Feeling sleep-deprived?

03 Wednesday Feb 2021

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It could be the video games you play at night to unwind. Dr. Michael Grandner is with the University of Pennsylvania’s Sleep Medicine Program. He says the blue light from screens will disturb your sleep. But so can intense, interactive video games – like Call of Duty! They stimulate the brain, and boost production of stress hormones – making it nearly impossible to wind down and drift off. And by the way, nearly half of all gamers are women – it’s not just a guy thing. Bottom line: If you’re having trouble sleeping, you may want to cut yourself off from gaming at least an hour before bed.

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Need help falling asleep?

03 Friday Jul 2020

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Flip through a photo album before bed! British researchers found people who looked at happy photos of loved ones before bed saw a huge drop in levels of stress hormones. And they were able to drift off faster, and sleep longer, than when they didn’t look at pictures. It reminds us of happy times and the people who love and support us. But know this: They have to be printed pictures, not smartphone snapshots. Because staring at lighted electronic screens within an hour of bed has been shown to make it harder to get to sleep.

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Do you find it hard to unwind after work?

21 Thursday Nov 2019

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Well, the lingering stress hormones, like cortisol, could make you cranky, and hurt your health in the long run. So, work-life balance expert Mary LoVerde recommends a “power hour” ritual to help you switch from work mode to home mode. So maybe you walk the dog and take a soothing shower. Or you change into sweats and start dinner if you find that relaxing. Just make your “power hour” a repetitive ritual, because planning something new every day will just ADD stress. LoVerde says rituals make it easier to wind down and relax. They also make you more mindful, so you’ll spend your time at home “in the moment,” instead of stressing about work.

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Don’t get stressed-out… eat some hummus!

13 Wednesday Mar 2019

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Here’s a quick trick for reducing your stress hormones: Cut up some vegetables and dip them in hummus! UCLA researchers say the chickpeas in the Mediterranean dip contain one of the highest levels of polyphenols, an antioxidant that cuts down the production of stress hormones. The research showed that just a half-cup of hummus a day can cut our stress by at least 25% within 72 hours.

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Are you empathetic?

01 Monday Oct 2018

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If you’re a big ol’ softie – and you take on everyone’s problems as if they were your own – you’re empathetic. But you may also be increasing your chances of illness.

That’s because being a super supportive friend, partner or parent – and seeing someone you love go through a challenging time – makes stress hormones spike in 40% of people. It’s called “empathetic stress.” And just like your own stress, it can raise your risk for heart disease, insomnia and weight gain. If that’s you – you can still care about your loved ones, but take care of yourself the same way you would if you were dealing with your own stress. And try to be supportive without getting angry or upset on their behalf to keep your stress hormones in check.

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To reduce stress in under a minute:

15 Monday May 2017

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Inhale deeply, while raising your shoulders toward your ears. Then exhale slowly, and push your shoulders down. Repeat 5 times. Stress management experts say combining a shoulder shrug with deep breathing releases tension in our neck, shoulders and upper back. It also produces endorphins, which cancel out stress hormones, and reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Allowing you to literally shrug off your stress in under 60 seconds.

The thing that ruins our diet is daily snacking.

19 Monday Dec 2016

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On any given day, our snacking contributes to over 30% of the calories we take in – totaling over 900 calories, on average. But there may be a simple solution… Drink black tea. The antioxidants in tea keep blood sugar stable. And when our blood sugar levels remain steady, our hunger hormones don’t spike, so we’re less likely to snack! Black tea also stabilizes our stress hormones – so we’re less likely to soothe our stress with food. To get the best results, drink 3 cups of black tea a day.

Wait before having your first cup of coffee…

14 Monday Nov 2016

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No matter what time you wake up – wait 90 minutes – THEN have coffee. Psychologist Steven Miller is from BrainFacts.org – and he says when you wake up, your stress hormones will start rising. So drinking coffee right out of the gate is a waste of good caffeine. Because we’re already on a natural cortisol upswing, so you won’t feel the energy boost. But after 90 minutes, those stress hormones will start leveling off. That’s when a dose of caffeine will pay off, raising your energy levels back up again. So remember, wake up time – plus 90 minutes – equals coffee.

Stress does more than make us crave comfort food – it can also change how our food tastes!

14 Friday Oct 2016

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A new study in the journal Neuroscience Letters found that our taste buds actually contain receptors for certain stress hormones. Which means, when we’re stressed, a cookie won’t taste as sweet, and a bowl of cheese doodles won’t be as satisfying – and we’ll end up craving even more. The fix? Munch on something crunchy AND healthy – like radishes or carrots. Studies show that can help reduce stress, because the act of crunching relieves tension in the jaw – but the veggies won’t add many calories.

Do you play video games late at night?

28 Wednesday Sep 2016

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Why aren’t you able to sleep? Because you play video games at night to unwind. The blue light from screens can disturb your sleep. So can intense, interactive video games – like Call of Duty – which stimulate the brain, and boost production of stress hormones, like adrenaline – making it nearly impossible to wind down and drift off. And nearly half of all gamers are women – so it’s not just a guy thing.

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Tag Archives: stress hormones

Feeling sleep-deprived?

Need help falling asleep?

Do you find it hard to unwind after work?

Don’t get stressed-out… eat some hummus!

Are you empathetic?

To reduce stress in under a minute:

The thing that ruins our diet is daily snacking.

Wait before having your first cup of coffee…

Stress does more than make us crave comfort food – it can also change how our food tastes!

Do you play video games late at night?