ust relax.
What
is it about that
well-intended
advice—usually
suggested when
you’re tearing
your hair out—
that makes you do just the
opposite? Being told to relax, it
seems, is the quickest way to
make someone more tensed ,
But you
can
choose to f
relax and, you should know,
your continued good health
depends upon it.
“When you’re constantly
under stress, the body
______
produces higher levels of
the hormone cortisol, which
is a natural steroid,” says
Dr. Martha H. Howard«
medical director of Wei
Associates of Chicago.
Frequently elevated levels of
cortisol can cause weight
gain, poor sleep, immune
deficiencies, and irritability.
And, no, those heavily
promoted pills that claim to
reduce cortisol won’t do the
trick. But here are five easy
f
ways to relax that will.
These highly effective relaxation
techniques are as easy as breathing.
BY JULIE EVA N S
P H O T O C A M E R O N SA D EG H PO U R
209
YOUR HEALTH
214
FITNESS
216
FAMILY MATTERS
222
i—
,
— —
To Stress Less
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS JUNE 2008
2 0 9
