste No Pain author, Sherry Brescia, was a former Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) sufferer herself. In fact, in 1991, she spent 7 days in the hospital with bacterial colitis.

As a health insurance researcher and Chief Underwriter, she was able to research the benefits of an alkaline- balanced body and over the next 15 years perfected the system she now calls Great Taste No Pain.

She meshed a number of philosophies proven to help alkalize the body to create this simple system that anyone can follow regardless of where they are or what food choices they have available to them.

So that’s a basic overview of the Great Taste No Pain program. Tomorrow I’ll talk about what I like about it!

Building a Basic Herb Garden with Your Family: The Basics of a Typical Herb Garden

healthsmartmom — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:39:44 +0000

A basic herb garden is not hard to create and it can be created in a remarkably small amount of space. Therefore, no matter if you live in an apartment or you have a yard that is perfect for planting making a basic herb garden is easy.

There are a few things that you will need to get started for creating a basic herb garden. The first thing is to decide what type of basic herb garden you want. Do you want a container herb garden or are you looking for something a bit grander like a kitchen garden or a backyard herb garden.

Once you have decided the type of garden that you want to create you will need to decide if you want to create your garden from seeds or from already existing plants that you will transplant. Once you have determined the type of planting you want to do for your basic herb garden.

Supplies

There are a few supplies that you are going to need for your herb garden. Of course, these supplies vary depending on which type of herb garden you are creating. The list includes all the supplies necessary for both gardens. Some of the supplies are going to be the same so the list is combined for the purpose of being brief. The items you will need are: soil, fertilizer, seeds or herb plants, containers, and a spade.

Instructions

If you are using a container or containers to create your herb garden, prepare the container by placing the soil in it. Then depending on the type of fertilizer you are using add the fertilizer to create the growing environment. You may or may not depending on the type of soil you get want to wet the soil down before planting. If you are, using seeds follow the planting instructions for the types of herbs you are planting. If you are using already established plants follow replanting instructions. These are usually listed with the plant, but can be found online if necessary.

For kitchen gardens weed and till the area to break up the soil and remove any large objects like rocks. Then add in the top soil and fertilizers and plant the seeds or transplant following the same as above instructions. Make sure that you look at the lighting needs of your herbs and place them in areas that receive the right amount of light and shade to ensure proper growth.

7 Steps to Help You Manage Your Anxiety

healthsmartmom — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:31:32 +0000

Effective Steps for Managing Anxiety

Have you ever been in a situation that brought on sweats, rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath? While for many it may feel like a heart attack, it is mire likely an anxiety attack. If you suffer from anxiety or anxiety disorders, learning to manage it is the first step to overcoming it.

Anxiety is characterized as extreme reactions to fearful situations. When someone follows you into a dark alley, those anxious feelings of a racing heartbeat and sweaty palms gives way to heightened senses and a rush of adrenalin that can save your life. This is the fight or flight syndrome.

In the case of frequent anxiety, the fearful feelings are dread of a particular situation and not the situation itself. Getting caught in traffic can cause an anxiety attack over what might happen when you get to work late. Starting a new job can bring on anxiety attacks. You don’t know anyone and fear of that unknown can send you into a panic.

Everyone experiences panic or anxiety in small ways. Like the fight or flight example, it can save your life. In new situations, we get panicky but when the outcome we fear fails to materialize, the anxiety stops. For someone with chronic anxiety, this is not the case.

Every situation that brings anxiety is not life-threatening. More than likely it is an extremely stressful situation that has brought on the anxiety as a way of dealing with it. Unchecked anxiety of this type can lead to depression.

If you suffer from anxiety attacks on occasion or a more frequent anxiety disorder, there are steps you can take to keep your anxiety under control.

1. See a professional. This is always a good first step. Self-diagnosis of any type of physical or mental condition is unwise and can be dangerous. A professional psychologist can help you understand your anxiety and prescribe medication or other effective techniques.

2. Get a good night’s sleep. During the sleep cycle, your body repairs itself. You feel more rested after several hours of restorative sleep, reaching the REM stage. Most people need eight hours a night which varies within an hour or two each way.

3. Exercise on a consistent basis. Exercise helps you to use oxygen more efficiently. It helps to get more oxygen to the brain. It also increases focus which may help you see solutions to problems rather than simply worrying about them.

4. Meditate. Meditation is more than chanting mantras. Yoga is an exercise that involves quieting the mind and controlling your breathing. Simple mediation such as taking 5 minutes to clear your mind everyday can work wonders in the fight against anxiety.

5. Manage the worry. When you feel your pulse start to quicken, count backwards from ten. As you count, focus on the situation. What has actually happened? Resist the urge to read anything more into the situation.

6. Don’t use alcohol. You might think that the glass of wine is relaxing your tension but alcohol is a depressant. In anxious situations you could rely too heavily on it and gain another problem in the process.

7. Find some relaxing activities. Stress can rob you of your energy. On a regular basis, do something you like such as gardening, painting, reading or listening to music.

Anxiety can come into your life at any time. It’s normal. When the anxiety becomes frequent you could be at risk for more serious conditions. If you feel your anxiety is starting to take over your life or increasingly causing you problems, seek professional help immediately. There is no need to suffer this terrible condition in silence.