Relieve of stress and fatigue-naturally

(NaturalNews) Is there food that you correlate with stress? A fast food, high calorie meal grabbed at a drive-in restaurant might fill the bill. But the color, smell, juicy sweetness and cool texture of a delicious melon -- whether a cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew or another kind -- conjures up a relaxing scenario. Now scientists have found that a natural substance derived from melons may actually be an antidote to stress.

When most of us say we are experiencing too much stress, we mean we are overloaded with work, personal problems, and life in general. Of course, a certain amount of stress can be stimulating and even exciting. But when we have stressors without a break, a host of symptoms from irritability and an inability to concentrate to a fast heartbeat, headaches and a reduced resistance to infections can develop. So it's not hard to suspect a causal connection between feeling stressed out and showing physical symptoms.

In fact, recent studies have demonstrated a correlation between perceived stress and what scientists call oxidative stress -- a steady state level of oxidative damage in a cell, tissue, or organ caused by the reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS, such as free radicals and peroxides, represent a class of molecules derived from the metabolism of oxygen that has been linked to several diseases, including metastatic breast cancer.

Antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes are known to help break down potentially harmful oxygen molecules in cells, potentially preventing ROS damage to tissues. So scientist Marie-Anne Milesi and her colleagues at Isoclin, a clinical research organization located in Poitiers, France, decided to test an ingredient derived from a melon which is rich in SOD enzymes to see if augmenting the body's ability to deal with ROS would help people resist burnout from high stress levels.

For their double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, just published in BioMed Central's open access Nutrition Journal, the scientists recruited seventy healthy volunteers between the ages of 30 and 55 years who complained of experiencing daily stress and fatigue. Once a day for four weeks, 35 of the research subjects took a dietary supplement based on a proprietary melon juice concentrate (corresponding to 140 IU of SOD per capsule) and the other 35 were given a placebo. Stress and fatigue were measured using four different psychometric scales known as FARD, PSS-14, SF-12 and the Epworth scale.

There were no adverse side effects found but the group that received the melon juice concentrate capsule had significantly reduced signs of stress and fatigue. They experienced better concentration, less weariness and insomnia and less irritability. In a statement to the press, Milesi noted there was a strong placebo effect in the 35 research subjects who received an inactive capsule filled with starch. However, the group that received the actual melon-derived SOD had far greater improvements in fatigue and feelings of stress, especially after four weeks.


"The placebo effect was only present during the first seven days of supplementation and not beyond. It will be interesting to confirm these effects and better understand the action of antioxidants on stress in further studies with a larger number of volunteers and a longer duration," Milesi said.


In additional research news about stress relief from melons, this summer Japanese scientists from the Institute of Gerontology at Nippon Medical School in Kawasaki reported in the journal Behavioral Brain Research that a SOD supplement derived from melons prevented stress-induced impairment of cognitive function in animal studies. The researchers also found that melon superoxide dismutase extract promoted antioxidant defenses in the brain and prevented stress caused impairment of spatial memory.

For more information:
http://www.nutritionj.com/content/p...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...

Create a positive stress vs.the negative stress

(NaturalNews) Everyone has preferred oft-used methods for easing tension or stress. Sometimes these methods are productive and other times coping methods cause more problems than the original sources of stress. Some positive coping methods are meditation, exercise, deep breathing, journaling, and listening to music. Negative coping strategies include drinking alcohol to excess, smoking, using drugs and overeating. Stress-reduction methods that have positive long-term health benefits are the best choices. It is important to remember that stress is not nearly as critical as how it is dealt with. Here are some suggestions for positive coping methods.

Adjust Environment: Color, lighting and sound can either be soothing and comforting, or jarring and unhealthy.

*Light: Inadequate or artificial indoor lighting can cause stress that creates agitation, disorganized thinking, physical discomfort, and even disease. Conventional fluorescent lighting produces light that is deficient of some of the wavelengths that are contained in natural sunlight. Studies have shown that replacing this kind of lighting with full-spectrum fluorescent that more closely resembles sunlight can reduce stress levels.

*Sound: The sounds around us can either ease or contribute to stress. For this reason, it is important to become aware of how noise affects us.

*Color: Color can have both an emotional and physiological impact on stress levels. The impact of color comes from different vibrations inherent in different colors.

Seek Respite: A change of pace can enable one to find a new way to view a problem. Stop and find something else to do. Take a break. Take a nap. Force the mind to focus on something other than the source of stress.

Physical Activity: In the face of negative emotions such as sadness, anger, or pain, physical activity can help both emotionally and physically. Try physical activities like walking, hiking, stretching, jogging, running, or riding a bicycle to release pent-up energy associated with high stress levels. Even ten minutes of activity can be very effective for reducing stress levels.

Improve Time Management: Learning how to manage one's time will reduce stress and make one more effective at reaching daily goals. Use a daily planner or a "to do" list and learn how to minimize interruptions that consume precious time.

Learn How to Delegate: Delegating tasks not only reduces stress and creates more time; it also promotes trust in relationships.

Be Aware of Stress Symptoms: When under stress, the heart beats faster, muscles tighten, breathing becomes shallower, and often nausea or headache will result. When symptoms of stress appear, stop and take a break.

Get Adequate Sleep: Getting enough sleep will enable one to better handle stress. Sleeping environment is important as well. Make sure that nothing interferes with peaceful sleep.

Learn How to Laugh: Laughter is a great way to fight stress. Studies have shown that laughter causes a measurable decrease in stress and a measurable increase in the immune system. Laughter increases blood flow to the brain and at the same time endorphins are released into the body making one feel better.

Find Someone to Talk To: Stress can be reduced by talking it over with someone. Find someone who will listen without judgment and who will help find solutions. Seek out optimistic people because these people tend to have lower stress levels in their own lives.

Learn Affirmations: Find some positive phrases that fit, learn them, and repeat them often. Write uplifting notes to yourself.

Say No When Necessary: Having too many responsibilities creates stress. Know your limitations and stay within them. Be sure to say NO without feeling guilty!

Breathe Deeply: Stress promotes shallow, rapid breathing. This deprives the body of oxygen and further exacerbates stress. Consciously breathing slowly and deeply will help the body relax.

Eat a Nutritious Diet: Often stress leads people to eat unhealthy foods, but this will only worsen the stressful situation. Highly refined foods have a bad effect on blood sugar levels and this will contribute to feelings of stress. Eating whole foods will help the body stay regulated and within normal levels.

Count Those Blessings: Focusing on problems contributes to stress. Trying to dwell on the things that are right will encourage feelings of appreciation. Appreciation is a powerful stress-buster.

Get a Massage: A massage will increase blood flow, lower blood pressure, help one rest, and elevate mood.

When all else fails, take a day and give it to yourself. Make it a day that you do not put anyone else ahead of yourself for that period of time. Spend time in activities that will renew the spirit and reaffirm priorities. This should make it possible to return to regular life feeling refreshed and renewed with a better sense of purpose and direction.

Source: http://www.inspiredliving.com/stres...

Meditation and yoga's benefits

Meditation, Yoga Might Switch Off Stress Genes

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
Wednesday, July 2, 2008; 12:00 AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...8070200973.html


WEDNESDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they've taken a significant stride forward in understanding how relaxation techniques such as meditation, prayer and yoga improve health: by changing patterns of gene activity that affect how the body responds to stress.

The changes were seen both in long-term practitioners and in newer recruits, the scientists said.

"It's not all in your head," said Dr. Herbert Benson, president emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "What we have found is that when you evoke the relaxation response, the very genes that are turned on or off by stress are turned the other way. The mind can actively turn on and turn off genes. The mind is not separated from the body."


One outside expert agreed.

"It's sort of like reverse thinking: If you can wreak havoc on yourself with lifestyle choices, for example, [in a way that] causes expression of latent genetic manifestations in the negative, then the reverse should hold true," said Dr. Gerry Leisman, director of the F.R. Carrick Institute for Clinical Ergonomics, Rehabilitation and Applied Neuroscience at Leeds Metropolitan University in the U.K.

"Biology is not entirely our destiny, so while there are things that give us risk factors, there's a lot of 'wiggle' in this," added Leisman, who is also a professor at the University of Haifa in Israel. "This paper is pointing that there is a technique that allows us to play with the wiggle."

Benson, a pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine, is co-senior author of the new study, which is published in the journalPLoS One.

Benson first described the relaxation response 35 years ago. Mind-body approaches that elicit the response include meditation, repetitive prayer, yoga, tai chi, breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, guided imagery and Qi Gong.

"Previously, we had noted that there were scores of diseases that could be treated by eliciting the relaxation response -- everything from different kinds of pain, infertility, rheumatoid arthritis, insomnia," Benson said.

He believes that this study is the first comprehensive look at how mind states can affect gene expression. It also focuses on gene activity in healthy individuals.

Benson and his colleagues compared gene-expression patterns in 19 long-term practitioners, 19 healthy controls and 20 newcomers who underwent eight weeks of relaxation-response training.

More than 2,200 genes were activated differently in the long-time practitioners relative to the controls and 1,561 genes in the short-timers compared to the long-time practitioners. Some 433 of the differently activated genes were shared among short-term and long-term practitioners.

Further genetic analysis revealed changes in cellular metabolism, response to oxidative stress and other processes in both short- and long-term practitioners. All of these processes may contribute to cellular damage stemming from chronic stress.

Another expert had a mixed response to the findings.

Robert Schwartz, director of the Texas A&M Health Science Center's Institute of Biosciences and Technology in Houston, noted that the study was relatively small. He also wished that there had been more data on the levels of stress hormones within the control group, for comparison purposes.

However, Schwartz called the study "unique and very exciting. It demonstrates that all these techniques of relaxation response have a biofeedback mechanism that alters gene expression."

He pointed out that the researchers looked at blood cells, which consist largely of immune cells. "You're getting the response most probably in the immune cell population," Schwartz said.

"We all are under stress and have many manifestations of that stress," Benson added. "To adequately protect ourselves against stress, we should use an approach and a technique that we believe evokes the relaxation response 20 minutes, once a day."

More information

There's more on meditation at the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

SOURCES: Herbert Benson, M.D., president emeritus, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Mass.; Gerry Leisman, M.D., Ph.D., director, F.R. Carrick Institute for Clinical Ergonomics, Rehabilitation and Applied Neuroscience and professor, neuroscience, Leeds Metropolitan University, U.K. and professor, University of Haifa, Israel; Robert Schwartz, Ph.D., director, Texas A&M Health Science Center Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Houston;PLoS One