Unlocking the Power of Self-Healing Through Nutrition

Foods that Contain Fluoride

Fluoride is a mineral that is naturally found in water, soil, and some foods. It has been shown to be effective in preventing tooth decay, which is why it is often added to public water supplies, toothpaste, and other oral health products.

When fluoride is ingested, it is absorbed into the bloodstream and helps to strengthen teeth from the inside out. It can also be applied directly to the surface of teeth through toothpaste, mouth rinses, or professional fluoride treatments.

FluorideFluoride works by making the enamel on teeth more resistant to the acid produced by bacteria in the mouth. This acid can wear away at the enamel, eventually leading to cavities. Fluoride also helps to neutralize areas of teeth that have been weakened by acid, helping to prevent cavities from forming in the first place.

While fluoride is an important mineral for dental health, it is important to use it in moderation. Too much fluoride can cause a condition called fluorosis, which can lead to white spots or streaks on teeth. In severe cases, it can cause brown or black discoloration of the teeth. It is recommended that children under the age of six should only use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing fluoride and that they should be supervised while brushing to ensure that they do not swallow the toothpaste.

Below are 5 surprising fluoride sources that can help you protect your smile.

  1. Different Forms of Grapes

In almost every form, grapes are considered a good source of fluoride. Raisins in particular contain about 20 times as much fluoride as raw grapes and have one of the highest fluoride concentrations of any food. As such, you can do your smile a favor by enjoying grapes, raisins, grape juice, and wine throughout the day. Of course, when it comes to raisins and grape juice, you need to make sure there aren’t any added sugars that could offset the oral health benefits.

  1. Fruits

Grapes aren’t the only kind of fruit that contains fluoride. You can also find the mineral in apples, strawberries, bananas, peaches, watermelons, and cherries. When you have the choice, you should always eat fruits while they’re fresh so that you can get the full benefits from the fluoride (and other important nutrients) that they contain.

  1. Vegetablesvegetables-broccoli

Certain vegetables like spinach and potatoes are known to have high fluoride levels. Potatoes in particular are an excellent choice because they can be prepared in various ways. Think about adding more potatoes to your diet if you’re looking for ways to take better care of your smile while enjoying your meals to the fullest.

  1. Seafood

There are some kinds of seafood that contain fluoride, with shrimp and crab legs being particularly popular examples. Are you thinking of taking the entire family out for a fancy meal? Seafood can be a great-tasting option that can also benefit everyone’s smiles.

  1. Tea and Coffee

For many people, tea and coffee are the main sources of fluoride in their diets. This is especially the case if the water used to brew these beverages has already been fluoridated. That being said, tea and coffee also have the potential to stain the teeth if you’re not careful. If you want to enjoy the benefits of tea and coffee while keeping your smile bright, you should brush and floss immediately after you’ve finished your beverage. Rinsing with water can also help.

Increasing your fluoride exposure can make a big difference for your teeth, and luckily there’s no shortage of foods and beverages that can help you accomplish this. Your dentist might have additional suggestions for increasing your fluoride intake, so be sure to ask them during your next appointment.

Organic Clove Wholes

Organic clove whole is a versatile and flavorful spice that has been used for centuries in both culinary and medicinal applications. Cloves are the dried flower buds of the Syzygium aromaticum tree, and organic clove whole is made from these buds that are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers.

Organic clove whole is considered to be of higher quality than non-organic clove whole as it is free from harmful chemicals and is grown using sustainable farming practices.

One of the main benefits of organic clove whole is its flavor. Cloves have a strong, pungent, and slightly sweet flavor that can be used to add depth and warmth to a variety of dishes. Cloves are a common ingredient in spice blends such as pumpkin spice and apple pie spice, and can also be used to flavor tea, coffee, and hot cocoa. They can also be used in baking recipes such as cakes, cookies, and bread.

Organic clove whole also has medicinal properties. Cloves have been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments, such as toothaches, indigestion, and respiratory issues. They are also natural painkillers and have been found to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Organic clove whole is also easy to use in cooking. They can be added to liquids, such as soups, stews, and curries, to infuse them with flavor. They can also be added to dry rubs and marinades for meats and vegetables. Cloves can be added to rice or oatmeal dishes and to any type of beverage that you would like to add a spicy and warm flavor.

When purchasing organic clove whole, it’s important to choose a reputable brand and check the label for any possible contaminants. They should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight and moisture to maintain their flavor and quality.

organic-clovesClove Whole Benefits:

Organic clove whole is a versatile and flavorful spice that has been used for centuries in both culinary and medicinal applications. Here are some of the key benefits of organic clove whole: Rich in Antioxidants: Cloves contain high levels of antioxidants, which can help to protect the body from harmful free radicals and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Cloves have anti-inflammatory properties and may help to reduce the symptoms of conditions such as arthritis and eczema.

Natural Painkiller: Cloves have natural pain-relieving properties and can be used to alleviate toothaches, headaches, and other types of pain.

Improves Digestion: Cloves are known to improve digestion and reduce bloating and gas.

Aromatherapy: Cloves can be used in aromatherapy to create a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Culinary Uses: Cloves are versatile and can be used in a variety of culinary applications, including baking, cooking, and making homemade spice blends.

Easy to use: Cloves can be easily added to liquids, such as soups, stews, and curries, to infuse them with flavor. They can also be added to dry rubs and marinades for meats and vegetables. They can be added to rice or oatmeal dishes, and to any type of beverage if you would like to add a spicy and warm flavor.

Organic clove whole is grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, and is considered to be of higher quality than non-organic clove whole.

It’s important to note that consuming large amounts of cloves may not be safe and may cause side effects such as mouth sores, blood thinning, and liver damage. Consult with a healthcare professional before adding cloves to your diet. Organic cloves provide the same benefits as regular cloves but without any chemicals or pesticides.

In conclusion, Organic clove whole is a flavorful and versatile spice that has been used for centuries in both culinary and medicinal applications. They are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, and are considered to be of higher quality than non-organic clove whole.

Benefits of Garlic garlic 2

Being a natural whole food, but much too concentrated to eat in large quantities, garlic can be considered as a natural supplement because of its outstanding qualities. Garlic has many benefits, mainly due to its high natural sulfur content. It is considered to be nature’s antibiotic and helps prevent disease.

Dr. Earl Mindell in his book: ‘Garlic, The Miracle Nutrient’, lists the benefits of garlic as: * acts as an antiseptic * helps the body overcome infection * stimulates the immune system * acts as a decongestant and expectorant * contains substances that help prevent cancer * thins he blood, reducing the risk of dangerous blood clotting: * tends to dissolve blood clots: * lowers blood pressure (at least partly the result of blood-thinning): * reduces high cholesterol: * helps reduce high triglycerides (blood fats)

Dr. Mindell quotes a professor of medicine as saying that garlic is the most powerful agent for preventing blood from becoming sticky, even more, powerful than low-dose aspirin.

This may be part of the reason why people in Italy and France have less heart disease. The odorous compound in garlic is a sulfur compound called allicin, a highly effective antibiotic. However, there is no allicin in raw garlic. Raw garlic contains alliin, which, when garlic is crushed, converts to allicin. This is garlic’s way of protecting itself from microbial attack after injury.

Unfortunately, allicin tends to damage not only bacteria but healthy cells as well. When raw garlic is consumed in very large amounts, harmful effects can result, including irritation to the mouth, throat, and stomach: anemia: the destruction of friendly gut bacteria: reduced absorption of nutrients, and impaired liver function. How much garlic is excessive and how much is safe to consume on a regular basis.

Natural Health view is a clove or two a day. This is well below the amount that produces outright medicinal effects and possibly also harmful effects, which is around five gloves per day (approximately 25 grams) or more, on a regular basis. The bottom line is that any strong substance like allicin has to be broken down by the liver. Too much can significantly add to the load on the liver, which is already very high in a world of chemicals, alcohol, a high-fat diet, etc.

One garlic clove a day seems to be tolerable for most people.

Phytochemicals, compounds to cut cancer and heart risks

INDOLES Phytochemicals have an important function to prevent some cancers and heart diseases. One of them is called Indoles. You find them in Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and mustard greens. They have a bitter taste that bugs don’t like. The phytochemical responsible for this way of plant protection is called Indole-3-carbinol, known by researchers by the nickname I3C. In humans, this compound plays a role in regulating hormones, which may be useful in preventing breast cancer.

The Strang Cancer Prevention Center in New York City found that when women took 400 milligrams of I3C a day, about the amount found in half a head of cabbage, their levels of the harmless estrogen increased significantly. In fact, they had the same levels as those found in marathon runners, which is quite a feat, since vigorous exercise has been shown to have a strong positive effect on estrogen levels. I3C also helps stop tumor cells from spreading to other parts of the body, Studies also show that I3C may slow the growth and reproduction of prostate cancer cells.

That’s why you should say yes to broccoli and cabbage.

ORGANOSULFUR COMPOUNDS Other phytochemicals are organosulfur compounds, called allylic sulfides. They are one of nature’s most potent compounds to decrease your risks of cancer and heart disease. They also raise good HDL cholesterol and stimulate enzymes that suppress tumors. You will find them in onions, and garlic, also but in lower concentrations in leeks and chives.

Allylic sulfides also have the unique potency to keep cholesterol and other blood fats known as triglycerides from causing health-threatening blood clots and hardening of the arteries. Allicin, which researchers believe to be the most potent compound in garlic, and diallyl disulfide also made blood vessels relax, reducing blood pressure and improving blood flow. Allicin also has potent germ-killing powers.

There are several substances that are known to have antimicrobial properties and can potentially kill microbes responsible for various illnesses, including the common cold, flu, stomach viruses, yeast infections, and tuberculosis.

These substances include:

  1. Alcohol: Ethanol (the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages) is known to have antimicrobial properties and is effective against many types of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Hand sanitizers containing at least 60% alcohol are recommended by health experts for killing germs on hands.
  2. Bleach: Sodium hypochlorite (bleach) is a powerful disinfectant that can kill many types of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It is commonly used to disinfect surfaces in hospitals and other healthcare settings.
  3. Hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide is another disinfectant that can kill many types of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It is commonly used as a wound disinfectant and as a household cleaner.
  4. Vinegar: Acetic acid, the active ingredient in vinegar, has antimicrobial properties and can be effective against some types of bacteria and fungi. However, it may not be as effective as other disinfectants.

It is important to note that the effectiveness of these substances can vary depending on the type of microbe and the concentration of the substance used. It is also important to follow proper usage instructions and safety precautions when using disinfectants.

Other studies have shown that taking two or more servings of garlic per week can help protect against colon cancer. It can also stop the growth of cancer cells, once they develop.

PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS This is another phytochemical, also called polyphenols. You will find them in most fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, and green and black teas. These compounds fight cancer on two fronts. They stimulate protective enzymes while squelching harmful ones, and they’re also heavy-duty antioxidants.

Most active polyphenols include ellagic acid from strawberries, green tea polyphenols, and curcumin, the yellow coloring in turmeric. Curcumin plays a role in cancer prevention because it acts as an antioxidant. It also seems to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and prevent or help to treat Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis.

SAPONINS One of the most common phytochemicals is saponins. You will find them in a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, and legumes, like spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, nuts, and oats. Soybeans alone contain 12 different types of saponins.

Studies show that people who eat saponin-rich diets have consistently lower rates of breast- prostate- and colon cancer, unlike other cancer-fighting phytochemicals, however, saponins possess a unique array of weapons. One way that they help prevent cancer is by binding with bile acids, which over time may metabolize into cancer-causing compounds, and eliminating them from the body, says Dr. Rao, professor of nutrition at the University of Toronto.

They also stimulate the immune system so that’s better able to detect and destroy precancerous cells before they develop into full-blown cancer.

But perhaps the most important ability of saponins is to target the cholesterol found in cancer cell membranes. Cancer cells have a lot of cholesterol in their membranes, and saponins selectively bind to these cells and destroy them.

Not surprisingly, this ability to bind to cholesterol is helpful for lowering total cholesterol as well. Saponins bind with bile acids, used for digestion in the intestinal tract. The bile is then excreted, instead of being reabsorbed. Since bile acids are made of cholesterol, getting rid of some of these acids means that your body has to use up cholesterol to make more, effectively lowering cholesterol levels in the process.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”

Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always. 

-Greek physician Hippocrates

 

 

 

 

The Double Trouble of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

                                           The brain is our most precious organ

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's DiseasesWithout its full function, we humans simply exist, unable to relate to the world around us. The ten billion nerve cells of your brain process such uncountable amounts of information each second, they make our most advanced computers look like children’s toys. Your brain controls everything, from the merest wiggle of toes to the moment-to-moment balancing of hundreds of hormones to the microscopically regulated metabolism of all the thirty trillion cells that enable you to think, feel, and behave as a human being. When even a few thousand brain cells get damaged or die, your whole body suffers.

However, the brain (central nervous system) and our nerves (peripheral nervous system) is not out of the reach of oxidative stress. This common enemy has been strongly implicated in a variety of diseases that wreak devastating damage on the brain and nerves, known as neurodegenerative diseases. Some of these include Alzheimer’s dementia, Parkinson’s disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), multiple sclerosis, and Huntington’s chorea. There are several reasons why the brain and the nerves are especially vulnerable to oxidative stress:

* Relative to its size, the brain experiences an increased rate of oxidative activity, which creates a significant number of free radicals.

* The normal activity, which various chemicals create to establish nerve conduction is a major producer of free radicals.

* The brain and nerve tissue contain relatively low levels of antioxidants.

* Millions of nonreplicable cells make up the central nervous system. This means that once they are damaged, they are most likely dysfunctional for life.

* The brain and nervous system are easily disrupted. a small amount of damage in a critical area can cause severe problems.

The brain is the most important organ of our body. Our thoughts, emotions, and our ability to reason and communicate with the outside world are all in danger if something damages our brains. How can we best defend this most precious asset? 

Aging of the brain

What causes Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer; is Oxidative stress which is the leading cause of the aging process. Nowhere is evidence stronger for this concept than when it comes to the actual aging of the brain. Several scientific studies have shown oxidative damage to the mitochondria (the furnace of the cell) and the DNA of the brain cell. This can lead to the malfunction and even death of these very sensitive brain cells.

Brain cells cannot regenerate themselves

So, as we lose more and more brain cells throughout our lifetime due to this oxidative damage, the brain simply does not function as well as it did when we were younger. In medical terms, this led to what is called loss of cognition. In lay terms, this is a decrease in our ability to think or reason. Therefore, oxidative damage to our sensitive brain cells is the greatest enemy to the functioning of our brain.

Aging of the brain is essentially the first stage of degeneration of these very important cells in our body. Just as we don’t contract other degenerative diseases out of the blue, people don’t wake up one day and have Alzheimer’s dementia or Parkinson’s disease. These diseases represent the final stages of oxidative damage to the brain. They are part of a progression that begins with the aging of the brain. When eventually enough brain cells are damaged, a disease manifests.

When a patient is first diagnosed as having Parkinson’s disease, more than 80% of the brain cells in a particular part of the brain, called the “substantial nigra”, have already been destroyed. The same is true for someone who develops Alzheimer’s dementia. These neurodegenerative diseases have been developing for over ten to twenty years.

          Can Parkinson’s lead to dementia or Alzheimer’s?  

Alzheimer’s Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s dementia affects more than 2.2 million Americans and is the major cause of admission in nursing homes. Alzheimer’s patients not only don’t know what day it is, but they also don’t even recognize their own families. Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s life expectancy can be helped with good nutrition and supplements.

Nothing is more devastating than losing the ability to think. Most folk who become senile, and develop Alzheimer’s, or other irreversible forms of brain degeneration know it is happening. Their anguish is far worse than physical pain. Progressive senility is living death, turning the most brilliant professors, the greatest athletes, and the most gifted artists, into dribbling zombies. The worst of it is, we do most of the damage to ourselves.

Anyone who has had to deal with Alzheimer’s dementia within his family understands just how tragic this is. If you have a loved one who suffers from Alzheimer’s, you appreciate the fact that it’s the quality of life, not the quantity, with which most of us are concerned. 

There is now great interest in the therapeutic benefits that Alzheimer’s patients could receive from antioxidants. The New England Journal of Medicine reported a study showing that high doses of vitamin E could significantly decrease the progression of Alzheimer’s dementia. Other clinical trials in which patients with Alzheimer’s dementia used various antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, selenium, and rutin (a bioflavonoid antioxidant) have also been encouraging.

Parkinson’s Disease

parkinsonsA stooped posture, slow voluntary movement, rigidity, and a “pill-rolling” tremor that causes the hands to move back and forth in a “rolling” action characterize Parkinson’s disease. Public appearances by Muhammad Ali have made us all more aware of the effects of this debilitating disease.

Parkinson’s dementia symptoms have a wide variety of free radicals that are the underlying cause of Parkinson’s. The actual cell death (approximately 78%) in the area of the brain called the substantia nigra (SN) leads to decreased production of dopamine, a substance that allows the brain to function normally.

Studies indicate that patients with early Parkinson’s disease who received high doses of vitamin C and vitamin E were able to slow down the progression of their disease. They avoided taking any medication for their disease for approximately two years longer than the control group. Glutathione and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (both antioxidants) were also effective in protecting the nerves in the substantia nigra (SN) from further damage by oxidative stress.

The Blood Brain Barrier

The brain needs a barrier that separates it from the blood to permit complex nerve signaling. The blood-brain barrier is a thick lining of epithelial cells that are present in the small arteries that course through the brain. This lining is designed with very tight junctions, which makes the crossover of nutrients into the brain cells particularly difficult.

Important nutrients needed by the brain have specialized transporting proteins available that allow them to cross this barrier. At the same time, toxic substances, infectious organisms, and most other nutrients have difficulty passing through this barrier. This keeps the brain isolated with only the most essential nutrients to be able to enter. Our brain has significant protection from the dangers of the outside world. 

What has gone wrong in the case of aging of the brain and neurological disease? The neurology department of the Rabin Medical Center in Tel Aviv concluded that as a result of today’s environment, the brain is exposed to a significantly increased amount of toxins, such as heavy metals, and thus oxidative stress. The antioxidant defense system is no longer completely effective in protecting this vital organ.

They believe that additional antioxidants, which particularly need to be taken in as supplements, have the reduction potential or even prevent damage from increased oxidative stress. They stress, however, that the antioxidants must be able to readily cross the blood-brain barrier.

The Right Antioxidants for the Brain

Vitamin E

 Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that is very important in the protection of brain and peripheral nerve cells. It has some difficulty crossing the blood-brain barrier and needs therefore to be supplied in high doses. This vitamin is important to protect the brain cells but probably not the best one for this purpose.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C can concentrate on the tissue and fluid around the brain and nerves. It can pass through the blood-brain barrier, and in fact, vitamin C levels are 10 times higher in this tissue than in the plasma. When you realize that vitamin C is not only a great antioxidant but also can regenerate vitamin E and glutathione, it becomes a very important nutrient in protecting brain and nerve cells.

A study showed that vitamin C and vitamin E given as supplements to normal patients over the age of sixty-five decreased their risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia.

Glutathione

Glutathione is the most important antioxidant within the brain and nerve cells. But this nutrient is difficult to absorb from oral supplements, and its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier is not yet clear. The best strategy at this time is to supplement the nutrients the body needs to make its glutathione (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, niacin, selenium, and vitamin B2). You also need to have those antioxidant nutrients available that regenerate glutathione, so it can be used again and again (vitamin C, alpha-lipoic acid, and QoQ10).

Alpha-lipoic Acid

The medical community is recognizing alpha-lipoic acid more and more as an important antioxidant. It is both fat- and water-soluble and it has also the ability to cross over the blood-brain barrier. It can regenerate vitamins C & E, intracellular glutathione, and CoQ10.

Another important property of this antioxidant is that it can attach itself to toxic metals in the brain and help eliminate them from our bodies. Heavy metals, such as mercury, aluminum, cadmium, and lead have been implicated in increasing the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases. These metals tend to deposit themselves in brain tissue because of the high amount of fat concentrated in that part of the body.

These metals can cause an increased amount of oxidative stress and are extremely difficult to remove from the central nervous system once they are there. Antioxidants that not only are potent but can help remove these toxic heavy metals will become more and more important in the prevention and treatment of these diseases.

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is a very potent antioxidant as well as one of the most important nutrients for the production of energy within the cell. Clinical studies have shown that oxidative damage in the mitochondria (this is where CoQ10 works) is an important aspect in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

As we age, the level of CoQ10 in our brains and nerve cells decreases significantly. CoQ10 may be a missing link in the prevention of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. However, more study in this subject is necessary. How well QoQ10 passes through the blood-brain barrier is not yet been fully evaluated.

Grape-Seed

Extract Studies show that grape-seed extract crosses the blood-brain barrier quite easily. It is an exceptionally potent antioxidant, and the mere fact that high concentrations can be obtained in the fluid and cells of the brain and nerve tissue makes it an ideal antioxidant for the brain.

Serotonin and memory Professors Eric Kandel and James Schwartz at the Center of Neurobiology at Columbia University have shown that memory storage can be increased by putting additional serotonin into the neuron. In humans also, we know that periods of additional serotonin release improve memory storage.

Acetylcholine and memory as memory decline with age so do acetylcholine. This biochemical deficit is especially evident in the post-Morton brains of people who had suffered the severe memory problems of premature senility or Alzheimer’s disease.

Studies using drugs to block acetylcholine synthesis in the brain, provide further strong evidence that optimum acetylcholine levels are crucial to good memory.

Acetyl-l-carnitine

The big discovery about the brain is that much of the damage to brain cells occurs by oxidation. In addition to the antioxidants, we have discussed previously, research shows that the amino acid acetyl-l-carnitine maintains brain function partly by antioxidant action.

More than 65 controlled studies show that this remarkable nutrient has profound effects in addition to antioxidant action. It improves memory, prevents brain cell loss, boosts intelligence, and restores acetylcholine metabolism. It is used in millions of doses of 1000 – 2000 mg per day throughout Europe, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s, depression, and memory loss in the aged, and the improvement of cognition in normal folk.

Protecting our most precious asset Everyone desires to maintain and protect the ability to reason and think. Losing this ability is probably the number-one fear of most people. As we age, we all have this concern at one time or another.

The principle of optimizing our natural antioxidant defense system is paramount when it comes to protecting the cells in our brain against our common enemy; oxidative stress. Remember, we must focus on prevention and protection because once a brain cell is destroyed, it is not readily replaced.

The two main concepts to keep in mind are first, we must use a cocktail of antioxidants that will work in synergy while readily crossing the blood-brain barrier. Secondly, we must avoid any excessive exposure to heavy metals and other toxins in our environment. Balance is the key, and we must work on decreasing our toxic exposures as well as building up our body’s natural defenses.

It is quite obvious that the proper function of our brain and our nerves are an essential aspect of our health, and we now realize that the main enemy of this central part of our body is oxidative stress. It is paramount that we protect these sensitive cells from being damaged in the first place.

Supplementing our diet with potent antioxidants and MCT Oil that readily cross over the blood-brain barrier can effectively protect us against these horrible diseases.

 

The Dreaded Headache: Causes and Cures

Headaches

headaches-are-painfulHeadaches started in the fall of my college freshman year, I was among the original occupants of a new dormitory. Everything was pristine including furnishings, fixtures, and recreation room equipment. Within a half hour of settling into my room and wandering to the rec room, an angular, blond, crew-cut fellow from St. Joseph, Michigan named Mike introduced himself. It turned out his room was two doors from mine. Both of us were registered in engineering school, had girlfriends at home, and had similar interests.

We developed a close friendship; hung out after class, did homework, played touch football, and took our meals together usually in one of the local beaneries. Both of our roommates flunked out before the first term ended, becoming among the earliest exits of the first-year attrition of about one-third of freshmen registered in various engineering departments; but Mike and I were good students, and eventually graduated together.

Often on our way to dinner, we’d pass a white, rambling, seven-gabled house at 517 Gale Street, just off campus. Something about that house caught my attention. It looked timeless and an inviting place to spend my undergraduate years. There was an alluring character about it. A fraternity resided there, Sigma Mu Sigma, which was founded back in the 1920s by a group of freemasons though the society was not in any way affiliated with the Masonic Lodge.

In those days, at the start of each new term fraternities held what they called “Smokers” during the period of pledge week. The idea was to invite all non-Greek males enrolled in school to an open house to recruit new members. Snacks, desserts, and drinks were served. Free cigarettes were also liberally distributed in four-packs (courtesy of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company), hence the name Smoker.

 

headaches 9

The on-campus RJR representative was “grandfathered” to Sigma Mu Sigma ΣΜΣ; that is, the job was handed down from member to member. Winston and Salem were popular labels, but even then, we referred to cigarettes as weeds, coffin nails, and (mostly) cancer sticks. Mike and I decided to check out several Smokers for free eats—college kids are always hungry—and free cigarettes.

smokers-headachesAfter making the rounds of Smokers in fall and winter when the dust settled (after the smoke cleared—gasp, wheeze, cough, rattle, choke) we pledged a fraternity in the spring. (Aside: After graduation, it took me five years to break the smoking habit.) We selected Sigma Mu Sigma because we liked the house with the seven gables, knew several members, and had rooms available in the fall. The housing cost was on par with the dorms so I figured the economic decision was a push.

Since my father was a gung-ho freemason, I figured he’d support my decision to room in a “Masonic” fraternity—a little bit of misdirection there you see. (It’s one of the many maneuvers I’ve pulled in life that was less than commendable. How many? Well, I attempted to compile a mental list from primary school on, but after an hour and a half, I was only up to a junior year in high school.

Every time I tried to forge ahead; I’d remember other deceptions forgotten. Talk about revealing.) Mike had a different problem since he belonged to a church that considered freemasons a bunch of rat bastards in league with Satan. You can imagine the tap-dancing he had to do when his local paper erroneously reported he’d joined a Masonic fraternity.

As pledges we had daily work details at the house: vacuuming, dusting, mopping, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. Tuesday was the fraternity meeting night for all members, including pledges. After these meetings, the pledge master made us each tell a joke, and would designate a member we had to make laugh. He always selected some disciplined hardass who wouldn’t crack a smile even if everyone else in the room was roaring.

Failure to amuse resulted in a black mark; and the number of total black marks translated into the number of miles we would be dumped in the country on the Night of the Long Walk. (For that ordeal, we were blindfolded, dressed in a gown, given a six-pack of beer and a baseball bat, and individually dropped off somewhere in the boonies.)

HeadachesAfter receiving our inevitable joke-telling black marks, suggestions were taken from the floor from random members who would assign each pledge a “headache”, which was an assignment to be accomplished and reported back at the next meeting. These tasks could be relatively easy (e.g.; chart the temperature of Miami over the next week) or difficult; and sometimes embarrassing (see below). Although I received weekly headaches throughout the pledge term, three are memorable.

The first was to find out why a certain sourpuss math professor, Mrs. Gorecki, usually referred to by students as that-goddam-Gorecki, was a grouch; just what the hell was her problem; why did she act like she was perpetually on the rag; didn’t she get laid enough; and why was she always in a bad mood. Mrs. Gorecki, a thin, severe-looking lady in her early thirties was from Connecticut and had the harsh Yankee accent and abrasive tone to prove it. She was relatively new on campus, a chain smoker, and always had a pissed-off demeanor.

I wasn’t looking forward to the interview but made an appointment using a cover story that I was sent by the university newspaper. I didn’t write for the paper, but Mike did so using his name seemed like a good idea—you know; in case she checked up on me. (Sigh—another for my long list of transgressions.)

Mrs. Gorecki was sitting at her desk puffing on a cigarette and nodded me into a chair. She looked at me suspiciously and closed one eye. “Mike Glossinger? I don’t think so! Isn’t your name Myers, and didn’t you take calculus from me the last term? See, I always remember those who try to hide out back of the room.” 

 

headaches-in-schoolRats! Busted! “Uh…yeah, Mike wasn’t feeling well so he sent me with a list of questions—his questions,” I emphasized. What a coward I was. BTW, honesty compels me to admit, grouch or not, Mrs. Gorecki did a good job in the classroom.

You don’t seem very sharp.” I could tell from her cynical sneer-smile that she enjoyed the dig.

“I got a B,” I said defensively, feeling insulted. Thanks for thinking the least of me.

“I see… I guess you’re brighter than you look; either that or I made a terrible mistake.” That’s right, rub salt in the wound. Her visage grew more suspicious, and she let out an annoyed tobacco-raspy sigh. “All right. What the hell you’d want to know? Ask your questions. Maybe I’ll answer ‘em.”

 

I started easily enough by asking questions about where she came from, went to school, previous teaching experience, etc., to which she responded with curt, abrupt answers after intently studying my face every time. Her eyes bore holes in me. It was not a comfortable experience and I started to sweat.

Finally, I had to get to the meat of the interview. “Still married?” Oops, why did I say “still”?

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” She gave me that one-eyed challenging look.

“Oh, nothing. Just asking the questions Mike gave me (heh-heh). What does your husband do?”

“That’s none of your business, but he’s an armed services veteran who’s a senior here in electrical engineering.”

“Poor bastard,” I said under my breath. (Tried to slip one by the goalie.)

“What! What was that?” She glared daggers. (Gorecki makes the save.)

“Uh…um…I said, ‘so his last year.” Sweat was trickling between my shoulder blades as I wondered how to skillfully lead into the subject of her perceived rotten demeanor. “Say, are you in a bad mood in the morning, maybe don’t like your job, or is that just the New England way?” I dim-witted blurted, and instantly recognizing my faux, pas, squeezed shut my eyes waiting for an onslaught.

For a long, silent moment nothing was said. I thought (hoped?) maybe she hadn’t heard. My eyes inched open. Mrs. Gorecki took a mighty drag on her cigarette and gave me a murderous look, a volcano about to erupt, as she exhaled. “Get out, Myers! Now!” She hissed and slowly rose from her chair. I thought she was going to come after me and scrambled toward the door knocking over a chair and some papers from her desk. I heard her swear as I zipped out (like in a cartoon), my heart beating wildly. Thank God I’d never been in one of her math classes again since she only taught freshmen. (I hoped.)

For not providing answers to all questions, I received a BLACK MARK. Hey, there was no way I was going to ask if she was always on the rag or didn’t get laid enough. I hoped my ordeal was enough to receive leniency. It wasn’t, but it’s too bad my recitation didn’t qualify as a joke. The brothers certainly enjoyed a long, tearful, hearty laugh at my expense, which I learned was the point of headaches anyway.

The second was being required to check out a student who dressed like a motorcycle hoodlum—like Marlon Brando in The Wild One—and find out what he was all about. He looked like one intimidating, tough s-o-b, and I was more frightened of him than I was of Gorecki. He might just punch my lights out. I figured his nickname would be something like Snake. Once again, I used a campus newspaper subterfuge about doing profiles on students, but this time used my name.

headaches 7He turned out to be a very polite and pleasant fellow happy for someone with whom to converse. My personality didn’t fit the image; a lesson I took for the rest of my life. My interest in him, his attire, his major, and his origin he thought to be flattering. I breathed a huge sigh of relief, and feel guilty to this day that I never spoke to him again.

I did not receive a black mark, but my audience was disappointed I hadn’t been put through some kind of grinder or didn’t have to run for my life. The only point of humor was that I reported he was from Windblown, Indiana. (Woodburn was the actual name, but I had to salvage something.)

Finally, the school had this old Civil War cannon that was chained to a concrete pad near the school cafeteria. My headache was to report the last time the gun was fired. I walked away from the meeting congratulating myself for receiving such an easy task. Even before the internet, the library and local historical society had to have the information: where the gun was manufactured, who used it, where and when was the last time, it was in battle, etc. Well, I’m here to tell you I could not find out fact one. Finally, in a Sunday afternoon panic, I knew what must be done.

Tuesday evening came, and the time for me to report was at hand.

“When was the last time the cannon was fired?” asked the pledge master. Everyone looked around and smirked. I figured many of them had probably been burdened with the same headache when they pledged. They knew they had me, and were about lumber me with another black mark.

I answered calmly, “Last Sunday evening at eighty-thirty”. The response was open-mouthed silence.

headaches-in-the-labI’d spent Sunday afternoon sneaking into the chemistry laboratory—it wasn’t difficult—and made enough gunpowder to charge and fire the weapon. Compressed newspapers were the ammo. After I lit the wick, I ran like hell but heard the boom. What, you think I wanted to be on double secret probation from the dean? A week later the barrel was filled with cement by some killjoy. On the other hand, I made history. Hoo-hah!

The last headache I remember was one given a year later by Mike to a pledge named Wiltanger. It was a physics problem that brought down the house. Here it is: A guy is sitting on the can with his ass six inches above the water line. He drops a 225-gram septic log and accelerates it four feet per second squared with a fart. Determine whether or not the water will splash his ass. Assume he is at sea level. (Note the clever mixing of units.) As I recall, Wiltanger came up with the answer via a controlled laboratory experiment. (Ans. The water splashed his ass.)

ΣΜΣ |  Some years ago, the university annexed the block that included the seven-gabled house. It was razed to make room for campus expansion. Sigma Mu Sigma merged with Acacia, which was thrown off campus in the late 1970s. A year ago, Acacia petitioned to return, which was granted. I’ll see some of my old brothers and a few from my pledge class at a reunion in October. I expect a few Acacia members and pledges may show up as well. Maybe we should give them headaches just for old-time sake. If you can think of any good ones, let me know.

-Your working boy, Gene Myers

 

Harnessing Mental Endurance

Mental Toughness

Through the years I have had the chance to coach many professionals and one thing I can tell you without reservation is the ideal players were all mentally tough. It’s a tough concept to describe until you see it, but it’s apparent when you see a player which has it.Mental Toughness 13

To explain my point, not every one of the best athletes gets it. Not, every big-league player is mentally tough and many never reach the large leagues which have great mental toughness. It’s not about ability, I’ve coached many great athletes that didn’t possess a clue about being mentally tough and would fold under pressure. They might work well when there was nothing at risk, however, when this game is at balance, or even the competition was tough, they often failed.

However, I’ve witnessed many players with average skills, but mentally tough, perform in such a way nobody thought they might perform. A clutch hit, a vital bunt, and an excellent defensive play that stopped a rally, mentally tough players complete the job. Actually, the higher the pressure, the greater they perform.

Something I’ve arrived at and understood with experience is the fact that mental toughness will not be an inborn DNA trait, but instead one which is developed with time and contact with adverse conditions. Preparation for mental toughness starts with experiences at an early age. Parents can enjoy a vital role to start the entire process of training mental toughness, however, they need assistance as you go along.

A disciplined educational system with higher expectations and good classroom rules, together with tough, but fair coaches (or mentors in alternative activities) having a positive mindset, is important to creating a child mentally, whether or not they are a sports athlete usually are not.

 

Mental Toughness 000

This is among the lot of reasons why all children need to engage in balanced organized extracurricular activities at an early age: Karate, gymnastics, ballet, music, scouts, children, and youth activities at church or youth sports will play a role in starting to instill the discipline and structure that is required to build up mentally.

Notice I said start to play a role. It requires some time and preparation.

Growth and development of mental toughness (and leadership skills) are other reasons why athletes have to be involved with an effective training course when they may be 14 or fifteen years old.

A training course not just helps you to build power, strength, and agility, but is essential in developing mentally. Players ought to be accountable to some mentor (trainer, coach, etc.) along with the camaraderie and pressure of the small peer group, even when it’s only a couple of others.

In case a player is involved with a training course sooner than 14 or 15, it ought to be with regards to agility and speed training, together with teaching the correct approaches to strength conditioning without weights. Before any training course begins, please talk to your child’s physician throughout their annual physical, as the creation of each child is different.

Defining Mental Toughness

Mental Toughness-10

Mental toughness is having the psychological advantage that enables someone to perform at peak maximum effort and efficiency throughout the demands which are put on them during training, practice, or competition. Specifically, once the demands are greatest or even the conditions become adverse.

Whenever the requirements would be the greatest occurs when the characteristics of mental toughness would be the best shown.

A few of the many characteristics which are evident whenever a player is a mentally tough include:

– Self-confidence

– Self-motivation

– Focus

– Concentration

– Composure

– Calmness

– Poise

– Self-control

– Positive Energy

– Determination

– Persistence

– Leadership

Please be aware, this doesn’t imply that the result is a win, oftentimes these attributes can display the most throughout a loss, especially a detailed loss to some tough opponent or during adverse conditions. But with time along with careful training, the mental toughness of skilled players concerns to light in championships won.

Developing Mental Toughness

To be mentally tough you must practice attributes that lead to mental toughness. If only there have been an equation to adhere to, however, there is not. It requires some perseverance underneath the right leadership to build up mental toughness. Parents, educators, coaches, as well as other mentors, should be systematically active in the training process.

Few athletes require the amount of mental toughness, brute strength, and physical prowess that boxers take into the ring for every fight. Boxing is an extremely tough sport on every level, but it can also be one of the most rewarding.

While taking a beating on the canvas is a challenge best left to the pros, the average person can enjoy tons of health benefits from some time in the ring without the repeated right hooks to the face. Let’s look at four reasons why boxing gyms should replace your regular gym in the quest to improve your health, strength, and mental fortitude.

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Your time in the world is just as mental as it is physical. This sport forces you to push yourself through fatigue, endure pain, and dish out a few solid hits along the way. By pushing you past your limits and giving you valuable self-defense techniques, fighting can bolster your confidence in daily life. Succeeding in the ring requires courage, Zen-like concentration, and self-esteem.

Sparring with a trainer or partner at the gym allows you to summon these key mental qualities in a fight scene. Once you’ve learned to exercise these traits in the ring, they’ll become more available to you during the trials of day-to-day living.

If you’re looking for a new style of exercise that will shape you up mentally and physically, it may be time to abandon the treadmills and free weights to step inside the ring. Seek out local boxing gyms that offer the services, equipment, and training programs you need to start floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee.

Also, it requires failure and the opportunity to recover. Lots of people develop mental toughness with the experience of failure. Good parents usually do not want their kids to fail and I also realize that. These days, way too many blame others for your failure.

Athletes face a lot of challenges in their careers, whether it is new opponents or their private limitations. Developing mental training, however, can make it easier so they can discover the following:

Rugby-Mental Toughness

Better self-esteem – Performance anxiety management – Emotional control – Positive thinking – Better focus – Better self-assurance – The capability to manage challenges and obstacles better.

 

  1. Goal setting

Setting goals gives a sports athlete something to appear to and help. It can be what leads the mental training skill further down their list known as motivation. It also encourages positive thinking, increased energy, better self-esteem along with growth just as one athlete and person.

  1. Focus & Concentration

What this means is keeping the mind in the present. Everybody is allowed the rare wandering thought, however, when looking at competitive moments it could change everything. It can cause hesitation or distraction. Instead, discover ways to keep the mind inside the moment and so on thoughts products you plan to complete next instead of the mistakes that have already happened and should not be changed.

  1. Imagery & Visualization

Imagery requires over to be able to place a picture in your thoughts. It’s about re-creating moments or pulling on memories to create a new and vivid scenario in your head. This requires that you be much better aware of your surroundings, yourself and just what you happen to be capable of doing. In the long run, it could improve your skill, success, and assurance when under pressure and enable you better overcome your emotions and reactions.

  1. Relaxation & Stress Management

Relaxation could be the opposite of stress as well as for those moments when you don’t have time to relax, obtaining a strategy to manage your stress threshold and concentrate that energy elsewhere is going to help in the long run. Your ultimate challenge with stress is muscle tension and the way it might clutter your head. Learn how to focus the mind, banish fear with full confidence and relax tensed muscles with the right techniques.

  1. Self-Confidence

There’s a lot to get said regarding the success of the confident athlete. If you are that certain of your abilities, there is no room for doubt. Instead, you’ve got a stronger wish to succeed and to strive further along with your goals and it changes the way you think, focus, and react. Confidence-building exercises are usually a great source along with other great skills.

  1. Motivation

An athlete’s success will depend on his degree of motivation from both an inner desire in addition to outside factors. Finding out how to take your desires and set these phones use to inspire you might help enhance a player’s performance and overall motivation.

  1. Self-talk & Positive Thinking

Your thoughts have a strong relation to the way we perform physically. A sports athlete who thinks negatively or nit-picks their mistakes and flaws internally isn’t any good at competing. Some could imagine that pointing out the negative is a superb motivator, however, exercising positive thought can better motivate improvement and success.

  1. Flow in Sport

What this means is something beyond concentration while focusing. It must employ immersing yourself inside the moment and from the sport itself. This is simply not some abstract and fantastical notion. Instead, flow in sports is a situation that wants the mind and body to be in sync to try and do the most beneficial and effortless performance. Learning these kinds of flow by learning how to control your mind can cause incredible performance.

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Parents are quick to blame the teacher for problems in class or perhaps a coach once the child will not be excelling in an activity. Mental toughness is unable to be developed properly when blaming others. The contrary is the situation.

 

 

 

 

The Superfood of the 21st Century: Avocados

Avocados  avocados-8

The well-known characteristics of fruit, which is light, low-calorie, and fat-free, do not apply to the avocado. An avocado contains a lot of calories, 360 or more. And it is also one of the few fruits with a measurable fat content, about 30 gr. each. That’s almost half the daily recommended amount for an adult.

If you have doubts about the fact that a food that contains so much fat could be good for you, ask a dietitian. He will tell you that adding some avocado to your diet, could improve your health.

Avocados have high folate and potassium content. They are also rich in fiber and monounsaturated fat, both are important for people who are concerned about diabetes and heart health.

A favorite part of a diabetes diet people with diabetes has always been told to eat more carbohydrates and cut back on fat. In general, that’s good advice, but it hasn’t to be the best advice for everyone.

guacamole-saladDoctors have discovered that when some people with diabetes eat a lot of carbohydrates, they tend to develop high levels of triglycerides, a type of blood fat that may contribute to heart disease. However, when people replace some of those carbohydrates with fat that’s found in avocados, the dangerous fats in the bloodstream tend to decline.

The monounsaturated fat in avocados is called Oleic acid. They have found that this type of monounsaturated fat control fat levels in the body and helps control diabetes.

Scientists in Mexico put sixteen women with diabetes on a relatively high-fat diet, with about 40% of calories coming from fat. Most of the fat comes from avocados. The result was a 20% drop in triglycerides. Women on a higher carbohydrate plan, by contrast, had only a 7% drop in triglycerides. Someone on a 2000-calorie-a-day diet might be advised to eat 33 grams of monounsaturated fat. You can get about 20 grams from just one avocado.

Lowering High Cholesterol Apart from people with diabetes, people with high cholesterol levels can also benefit from the oleic acid in avocados.

In Mexico, where guacamole is considered almost a food group, researchers compared the effects of two low-fat diets. The diets were the same, except that one included avocado. While both lowered levels of dangerous low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the avocado diet raised levels of healthy high-density lipoprotein, (HDL) cholesterol, while slightly lowering triglycerides.

Avocado

 

Avocados also help in another way to lower bad cholesterol. They contain large amounts of fiber, and fiber adds bulk to the stool, causing it with the cholesterol it contains, to be excreted from the body quicker. One avocado contains more fiber than a bran muffin 10 grams or 40% of the Daily Value for fiber.

 

Support the Heart Avocados are also a rich source of potassium. Half an avocado provides 548 mg of potassium. 16% of the DV for this mineral. That’s more than you’d get from a medium banana or a cup of orange juice. Studies prove that people with a potassium-rich diet, like avocados, have a significantly lower risk of high blood pressure and related diseases like heart attack and stroke.

In addition, some research has shown that oleic acid can reduce markers of inflammation in your body. Inflammation plays an important role in the development of artery-clogging atherosclerosis.

Rich in Folate Another benefit from avocado is that it’s rich in folate, a B vitamin that helps prevent the threatening birth defects of the brain & spine. Many women don’t get enough folate in their diets, but avocados can go a long way toward fixing that problem. One avocado contains 114 micrograms of folate, which is 28% of the recommended Daily Value, or nearly 20% of the 600 micro grams that pregnant women need daily.

Minerals for your Bones Avocado can help you to keep your bones healthy. A cup of mashed avocado contains 120 mg of phosphorus, which is 12% of the DV. This mineral is a major component for your bones and teeth, and having plenty of phosphorus on hand also helps your body produce energy from the foods you eat.

Zinc for Good Nutrition You’ll also find 147 mg of zinc swimming in the green depth in a cup of mashed avocado. That’s just under 10% of the DV. Zinc conducts countless activities in your body. The mineral helps keep your immune system working properly, for example, and plays a role in wound healing.

Zinc also aids in your senses of smell and taste, which are necessary to be able to enjoy the food you eat.

Shopping for Avocados If you live in the US, get your avocados from Florida or California. They provide all the nutrients without all the fat. They have about 2//3 of the calories and half the fat of Hass avocados. The best time to buy avocados is between November and March. They may have one-third of the fat of those picked in September or October.Avocado 32

Warning for Drug Users People who are taking warfarin should take care when eating avocados. Researchers in Israel found that eating between one-half and one avocado could make the drug work less efficiently. While the effects didn’t last long, when people stopped eating avocados, the drug started working better again – this could be dangerous for some people. So, if you’re taking warfarin, check with your doctor before adding avocados to your meals.

Help them ripen Like bananas, avocados ripen better off the tree, so they are picked and sold unripe. Once you get them home, leave them on the counter for several days until the fruit is slightly soft. Or if you’re in a hurry to eat them, place them in a paper bag with an apple or banana to soften them. Never place hard avocados in the refrigerator, then they will ripen too slowly.

The Secrets to Successful Dog Training

Best Dog Training we can do for our Dogs

Best Dog Training 2

 

We’re always told how important it is to teach our dogs, but precisely what is proper dog training, and the reason why it is essential anyway?

This list explains why it is vital we provide proper socialization and training to canine friends.

Please read these 5 undeniable explanations of why we owe it to the dogs to teach them:

Proper dog training helps you to build and strengthen a wholesome and productive relationship together with your dog.

Proper dog training opens the lines of communication between both you and your dog. A genuine type of two-way communication is established through positive non-violent proper dog training. Both you and your dog will become familiar with to have interacted with one another in a mutually respectful manner, according to cooperation and understanding.

A properly socialized and trained dog can become an excellent lifelong companion, workmate, and friend. An untrained dog can easily turn into a burden as well as an endless supply of frustration. Rather than using a lopsided relationship that your location is continually yelling at or reprimanding your untrained dog, why not set your pet as much as succeed by offering some leadership and clear guidelines for him/her to adhere to?

Best Dog Training 11An experienced dog is a highly regarded and trusted part of society that is welcomed almost anywhere. This needs to be an optimistic thing for the relationship, doesn’t it?

Training prevents many common “dog problems” from ever arising.

An entire selection of common dog behavior problems could be prevented through some obedience training. Dogs are creatures of habit why not utilize this to your benefit by helping your pet to build up good behavior habits from an earlier age? In case you are proactive and set up some simple guidelines and routines for the puppy to adhere to you might never need to deal with destructive behaviors like digging, chewing, excessive barking as well as separation anxiety. Don’t forget the poop bags!

Whenever a so-named behavior problem does arise both you and your trained dog is going to be well-equipped to operate through it. It is possible to communicate to your dog the behavior is unacceptable. You may also decide to get the dog to execute a different behavior instead of the current problem. A good example of this could be in case your dog was up surfing your countertops for food scraps you can get him/her to “visit your spot” instead.

The majority of “bad dogs” or dogs with behavior problems eventuate since the dog has never been taught any better. A pet dog will not chew your expensive shoes to obtain back to you or as he/she is evil. They do it just since you left the shoe lying around having a bored and stressed dog. Most likely in the event, you provided a tasty chew toy and did some chew toy training in that case your dog will be delighted to chew around the toy only.

An experienced dog is another pleasure to consider for any walk (no pulling!) and trips to your Vet or Dog Groomer are never an issue.

 

Vsezund Dog Training Collar

Best Dog Training 6

Training your pet is a necessary safety measure for you personally, your pet, and exactly what enters into connection with your pet.

Getting your dog under voice control in almost any situation is an extremely reassuring position to stay in – it might even save your dog’s life one day. In case your dog is going to bolt out onto an active road or get something dangerous it is great to immediately intervene and alter their behavior by having an obedience training command like “no”, “come” or “let it rest”.

A suitably socialized and trained dog is a much safer proposition around other dogs and animals. Proper dog training plays an important role in educating your pet on how you can act appropriately around yourself, your kids, and visitors to your house.

An experienced dog is confident, secure, and comfy together with his/her devoted family.

A properly trained dog appreciates the guidance, structure, and boundaries you provide through training. It’s much better than using a nervous, anxious, and confused dog that is continually being yelled at for things he/she doesn’t even understand. Training relieves a lot of the frustration and stress that exists between both you and your dog.

my best friendTraining creates proper household etiquette for the dog to adhere to. It addresses such issues as bolting the entryway, chewing, jumping on guests, and excessive barking.

Proper dog training offers a brilliant release or outlet for all your dog’s pent-up energy. This energy needs to emerge in one method or another why not channel it into something productive like obedience training?

An experienced dog’s life requires a far different way from those of an untrained dog.

Most dogs that wind up in animal shelters arrive there simply because they have a minimum of one behavior problem – a number of these problems can easily be controlled through some fundamental obedience training. Untrained dogs often turn into a pest and therefore are pushed further and additional from the family. This only compounds the current problems. Behaviors like jumping up, mouthing, and cheeky barking that you regarded as cute with your young puppy suddenly turn into a real problem because the dog grows up.

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Whenever we bring a brand-new dog into our everyday life, we have been bringing another species right into a world that is completely foreign to them – our human world. We owe it to the dogs to assist them to squeeze into our lifestyle by clearly showing them what exactly is expected of them and what exactly is acceptable behavior – this is exactly what proper dog training provides.

So, there they may be, the five reasons I think every dog deserves a minimum of some fundamental training for everybody’s benefit.

Just for a second ignore all the benefits in the above list that obedience training provides. Could you still train your pet even when all the benefits listed failed to apply? I would personally because training your pet is among the real joys of having a dog, it is extremely fun. Time spent training your pet is time wisely spent – for many involved.

HKZOOI Dog Training Collar

 Hands down one of the best human training tools to better your dog

 

The Path to a Stronger Heart

Healthy Heart Secrets 

Healthy-Heart

Healthy Heart, from the time when the fruits of fermentation were discovered, wine has been a welcome health guest. Not only at dinner tables but also at weddings, religious rituals, and even in doctors’ offices.

Not so long ago, however, scientists began to investigate the actual health benefits of drinking wine. And the findings they’ve uncorked are enough to make any wine lover raise his glass and say “Salut!”

When sipped in moderation, particularly red wine, can help lower cholesterol and prevent hardening of the arteries and heart disease. Also, studies discovered that it can kill the bacteria that cause food poisoning and travelers’ diarrhea.

Pegusas Marketplace and Physicians don’t recommend that people start guzzling wine rather than sipping it or that people who don’t drink should suddenly start. Rather, what the evidence suggests is that moderate drinking can be a helpful addition to a healthy diet.

For many years, scientists were amazed that their French allies indulged themselves in cigarettes, buttery croissants, and fatty pates – and were still 2 1/2 times less likely to develop heart disease than their supposedly healthier American counterparts.

 

Berberine Plus 1200mgResearchers are still investigating the so-called French paradox, but it appears likely that the French have healthier hearts, at least partly because they prefer red wine. These wines are rich in compounds that help lower cholesterol and prevent harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from sticking to the lining of artery walls – the process that leads to heart disease. Red wines also help blood platelets from sticking together and forming dangerous clots.

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy Heart-3Heart Protection keeps your pump primed in complex ways. There are several chemical compounds at work, and some of them have more than one benefit. As a start, the alcohol in red wine may be beneficial. People who drink small amounts of alcohol seem to have increased protection from heart disease, studies prove. Supplements help too!
According to research, the reason is that ethanol, or alcohol, in spirited drinks raises levels of good cholesterol, heart-protecting high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Beer and other alcoholic drinks have some benefits, but wine is the only one with health-promoting polyphenols.

The reason for its superior protection is that wine contains powerful flavonoids, like quercetin. Along with other potentially protective compounds, like resveratrol, it helps prevent the body’s dangerous (LDL) cholesterol from oxidizing. This, in turn, makes bad LDL cholesterol less likely to stick to artery walls.

Laboratory studies have shown that resveratrol slows down aging in mice, protects against weight gain, and boosts endurance by improving the functioning of mitochondria – which are tiny power plants inside every cell of your body.

“Flavonoids in red wine are more powerful than vitamin E, which everyone knows is an important antioxidant,” says John D Folts, Ph.D., professor of medicine and director of the coronary thrombosis Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison.

Keeping LDL cholesterol under control is a good start against heart disease, besides helping to prevent platelets in the blood from sticking together. A study led by professor Folts and his colleagues found that when reed wine was given to laboratory animals, it eliminated potentially dangerous clots, which can cause heart attacks and strokes. “Red wine performs double duty, giving you two important benefits at the same time,” says Dr. Folts.

red wineIt’s in the color When we talk about the healing power of wine for a healthy heart, we are referring to red wine. A laboratory study at the University of California, Davis, revealed that red wines could prevent from 46% to 100% of (LDL) cholesterol from oxidizing, while white wines were less protective. In addition, laboratory studies found that white wine misses the blood clot-blocking ability. 

The reason why red wine is so much superior to white has to do with winemaking. When vintners make wine, they throw everything in the vat – not just grapes but also the skins, seeds, and stems. They’re all mashed up to create a chunky mixture called must, and this contains healthy flavonoids.  

“The longer the must ferment in the alcohol, the more of these compounds release into the wine, according to Dr. Folts. With white wine, the must is taken out early so that the wine never darkens. With red wine, the must is kept for a long time, and the wine picks up a lot of flavonoids.”

UC Davis researchers have found that some red wines are also rich in saponins, which lower heart disease risk by binding to cholesterol and preventing their absorption. Saponins may also cool body-wide inflammation, which could also lower the risk of heart disease and cancer.

blood clot-blocking ability

Red wines contain 3 to 10 times more saponins than whites. The richest source is red Zinfandel, followed by Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The two white varieties, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay contain less. The saponin may come from the waxy grape skins and seems to dissolve into the wine during fermentation. Wines with the highest alcohol content also have the most saponin. Wine may also maintain a healthy weight.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic followed drinking behavior and weight in 8,200 men ad women. They found that those who enjoyed one or two alcoholic beverages a day were 54% less likely to be obese than nondrinkers. Nondrinkers and ex-drinkers had twice as much chance of becoming obese. People who have a glass of wine or beer every day usually have it with their evening meal, and it could be that a drink replaces a later, high-calorie evening snack.

However, four or more glasses per day don’t make you super slim but give you a 50% more chance of becoming obese.

red-wine-6

“Wine protects against infection,” said Scientists from Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu tested red wine, white wine, and bismuth and found that they subsalicylate against some of the meanest intestinal germs, including shigella, salmonella, and Escherichia coli, and that both red and white wines were more effective than drugs for wiping out harmful bacteria.

Headaches for some people with a tendency toward migraine headaches, even a small glass of wine can cause a lot of headaches. Red wine contains substances called amines, which cause blood vessels in the brain to constrict and then expand. For sensitive people, this can result in eye-popping headaches.

Although white wine contains fewer headache-producing amines than the red varieties, it doesn’t contain as many healing compounds. So, if headaches are a problem for you, you may want to ask your doctor if a nonalcoholic wine will allow you to enjoy the great taste without the pain. Resveratrol 500 mg is an age-defying formula to support your body’s youthful essence. 

Know your limit The most important tip for getting the maximum healthy heart benefits from your wine cellar is knowing when to put your glass down. The daily limit is one 5-ounce glass a day for women and two 5-ounce glasses for men. Experts agree, however, that if you are tempted to overindulge, or if you have a personal or family history of alcoholism, you’re better off skipping alcohol entirely.

Petite SyrahGo for the Gusto when you are scanning the shelves for the wine with the highest levels of heart-healthy compounds, go for the full-bodied, robust varieties. There is a close relationship between the level of tannin, the substance that makes wine dry, and the level of healing compounds in red wines.

Three of the most heart-healthy wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, and Merlot. 

 

 

To your health!

Heart-Healthy

 

The Destruction of Love: How to End a Relationship

Destroy a Relationship Destroy a Relationship

Why being mindful of clients’ perspectives can keep them supporting your business

We all have them.

Days when everything pisses us off.

I doubt there’s a human being on this planet who hasn’t been in a bad mood now and then.

And for a variety of reasons too.

But there’s one thing we business owners have an unwritten rule about (well probably it’s written somewhere by someone) is that no matter what, we don’t bring our bad mood with us when communicating with clients.

Would you agree with that fundamental principle?

But how many times have you, as a client or customer, been on the receiving end of someone’s the bad mood?

It happened to me recently and that single instance destroyed a 30-year working relationship.

I had a hair appointment with the same gal that I’ve been seeing for decades. She works out of her home and lives about 25 minutes away from me. I know exactly how long it takes for me to get to her place and am typically on time, every time.

Except for the last two appointments.

The time previous to this last visit, I had an emergency come up just before heading out the door. It was something I had to take care of or faced dire consequences (as in having a very angry client on my hands!)

It meant I was going to be about 5 minutes late for my appointment. I texted her when I was leaving stating I was hurrying over and will be a few minutes late.

She didn’t reply and never said anything when I got there. We had our usual girl talk that I very much looked forward to.

This recent time I needed to do a quick errand before my appointment. I completely misjudged how much time it would take me to get from that other location to my stylist’s place. Plus… I got lost finding my way there since I was coming from a different direction.

I didn’t want to risk taking any time to stop and text her and honestly thought I was just a minute away… except it was more like 15 minutes before I finally got there.

I’ve never been 15 minutes late for anything and I felt terrible. I apologized profusely but unfortunately; she wouldn’t hear any of it.

Destroy a Relationship3She was pissed.

So angry in fact, she first lectured me on “always” being late, citing my text from the previous appointment, and that she was sick and tired of constantly hearing, “sorry I’m late” as if I’m the only one that says that every time I walk into her room.

Stunned at how mad she was, especially knowing it was the last appointment of the day, I apologized again and tried to explain why I was late and even offered to leave with my hair wet to make up for the lateness so we would still end in time.

I didn’t know what else to do to rectify my error. She was so angry; she gave me the silent treatment and only grunted her “hold your head here” and “move to the sink” commands throughout the entire time there.

I did leave with wet hair, 15 minutes earlier than what our appointment time would have ended had I been on time, vowing to never return.

I fully realize I was the catalyst that set off her anger, and I also realize she had to have been having one hell of a bad day before I arrived, and I got the brunt of her wrath. I get it.

But as a customer, a loyal one for 30 years at that, there’s no excuse whatsoever to be treated like that.

Never.

When I have bad days like what she must have experienced, I set aside whatever is going on and treat anyone whom I speak with that day, whether it’s one of our team members, a client, a lead or even chatting on social media, with the utmost respect and kindness.

Even if they are the reason for my having a bad day. It serves no purpose whatsoever to make the other person feel worse than what I am feeling. I found this experience to be so distressing, I posted about it on Facebook.

I received a variety of responses, ranging from my owing her an apology (which I did) to justifying why she blew up, right over to demanding I fire her on the spot (which I ended up doing).

These kinds of responses go to show how we are all human and all look at experiences from our lens and history. For me, I was taken straight back to elementary school when I was the victim of bullying quite a bit. A feeling I never want to experience again! Destroy a Relationship

Others empathized with her where time is very important to them and get angry themselves when someone disrespects it. (I’m the same way – being punctual is a huge deal for me.)

One thing I have done as a result of this experience is to find the lesson behind it all. For one, I will plan my time better and ensure I give myself enough time to do what needs to be done in time!

I also learned just how fragile our relationships can be. She lost a client of 30 years – and I lost any further opportunities to visit with someone I’ve known for a long time to get some of the much-valued girl time I look forward to with each visit.

It doesn’t take much to destroy a 30-year working relationship.

Yes, I realize I could reach out and try to mend the fences but I am choosing not to. At least not right now.

At the end of the day, this lesson goes to show how important it is for us all to keep our anger in check. To realize our anger is being received by the other person, and be aware of how they are receiving it with their response. They won’t always understand where you are coming from because they’re looking at things from a different perspective.

So, what do we do when we’re having a bad day and business must go on?

If you ever find yourself feeling angry, whether justified or not, here are eight tips on what you can do to avoid creating irreparable situations with your clients:

  1. Exercise. Go for a walk, head to the gym, and box with a punching bag. Whatever works for you to do some venting.
  2. Meditate. Or just sit quietly and practice deep breathing.  Destroy a Relationship
  3. Yoga. Nothing is better at centering our emotions and getting back in touch with our bodies than practicing yoga.
  4. Watch a funny show or listen to a positive podcast. It’s amazing how quickly your anger can turn around when you’re laughing or receiving positive energy from someone else!
  5. Use anger as motivation. If you can control the scenario that’s causing your anger, then you can do something about it!
  6. Focus on something more positive. A great thing to do here is to think of something you are grateful for and focus on why you’re so grateful for it. Putting yourself in a state of gratefulness will trigger those happy endorphins and will get you out of that crappy mood fast.
  7. Get productive. Feeling on purpose can be quite energizing. If you have something that’s calling your name, get busy and shift your attention to that.
  8. Write in a journal. A great way to release that negative vibe from your body is to write it out. Keep writing until you’ve vented everything that comes to mind. Even if it’s not the same thing that got you angry in the first place – just let it all out!

I’m curious if you have ever experienced someone either getting angry with you in a business relationship or did you lose your cool and get angry with a client or service provider? How did it turn out? What lesson did you learn? And do you have any other tips on how to let go of anger to share?

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

  1. READ: Learn effective communication principles from an expert. This book from communications specialist Yvonne Douma is a must-read. It will be available on June 8th but you can get yourself on her notification list and grab some great bonuses if you purchase on launch day: REFRAME: How to Change Your Conversations to Resolve Those Messy Conflicts.
  2. WATCH: Have you ever been frustrated by the lack of customer service from another company and vowed to never do business with them again? And most certainly never told anyone else about them?
  3. READ: I guess all of us have been on the receiving end of a situation where we are not satisfied with customer service. But how do you respond? Read this great piece from Kindi Gill who shares excellent insights on managing difficult client situations: Five Tips for Managing Customer Complaints.

 

Winning the War on Our Money: A Psychological Battle

Our Money: Fighting a Psychological Battle

Fighting a Psychological BattleAcross the world, governments and populations alike are encountering the same challenges – namely, how to treat the coronavirus and prevent its spread.

But this is just the beginning. Certainly, in the here and now – in the immediate future – bringing the virus under control is the priority, and we salute the legions of scientists, medical personnel, and key workers who are making that happen every day. But what comes next? How do we deal with the economic depression that follows such a crisis? How do we avoid global recession? There is one thing we must do: We must not give in. We must not roll over and simply accept the worst case as inevitable.

And we won’t. This is not the way that we – as a species – do things. If the last few months have taught us anything, it is that the incredible resilience of humanity is still alive and well. Even in the face of such hardship, the flame of endeavor, compassion, of positivity, still burns brightly.

This is all well and good, but what does this mean in practice? How do we go about channeling this resilience into a set of practical solutions that will carry us, and our finances, forward?

Let’s take a look at this in a little more detail.

Fighting a Psychological Battle3Practical Solutions to Winning the Psychological Battle

We often hear the phrase “it’s all in your head,” as if a psychological problem is somehow less valid than a physical or external issue. In the 21st century, we are pushing back against this – not only recognizing that psychological issues need real consideration but also understanding that there are real steps we can take to overcome them. So, if you’ve found yourself hounded by money worries and anxiety as a result of this crisis, how do you overturn the negativity?

Develop a complete understanding of your situation

Much of the anxiety and worry we feel daily comes from uncertainty and a lack of knowledge. If we do not know what we are dealing with, we assume the worst. And, these negative feelings build and build until we are overwhelmed. Fight this tendency. Fight it with knowledge. Sit down and work out how the virus has affected your incomings. Then, work out what adjustments can be made so not only can you keep yourself moving forward, but you also can actively set yourself up for a thriving future.

This is not a one-off exercise. You need to get used to appraising your situation regularly, running the accounts, assessing the damage and the improvement, and arming yourself with the knowledge you need to gain the upper hand.

Begin to diversify

Don’t put all your eggs, as the adage goes, in one basket. There’s a reason why this has become so cliché – because it’s such great advice. If your income stream is too narrow or too restricted, you are putting yourself in danger. Even when times are good, you are only a hop, step, and jump away from a serious financial problem.

So, what’s the answer? Diversity. Don’t turn your back on your current revenue streams and business interests. Instead, seek to add to them. Think about how you can protect yourself with a more diverse portfolio of investments, and then consider how this diversity can drive your success.

Fighting a Psychological BattleBuild a positive attitude

Negativity will get us nowhere. Instead, it erodes our psychology and makes it difficult to gain perspective and understanding of our situation. Our minds become clouded by doubt and other such thoughts. But, by making small positive changes to our mindset, we can counteract this. Make these small incremental changes – by reframing setbacks as challenges and opportunities, for example, or by putting certain minor hardships in a broader context. Get used to doing this, and witness big changes in your psychology.

Be proactive

Change cannot happen by itself. Your aims and objectives won’t be achieved without effort and action. This does not mean mistaking movement for progress and rushing around like a headless chicken, though. Rather, it means outlining what you want to achieve in the long and short term, thinking about what you need to do to achieve this, and then putting one foot in front of the other until you get there.Fighting a Psychological Battle4

The coronavirus has made goal achievement a little more challenging than usual, so you may need to change your approach. But don’t be discouraged.

Seek assistance

There is help out there, so make sure you get the help you need. This may come from talking to friends and co-workers, or from engaging with webinars, video media, or insightful articles. The truth is, there is no single “correct” way to educate ourselves and grow our emotional and psychological resilience. We are all in this together, so let’s help one another. Let’s accept the help that we need to win the psychological battle, and come through this crisis stronger than ever.

-David Love

https://universalsoullove.com/founders

Overcoming Bad Habits: A Step-by-Step Guide

Break a Negative Habit One Day at a Time

Unless you’re perfect, you probably have a habit that drives you or others nuts. The conflicting nature of bad habits makes them difficult to overcome. What is your bad habit?

Typically, the top bad habits we indulge in are eating unhealthy foods, smoking, using chewing tobacco, lying on the sofa instead of exercising, and nail-biting.

The good news is, however, that whatever negative habit you have, you have the power to change it if you want to.stress-bad-habits

Consider these strategies for inspiration to break your negative habit now:

  • Avoid getting overwhelmed. Realize your goal now is to simply decrease the occurrence of the negative behavior. As you endeavor to gradually reduce the behavior, you’ll feel better and more in control. Eventually, you may be able to stop the habit.
  • Focus on a daily mini-goal to help you make small adjustments. Let’s say you typically eat more bread and carbohydrates than recommended. You have two bowls of cereal for breakfast and eat two sandwiches for lunch. Do you think you could reduce your daily carbs? But you’re caught in a vicious cycle and keep eating the same things each day.

* Set a specific mini-goal to reduce carb intake by making one small change daily. You’ll be motivated to turn around your negative habit. In this example, a daily goal to reduce bread at lunch strengthens the resolve to eat fewer carbs. * At lunch, rather than eating two sandwiches, add extra meat, cheese and vegetables to your sandwich. You’ll still have a filling lunch but you’ll reduce your bread intake by half. high-carbs

* After you’ve persevered in altering your habit for six weeks to two months, then you can set another mini-goal to replace your second bowl of cereal with a bowl of fruit instead. You’ll feel optimistic and ready to tackle another mini-goal in your quest to reduce carbs.

  • Use time intervals to control your negative habit. Maybe your negative habit is smoking. The first thing you should know is how many cigarettes you smoke in a day. Perhaps you smoke 20 cigarettes. If you’re awake 16 hours a day, you’re smoking slightly more than 1 cigarette per hour.

* Allow yourself to smoke one cigarette per hour. During the first day, you’ll reduce your cigarette intake by four cigarettes. That’s progress! By the end of the week, you’ll have smoked 28 cigarettes less than you normally do. Now that’s a real motivation to continue the path to a smoke-free life! quit-smoking

* After smoking one per hour for 10 days to two weeks, extend the time interval between cigarettes from one cigarette every hour to every 1-1/4 or 1-1/2 hours. Continue increasing the time length between cigarettes until you’re smoking one cigarette every 4 hours-four cigarettes daily.

* At this point, decide either to further reduce cigarette intake or to quit smoking completely. Your one-day-at-a-time method is working.

  • Reward yourself for your successes. Daily, document on a calendar how you did. For example, if you met your mini-goal, record “MMG” for “met mini-goal.”

* You could also jot down the number of times you did the negative behavior that day-this method works well for those working to reduce smoking, chewing tobacco, or nail-biting behaviors.

* Use your calendar information at the end of the month to determine if you were successful 75 percent of the time in reducing your negative habit. If so, allow yourself a reward of some type to strengthen future efforts to break your bad habit.

* You might enjoy an afternoon of fishing or taking part in a favored hobby. Maybe a new nail polish or set of golf balls will suffice.

Although getting rid of a bad habit is a challenge, you can break your negative habit using these one-day-at-a-time techniques. 

Thanks to Don Lewis for this helpful wisdom. Check out his site https://bildalist.bilderprofit.com 

Achieving True Satisfaction

Know Deep Fulfillment 

Several decades ago, I began studying goal setting as if my life depended on it. I was committed to learning anything and everything I could about how to set goals and “have it all”. I was certain that having it all would bring me a very deep level of happiness. My motivation was the fact that in my twenties I had reached a point where my greatest goal was to merely get through another day. With many of my childhood dreams shattered, my life consisted of going to a job I despised, being newly divorced and left with no apparent way to support myself, and living from day to day wondering if this was it.   

Know Deep Fulfillment

More than three decades ago, all I wanted to do was survive the harsh realities life had put in front of me. And survive I did. I barely got by each day, feeling like the world was against me and wondering why all the lucky breaks happened to others but not to me. I nurtured the belief about how tough life was and as a result, never got any breaks. So much in fact that I lost my assembly-line job with the inability to get another. I became more disillusioned with each passing day and felt stuck with no way out.

I found a book that changed my life forever – The Magic of Believing by Clyde Bristol. From the first page to the last, I was captivated by what I read. Written in 1948, the information is as powerful today as the day the book was written.

In essence, the author wrote that we create our reality by what we think and believe. Feeling as if I had found the holy grail of knowledge, I was fascinated that I had never heard this before. Or if I had heard it, I had never paid attention to it.

Amazingly, as I applied what I read, a few small things shifted. The shift was enough to encourage me to learn more about the power of thought.

Because I didn’t have any disposable income at that time, I found one of my favorite hangouts to be the local library. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on to do with changing the circumstances of my life. There was no shortage of information on setting goals, reaching achievement, accepting “believe and you will achieve” and other such topics. 

Know Deep Fulfillment 2

As much as I had no desire to do much of anything before the discovery of The Magic of Believing, I now had a thirst that no amount of reading, learning, or searching could quench. I was fascinated with what I heard about “What you can believe, you can achieve.”

Now my quest was to turn my life around and acquire whatever I wanted on a material level so that I would be fulfilled. Little did I realize the lessons life had in store. I would learn that fulfillment was not about acquisition but rather something completely different. You see, there were many times I acquired just what I thought would be the “golden ticket” to happiness. Although some things did bring me a sense of satisfaction, often it would be short-lived.

So, what was the answer? When would that deep sense of fulfillment be mine? Having placed so much emphasis on acquisitions, awards, and outward recognition (and having achieved a great deal) I wondered why there were times when, regardless of the outward trappings, a deep level of fulfillment would often evade me.

Over more than a 30-year journey of discovery, my experience and definition of fulfillment have morphed more than once from something superficial to something that words cannot begin to express. Something that one comes to “know” rather than define with words. Yet, words are often all there is to convey to another what the experience is.

Happiness and fulfillment had very little to do with what was manifested on the outside. There is no doubt whatsoever that happiness is an inside job. Granted, there are outward things that do invoke feelings of joy, but it is something that manifests from the inside out, rather than from the outside in. 

Know Deep Fulfillment 4

 

Ironically, when we are on a quest for the deepest level of fulfillment, life will give us exactly what we need. It may appear as if it has nothing to do with what we want, yet when we give ourselves permission to step back, observe all that has occurred, and recognize the gift in even the most difficult situations, we realize we have been given exactly what was needed to reach the deepest level of appreciation, fulfillment and joy life has to offer.

 

Yet, it takes more than simply knowing this. It takes surrender and willingness to allow life to unfold in such a way that we are allowed to become who we are meant to be. It takes a willingness to know that often we just don’t know all there is to know.

This is counterintuitive to much of what many people are selling as the “key to happiness.” How ironic is this? For years we can search for “the knowledge” only to discover the greatest knowledge is that we just don’t know all there is to know.

It is in surrendering to this fact we are in a position to know more. What happens is we become okay with letting go of the need to do, know, and be everything. We simply move in the space of being in concert with what is. We reach a place of showing up to the miracle of what each day has in store.

It has been said that a miracle is a shift in perception. It is in the ability to recognize the shift where the greatest miracle resides – the miracle of who we are meant to be.

Know Deep Fulfillment 4Make no mistake, there will be experiences in our day-to-day living that at times may seem more than we are equipped to handle. Yet, when we move in the space of appreciation for what is in front of us, life holds amazing miracles – miracles that no amount of money can buy; miracles that create the tapestry of our lives; miracles that take us to the deepest place of surrender that makes life have more depth than we ever dreamed possible; miracles that allow us to love in ways we never dreamed we would or could; miracles that allow us to become the person we are truly meant to be.

It is in the surrender to something beyond what we can see, feel or touch that all we had hoped for will manifest.

 

Mental Health in the Youth: A Growing Concern

Mental Health in Youths

Something that we should keep an eye on in these crazy times. Mental health in youths is not just something important, adults have to pay more attention to and work on, it is also something teens and youths can struggle with. It is also not just the absence of a mental illness; it is also about having the tools to deal with setbacks and challenges life might throw at you.

Having good mental health in youths is just as important as being physically healthy. Just as people exercise, eat well, and lead a healthier lifestyle to achieve good physical well-being, so too are the things you can learn to help with mental well-beingself-doubt-mental-health

The added difficulty with youths is that this is a time when they are already moody, experimenting with behavior, developing sexual preferences, changing their appearance, and being influenced by societal expectations and peers.

Often experiments at this age are harmless, but sometimes they are not. When you add to that, stress, family problems, learning problems, anxiety, depression, bullying and so on then it is clear there are some big things going some big things are going on they need help with. Teens turn to self-harm, develop dangerous behavior, and may even display warning signs of suicide.

Rising rates 

Not noticing when a youth’s mental health is at risk leads to an increased likelihood of unsafe behavior, self-harming, isolation, academic failure, poor health, drug and alcohol dependency, unsafe sexual habits, unemployment, and more. As the crisis gets worse, not better every year, the rising rates of mental health problems mean we are seeing a staggering number of suicides and suicide attempts. Youth mental health statistics 2022, show more and more youths face mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression and other more serious psychological problems. The issue then is even if teachers, parents, and the community can see it what then can be done to help? 

mental-healthImproving access to mental health in youths support

When you are able to recognize the warning signs of suicide you can take action. This is not just the role of the parents, it is something teachers, counselors, club organizers, employers, and the whole community can help with. Being good role models, offering advice not judging, listening, helping them with self-esteem issues, and making sure there are programs in place and resources available.

Suicide prevention programs, social skills training, violence prevention, conflict resolution, anti-bullying, and so on. Education in schools helps parents to prevent the abuse of drugs and alcohol, promote mental health, and pay attention to the pressure teens have placed on them. With better attention paid to their mental well-being youths can improve their lives, and see a positive impact on how they feel, and on their personal and academic achievements.

Child Psychology & Mind Development

Along with the physical health of your child, it is necessary to care about his psychological health because during childhood a child passes through several mental changes and these changes leave a dark impression on his mind till the younger stage. A child’s psychological development depends basically on the love that he or she will receive from his parents, especially in the first days of his life.

In early childhood, it is necessary to give more & more love as well as affection to your child more love allows it to develop physically, mentally, and emotionally. It should be taught how to eat, walk and talk and how to get the most out of what it learns at school and college.

A child who is treated well in his childhood has more confidence & Children who are not respected and loved acquire serious psychological problems from the beginning of their formation. If you had a sad childhood, you probably have many psychological problems, even if you don’t admit their existence, or if you cannot recognize various behavioral abnormalities in the way you act.

The minds of children are very sharp and are affected easily by all events in the immediate environment. Events that are only trivial or unimportant to adults may leave deep scars or memories in a child’s mind.

Several factors affect the mental development of a child in early childhood:

  • Memorable physical/bodily sensations
  • Personal experiences/events that evoked strong emotions of fear, joy, sorrow, etc.
  • Emotional relationships with friends, teachers, or family members.
  • Domestic abuse or violence
  • Sexual molestation or abuse
  • Accidents or illnesses experienced or observed.
  • Personal success or failure in school

Several other situations badly affect the mind of a child. At any age, parents need to be aware of the result of their reactions to their children’s learning about emotions. Hence the important thing is that you take notice of your child’s emotional state and take it into account when you react. Acknowledge it in an age-appropriate way first, before you race for a solution. Don’t be shy to ask: ‘So what are you feeling right now?’ or ‘How does that make you feel?’

 

SPTS USA

If you are looking for support, advice, or information, whether for parents, educators, youths or the community you might want to head to SPTS USA. it is a great resource there to help educators understand what their role is in youth suicide prevention and improved mental health. The quicker we can observe warning signs, and refer students to the right resources the more chance we have of having a positive impact. 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish. 

Learn more
800-273-8255

Exhausted to the Core

Clean sheets help with sleep which helps your health.

Extreme fatigue, what to do if someone is feeling extreme fatigue all the time? The question that arises is why I am feeling tired all the time. Although it is pretty normal to feel tired after a long day, a constant urge to drop into a bed or a cozy couch is an alarm that something is amiss with your health. This article discusses why you are always in a press-to-snooze mode or feel drained post-lunch and recommendations to avoid the situation. lack-of-energy

Extreme fatigue all the time can affect a person’s physical and mental health. It also takes a dig at the quality of life. Usually, a good night’s sleep or a day off can work well to restore energy levels or eliminate extreme fatigue. But if they are not fixing the issue, something could keep up with your mental health, and should be concerned immediately. It is beneficial to seek help sooner than later if you are not sure about the cause of being tired all the time despite a good diet and enough rest.

Here are 13 key reasons why someone might experience extreme fatigue all the time and when to seek help:

Diet is the most critical pillar of a healthy lifestyle, and o is importance important to leave feeling in sustaining the body’s energy levels. Skipping the meals drops the required level of calories. Long breaks between meals lower the sugar level and making makes you tired. It is essential to take a healthy diet and high-energy snacks to keep your systems running smoothly. Another more important thing is never to skip an end-day meal going hungry to bed reduces sleep quality, leaving you tired on the day after.

An active lifestyle improves energy level; levels the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle leave feeling feel exhausted and sleepy. In one study, researchers worked on how an inactive and sedentary lifestyle affects women’s fatigue levels. Some woman was physically active quite well, while others were not physically active.

According to the study’s findings, physically active women had a significantly lower fatigue level than women living a sedentary life. This supports the notion that a healthy lifestyle is physically active, leading to more energy and vigor. woman-fatique

Vitamin Deficiency multivitamins can be a sign of vitamin deficiency. It might occur because of low vitamin D levels, vitamin B-12, iron, magnesium, and potassium. A routine blood test is required to identify the deficiency. In case a person is vitamin deficient, the doctor may recommend taking supplements. The natural way to cope with the deficiency is to increase foods rich in multivitamins and other nutrients. For example, clams, beef, and calf liver may reverse a B-12 deficiency and reduce the constant tiredness and fatigue.

Stress can deteriorate sleep quality and its duration. Also, the lack of sleep elevates stress levels. Therefore, it is essential to manage the mental burden and enable better and sufficient rest, restoring your energy levels. Persistent stress keeps the body in a state of fight and flight, leaving you exhausted. Stress is also a trigger in worsening sleep disorders. It is advisable to avoid stressful events and off to bed in time for healthy sleep. Other ways to prevent stressful thoughts and remain calm are to practice meditation and build new achievable goals regularly.

When you are suffering from depression, lack of energy and tiredness becomes a problem. Feeling tired tends to associate with physical issues, but mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and stress contribute to exhaustion and chronic fatigue. Consult your therapist for mental health treatment or counseling. Antidepressants, anti-anxiety medicine, cognitive brand, and levels below therapy can make a difference to alleviate the symptoms of depression. If you’re struggling to cope with depression, it can cause Irregularities in sleep and begin to impact your mental health, seek medical advice immediately.

Sleep Disorders

If a person’s energy level doesn’t improve after weeks, or even improving lifestyle, speak with your doctor. You may need a sleep specialist. A sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or insomnia also affects a person’s cognitive, mental, and physical abilities. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing pauses while a person is asleep. As a result, the brain and body don’t receive enough oxygen during sleep leading to daytime fatigue.  mental-health

Sleep apnea is a complex medical condition that can cause hypertension (high blood pressure), decreased concentration, and even a stroke or heart attack. Sleep apnea treatment involves using a CPAP machine or an oral device to keep the upper airway open during sleep hours. extreme-fatigue

Burn-out If a person has a constant feeling of running on empty, one could be going through burnout consider. Doctors now consider burnout as a medical condition, defining the condition as a syndrome caused by chronic stress at the workplace. But how does it play a part in making someone feel tired all the time?

Scientific facts determine that a rest-activity rhythm is an essential requirement to perform well. Sleep is a prime pillar of human health which is mandatory for the body to perform well during working hours. If a person is becoming a workaholic and performing continuously without sound sleep or downtime, which is required to restore the body’s ability to function OK; what comes next is physical and mental health deterioration. Therefore, sidestep burn-out and let more downtime invade your daily routine for relaxation.

Being overweight can also cause tiredness all the time. When body weight is more than the desired BMI, it becomes harder for the body to carry your weight during daily life, making you exhausted or feeling tired all the time. You can gradually improve your condition by working on a plan to gradually lose weight by adopting a healthy lifestyle like eating well and starting exercises like swimming, jogging, walking, and gradually increasing the workout.

Daily activities become a struggle for people who have fibromyalgia, causing muscle pain and tenderness. Fibromyalgia affects the muscles and soft tissues, but it causes pain that, does not let you have a good sleep. The awakening of night and restless leg syndrome results in chronic tiredness throughout the day. An over-the-counter pain killer helps improve pain and sleep. Some people also find an antidepressant, physical therapy,  and exercise helpful.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can make you feel tired all the time without any significant health ailment because of chronic fatigue syndrome. It is a long-term illness with various symptoms such as extreme tiredness, insomnia, and even some patients may feel like staying asleep for longer durations. Even longer sleep durations do not help to improve the feeling of tiredness. The cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is unknown, and the diagnosis is only possible after ruling out the chances of all other health disorders by a health professional. Treatment of chronic fatigue is possible only by understanding your physical limitations, mild to moderate regular exercise, and circadian rhythm changes.

Certain medications can make you drowsy and sleepy or make you feel tired all the time and complete everyday chores like driving or operating machinery challenges. On the other hand, some medications can cause insomnia, such as high blood pressure and asthma. Consult your doctor about any such medicine you are taking to find if any alternative or dose adjustment.

Diabetes  GU Energy Original Sports Nutrition Energy Gel

If you are continually experiencing fatigue, thirst, frequent urination, and unexplained weight loss, get yourself tested for diabetes. Feeling tired all the time can be a symptom of diabetes. If a person has diabetes, the body doesn’t make enough insulin leading to high blood sugar and leaving you tired and irritable. Consult a doctor for any unexplained fatigue as it can be a symptom of other medical conditions like heart disease and cancer.

Under-Active Thyroid Hypothyroidism, or an under-active thyroid, occurs when the body doesn’t duce the required thyroid hormones. An under-active thyroid causes symptoms such as fatigue, lethargy, and, weight gain. Although with treatment, people with hypothyroidism can lead an everyday life.

Post-Viral Fatigue feeling tired all the time or for most of the day after recovering from an infection like Covid or the flu as well as glandular fever, are the signs of post-viral fatigue syndrome. Symptoms include chronic tiredness, severe muscle pain, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, fever or chills, chest pain, and shortness of breath. It is common to feel tired after an illness, but if your symptoms are not alleviating for weeks or months and prevent you from leading an energized healthy man’s life-it’s better to seek medical advice. However, there is not enough research on post-viral fatigue, so it’s challenging to find treatment. The best way to improve the condition is by having self-care making you feel better gradually. woman-vitamin-deficiency

There is not a hard and fast rule that every other day is an easy day. A few days are meant to squeeze your energy and it’s quite understandable to feel tired at the end of such days. But being tired all the time is something that needs to be addressed by a health professional.

You may have a health condition that required to be discussed with your health professional. Another thing to understand well cannot be attributed to physical health alone, sometimes what needs the most attention is your mental health.

 

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Achieving Harmony in Your Work and Home Life

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A balanced work-life is to believe there are “ten healthy habits one needs to follow to live a balanced work life. No matter what I am doing – whether on vacation or going about my day-to-day work – these healthy habits are important to me. You may be wondering what these habits are. To know more keep on reading. My friends often find me saying that everything in life is about balance. Healthy living is the equilibrium of good habits, not something extreme.

So how do we achieve this balance?

To start with, we must focus on consistency but don’t rush because consistency takes time. Also, take a step back to disengage from negative self-talk and try to transform that into positive self-talk.

Remember that being obsessed with anything can cause the counterbalance outcome. Your reality is shaped by your thoughts and when you spend too much time thinking about losing calories, what food to eat, whether or not to use social media or simply compare yourself to others, you end up feeling depressed and disconnected from yourself. Changing these negative thoughts into more positive ones is a great healthy habit to try and develop.

Eating healthy foods provided by Mother Nature such as fresh fruits and green vegetables is another must-do if you are trying to develop healthy habits. Cut out processed and packaged foods as much as possible. Think about how you want your day to turn out and do one or two things for your health that will benefit you in the long run. 

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Exercising moderately, eating some greens or drinking more water are easy ways to build good habits that you can swear by. Be mindful at all times and realize it’s not about yesterday or tomorrow; it’s about where you are today and at this moment – it’s all about now.

Now that we have a basic understanding of what healthy habits seem like and how you can find that equilibrium in your life, let’s dive into a list of ten good habits that will make your well-being a priority.

1. Change your mindset. Think of your health as a lifestyle change and a daily balancing act.


2. Sleep sufficiently and in good time. Your body undergoes necessary repairs when you sleep. Physical and psychological repair takes place from 10 pm to 6 am.


3. Be patient. It takes roughly ninety days to create a new habit. So, develop patience and learn to love yourself through the process of change.


4. Read voraciously. Educate yourself on spiritual practices, gain knowledge about the foods you eat, read about the lives of wellness masters – there are so many kinds of literature out there.


5. Be mindful of your energy system. Think of your body as particles of energy and ponder over what kind of fuel you want to use to keep it functioning. Do you really want coke and chips to get into your system? I hope not because they will eventually break down your system.


6. Hydrate often. Drink good quality water. If you like, you can add some lemon or other fruits to it to drink more frequently.


7. Eat healthily. Consume natural foods and stay away from processed, packaged food. At least, 80 to 90% of the time, your food intake should be healthy.


8. Don’t feel guilty. When you do eat food that is not good for your health, don’t kill yourself with guilt. Remember balance is important so once in a while, you can break away from your mundane diet and incorporate some junk in it until, of course, you’ve mastered the habit of eating well.


9. Move around. Exercise is the best medicine – even if it’s something as simple as going for a walk or as complex as working out at the gym. Your body is meant for movement. Being in nature is one of the best things you can do for your body.


10. Know yourself. Get to the root of why you’re self-sabotaging if you are and foster a more loving relationship of self-worth with yourself.

 

And…for your sake eat right!!

 

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