Stress doesn’t take a holiday, and it is one of the leading causes of health issues among adults. Of course minimizing stress is the obvious choice in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, but in a time of stretched dollars and pandemics, that is much easier said than done. Instead of relying on life to be easier, the smart strategy is to complete the stress cycle to let stress go and minimize the effects of internalized stress. Here are some smart strategies to beat stress and maximize health:
Outrun and Overcome
The best way to bring stress full circle is to get moving. Studies have repeatedly shown that stress of any kind activates our fight or flight response, and the only thing that convinces our bodies that we’ve escaped a stressor is to give our body the chance to run or fight. Activity is the king of easing stress, whether going for a walk or a morning run, taking micro-breaks to exercise during the workday, bicycling, boxing, and more. Need help getting into a good routine? Book a Medical Weight Management appointment today and get the support of a professional team in creating good habits.
Stay Hydrated
We talk about hydration a lot here, and it’s because being adequately hydrated is vital to so many aspects of health. Mild dehydration is a chronic stressor that aggravates any other stress we encounter, and it’s a simple fix. Wherever possible, swap any other beverage for water. On average, adults need at least 60oz of water per day, and some people need even more, especially with an active lifestyle. To stay fully hydrated and minimize the body’s stress response to chronic dehydration.
Eat Whole Foods
The idea of comfort food is strangely at odds with what most “comfort foods” do to the human body. Heavy meals with too much salt, fat, and carbs can weigh the body down, creating stress on the digestive tract and stealing the body’s ability to process stress appropriately. The foods most likely to create stress relief within your system are whole fruits and vegetables, cooked lightly to maximize the available nutrients. Our trained professional staff can help you learn to create tasty and satisfying dishes as part of Medical Weight Management counseling. We have honed our suggested menus to emphasize foods that support health without sacrificing flavor. Give us a try today!
Practice Mindfulness
Nothing builds stress quite like worry. A vital part of any wellness program is learning to disengage from the stress spiral of endless mental to-do lists. This can be done any number of ways, including meditation, Tai Chi, forest bathing, counted breathing exercises, and many more.
Rest
All of the stress-easing strategies in the world are incomplete without rest. End every day with at least 20 minutes of restful activity, whether coloring, journaling, catching up with friends and family, or just reading a good book. This gives your brain the opportunity to wind down stressful thought processes and increases the chance of getting deep, restful sleep. To help our patients carve out a little more rest time in their day, we offer Weight Management Telehealth to keep our patients’ time commitment low and still provide the coaching that helps create good habits.
Olivera Weight Loss believes in teaching our patients how to achieve their healthy living goals and minimize stress. Take advantage of our proven strategies for getting healthy at every level, whether through Medical Weight Management or Telehealth. Make your appointment today and discover the benefits we can bring to your healthy living efforts.
