Stress Information

Article Navigation

Click Here for more articles

Eating Healthy in a Time-Starved World

by: Protica Research

Americans are literally running out of time. Achieving a work-life balance, which is still a luxury for tens of millions of working parents, has been overtaken by an even greater demand: a work-life-nutrition balance. Unfortunately, this increasing demand for nutrition has not been accompanied by a useful strategy that enables people to reclaim time from their harried lives.

The result of this dilemma has been an additional layer of stress applied on top of an already stressful life. This has further highlighted stress as America�s top health problem something that was first brought to public attention in the early 1980s, and has since more obvious in the 2 decades since then[i].

Once the link between time mismanagement and stress is made � and it is virtually axiomatic at this point that this link exists[ii] -- a range of adverse health and nutrition consequences often result. The vicious cycle that ensues is harrowing and known to most people through direct experience, or via painfully seeing it manifest in the life of a family member, friend, or colleague.

Stress can -- and often does -- lead to unhealthy eating[iii], which in turn, leads to even more stress because the body is not receiving the essential micronutrients and vitamins that it requires. While this is happening, since poor eating is often associated with undesirable weight gain, another level of psychological stress � this one associated with body image problems � is unleashed.

Although if the cycle ended here this would be enough to solidify this as a major problem, it continues beyond this point and becomes worse.

This psychological stress due to body image problems/weight gain often leads to �emotional eating�. It is estimated that 75% of all overeating is the result of emotional eating[iv]. This, in turn, leads to yet more nutritional deficiency, since the emotional eating is typically of unhealthy comfort foods that are rich in saturated fat. This � as can be inferred -- leads to yet more stress, and the cycle continues, unabated, often resulting in malnutrition, obesity, and in more cases than most average people realize, even suicide.

The almost clinical description of this negative cycle in the preceding paragraphs does not remotely capture the indescribable pain and suffering that tens of millions of Americans experience each day due to the collision of stress, lack of time, and poor eating habits. While no description could accurately capture the devastation that this negative loop causes, it is enough in the context of this article to firmly declare that it is a profoundly significant crisis.

No quick-fix solution to a problem of this magnitude is possible, and any attempt for an overnight solution should be met with the most aggressive skepticism. The key to addressing a situation of this immense complexity is to identify the root cause, and then provide remedies that mitigate or in some cases, avoid the negative loop from beginning in the first place.

One of the root causes of this problem has been noted already: a lack of time. If more Americans had more time, or felt that they had more time, the stress associated with not having enough time would not be able to pull them under and into a negative nutrition spiral. Therefore, a solution that works on this level � the level of time � is going to be help solve this problem to some extent.

It is within this awareness that time is of the essence that a number of nutritional supplements have been created. Unfortunately, while many of these supplements take mere seconds to ingest, an array of them are not providing the body�s requirement for micronutrients and vitamins.

Furthermore, and quite irresponsibly, many so-called �energy bars� are very high in calories and carbohydrates, and as such can lead to emotional eating and trigger weight gain. It is even more unfortunate than this to observe that the race to market many nutritional supplement products has been more about making money through clever advertising and slogans, than it has been about helping people save time, eat healthy, and avoid potentially life-altering negative stress cycles. This is evidenced by the number of so-called nutritional supplements that are little more than expensive and pretentious candy bars.

However, there are some products that have risen to this ethical challenge � products that have been truly inspired by actual nutritional scientists who see a dire need in society, and have engineered a useful product to help meet that need.

The easiest way to identify such products is to find those that deliver a complete, balanced source of nutrition for time-starved individuals, including: adults, kids, athletes, sedentary individuals, and all those in between. At the same time, these elite products should provide a range of essential nutrients so that, in effect, the nutrition source can be relied upon as a complete meal when time is severely limited.

Solving America�s time-starved dilemma is bigger than any one product, or series of products, to solve. However, though the perfect solution to this complex problem remains elusive, it is clear that part of that eventual solution will depend on resolving causes, and not chasing symptoms. Nutritional products that offer scientifically developed meal and supplement solutions will be a major ally in this resolution.

About Protica

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com

You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com

References

[i] Source: �America�s #1 Health Problem�. Stress.org. http://www.stress.org/problem.htm

[ii] Source: �Stress Management�. WebMD. http://my.webmd.com/hw/emotional_wellness/hw153409.asp?pagenumber=3

[iii] Source: �Nutrition�. SVCMC. http://svh.nymc.edu/quickcheck/mstress/nutri.asp

[iv] Source: �Are You an Emotional Eater?�. About.com. http://exercise.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/emotionaleating.htm

Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

About the author:
About Protica

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at

You can also learn about Profect at

Circulated by Article Emporium

Read Articles:

Set Yourself Stress-Free

What is a Body Massage?

Beating the Freshman 15

5 Tips To Boost Your Spirits

The 7 Myths Of Relaxation

CUT STRESS THROUGH EFFICIENCIES

5 Top Tips To Boost Your Spirits

Discover the Hidden Power of Self Motivation

10 Ways to Reduce Commuting Stress

Quiet Time

How To Stress Less and Smile More

10 Unusual Ways to Reduce Stress

A Simple Tip For When You're Stressed

A Guide to Female Hair Loss -

The Social Web of Stress - Simple Solutions

Discover Yoga's Healing Power

Stress, Anxiety and Depression - What is the d...

4 Steps for You to Help Yourself During Chemoth...

Food for Thought

Myth Busting: What Causes Mental Breakdown?

Plan To Succeed!

The Curse of Work

Rio Light Mask Photic Stimulation Therapy For M...

Alternative Therapies for Acid Reflux Disease

T'ai Chi in the Information Age � Ancient Cure ...

How to Increase Your Energy Naturally

Plantar Faschitis And Heel Bone Spurs Causes

Even Dogs Get the Holiday Blues: Meditation Can...

The Benefits of a Memory Foam Mattress

Adult Acne Solved!

Skin Care Secrets � You can have Beautiful Skin

The Cause of Hair Loss -

WONDER PILLOW Memory Foam Pillow For Orthopaedi...

Treadmill vs elliptical: A never ending argument

Understanding Depression

Causes of Canker Sores

Environment - Anxiety & Panic

Conquering Your Acne - A Few Helpful Tips

Press Release "Is Spike in pain?" ...

Suffering From Constant Headaches - 3 Proven & ...

The Truth About Acne

Acne and Skin Problem Myths Debunked

Don�t Let a Headache Keep You Down

The Modern Steam Bath -- A Healing Remedy for S...

Top 10 Causes Of Acne

Acne Myths, Finally Some Facts

Viagra Is Good for the Heart

"Your assigned character in life"

Breathing And Relaxation Techniques To Sleep Be...

Research Confirms Drinking Relieves Stress

A Cure For Erectile Dysfunction And Impotence -...

Hypnosis: Benefits You Can�t Live Without

Menopause and Weight Loss

Gearing Up for Flu Season

Fit for What?

Seven Easy Ways To Do Aromatherapy Skin Care At...

The Benefits of Taking a Daily Multivitamin

9 Tips to Stop Food Cravings and Help You With ...

Do Cellulite Creams Actually Work?

Busting Acne Myths Requires Individualized Trea...

More Article Pages 1 - 2 - 3

Mom's Job Stress May Spread to Kids
by: Rita Jenkins

Low job satisfaction in working mothers increases the stress levels of their children, but allowing them to spend more time in childcare can help overcome these effects, according to new research published in Developmental Psychobiology.

Children whose mothers found their jobs emotionally exhausting or otherwise less rewarding had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol than children whose mothers reported more enjoyment from their jobs, researchers found in a study involving more than 50 nursery school children.

Levels of cortisol in the evening were more than double in the children whose mothers experienced less job satisfaction. Placing those children in childcare would help to significantly reduce their stress, the research suggests.

The researchers also found that children from families that were either highly expressive or very reserved exhibited higher than average cortisol levels.

Greater support is needed for working mothers to help improve their job satisfaction and increase the availability of affordable childcare options, says the report.

More Time in Childcare

Dr. Julie Turner-Cobb, a health psychologist and senior lecturer at the University of Bath, Dr. Christina Chryssanthopoulou from the University of Kent and Dr. David Jessop, a neuroimmunologist at the University of Bristol collaborated on the study.

To measure cortisol levels, they took saliva samples in the morning and evening from 56 children aged three to four years old. They also surveyed mothers about their workplace conditions and home life over a six month period.

"Spending more time in childcare makes a big difference to the stress levels in children whose mothers have low job satisfaction," says Dr. Turner-Cobb.

"It can help protect children from the effects of their mother's low job quality and emotional exhaustion. Ensuring that mothers of young children have good support in the workplace is essential for supporting both mothers and their children," she adds.

"Improving the job satisfaction of working mothers means that they are less stressed themselves," says Dr. Jessop, "and extending the availability of affordable and adequate childcare may not only improve the quality of life for the mothers but, in doing so, may improve the long term health of their children."

Healthy Adaptation to Stress

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that regulates blood pressure and cardiovascular function and immune function. It also controls the body's use of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Cortisol secretion increases in response to stress, whether physical -- such as illness, trauma, surgery or temperature extremes -- or psychological. It is a normal and essential response without which we would not be able to function in everyday life.

When these levels remain high or become disrupted in some way over a prolonged period of time, however, they may have consequences for health. It is important to promote healthy adaptation to stress in children, and good quality childcare is one way of doing this, say the authors.

This Static Spot is open for sponsor

This Static Spot is open for sponsor