Decrease Your Stroke Risk By Stressing Less staying fit through your mind, body and spirit

By – Lynnis of PraiseWorks

Spiritual Health and Wellness Coach

What is Stress?

Stress is your body's response to any stimulus that triggers physiological responses.

These bodily responses are positive if you channel them over a short period of time, but if there is no release, however small, then stress

becomes a negative force.

Stress Stats

• 43% of all adults have health problems related to stress

• 75-90% of all doctor visits are stress-related

• 82% of workers are at least a little stressed in the workplace

• 75% of the general population experiences at least “some stress” every two weeks

• Stress is known to cost American business more than $300 billion each year

• An estimated 1 million workers are absent on an average workday because of stress related complaints

• Women generally report higher levels of stress than men do. In a 2011 study, women reported an average stress level of 5.4 and men averaged 4.8 (with 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest)

• Stress is the number 1 cause of chronic illnesses

• one in five Americans reported feeling “extreme” stress in 2012

American Psychological Association

Effects of Stress on Our Bodies?

• STROKE

• Loss of Focus

• Sexual Problems

• Stress Induced Hair Loss

• Forgetfulness

• High Blood Pressure

• Heart Palpitations

• Loss of Sleep

• Skin Problems

• Headaches

• Muscle Aches/Spasms

• Heat Disease

• Obesity

What Can I Do To Reduce Stress

What Will Help Reduce Stress AND Reduce Stroke Risk?

Change Our Diets?

Start and Exercise Regime?

Spiritual Growth?

ALL THREE!!!Diet …Important

Exercise …EssentialSpiritual and Emotional Wellness…Priority

Your Diet

Important when Fighting the Impact of Stress

Diets That Reduce Stress

Eating certain foods is a great way to reduce the impact of stress on your health. Adding certain foods to your diet can go a long what to managing your stress through making a change in your diet.

.

Stress Reducing Foods

How They Work Foods can fight stress in several ways:

• Comfort foods, like a bowl of warm oatmeal, actually boost levels of serotonin, a calming brain chemical.

• Other foods can reduce levels of cortisol and adrenaline, stress hormones that take a toll on the body over time.

• A nutritious diet can counteract the impact of stress, by shoring up the immune system and lowering blood pressure

Diet Stress Busters

Reach for these items next time you're feeling under pressure, under the weather, or just too close to that breaking point. Adding these stress-free foods to your diet help pull you back into the game

Great Stress Busting Foods!

•Pistachios

•Salmon

•Oatmeal

•Almonds

•Mandarin Oranges

•Spinach

•Avocados

•Milk

•Sweet Potatoes

•Turkey

•Broccoli

•Dried Apricots

•Complex Carbs

•Blueberries

Exercise

Essential To Fight The Impact of Stress

Exercise/Movement – A Stress Buster

One way to take control of the stress in your life is through physical activity. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and

distract you from daily worries.

Why is it important?Exercise

• Gets your metabolism going

• Builds strong bones

• Promotes a healthy heart

• Helps to avoid depression, anxiety, and worry

• Will help avoid chronic disease like Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure that could lead to Stroke

• 30 minutes a day of exercise can ensure a healthy life style

• Meditation in motion

But I hate to exercise – Where do I start??

•Consult with you Doctor

•Do what you love and love what you do

•Set Goals

•Pace Yourself

•Find a Friend To Work Out With You

•Schedule Your Exercise

•Varity is the Spice of Life

Yoga – A Excellent Stress Buster

Dating back over 5000 years, yoga is the oldest defined practice of self development. The methods of classical yoga include ethical disciplines, physical postures, breathing control and meditation

How Does Yoga Impact Stress

• reduced stress

• sound sleep

• reduced cortisol levels

• improvement of many medical conditions

• lower blood pressure

• lower heart rate

• spiritual growth

• sense of well-being

• reduced anxiety and muscle tension

• increased strength and flexibility

Yoga will positively impact your stress level and ultimately lower the risk for having a stroke.

Spiritual and Emotional Wellness

A Priority to Fight the Impact of Stress

Meditation – Ultimate Stress Buster

Many stress therapists, recognize that regular meditation and relaxation can be of significant help in reducing stress to manageable and healthy levels. Using relaxation techniques is now a widely acceptable technique for reducing stress.

Releasing Stress Through Affirmation

Positive affirmations can be a powerful tool in transforming negative self talk into motivational and affirming self-talk. Here are some affirmations you can use that are designed to reduce stress, increase feelings of personal power, and awaken your mind to possibilities for change, helping you live the life you feel you were meant to live

Positive Affirmations For Reducing Stress

•I CAN HANDLE WHATEVER COMES

•TODAY HAS LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES

•I CAN CHOOSE A POSITIVE FRAME OF MIND

•I CAN FIND BALANCE IN MY LIFE

•I CAN FIND LOVE AND SUPPORT

•I CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING

•I CAN SEE STRESSFUL SITUATIONS AS CHALLENGES

•CHALLENGES BRING OPPORTUNITIES

•THIS TOO SHALL PASS

•MY INTENTIONS CREATE MY REALITY

•STRESS IS LEAVING MY BODY

•TODAY I CHOOSE JOY

•I CAN MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES

•I AM DOING MY BEST

•I BREATHE IN PEACE

•TODAY MY INTENTION

•I AM IN CHARGE OF MY LIFE

Spiritual Wellness Why Is It Important?

• Helps us to cope in life

• Helps us to learn to love and respect ourselves

• Helps us to learn to appreciate our families and support systems

• Helps us to make better decisions

• Helps us develop our faith and trust

• Helps us to take responsibility for our actions

• Helps to persevere

• Helps to have a positive impact on our health

How To Attain Spiritual and Emotional Wellness

• Surround ourselves with positive people

• Get rid of those influences that are negative and putting you into situations that you KNOW are not good

• Ask for help of a trust peer or adult when you feel you are getting off track

• Affirmations, Mediation and Prayer – Decree and Declare

• Learn to delay immediate gratification

• Step up – do it any way – do the right thing even when it doesn’t always feel good – the reward is not always in that moment

How to Attain Spiritual and Emotional Wellness

• Change you inner picture – speak peace, joy, and prosperity over yourself – pray for yourself, love yourself, be THANKFUL for yourself

• Surround yourself with positive people, negativity is toxic, it can make you sick

• Part of protecting your temple is protecting your heart

• Fill your mind and spirit with positive affirmations and prayer

• Stop those negative thoughts

• Practice being mindful – present in the moment

Remember:You Have the Ability to Lower Your Stress And Reduce the Probability of a

Stroke Thru

Your Diet

Your Exercise Regime

&

Your Spiritual and Emotional Wellness

“Behold I bring to it health and healing and I will heal them; and I will reveal them an abundance of peace and truth” Jeremiah 33:6