Did you know that stress is screwing with your physical health and body weight?
If you're blaming yourself for not being your "perfect weight," stop. It's not your fault. Rather, the way our bodies are programmed to handle stress is the problem.
The cortisol released when we're stressed out increases our appetites and leads to overeating or poor food choices. Doesn't your willpower go out the window when you're stressed out? Then, on top of it, cortisol makes our bodies hold on to the fat. The solution is not extreme dieting, which causes more stress, but knowing how to stop the stress reactions.
Most people are driven to eat comfort foods when stressed out, even if they're not hungry. And comfort foods are usually high-fat, sugary or salty foods. You may be eating whatever is within reach to fill an emotional need, or cruising to the closest fast food window because you have no time to shop and cook a healthy meal.
So, here's how to stop stress in its tracks.
Deep breathing is something you can try this minute, and it only takes a minute to do. It is so simple, it will amaze you.
Take a Break and Breathe
Put your hands on your tummy, below your navel, and feel it rise and fall with your breath. We often breathe very shallowly or even hold our breath when we're stressed. Simple deep belly breathing can both calm the release of stress chemicals in the body and oxygenate your cells.
Try this combination of breath and focused attention called Piko-piko breathing...
"Piko-piko breathing is a special Hawaiian breathing technique that simultaneously relaxes and energizes the body," says Dr. Serge Kahili King, a Hawaiian shaman who specializes in mind/body healing. Using shamanic techniques and chakra colors, imagine breathing in bright yellow energy from the sun into your Solar Plexus or navel area and breathing out your stress. Or pull in inspiration from the heavens, visualizing violet or white light coming in with the breath through the Crown Chakra, and exhale your stress by breathing it out with awareness at the bottom of your feet.
"I know, I know, this seems almost too simple," says Dr. King. "But it does work."
Try this technique right now, and relax into your day... choosing the foods that will help you reach your perfect body weight, not sabotage your goals.
Chakra Energy Foods
So what should you eat? First, see where stress is impacting your body and which chakra center needs to be strengthened. Learning more about the chakra system can help you determine what foods YOU personally need to ADD to nourish yourself, banish stress, and help you achieve your optimal weight.
Are your finances in trouble? Are you feeling insecure? Do you need to perform better at work and get that raise or promotion? Strengthen your Root or 1st Chakra.
Do you want to spice up your sex life or feel more passionate and creative? Unblock your Sacral or 2nd Chakra.
Want to feel more self-confident and powerful in achieving your goals? Strengthen your Solar Plexus or 3rd Chakra.
Want to feel more love, be able to forgive past grievances, and connect better with your spouse, kids, friends and co-workers? Work on your 4th or Heart Chakra.
Afraid of public speaking? Want to be able to express your truth and be understood? Balance your 5th or Throat Chakra.
Want more inspiration on which path you should take in life? Want to increase your intuition and psychic abilities? Open your 6th or Third Eye Chakra.
Want to feel at one with all there is? More peace, harmony and connection to spirit? Work on your 7th or Crown Chakra.
The Chakras are the seven basic energy centers in the body. Each chakra is associated with a different color, so eating foods in the color of the chakra you would like to balance, is an easy way to start. For example, red meat or red apples to ground your Root Chakra, or salmon and orange vegetables or fruit to help balance your Sacral Chakra.
You can balance all your chakras by eating a rainbow of colors: the Root Chakra is associated with the color Red, the Sacral Chakra with Orange, the Solar Plexus Chakra with yellow, the Heart Chakra with green, the Throat Chakra with light Blue, the Third Eye Chakra with Indigo (dark blue), and the Crown Chakra with Violet or White.
Deep breathing when you're stressed, combined with eating more real food in the colors of the rainbow (not processed or packaged foodstuff), will help you feel both more calm and more energized. And when you drop the excess stress, and make more conscious food choices, you'll feel and look better too.
Learn more about the stress-weight connection in THE CHAKRA ENERGY DIET, available on Amazon Kindle to download to any reading device.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Becca_Chopra/838105
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