Acupuncture and More…

Everyone experiences times throughout the day where you just wish you could relax for even a few minutes.

You already know that relaxation helps your body re-energize, but sometimes you’re so busy and caught up in the moment that you just don’t have the time to unwind.

Well, fortunately there are simple ways to relax, even during your busiest days, that don’t require a lot of time or equipment.

Here are 5 Simple Relaxation Tips:

1. When you’re in line at the grocery store: Instead of stressing out because there aren’t enough cashiers and every line has 5 people with heaping carts of groceries, use that time to relax your body by taking some deep breaths.

· Deep breathing helps increase the oxygen in your blood. Your blood then circulates that extra oxygen throughout your body helping your inner systems recharge.

· Taking five slow deep breaths will do the trick. The proper technique is to inhale and exhale deeply through your nose and out your mouth.

· Not only will deep breathing help you relax, it’ll help to clear your mind, reduce brain fog, and you’ll feel much more alert and ready to tackle the next project on your plate.

· Deep breathing can be done anywhere when you’re feeling stressed or just want to clear your mind.

2. When you’re at work: It’s often hard to find time to relax at work. You might even get in trouble if you’re caught “relaxing.” Oh the horror! However, there are some techniques you can do while you’re at work to help create a sense of calm that aren’t so obvious to others.

· If your job requires you to sit at a computer all day, make sure you get up and move around for a few minutes every hour. This helps circulate the blood throughout your body. Just moving the blood flow will make you feel more alert and focused.

· While sitting at your desk, roll your head around, from side to side and from front to back with your eyes closed. This technique helps to relieve neck tension, increasing blood flow to your brain, which is a natural and easy way to relax.

· If you’re on your feet all day, stretch out your back and sides by standing with your feet firm on the floor, shoulder width apart, and twist your upper body, including your head, slowly from side to side. This will loosen up your back muscles and spine, releasing tension throughout your body.

· During a break or lunchtime, go for a walk. Walking is a great way to clear your mind and your body will benefit from the extra exercise as well.

3. When you’re rushing through a busy day: Take just a few moments to daydream and escape the busyness of reality.

· Daydreaming lets your imagination flow, causing instant relief from the stress of the real world.

· Think of a place or experience that makes you feel happy or calm. Imagine how it smells, how the air feels, and who’s around.

· After five minutes of a calming daydream you’ll feel relaxed, reenergized and ready to face the real world again.

4. Wherever you’re at, smile: Smiling is proven to help relax and rejuvenate your body.

· When you’re out and about, smile at others around you.

· When you’re at work, smile at your co-workers. Not only will it help you relax, it’ll help relax them as well.

· Smile at your children when you’re toting them around to all their different activities. This will create a peaceful environment you’ll all enjoy.

5. When the going gets tough, laugh: Laughter’s proven to be an instant stress reliever. Now I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want to be seen as a nut case, so laughing out loud when you’re in line at the store or sitting at your desk may not be the best time. When you can, get someone involved in your laughter with you.

· Tell a funny joke or story to a co-worker (at an appropriate time, of course).

· Play a fun game or sing a silly song with your kids as you’re driving.

· Watch funny videos on YouTube.

Engaging in these simple, everyday relaxation techniques will help to sustain and strengthen you throughout your day. It’ll also make it easier to unwind when you get home. Your friends, co-workers, and family will all appreciate the new, relaxed you!

Pycnogenol; you don’t have to be able to pronounce it to benefit from this powerful antioxidant. Pycnogenol has many actions in the body, but I am going to concentrate in only one in particular, in this article.

Pycongenol has been found to optimize the production of Nitric Oxide within the lining of your arteries.
And you may be asking yourself: So what?

The answer is: Nitric oxide plays a role in many biochemical functions. By increasing blood flow, it improves memory and attention; it improves the performance of the kidneys, lungs and liver; it aids with cardiovascular performance; and it is responsible for the male erection.

As far as heart disease, I am sure you are familiar with the nitroglycerine pills that heart disease patients carry with them at all times in case of an angina attack (chest pains). What these nitro pills do is release nitric oxide, which relaxes the coronary arteries and allows more blood to flow into the heart.

One important fact about Pycongenol is that, it is and optimizer of the production of nitric oxide. Too much nitric oxide can kill cells.

Pycongenol helps regulate the nitric oxide levels in the body. It helps the body produce adequate levels for necessary functions, and it reduces levels if they are too high and could do harm.

Another important function of the nitric oxide that is produce in the inner lining, or endothelium, of the arteries is that; it acts to increase the production of a chemical messenger called “cyclic- GMP” (guanosine monophosphate), which is needed to keep blood pellets slippery and not prone to clumping and aggregation. This last function is very important for people that suffer from heart disease and stroke.

Currently an American has a heart attack every 20 seconds. Most of these victims never had a clue until just seconds before they had their first heart attack. Of those having a heart attack for the first time 42% survive.

According to the statistics, if you make a list of the 10 people closes to you 6 of them are going to become victims of heart disease, and 2 of them are going to die the first time it happens to them.

If you are not taking steps to prevent heart disease you are playing Russian roulette with your life.

The incidence of overweight and diabetes, the two main contributors to hear disease) are at epidemic proportions in the United States, and you cannot afford to not to supplement you diet with an antioxidant like Pycongenol.

Interested on taking Pycongenol?

Pycnogenol is an antioxidant found on the bark of a French maritime pine tree. Unless you wanted to chew on the pine bark, you could only get your Pycongenol from manufacturers that extracted it and added it to dietary supplements in pill form.

I recommend that when ever possible you get your supplements from whole-foods, in my opinion this is your best option. One way of getting your Pycongenol is from a whole food is drink the juice of the mangosteen fruit that also contains the pericarp along with the pulp within the juice.