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Effective stress control during holidays

Effective stress control

Effective stress control during holidays if not done professionally, can cause serious health problems

Effective stress control during holidays: Proper planning of holiday activities

As a means of handling holiday stress, proper planning must be done a head of time. The activities can ruin your time if not managed well. Therefore, for effective stress control during the holidays, the following are essential:

Shopping: This is one of the major holidays headaches which when not properly addresses may cause you unnecessary stress. Therefore as a means of handling holidays stress, doctor Dalal Akoury MD President and founder of AWAREmed health and wellness resource center advices that you need to plan ahead when to shopping for gifts.

  • Make a list of those people you’re buying for gifts
  • Ensure that the gifts are within your budget
  • Decide in good time what you want to buy for them
  • Get to know where to get all these gifts

You can save time and money this way by not just wandering aimlessly through the shopping mall. And don’t wait until the last minute. Shopping on Christmas Eve is more stress than it’s worth.

Effective stress control during holidays: Exercise and stress relievers

Plan your exercise and stress relievers. Exercise doesn’t have to be 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weights at the gym. For instance:

  • Ten minutes of exercise three times a day is just as beneficial
  • That might look like 10 minutes on the treadmill before work
  • Another 10 minutes of climbing stairs at lunch and
  • A final 10 minute walks with a friend in the evening

It can be walking through the neighborhood caroling with your family. It can be taking a stroll through the lights at the zoo. You could sign up for a 5km run or walk on almost any Saturday and even on Thanks giving Day. Don’t forget that increased housework is increased activity as well. If you have guests coming, do an extra vacuuming for some additional calorie burn. All these done will go a long way in helping in handling holidays’ stress and weight gain effectively without much straining.

Sleeping: Stress relief definitely comes from exercising, but also from relaxing and sleeping. Make sure your schedule you allocate for some time each week with no obligations. Use those nights to get to bed early so you are refreshed for the next day.

Food: Lastly, plan your food. During the holidays, there is abundance of high sugar, fat and calorie foods. Many are very tasty, but probably not all are your favorites. If there is a special treat or dish that you only get this time of year, have a small serving of it. But don’t waste your treat on high calorie foods that you don’t enjoy. And make the next meal or snack extra healthy that day; you may add in an extra 10 minutes to exercise to compensate for the added calories. Finally, the holidays have special meaning and shouldn’t be stressful. Plan to avoid stress and be successful with your weight loss goals. In case of any difficulties, do not hesitate to consult with doctor Dalal Akoury for her professional input. This will be very helpful for you and your family.

Effective stress control during holidays: Proper planning of holiday activities

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Controlling holiday stress effectively

Controlling holiday stress

Controlling holiday stress effectively by first solving all the problems that are likely to cause stress complications

Controlling holiday stress effectively: Healthy eating habits

Stress is a serious risk factor in human health. People will do what it takes to reduce the intensity of stress. This has proven to be very difficult, sometimes almost impossible. But because of the creative abilities I humanity. People are resorting to holidays and vacations for peace of mind. Being at peace with yourself is a powerful ingredient in life. Even though this is known to us, we have done little to make it happen. And that explains why controlling holiday stress is a big problem to many. The holiday period is busy and comes with many activities including; extra shopping, cooking, gatherings, and work related obligations… the list is endless. With all of these additional tasks requiring attention all at the same time. We tend to forget the most important things quality sleep and exercise. These two are rank as the best in handling holidays stress.

Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care reports that many people gain weight over the holidays, with the increased stress. Doctor Dalal Akoury explains that stress eating can be a major factor in weight management. It normally sneaks in as grazing, night-time eating, extra snacking, or even binge eating. With any of these forms of stress eating, the food choices are likely to be unhealthy and the act of eating doesn’t satisfy the true needs of stress relief. So, how do you get through the holidays without putting on extra pounds? By:

  • Planning ahead
  • Grouping major events
  • Shopping
  • Exercise and stress relievers
  • Sleeping and relaxing
  • Food

These are some of the strategies applicable in weight management during vacations. For the purpose of this article, we are going to discuss the first two. We will progressively address the remainder in our next posting. Therefore, stay on the link and learn with the experts.

Controlling holiday stress effectively: Plan ahead

Take a few minutes today to plan how you are going to maintain your weight loss or continue to lose over the holidays (handling holidays stress). Make sure that you plan for the whole season and then reduce it down to smaller segments by months, weeks, and days and in that plan include:

  • Plan some stress relievers
  • Plan your exercise
  • Plan your meals
  • Plan your treats

Remember that if you fail to plan, you are actually planning to fail; therefore, the desire to plan nothing but to succeed.

Controlling holiday stress effectively: Categorize major events

Think about what your major obligations are. Like for instance:

  • Work and family get-togethers
  • Parties or dinners with friends
  • Shopping
  • Holiday celebration

Don’t let these activities sneak up on you. Instead, put them on your schedule of events. Slot then in your calendar now and make a list of what you need to do. How to prepare for these obligations. And when you need to start undertaking them. Finally, your holiday objective should be met but they must not ruin your weight loss progress. As we continue in the next article, you may want to call doctor Akoury to help you address all your weight loss concerns now.

Controlling holiday stress effectively: Healthy eating habits

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Reducing calories in foods and drinks

Reducing calories

Reducing calories in foods and drinks are essential for weight loss. Besides that exercise is also effective

Reducing calories in foods and drinks: Benefits of cutting calories during vacations

Is weight loss commitment under attack because of your schedule holiday? You’ve been working hard and you can boost of some progress. Such frustrations are normal. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD is a veteran weight loss expert who understands your frustrations. To help you better, she founder AWAREmed health and wellness resource center. In her decades of experience, she recommends that everyone planning a vacation. You must prioritize on reducing calories intake in foods and drinks. Holiday activities can be tempting but we mustn’t lose focus. We appreciate the challenges attached, and if this concerns you. You can schedule an appointment with her for a one on one professional input. But, in the meantime, doctor Akoury is discussing some elements that can help in reduce calories popular in holiday foods and beverages.

Reducing calories in foods and drinks: Foods

Feeding on plain, nutritious fruits and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cranberries and green beans is important.

  • When using the sweet potatoes eat both outside and inside to get the fiber on the skin.
  • Try mixing pumpkin into some of your favorite brand muffins, soups, or even pumpkin-based pasta. Pumpkin pie is rich in fat and sugar, but if you must have it, at least skip the crust.
  • If you’re not a big fan of cranberries on your turkey, eat dried cranberries for a healthy snack.
  • Enjoy fresh, steamed green beans rather than the traditional high-calorie green bean casserole containing mushroom soup, cheese, and butter. Or, make a lighter version using almonds, crunchy French onions and light butter instead of the soup, cheese, and regular butter.

Carbohydrates – Choose complex carbohydrates that help in maintaining a steady metabolism without the highs and lows of blood sugar swings e.g. whole grains; whole-wheat pasta; legumes; oatmeal; sweet potatoes and nut butter.

Turkey – Turkey is packed with protein. It offers the least amount of fat of holiday meats if you remove the skin and don’t drown it in gravy. White meat has less fat and calories than dark meat. A 3-ounce portion of meat is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards.

Beverages – Remember that your drink choices also add calories that can contribute to holiday weight gain. To help keep your holiday healthy, choose fat-free milk drinks and limit sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol. That also includes carbonated beverages, fruit drinks, and coffee.

Reducing calories in foods and drinks: Alcoholic drinks

Though it is advised to be taken in moderation, taking alcohol has nothing to offer. Alcohol is very high in calories, containing seven calories per gram. The average alcoholic drink has 150-200 calories per glass. A drink made with one ounce of vodka (40% to 50% alcohol) contains about 14 grams of alcohol and almost 100 calories. It is advisable that you take ice water with a lemon slice between alcoholic drinks or as a non-alcoholic alternative. Remember that these are only guidelines as far as food consumption is the concern. Taking note that reducing calories during the holidays is not very easy. It is prudent for you to get professional advice from time to time from doctor Akoury.

Reducing calories in foods and drinks: Benefits of cutting calories during vacations

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Stress hormones response pathways

Stress hormones response

Stress hormones response pathways tailored at addressing the real problem

Stress hormones response pathways: Food addiction pathways

When individuals are confronted with stressful situations, specific hormones are produced, which help the body to cope with the situation. One of the body’s stress hormones response pathways is known as the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis. It generates a series of brain hormones that eventually leading to production of cortisol by the adrenal gland. Cortisol helps to make available more sugar to the brain and other parts of the body to help cope with the stressful event. Experts at AWAREmed health and wellness resource center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD reiterates that the individuals who are under chronic stress have an overactive LHPA axis.

Hyperactivity of this axis has been reported in individuals who are obese as well as alcoholics, drug users, smokers and victims of early abuse or trauma. Elevated cortisol levels on an ongoing basis are not only harmful to health, but also harmful to mood. It can cause depression. It also affects mood by interfering with the actions of one of the brain’s major messengers, serotonin. Serotonin defects cause depression and anxiety. Many alcoholics, smokers, drug addicts and obese individuals suffer from depression and anxiety. Nicotine, alcohol and certain drugs increase serotonin activities and temporarily improve mood. These addictions are a means of self-medication.

Stress hormones response pathways: Food as “Medication”

Carbohydrates also raise serotonin levels and enhance mood temporarily. Studies have established that the majority of individuals who are obese crave carbohydrates. Low serotonin and stress induced activation of the LHPA axis are also known to increase the risk for substance abuse and food addiction through another feel good pathway, the dopamine reward system. The pleasure derived from substances such as alcohol, nicotine and certain drugs are, in part, due to the stimulation of dopamine. Eating foods high in sugar, fat or even the smell or taste of an individual’s favorite food activates the dopamine reward system, producing pleasure and satisfaction. Frequent use of addictive substances, such as nicotine, alcohol and food, reduces the pleasurable effects of the dopamine reward system so that more and more of the substance is required to derive satisfaction.

Recent studies found that obesity can be associated with defects in dopaminergic responses to the smell and taste of food. It may be possible that some obese individuals may eat more and more food to increase dopamine activities and improve mood. Abstinence from the abused substance helps to reverse or improve many neurochemical defects associated with addictions. Bariatric surgery, by reducing the amount of food intake, and enhancing mood through weight loss, is effective in improving neurochemical defects contributing to the addictive behavior. However, such improvements can be short-lived. Food cravings as well as depression may reoccur over time, along with weight regain. The behaviors responsible for initiating the cascade of events leading to such defects are not resolved by the surgery. Low self-worth and poor stress coping skills must be addressed for these issues to resolve. Therefore, if this description suits your situation, you can schedule an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for the commencement of your recovery program.

Stress hormones response pathways: Food addiction pathways

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Taming food addiction

Food addiction pathways and obesity

Food addiction pathways

Food addiction pathways and obesity are avenues of gaining unhealthy body weight

Food addiction pathways and obesity: The connection of food and weight gain

Addiction is dependence on a substance that the affected individual feels powerless to stop. Millions around the world have addictions problems, and food addiction is among one of the most common. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD is addiction veteran and founder of AWAREmed health and wellness resource center agrees with the research findings that nearly 80% of gastric bypass pre-surgical patients suffer from food addiction. Several research experts across the globe, have established that the behavioral biochemical causes and effects underlying food addiction pathways are nearly identical to those of other self-destructive addictions. Food is a basic need, but when we turn to food as a solace to coping with our low feelings of self-worth then there is a problem as we are going to find out following.

Food addiction pathways and obesity: Turning to food to cope with feelings of low self-worth

One of the most common behavioral characteristic of individuals suffering from self-destructive addictions is harboring the feeling of not being good enough. Feelings of low self-worth, may cause a poor self-image, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, the need to over achieve and an intense and chronic fear of failure. Professionals studying addictions believe that society contributes to the development of addictions by establishing unreasonable or unreachable criteria for worthiness. The “addict” not only have negative feelings regarding self but has also failed to develop appropriate stress coping. Instead of confronting life stressors directly or finding healthier ways to manage emotions such as through exercise, journaling, relaxation, spiritual care, therapy etc., the “addict” seeks to avoid unpleasant feelings by eating, drinking alcohol, smoking, using drugs, gambling and various other ways of escaping from reality.

One collaborative study found that more than 90% of pre-surgical morbidly obese patients use avoidance stress coping behavior to handle emotions, seeking comfort from negative feelings and stressful situations through the use and sometimes the abuse of food. There are strong associations between avoidance coping behavior, food addiction and lack of control over eating. Most food addicts feel that they have no control over their addiction in spite of having complete knowledge of its negative social and health consequences. They recognize the adverse effects the addiction has on friends, family, and self, but feel powerless over such behavior. This generates feelings of guilt and remorse thereby worsening the addictions and setting in motion a vicious cycle of avoidance and abuse.

Finally, doctor Akoury reiterates that, any negative feelings toward self, remorse, guilt and inappropriate stress coping behavior may cause neurochemical changes within the brain that adversely influence mood and cause a physical dependency for the addictive substance. These neurochemical defects occur in the limbic system of the brain, the area of the brain that controls mood and basic functions such as eating. And that explains the passionate reason that made doctor Akoury to create this medical facility to primarily help each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Besides, Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. You can reach her on telephone number 843 213 1480 for further professional guidance.

Food addiction pathways and obesity: The connection of food and weight gain

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