Eat, Pray, Love - Women's Short Forms for Surviving Stress: Nourish the Body,
Calm the Mind, Soothe the Soul

TORONTO, Sept. 23 /CNW/ - Sometimes movies make it seem so easy.  Like the main character does in the film Eat, Pray, Love (2010), based on the novel of the same name by Elizabeth Gilbert, we often turn to escapism and denial in our search for peace and happiness.  It's probably not stretching the truth if we said that not a day goes by that the majority of women today aren't in crisis mode with family issues, workplace stressors, financial burdens or on-going health challenges— at least for a moment or two. It's a flight of fancy to vicariously experience a film character's journey to personal enlightenment and salvation, but once the theatre lights turn on, it's back to our own realities. And running away, for most women, is just not going to happen.

Stress can cause frustration, irritability, increasing fatigue and lethargy and develop into more profound symptoms of loss of motivation and productivity, sleep disturbances, weight loss or gain, and lack of libido. The list is long and worrisome. Coping often becomes a pivotal factor in the make or break of stress management. Sleepless nights, anxiety, panic and frustration are signs and symptoms of overload, and must be addressed for a healthy, normal functioning life.

But we can learn to deal with continued demands that over time wreak havoc with our health, negatively impacting the mind and body, using the fundamental premise of Eat, Pray, Love — nourish the body, calm the mind, and soothe the soul.

Nourish the body

Food is a two-headed monster. It can be a most pleasurable experience, and yet, it can be part of our health demise too.  Stress places huge nutritional demands upon the body to cope and function well. Making the effort to stop the stress-eating response can lighten the load mentally and physically. Nutrient dense foods are important to consume each and every day: ample servings of fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grains, healthy fats (fish or fish oil supplements, flaxseed, avocado), and lean protein (fish, chicken, turkey, whey and soy protein). Reducing or removing refined and pre-packaged foods and stimulants, such as caffeine and sugar, temper the effects of stress on the body, which are a result of the sympathetic nervous system over-reacting. In addition to eating mindfully, what else can one do?

The natural health industry provides us with some key nutrients to conquer stress and enhance health and wellness. Holy basil, ashwagandha, 5-HTP, rhodiola, lemon balm, Relora are amongst many well-researched supplements that can be used as effective adjuncts to reduce symptoms of stress. There are some exceptional products, including a new market entry called Veeva, a synergistic formulation that approaches the problem from an integrated, whole-body perspective to help reduce mental and physical stress and their associated symptoms.

Calm the mind

Often when crisis, chronic stress, or ill-health unfolds, we reach for comfort of a metaphysical nature, and for many, the power of prayer. Spiritual or not, certain activities can also help calm the mind, soothe the soul, and heal the body. Meditation, yoga, and deep breathing can be added to your daily health regime along with l- theanine, an amino acid found in green tea. L-theanine helps reduce stress by increasing alpha-brain wave activity, much like meditation, which promotes mental calmness without drowsiness. L-theanine can also improve learning ability and quality of sleep.

Soothe the soul

Social support is important for each of us. Family and friends play an integral part in our current state of health and wellness. Women often take on the world. They become the nurturers and caretakers of all — a wonderful, almost superhuman feat. But to which end? We need the love and nurturing returned in kind before we fall down from the burden of loving and caring for others. Reach out to others. Share, learn, and indulge in the comfort that others are willing to bestow.

Your life may be more akin to a rollercoaster ride at Disney World than a Disney movie travelogue. And the opportunity to run away and start fresh may be as realistic as your flying to the moon. But using three impactful little words as a mantra, connecting to your body, your mind, your soul, with approaches that are healthy, thoughtful, and kind, you can journey through life with more stability and control.

Michele Sevier Biography

Michele Sevier, DNM, DAc, is an educator and advocate of natural health and healing. As an independent advisor to Nutrition House, she is actively involved in many facets of integrative medicine including research, the formulation of specialized supplements, and providing natural health solutions to the general public through Nutrition House's 'Ask Our Expert' service at www.nutritionhouse.com.

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