The typical American man’s reaction to stress is to push it aside like another pile of paperwork.
Bad idea.
New research from the University of Chicago shows men are less capable of handling stress than women. In a study of-what else?-rats, researchers discovered that the males are slower to produce an inflammatory response to stress (in this case, being isolated) that protects the body from bacteria, viruses and other invaders.
Problem is, most guys feel they are too busy to become un-busy enough to be calm. For once, no more excuses.
1. Your meal ticket
Nutritionist Julie Burns, who has long worked with athletes on the Chicago Bulls and Bears, says limiting processed foods is a fast route to feeling less stressed. On the hit list: breads, pasta, cakes, crackers and cereals made with white flour and other refined grains. Try adding more magnesium to your diet with pumpkin and sunflower seeds (skip the salt), spinach, Swiss chard, salmon, halibut, tahini (ground sesame seeds), black beans, navy beans and edamame (whole soybeans that you can buy frozen, steam, sprinkle with salt and pop out of pods as a snack).
2. Can you spell r-e-l-a-x?
Jonathan C. Smith is a Ph.D. researcher and director of the Stress Institute at Roosevelt University. He has grouped relaxation techniques into six categories: (1) stretching or gentle hatha yoga; (2) progressive muscle relaxation (you tense muscles by group, head to toe, then release); (3) deep-breathing exercises (best-selling author and natural health practitioner Dr. Andrew Weil [see page 21] recommends: Inhale for a four-count, hold for four, then exhale for four, hold for four, repeat if time permits); (4) autogenic training, in which you silently suggest to yourself that various body parts are getting warm, heavy, etc.; (5) self-guided imagery or daydreaming of peaceful settings; and (6) meditation.
Men should choose their own category of relaxation techniques, Smith says, then practice them most days of the week. Nos. 2 through 5 can be done in less than a minute for the time-challenged guy.
No. 6, meditation, has the most positive research behind it but probably is best developed as a habit by finding an instructor.
And if you think yoga (No. 1) is out of reach, consider that research shows three weekly 20-minute sessions of basic yoga postures can positively improve the way arteries contract and expand. This enhanced arterial blood flow is critical to preventing the plaque buildup that causes most men’s heart attacks.
3. Buzz cut for caffeine
Here’s the short form, no whip or foam: Drink it before noon, keep it to a couple of cups or espresso shots, replace your lunchtime or afternoon coffees with green tea.
Duke researchers have found that morning caffeine lasts until bedtime and “amplifies stress throughout the day.” Lead author James D. Lane suggests stressed-out guys should “at least consider quitting caffeine to see if they feel better,” and all of us should realize coffee and other caffeinated drinks have a cumulative effect on our chronic stress levels.
Nutritionist Burns says green tea is loaded with theanine, a calming amino acid.
4. Breaking the old
Gregory Florez, CEO of FitAdvisor.com and a former Chicago-based personal trainer, says more than 80 percent of his male executive clients face stress-related health issues, including sleep problems, decreased sexual function and loss of the ability to concentrate at work.
Along with exercise and nutrition advice, Florez suggests giving yourself a break at work. He endorses short but regular mental breaks and has persuaded some men to conduct walking meetings with co-workers to break up the stress in a day.
“The human brain can’t focus much longer than 60 minutes,” says Florez. “After that, it goes into a ‘micro-sleep’ mode.”
5. Surfing for ‘Manly-Man’ stressbusters
When a wife posted a question on the Web site Ask MetaFilter, she titled it “Stress Management for the Manly-Man.” She asked for suggestions from men about what to recommend to her husband, who did not want to seek the help of a professional counselor. On the plus side, the husband at least seemed open to his wife’s stress-busting techniques: exercise, deep breathing and journaling (one study demonstrates that a man who writes on paper, no laptops, about a traumatic event for 20 minutes three straight days can significantly reduce the body’s future adverse reactions to stress).
The answers posted include many votes for exercise and breaking a sweat. Several men said uninterrupted time alone is a stress elixir, with a common point that it be daily (not necessarily any longer than an hour but probably at least 20 minutes). One guy promoted “imploding,” which is his term for screaming into a pillow.
