Empowered Pathways Newsletter

August 5, 2003

Gen Abrams, Publisher
Gen@empoweredpathways.com

..your link to better living
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Welcome!
.. to your "Empowered Pathways" newsletter!

It is my hope that through this newsletter, you will receive
information that will improve the quality of your life.
Included in each issue is information about health,
nutrition, herbals and supplements, simplifying life, living
more frugally, fun, faith, and joy!

It's all about empowerment, stuff that helps you be
in control of your life, your own pathway to better living!

Thanks for subscribing!

Gen (-:

In this Issue:

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Health, Nutrition and Supplements
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Optimal Stress for Optimal Health

Most of us say the word "stress" like it is a bad thing.

I think of stress as simply life. In life the only constant
is change- our environments change, our bodies change, change
is constant. And it is these changes that are the stressors
in our lives, the things that cause stimulation and provide
us with something to focus our attention on. Life without
stimulation is impossible, in fact, the absence of stress is death.

The way we intrepret and manage the stimulation in our lives
is really the issue when we speak of stress. Our interpreta-
tion comes from our very makeup as a human being, the whole
person we are equips us to handle what life throws at us.
Our physical being, our health, our immune system, our genetic
background, and any disease processes we have all play a role
in how we are able to cope with life. Who we are- our person-
ality, our socialization, our family upbringing and the
morals, values and standards- tell us how we interpret and
manage stress as well, I call this our "baggage".

Because we are, thankfully, each created uniquely our response,
whether we are aware of it or not, to the world is also unique.
We all go through life carrying our baggage, bumping in to
things like in a crowded airport terminal. For some of us,
the baggage is heavy and cumbersome while others may only
be toting a small carry-on. For all of us, finding a way to
carry our baggage and move forward and still be healthy,
happy and enjoy the trip is the key to finding optimal stress.

There are several major sources of stress we need to learn
to manage:

Survival Stress
Where you are in a physically or emotionally threatening
situation, your body adapts to help you react more effectively
to meet the threat.

This is controlled mainly by release of adrenaline. The
changes are quite powerful and useful in a 'fight or flight'
situation. The main ones are:

• Adrenaline mobilizes sugars, giving your body access
  to more strength, energy and stamina. This helps you to fight
  harder or run faster.
• It reduces the blood supply to your skin and short-term
  inessential organs. This minimizes bleeding if you are hurt,
  and ensures that energy is not wasted on processes that are
  not immediately useful.
• You may experience nausea or diarrhea: this eliminates
  excess weight that might otherwise slow you down.

Internally Generated Stress & Anxiety
Internally generated stress is stress that you cause for
yourself. This can come from anxious worrying about events
beyond your control, from a tense, hurried approach to life,
or from relationship problems caused by your own behavior.
It can also come from an 'addiction' to and enjoyment of
stress.

Stress can cause the levels of a chemical called noradrenalin
to rise in and between nerve cells. This gives a feeling of
confidence and elation that some people like. They can subcon-
sciously defer work or a task until the last minute to cause
a 'deadline high', or can create a stressful environment that
feeds their enjoyment of a situation.

Other aspects of personality can cause stress. Examples are
perfectionism, where extremely or impossibly high standards
can cause stress; and excessive self-effacement, where constant
attention to the needs of others can lead to dissatisfaction.
A major cause of internally generated stress in many people
is anxiety.

Environmental, Nutritional and Job Stress
Your environment may be a significant source of stress.
This can come from:

• Crowding and invasion of personal space
• Insufficient working and living space
• Noise
• Dirty or untidy conditions
• Pollution
• A badly organized or run down environment
• Chemical and nutritional stresses

• Caffeine: this raises your levels of stress hormones,
  makes it more difficult to sleep, and can make you more
  irritable. Many people report as big a reduction in feelings
  of stress after switching away from coffee as they do after
  giving up smoking.
• Bursts of sugar from sweets or chocolate: these can
  make you feel more energetic in the short term. However your
  body reacts to stabilize abnormally high sugar levels by
  releasing too much insulin. This causes a serious energy
  dip shortly after the sugar high.
• Too much salt: This raises your blood pressure and puts
  your body under chemical stress.
• Smoking: most people who smoke feel relaxed after a
  cigarette. If you smoke, however, try taking you pulse before
  and after a cigarette and think about the difference. Smoking
  puts your body under chemical stress. Most people who have
  given up smoking feel much more relaxed generally after the
  initial 'giving up' period is finished.

Lifestyle and job stress
Many of the stresses you experience may come from your job or
from your lifestyle. These may include:

• too much or too little work
• time pressures and deadlines
• responsibility for people, budgets or equipment
• frustration and boredom with current role
• lack of clear plans and goals
• demands from clients
• disruptions to plans
• frustration at having to overcome unnecessary obstacles
• financial or relationship problems
• ill-health
• family changes such as birth, death, marriage or divorce etc.

Optimum Stress Levels
The level of stress under which you operate is important:
if you are not under enough stress, then you may find that
you suffer because you are bored and unmotivated. If you
are under too much stress, then you will find that stress
related problems interfere with enjoying your life.

It is important that you recognize that you are responsible
for your own stress - very often it is a product of the way
that you think. Learn to monitor your stress levels, and
adjust them up if you need to be more alert, or down if you
are feeling too tense. Learn to adjust that load of baggage!

By managing your stress effectively you can significantly
improve the quality of your life. Enjoy the journey!

Next week I will give you some tips and tools to help
you find your own optimal stress level!

*These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease.
This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

If you need further information, or want information about
my research or sources, you can email me at:
Gen@empoweredpathways.com

Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to friends
or family who may benefit from this information!

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Tips for Frugal Living
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• If you take a lot of vitamins, supplements, or
  medications- here is a great time saver! Once a week, sit
  down and set yourself up for the next week...we use snack
  size baggies for each days worth of supplements and vitamins.
  You can even use a permanent marker and put the days of the
  week on each bag. Then, each day there is no sorting through
  or forgetting to include anything of you daily regime! Great
  for traveling or taking along for work, too! If you have
  some things you take in the morning and some at night, no
  problem- just label one "AM" and one "PM"!
• I am a clearance rack junkie- I admit it! The minute I
  see one, I am there, scouring over it...I find a ton of great
  deals! Many things can be found that could be just the
  right birthday or christmas gift for someone, even if it is
  off season. A little planning ahead for those things won't
  hurt, either! (-:

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Gen's Soapbox
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7 Ways To Tune Up Your Life

Kathy Gates, Professional Life Coach
www.reallifecoach.com

1. Finish what you started -- that pile that needs tossing,
your income tax, painting the bedroom. Pick one, finish it;
pick another, finish it.

2. Set goals for each day. Have a plan. What time you get
up, where you go, what you do. You've got 24 hours. Schedule
it. Protect it. Commit to some particular goals for that
day and say No to all other distractions.

3. Organize your day. Watch for distractions. I love to
write, but I love to do so many other interesting things too
- read a good book, work in the garden, talk to my friends,
play with the kids. But it's important to stay focused on
what's most important at any particular time.

4. Take charge of your time. Time is the great equalizer.
No matter how smart, how young, how pretty, how rich, every
person has only 24 hours a day to use to his advantage.
Consciously choose what time you get up, how far you drive
to work. Choose what time you go to bed, how you spend your
mornings, how you spend your evenings.

5. Practice maintenance on your life. Regularly check for
problems and see what needs to be tended to BEFORE it becomes
a big problem.

6. Be consistent. Break the goal down into 15 minute tasks.
For example, if your closet has clothes from 1987 in it, just
spend 15 minutes a day (schedule it!) going through it until
it's organized. At the end of the month, you'll have created
7-1/2 hours of work - one whole *free* Saturday!

7. Stop Worrying, Start Doing. Choose to make better
choices. You are currently choosing to worry for days
(months?) about a job that would take you only a few hours.
You are capable of choosing better. Choose to take action,
or delegate the action to someone else.

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Professional Life Coach Kathy Gates is the author of several
e-books and e-courses designed to help people live happier,
healthier, easier lives. Sign up for her ezine, "Make It
Happen" at www.reallifecoach.com.

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Bible Verse
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      And the peace of God,
      which passeth all understanding,
      shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
      Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,
      whatsoever things are honest,
      whatsoever things are just,
      whatsoever things are pure,
       whatsoever things are lovely,
      whatsoever things are of good report;
      if there be any virtue,
       and if there be any praise,
      think on these things.
      Those things, which ye have both learned,
      and received, and heard, and seen in me, do:
      and the God of peace shall be with you.

      Philippians 4: 7-9

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Remarkable Quote
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Okay, so this week it is really a poem...(-:

I asked God

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a by-product of tribulations;
it isn't granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings.
Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares
and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own,
but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life
so that you may enjoy all things.

I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as he loves me.
God said...
Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

    -Unknown

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Reader Feedback
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Do you have a frugal tip to share with other
readers?
Have an opinion to share, or a question?
Feedback is terrific!
You can email me anytime at:
Gen@empoweredpathways.com
Please let me know if it is okay to share your
comments with other subscribers!

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Disclaimers:
*These statements have not been approved by the Food and
Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose,
treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required
by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
The purpose of this newsletter is informational only, and
the publisher cannot be held responsible for actions taken
as a result of the information provided herein.
Although we believe our advertisers to be honest in their
business practices, we cannot be held liable for the products
or services promoted by our sponsors. Please take the time
to check out all business opportunities and offers.
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