Friday March 12th I kick off my new internet radio show on the VoiceAmerica Health & Wellness Channel. It airs every Friday at 11 AM Pacific Time. For us challenged Arizonians that is 12 noon for the first show and 11 AM for the shows after that. Why does the nation still do that archaic practice of changing the clocks? Maybe just to confuse the Arizonians 
This is a new venue for me and I’m very excited! You can listen in live at http://www.voiceamerica.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1699
Unable to tune in live? Each episode is available for download from the archives!
My first show is about stress. Something I have become even more familiar with getting ready to do this show! I will be giving listeners some tips and herbal remedies for dealing with stress. The show is only an hour long and stress is such a big subject that I can’t cover it all so I am including some additional information here.
Stress is a normal physical response to events that upset your balance in some way. Problem is that the body doesn’t distinguish between a real physical threat and a threat that is only in your mind. The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When you perceive a threat your nervous system responds. You go into the ‘fight or flight’ mode, very useful to the caveman when the tiger was going to eat him. Unfortunately in today’s hectic world we spend a lot of time thinking about our stressful situations and that causes our body to be in a constant response mode. This can weaken our immune system and increase the risk of heart attack.
When asked most people would say that they are stressed. But how much is too much? Take this stress test and find out.
STRESS TEST
1. Do you feel tired all the time or have trouble sleeping?
2. Do you have a hard time relaxing or feel unable to relax?
3. Do you forget things all the time?
4. Are you frequently angry and tired at the end of the day?
5. Do you always feel under pressure?
6. Do you argue all the time, even about minor things?
7. Can you never find time for yourself?
8. Do you no longer want to socialize with others?
9. Do you lack patience and feel others are always wrong?
10. Do people often tell you that you seem tense or upset?
Everyone had bad days and feels some of the above, but if you answered ‘yes’ to two or more of these questions and/or feel this way regularly, chances are that you are stressed! Moreover, you may not be handling the stress in your life as well as you could be.
Find ways to deal with your stress. If possible remove those things that cause detrimental stress from your life. Some stressors are not easily removed so try to find an outlet for your stress. The simplest form of stress relief is to breathe. I don’t mean hyperventilate….I mean deep, relaxing breathing deep into your belly. On the out breath feel all the tension leave your body. Continue breathing deeply until you feel yourself relax. Other great stress reducers are massage, meditation,Yoga and exercise.
One of my favorite ways to let go of stress is with a cup of herbal tea. There are many different herbs that are useful, such as Lavender, Lemon Balm and Chamomile just to name a few. It is true that you can take these same herbs in tinctures or capsules but the very act of making yourself a nice cup of tea is relaxing in itself!
So figure out what your stressors are and then employ some techniques to reduce their effects on you. You’ll live a healthier, happier life!
