Stress can effect every part of the body and produce negative physical, mental and emotional symptoms. One biological effect of chronic stress is weight gain. Weight loss can be an even bigger challenge for people with chronic stress.



Chronic stress-in tandem with a junk food diet-can lay fat on your belly. Scientist at George town University Medical Center in Washington and in Australia and Slovakia have shown in mice that stress activates the hormone neuropeptide Y (NPY), which leads to fat accumulation.

The findings, in July's Nature Medicine have raised hopes that NPY could be manipulated to treat obesity. Source: AARP BULLETIN

With all the new research pointing towards an obesity epidemic here in America, parallels can also be drawn between the relationship of unhealthy lifestyles and stress. People tend to take worst care of themselves due to their apathetic and pessimistic outlook on life when they are stressed out, which in turn will cause lack of motivation to exercise or be active and eat right, so stress management is vital for optimal health and well-being.

Most people spend their lives avoiding pain and seeking pleasure in order to find that comfort zone where stress is best well managed. If we fall out of that comfort zone due to a stressful situation or event, we reach for something to make us feel better like sugary foods, or a drink and a smoke etc.

More people are leaning towards natural remedies, free of drugs or quick fix solutions that uaually fail in the long run.

Exercise in itself can relieve stress by releasing chemicals (endorphines) in the brain that will put you in an uplifting mood. But exercise alone won't cure stress related weight gain, you also need to want to take better care of yourself with healthier food choices, plus a mental and emotional transformation.

Sometimes out of the ordinary natural remedies are best and hypnosis and yoga are becoming a mainstream solution to relieve people from stress related weight gain and every day anxiety symptoms, especially since both can be taught and performed alone and at home.

Unfortunately, many individuals have a hard time sticking to a conventional diet, especially since it usually involves elliminating a lot of your favorite foods and requires a lot of dedication not only to a strict diet but a full healthy diet program needs to include exercise also.

Hypnosis and yoga are both being recognized for their general health and curative benefits for stress symptoms such as emotional overeating or the inability to get motivated for exercise or physical activity.

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, in which you enter a trance-like state.

Hypnosis only works on willing participants and your success will depend entirely on your desire to achieve your treatment goal.

During hypnosis, you are fully awake, even though you are unaware of what is going on around you. It's similar to when you daydream or become totally immersed in a book or movie.

For many years hypnosis was frowned down upon as a theatrical parlor trick exploited by charlatans, but western medicine has shown a fascination in its potential and has since become a useful tool in helping people lose weight, quit smoking, help relieve chronic pain and also used to motivate or extinguish phobias and fears.

The root of success with hypnosis for weight loss is by altering your state of mind that will elliminate food cravings and make you want to take care of yourself by eating healthy foods and staying away from the fattening foods plus a sudden desire to exercise and get physically active.

There is no magic to hypnosis, only the individuals use of a natural physical state that influences your subconscious that is only effective if it's something you truly desire.

What Is Yoga?

Yoga is a system of holistic health originating in India over 5000 years ago. Yoga is the practice of balancing the mind, body and spirit enabeling the participants to feel more powerful, confident and balanced.

There are many forms of yoga, with Hatha encompassing the many physical types of yoga. "Ashtanga", which means "eight limbs", being the most physical-kind, linking "asanas" (postures) that are both physical and powerful.

A more modern term used today is "Power Yoga" and is being utilized in many of the gyms and workout classes in America due to it's vigorous and physically demanding constant poses. Because of the constant movement (flow) Power Yoga helps fortify both mind and body while increasing your heart rate and your flexibility.

For a complete fitness regimen of yoga only, it must be vigouros enough and long enough to have a cardio, fat burning, weight loss result.

With the stress relief and physical benefits associated with yoga and exercise, many people are combining yoga with other forms of exercise such as aerobics, walking and many other forms of fat burning activity workouts.

Yoga also needs to be performed on a regular basis to have a long term lasting effect. And similar to starting an exercise regimen for the first time, you will need to perform less intense yoga poses in the beginning, so you dont' hurt yourself.

So, both hypnosis and yoga are truly effective alternatives to supplements and drugs for weight loss or any stress symptom, providing a deep willingness is present . The rewards will be proportionate to your efforts.