How you can Manage and even Cure your Stress if you decide to take it seriously!
With great relief and gratitude, today I can talk about this subject coming from the other side of the fence. Trust me, I have a lot of experience with stress, making myself so stressed and worried for a good 30 years during the first half of my life, it nearly killed me.
In 2014 I wound up having a stroke, a small stroke but still a stroke. This wasn’t only attributed to my stress levels, but also potentially to some of the meds I was taking. Sadly, however, that wasn’t my turning point. The opposite happened, I got dragged into the cesspit of the medical and pharmaceutical industry, eventually taking around 12 medications. These were for bad cholesterol, acid reflux, headaches, sleeping problems, stress, depression, anxiety, blood thinning and so on.
None of the doctors actually cared to explore and find the root cause of my problems. The answer was always the same; let’s try this medication for a while and see how it goes. Before you know it you are addicted to all of the meds and can’t bear the thought of living without them. You’re trapped and getting sicker and sicker.
What the doctors don’t tell you, is that each medication can and likely will lead to another problem. They also don’t mention how bad these meds really are for you in the long run, considering that all we are doing is ingesting chemicals. These meds are addictive, very bad for your body and mind and nothing but a temporary fix.
The truth is, things won’t improve unless You recognize the root of your problems and You take action to change. That’s what happened to me in April 2017, when I finally had my epiphany and began to understand where my problems were originating from and took action.
It all starts with what you put in your Body – Food & Beverages.
Stress starts and can end with the food & drinks you ingest. It’s really that simple. Like the majority of the world’s population, I had no idea that food and drink and other behaviors were making me sick and causing my stress levels to rise. Here is why:
Sugar & Carbohydrates:
Consuming sugar is probably the worst thing you can do to your body over time. Sugar is proven to be 10 times more addictive than Heroin or Cocaine. When sugar is ingested, our whole brain goes ding! Lights on baby! Once you get used to the flavor and the feeling of sugar and that sugar high, you can’t go without it, you are addicted. Guess what? There are large amounts of added sugars in almost every processed food you eat (such as bread, pasta, cereal, energy bars, oats, sauces in restaurants, fruit juices, yogurts, chips, cookies, candy, donuts, muffins, etc). Carbohydrates convert to glucose in your bloodstream = sugar. A high carb diet with large amounts of sugar intake, therefore, creates a huge amount of excess glucose in your bloodstream to be burned or locked away as fat cells if not burned.
Here is what sugar & carbs do to your body:
- Excessive insulin production. Can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes.
- Accelerated cell division. Leads to accelerated aging.
- Energy rollercoaster. Stresses your body and mind, causing the release cortisol, the fight or flight hormone.
- Sugar converts to glucose (which is sticky) in your bloodstream. If not burned for energy, insulin converts the excess glucose and locks it away as triglycerides (fat), leading to insidious weight gain.
- Wreaks havoc on your teeth.
- Insulin spikes can lead to kidney failure.
- Can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, as excess sugar is turned into fat in the liver, which can lead to liver failure.
- High blood pressure. Increased risk of stroke or heart failure.
- Sugar breaks down the collagen in your skin. Ages you faster.
- Makes you moody and depressed.
This list isn’t all of it either. There is more, but you get the idea. Remember, this applies to any and all sugars, including coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc, as it applies to all forms of carbohydrate intake. So the question is; is it really worth it, to be consuming all this sugar and carbs?
Many of the above issues were going on with me. Once I understood this, I switched my food to the Ketogenic Diet, or what I prefer to call a 100% Natural Diet. Have a look at the Ketogenic Food Pyramid and Lifestyle here and start to quickly reap the benefits of regaining control of your health.
4 Ways to Kill Stress and not let Stress Kill You!
1) The Fat based Keto Diet.
Switching to a 100% Natural Fat-Based Ketogenic Lifestyle will remedy most of your ailments. My switch eliminated all of my ailments and today I am no longer on any meds and I’m never sick because my immune system is super strong I’m never stressed.
Headaches: gone
Acid reflux: gone
Depression: gone
Insomnia: gone
Anxiety: gone
Stress: gone
Bad Cholesterol: gone
Fat has been the primary fuel source for humans for 2.5 million years. Energy-rich, high-fat animal fats such as omega 3-fatty acids, actually supported the development of a more complex brain, which allowed humans to branch out from their vegetarian great ape cousins to rise to the top of the food chain.
In summary: It’s scientifically proven that eating a healthy natural fat-based diet, with protein and an abundance of vegetables and salads, nuts and seeds, leads to a healthy body and a calmer mind.
I’m the proof; people who have known me for a long time tell me I’ve changed dramatically and I’m much more pleasant and easy to be around. I don’t get angry, upset, never have road rage, I’m never depressed and I don’t bear grudges.
Instead, I’m simply relaxed and happy all of the time. I killed the stress in my system and don’t allow it to exist anymore, largely by changing my eating and drinking habits, along with the next 3 steps.
2.) Your Exercise & Movement Routine.
In reality, most people either don’t exercise at all, or they are, but they are doing it wrong. For example, going spinning every day won’t help you, nor will fast running, just like daily strength training separate muscle groups won’t help you either. All these types of routines overstress your heart on a daily basis, releasing the fight or flight hormone cortisol into your bloodstream, increasing your risk of heart disease or stroke, just like fast-paced spinning and running will do. It gets worse, your body is not burning an ounce of fat with this type of routine, instead only your stored glucose (which is limited) and when that’s all spent, your muscle mass will be broken down and used for fuel. None of this is a good outcome.
“Less but right is more!” That’s my mantra. Learn to move frequently, every 60 minutes throughout the day, walk, bike or swim every day, keeping your heart rate in the aerobic zone. Then you will burn fat and also improve your cardiovascular system in a healthy and safe way. Add some sprinting and two full bodyweight workouts a day and you will be on the right path to ideal health and fitness. You can read all about it here in my E-Book; “The Dirty Secret The Health & Fitness Industry Doesn’t Want You To Know”.
3.) Sleep, Rest and making “Me Time” a Daily Habit.
Getting adequate sleep, resting up and making “Me Time” are a chronic problem in today’s society. Almost everyone I work with is stressed, can’t seem to fit it all into a day, are backed up with hundreds of emails to answer, phone calls to make and social media to manage. Getting to bed at 12 am or even 2 am and getting up at 6 or 7 am is just not healthy. That’s not enough sleep. We have the classic Tail Wagging the Dog syndrome going on here and we need to regain control of our lives before this behavior makes us sick.
The Answer:
I’ve got the answer, but I have two questions for you to ask yourselves first: What’s your health and life worth to you? Do you want to lead a long healthy and happy life? By the way, your answers should be: “a lot” and “yes”. The best way to achieve this is to make sure you get adequate sleep, rest and look after yourself.
Many people think they are fine with only 3, 4 or 6 hours of sleep and even feel superior that they can function with so little sleep. Sure, you can do that and get used to it, forcing yourself into this grueling schedule. But rest assured, it will catch up with you in time, in the form of massive fatigue or burnout syndrome.
The answer is to get adequate sleep, which supports the healthy recovery of your brain and body. 8 hours of sleep would be ideal. Try to get to bed by 10 pm, and wake by around 6 am. Avoid using computers, cell phones or watching TV for at least one hour before bed. These devices trick your mind into thinking it’s daytime. The blue light they radiate is 10 times stronger than the sun! Think about that. Your brain should be settling down into natural night mode when following the circadian rhythm and slowly releasing melatonin to get you into sleep mode.
Rest often throughout your day, take a break and go for a walk and get some fresh air or just sit down and enjoy a coffee or tea, without working or staring at your phone. Making time for yourself will greatly reduce your stress levels. If you can indulge two massages per week, or a facial, steam or sauna, this will slow you down, even more, kill the stress and make you a healthier happier person. Then there is Meditation.
4.) Meditation & My Life Changing Spiritual Trip to Bali.
Meditation is much more important to your wellbeing than you think. Meditation calms the mind from all the nagging thoughts and talks you have with yourself all day. Mindfulness & Meditation allows you to focus on yourself and relax body and mind. Spending the time daily to sit still and focus on only observing your breath and feeling your heart rate, is an extremely calming experience. There is plenty of evidence that meditation supports brain function, such as memory and can support the immune system.
If you do this first thing in the morning you will start to feel far more relaxed throughout your day. Your mind will be more focused on the now and will not constantly dart around thinking and worrying. You will respond better to problems and will reduce your stress levels.
Bali was a wonderful place for me to spend time and learn to understand the problem with stress and how meditation can change your mindset. The time I spent on this magical island was my final and absolute stress relief.
I studied Balinese Higher Energy Meditation with the Master Guru Made Sumantra in Ubud. Learning this meditation technique was both eye-opening and fun. Sometimes people are turned off by the thought of meditation as they think it’s too difficult or daunting. It really isn’t. It’s quite simple and can be fun if you approach it with an open mind.
Learning to meditate and understanding what meditation is really about drastically calmed my mind. In combination with the right diet and exercise plan, stress has left my body and mind for good. View my meditation routine here.
Slow Life Down and enjoy every Day.
Slowing life down and making an effort to enjoy every day is probably the best advice I’ve ever been given and I can give back. The reason I decided to write this article is that I work with and see so many people every day who are terribly stressed, angry and upset.
Final Thought:
The level of road rage on the streets of South Florida is alarming. Road rage is probably the worst and most pointless form of anger and stress you can subject yourself to, whilst at the same time you are causing great upset to someone else.
Why shout, scream and honk at people? Let people merge, give them the right of way, slow down, be courteous rather than nasty to others. Help others on the road and in everyday life wherever you may be. This behavior will slow your life down, make you happy, kill your stress and will most likely prevent you from killing yourself through stress!
Thanks for reading.
Rob Hourmont
Former Olympic Athlete & Health Coach “
I want to show people how to lose weight effectively, how to build a healthy strong heart, a strong body and mind supporting a longer life. I do this by showing how you should eat in the most natural way and by teaching you my natural fitness and movement methods. I’ll be talking and writing about how you can achieve your best possible health no matter what age, as my absolute passion today is to help as many people in the world regain health!”
