In a lifetime we have loved and lost many and in our memories the longing may still remain.
There are those young loves that may have ended when you moved town or the boy who didn't go with you to your Matric Dance and the one you admired from a distance because he belonged to someone else.
I find myself thinking of these moments in my life as I am wrestling with sleep in a foreign place.
And then there is you....
I am happy and life is wonderful and I am in love and my heart is truly full, so why do you creep into the cracks of wakefulness?
Is it possible that a chord is silently attached when we give ourselves into a moment of connection and unconditional love? And as we journey through the space and time of this world we still feel the tug of that attachments when we least expect it, when our consciousness is fading as we lay our heads to rest?
There is you...and just as fleetingly, gone.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
A moment of love, fills a lifetime....
A moment of love fills a lifetime…
I remember the moment I looked into your eyes and I knew I loved you then, in that moment.
A moment where loved overwhelmed me and I felt that connection so deep and true.
As I have walked through life and seen the beauty of this world, I am drawn so often to that moment of knowing, of love.
We fall in love many times a day, with a sunrise or sunset, with the trees and blossoms and the smell of coffee and fresh baked bread.
But in the quiet hours of the night when all the worlds asleep, a memory creeps into my mind of that moment.
I will forever love you in that moment and I will carry that memory forever.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Diet and lifestyle in the management of reflux.
The First line of defense against heartburn/acid reflux should be lifestyle and diet modification and not drugs. It is also a good idea to investigate if your body is trying to tell you that you have a food intolerance or sensitivity. Is your body crying for a change? Is it crying for a certain digestive enzyme? You will not know the answer to this if your first decision is to take a drug to suppress the symptom.
There are many reasons for reflux and therefore one can explore many different options. I believe that many do not wish to change their diet and lifestyle and therefore opt to take medications. Many do so without knowing/caring about the long term cascade of negative effects this can have on your body.
Please speak to a health care professional if you have been using PPI's and antacids for a long period of time, as this is not beneficial to your longterm health...
There are many reasons for reflux and therefore one can explore many different options. I believe that many do not wish to change their diet and lifestyle and therefore opt to take medications. Many do so without knowing/caring about the long term cascade of negative effects this can have on your body.
Please speak to a health care professional if you have been using PPI's and antacids for a long period of time, as this is not beneficial to your longterm health...
Proton Pump Inhibitors vs Diet in the Management of RefluxMost clinicians know that patients who present with complaints and symptoms indicative of gastroesophageal reflux diseases (GERD) can be amongst the most challenging to diagnose since they mimic so many other conditions and, are often the most difficult to effectively treat. Symptoms indicating reflux diseases are also increasingly more commonly being diagnosed in the clinician’s office and often directly attributed to the weakness of the gastroesophageal juncture (EGJ) which begins at the terminal end of the esophagus and beginning of the cardiac orifice of the stomach. Obesity and increased abdominal (belly) fat can cause pressure on the stomach and lead to hiatal hernia; the herniation can cause acid backflow. The EGJ serves as a physical barrier to all reflux fluids (acid, bile, pepsin etc). It’s interesting to note that are also more than one type of reflux disease:
- Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
- Where the gastric contents in the stomach reflux back into the esophagus in causing typical symptoms of heartburn and/or acid regurgitation
- Non-erosive reflux disease (NERD)
- Characterized by reflux-related symptoms; these patients are often less responsive to PPI therapy
- Extra esophageal disease (EER) which includes respiratory or laryngopharyngeal reflux
- Often the result of the rapid transit of gastric contents to the esophagus, and up into the larynx, bronchi, lungs, etc
Treating GERD, according to association recommendations, should involve a stepwise approach with lifestyle modification (including weight loss) and exercise as the first step. Subsequent use of pharmacologic agents such as antacids, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or surgical treatment may be considered only if lifestyle modification over the course of several weeks is not successful. The goals of GERD treatment are to control symptoms, to heal esophagitis, and to prevent recurrent esophagitis or other complications. Unfortunately, too often the clinician starts the patient with pharmacological interventions and this can lead to unintended and unwanted complications later on including increased risk for C. difficile infections (CDI) which was outlined in a prior article on this site.A recent, small, retrospective study undertaken by researchers from New York Medical College assessed the efficacy of totally dietary approach to manage reflux—specifically laryngopharyngeal reflux—in two cohorts of patients at a New York hospital from 2010 to 2015. One cohort of 85 patients were managed with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) plus standard reflux precautions; the other cohort of 99 patients were treated with alkaline water (pH >8.0) and a plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet plus standard reflux precautions.Results showed after 6 weeks, 63% of the diet group and 54% of the PPI group had achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in a reflux symptom score. Additionally, the diet group had a significantly greater mean reduction in the score than did the PPI group (40% vs. 27% reduction).Why is this Clinically Relevant?
- Reflux diseases are an increasingly common clinical finding in adults today and linked to numerous conditions including increased weight and lack of activity
- First line of therapy in managing reflux disease is lifestyle modification and exercise
- Most clinicians and patients opt for PPIs
- Often they are unaware of long term consequences of PPI use
- The results of this small study support the use of plant based, Mediterranean diet as a first line management consideration in the management of reflux conditions
- Particularly laryngopharyngeal reflux
- This 6 week study demonstrated compared to PPIs, dietary modification is more effective at improving reflux symptoms
- Clinicians should consider step wise approach to managing reflux diseases by first encouraging lifestyle modification and exercise before pharmacologic interventions
The message of pain is all about healing...
| The Message of Pain |
Both emotional and physical pain are messages that we need to stop and pay attention.
Physical pain is not the only kind of pain that lets us know our attention is needed. Emotional pain provides us with valuable information about the state of our psyche, letting us know that we have been affected by something and that we would do well to focus our awareness inward. Just as we tend to a cut on our arm by cleaning and bandaging it, we treat a broken heart by surrounding ourselves with love and support. In both cases, if we listen to our pain we will know what to do to heal ourselves. It's natural to want to resist pain, but once we understand that it is here to give us valuable information, we can relax a bit more, and take a moment to listen before we reach for medication. Sometimes this is enough to noticeably reduce the pain, because its message has been heard. Perhaps we seek to medicate pain because we fear that if we don't, it will never go away. It can be empowering to realize that, at least some of the time, it is just a matter of listening and responding. The next time you feel pain, either physical or emotional, you might want to try listening to your own intuition about how to relieve your pain. Maybe taking a few deep breaths will put an end to that headache. Perhaps writing in your journal about hurt feelings will ease your heart. Ultimately, the message of pain is all about healing. |
Fluoride and reduced IQ
We all wish to do what is right for our health and the health of our children. Recent researchers claim the adverse affects of fluoride on unborn children. We, including our children on earth and in utero, are exposed to so many different chemicals every day. It is not surprising that we are getting sicker and sicker and kids are developing more and more sensitivities. A little body can only handle a certain amount of toxic onslaught before their bodies become overwhelmed and more and more sensitive.
Studies in rodents have shown that fluoride can alter their cognition and behavior, and researchers in China have found an association between human intelligence quotient (IQ) deficits and exposure to high levels of fluoride in water, as reported in a National Research Council review.
To probe this association further, Dr Bashash and colleagues examined data from the Early Life Exposures in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) project, a longitudinal study designed to explore the effects of toxins in Mexican children.
Two cohorts from the ELEMENT study comprised 997 mothers recruited from hospitals serving populations with low or moderate incomes from 1997 to 2001.
When the children reached 4 years of age, they took the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities test. Between ages 6 and 12 years, they took the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence test.
The researchers were able to obtain 287 mother–child pairs with data for the McCarthy test and 211 with data for the Wechsler test. On both tests, an average score is between 85 and 115, with a higher score indicating better performance.
They found that for every increase of 0.5 mg/L in fluoride in the mother's urine, the children's GCIs changed by a mean score of −3.76 (95% confidence interval [CI], −6.32 to −1.19).
Likewise, every increase of 0.5 mg/L in the mother's urinary fluoride was associated with a change of −2.37 in IQ (95% CI, −4.45 to −0.29).
The researchers found that GCI decreased with each increase in maternal urinary fluoride in a linear relationship. But the decrease in IQ only began at 0.8 mg fluoride per liter of maternal urine.
When they focused their analysis on fluoride in the children's urine, they found no significant association with the prenatal concentration of fluoride in the mothers' urine.
In addition, they found no statistically significant association between fluoride in the children's urine and their IQ. (The authors did not report on a relationship of children's urinary fluoride and GCI.)
The results justify further research, Dr Bashash said. He would like to follow the children to look for cognitive associations with fluoride as they get older, and he would like to look for other adverse events. Some colleagues are analyzing data on sexual maturation, he said.
However, whether enough evidence has accumulated to make policy recommendations, he could not say. "Decision making in medicine and public policy requires some sort of compromise and measurement of the risk and benefit," he said. "There is a big argument. We know that fluoride has some beneficial effect in preventing caries. We show that there is a potential that it has some negative impact, too. Our piece of work gives the opportunity to help policymakers to make an informed decision.”
Others were less hesitant. In a press release, the antifluoride group the Fluoride Action Network wrote that the study "confirms" that fluoride is harmful to the fetal brain.
Philippe Grandjean, MD, PhD, adjunct professor of environmental health at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, did not go quite that far, but said it adds to the evidence for rethinking fluoridation. "I think the study is a red flag," he told Medscape Medical News. "And when you take it into consideration with the Chinese studies, I think the time is way overdue for a broad-scale reevaluation of fluoride exposure.” Other methods of preventing dental caries might be more effective, making fluoridated water obsolete, he suggested.
Association Reported Between Fluoride and Reduced IQ
A mother's exposure to fluoride during pregnancy could lower the intelligence of her children, researchers say.
Following a group of Mexican children from the time of their mother's pregnancy to early adolescence, an international team of researchers found an association between high fluoride levels in the mothers' urine and reduced scores on the children's cognitive tests.
Contrary to the claims of fluoride activists, however, the study does not seal the case against fluoride, said first author Morteza Bashash, PhD, an assistant professor of public health at the University of Toronto in Canada.
Published September 19, 2017 in Environmental Health Perspectives, the study adds significantly to the body of data on fluoride's effects because it followed a relatively large group for more than a decade, Dr Bashash said. "This kind of birth cohort study is considered a gold standard to determine what happened over time that eventually leads to some sort of outcome.”
Studies in rodents have shown that fluoride can alter their cognition and behavior, and researchers in China have found an association between human intelligence quotient (IQ) deficits and exposure to high levels of fluoride in water, as reported in a National Research Council review.
To probe this association further, Dr Bashash and colleagues examined data from the Early Life Exposures in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) project, a longitudinal study designed to explore the effects of toxins in Mexican children.
Two cohorts from the ELEMENT study comprised 997 mothers recruited from hospitals serving populations with low or moderate incomes from 1997 to 2001.
The women were all in at least their 14th week of gestation at the time of recruitment; planned to stay in the Mexico City area for at least 5 years; did not report a history of psychiatric disorders, high-risk pregnancies, or gestational diabetes or current use of daily alcohol, illegal drugs, or continuous prescription drugs; and were not diagnosed with preeclampsia, renal disease, circulatory diseases, hypertension, and seizures during the index pregnancy. For the current analysis, the researchers excluded mothers younger than 18 years, those without adequate urine samples, and those whose fluoride concentrations were extreme outliers.
When the children reached 4 years of age, they took the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities test. Between ages 6 and 12 years, they took the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence test.
The researchers were able to obtain 287 mother–child pairs with data for the McCarthy test and 211 with data for the Wechsler test. On both tests, an average score is between 85 and 115, with a higher score indicating better performance.
The researchers found a significant correlation between General Cognitive Index (GCI), as measured by the McCarthy test, and IQ, as measured by the Wechsler test (Spearman r = 0.55; P < .01).
They found that for every increase of 0.5 mg/L in fluoride in the mother's urine, the children's GCIs changed by a mean score of −3.76 (95% confidence interval [CI], −6.32 to −1.19).
Likewise, every increase of 0.5 mg/L in the mother's urinary fluoride was associated with a change of −2.37 in IQ (95% CI, −4.45 to −0.29).
The association remained after the researchers adjusted for child-related factors (gestational age and weight at birth, sex, being the first child, and age at outcome measurement) and maternal factors (smoking history, marital status, age at delivery, IQ, education, and cohort). The adjustments changed the decrease per 0.5 mg/L of maternal urinary fluoride in GCI to −3.15 (95% CI, −5:42 to −0:87) and changed the decrease in IQ to −2.50 (95% CI, −4.12 to −0:59).
For a subset of children with data available on socioeconomic status, maternal bone lead, and blood mercury, the researchers controlled for these variables as well and found that the association between maternal urinary fluoride and GCI and IQ did not change substantially.
The researchers found that GCI decreased with each increase in maternal urinary fluoride in a linear relationship. But the decrease in IQ only began at 0.8 mg fluoride per liter of maternal urine.
When they focused their analysis on fluoride in the children's urine, they found no significant association with the prenatal concentration of fluoride in the mothers' urine.
In addition, they found no statistically significant association between fluoride in the children's urine and their IQ. (The authors did not report on a relationship of children's urinary fluoride and GCI.)
The results justify further research, Dr Bashash said. He would like to follow the children to look for cognitive associations with fluoride as they get older, and he would like to look for other adverse events. Some colleagues are analyzing data on sexual maturation, he said.
However, whether enough evidence has accumulated to make policy recommendations, he could not say. "Decision making in medicine and public policy requires some sort of compromise and measurement of the risk and benefit," he said. "There is a big argument. We know that fluoride has some beneficial effect in preventing caries. We show that there is a potential that it has some negative impact, too. Our piece of work gives the opportunity to help policymakers to make an informed decision.”
Others were less hesitant. In a press release, the antifluoride group the Fluoride Action Network wrote that the study "confirms" that fluoride is harmful to the fetal brain.
Philippe Grandjean, MD, PhD, adjunct professor of environmental health at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, did not go quite that far, but said it adds to the evidence for rethinking fluoridation. "I think the study is a red flag," he told Medscape Medical News. "And when you take it into consideration with the Chinese studies, I think the time is way overdue for a broad-scale reevaluation of fluoride exposure.” Other methods of preventing dental caries might be more effective, making fluoridated water obsolete, he suggested.
This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Institute of Public Health/Ministry of Health of Mexico. The authors, Dr Tomar, and Dr Grandjean have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Environ Health Perspect. 2017;125(9):097017.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Artificial sweeteners and higher risk to diabetes.
This may shed some light on the obesity and high rate of diabetes that we are experiencing. The diet industry is a huge reason for the over consumption of artificial sweeteners and the biggest scam on our health and wellbeing. Avoiding added sugars in our food would be a much healthier option. I will share this study with you and let you decide what is the best choice!
Artificial Sweeteners Alter Gut Response to Glucose
LISBON, PORTUGAL — Habitual consumption of artificial sweeteners commonly found in diet drinks alters the gut's response to glucose — affecting absorption, glycemic response, and response of gut glucagonlike peptide 1 (GLP-1) — results of a small, first-in-human study in healthy volunteers indicate.
The findings were presented here at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2016 Annual Meeting.
High levels of artificial-sweetener consumption could therefore predispose people to development of type 2 diabetes, lead researcher Richard Young, MD, from the Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Australia, hypothesized.
"Two-week diet supplementation with artificial sweeteners augments glucose absorption, glycemic response to glucose, and attenuates the GLP-1 response," said Dr Young, reporting the main results of the study.
"This means that, according to the findings from this trial…artificial sweeteners [may] limit the amount of glucose that can access more distal portions of the gut and reduce glucose exposure to distal cells that release GLP-1."
Artificial Sweeteners Compared With Placebo in Healthy Subjects
"The relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages and type 2 diabetes has prompted policy changes, including the introduction of taxes on these beverages to try to reduce intake," Dr Young pointed out.
As an alternative, artificial sweeteners are used in so-called "diet" sodas and some foodstuffs, but there is ongoing controversy over whether these cause more harm than good.
Previous work by Dr Young's group has shown that switching from sugar to noncaloric-artificial-sweetened (NAS) beverages does not predict a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
In fact, the association between NAS beverages and type 2 diabetes risk is similar to that seen with sugar-sweetened beverages, even after adjustment for adiposity and energy intake (often those with prediabetes reach for NAS as an alternative to sugar), he said.
Until this study, it was unknown whether NAS alters glucose absorption in humans, and if so, whether this adversely affects postprandial glycemic control.
Healthy volunteers were recruited and the researchers assessed the effects of diet supplementation with combined NAS (such as sucralose and acesulfame-K, often found in diet beverages) for 2 weeks in a double-blind, randomized parallel-group clinical study.
Initially, 60 subjects were screened and those who were high habitual consumers of sweeteners were excluded. Participants had a mean age of 27 years, a body mass index of 24 kg/m2, and 14 were men. After an overnight fast, participants underwent an endoscopy incorporating a 30-minute intraduodenal glucose infusion (30 g/150 mL, 3 kcal/min, including 3 g of the glucose analogue 3-omethyl glucose [3-OMG]) and biopsy collection before and immediately after the intervention.
The scientists assessed the effects on glucose absorption, glycemic responses to intraduodenal glucose infusion, insulin production, and gut hormones, including glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and GLP-1 and GLP-2.
Taken in the form of capsules, three times daily before meals, blinded participants received either the combined NAS (n = 17), equivalent to drinking 1.2 to 1.5 L of diet beverage per day or an inactive placebo (n = 16).
Assessments were performed after participants had taken the NAS capsules or placebo for 2 weeks. At this time, subjects had their response to glucose tested, examining glucose absorption, plasma glucose, and levels of insulin and gut peptides.
Glucose Absorption and Glycemic Response Increased With Sweeteners
With respect to glucose absorption, the two groups showed similar absorption patterns at study start in response to enteral glucose.
But "after 2 weeks of NAS supplementation, there was increased glucose absorption that was significant at 90 to 120 minutes [after start of glucose consumption]. We showed that sweeteners do augment the uptake of glucose," reported Dr Young. There was a 20% difference between glucose absorption in the placebo and NAS-supplemented group (P ≤ .05).
The two groups had similar prestudy glycemic responses to enteral glucose, but NAS supplementation increased plasma glucose levels by 24% compared with placebo (P < .05).
For GLP-1, which acts to limit the rise in blood glucose after meals, the two groups were once again well-matched in response to enteral glucose prior to NAS supplementation.
But after the 2 weeks of supplementation, "the subjects who consumed sweeteners had a lower risk of GLP-1 response to enteral glucose," reported Dr Young. "Those individuals who received supplementation showed a 34% attenuated GLP-1 response (P < .05) compared with placebo.
"This response possibly reflects reduced glucose exposure to more distally located L-cells," he added.
The GLP-2, GIP, and insulin responses to enteral glucose were similar between participants on artificial sweeteners and placebo groups, although GLP-2 and insulin were lower 40 and 60 mins after the glucose challenge, respectively, in the NAS group (37% for both vs baseline, P ≤ .05).
Findings Provide Impetus for Larger Studies in This Area
The findings highlight "the potential for these responses in habitual consumers of artificial sweeteners and support the concept that artificial sweeteners could reduce the body's control of blood sugar levels, exaggerating postmeal glucose levels, which could predispose them to developing type 2 diabetes," Dr Young remarked.
He also noted that the results provided an impetus to perform larger studies and look at the mechanisms responsible. "We are doing this by looking at cells collected in this study as well as looking at the microbiome," he said, with a view to the next steps in his work.
Commenting on the results, session attendee Viktor Jörgens, MD, former executive director of EASD, from Dusseldorf, Germany, said it was a "brilliant study."
He remarked, "Because less glucose goes to the L cells, these cells make less GLP-1, and this is the reason these individuals have less insulin and higher glucose. I believe this study has enough power to say that this is indeed the mechanism, and it works this way."
Dr Young has declared no relevant financial relationships.
European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2016 Annual Meeting. September 14, 2017, Lisbon, Portugal. Abstract 193
Words have power to heal or to hurt...
Our words have the power to heal us or hurt us and others. How we communicate with ourselves can and usually is related to old patterns learned over time and thus we have the power as conscious being to pay attention and shift those vibrations to attract a better healthier life...
Here is an piece by Madison Taylor that once again hits home for me....
Here is an piece by Madison Taylor that once again hits home for me....
| Healing Past Hurt |
We can create positive change by choosing not to use these words and phrases as we come across them in our vocabulary.
It is challenging to examine our habits in terms of the words we use to express ourselves, but it is also exciting. Language is an area where we can exercise our free will, creating positive change in the world around us by simply choosing carefully the words we use. It may seem like a small thing, but our words have a rippling effect, like a stone thrown in a pond. People naturally pick up on the way other people speak, consciously or unconsciously changing the way they speak in response. We don't need to actively try to influence people; it happens without our even thinking about it. All we have to do is choose to be more conscious ourselves, putting to rest words and phrases that are outmoded, insensitive, or harmful. We can also exercise our creativity by creating new phrases that carry positive and loving energy to replace the old ones. You may already have some ideas about phrases you'd like to transition out of your language, and now that you're thinking about it you may come across many more. As you consciously decide not to use these phrases, you may feel lighter and more joyful, knowing that you have chosen to drop baggage that was handed down to you from a less conscious time. As you do so, you elevate the language for future generations who would no doubt thank you if they could. |
Sound Healing....
I love this Article by Madison Taylor on sound healing....Everything I wish to say and share
in a short succinct manor......ENJOY!
Sound Healing |
When the vibrations of our physical and spiritual bodies are out of harmony it can cause disease.
When the vibrations of our physical and spiritual bodies are out of harmony it can cause disease. Sound healing gently massages the molecules back into the right places, clearing blockages and restoring harmony. Ancient healing systems such as Chinese medicine and Indian Ayurveda associate specific musical notes with subtle-energy systems of the body, such as in yoga where particular notes of music correspond to each of the seven chakras. In Tibet, priests have long used bells and bowls over and around the body to tune and clear the energy centers. Chimes and tuning forks are other tools that have been used to heal not only the body but the energy in a room as well. Knowing that sound has the power to heal, we should also try to remember that sounds from modern life can have a negative affect. Choosing silence over discord may help us maintain a state of equilibrium. As we seek soothing and harmonizing sounds to surround us, we may be doing more than creating a balm for the noise of the world. We may actually be performing an act of self-healing that connects us with one of the most basic vibrations of the universe. |
Monday, September 4, 2017
Random acts of kindness
Today I have heard the message of kindness twice...
Kindness to ourselves can and is sometimes the hardest. It is said that loving oneself is selfish even narcissistic but that is not true. Narcissists do not love themselves.
Loving yourself is imperative to be able to love others. Even saying, "Oh, I really love myself when I do that" makes you cringe a little doesn't it. Yet, it is easy to say that about another.
The absence of love is fear and fear wrecks havoc within your life and body. Good health depends on you to start allowing more love in. Allowing more light into your life. Do not fear the darkness, just allow it and then bring in more light. This will dispel the fear/darkness and help you see clearly. It will also raise the frequency within your cells which in turn heals.
I am encouraged by the words of Anita Moorjani and Matt Kahn to do random acts of kindness for others, but most of all to do a random act of kindness for myself. Why? so that I can send a clear message to the Universe that I matter, and that I am just as important as all the others I am kind to.
I will heed the message I have so clearly received and start by performing random acts of kindness every day. And like the little kids do when handing out treats...."one for you and one for me."
Kindness to ourselves can and is sometimes the hardest. It is said that loving oneself is selfish even narcissistic but that is not true. Narcissists do not love themselves.
Loving yourself is imperative to be able to love others. Even saying, "Oh, I really love myself when I do that" makes you cringe a little doesn't it. Yet, it is easy to say that about another.
The absence of love is fear and fear wrecks havoc within your life and body. Good health depends on you to start allowing more love in. Allowing more light into your life. Do not fear the darkness, just allow it and then bring in more light. This will dispel the fear/darkness and help you see clearly. It will also raise the frequency within your cells which in turn heals.
I am encouraged by the words of Anita Moorjani and Matt Kahn to do random acts of kindness for others, but most of all to do a random act of kindness for myself. Why? so that I can send a clear message to the Universe that I matter, and that I am just as important as all the others I am kind to.
I will heed the message I have so clearly received and start by performing random acts of kindness every day. And like the little kids do when handing out treats...."one for you and one for me."
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Look within and ask, "Am I willing to change"
I love this Post by Louise Hay and in Honor of her life and all the valuable lessons and information I have learned from her, I wish to share this with you. It has made me look closely at myself and investigate deeply when I get triggered by someone...
RIP Louise Hay, we will miss you!
"Look for a moment at someone in your life who bothers you. Describe three things about this person that you don’t like, things that you want him or her to change. Now, look deeply inside of you and ask yourself, “Where am I like that, and when do I do the same things?”
Close your eyes and give yourself the time to do this. Then ask yourself if YOU ARE WILLING TO CHANGE?
When you remove these patterns, habits, and beliefs from your thinking and behavior, either the other person will change or he or she will leave your life. If you have a boss who is critical and impossible to please, look within. Either you do that on some level or you have a belief that “bosses are always critical and impossible to please.” If you have an employee who won’t obey or doesn’t follow through, look to see where you do that and clean it up. Firing someone is too easy; it doesn’t clear your pattern. If there is a co-worker who won’t cooperate and be part of the team, look to see how you could have attracted this. Where are you non-cooperative?
If you have a friend who is undependable and lets you down, turn within. Where in your life are you undependable, and when do you let others down? Is that your belief? If you have a lover who is cold and seems unloving, look to see if there is a belief within you that came from watching your parents in your childhood that says, “Love is cold and undemonstrative.” If you have a spouse who is nagging and non-supportive, again look to your childhood beliefs. Did you have a parent who was nagging and non-supportive? Are you that way? If you have a child who has habits that irritate you, I will guarantee that they are your habits. Children learn only by imitating the adults around them.
Clear it within you, and you’ll find that they change automatically. This is the only way to change others — change ourselves first. Change your patterns, and you will find that “they” are different, too. Blame is useless. Blaming only gives away our power. Keep your power. Without power, we cannot make changes. The helpless victim cannot see a way out. "
“If you think of the hardest thing for you to do and how much you resist it, then you’re looking at your greatest lesson at the moment.”
~ Louise Hay
RIP Louise Hay, we will miss you!
"Look for a moment at someone in your life who bothers you. Describe three things about this person that you don’t like, things that you want him or her to change. Now, look deeply inside of you and ask yourself, “Where am I like that, and when do I do the same things?”
Close your eyes and give yourself the time to do this. Then ask yourself if YOU ARE WILLING TO CHANGE?
When you remove these patterns, habits, and beliefs from your thinking and behavior, either the other person will change or he or she will leave your life. If you have a boss who is critical and impossible to please, look within. Either you do that on some level or you have a belief that “bosses are always critical and impossible to please.” If you have an employee who won’t obey or doesn’t follow through, look to see where you do that and clean it up. Firing someone is too easy; it doesn’t clear your pattern. If there is a co-worker who won’t cooperate and be part of the team, look to see how you could have attracted this. Where are you non-cooperative?
If you have a friend who is undependable and lets you down, turn within. Where in your life are you undependable, and when do you let others down? Is that your belief? If you have a lover who is cold and seems unloving, look to see if there is a belief within you that came from watching your parents in your childhood that says, “Love is cold and undemonstrative.” If you have a spouse who is nagging and non-supportive, again look to your childhood beliefs. Did you have a parent who was nagging and non-supportive? Are you that way? If you have a child who has habits that irritate you, I will guarantee that they are your habits. Children learn only by imitating the adults around them.
Clear it within you, and you’ll find that they change automatically. This is the only way to change others — change ourselves first. Change your patterns, and you will find that “they” are different, too. Blame is useless. Blaming only gives away our power. Keep your power. Without power, we cannot make changes. The helpless victim cannot see a way out. "
“If you think of the hardest thing for you to do and how much you resist it, then you’re looking at your greatest lesson at the moment.”
~ Louise Hay
Me, the abuser...
The cold hard truth hit me in the face like being dunked in a bath of icy cold water.
I am an abuser. I have looked back and done some deep healing work on the abuse I experienced as a child, teenager and young adult. The abuse perpetrated on me. It was painful and hard work. After patting myself on the back for how far I have come and how well I think I'm doing, I listened to a talk by Matt Kahn on ending inner conflict and I realized how abusive I am to my body. I am continuing to perpetrate the abuse...I am not the loving guide. My self talk is highly abusive and not endearing and uplifting at all.
If someone spoke to me like I speak to my body I would be jumping all over them for being mean and and in need of checking themselves. I certainly don't speak to those I love and respect that way I speak to my body. I don't point out all their flaws and call them fat or dimpled or flabby!
My body responded to the these words by Matt Kahn and a light bulb went off and the tears welled in my eyes....This body of mine has gone through so much in the past and is just wanting time to integrate and catch up...it is caught in this dense third dimension, where things move much slower.
I ask so much from it on a daily basis and if it does not respond as fast as I would like, I beat it up.
How can I expect it to be kind and loving to me when I am not kind and loving to it, in thought and deed.
Sure, I feed it nourishing and healthy foods, I exercise and get out in nature, all whilst leaving my toxic thoughts unchecked. I expect miracles from my body. It made me wonder how often I really listen and feel and truly respect my body...granted I do pay attention to my body but I think I'm in charge instead of my body actually being in charge. It is the one experiencing life and housing my consciousness, not the other way around. Makes me think of the words "You're a spiritual being having a human experience" In other words...my body is here having the experience with my consciousness as the guide, the one who's supposed to know better, be more.
It's time for my guide to be tolerant and starts acting like the spiritual being it is and not a spoilt brat that isn't getting its way.
Another thought to ponder.....our guides and angels, if you believe in that, always treat us with loving kindness, respect and encouragement and thus we (our mind, our consciousness) must be the loving, encouraging guide to our bodies.
It is now my mission to come into alignment with my body, to use my mind as a loving guide and encourage and praise my body for all it does...It breathes, sweats, walks and moves and carries my consciousness through this world and all it wants is to experience life in all its beauty and glory, just as it is. I will make it my goal to fully 'embody'....(see what I did there) every experience meaning, body, mind and soul in alignment, as one. I think an even better idea is to let my heart and body lead the way and use my head just to store the experiences??
Listen to Matt Kahn...True Divine Nature... on YouTube...The end of Inner Conflict to better understand the depth of this message. (it is a long one but well worth it.)
I am an abuser. I have looked back and done some deep healing work on the abuse I experienced as a child, teenager and young adult. The abuse perpetrated on me. It was painful and hard work. After patting myself on the back for how far I have come and how well I think I'm doing, I listened to a talk by Matt Kahn on ending inner conflict and I realized how abusive I am to my body. I am continuing to perpetrate the abuse...I am not the loving guide. My self talk is highly abusive and not endearing and uplifting at all.
If someone spoke to me like I speak to my body I would be jumping all over them for being mean and and in need of checking themselves. I certainly don't speak to those I love and respect that way I speak to my body. I don't point out all their flaws and call them fat or dimpled or flabby!
My body responded to the these words by Matt Kahn and a light bulb went off and the tears welled in my eyes....This body of mine has gone through so much in the past and is just wanting time to integrate and catch up...it is caught in this dense third dimension, where things move much slower.
I ask so much from it on a daily basis and if it does not respond as fast as I would like, I beat it up.
How can I expect it to be kind and loving to me when I am not kind and loving to it, in thought and deed.
Sure, I feed it nourishing and healthy foods, I exercise and get out in nature, all whilst leaving my toxic thoughts unchecked. I expect miracles from my body. It made me wonder how often I really listen and feel and truly respect my body...granted I do pay attention to my body but I think I'm in charge instead of my body actually being in charge. It is the one experiencing life and housing my consciousness, not the other way around. Makes me think of the words "You're a spiritual being having a human experience" In other words...my body is here having the experience with my consciousness as the guide, the one who's supposed to know better, be more.
It's time for my guide to be tolerant and starts acting like the spiritual being it is and not a spoilt brat that isn't getting its way.
Another thought to ponder.....our guides and angels, if you believe in that, always treat us with loving kindness, respect and encouragement and thus we (our mind, our consciousness) must be the loving, encouraging guide to our bodies.
Listen to Matt Kahn...True Divine Nature... on YouTube...The end of Inner Conflict to better understand the depth of this message. (it is a long one but well worth it.)
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Healthy eating and fractures.
Healthy Aging: Eating More Vegetables Helps to Prevent Fractures
Increased vegetable intake, specifically cruciferous and allium vegetables were associated with a lower rate of hospitalization for fractures in women over 70.[1] Fractures in older populations can have detrimental impacts on the quality of life and may lead to depression and disability.[2] Treatment for, including hospitalizations fractures are also expensive to treat, exceeding $19 billion per year in the U.S.[2,3] It is estimated by the National Osteoporosis Foundation that after the age of 50, 4 in 10 women will experience a bone fracture and may take three years to fully recover.[2,3]
The relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and the rate of fracture that lead to hospitalization in older women has not been fully studied. A recent study by Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, et al., published in Nutrients in 2017 examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and fracture rates in older women. The study included over 1400 women age 70 or greater and collected data over 14.5 years.
Results from this study determined that a diet higher in vegetables, but not fruits, reduced the rate of fracture. Furthermore, the researchers noted, the type of vegetable also affected fracture rate. Increased intake of cruciferous vegetables (brussel sprouts, broccoli, arugula, etc.) and allium vegetables (garlic, onion, leek, etc.) were inversely associated with fractures (HR 0.72 and 0.66 respectively).
Supporting bone health in postmenopausal women through diet, exercise, and healthy lifestyle choices are an important first line of defense to increase quality of life and reduce health care costs.
Why is this Clinically Relevant?
- A diet high in vegetables may reduce the risk for fractures in women over 70
- Cruciferous and allium vegetables had the most significant impact on reducing fracture risk
- Fruit consumption was not shown to reduce the risk of fractures
[1] Blekkenhorst L, Hodgson J, Lewis J, et al. Vegetable and Fruit Intake and Fracture-Related Hospitalisations: A Prospective Study of Older Women. Nutrients. 2017
[2]Colón-Emeric CS, Saag KG. Osteoporotic fractures in older adults. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology. 2006
[3] What is Osteoporosis and What Causes It? National Osteoporosis Foundation. https://www.nof.org/patients/what-is-osteoporosis/. Accessed June 23, 2017.
Nutrients. 2017 May 18;9(5). pii: E511. doi: 10.3390/nu9050511.
Vegetable and Fruit Intake and Fracture-Related Hospitalisations: A Prospective Study of Older Women.
Blekkenhorst LC1, Hodgson JM2,3, Lewis JR4,5, Devine A6, Woodman RJ7, Lim WH8, Wong G9, Zhu K10,11, Bondonno CP12,13, Ward NC14,15, Prince RL16,17.
Abstract
KEYWORDS:
allium; bone; cruciferous; fracture; fruit; postmenopausal women; vegetables
- PMID:
- 28524097
- PMCID:
- PMC5452241
- DOI:
- 10.3390/nu9050511
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Low Vitamin D levels and chronic headaches...
We all know the importance of Vitamin D and now there are more and more research on the many connections it has to our health and wellness. Here is another great article regarding Vitamin D deficiency and the risk to chronic headaches....
Low Vitamin D Levels Increases the Risk for Chronic Headaches
Arriving here....a healing journey
I open my eyes and I am shocked. I am shocked to see the expression on the face of one who is supposed to be excited for my arrival. I am shocked to see no love from the one who carried me. My tiny being does not comprehend all of this. All I feel is the lack of warmth, love and comfort. I feel cold and alone, so different than the space I came from, and I don't mean your womb!
I remember the trauma and then just as quickly it is gone, submerged deep into my psyche, to be expressed when least expected. To be expressed in so many unnatural and unhealthy ways.
It didn't take you long to verbalize what I saw upon opening my eyes for the first time, upon drawing my first breath...you didn't want me. "you are an unwanted child", you said.
Who does that, who says that to an innocent child? I don't know why it shocked me, again. Why it shook me to the core, why it broke my heart. I was in your body, I felt your hate, your pain, your emptiness. I knew, didn't I?
So many years and so much healing brought me back to those moments, the moments of birth and re-birth.
I finally felt the love of the Universe surround me, reminding me of my perfection, reminding me that I am enough. I felt the love of 'being' at the moment of my re-birth. Too many beautiful souls and too little good wombs to carry them, was what the healer told me. A statement that helped ease the moment and bring more peace and acceptance. A few words that explained a question haunting me about so much and so many.
I may never know why you didn't want me or want to love me. Why you saw me as a threat, as a presence that was taking something away from you, rather than as the bundle of love I was and am.
I may never know if this was truly all you felt because you left before we could heal this together.
What I do know is: I want me and that I love me.
Everyday I work at remembering and loving me more, loving unconditionally, and thus healing the wounds inflicted upon arrival. I work toward healing all our pain and emptiness, knowing that when I heal my wounds and expand my love and remember my perfection, I do it for all of us, including your energy here.
I remember the trauma and then just as quickly it is gone, submerged deep into my psyche, to be expressed when least expected. To be expressed in so many unnatural and unhealthy ways.
It didn't take you long to verbalize what I saw upon opening my eyes for the first time, upon drawing my first breath...you didn't want me. "you are an unwanted child", you said.
Who does that, who says that to an innocent child? I don't know why it shocked me, again. Why it shook me to the core, why it broke my heart. I was in your body, I felt your hate, your pain, your emptiness. I knew, didn't I?
So many years and so much healing brought me back to those moments, the moments of birth and re-birth.
I finally felt the love of the Universe surround me, reminding me of my perfection, reminding me that I am enough. I felt the love of 'being' at the moment of my re-birth. Too many beautiful souls and too little good wombs to carry them, was what the healer told me. A statement that helped ease the moment and bring more peace and acceptance. A few words that explained a question haunting me about so much and so many.
I may never know why you didn't want me or want to love me. Why you saw me as a threat, as a presence that was taking something away from you, rather than as the bundle of love I was and am.
I may never know if this was truly all you felt because you left before we could heal this together.
What I do know is: I want me and that I love me.
Everyday I work at remembering and loving me more, loving unconditionally, and thus healing the wounds inflicted upon arrival. I work toward healing all our pain and emptiness, knowing that when I heal my wounds and expand my love and remember my perfection, I do it for all of us, including your energy here.
Friday, July 14, 2017
Withholding....
I just read an interesting piece on withholding and it reminded me of my patterns when I first met my husband and for most of my relationships prior to that. It makes so much sense to be now and reading this article made me realize how much I have grown and changed and how much opportunity I still have for growth.
Emotional pain is usually at the root of our tendency to withhold and the most common form of withholding is what we call "the silent treatment", but it encompasses any unwillingness to express your true feelings. It also includes an unwillingness to give support, praise, or positive attention to the people you love.
Madisyn Taylor goes on to explain it further and very succinctly...."We have all known someone who is impossible to please, and many of us have suddenly found ourselves at the other end of a chilly silence with no explanation. At the same time, many of us will recognize our own tendency to withhold our emotions rather than express them. Most of us have seen both sides of the withholding dilemma. Emotional pain is at the root of our tendency to withhold, and withholding causes pain to the people subjected to it. It is a dysfunctional pattern that creates a breakdown in communication and understanding.
No one deserves to be subjected to withholding. Feeling ignored, disrespected, or shut out, and to not know why, is a terrible feeling. The first thing to remember if this is happening to you is that you are not to blame. You are caught in someone else's pain pattern. This person does not know how to express feelings in a healthy way probably because this is what they learned when she or he was a child. The second helpful thing to remember is that the withholder is acting out of pain. They are stuck in a habitual mode of response that is self-defeating and alienating to the people they love. Remembering this will help you feel compassion for the person hurting you. However, if you have suffered too long with this pattern, you may need to get some space. Take some time to look at your own patterns and understand why you have taken part in this drama. If you are dealing with people in a family situation, you can step up to the plate to help break the chain of this behavior pattern.
If, on the other hand, it is you that tends to withhold, understand that this is a learned response and it can be unlearned. Find safe places to begin to express all that you've been holding back. Begin to make an effort to say what you're feeling and thinking. Give praise to someone you love. The more you do this, the healthier you and your relationships will become. What was learned over a course of a life cannot be changed overnight--remember, one day at a time."
I know it is possible to change and be vulnerable and it all starts by opening your heart more and more ever day. The biggest and safest place to start practicing opening your heart further, and being vulnerable in expressing your inner feelings, thoughts and fears, is in a loving relationship. Our greatest opportunity for growth is in our relationships. Remember they mirror who we are and areas we need to address. Go ahead and start expressing yourself today. You and your health will benefit in ways you cannot even begin to imagine.
Emotional pain is usually at the root of our tendency to withhold and the most common form of withholding is what we call "the silent treatment", but it encompasses any unwillingness to express your true feelings. It also includes an unwillingness to give support, praise, or positive attention to the people you love.
Madisyn Taylor goes on to explain it further and very succinctly...."We have all known someone who is impossible to please, and many of us have suddenly found ourselves at the other end of a chilly silence with no explanation. At the same time, many of us will recognize our own tendency to withhold our emotions rather than express them. Most of us have seen both sides of the withholding dilemma. Emotional pain is at the root of our tendency to withhold, and withholding causes pain to the people subjected to it. It is a dysfunctional pattern that creates a breakdown in communication and understanding.
No one deserves to be subjected to withholding. Feeling ignored, disrespected, or shut out, and to not know why, is a terrible feeling. The first thing to remember if this is happening to you is that you are not to blame. You are caught in someone else's pain pattern. This person does not know how to express feelings in a healthy way probably because this is what they learned when she or he was a child. The second helpful thing to remember is that the withholder is acting out of pain. They are stuck in a habitual mode of response that is self-defeating and alienating to the people they love. Remembering this will help you feel compassion for the person hurting you. However, if you have suffered too long with this pattern, you may need to get some space. Take some time to look at your own patterns and understand why you have taken part in this drama. If you are dealing with people in a family situation, you can step up to the plate to help break the chain of this behavior pattern.
If, on the other hand, it is you that tends to withhold, understand that this is a learned response and it can be unlearned. Find safe places to begin to express all that you've been holding back. Begin to make an effort to say what you're feeling and thinking. Give praise to someone you love. The more you do this, the healthier you and your relationships will become. What was learned over a course of a life cannot be changed overnight--remember, one day at a time."
I know it is possible to change and be vulnerable and it all starts by opening your heart more and more ever day. The biggest and safest place to start practicing opening your heart further, and being vulnerable in expressing your inner feelings, thoughts and fears, is in a loving relationship. Our greatest opportunity for growth is in our relationships. Remember they mirror who we are and areas we need to address. Go ahead and start expressing yourself today. You and your health will benefit in ways you cannot even begin to imagine.
Monday, July 10, 2017
The tapestry of life...and "The Ripple Effect"
We are all beautiful threads that are essential to the tapestry of life. Every thread enriches the tapestry.
Therefore we all matter and are needed in this world. It is however up to us if we wish to enhance the tapestry or be the flaw within it.
There is no wrong choice because it all adds to the magic of the tapestry but your choices do affect the whole.....we could have a tapestry full of flaws or a magical, radiant, beautiful tapestry.
Your thoughts create your world and serves to either lift the vibrations and attract similar higher vibrations or lower the vibrations and attract less desired circumstances and people.
Madison Taylor explains exactly what I am trying to say in the most beautiful, succinct way.....
"The Ripple Effect"
"The impact you have on the world is greater than you could ever imagine, and the choices you make affect the whole.
In a world of six billion people, it's easy to believe that the only way to initiate profound transformation is to take extreme action. Each of us, however, carries within us the capacity to change the world in small ways for better or worse. Everything we do and think affects the people in our lives, and their reactions in turn affect others. As the effect of a seemingly insignificant word passes from person to person, its impact grows and can become a source of great joy, inspiration, anxiety, or pain. Your thoughts and actions are like stones dropped into still waters, causing ripples to spread and expand as they move outward. The impact you have on the world is greater than you could ever imagine, and the choices you make can have far-reaching consequences. You can use the ripple effect to make a positive difference and spread waves of kindness that will wash over the world.
Should the opportunity arise, the recipient of a good deed will likely feel compelled to do a good deed for someone else. Someone feeling the effects of negative energy will be more likely to pass on that negative energy. One act of charity, one thoughtful deed, or even one positive thought can pass from individual to individual, snowballing until it becomes a group movement or the ray of hope that saves someone's life. Every transformation, just like every ripple, has a point of origin. You must believe in your ability to be that point of origin if you want to use the ripples you create to spread goodness. Consider the effect of your thoughts and actions, and try to act graciously as much as possible.
A smile directed at a stranger, a compliment given to a friend, an attitude of laughter, or a thoughtful gesture can send ripples that spread among your loved ones and associates, out into your community, and finally throughout the world. You have the power to touch the lives of everyone you come into contact with and everyone those people come into contact with. The momentum of your influence will grow as your ripples moves onward and outward. One of those ripples could become a tidal wave of love and kindness."
~ Madison Taylor
Therefore we all matter and are needed in this world. It is however up to us if we wish to enhance the tapestry or be the flaw within it.
There is no wrong choice because it all adds to the magic of the tapestry but your choices do affect the whole.....we could have a tapestry full of flaws or a magical, radiant, beautiful tapestry.
Your thoughts create your world and serves to either lift the vibrations and attract similar higher vibrations or lower the vibrations and attract less desired circumstances and people.
Madison Taylor explains exactly what I am trying to say in the most beautiful, succinct way.....
"The Ripple Effect"
"The impact you have on the world is greater than you could ever imagine, and the choices you make affect the whole.
In a world of six billion people, it's easy to believe that the only way to initiate profound transformation is to take extreme action. Each of us, however, carries within us the capacity to change the world in small ways for better or worse. Everything we do and think affects the people in our lives, and their reactions in turn affect others. As the effect of a seemingly insignificant word passes from person to person, its impact grows and can become a source of great joy, inspiration, anxiety, or pain. Your thoughts and actions are like stones dropped into still waters, causing ripples to spread and expand as they move outward. The impact you have on the world is greater than you could ever imagine, and the choices you make can have far-reaching consequences. You can use the ripple effect to make a positive difference and spread waves of kindness that will wash over the world.
Should the opportunity arise, the recipient of a good deed will likely feel compelled to do a good deed for someone else. Someone feeling the effects of negative energy will be more likely to pass on that negative energy. One act of charity, one thoughtful deed, or even one positive thought can pass from individual to individual, snowballing until it becomes a group movement or the ray of hope that saves someone's life. Every transformation, just like every ripple, has a point of origin. You must believe in your ability to be that point of origin if you want to use the ripples you create to spread goodness. Consider the effect of your thoughts and actions, and try to act graciously as much as possible.
A smile directed at a stranger, a compliment given to a friend, an attitude of laughter, or a thoughtful gesture can send ripples that spread among your loved ones and associates, out into your community, and finally throughout the world. You have the power to touch the lives of everyone you come into contact with and everyone those people come into contact with. The momentum of your influence will grow as your ripples moves onward and outward. One of those ripples could become a tidal wave of love and kindness."
~ Madison Taylor
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Stress and the Mind-Body Connection
There is so much research on the Mind-Body connection that we cannot deny that our minds and emotions play a huge role in our overall health. Your mind is the most powerful tool to heal your body, therefore it has become imperative to find better ways to handle stress and learn how to relax and find the joy in our lives. The more we focus on gratitude and all the blessings in our life the healthier our Immune system and body will be.
Here is an interesting article regarding stress, disease and our mind connection to it all.....
Stress, Emotional Imbalance, and Disease: The Mind-Body Connection
By Dr. Thomas Sult and Amanda Ronan
At some point in your life, you’ve been stressed. In fact, it’s pretty likely that right now, as you’re reading this article, you’ve got a list going in the back of your mind of everything else you should be doing right now. Our families, friends, coworkers, and bosses all have expectations of us. You have obligations, you make promises, you stretch yourself too thin. And then what happens? Yep. You get sick.
JUST BE WELLA Movement for Seekers of Vibrant Health
As I wrote in Just Be Well: A Book for Seekers of Vibrant Health, “Disease occurs with imbalance, and your chronic stress is probably resulting in imbalanced hormones. Stress increases cortisol, and cortisol can result in insulin resistance. The chain goes on from there: insulin resistance prevents you from burning fat—you burn muscle instead, and the resulting low muscle is associated with poor immune function.”
Stress is the body’s response to threats or demands. When you feel threatened, or like you just can’t keep up, your nervous system floods your body with hormones. Those hormones, in turn, are both responsible for and worsen many common health problems, including pain, heart disease, digestive disorders, depression, autoimmune disease, and weight gain.
Stress is directly related to increased inflammation. Normally, your body responds to bacterial and viral invaders with inflammation. But when your body is constantly awash with stress hormones, you find chronic inflammation, which impacts the function of major organs and joints.
Both internal and external factors influence stress. Major life changes, issues at school or work, relationship problems, and a too-full schedule are external causes of stress. Worrying, pessimism, thinking too rigidly and inflexibly, doubting yourself, and focusing on being “perfect” cause stress from the inside. As I’ve written before, “Just like all our other environmental inputs—including the food we eat and the air we breathe—our thoughts, beliefs, and relationships can either be healing and supportive, or they can be toxic. And when you’re struggling with getting this central piece of the matrix on track, you can eat all the wonderful foods and take all the wonderful medicines this planet has to offer, but you likely won’t get better. You can become stuck in “dis-ease,” even if your diet and exercise regimen is impeccable, because you’re fueling yourself with toxic thoughts.”
The good news from all of this is that you can control how you respond. You can choose whether or not to dwell on things that make you feel stressed. You can heal yourself from the inside out by adjusting your thought process and bringing more awareness to your mental, emotional, and spiritual state of mind. They say it takes more energy to be negative than it takes to be positive. And that’s definitely true when it comes to stress in your body. True wellness is holistic—it balances mind, body, and spirit.
When I meet with patients who need help managing stress, I let them know about a study my professor at UCLA, Dr. Norman Cousins, had written about. In the study, actors were brought to the health center at UCLA to have blood drawn. After the initial procedure, they were given cards with emotions on them and asked to act out that emotion for twenty minutes. Then their blood was drawn again. The blood drawn the second time resulted in very different immune markers than the blood drawn just twenty minutes before. Actors who’d shown positive emotions had an increase in immune function, while actors with negative emotions showed a decrease in immune function.
So, while you might not be feeling happy and chipper, consider the “fake it ’til you make it” mantra. It’s possible that with just twenty minutes of acting like you feel positive, you can begin to heal yourself and undo some of that internal damage caused by stress. Add the power of positive thinking to a nutritious diet and an active exercise routine and you’re well on your way to vibrant health.
Here is an interesting article regarding stress, disease and our mind connection to it all.....
Stress, Emotional Imbalance, and Disease: The Mind-Body Connection
By Dr. Thomas Sult and Amanda Ronan
At some point in your life, you’ve been stressed. In fact, it’s pretty likely that right now, as you’re reading this article, you’ve got a list going in the back of your mind of everything else you should be doing right now. Our families, friends, coworkers, and bosses all have expectations of us. You have obligations, you make promises, you stretch yourself too thin. And then what happens? Yep. You get sick.
JUST BE WELLA Movement for Seekers of Vibrant Health
As I wrote in Just Be Well: A Book for Seekers of Vibrant Health, “Disease occurs with imbalance, and your chronic stress is probably resulting in imbalanced hormones. Stress increases cortisol, and cortisol can result in insulin resistance. The chain goes on from there: insulin resistance prevents you from burning fat—you burn muscle instead, and the resulting low muscle is associated with poor immune function.”
Stress is the body’s response to threats or demands. When you feel threatened, or like you just can’t keep up, your nervous system floods your body with hormones. Those hormones, in turn, are both responsible for and worsen many common health problems, including pain, heart disease, digestive disorders, depression, autoimmune disease, and weight gain.
Stress is directly related to increased inflammation. Normally, your body responds to bacterial and viral invaders with inflammation. But when your body is constantly awash with stress hormones, you find chronic inflammation, which impacts the function of major organs and joints.
Both internal and external factors influence stress. Major life changes, issues at school or work, relationship problems, and a too-full schedule are external causes of stress. Worrying, pessimism, thinking too rigidly and inflexibly, doubting yourself, and focusing on being “perfect” cause stress from the inside. As I’ve written before, “Just like all our other environmental inputs—including the food we eat and the air we breathe—our thoughts, beliefs, and relationships can either be healing and supportive, or they can be toxic. And when you’re struggling with getting this central piece of the matrix on track, you can eat all the wonderful foods and take all the wonderful medicines this planet has to offer, but you likely won’t get better. You can become stuck in “dis-ease,” even if your diet and exercise regimen is impeccable, because you’re fueling yourself with toxic thoughts.”
The good news from all of this is that you can control how you respond. You can choose whether or not to dwell on things that make you feel stressed. You can heal yourself from the inside out by adjusting your thought process and bringing more awareness to your mental, emotional, and spiritual state of mind. They say it takes more energy to be negative than it takes to be positive. And that’s definitely true when it comes to stress in your body. True wellness is holistic—it balances mind, body, and spirit.
When I meet with patients who need help managing stress, I let them know about a study my professor at UCLA, Dr. Norman Cousins, had written about. In the study, actors were brought to the health center at UCLA to have blood drawn. After the initial procedure, they were given cards with emotions on them and asked to act out that emotion for twenty minutes. Then their blood was drawn again. The blood drawn the second time resulted in very different immune markers than the blood drawn just twenty minutes before. Actors who’d shown positive emotions had an increase in immune function, while actors with negative emotions showed a decrease in immune function.
So, while you might not be feeling happy and chipper, consider the “fake it ’til you make it” mantra. It’s possible that with just twenty minutes of acting like you feel positive, you can begin to heal yourself and undo some of that internal damage caused by stress. Add the power of positive thinking to a nutritious diet and an active exercise routine and you’re well on your way to vibrant health.
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