Taking part in the program at the Chattanooga Women's Council of Realtors (WCR) luncheon were, from left, Jean Smith, treasurer; Jennifer Grayson, president-elect; Maurice Saliba, with Spectrum, guest speaker; Brian Kopet, president of Title Guaranty and Trust Co., super sponsor for the meeting; Charlie Hon III, chairman and CEO of Title Guaranty; and Bonnie Hamilton, WCR president.
photo by Irby Park
Stress is probably the number one problem in the health industry today, impacting both mental and physical conditions and causing heart, digestive and other ailments, Michael Matthews, with Tennessee Institute of Healing Arts, told the Chattanooga Women’s Council of Realtors.
Maurice Saliba, with Spectrum, comprehensive health improvement program, emphasized the importance of nutrition and exercise in stress management and health.
Mr, Matthews said he had a career in engineering but was suffering from stress, not eating well and not exercising, so he left that field and went into massage therapy and within three months the stress symptoms were gone.
Almost every system in the body, he continued, is effected by stress. To manage stress, a person can go to various specialists, but “it really comes down to you,” the individual.
Mr. Saliba said, “The problem lies within yourself.” The body chemistry must be right and that is determined by nutrition and exercise. “We are designed to be physically active,” he added.
He recommended exercising three times a week for one hour each and the hour should be divided between weight lifting which builds muscle tissue and cardiovascular exercise which is important to the heart and burns calories. He suggested 30 minutes each.
Massage, said Mr. Matthews, can relieve stress and helps restore the body systems, breathing, heart rate, but “if I go right back into the same lifestyle, the stress returns.” He said massage is a “quick fix” and must be coupled with lifestyle changes to manage stress.
Mr. Saliba said this may be “the laziest generation in history” because “technology makes us lazy.” Obesity is a major problem, he added.
He urged drinking a lot of water, not coffee, tea or flavored drinks, noting that the blood is 83 percent water, muscle is 75 percent water and the brain is three-fourths water. Drinking water is very important to good health, he said. While muscle tissue is lost with age, he said, exercise and nutrition can help maintain it
When considering massage and health training programs, the speakers urged to be sure they are licensed and qualified.