Stress management

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E-mail: Select one: HTML Text Breaking News E-Mail Alerts • Get breaking news in your inbox as it happens Brain drain hits Homeland SecurityBy Mimi Hall, USA TODAY WASHINGTON — The Homeland Security Department is losing top managers and rank-and-file employees in a brain drain that could affect morale and the nation's safety, according to members of Congress and labor experts.

Homeland Security is "hemorrhaging on the front lines and higher up," says New York University professor Paul Light, an expert on the federal workforce.

The turnover comes amid renewed threats of terrorism and as the department readies itself for another hurricane season.

Key vacancies include top leaders in the department's cyber-secur...

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- Wrigley wants to prove gum-chewing benefits Wednesday, March 29, 2006 By Dave Carpenter, The Associated Press CHICAGO - Here's a juicy thought to chomp on.

What if the simple act of chewing gum helped you keep your weight down, reduce stress, improve focus - or all three?

Sure, a cynic might reply, just as eating pizza raises your IQ and chocolate-chip cookies make you skinny.

Wm.

Wrigley Jr.

Co., though, is so hopeful of the possibilities that it is launching a multimillion-dollar, multiyear effort to prove them.

Citing "emerging research" that suggests chewing may be beneficial, the gum maker has created the Wrigley Science Institute, consisting of an international advisory panel of scientists and research experts who are studying the sticky matter.

Surinder Kumar, Wrigley's chief innovation officer, says the 115-year-old company has been hearing from consumers for decades about chewing's benefits - some of them, he contends, "just plain common sense." Now it is looking for proof to back up anecdotal evidence.

The company hopes the results, which won't be known for another year or so, will give people a new reason to chew gum - any gum, although as the world's No.

1 gum purveyor and with 63 percent of the U.S.

market, Wrigley cl...

...ba href=/stress management/a/b to having an understanding wife (who helped found the company) and hiring smart, confident employees.

"That really takes the load off," he says.

Believe it or not, this Midwestern CEO is also quick to recommend meditation, humor at meetings and getting a little bit of sleep-contrary to what many proper top execs think appropriate.

Don't get us wrong-humans need stress in limited doses.

Stress can motivate and inspire.

And while lounging poolside sounds great for a week or two, it's tough to imagine spending every day sunbathing.

Kicking back won't get your business off the ground, launch you into the top rungs of management, or help pay for that house in the Hamptons.

But, living a life of constant aggravation isn't good either.

Stress causes people to overeat, smoke, drink or lose sleep-each of which can contribute to problems such as high cholesterol, heart disease and cancer.

Constant stress causes the body to produce high levels of cortisol, which can impair cognitive functioning and weaken the immune system.

Stress has also been linked to problems such as hypertension and heart attacks.

"We've thought for a long time that type A personalities were predisposed to cardiovascular problems, but it turns out it's those who have increased rage and negative stress who have a higher risk for heart disease," says Dr.

Woodson Merrell, M.

Anthony Fischer director of Integrative Medicine at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel hospital in N...