AHHH!!!!

Stress is a killer! I know that I didn't say anything. I see that there have been 23 viewers of the topic but no further comments. I have to push, I have to force myself to move, but have there been any of you that can just relate to wanting to but not really being able to. "AHHH!" is all I can say sometimes. One step at a time I know that. I am refusing to let myself get sick because of the S.A.D practices of this nation but I don't know if I have the strength to pull myself up from under where I find myself to be. Can anyone relate to how very hard it is? I am financially strapped to fight sometimes. It is cheaper to boil boullion in water, drop some flour and egg in it, boil it up and call it food. I can't always afford to buy groceries at all.

yoga and tai chi are both very good for stress .. focusing on the moment and the moves instead of the rat race going on in my head.

there is litterally a ton of free vids on both on the youtube

cant say much about your financial situation other than if it isnt working then change it. You can however maybe stat sprouting some of your own sprouts .. they are relatively cheap to start with

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

I'm at the point where I don't care anymore. Maybe that's what's stressing you out. If you can just accept yourself the way you are, perhaps you'll be alot happier and then the weight will come off without any effort. (besides of course being choosy about what goes in your mouth.) that's the hope anyway. you can always try some prayer. they say it's all in the mind.

just 4 me,

Stress IS a killer--it raises cortisol levels, incites vascular inflammation, and shuts down the metabolism!

I have found, in these trying times, that exercise when not stressed helps counteract stress and its effects efficiently. If there's any green space anywhere near you, force yourself to walk around in it, not vigorously but for a long enough time that you refocus on what's good/functioning in your life and stop fretting temporarily about what's bad/not functioning. This "switching off" will happen automatically, in time, and has the added bonus of being something to take your mind to during stressful moments: "Well, I have that wonderful, peaceful walk in the woods later today to look forward to . . . "



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2011 03:35PM by Tamukha.

just 4 me,

I've been there. I agree with Tamukha: get outside; look at a tree, rock, bird, whatever is natural and focus on it. This has helped me immensely.

Where do you live? There may be wild foods still available for free. And sprouting is a very inexpensive way to get a lot of good live food. Are you not eligible for any food assistance anywhere? If so, buy vegetables (and fruits) and seeds.

And look for support people in your life. The AHHHHHHH!s will pass; I know!

Ever have Texas style cracker cereal? Just crush up some crackers a little in a bowl, add some milk/mylk and sprinkle with a little sugar. What a treat. Saltines used to be considered diet food.

Tamukha Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> just 4 me,
>
> Stress IS a killer--it raises cortisol levels,
> incites vascular inflammation, and shuts down the
> metabolism!
>
> I have found, in these trying times, that exercise
> when not stressed helps counteract stress and its
> effects efficiently. If there's any green space
> anywhere near you, force yourself to walk around
> in it, not vigorously but for a long enough time
> that you refocus on what's good/functioning in
> your life and stop fretting temporarily about
> what's bad/not functioning. This "switching off"
> will happen automatically, in time, and has the
> added bonus of being something to take your mind
> to during stressful moments: "Well, I have that
> wonderful, peaceful walk in the woods later today
> to look forward to . . . "

I will definitely second this!
My walks are one of my favorite things to do anymore.

I think stress can make you feel all "closed in" and "trapped".
But get out and take a long walk in nature can have an "expansive" feeling,like your troubles are sort of "back there" in a way.
Gives you an opportunity to step away for a while so to speak.

Vinny



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2011 02:36PM by eaglefly.

just 4 me....

i know how it feels.... i think everyones put some really good replys. i think changing your focus helps... instead of getting caught up in it all... take a step back and breathe... see what you can be grateful for... your health, you have legs to walk (maybe?), eyes to see... you can eat and taste food, your in a country where alot of food is avaliable easily and have water. you can get a job... and i like to think of this life as a magical experience... we make it what it is... and how ever long it takes you to get there... if you really want something YOU WILL GET THERE... if you believe you can, im still trying to get there... but i think we need to try and love and accept oursleves at each stage and see it as a learning journey to better understand oursleves, and what we need to release and deal with, and to better understnad life.

its hard... but if we believe we can to get to that place of balance in body and mind, we can, in our own way, step by step, become your best firend and really listen to your body.... it will guide you.

eating a certain way for years, and then changing diet takes a long time and effort but i think its good to be aware of this... the body needs time to adjust, for every food you used to eat, un-natural foods, your body had a way of dealing with them, now its learning what it has to do eating a different way, it craves what its used to, because of chemicals releasing and feelings... which are deep and have grown stronger over years... we are relearning our bodies back to health and nature.

i think affirmations are powerful, kind of like prayer... like "i am healthy and happy in body and mind, i love myself because i am part of this amazing universe!" ha ha! sounds funny, but i say stuff like this all the time in my head to help my thought processes and to help tell my body where we going to!

yoga, and breathing exercies are amazing too, and walking/ light exercise... i love getting out on my bike ... find something you enjoy is there anywhere you can buy reduced/older fruit and veg, or markets. i normally by fruit and veg that way really cheap, when they are trying to get rid of it.

good luck... wer here if you need the support, and hearing how your getting on will help us.... and me!

xxxxxxxxx

There are many ways to beat stress by eating healthful raw foods. But the most important thing is to understand the origin of the stress. That always works for me. Sometimes just reflecting on the whole situation can make you feel better. While sometimes we feel stressful because we may be experiencing withdrawal symptoms from the unhealthy foods we used to eat before turning raw. Fresh, raw foods, eaten in their natural form are excellent assistants to good mental health. Also, some foods such as cacao, fruits, beans, pumpkin and sesame seeds are said to elevate serotonin levels in the brain.

You can also try various relaxation techniques such as yoga, jogging and deep-breathing exercises to help relieve stress.

Keeping it raw at [rawfoodhealthwatch.com]

I really appreciate all the wonderful advice and encouragement. Thank you!!!!

I know that I need to exercise and I do love to be outdoors. I live in the country surrounded by a lot of green. I am glad I came back here. And also there is a woman from my church who does a lot of raw foods. I talked to her today and we are going to get together for a food prep day. I can't say cooking day as it will not be cooked. Also I do like the "Tastes Like Hostess Donuts" on the recipe forum here so I am planning on putting some together for a treat this coming week. Thank you everyone! I will also let you know how I am doing from time to time (I don't get to a computer often) so maybe your encouragement will be my motivation that turns to an ongoing inspiration.

In my opinion the best two things for stress are exercise and adaptogenic herbs. The former might not be possible if you are already ill.

Adaptogens are non-specific and non-toxic herbs which increase the bodies resistance to stress. Adaptogenic herbs help to minimize and reduce the potential bad effects of stress, because if the stress becomes chronic you can have big problems on your hand health wise. I know this because i let myself fall into severe adrenal fatigue and getting out of severe adrenal fatigue is quite a challenge.

You are much better to support your body in times of need rather than wait till you are showing signs of adrenal gland dysfunction. Obviously a healthy diet is a good start as it replaces various nutrients which are used up much quicker when you are under stress such as vitamin C, B complex vitamins and minerals such as magnesium. But adaptogen herbs hold a big place in my heart for how much they helped get me better and now i pretty much always cycle some form of adaptogen as i am easily prone to stress.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2011 09:07PM by powerlifer.

My message post timed out for letting me add more. You want the combination of the above i.e healthy diet and adaptogenic herbs as the latter won't work that well on its own if you are not replacing the nutrients the adrenal gland needs to function properly such as vitamin C, vitamin B5, magnesium, zinc and so on.

The adrenal glands play a major role in how well you tolerate stress, so you want to try and support them year round so that you can bounce back quicker from any potential stressful events. This can include pyschological/emotional stress aswell as physical stressors such i.e stimulant use, alcohol/drugs, food allergies etc all add upon the adrenal load.

Stress slows down metabolism so will impact weight loss. Secondary thyroid disorders such as hypothyroidism can occur from poor functioning adrenal glands, both which slow down metabolism further. Again some of this is due in part to the increased nutrient needs and in my opinion magnesium being one of the main ones. You will see symptoms such as muscle cramps/twitches, heart palpitations, anxiety, panic syndrome often in people with low magnesium.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2011 09:34PM by powerlifer.

Consolidate the freedom and power that you have by being attentive to what you can choose in your life. You have the choice to live how you want to. You can choose your actions, your thoughts, what you focus on, and what your next behavior will be.
No one else can control the direction you head in but you. You pull all the reigns, even when you don't believe you do.

Luke,

This is so true; I am trying to establish a program now where I think actively to myself that every decision I make can support or demolish my own interests. People think this way about finances, but not so commonly about food and lifestyle. If we are mindful to opt for what helps rather than hurts us in every elective decision we make, eventually it becomes habitual and then an unconscious behavior, and thus easier and easier

luke and tamukha...

Tamukha Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> just 4 me,
>
> Stress IS a killer--it raises cortisol levels,
> incites vascular inflammation, and shuts down the
> metabolism!

Stress is not a killer. It is a killer if we are not healthy to begin with.
Stress is actually healthy, it is part of life, it forces us to make change and adopt to new situation.

If the stress of not finding a job can kill you,how would feel trading place with a wild animal in constant fear of being eating alive or loosing her kids any time?
We humans have hospitals, family, nework of friends, unemployment benefits, and more...

Stress can turn a healthy person into an unhealthy one if chronic or intense, so i don't really agree with that analogy. A little stress is healthy but when it becomes chronic it is anything but healthy.

I have seen numerous very healthy people go from optimal health to bed ridden due to intense emotional stress. This happens as a result of the burden of stress on the adrenal glands.

Comparing ourselves to animals in the wild is a dysfunctional analogy, we have alot more emotional stressors than animals in the wild do. We also incur many more physical stressors such as toxins from alcohol, drugs, processed foods etc etc and so on. Its an incomparable analogy in my opinion.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/2011 03:15PM by powerlifer.

The burden on the adrenal glands is only possible because people fails to do the most basic things in their lives, the toxins from alcohol, drugs weaken the body ability to fight stress as you said, so it is not stress the problem, it is the weakened body. A healthy body cannot be weakened by stress, it is not possible.

Find me a person that was on raw food, green live foods, fruits, exercise regularly, with adequate rest and sleep not being able to fight stress, find me one. Stress will kill if you are not healthy.

I agree that these elements such as enviromental toxins weaken the body and make those more susceptible to adrenal gland dysfunction and the effects of stress.

But i have seen many perfectly healthy people not bounce back after intense emotional stress/trauma in their life. A healthy diet and healthy mind/boy help reduce the effects of stress but they are certainly no cure all preventative, certainly not for emotional stress anyway.

If all you needed to do was eat and live healthy then stress would be a doddle, a thing of the past. Like i say healthy diet, exercising all help minimize the effects of stress on the body and how quickly you bounce back, but i think you are playing down how strong an influence intense emotional mental stress can be even on a healthy body.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/2011 05:26PM by powerlifer.

When people have problems they neglect the basic routine of life, we tend to overeat, we stop exercising, we make poor food choices, we do not sleep properly, so gradually the body looses its reistance to stress. Then we are ready to blame the stress. A healthy body is stress proof. A health body is also a healthy mind, they cannot be separated.
What we need to blame is our inability to keep our lives organized when we have problems not the problems or the stress from the problems.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/2011 05:44PM by madinah.

Whilst i do agree with that fully, when intense stressful events happen we tend to neglect healthy habits such as exercise, diet etc.

There are those who don't neglect these factors though and still can't cope with the stress load they are receiving.

We all have our tipping point and when the load of stress exceeds what we can handle diet and other factors will only go so far, but they will help recovery.

What about those that have had intense trauma in their early life, these people commonly grow up with adrenal fatigue and they may now be living a totally spot on lifestyle with diet, exercise, toxin free but are still not coping with the stressful memories and the mental aspect. Diet would only go so far to help support you in these type of cases.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

I sort of agree with you that small amounts of stress can be beneficial, but of course, small amounts of stress are not what this thread is about.

Like powerlifer, I find comparisons between us and animals, who are mostly neurologically unwired for angst, inapplicable.

Am puzzled as to how, in this day and age, one could never have known of a perfectly healthy person who, through circumstances beyond their healthy physical and mental coping abilities, succumbed to damaging stress. It is, I think, fairly common, unless one restricts the definition of "healthy" only to 100% raw vegans, which is not valid, however much I promote the lifestyle.

I am not 100% raw vegan and 100% raw does not imply being healthy.
We human beings have thousands of years of evolution within us in conditions where life was much harder, harsher. There was famine, polio, plague, compare that time to now.
Can you provide an example of healthy body and mind succumbing to stress?

What you will find in these cases are people who neglected their daily healthy routine, their lives because they lost a job, someone, or a relationship, it is the neglect that lead to a weakened body that was prone to more stress not the stress in itself.
When you are physically, mentally and emotionally healthy you will find within yourself the resources you need to fight back in those situations, it is not the situation that is the problem but how we react to it. When we give up, we are choosing more stress, a weakened body, and death.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/2011 07:04PM by madinah.

No matter what the period in time or events there are always a portion of those who succumb to the horrible effects of stress.

Like i said before i agree with alot of what you've said madinah, but when the threshold of stress is exceeded even the strongest can fall.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

madinah,

I am assuming that we are not defining stress the same way. By stress, I(and I assume, just4me) mean that psychological stress which eventually degenerates into metabolic stress and ultimately manifests as physiological disorder. IMO, unless one is literally unconscious to it because of brain injury or something, it cannot, after a point of severity, be ameliorated with excellent diet or exercise. An example of this would be, I dunno, Ann Wigmore? Herbert Shelton?

Tamukha
Stress does not have to generate into disorder.
[www.mtstcil.org]
It is simply your body's response to an unexpected demand, something you may not be prepared for. But is does not have to become a disorder.
Your body has reserve, survival instinct and can better cope with the situation if your are mentally and physically healthy.

It does become a disorder though when prolonged or intense, the need for various stress hormones and neurotransmitters simply cannot be produced fast enough to mee the bodies demand. Keeping diet in tip top shape so you are supplying the nutrients which have increased needs helps but its no definite cure all.

Again external factors synergize with stress to increase the chances of becoming a disorder such as as using alcohol and drugs which deplete several nutrients we need for fighting stress and adrenal gland health. Smoking cigarettes is another because smokers break down vitamin C twice as fast as normal people do.

although my poor lifestyle did play a role in contributing to my severe adrenal fatigue.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

Quote

Again external factors synergize with stress to increase the chances of becoming a disorder such as as using alcohol and drugs which deplete several nutrients we need for fighting stress and adrenal gland health. Smoking cigarettes is another because smokers break down vitamin C twice as fast as normal people do.

Good point powerlifer

So it is nutrients, health, mentally and physical health, it is not the stress but our ability to be resilient.

Interesting that wild animals can be more equipped in fighting stressful situations than more intelligent human beings

Most of my stresses are brought on due to situations in my life, some things that I do not have control over and some that I do. A spouse, a child, a parent.... no matter how you do not want to let another person's choices, mood, (or whatever it may be) affect you... it does. The loss of my job (and the way it came about) over two years ago affected my finances and self esteem. I worked what jobs I could get but the economy has changed and jobs are not for our picking like they were when I was a teen and young adult.

"It is not the situation that is the problem but how we react to it." I am a strong person, a lot stronger than I used to be. I handle a lot of stress that would put another in divorce court or even a mental hospital. I know that it would have that outcome for some people because divorce is rampant and medicines and hospitalization are not in threat of decline, in fact, it is quite the opposite.

I do have situations that affect my stress levels and I do also handle what I am given pretty well; I am very confident of that. I do not believe it is fair to argue the point of why it happens... it is just there. But what I can gain better control of is how I let it dissolve the care I give to myself. I dwindled down over 18 years and now (the last 6 years) am trying to stand taller then I have in the last 24 years. Stress IS going to be in life unless you are the kind of person that runs from anyone or anything that causes stress. That would lead to unhappiness, loneliness and even selfishness. And if I had done that I would not have learned commitment dedication and faithfulness as I have. I speak up more than I ever have and I have become more confident about speaking it as I see it (not always doing so but better than before). It is all, of course my opinion, but it also comes from experience. It is not something I read about in a book but real life experience. So whether I have stress because of what I did or did not do I just would like to get better. Over 24 years I have gained weight from taking on an addiction of food to give me a sense of self helped security. I have come to understand that food was as much of a tool as alchol or drugs were to me when I was younger. I gave them up and without realizing it until it was an addiction also food became a real enemy.

Over the 24 years of gained weight I have aged and the weight does not settle well while aging. Over 24 years my food addiction has brought me down many times so now I must gain control of it. The outcome of everything that has happened to my body, confidence, and esteem is real and not in my mind. The past issues are real. So, I would say that merely eating well alone does not control your well-being. Everything needs to be in balance.