10 Secrets to a Healthier You Presented by Dr. Elaine Dembe

Transcription

1 10 Secrets to a Healthier You Presented by 7:45 a.m. 8:45 a.m. Sponsored by

2 200 St. Clair Ave W. # 308, Toronto, Ontario M4V 1R1 Tel: elaine@elainedembe.com elainedembe.com

3 HOW CONSCIOUS BREATHING INCREASES YOUR ENERGY LEVEL When you are feeling stressed, your body responds immediately by pumping out hormones - adrenaline and noradrenaline - that increase the heart rate, quicken breathing, raise blood pressure and tense muscles (for example, anger and fear always require your stomach muscles to tighten and contract). Left unchecked, this chemical mix sets you up for an array of physical and emotional problems. By keeping your breathing in a deep and relaxed manner, the same emotions are experienced very differently they seem to have a lower intensity and pass quicker. As soon as you start to feel stress, deep breathing can increase your feeling of calm. Conscious, connected breathing is the easiest way to bring your focus to the present moment. This reduces your focus on stressful thoughts. Slower breathing physiologically quiets the chatter and racing thoughts that prevent us from mental clarity. Deep breathing increases the amount of oxygen in the blood stream which increases your energy level. As our brain gets flooded with oxygen rich blood, serotonin and endorphins (chemicals in the brain responsible for positive moods) are released. We feel good, calm and relaxed. We get at least 70% of our energy from breathing. So many people are lacking energy because they are either shallow breathing or breath holding. You can use this technique before every business meeting to quickly reduce/manage stress. It allows your voice to come from a deeper, more powerful place, and your body feels more energetically alive and grounded. SIMPLE, DEEP BREATHING Take a deep breath in through your nose to a mental count of 4. Hold your breath for a count of 7. Exhale completely through your mouth to a count of 8. This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths. 200 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 308 Toronto, Ontario, M4V 1R1 Tel: dr.elainedembe@rogers.com

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5 WHICH SYSTEM ARE YOU PRIMARILY LIVING IN? The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems Function Overall Effect Organs and Glands It Activates Hormones and Substances It Increases Body Functions It Activates When you Breath Hold / Shallow Breathe you trigger the Sympathetic System (Fight or Flight) Mobilizing / Survival System To defend the body against attack (real or imagined) Catabolic (breaks down the body) The brain, muscles, the insulin pancreas, and the thyroid and adrenal glands Insulin, cortisol and the thyroid hormones Raises blood pressure and blood sugar, and increases heat production and circulation When you practice Relaxed Belly Breathing you trigger the Parasympathetic System (Rest and Digest) Healing / Balancing System Healing, regeneration and nourishing the body Anabolic (builds up the body) The liver, kidneys, enzyme pancreas, spleen, stomach, small intestines and colon Parathyroid hormone, pancreatic enzymes, bile and other digestive enzymes Activates digestion, elimination and the immune system Psychological Qualities Fear, guilt, sadness, anger, willfulness, and aggressiveness. Calmness, love, contentment and relaxation What Activates this System? Stress, fears, anger, worry, other negative emotions and thoughts, excessive thinking and too much exercise Rest, sleep, meditation, relaxation therapies and feelings of being loved and appreciated 200 St. Clair Ave W. Suite 308, Toronto ON M4V 1R1 elaine@elainedembe.com Tel: elainedembe.com

6 STRESS STRATEGIES Much of our emotional suffering is due to the irrational ways that we construe the world. Troublemaking Assumptions and Beliefs 1. You must have love or approval all of the time or most of the time from all the people you find significant. 2. You must be perfectly competent, adequate, and achieving all of the time. 3. When you get frustrated or are treated unfairly or rejected, you have to view things as awful, terrible, horrible, and catastrophic. 4. Emotional misery comes from external pressures and you have little ability to control or change your feelings. 5. If something seems dangerous or fearsome, you must preoccupy yourself with it and make yourself anxious about it. 6. Because something once strongly influenced your life in the past, it has to keep determining your feelings and behaviour today. 7. People and things should turn out better than they do. People should behave differently. When we are emotionally provoked this state leads to a distorted appraisal of the situation. We are not even aware of our stressful automatic thoughts. These questions teach us to stop, reflect and appraise situations accurately, resulting in a calmer approach to life s challenges. Questions to ask yourself about your stressful automatic thoughts: 1. Is this really true? 2. Am I jumping to conclusions? 3. What is the evidence? 4. Am I exaggerating or overemphasizing a negative aspect of the situation? 5. Am I catastrophizing? 6. How do I know it will happen? 7. So what if it happens? 8. Is it really as bad as it seems? 9. Is it to my advantage to maintain this appraisal? 10.Is there another way to look at the situation? 200 St. Clair Ave W. # 308, Toronto, Ontario M4V 1R1 Tel: elaine@elainedembe.com elainedembe.com