CAROLYN Re: [Fwd: Fitness Buzz: Is Your Body in a Recession?]

[Guest guest]

Hi Carolyn, how is Canada's economy? I know that Windsor is having a bad time because of the car industry....as Michigan goes, so does Windsor. How is it in St. and London? Have there been increases in gas and food? I know that gas in Canada is higher right? JenFestival City Concrete/ & Carolyn Visser wrote: i thought this email from kathy smith was relevant since you were discussing the USA economy.... maybe you will find it helpful?:*carolyn.--- Fitness Buzz: Is Your Body in a Recession?Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:08:31 -0700From: Kathy *Fitness Buzz: April 23, 2008**Is Your Body in a Recession?*If you think about the cycle of "getting depressed," there's almost astandard procedure: Having a rough day. Then, feeling a little low.Eventually, anxiety, deep-rooted fears, and thoughts of inadequacy creepin. Meanwhile, as negative events take place in our country, it seems toaffect our collective consciousness: When the dollar starts to fall,housing prices bottom out, groceries and everyday living gets moreexpensive, the stock market begins to crash...and so do our emotions.The moment we turn on the news, we're flooded with stressful noise aboutthe state of affairs in the world. And

as we attempt to digest currentevents, our own personal lives are often just as hectic: keeping up withbills, staying attuned to the needs of our families, and having no timeto relax.When stress levels being to elevate, we can quickly become our own worstenemies. When it comes to finding a little bit of relief, the firstsolution to come to mind is most likely not "I need to get a workoutin." Chances are good that it's probably somethingescapist – watching TV, eating comfort foods, drinking heavily, orgoing on a shopping spree. We often latch on to something that helps usavoid reality – and in theory, that's not such a bad thing. Let's faceit – tuning the world out for a moment helps us process stress. It canbe a valuable survival skill. The problem, however, is that if we "checkout" too often or too much, our health begins to suffer, which oftenmakes things much worse. We can emerge

from that "comfort zone" only tofind that we're heavier, more tired, and maybe even further in debt –both physically and financially.The reason I bring up debt and money issues is because they're thesource of so much of the "doomsday" news we hear on a daily basis. Thisnaturally induces a stress response in all of us, but there may be alight at the end of this tunnel. I recently spent an enlighteningweekend retreat at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur for their AnnualBenefit, "A Time For Solutions." There I met Spencer Sherman, one ofAmerica's top financial advisors and authors. We discussed how closelyconnected our emotional health is to our physical health, and the tollit takes on our bodies when either of them suffer. His insights on"fiscal fitness" are very relevant to this discussion.On the physical side, there's no greater sense of contentment, release,and joy than the one you can

gain from feeling healthy. That's why I'veused exercise as a form of escapism since my teenage years. I learnedthe lesson after both my parents died unexpectedly and I was leftfeeling lost and out-of-control. It was a pivotal moment for me: Insteadof going down that dark road of depression, I turned to exerciseinstead. I started running regularly, and quickly found that the processwas a powerful antidote to the pain I was feeling.It's common knowledge now that too much stress can have dire healthconsequences, such as increasing your risk for cardiovascular diseaseand obesity. The stress hormone that gets a lot of ink here is cortisol,and research shows that it can lead to central body fat and high foodintake. High cortisol levels are also associated with increased insulinlevels, which throw blood chemistry off-balance alongside your mood andmotivation. Even after a stressful moment

has passed, the increasedcortisol levels in the body can cause us to eat more than usual. And weall know what that means: potential weight gain.The solution, of course, is to make stress management a higher priority.That means getting plenty of sleep, limiting caffeine and alcohol, andstaying hydrated (since studies show that dehydration may raise cortisollevels). Also keep in mind that B Complex formulas can help manage yourstress levels and boost your energy.If you haven't tried exercising during difficult time periods, see whathappens when you put it at the top of your agenda. I bet you'll bepleasantly surprised to find that life's obstacles suddenly becomedoable: solutions surface more naturally, and that incessant noise youhear from your television - or your bank account - will become much moremanageable. The mind has the ability to take a small problem and expandit until

it becomes completely out-of-control...but it also has thepower to keep it in check.Breaking a sweat can help you gain a clearer, brighter perspective oneverything, including those money woes. No doubt the endorphins thatflood your bloodstream during exercise having something to do with that.But don't forget about the more practical side of the matter. SpencerSherman has some excellent tips to help you to make peace with moneywhile getting the most of your workouts:*Spencer Sherman's 5 Tips for Keeping Stress Off Your Body** Know your numbers and develop clear intentions for fun spendingcategories, like entertainment, dining out and vacations.* Save something –even if it's a dollar a day in a shoebox. It willturn around your "can't save" mentality.* Know your childhood money stories and how these early storiesstill run your life today. This will reduce much of your

moneymadness.* Speak up when your friend asks you to join for dinner at arestaurant you can't afford.* Use cash instead of credit cards for all non-essential purchaseswhen feasible.~ For more about Spencer Sherman and his financial fitness ideas, and totake his "Money Madness" quiz, go to www.curemoneymadness.com. Remember, the economy may be headed toward a recession, but that doesn'tmean your body has to follow it!Check out Kathy's NEWEST PRODUCTS! Available online at Kathy.com------------------------------------