What I learned When I Stopped Stressing and Started Running

By Guest Blogger – Gordon Simmons
I started running almost 10 years ago. I’m not a very big guy, and one day I got on the scales and realized I was technically obese—more than 35 pounds over my ideal body weight. So, that very night, I announced to my family that the next morning, I was going to go for a run.

Yes, they did laugh a bit. But I didn’t mind. The idea of me getting up early was laughable enough, let alone getting up early to run. But I was determined, and at 6:00 am the next morning, there I was, tying my sneakers and deciding which direction to go.

I made it all of about four blocks before I had to stop. My heart was pounding. My head hurt. I couldn’t breathe. It felt terrible.

And I felt great!

Why?

Sure, you could say it seemed like a pretty miserable failure. I only ran four blocks. For some reason, though, I didn’t see it that way. To me, I had done something fabulous. I got up and RAN. Yes, only four blocks, but the distance wasn’t the point. I didn’t expect to get very far. I decided to focus on the victory in the situation: I followed through on a promise to myself!
As I continued to get up each morning to run, I started going further and further each day, just a little bit more every time. In the beginning I added just one block a day to my distance. Soon I was able to add two blocks, and later still I added more distance until I made it up to 3 miles.

Stress: Herb and Spice Fragrance Linalool Protects Immune System

Scientists at the University of Tokyo have shown that the spice-based compound, linalool reduces the effects of stress on the immune system.

Linalool is a fragrant compound found in several plants including the spices, sweet basil, thyme, cinnamon, bay leaf and fruits such as citrus and mangoes. For many years it has been used extensively in aromatherapy essential oils and as a fragrance for soaps, shampoos and other toiletries.

Linalool is well known as one of the most important calming fragrances and, until this research was published, was thought to act only on the nervous system. However, writing in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Akio Nakamura and his colleagues demonstrate that its action extends beyond the brain to the immune system itself.

In a controlled study the researchers exposed a treatment group of stressed rats to linalool fragrance. At the end of the two hour stress period they measured the white blood cell count, hormone levels and gene activation levels of both the treated and control groups.

The blood tests following the experiment showed that stress hormone levels in both the control and treatment groups were significantly raised at the end of the two hour stress period.

Mediterranean Diet Beats Depression

What many of us have known for years – that one of the causes of depression and anxiety is a poor quality diet – has now been scientifically proven.

Mediterranean diet beats depression

At least three scientific studies over the past year have shown that a good, so called “traditional” diet can REDUCE the risk of depression by up to 30%. On the other hand those who eat a “westernized” diet INCREASE their risk of depression by up to 50%.

These research papers show that individuals who follow a Mediterranean type diet have far lower incidences of depression than those who eat a typical western style diet.

A Mediterranean diet typically consists of whole grains, pulses, fruit, vegetables, herbs, spices, seafood and low levels of saturated fats.

A typical western diet, on the other hand, consists primarily of refined carbohydrates, sugar, high levels of animal-based saturated fats and very few fruit and vegetables.

Spices Stabilize Stress

A couple of years ago I started writing my third book on a health related topic. While carrying out research for the book, numerous references to scientific studies showing how important spices are in helping to prevent and treat a variety of diseases, kept turning up.The closer I looked into this subject the more I discovered how much research was being done into the therapeutic and preventive properties of spices.

That warm feeling you get after you have eaten a very spicy meal is not only a result of the heating effects of chilies and other spices. Apart from their delicious flavors and metabolism-boosting effects, all spices have extremely valuable health enhancing properties.

What has this got to do with stress you may ask?