Positive thinking yields positive results....

I have always said that energy flows where attention goes and thoughts are also energy and if we think positively, we will attract more positivity and the reverse is also true regarding negative thoughts creating more negativity in our lives. Dr Thomas Sult did a great article regarding positive thinking and I wish to share it with you......

"Research Shows that Positive Thinking Yields Positive Outcomes

How do you approach your day? Are you a glass half-full or glass half-empty kind of person? The way you think can affect not just your mood but also your health.

Negative thinking (i.e., I'm never going to get this report finished! or Why do I always blow my diet?) evokes emotions like fear and anger. When that happens, the body releases the stress hormone, cortisol. Over a period of time, high or sustained levels of cortisol can cause blood sugar imbalances, high blood pressure and impaired cognitive functions.

But look on the bright side: studies show that positive thinking can provide significant health benefits including decreased feelings of loneliness, increased pain tolerance, and general better long-term health.

Thinking positively isn't about ignoring reality. It's about living proactively. One study showed that when people who thought negatively had a problem, they felt helpless. People who thought positively were more likely to believe in their ability to problem solve and take action to eliminate the problem.

So, want to put on a pair of rose-colored glasses, but don't know how?

Start small. Begin with the way you talk to yourself. Instead of "This is so hard, I can't do it!" think: "This is hard, but I can do it if I take my time and go step by step." Or even, "It's okay for it to be hard, but I'll keep trying."

In a recent Huffington Post article, author Brandi Megan Granett outlined words she plans to stop using in her quest to think more positively. They include: should, have to, can't and never.

"Should" implies guilt as in "I should diet," while "have to" implies a total lack of control in the situation, as in, "I have to go to work." Although you may not love dieting or working—or the alternatives—it is still a choice that you've made. Embrace that this is your choice instead of lamenting the lack of more preferable ones.

"Can't" and "Never" indicate complete unwillingness to try. "I can't lose weight," sends a much more self-defeating message than "I've struggled to lose weight before." Or change "I could never eat gluten-free" to "I wonder what foods would satisfy me in a gluten-free diet?" Both revised statements leave the door open for change.

If you want to think more positively, start with even the small, daily thoughts. Consistently reframing them can have a big impact, helping you live with optimism and hope."

Sources:
Peterson, Christopher; Seligman, Martin E.; Vaillant, George E.; Pessimistic explanatory style is a risk factor for physical illness: A thirty-five-year longitudinal study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 55(1), Jul, 1988. pp. 23-27.
Peterson, C. (2000). The future of optimism. American Psychologist, 55, 44–55.
Solberg Nes, L. S., & Segerstrom, S. C. (2006). Dispositional optimism and coping: A meta-analytic review. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 10, 235–251.



Research Article

Dispositional optimism and loneliness in older men†

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Volume 27,  Issue 2, pages 151–159, February 2012

Background
Dispositional optimism, defined as a generalized tendency to positive outcome expectancies, is associated with well-being and successful aging. However, it remains unclear whether optimism is also correlated to less feelings of loneliness over time. We aimed to determine whether dispositional optimism is prospectively associated with less feelings of loneliness, independently of potential confounders inherent to the aging process.

Methods
We observed 416 older men aged between 70 and 89 years (mean 74.9 years, standard deviation [SD] 4.7 years) within the population-based Zutphen Elderly Study during 10 years of follow-up. Baseline dispositional optimism was assessed using a four-item questionnaire. The presence of feelings of loneliness, the main outcome of our study, was assessed using the 11-item loneliness scale of De Jong Gierveld in the years 1990, 1993, 1995, and 2000. The association between baseline dispositional optimism and loneliness over time was tested by using multilevel regression analysis and by adjusting for potential confounders (i.e. age, living arrangement, social contacts, widowhood, memberships, self-rated health, and depressive symptoms).

Results
Feelings of loneliness significantly increased during 10 years of follow-up but showed temporal stability (reliability coefficient 0.78). Low baseline dispositional optimism was strongly associated with loneliness over time, also in the adjusted analysis. A 1 SD increase in baseline dispositional optimism was associated with a 0.14 SD (95% confidence interval 0.04–0.23) lower level of loneliness (F1,320 = 7.8; p = 0.006).

Conclusions
Dispositional optimism is correlated to lower feelings of loneliness over time in older men, independently of depression or changes in social network. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Does alcohol Change gut microflora?

Does Alcohol Change Gut Microflora and is the Change Reversible?

A recent review published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics showed alcohol consumption adversely altered gut microbiota and could lead to negative impacts on the liver.

It is well known that alcohol intake directly and adversely affects the liver, but more recently, it has also been clinically shown to impact the gastrointestinal microbiota. To better elucidate this relationship the authors utilized the PubMed data base, to identify and review data from research articles addressing this topic.

The studies that the authors identified showed alcohol reduces gastrointestinal mobility possibly by inducing bacterial overgrowth in the gut. Alcohol may also reduce innate immune function which may impact types of bacteria present in the gut and lead to gut infections by suppression of a Th-1 response.

Recent research indicates that modifying gut microbiota by use of probiotics therapy may be a viable therapy to reduce liver injury and stop the progression of alcoholic liver disease. Numerous clinical trials examining probiotic supplementation in patients with alcoholic liver disease have shown improvement in liver enzymatic function and metabolism. Past research also indicates administration of probiotics decreases oxidative damage, and improves immune response to enteric pathogens. This is a promising area of research that needs further study to examine specific probiotic strains and duration of therapy necessary to help mitigate liver damage and potentially reverse damage from excessive alcoholic consumption.

Why is this clinically relevant?

• Chronic alcohol intake leads to hepatic damage
• Gut microbiota are altered by excessive alcohol consumption
• Modulating gut flora may be a promising way to reverse liver damage and prevent disease progression in patients with alcoholic liver disease
• Administration of probiotics for patients with alcoholic liver disease may help improve immune function and prevent oxidative damage

Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2015 May;41(10):917-27. doi: 10.1111/apt.13164. Epub 2015 Mar 23.

Review article: Alcohol and gut microbiota - the possible role of gut microbiota modulation in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease.

Vassallo G1, Mirijello A, Ferrulli A, Antonelli M, Landolfi R, Gasbarrini A, Addolorato G.

Author information

Abstract

BACKGROUND: 

Alcohol abuse represents the most common cause of liver disease in the Western countries. Pre-clinical and clinical studies showed that alcohol consumption affects amount and composition of gut microbiota. Moreover, gut flora plays an important role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver injury.

AIM: 

To review the relationship between alcohol administration and changes on gut microbiota, its involvement in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease, and how gut microbiota modulation could be a target for the treatment of alcoholic liver disease.

METHODS: 

Articles were identified using the PubMed database with the search terms 'Alcohol', 'Gut Microbiota', 'Alcoholic liver disease', 'Probiotic', 'Prebiotic', 'Symbiotic' and 'Antibiotic'. English-language articles were screened for relevance. Full review of publications for the relevant studies was conducted, including additional publications that were identified from individual article reference lists.

RESULTS: 

Alcohol abuse induces changes in the composition of gut microbiota, although the exact mechanism for this alteration is not well known. The translocation of bacterial products into the portal blood appears to play a key role in alcohol-induced liver damage. Several studies show that the modulation of gut microbiota seem to be a promising strategy to reduce alcohol-induced liver injury.

CONCLUSIONS: 

Further studies are needed to better understand the relationship between alcohol administration and changes in gut microbiota, and its involvement in alcoholic liver disease. Moreover larger studies are needed to confirm the preliminary results on the therapeutic effects of gut microbiota modulation.

© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PMID:

 

25809237

  

DOI:

 

10.1111/apt.13164

Can coconut oil kill you?

There is so much controversial information on the internet by the various organizations that are generally linked to big Pharma. I am here to clear up some details regarding coconut oil, which seems to be the latest natural product in the cross hairs of those who cannot profit from its use as a natural healthy remedy.....

Here is a great article written by Doctor Silverman DC...

Can Coconut Oil Kill You?

The recent headlines about coconut oil say that because it’s higher in saturated fat than beef or lard, it’s bad for you. “You’ll drastically increase the chances of cardiovascular disease if you eat it because saturated fat raises cholesterol, which leads to heart disease and mortality!” 

That kind of warning comes from the American Heart Association (AHA)—a powerful organization that continues to promote the mythical direct link between saturated fat and heart disease.

We know from the research that saturated fat can in fact raise your cholesterol. However, it raises it in a good way. Evidence has shown if your LDL cholesterol contains a lot of small, dense particles and you also have high triglycerides, then you’re setting the stage for heart disease. Those small, dense particles come from a diet that’s high in carbs and low in fat. Reduce your carbohydrate consumption and increase the good quality fats, your cholesterol particle ratio of bad to good will almost certainly improve.

However, if your LDL cholesterol is mostly made up of large, fluffy particles and your triglycerides are low, your risk of heart disease is much lower. What makes the difference between dangerous small, dense LDL particles and safer LDL isn’t the amount of saturated fat you eat.  

In fact, study after study shows that your fat and cholesterol intake have almost no impact on your blood cholesterol. It’s the amount of sugar. The AHA estimates that the average person eats 20 teaspoons of sugar a day. Sugar raises your LDL cholesterol, lowers your HDL cholesterol, and increases your triglycerides. It has been shown to increase insulin resistance and trigger inflammation. In fact, an important study in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2014 proved conclusively that high sugar consumption is closely linked to death from heart disease—and that link is far closer than it is for cholesterol, smoking, hypertension, or any other risk factors. That is the statistic-- about the dangers to your heart and your health--is where the real headline scare should be.

 

There’s no need to avoid saturated fat as long as it comes from a healthy, plant-based source. Coconut oil is definitely preferable to cheap, highly processed vegetable oils that have had their nutrients stripped away. Coconut oil has other health benefits as well. The main fatty acid in coconut oil is lauric acid, which has well-known antibiotic, anti-microbial, and anti-viral benefits. Coconut oil also helps stabilize blood sugar and helps soothe digestive upsets. Eating a lot of coconut oil does, indeed, raise your cholesterol levels--in a positive way by raising HDL (the good cholesterol), lowering triglycerides, and lowering the amount of small LDL particles.

So go ahead. Use coconut oil in your cooking.

 

Dr. Robert G. Silverman is a chiropractic doctor and clinical nutritionist and author of, “Inside-Out Health: A Revolutionary Approach to Your Body,” (Lioncrest Publishing, 2016), an Amazon No. 1 bestseller in 2016. The ACA Sports Council named Silverman Sports Chiropractor of the Year in 2015. He also maintains a busy private practice as founder of Westchester Integrative Health Center, which specializes in the treatment of joint pain using functional nutrition along with cutting-edge, science-based, nonsurgical approaches. Silverman is a seasoned health and wellness expert on both the speaking circuits and within the media.

Your relationship with self creates wonderful relationships around you...

I love this post by Louise Hay and have been working on self love and love for my body on a daily basis. The saying..."treat those as you treat yourself" can be terrible if you tend to treat yourself badly, so saying treat those as you wish to be treated is a better way, because we all wish to be treated with love, respect, kindness and compassion. This does however start with self. Start treating yourself with love and loving kindness and you will soon treat the world the same way and the world will treat you with loving kindness and respect. It truly is the energy you project into the word that comes back to you multiplied...


"We have relationships with everything. You are even having a relationship now with what you’re reading and with me and my concepts. The relationships you have with objects and foods and weather and transportation and with people, all reflect the relationship you have with yourself. The relationship you have with yourself is highly influenced by the relationships you had with the adults around you as a child. The way the adults reacted to us is often the way we react toward ourselves now, both positively and negatively. 


Think for a moment of the words you use when you are scolding yourself. Aren’t they the same words your parents used when they were scolding you? What words did they use when they praised you? I’m sure you use the same words to praise yourself. Perhaps they never praised you, so then you have no idea how to praise yourself and probably think you have nothing to praise. I am not blaming our parents because we are all victims of victims. They could not possibly teach you anything they did not know. 

If you want to go from loneliness thinking to fulfillment thinking, then you need to think in terms of creating a loving mental atmosphere within you and around you. 

When you’re able to contribute to the fulfillment of your own needs, then you won’t be so needy and codependent. It has to do with how much you love yourself. When you truly love who you are, you stay centered, calm, and secure, and your relationships at home (as well as at work) are wonderful. You’ll find yourself reacting to various situations and people differently. Matters that once may have been desperately important won’t seem quite as crucial anymore. New people will enter your life, and perhaps some old ones will disappear. This can be kind of scary at first, but it can also be wonderful, refreshing, and exciting. 

Once you’re clear about this issue in your mind, and you know what you want in a relationship, you must go out and be with people. No one is going to suddenly appear at your doorstep. A good way to meet people is in a support group or night class. These types of get-togethers enable you to connect with people who are like-minded or who are involved in the same pursuits. It’s amazing how quickly you can meet new friends. 

Be open and receptive, and the Universe will respond to you, bringing you your highest good. "