Amitava Dasgupta – The Science of Stress Management: A Guide to Best Practices for Better Well-Being

The root of our modern-day heath crisis is stress, and no one is immune. Amitava Dasgupta knows this and offers a well-researched book that takes a deep dive into the science behind stress’s causes. Offering up ways that anyone can use to combat this disease, his approachable techniques such as volunteering, exercise, and consuming chocolate (yes!) are grounded in the real world and offer attainable results. (Linden Schaffer, Founder/CEO of Pravassa and Author of #1 bestseller “Living Well on the Road”)

Dasgupta (The Science of Drinking), a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at McGovern Medical School, provides science-backed methods for a general audience in this research-rich yet accessible text on managing stress. Dasgupta points out that stress cannot be avoided (and reveals a host of potential causes, ranging from financial or career worries to cell phone or internet addiction) and notes that 19 million Americans face stress-related disorders each year. Dasgupta presents a discussion of differences in how men and women typically react to stress, with women being more likely to use “tend and befriend” methods while men have a “fight or flight” response. After a thorough examination of the health problems associated with chronic stress (heart attack, stroke, and dementia among them), Dasgupta delves into a number of potential stress-busters, including pet ownership (with some fascinating factoids—one study found pet owners had 15% fewer annual doctor visits than non-pet owners), social activities, meditation, yoga, exercise, and even dark chocolate. With a lengthy appendix for readers wishing to dig more deeply into the many research studies cited, this text is user-friendly as well as practical and proactive.
(Publishers Weekly)

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