MANAGING THE ANXIETY WITH HEATHER CENTURIONI

We are living in the midst of times that we couldn't create out of the most vivid of our imaginations! With so much uncertainty, we checked in with Heather Centurioni of CODE RED to talk about how being an athlete has fueled her career, how to motivate others to make good choices as they sustain their fitness goals as well as their mental health. She shares insightful tips that are worth noting as we continue to navigate our new reality.

ATHLEISURE MAG: You grew up as a junior elite level athlete in downhill skiing and suffered a horrific downhill ski race accident - how did that shape your focus in living a healthy lifestyle?

HEATHER CENTURIONI: As a young athlete, I could eat whatever I wanted. I could get away with a lot. We were taught to carb-load, etc. I don’t think I ever realized the power of food until I became overweight and nothing was working. I wanted to be healthy, but I had no idea where to start. I knew I was addicted to sugar and carbs. I knew I didn’t need another diet. I needed to learn how to eat. How to fuel my body. How to take care of myself. I also wanted to feel good again, like I did as a young athlete.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to work in the wellness industry and become a health and wellness coach?

HC: I always have felt the pull to help people. I knew it was my calling, but I struggled for years to figure out what that meant and what it looked like. I am a mother hen at heart. I am at my best when I am lifting others up.

When I began my wellness journey in June 2017, I saw that I was going to get healthy and when I could lift others up who was on the same path, it felt really good! I saw how a high vibe tribe can guarantee success.

AM: How important is accountability in your wellness journey whether you're looking to stay fit, lose weight or other goals that involve transforming your goals based on your desired need?

HC: Listen, if we all could do it alone, we would have already done it, right? I was an elite ski racer, it was me and the clock on the course. I played tennis and golf. I tend to lean towards individual things. “I can do it on my own” type things. In high school and college, I loathed group projects. I prefer things my way. That type A, self-centered trait was not serving me well in my desire to get healthy. I was failing at every corner. I was ashamed. I managed to pack on over 200 pounds, which was far too much for my 5’3” frame. My prosthetics didn’t fit. I was a fat amputee and it was depressing. Having an accountability group was integral to my success. It required me to open up, to be honest, and to be vulnerable. Sharing your good days, right along with your bad days is as important as seeing others do the same. I came to Code Red feeling very isolated. I was depressed. I assumed I was the only one. Being part of a group that understood my feelings really made a difference.

AM: Tell us about CODE RED and why you decided to use their program when you were looking to lose weight?

HC: I was drawn to Code Red for several reasons. It was simple. I wasn’t going to have to exercise (for an overweight amputee, this was key!). My prosthetics were so ill-fitting, just walking around the house was painful. I started with an entry-level challenge. I had nothing to lose. I was deflated, depressed and quite possibly the lowest spot in all my years. The easy rules, support and no-nonsense approach drew me in. I also knew that the program had a maintenance plan. I knew I could get the weight off, but I had never found a program that taught you how to maintain. Funny enough, the end and the far future were most important to me and I knew in my heart that Code Red would give me the tools to stay healthy long term. I also didn’t have to buy crappy shakes, expensive supplements or prescription drugs. I was told to drink water, eat from a healthy food list and sleep! It’s truly that simple.

AM: Because of your success, you became a Certified Coach with CODE RED, why did you decide to work with them?

HC: I believed in the owner, Cristy Nickel and I think she saw my servant's heart and picked up on my keen ability to understand people. I learned a lot after my ski racing accident and in the years that followed. Deciding to have your leg amputated as an 18-year-old, learning to walk again, finishing high school, living in constant pain, I learned a ton about myself and the power of the human spirit. I knew how to overcome.

I knew Cristy’s no-nonsense, simple approach worked and she taught me well, so I was grateful for the opportunity to learn from her and to work alongside her. I also knew, this was it…my calling! I finally found it! The opportunity to help people lose weight, get them healthy and watch their lives change for the better, to them overcome, it has been a dream come true.

AM: What is the CODE RED Lifestyle model?

HC: Code Red is a rallying cry for every person who is fed up with the information overload, complicated diets, and extreme exercise programs. We focus on water, sleep and real food.

AM: We're living in strange times as we are staying at home to flatten the curve, our routines have definitely been altered and anxiety has become a result of these changes - how can we manage this?

HC: Good gracious, it has been hard, right? I think there are several things that can help folks:

* Be grateful and find Grace in the tough moments and the good ones.

* Stay on track with life via a list and a plan.

* Take a time out each day to just be. Being present when you are feeling anxious really helps.

* If you are fortunate enough to have the gift of extra time, use it wisely. Spend it with your family, learn something new, embrace it. When will we ever have extra time again?

AM: For those that are focusing on losing weight during COVID-19 quarantine, what tips do you suggest?

HC: * Drink water!

* Sleep at least 7 hours!

* Ditch the sugar!

* Plan, prep and schedule meal times. Don’t leave your kitchen open all day. Having kitchen hours keeps you from grazing all day and mindless eating.

* If you find yourself turning to food and drinks to soothe your soul, make a list of 12 things you can do instead of over indulging. Maybe you have some chores to tend too, maybe you have a craft to finish, maybe you want to learn something new. DO IT!

AM: Many have found issues in terms of ordering the food that they need whether there are shortages in their grocery stores, delays in deliveries that are coming to them, etc. How can they reduce their anxieties on not being able to control these issues while also staying on their plan?

HC: Keep things simple. Eating well isn’t complicated. You don’t have to be a kitchen whiz to make good food and you don’t have to spend a fortune either. Less is more. Look for vegetables (fresh, frozen, even canned), fats and proteins. Avoid the inner aisles of the grocery stores.

AM: From a mental wellness standpoint, what are some tips that you have for those that are looking to reduce the noise of everything that we've all gone through from updates on COVID, anxiety over when there will be concrete information about re-openings and going back to our routines etc?

HC: I talk a lot about the background noise in our lives with my clients. It comes at us from all directions. Currently, it is everywhere, all the time. No two reports are the same, it’s hard to have faith in anything. I encourage people to cleanup their newsfeeds, if watching the nightly news is depressing, STOP watching! Find something else to do with your time. Don’t buy into all the hysteria. If you can eat real food, ditch the sugar, drink water and get a good night’s rest, you will feel so much better. How you fuel your body will help you with deal with the uncertainty. I know that sounds strange, but you will have less brain fog and less anxiety. The healthier you are, the less likely you are to get sick. Taking care of yourself now, will keep you healthier no matter the situation.

IG @Code_Red_Coach_Heather

PHOTO COURTESY | Heather Centurioni

Read the May Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Managing the Anxiety with Heather Centurioni in mag.

TACKLING STRESS WITH DR. HEIDI HANNA

May is a busy month and is known as Mental Health Awareness month. Earlier this month, we had lunch with Dr. Heidi Hanna to talk about stress and how one navigates the positive elements as well as how it can be a negative! More importantly, she shares more information on stress and what happens to our bodies as well as her work in the space. She also talks about the importance of the beach as it pertains to alleviating stress. In a world that continues to move quickly, these are great things to note as we go about our day to day.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about your background and how you came to focus on stress and how one can manage it?

DR. HEIDI HANNA: So the first thing I'll tell you about my background is that I grew up with an anxiety disorder that started when I was about 12 years old and it caused me to have headaches and stomach aches, and then actually led to me fainting and losing consciousness. For about 40 years I didn't understand what was going on and I tried various coping mechanisms that weren't super healthy for me, before finally realizing through my own research and interviewing experts that I have a condition called Vaso – Vasovagal Syncope. This is what happens when our heart rhythms and our blood pressure actually can't get enough blood flow and oxygen to the brain and we get that kind of dizzy feeling like if we stand up too fast or if we have low blood pressure or low blood sugar. A lot of people can feel this dizziness and sometimes even lose consciousness temporarily. When we have those episodes on an ongoing basis, it turns out that my anxiety or panic attacks would trigger this. I already have low blood pressure regularly, but this would cause my blood pressure to drop even more quickly and cause me to lose consciousness.

So because of those personal challenges, I think it forced me to really take a look at how stress was impacting me and the difference between stress, which is just the gap between demand and capacity, and the energy and information that the brain and the nervous system provide to help us overcome that gap. The difference between that kind of stress reaction that leads to a stress response versus things ongoing like anxiety and even depression and other things that can result from that. So I ended up actually studying integrative methodologies. I have a background in psychology, nutrition, exercise and physiology, and then started exploring more as an integrative neuroscientist really looking at the connection between stress and the brain and the nervous system, and how that affects the body. And that's what's led me to the work that I'm doing now.

AM: What organizations do you work with where you assist those in being aware of these issues?

DR. HH: I've written seven different books all related to stress and how it can hijack our brain and our body. And I'm really trying to focus mostly now on providing people with simple strategies that they can implement into their routine to circuit break stress or to recharge their own energy so that they have the capacity they need to deal with the challenges in their life. I've worked at a lot of different organizations and I have most of them listed on my bio which I will attach for you right now. REEF is one of the partners that I'm working with to really get the message out to people about the negative impact of chronic stress, as well as some of those simple strategies we can use to really change it in an impactful way. I also work with a lot of corporate groups where I teach practitioners how to implement stress mastery solutions into their practice so whether they're in health care or they're coaching individuals or running full blown organizational development programs. I would say my real passion is helping companies implement this because there's already a lot of systems in place that can help us with things like accountability and sustainable habit change. I really want to help companies learn how to implement energy management and isolation more strategically.

PHOTO CREDIT | UnSplash

AM: In speaking with you at lunch, you were saying that there are those that are more sensitive and absorbing various things which can also lend itself to stress. Can you share more about that?

DR. HH: I did mention stress sensitivity and there is about 15 to 20 percent of the population who have a genetic predisposition for sensitivity and there has been a bunch of research on the topic. One is the work of Dr. Elaine Aaron in the highly sensitive person trait and she's done a lot of great work that shows that these highly sensitive individuals have a heightened sensory sensitivity so they tend to react more to bright lights, loud noises, even smells or physical sensations that are processed more deeply into the brain stem than they are for the other 80 percent of the population. There's also research looking at something called Vantage plasticity which is a more positive way of thinking about the senses’ sensitivity, which basically means that people who have a higher sensitive nervous system react more to potential threats in their environment but also react more strongly to positive experiences so they may have higher levels of joy when something good happens, but they also may experience a lot more stress when something negative happens.

I'm also doing a lot of ongoing research to help educate the minority of people struggling with sensitivity. This also happens to be most people who are highly creative like actors and singers. I would say even a lot of athletes that really rely on intuition have what may seem like this heightened sensitivity and are able to anticipate patterns in their environment and this can make them really great high peak performers, but can also cause them to burn out or break down faster than those who are more resilient.

AM: Are there varying categories of stress?

DR. HH: There are varying categories of stress, but I think one of the challenges with this is that we tend to create a point system for things in life that would cause someone stress. So we could calculate in a life stress survey what's happening in your life right now and what the stress load that puts on your system. This is how it's typically been done in the past, but I think what's really missing from this calculation is the stress sensitivity and the perception that one brings to those experiences. Someone who is highly sensitive may have a greater stress load with less stressful circumstances in their life than somebody who has more genetic resilience that their nervous system isn't affected as much by the stimulation around them. And so the stress 360 assessment that I've developed is to really look at what are the lifestyle patterns that are happening in your life right now. Things like how you eat, how you move, how you sleep, your social connections and even how much humor and play you experience throughout your life. I like to look at that as a way to determine your capacity. And then looking at your stress perception or what I call your “stress lens” to see how much sensitivity you have to those circumstances. The third component of the stress 360 assessment is looking at your unique stress signature that tells you how much stress you're experiencing. Most of us have signs that we experience right away like maybe a headache or muscle tension and we know that we're starting to have too much stress. But over time these can lead to stress symptoms that are more long term, like weight gain or weight loss, not sleeping enough or sleeping too much. These could be emotional imbalances like feeling anxious or even feeling depressed. And so our goal in all of this is to help people assess, appreciate and adjust what's happening in their stress experience by looking at those small lifestyle factors that they can really impact vs. looking at what feels overwhelming.

AM: Are there beneficial components to stress that can actually assist us in our activities?

DR: HH: There are a lot of beneficial components to stress that actually help us. So one of the things I'd like people to understand is the difference between acute and chronic stress. Acute stress is short term in nature. It provides us primarily with adrenaline, which is an energy enhancing stress hormone that has a short lifespan in the brain and the body to help us bridge that gap between demand and capacity. So when we're producing this short term stress reaction of fight or flight we have a limited amount of time to either take care of the situation or avoid it and depending on whether or not we really believe that the problem is taken care of, we may or may not then go to a chronic stress reaction. The chronic, every day, ongoing stress reaction is the one that is most toxic to our system. It’s fueled primarily by cortisol and other inflammatory hormones in our body and our brain. These are the ones that really rewire and change the way that the brain and the nervous system operate by decreasing access to the prefrontal cortex where our brain does its best work. The goal with this is to really notice when we have that short term, more enhancing stress that can help us to have better energy and insight, but then taking some sort of action to move us forward in a positive way. That’s better than pushing stress down or pushing it away. That's where it really becomes dangerous to our system.

PHOTO CREDIT | UnSplash

AM: What are the indicators that one may note that stress is taking place?

DR. HH: In terms of some of the indicators that stress is taking place, I think it's different for everyone and I really encourage people to get as clear as possible as they can on what their primary signs of stress are. Those quick things like maybe a mild headache or tension in their jaw, back and shoulders. It could even be feelings of anxiety or nervousness in the body, or even something more sluggish like chronic fatigue or digestive problems - anything that gives us the sense that something's just not quite right is actually usually a good indication that we have more demand in our system than capacity. Those are the things that lead to stress over time and cause burnout, breakdown and long term emotional changes.

AM: Many people joke about being stressed, but can stress be critical in the long run when not effectively dealt with?

DR. HH: A lot of people tend to joke about being stressed. I think this is one of the ways that we bond with each other. Stress actually gives us connection and validation. We feel like people who have more stress are more important and have more going on. But most people don't really understand that this every day, nagging stress is literally reprogramming the way their nervous system reacts to the world around us. In contributes to how the brain perceives the world around us in a way that can be really debilitating. We don't want to overwhelm people with that information, but to help them understand that we can learn from our stress experiences and positively reprogram how we experience the challenges of life so that they're perceived as an opportunity for growth as opposed to a threat.

AM: What is the connection with the beach and stress management?

DR. HH: When I conducted an initial survey after kicking off my partnership with REEF, I asked people where they think about when they want to relax. An overwhelming 80 percent of people said the beach, which was very high compared to the second highest of 7.5% saying the mountains or green spaces. It was great to establish that first connection of people visualizing the beach above all else when they want to relax.

It’s important to take time out from our daily grind. Everything about the human system is designed to oscillate. We’re supposed to have these stress experiences and these recharge experiences. So to me, visualizing the beach and really trying to experience the essence of what the beach provides allows us to circuit break our stress reactions and shift out of them temporarily to totally refocus our priorities and our perspective. Taking that a step further, the first level of that is listening to sounds of the ocean and visualizing being at the beach.

Taking deep breaths and just allowing the body to let go of tension. That in and of itself is a great little mini recharge experience, and research has shown that listening to sounds of the ocean waves actually puts the brain and the body into a parasympathetic or relaxation state more effectively than listening to relaxation music or other sounds of nature. So we know that it's effective just to listen to waves crashing, but then we can add elements to take it further, like actually taking off our shoes and imagining that we have our feet in the sand, or putting on REEF flip flops or sandals as if we were there. To create a sensory experience essential oils can be used or even having fan blowing on us to capture the essence of the beach. It may sound like a lot to put into place to recharge our energy, but you could literally think about this as stopping to fill up your tank of gas. It requires some time, energy and money, but if you don't fill up the tank you're not going anywhere. For me, the beach is one of the best ways to bring all of these elements together and really come to our senses by using sensory integration through a breathing visualization or meditation practice that is so simple that we could repeat it several times throughout the day to recharge really effectively.

Of course, going to the beach is going to heighten that even more because when we're at the beach we're getting exposure to natural light, fresh air and negative ions in the oxygen we're breathing in from the saltwater moving over the surface of the sand and rocks. It changes the air we breathe to have this antioxidant healing property. Plus, putting our feet in the sand to get the grounding impact of absorbing the Earth's vibrations can also be really helpful. So as much as we can layer on these essential elements of what the beach provides, and even do that when we're at work, is going to recharge our energy even more effectively.

It’s creating the sensations of the beach that is key. The beach is my happy place and for me, creating that non-conscious reminder as I'm traveling and working like using a beach blend essential oil, serves as a little nudge for the brain to pair an item with an experience. If we do that consistently over time, the brain will start to act faster in its relaxation, especially if we pair more of those sensory items together like listening to sounds of the ocean or slipping on a pair of flip flops.

PHOTO CREDIT | UnSplash

AM: Are there foods, sprays, ointments etc that can assist in reducing stress?

DR. HH: I think the goal here is to minimize overstimulation and maximize the recharge elements of what we use. For example, there's seven core foods that can be stressful to the system.

There are sensitivities or inflammatory reactions to these core foods which include gluten, soy, corn, dairy, sugar, artificial sweeteners and peanuts. It's not to say that any of these foods are bad, it's just that a lot of people have an inflammatory reaction to them. And so it's helpful to eliminate those from the diet for a short period of time and then introduce them back one at a time to really look at what might be inflammatory or stressful to you.

Similarly with sprays and ointments, there's a lot of different things that can be helpful. I think breathing in essential oils or even putting them on the skin can be really beneficial. But the primary goal is what helps each individual feel like they're being nourished, whether that be getting a massage and taking a bubble bath, playing sports or going for a run or spending time with family and friends. There's so many different elements that can help to recharge and destress depending on the individual.

AM: Does stress affect men and women differently?

DR. HH: Stress definitely affects men and women differently. The primary differerence is that while the “fight or flight” adrenaline-based reaction is more common with a male brain's stress pattern, there's something called “tend and befriend” which is more associated with a female brain pattern. This means that women typically seek support and want to nurture in times of stress, instead of leading with a more aggressive reaction.

AM: Why did you partner with REEF and what synergies exist between you and this brand?

DR. HH: When I connected with REEF, we wanted to explore the idea that being at the beach was good for your health. The brand saw that a stress epidemic was happening and wanted to see if there was a way to really educate people on the negative impact of stress and using the beach to optimize mental and emotional health. There was so much synergy because the beach has been my happy place for a long time, and I wanted to educate people by giving them fun, flexible tools that they can implement into their daily routine. Honestly, most people know what they should be doing but there there's this huge gap that exists between what we know and what we do! So when you give people a practical tool like a sandal or flip flop or an essential oil or a visualization of being at the beach, it really helps with engagement.

REEF’s whole mantra is “Beach Freely” – based on the idea that everybody fits in at the beach, and the beach lifestyle is something that we can all incorporate into our day. I think this is a great platform to help people with their mental and emotional health.

AM: Where can we find more information from you about stress, finding appropriate tools etc. to maintain this in a productive way?

DR. HH: For more information people can visit my website – https://heidihanna.com. There they can find a lot of highly customizable content – a free stress 360 survey, recharge tool kit and online course. I also have a professional training program people can enter into if they want to use it in their personal practice or even within an organization. I'm always looking for more champions to really help get this message out, because I can tell you at the core of all of our issues is this stress epidemic. And it's not about eliminating stress. It's about building consistent, effective and efficient recharge strategies into our daily lives.

IG @HeidiHannaPhD

PHOTO CREDIT | UnSplash

PHOTOS COURTESY | Alex Perez

Read the May Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Tackling Stress with Dr. Heidi Hanna.

ARE YOU STRESSED OUT?? WHY STRESS IS A BEAUTY BUSTER

Stress - We all have it but some of us deal with it better tan others. If you look at any recent United States President from their first day in office until their last, you will see that all aged appreciably in only four years. Why? Because carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders took its toll on their appearance. Even if you're just an everyday lady boss or Mom trying to make her way in the world, stress can cause you to age before your time. Here's how and why according to New York Neuropsychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez.

Dr. Hafeez says that, "Aside from the unattractive scowl that stress brings to the face, it creates direct physiological changes. Stress is defines as the reaction of the body to a stressor or stimulus that causes stress. Stress can be acute, which affects the body in the short term, or chronic, affecting te body in the long term. Synonyms for stress include anxiety, nervousness, apprehensiveness, impatience, fear and restlessness."

Dr. Hafeez explains that, "Stress that is not controlled most certainly affects the body's physical characteristics or beauty. It affects skin, hair, fingernails, digestion and sleep patterns. Stress-induced conditions include hair loss, heart disease, obesity, obsessive-compulsive disorder, sexual dysfunction, tooth and gum disease and ulcers or indigestion."

Some Common Symptoms of Stress Induced Beauty Busters

Under-Eye Bags: Tomorrow's to-do list can weigh on your mind, keeping you from getting enough beauty sleep. This can cause fluid to pool below your lower eyelid area, and what you end up with is a puffy mess in the a.m. Stomach sleepers, bad news: You can expect the puffiness of your under-eye bags to be even worse because of gravity.

Flushed Face: "When you're stressed, you breather in short, shallow breaths and can even find yourself holding your breath for periods of time, which can lead to flushing and redness," says Dr. Hafeez.

Hair Loss: Stress can trigger alopecia areata, which causes patches of baldness anywhere on the body, including on your head. Stress can also trigger a tick where you pick at head hairs out of bad habit. This condition is called trichotillomania. Usually, this hair can grow back, but it doesn't even have to fall out in the first place. Pay close attention to your own habitural responses to daily stress, to avoid sparseness.

Gray Hair: Hair can also age prematurely due to stress, If you are genetically predisposed to have premature gray hair, stress will further decrease your production of melanin, easily increasing the number of gray or white hairs. By increasing your consumption of biotin, protein, and vitamin E you can reduce these negative effects to keep your hair strong and youthful.

Pimples: Stress alters your hormones. It increases cortisol production, which in turn increases the oil production in your skin. All of this leads to greater odds of clogged pores. Stress can also multiply the number of acne-causing bacteria in the body, which might require a high-dose antibiotic prescription from your dermatologist.

Mini Menopause: Dr. Hafeez says this isn't proven, but some believe increased levels of stress hormone cortisol can cause a dip in estrogen that's similar to the decrease during menopause. Less estrogen means less collagen production which can leave your skin dull and dry.

Wrinkles: Anxiety, crying, feeling down and a lack of sleep can cause deeper lines around the eyes, forehead, eye area and mouth.

Dark Circles: Stress can break the fragile capillaries under your eyes, leaving you with under-eye rings and a tired appearance.

Lines on the Fingernails: The appearance of vertical lines on your fingernails is fairly common and is related to both the natural aging process and nutritional deficiencies. But when they extend from the cuticle to the tip of the nail, it's a clear sign that your stress is having an effect on the body.

Stress and Weight Gain: Most of us become overeaters when we're feeling a lot of pressure. This happens thanks to your fight-or-flight response, a.k.a. survival mode -- once your body reaches a certain stress level, it does what it feels it needs to. In most cases, that means overeat. Why? Because your body thinks you've used calories to deal with your stress, even though you haven't, says Dr. Hafeez. She adds, "As a result, it thinks you need to replenish those calories, even though you don't. Levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, rise during tension-filled times. This can turn your overeating into a habit. Because increased levels of the hormone also help cause higher insulin levels, your blood sugar drops and you crave sugary, fatty foods.

How Can We Mitigate Stress?

Countless books and articles have been written about dealing with stress. Dr. Hafeez explains that, "The first step is recognition. To help deal with your stress, write down a list of what you are most worried about before any event, or what chronically causes worry in your life. Identifying your stressors is the first step in managing them. If you are chronically late or find that it is hard to get organized, figure out what you do that makes you late or disorganized. Write it down and acknowledge it. Then you can come up with a plan to preemptively tackle what may drive you and your loved ones into a stresed-out situation. Another trick in dealing with stress is plain old reasoning and the realization that you cannot control everything. Sometimes we trap ourselves into worrying about things that we have no control over, and recognition of that fact can reduce stress immeasurably.