MEDITATION AND SLEEP HYGIENE TO REDUCE CORTISOL
AS DISCUSSED IN detail in chapter 8, cortisol raises insulin levels and is a major pathway of weight gain. Therefore, reducing your cortisol levels is an integral part of your overall weight-loss effort. Reducing stress levels, practicing meditation and getting good sleep are all effective methods for achieving lower cortisol levels. Some useful tips follow.
Stress reduction
IF EXCESSIVE STRESS and the cortisol response are causing obesity, then the treatment is to reduce stress, but that’s easier said than done. Removing yourself from stressful situations is important, but not always possible. Work and family demands won’t go away by themselves. Luckily, there are some time-tested methods of stress relief that can help us cope.
It’s a popular misconception that stress relief involves sitting in front of the television and doing nothing. In fact, you can’t relieve stress by doing nothing. Stress relief is an active process. Meditation, tai chi, yoga, religious practice and massage are all good choices.
Regular exercise is an excellent way to relieve stress and lower cortisol levels. The original intent of the fight-or-flight response was to mobilize the body for physical exertion. Exercise can also release endorphins and improve mood. This benefit far exceeds the relatively modest caloric reduction achieved by exercise.
Social connectivity is another great stress reliever. Everybody remembers how hard it was to be singled out in high school; that’s no different at any age. Being part of a group or community is part of our human heritage. For some, religion and churches can provide this feeling of belonging. The power of human touch also cannot be underestimated. Massage can be beneficial for this reason.
Mindfulness meditation
THROUGH MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, we can become more aware of our thoughts. The objective in meditation is to take a step outside of our thoughts and, as an observer, become aware of them. From this perspective, we can pay precise, nonjudgmental attention to the details of our experiences. Mindfulness meditation alleviates stress by helping us practice being present. It also involves reminding us of pleasant experiences from our past, when we have been able to overcome struggle and achieve personal success. There are many forms of meditation, but all have the same general goals. (Tai chi and yoga are forms of moving meditation with long traditions.)
We don’t want to get rid of our thoughts, only become aware of them. We aren’t trying to change ourselves, but instead become aware of ourselves as we presently are and objectively observe our thoughts, good or bad.
Meditation can help us work through the thoughts, enabling us to cope with stress much more effectively. Mindfulness meditation can be particularly helpful in working through our feelings of hunger and cravings for foods.
Meditation often only takes twenty to thirty minutes and can be done any time. Cultivate the habit of waking up in the morning, having a class of cold water and beginning your meditation.
Three basic aspects are involved in mindfulness meditation: body, breath and thoughts.
Body
FIRST, YOU WANT to connect with your body. Find a quiet location where you will not be disturbed for the next twenty minutes. Sit down either on the ground, on a cushion or in a chair. Cross your legs if you are sitting on the ground or on a cushion. If you are sitting on a chair, make sure your feet are placed comfortably on the ground, or on a pillow if your feet do not touch the ground below. It is important that you feel comfortable and relaxed in the position you chose.
Rest your hands on your thighs, palms facing down. Gaze down at the floor about six feet ahead of you and focus on the tip of your nose, and then gently close your eyes. Feel your chest becoming open and your back becoming strong.
Begin your meditation sitting in this position. For a couple of minutes, focus on how your body and your environment feel. If your thoughts wander away from your body, gently bring them back to your body and environment. Do this throughout your meditation every time your mind wanders away.
Breath
ONCE YOU HAVE begun to relax, start to focus in gently on your breath. Breathe in through your nose to the count of six and exhale through your mouth slowly to the count of six. Pay attention to how your breath feels entering and exiting your body.
Thoughts
AS YOU SIT, you may become bombarded by thoughts. Pay attention to these thoughts. If they cause you to experience any negative emotions, try to think back to a time where you experienced similar challenges and remember how it felt to overcome those challenges. Work though these thoughts until your body begins to feel lighter.
If you notice that you have become so caught up in your thoughts that you have forgotten where you are, gently bring your thoughts back to your breath.
Sleep hygiene
THERE ARE SEVERAL keys to good sleep hygiene, and none of these involve the use of medication. (Medications disturb the normal sleep architecture, the pattern of REM and non-REM sleep.) Simple but effective ways to improve sleep include the following: