Everyday Health Triggers Series

LONG COMMUTES

Yoga - The stress buils anxiety. Chanting something, deep conscious breathing or the Hridayamudra help heal the heart.

Hridaya Mudra

This mudra diverts the flow of energy from the hands to the heart area. The middle and ring fingers relate directly to nadis connected to the heart, while the thumb closes the pranic circuit and acts as an energiser, diverting the flow of prana from the hands to these nadis. Hridaya mudra helps to release pent up emotion and unburden the heart.

Cardio - Daily stress all adds up. reading or listening to music take your mind off the stress and soothes.

Endo - If your commute involves a brisk walk, it is good. If the commute is more than one hour it cuts down your sleep time, is a sedentary activity and adds to hypertension. Listen to music - it lessens stress.

Psych - Long commutes can result in high blood pressure, anger and resentment. The key is to take your mind off it - enjoy music or the view around to relax.

Source - TOI

TIPS FOR REDUCING STRESS - Part 1

1.   Laugh.

When you laugh, you actually cause a pleasurable change in your body’s chemistry that lasts as long as 45 minutes. So take in a comedy at the movies, watch a funny television show, or invite friends over for a game of charades.

2.   Pets.

Physical contact with pets or even just their presence has been proved to be therapeutic for hospital patients. Play with your dog, hold your cat, or sing to your bird: all of these activities can help reduce blood pressure and bring a feeling of calm.

3.   Nature.

The soothing, stress-relieving power of nature has been recognized for centuries. Many hospitals and health centers now make “nature areas” a part of their therapeutic environment. And when properly tailored to the individual’s conditioning and enjoyment, physical exercise can help reduce stress and anxiety. Take a walk outside!

4.   Music.

Music’s calming effect has been proved during dental procedures, during labor, before and after surgery, and in emergency rooms. This effect is probably due to music’s ability to distract and soothe.

To Be Continued....

Reduce Blood Pressure Naturally - Part 2

Yesterday we saw 3 ways to reduce High Blood Pressure Naturally. Today we will see the rest 5 ways :

GO SLOW ON THE SALT

Whether you have a family history of high blood pressure or not, reducing your salt intake of salt can make a  huge difference to your health. before adding that extra pinch of salt to your food, think if you really need it. Try substituting salt with lime, garlic, pepper or other herbs and spices. Go slow on processed and packaged foods. Potato chips, frozen chicken nuggets, bacon, etc are high in sodium. Try calculating your daily sodium consumption. Keep a food diary and you may be surprised at how much you are taking in.

DARK CHOCOLATE BENEFITS

The darker variety of chocolate has flavonols that make blood vessels more elastic. Choose one that has at least 70 per cent cocoa to really reap the benefits. 

ALCOHOL ALERT

While it does provide some health benefits, alcohol can also be bad for your health. If consumed in small amounts, it can prevent heart attacks and coronary artery disease. But, more than one or two drinks and the benefits are gone. Keep a check on your drinking patterns and if you are a heavy drinker, start reducing slowly. Never indulge in binge drinking. Consuming four or five drinks in a row can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure.

TEA BENEFITS

Herbal teas are the way to go. In a study conducted, those who sipped on hibiscus tea daily lowered their blood pressure. Many herbal teas contain hibiscus or you can always opt for green tea. The effects of caffeine are still debatable. Drinking caffeinated beverages can temporarily increase pressure. The solution is to check your pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee to determine if it works for your body.

REDUCE WORK AND RELAX

Reducing the number of hours you spend in office can help lower hypertension. Working overtime makes it hard to exercise and eat healthy. Ensure that you get out of office at a decent hour. Learning to relax by listening to soothing music can help.

Concluded.

Source : Health Wellness, TOI