“Somewhere between right and wrong, there is a garden. I will meet you there”. Rumi.
Dealing with women for over 10 years in the field of health wellness and nutrition, I have realized that majority of the women who are obese or overweight or underweight, Anorexic or bulimic are mainly because of some form of mental illness or mental stress. The most common of all being ‘Anxiety’.
Visually anxiety looks like someone whose legs are stretched in two boats; one boat moving backwards representing past emotions, pent up feelings, guilt and regret and the one moving forward but heavy with fear and indecisiveness, irritability and nervousness.
Anxiety is real. It is not because people who suffer from anxiety are weak, out of control, indecisive or have a weird sense of imagination. It is a scientifically proven state which, in some conditions requires medical attention.
Some people find relief from this mental distress through physical exercise or exertion and some find relief in comfort eating. Perhaps comfort eating takes the lead with 89% of my clients suffering from one form of anxiety to another.
What I want to tell everybody is that anxiety is a known or an unknown enemy which we encounter in our everyday lives, sometimes positive and sometimes negative. Internal factors such as fear, guilt, regret or external factors such as economic conditions, finances, weather, death or separation from a loved one affects us emotionally, mentally or harmonically and other times it is just the fear of things not turning out right.
Loss of a partner, loss in business or other situations like the one we are facing now, an unexpected pandemic are triggers of this negative condition.
For some anxious people, their moods may be caused by an abundance of stress hormones — most notably, adrenaline and cortisol. Technically, stress hormones are designed to help our bodies cope with danger; they increase our awareness and improve our reflexes. But when they flood through your brain in a normal, only slightly frightening, situation — like when preparing for a meeting, stressful airplane ride, or a thunderstorm — they create anxiety.
To make matters worse, an increase in stress hormones can cause your body to release even more stress hormones, until you have a cavalcade of worries. If this goes on for too long, your baseline anxiety is likely to be high. Please consult your doctor about your thyroid. Thyroid hormones play a significant role in anxiety. Your thyroid-stimulating hormone (often called TSH) levels directly correlate with the severity of panic attacks.
Typically, anxiety disorders are correlated with hyperthyroidism — an overactive thyroid — and depression is correlated with hypothyroidism, or an under-active thyroid. But bodies are complicated, and a number of other elements may come into play (you could be anxious and also suffer from hypothyroid, for example).
Think your anxiety may be connected to hyperthyroidism? Common symptoms may include:
- Nervousness
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Weight loss
- Irregular menstrual cycles
Stop the fear of being wrong; the chances of being right or wrong in any decision that you will make will be the same as winning a toss at a cricket game, 50-50. You have to make sure that you are making this decision prudently keeping in mind the pros and the cons of the decision. Discuss with a loved one or a trusted one but remember, their word is not the last word; it is still your decision. Let their “I told you so” statements not bother you. To be fair, they are not anything close to perfect themselves or let’s say ecstatic with their existence.
If you are afraid to be wrong, you won’t make much progress. Courage means that you try something that might not work. When nothing is certain, everything is possible.
Nobody starts a project, business or a relationship for it not to work out but if things don’t go your way and cause you needless worries, you either have to take action for better living conditions or you have to let it simmer inside you and eat you away like a terminal illness brewing to kill your immunity system, making you susceptible to various other diseases.
Forgive yourself, like I said there is no right and wrong in any situation. You did what felt the most appropriate at that time, keeping in mind the abstract internal and factual external situation. Face it! Recharge your batteries and move forward. Accept the current situation, good or bad and plan accordingly one day at a time. Take baby steps and make a ‘to-do list’ but do not overtire yourself. It will only lead to fatigue and depression. Pace yourself, take breaks, listen to your body, have lots of lemon tea to detox yourself and keep your PH level at bay. Have lots of water. Go one meal vegetarian. Have fruit and vegetables. Have whole “nuts” which is a good brain food. Exercise atleast 200-300 minutes per week depending on your activity levels.
Make yoga and meditation a part of your daily life, even if it means focusing on your breathing for 15 minutes. Do that! Dancer-size; it is the best way to boost your ‘feel good’ hormones.
For a lifestyle and wellness consultation, you can call +92 333 3881477 OR +92 331 3764728 or write to us at info@mantahaa.com
Note: Data is derived from an initial assessment during the consultation which requires blood work, medical, exercise and nutrition history.
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