Sunnyside Su Me Up: Get Energized, Stay Sunny with Su!
#glutenfree #dairyfree #sugarfree #vegan #lowcalorie #sunnysidesu
Sunnyside Su Me Up: Get Energized, Stay Sunny with Su!
Episode 4-Zenergizer Bunny Stress Busters
In this episode of 'Sunnyside Su Me Up: Get Energized, Stay Sunny with Su!', we dive into the topic of stress and its impact on our health. Su shares practical and simple stress-busting strategies to help you stay sunny, grounded, and 'zenenergized.' From hydration tips to mindfulness practices, you'll discover easy ways to bring calm and zen back into your day. Tune in to learn about the benefits of mindful breathing, the importance of staying hydrated, and how to find awe in everyday life. Plus, don't miss Sunnyside Su's Short, Sweet, and Sassy Soupçon featuring three calming teas that can help you find your zen. Join us and unlock the energy and vitality you've been missing!
Today we're tackling something that affects us all- stress. Whether it's a busy schedule, unexpected challenges, or just the pressures of everyday life, stress can creep in and drain your energy. Stress is also one of the major factors that causes chronic inflammation in the body. Join me today for episode four of my podcast, Sunnyside, Su Me Up: Get Energized, Stay Sunny with Su! where I will share some simple and effective ways to bust that stress, and stay sunny, grounded, and wait for it. zenenergized! So sit back, relax, and let's get started on bringing the calm and zen back into your day.
Drew:Welcome to Sunnyside Su Me Up: Get Energized, Stay Sunny with Su!. The podcast where your journey to a vibrant, healthier life begins. Hosted by Su, a lifelong educator, holistic wellness expert, and coach, this show offers quick and practical tips to boost your energy, release stubborn weight, and reduce pain and inflammation. With a focus on delicious ways to enjoy a gluten free, dairy free, sugar free lifestyle, each episode features quick and easy tips for a thriving mind, body, and soul. By subscribing, you can unlock the energy and vitality you've been missing. Get ready to get energized and stay sunny with Su!
MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-3:Let's jump right in. Chronic inflammation stems from stress, poor diet, lack of sleep and minimal movement. As I mentioned in episode three, inflammation is often viewed as the body's enemy, but it's actually a messenger signaling important issues. Rather than seeing inflammation as the cause of pain, it's more helpful to view it as an effect, one that often results from our lifestyle choices. Chronic stress elevates the hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, which can leave you feeling wired and tired, along with directly increasing inflammation in your body. We're going to talk about some simple stress busters that you can start implementing today. Be sure to stick around to the end, to hear Sunnyside Su's short, sweet and sassy soupçon, which means a little bit of something. You don't want to miss these three calming teas to sip on, to find zen in your day. Interestingly the first two stress busters I'm discussing today connect to the most basic of human needs, water and air.
MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-4:We all need water to survive. You may not be aware that dehydration can cause trust. Well-hydrated body means a well-hydrated brain. Helping you think clearly and stay calm. It also increases blood volume, reducing stress on the heart. I enhance my water with lemon slices and cucumber for a fresh taste that makes it enjoyable to consume throughout the day. And now onto air the most basic human need. One of the easiest ways to lower our stress and become more present in the moment is through our breathing. Something that comes naturally to us all, but isn't always done mindfully.
MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-5:This 5, 5, 5 breathing techniques, centers you in the moment. And automatically reduces your stress level. As the name implies. It involves inhaling to a count of five. Holding for a count of five. And releasing for a count of five. Repeat this five times it can be done when you're stuck in traffic. Waiting in a line at the grocery store. Just before you head into a meeting or prepare to make a presentation or really anytime you think of it throughout the day. Another very accessible grounding, breathing practice that can lower our stress level, is something called the two X breath that I first learned from Emily Fletcher of Ziva meditation. For this practice, you simply breathe in for a count of four, for example, and breathe out for double the account for your exhale in this example, for a count of eight. So you would breathe in for four. And breathe out for eight. You can continue this two X breath until you feel centered and grounded.
MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-6:Paying attention to our breathing is one way of becoming more mindful. Mindfulness and meditation help us to slow down and become more present in the moment which can reduce our stress level and reduce the level of chronic inflammation in our bodies. I would highly recommend Ziva meditation with Emily Fletcher. You can check out some free offerings@zivameditation.com. There are also lots of terrific meditation apps that can guide you through a brief meditation.
MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-7:If that is of interest. Mindfulness is the practice of paying full attention to the present moment without judgment. It involves being aware of your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and surroundings in a calm and accepting way. The goal is to focus on the now, rather than getting caught up in worries about the past or the future. Mindfulness can help reduce stress, improve emotional regulation and enhance overall wellbeing by promoting a more peaceful and grounded state of mind. One interesting example of mindfulness that I will share with you now connects to feeling a sense of awe, which has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress while also boosting traits such as generosity, through an increased sense of oneness. As Emily Fletcher from Ziva meditation would say, there's only one thing and we're all it!. So, where can we easily go to find, awe? I found the answer in an amazing magazine I discovered while traveling in Australia called Breathe.
MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-8:Researcher and psychotherapist, Paul Conway has developed an innovative area of all based research called wait for it. Skychology, which is committed solely to the sky and its role in the enhancement of our wellbeing. By understanding what people experience when they look up at this seemingly infinite, natural wonder, he hopes to create accessible everyday interventions, designed to boost wellbeing. Paul Conway suggests that if we can commit a few minutes to go outside and gaze up at the sky, we can access the benefits right outside our window. Clear your mind of thoughts, look up and just be with the sky. Think about how tiny we are in comparison to the sky. It's majesty, how little we know about it and how we have no control over its powerful wild nature. Specifically here are the four steps he suggests we follow. Step number one. Take a couple of deep breaths breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Number two. Be curious and notice what you see. Let thoughts and feelings come and go. As you watch the sky. No effort is required. Step number three. Enjoy doing this for as little or as long as you like, the sky is constantly changing, just like our emotions. Every experience will be unique. And finally, step number four. Notice how you feel afterwards and the way in which it differs from your feelings beforehand. Hopefully, this has allowed you to reduce some of your stress.
MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-9:Other mindfulness ideas involve becoming fully present as we lose ourselves in nature and experience our surroundings with all of our senses, for example, during a walk through a forest known as forest bathing. It is not about hiking or exercise, but rather slowing down and mindfully engaging your senses- seeing the greenery, smelling the fresh air, hearing the rustle of the leaves and feeling the textures around you. The goal is to fully experience the calming atmosphere of the forest, which research has shown can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve mood. It's essentially a form of natural meditation. Another stressbuster is aromatherapy, which reduces stress by using essential oils to influence the brain, particularly the limbic system, which controls, emotions and mood. When inhaled, certain essential oils, such as lavender, chamomile, or bergamot can trigger relaxation responses in the body. These scents help lower cortisol levels, the stress hormone, reduce heart rate and promote a sense of calm. Aromatherapy can also enhance mindfulness by encouraging you to focus on the pleasant, sensory experience, which further helps reduce tension and anxiety. A final stress buster idea is that of developing a gratitude practice. When we express gratitude, our brain releases, dopamine and serotonin, two hormones that make us feel lighter and happier inside.
MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-10:Research has shown that people who have a regular gratitude practice are healthier and happier and have better relationships. When we take time to focus on what we are grateful for, we choose positive emotions over negative, and thus, we take steps to nurture our mental health and wellbeing and reduce levels of stress. Keeping a daily gratitude journal empowers you to be on the lookout during the day for what you are grateful for and inspires in you a positive mindset.
MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-11:Are you someone who sometimes eats or snacks as a stress response? I'd like to invite you to indulge guilt-free in my healthy treats that are good for you and will not cause inflammation in your body. Go to Sunnysidesu.ca. to see what's available for purchase locally. All products are gluten and dairy free and sweetened naturally without the use of conventional processed sugar. They are also low calorie and include some vegan options. For those of you farther afield, you can go to Sunnysidesu.ca. to see the blog posts there with a number of fabulous, simple foodie ideas and recipes that feature some anti-inflammatory super foods.
MacBook Pro Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera-12:And now it's time for Sunnyside Su's Short, Sweet and Sassy Soupçon Today it will be three quick and easy calming teas to sip on to help you find zen in your day. Number one lavender tea. Lavender contains linalool, a compound that has a calming effect on the nervous system. To prepare lavender tea you simply steep lavender buds in hot water for five to seven minutes. You can add a spoonful of honey for extra benefits. Number two. Green tea which contains L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes relaxation without drowsiness, balancing out the caffeine content. And finally chamomile tea, which has antioxidants that play a role in lowering stress and reducing inflammation. And that's all for today. Thanks for joining me. And please give this a like, or a share or a review so we can spread some Zenergized Sunnyside, Su vibes. Don't forget to go to Sunnysidesu.ca today for more content.