Role of Sauna as a Major Stress Reliever

By: LesleyLyon

A sauna is a small room specially designed to experience wet or dry heat sessions. This has been derived from the Finnish. Finnish Sauna is a part of the Finnish culture. For Finnish people it is a place to spend time with family and friends and they also use sauna as a place for body and mind relaxation. They don't think sauna as a luxury, but as essential. The word sauna is a Finnish word, it refers to traditional Finnish bath and it is meant to describe a hot or moist environment. The people use sauna as a social affair, where people participate in it and temperature set will be over eighty degree centigrade. This helps them in relaxing.

The Finnish used the sauna to cleanse, revitalize or refresh body and mind on daily basis. When the Finns migrated to other places in the world, they introduced their sauna designs and health benefits to others. This helped in development of sauna and this became very popular in recent decades. Many physical education centers, gyms, private and public swimming pools have started including sauna facility. A sauna has different temperature for different seating levels. The temperature will be hotter in higher level bench and moderate in lower level bench. Keeping the sauna door open slightly even or for a few seconds will reduce the temperature and make the place cool. So the door must be closed properly.

Saunas help in stress relief. This is done in two ways, the first one is the natural relaxation experienced at the time of using sauna. The second one that it helps reduce the level of creation of chemicals in the body to keep the stress at bay.

The toxin leaves the skin through the pores while sweating. This happens when the heat is more or less but the sweating is more.

Sauna helps in reducing the body weight. As the sweating is more automatically the body weight will reduce compared to other exercises which help to burn unnecessary fat.

People with some skin problems like acne, skin irritations, scrapes, cuts etc benefits by spending time in the sauna. Due to increase in blood flow, more oxygen and nutrients help to refresh the skin.

When a person is sick or suffering from fever, his body begins to produce white blood cells to fight the sickness. Same course of action will happen; when a person spends his time in a sauna as the body temperature increases.

It provides relief to people who suffer from asthma and chronic bronchitis and also helps to improve joint mobility. It is effective for appetite loss and mild depression. It also helps to produce the hormones in men and boost the production of oestrogen in women. Thus usage of sauna benefits in many ways to all human beings.





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About the Author:
Read more on http://www.saunashome.info which is a comprehensive resource guide on saunas and spas. http://www.infraredspa.info is a complete online guide on infrared spa.

Tips For Combating Stress

By: Dimi Petrova

Stress is a natural response to any stimuli that affects our normal state of mind. While some amount of stress is normal, even beneficial, extreme or prolonged stress can be the root of many physical and emotional conditions including anxiety, depression, elevated blood pressure and eating or sleeping disorders.

Perhaps the best definition of stress comes from this unknown philosopher who once said “Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet.”

“And while that definition might be stretching it a bit for some, for many people it comes close to the truth,” according to Alix Needham B.ED Adv Dip E Hyp NLP, who is credited with pioneering the concept of Lifestyle Management over 15 years ago.

Alix, specialist advisor on stress to the NCH, has spent an enormous amount of time studying the causes of stress and the effect that stress has on our lives. Her clients include people from all walks of life who are struggling under the physical and emotional burdens of living a stressful life.

Different situations can trigger stress in different people, and not everyone experiences the same symptoms. What makes stress even more difficult to diagnose is the fact that it shares the symptoms of many other disorders and diseases. That’s why it is important to seek medical advice first if you are experiencing any of the following physical symptoms either alone or in tandem with others:

* Trouble Sleeping
* Chronic Pain in the Back, Shoulder Or Neck
* Frequent Tension Or Migraine Headaches
* Frequent Upset Or Acid Stomach
* Heartburn, Gas, or Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
* Unexplained Cramps
* Frequent Constipation or Diarrhea
* Unexplained Weight Gain Or Loss
* Eating Disorders
* Unexplained Hair Loss
* Excessive Muscle Tension
* Unexplained Fatigue
* High Blood Pressure

* Irregular Heartbeat
* Chronic Asthma
* Frequent Shortness of Breath
* Mild or Severe Chest Pain
* Unexplained Sweaty Palms Or Hands
* Chronic Cold Hands Or Feet
* Excessive Skin Problems
* Tooth or Jaw Pain

Stress can also create a number of emotional responses including:

* Nervousness, Anxiety, Panic
* Depression or Moodiness
* “Butterflies in the Stomach”
* Irritability, Frustration, Unexplained Anger
* Memory Problems and Lack Of Concentration

* Difficulty Thinking Clearly
* Feeling of Being “Out Of Control”
* Phobias
* Overreaction to Common Situations

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, and your doctor has ruled out any medical conditions, there’s a good chance that you’re suffering from stress.

Stress is a common reaction to life’s problems, and an occasional bout of short-lived stress is usually nothing to be concerned about according to Alix. Everyone suffers through stressful situations throughout life. The important issue is that you’re able to distinguish between temporary stress that is related to a specific occurrence or event in your life, and chronic stress which does not “go away” all by itself.

Chronic stress almost always leads to health-related problems as well as creating the opportunity to spiral down into depression. Stress also impacts relationships with family, friends and co-workers. Left unresolved, stress can lead to heart attack or stroke and can even result in suicide in extreme cases. More typically, many medical conditions can be brought on by stress as it has a tendency to repress our immune system leaving us more susceptible to common colds, flu and other infections.

Alix advises anyone who believes that they are suffering from stress to seek help at once. She believes that the average person can learn how to control their stress without resorting to prescription medicine or psychiatric treatment. In fact, she has a list of stress-controlling solutions on her web site that she recommends that all of her clients work thorough before thinking about scheduling an appointment to visit with her for more in-depth stress treatment.




Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Hypnotherapy London, Lifestyle Management, counselling and life coaching from Alix Needham. She runs a successful practice in Central London using her unique skills and expertise to help people improve their relationships and lead more fulfilling lives. Her hands on approach has given her a prominent media profile on TV, radio, and in the national press.

Ten Reasons EVERYONE Should Take Fish Oil

By: Billy McDermott

Omega-3 is an *essential fatty acid* (EFA for short) that must be provided in the diet, and cannot be made within the human body. It is used heavily within the brain, and throughout the body. One of the most abundant sources of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly the ones that are most important for the brain, EPA and DHA, happens to be fish. While many eastern societies still have a diet heavily consisting of fish, western societies do not. We, as a society, get less omega-3 fatty acids to keep our minds and bodies healthy, and depending on how crappy your diet is, you could be and likely are getting far too little. The ideal dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is approximately 2:1. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the average American diet is about 20:1. What we lack in omega-3 in our diet, our bodies must instead, use omega 6 as a substitute. This is not ideal! Omega 6 fatty acids produce inflammatory eicosanoids, which in excess are responsible for the epidemic of inflammatory diseases we suffer from in modern western society.

1.) Fish Oil, as well as other omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation. And that's good.
Uncontrolled inflammation is known to at least in-part be responsible for an enormous number of diseases, and the number of diseases it is known to be implicated in grows by the day. Some of these include: rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, depression, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, migraine headaches, and diabetes, just to name a few. Inflammation is very literally killing us. Even if you don't believe you suffer significantly from any of these -- keeping inflammation at bay is of extreme importance in maintaining overall health of the mind and body. It is now believed that the very process of inflammation may be directly connected to what we ordinarily call "aging."

2.) There is compelling evidence fish oil may be a natural treatment for depression.
Our brain consists of a strange concoction of neurochemicals. Feeling good or bad at any given moment depends literally on the chemical soup within your brain. Those NATURAL feel good neurochemicals all of us are supposed to have... some people seem to just have less of. Thankfully, science is beginning to show that natural health supplements may offer an extremely effective alternative to pharmaceuticals like anti-depressants for improving well-being.

Did you know that depression, chronic anxiety, ADHD, schizophrenia, insomnia and other mental ailments are more common in western society than much of eastern society? That's right. We really are... what we eat. And we don't eat enough fish.

The aforementioned mental illnesses have been shown to indeed have a heavy negative correlation with the blood plasma levels of levels of the omega-3 fatty acid EPA. While correlation does not always indicate causation, it has also been shown that people with chronic diseases such as that of bipolar can sometimes expect to receive up to 50% relief from their symptoms in as little time as a single month!

3.) Omega-3 prevented neuronal damage in an animal model for Parkinson's disease.
An animal model of Parkinson's used a neurotoxin to stimulate damage to dopamine neurons in mice. Damage normally caused by this neurotoxin was completely prevented by consumption of a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids when compared to controls. This does not mean that fish oil prevents parkinson's, but at least in this model it does show promise. Animal models are regularly used to test hypotheses on possible treatments for diseases.

4.) Omega-3 offers a likely means for preventing alzheimers.
Studies have shown that DHA, and omega-3 fat, reduces the secretion of amyloid-beta plaque -- the stuff that causes alzheimers. It also induces the expression of anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective genes. Basically, it helps you keep your brain cells intact.

5.) Fish Oil shows promise in preventing cognitive decline in the elderly.
In a study of 210 elderly men between the ages of 70 and 89 it was shown that the omega-3 fatty acid intake from consumption of fish had a significant effect on cognitive decline over a period of five years. Those of whom ate more fish showed subsequent less cognitive decline than nonconsumers of fish. It has also been observed that lifelong consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is associated with better cognitive aging -- even after controlling for childhood IQ.

6.) Studies have shown fish oil supplementation is likely beneficial for autistics.
Autism in the last decade has been increasingly diagnosed. The major cause of this is because autism is no longer as narrowly defined as it was at one time, and in fact may be more realistically a spectrum of symptoms that make up autism. Autism is more likely to be diagnosed when any of these symptoms from the autistic spectrum are present strongly enough to call for a diagnosis of pure autism. In addition, there is evidence that autistics may have altered omega-3 metabolism, meaning that they may need more omega-3 than the "normal" population.

7.) Fish Oil given to pregnant mothers later boosted the hand-eye coordination of their children.
One study showed that pregnant women given 1.1g of EPA per day, and 2.2g of DHA per day significantly increased hand-eye coordination compared to controls when later re-assesed at 2.5 years of age. The improvements in hand-eye coordination were correlated to an increase in omega-3 fatty acids found in the umbilical cord blood

8.) Fish Oil can prevent heart disease.
This fact is widely known and has been for years, and, in fact, is probably the most common benefit associated with omega-3 there is. The NIH states that fish oil is highly recommended for hypertriglyceridemia, secondary cardiovascular disease prevention and high blood pressure.

9.) Omega-3 has been shown to increase the production of testosterone in male rats.
The need to maintain a healthy level of sex hormones for the upkeep of health needs little elaboration. While the use of clinical treatments like hormone replacement therapy is becoming widespread, it only makes sense to try to increase the body's natural production of sex hormones before relying on such means. Fish oil may be proven in the future to be one such method. In the study using rats, the omega-3 was used to make more effective cell membranes which helped the natural chemical processes to occur more readily. It helped the body's natural mechanisms for producing testosterone to work better in these rats.

10.) Omega-3 has been shown to positively affect muscle mass in steers.
Fish oil given to steers caused them to be able to increase protein metabolism when compared to controls. They were able to use twice the amount of amino acids to synthesize new proteins. This is believed to be caused by an increase in insulin sensitivity by the ingestion of fish oil in the steers. Animals that are given omega-3's also "seem to be able to spontaneously eat 10% less food to achieve the same weight gain."

How should I take omega-3, and how much of it?
In the majority of the studies that it showed to have massive benefit they were taking it in amounts of 1-2g of EPA per DAY. This is more than you can get from taking two of those cheap generic brand pills you were tempted to run out and buy. You're going to need to get some good, pure, concentrated fish oil. The higher-quality stuff has significantly less (if any) fishy taste too. I personally take approximately 2g of EPA a day, and have noticed a tremendous correlation in my ability to unwind and stay relaxed throughout the day since I've began taking it. To say this has simply impacted my wellbeing would be an understatement. It has also been shown that taking the fish oil with a meal is best because it prevents the oil from being burned for calories, and a supplemental vitamin E seems to help the absorption as well.
This article is informational and in no way constitutes medical advice, nor have any of these statements been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration.





Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
A clean, high-dose brand with a good ratio of EPA to DHA omega-3 fats can be found at: http://www.cultivatedpower.com/prods/fishoil . A full works cited for this article, as well as other articles written by Billy McDermott can be found at: Pick up Artists in Memphis doing training camps.