Dealing with the Emotion of Anger

Anger is an emotion that comes from feeling a loss of control, perceived unfair treatment, hurt pride, and not getting what we want. It also arises when we have different values and morals than others. Many get angry that others believe differently or have a lifestyle that is in contrast to them.

If you are physically attacked, then anger can serve you by protecting yourself. If you are wronged by someone, then anger could allow you to defend your position. However, it can be a negative in dealing with these types of circumstance as well.

Being angry momentarily is normal and common. It can be a way to vent the emotion you are feeling. Prolonged anger is proven to be a significant cause of heart disease and heart attacks. When anger promotes aggression then you have taken your emotion into dangerous territory.

When you are angry it can cause physical stress. Some of the physical symptoms include headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, weakened immune system, high blood pressure, back pain, and excess fat in the mid-section.

Anger can also cause mental stress. It might make you feel frustrated, impatient, vengeful, and obsess over the cause of the anger. It is not an emotion to “hold” onto.

I was angry most of my youth. It became the driving force early on in my life. After years of therapy, I realized how damaging it was for me. I was angry for many reasons, but most of it stemmed from childhood and the dysfunctional family that I grew up in. Everyone was angry in my family; it was the emotion that dominated.

I even defended keeping my anger when a Doctor once tried to convince me to work on getting rid of it. I lived with two emotions, Anger and Depression. When I was angry I could function, but when I was depressed I could not do anything. So anger was helpful in my ability to live. Or so I thought.

I learned that anger and depression were not the only two emotions I had to live by. I also learned to examine the situations that angered me and analyze if I was taking it personally (remember nothing ever is), if it was ego driven, and how to take a moment and breath before I reacted.

Another tool to use against unhealthy anger is to be aware of its physical symptoms. When you feel your adrenalin and blood pressure begin to rage, take a moment and look at the situation with a calmer more observing mind. Let your physical body get back to normal before you react.

Anger is a normal emotion. It is not normal or healthy to hold on to it, become vengeful, and obsess over it for lengthy periods of time. We all get angry, but it usually is not beneficial to ourselves or those around us.

Mindfulness tips for Anger:

Choose to stop and think before you react in anger. Stop and breathe to calm yourself down. Ask yourself if you are taking it personally and reacting from ego. Try and not react when you are angry. Wait until you have had some time to think about the situation and then come from a less emotional place. If you find you can’t stop being angry, find a family member, friend, or professional therapist that you can trust to help you move on from it.

Till tomorrow,

Queenie

Reasons To Stay Away From Processed Foods

What are processed foods? A processed food has been altered from its original state, basically any food that nature has not made. Breads, cookies, crackers, pastas, canned foods, cereals, packaged meats, candy bars, and chips are just a few examples of a processed food.

Most processed foods are considered high in calories but low in nutritional value. This means that you are at a much higher risk of getting fat eating these kind of foods. Processed foods are linked to the obesity epidemic that is happening in our country today.

If you want to be healthy and look and feel your best, stay away from processed foods. It is one of the main reasons that we have two thirds of our population over weight or obese. If you look back to the last fifty years, people began to get fat with the inception of processed foods.

Fast foods are some of the worst processed foods. They contain high amounts of sodium, sugar, and fats, to keep people coming back for more.

Processed foods have things in them like BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene) and BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) which are used as preservatives. These two ingredients are currently being investigated for their potential to promote cancer.

Sulfites are common in processed foods and are known to aggravate asthma. Artificial coloring is linked to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), asthma, and skin conditions.

Artificial Sweeteners also common in foods that are processed, can lead to an accumulation of formaldehyde and methanol in the intestine. Methanol is used in anti-freeze and formaldehyde is used as an embalming preservative. Hmmmm, I don't think I want either of those in my body if I am still alive.

Pesticides are found in fresh and processed foods. Neither is good. Studies show foods with pesticides can lead to genetic damage, causing cancer, particularly in growing children.

Trans-fats are another horrible ingredient in processed foods. However the government has now put legal limits on the amounts that can be used in our foods. I say zero amount would be O.K. Trans-fats increase the bad cholesterol and decrease the good cholesterol, and are also linked to cancer.

White flour, white sugar, and high fructose corn syrup, are found in many processed foods. Once again lots of calories and no nutritional value. Remember we eat for nutrition as our number on priority. If your diet consists largely of processed foods, you may be at risk of having poor nutrition, which could cause you to be at risk of disease and poor health.

It is no wonder that there are so many people who experience cancer, heart disease, ADHD, ADD, autism, and numerous other diseases. How much of that is due to what we have been eating in the past fifty years?

There are some processed foods that are not as bad. Read the food labels before you buy anything that is in a package, box, or bag. If you can not pronounce or have no understanding of what is in that food, I would recommend not buying it. If the ingredients are natures foods and not chemicals, it will be a better choice.

I eat cereals that have whole grain with no preservatives, artificial colorings, or artificial flavourings in them. They have not been fortified or enriched. That means vitamins and minerals have been added after the original ones were processed out.

Our bodies know what to do with natures foods, but not how to deal with the chemicals that are in processed foods. These kinds of foods are not promoting health and lower body fat, they promote the opposite, obesity and illness.

As much as you can, choose natures foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and lean meats, foul, and seafood. These are the foods that will keep you feeling good and looking good. We need to do what we can to avoid disease. Staying away from processed foods might help in that quest.

We can choose health or we can choose to be unhealthy by what we are eating. Eating less processed food and more of natures foods will help you to choose health. I promise you will feel and look better for it.

Till tomorrow,
Queenie

Ahhhhhh, Nothing Better Then a Bike Ride!

I just came in from doing a bike ride and I am feeling exhilarated as I usually am after being on my bike...Is there anything better? I am so lucky that I live in this beautiful Valley that is lined with horse ranches and vineyards. Right now the hills are green like Ireland and I am in heaven as I ride down the rolling country roads. It is just fantastic.

Anyone who knows me knows that cycling is one of my favorite activities to do. There are so many benefits to riding a bike. It is one of the best ways to shape and strengthen your legs and butt. It is also terrific for improving your cardiovascular conditioning and it is great fun. If you can ride your bike to school or around town, you’ll be helping the environment and getting fit at the same time.

The health benefits of cycling are many. According to the British Heart Foundation, cycling a minimum of twenty miles per week reduces the risk of coronary heart disease to less than half that of non-cyclists. Cycling at a gentle 12 mph on a flat road uses an average (depending on body weight and size) 450 calories per hour. Imagine what a little intensity will do.

Riding a bike still brings out the kid in me. There is a sense of freedom in it. Feeling the wind on your face, the fresh air, and the beautiful scenery make for a great way to stay fit and healthy.

One of the best feelings in the world to me is how I feel after a long bike ride. All of those wonderful “natural sedative” endorphins that have been released into my body leave me feeling calm, relaxed, and happy.

It is very important to have proper bike fit, along with certain comfort and safety gear. An uncomfortable bike fit will surly keep you from wanting to ride. If the saddle is adjusted too high or too low, you will not like it. Also, it is important to have the right size frame for your height.

You must have a helmet when riding a bike. There is great risk when you do not. A small fall could leave you with a head injury, with a helmet you would most likely not have any injury at all. If you get on a bike, a helmet must be on your head!

It is also important to carry water with you on your bike. Water cages are pretty standard on bikes. Dehydration is not good when you are riding. Also make sure you are fueled up with food an hour or two before you ride. Having a blood sugar crash while riding is no fun at all. I carry protein bars or glucose products with me when I ride just in case. I also ride with electrolytes in my water to help keep my body hydrated.

It doesn't matter if you are on a mountain bike, road bike, cross trainer, or beach cruiser, you can have great fun and experience one of the best ways to be fit. You will never see an avid bike rider that does not have great legs and a toned butt.

If you are just beginning to ride start with five to ten miles on easy terrain. Then add time and difficulty as you progress. Riding bikes will bring out the kid in you, shape your legs and butt, reduce your body fat, strengthen your heart, and give you a feeling of exhilaration.

It is just another choice for you to be healthy and happy, I hope you give it a try!

Till tomorrow,
Queenie

Meditation; A Tool for Relaxation and Inner Peace

Meditation is one of the best ways to reduce stress and anxiety. It will help calm you when things around you are not. Meditation can improve not only your mental state, but your physical body will benefit too.

Meditation seems to be a solo undertaking, but in reality it will take the feeling of isolation and loneliness away replacing it with a sense of connectedness and inner peace.

Meditation is usually associated with spiritual practices. However, it also has many health benefits physically and mentally. It will lower blood pressure, lower oxygen consumption, decrease respiratory rate, decrease depression and anxiety, decrease muscle tension, enhance the immune system, and increase serotonin production which influences mood and behavior.

According to Dr. Herbert Benson, founder of the Mind Body Medical Institute at Boston’s New England Deaconess Hospital, meditation can be an important complement to conventional medical treatment for depression, anxiety, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia's, migraine headaches, insomnia, and many other conditions.

University of Massachusetts Medical School, recorded the brain waves of stressed-out employees in a high-tech firm in Madison, Wisconsin. Split into two groups, one group was asked to meditate while the other was left alone as a control group.

All participants had their brain waves scanned three times during the study. Researchers found the meditator's were calmer and happier than before.

Webster’s dictionary defines meditation as “deep thought”. A more appropriate definition might be the absence of thought, or clearing the mind of chatter. By the way that is easier said than done. When trying not to think of things, you find yourself thinking of trying not to think of things.

Neuroscientists have found that meditator's shift their brain activity to different areas of the cortex – brain waves in the stress-prone right frontal cortex move to the calmer left frontal cortex. This mental shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression and anxiety. There is also less activity in the amygdale, where the brain processes fear.

Daija Napier, founder of the Insight Meditation Center of Boston, states that “Meditation frees persons from tenacious preoccupation with the past and future and allows them to fully experience life’s precious moments.”

“Many people tend to live in a state of perpetual motion and expectation that prevents them from appreciating the gifts that each moment gives us. We live in a state of insufficiency, waiting for a mother to love us, for a father to be kind, for the perfect job or home, for Prince Charming to come along or to become a perfect person. It is a myth that keeps us from being whole.”

There are many types and ways to meditate. There is Transcendental, Zen, Mindfulness, Buddhist, Christian, and numerous others, but a good way to begin is to find a quiet comfortable place to sit. Close your eyes, and begin to relax the muscles in your body. Breathe slowly and naturally, and as you do, repeat a focus word, phrase, think of a place that makes you feel good, or prayer silently to yourself while breathing.

Don’t worry about how well you are doing. When thoughts come into your mind, let them pass and gently return to the repetition of your focus word or phrase. Try this for ten to twenty minutes. When finished, open your eyes and take a minute before rising. Practice this technique once or twice daily.

The longer an individual practices meditation, the greater the likelihood that his or her goals and efforts will shift toward personal and spiritual growth. Remember meditation is a practice, not a one time deal. Like exercise, it needs to be part of your daily regime for staying healthy and balanced.

Sometime life gives us difficult and challenging times. With meditation we can acquire an inner peace allowing us to handle these times with less stress and fear. We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can control how we deal with it through meditation.

Think of it as a mini vacation away from worry, fear, and chaotic thoughts. It’s free and you don’t have to travel far to get there. Ahhhhhhh, my kind of vacation!

Till tomorrow,
Queenie

A Day of Fun, Exercise, and Meditation

Today I took my fall "G.P.S." class of Girls on a field trip to Santa Barbara. My friend Hildy volunteered to come along too.

We left the Valley in the morning and drove along the beautiful coast line south to Santa Barbara. We couldn't have chosen a better day. The weather was perfect, 73 degree's or so.

Our first stop was the Santa Barbara City College. This is one of the best community college's in the country. The track is a great place to work out with very challenging stadiums that offer an incredible butt and leg work out.

The girls ran two laps on the track and then did two stadiums, running up the bleachers. This is an anaerobic workout that shoots your heart rate up to its 90 to 95 percent. It will really tone up the legs and butt as well.

After finishing the stadiums, we did push ups off the railings of the bleachers, tri-cep dips on the benches, and V sit crunches also on the benches.

Then the girls repeated the whole thing, two laps, stadiums, push-ups, tri-cep dips, and crunches. A great work out in an amazing place. At the top of the stadiums was a view of the ocean and the boats in the marina. Not a bad spot to work out.

We left the track and did a walk on the beach. Here we were in short sleeves, barefoot, and sweating, while the rest of the country is in freezing temperatures. We felt lucky!

Now we were hungry! The girls had burned around 500 calories during their workout, so we were off for lunch on the pier overlooking the beautiful Santa Barbara Harbour.

Our lunch was great, with the exception of some menacing pigeons flying around our heads and feet while we ate. Everyone chose good things for lunch...no one ordered anything deep fried! Excellent choices Girls!

After filling our bellies with good food, we left the restaurant and headed for the meditation temple located up in the hills of Montecito.

This Temple is serene with a view of all of Santa Barbara. It is peaceful with only the sound of the birds outside while we sat in quiet meditation.

Now that we had been exercised, fed, and mentally quieted, it was time for a sweet treat.

We were off for Pink Berry Yogurt. It is a great treat with less sugar than most other brands. We all got fresh fruit on top, and then ate it as we walked through the shops downtown. A nice way to end a great day.

My point to all of this is to show you how you can blend exercise and healthy activities into your weekend of fun. Instead of feeling guilty about eating too much and not moving enough over your weekend, plan some activities that include your exercise and healthy food.

We had a great time and I look forward to doing it again soon.

Thanks Girls!! You were great!

Till Tomorrow
Queenie

Are You Eating Enough Protein?

Protein is one basic component of food and makes all life possible. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. They provide for the transport of nutrients, oxygen, and waste throughout the body. They build and repair muscle, and provide collagen to connective tissues of the body and to the tissues of the skin, hair, nails, muscle, bones, and blood.

Protein is essential for growth, creating muscle, and the repair of tissue. If you are working out and not eating any protein your results will be hard to attain.

When you have an infection, you should eat more protein because it helps create the antibodies your immune system needs to fight disease. If you are injured, you may need more, as well, to help your blood clot and make repairs.

Where do we get protein from? Meat, chicken, pork, turkey, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, some grains, and in dairy products like cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese, are ways to get good protein sources.

Females need a minimum of 50 grams of protein per day. An average egg has 9 to 10 grams, average chicken breast has 20 grams, and 4 ounces of beef has about 25 grams. When looking at dairy products read the label to see how many grams of protein are in it. The amount of protein in nuts will vary by type and serving size.

If you are active and are more of an athlete you will require more than 50 grams a day. It will depend on how much you are training and what kind of training you are doing.

I have known a few Vegans in my time, and I can tell you that most of them lacked in muscle and strength. It does not mean you can't be strong being a vegan, but you will have to be very focused on getting enough protein from grains and vegetables. Not easy to do.

There was a study done with two groups of women who had undergone face Lazar. One group were meat eaters, and the other were vegans.

The group that ate meat for their protein source healed in two to four weeks, while the vegan group took up to six months and experienced redness and blotching even after the six months.

Protein is what heals you. Your body repairs itself while you are sleeping. That is when growth, repair, and rest happens. It is important to eat enough protein and get enough sleep for your body to benefit from the exercise you have put it through.

Another way to get protein is with protein powders. Try and find powders that do not have a lot of sugar, chemicals, or artificial sweeteners in them. The purer the better. I prefer soy protein, but most powders are made from whey (a byproduct of cheese) because it is the cheapest form to buy.

Most protein powders have 20 grams per serving, which makes it easier to get your minimum of 50 grams a day. Just make a fruit smoothie and add a scoop of protein powder to it. It's tasty and easy to do.

If it is muscle you are after, you must be getting enough protein. Make the choice to eat the right foods that will get you the right amounts of protein, train right, and watch your body become healthy, beautiful, and strong.

Till tomorrow
Queenie

Staying Young and Healthy with Strength Training

Strength training is important for creating muscle, building strong bones, increasing our metabolism, and reversing the aging process. It is vital for optimum health.

There are four places in the world that are called Blue Zones. They have found people who live in these zones reach the age of 100 at rates 10 times greater than in the United States. Where people suffer a fraction of the rate of heart disease and cancer than we do and where people are getting the extra 10 years that we're missing.

There are several things that these groups have in common, eating foods that are grown in local gardens, having passion in whatever they are doing, a strong sense of community, and consistently doing activities that build muscle up until they die.

Muscle keeps us young and strong. It helps you to have better posture. It will define your body and give you the shape that you would like. Muscle burns more calories,increases your metabolism. therefore Muscle is a very good thing to have.

There is a common misunderstanding for many females about muscle, and that is that they can get "big" by lifting weights. Most of the time that is not true. Unless you are genetically predisposed, or have higher levels of testosterone, getting "big" for most females would take a tremendous effort.

You do not need to lift heavy weights. Light weights and high repetitions are a great way to tone and define your body.

When choosing weights for strength training the body, proper form and alignment is crucial to avoid injury and obtain the results you are looking for. Make sure you have proper instruction when starting a weight training program. Every gym offers this service.

There are many other ways to strength train. Palates is a very popular form of strength training. It also gives an added benefit of flexibility and core strength.

Core strength is also very important to develop. Working with an exercise ball and following instructions for ball exercises is a great way to strength train your core and the entire body.

Push ups work a multitude of muscles in the upper body. Lunges and ball squats can strengthen your lower body to perfection. Performing plank exercises can give your body, especially your core, powerful strength.

Put a strength training program on your schedule. Start with two to three days a week for 15 to 30 minutes, and then increase it as you become stronger. You can make your body look its absolute best by creating muscle and lowering your body fat to a healthy percentage.

Without enough protein in your diet, you will have a difficult time building muscle and keeping it. Protein is what your body needs to repair and create more muscle. I will be spending more time on this subject later.

Its your choice how you choose to look. If you want to have that toned, tight, shaply body, you need muscle!

You make choices all day long about what you are eating, how you are moving, and what you are thinking. Ultimately these choices create your outcome of how you look and feel. You are the captain of your own ship, start taking control of it!

Having muscle will have you looking fantastic, feeling awesome, support keeping you lean, and reverse the aging process. What's not to like?

Till tomorrow
Queenie