Whenever medication is prescribed for accute or chronic pain, the instructions are to wait until you know how your body reacts to medication, before driving. Millions of individuals depend on such treatment just to be able to function with their daily routings.
One important factor to remember is that just because it's legal and given to you does not mean that it's legal to drive with it. The law here in Arizona, for instance, is more stringently prosecuted involving, pain, antidepressants, anxiety medications than even alcohol.
While a breath test is usually administered to see how much alcohol is in one's system before prosecuting one for a DUI, that is not the case with prescription drugs. All it takes is an law officer to suspect something's in ones system to get trial to begin. It takes just a little amount of medication to get one sentenced for a DUI. Impoundment of vehicle, going to jail, license terminated, and the cost of legal fees are all involved.
Something seems totally wrong with the law regarding this. Why doesn't the law, and prosecutors take in consideration why the drugs are in your system to begin with? Shouldn't there be some test to read if one is above or below their prescribed dosage?
Another factor is that alcohol takes far less time to escape the body than pain meds. That means one doesn't have to have taken that medication on that day, or several days prior, to be found guilty of a DUI in the court of law.
I'm saying enough is enough! Let's do some brain storming and see what we can come up with to change this nonsense. One possibility is to bring this up to congress, or the AMA committee. It's our health that should be the number one priority to address, in all issues involved. If the law is going to be so harsh, then they should have the tests, and a responsible reason before slapping the hand cuffs on and prosecuting. DUI is not just a light sentence, it's one that will stick on one's record like super glue, and, in some cases, even threaten a career.
Got any ideas? I would love to hear from you.
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Hey, don't leave me in the dark! Leave a little comment here for me. Did you like it? Hate it? Do you have anything else in mind? Let me know, right here. It's very easy: just click on the "comments" link immediately below. I would love to hear from you. :)
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Belief System and Health
Psychologists generally list one of the most important factors in physical health as BELIEF. Belief influences all voluntary behavior. The only usual difference between the winner and the loser (in life), for instance, is what exists "between the ears"–the belief system. Hence, the adage, "It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog."
A patient’s attitude is so important to surgeons that many of them will delay a major operation until they become convinced that the patient is reasonably optimistic about the outcome. At the same time, it is important to note that patients can jeopardize their own health care by becoming too optimistic about their health status, which can lead to neglecting that care.
Optimism can be divided into two types, each having differing health implications. The more positive type relates to an individual’s sense of the ability to overcome any obstacle, any challenge that may arise. While this may seem a good start, the more extreme variety may lead to a form of denial, the inability to acknowledge symptoms or threats to well-being.
The other type, the defensive type, not only lacks benefit, but can actually enhance a health risk. Coming from the sense of helplessness, its most severe form can lead to tragic consequences, such as the phenomena of "unexplained" deaths of people who believed themselves in hopeless circumstances. In some cases, for example, persons died after ingesting toxic substances, of which the amounts were often too small even to make them sick.
In addition, numerous studies have shown a marked correspondence between increased health problems and the amount of stress from multiple life changes, such as joblessness, relocation, bereavement, divorce, death in the family, and so forth.
Health effects are much more prominent among persons already having low self-esteem. However, even dramatic events on the good side can have harmful effects on people not expecting them.
The point is that the individual does not always have a realistic grasp in the actual physical condition. Therefore, people generally consider four components in their decision-making process in seeking medical help and following advice: identity, time line, consequences, and cause of the disease. Their perceptions can actually be skewed by existent psychological factors and, principally, their belief systems.
Therefore, beliefs comprise the most influential factors on health. The problem is, the belief system comes from within, and an individual cannot just simply choose to believe. This is where it may become necessary to seek help. At this point, it may be advisable to do so.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey, don't leave me in the dark! Leave a little comment here for me. Did you like it? Hate it? Do you have anything else in mind? Let me know, right here. It's very easy: just click on the "comments" link immediately below. I would love to hear from you. :)
A patient’s attitude is so important to surgeons that many of them will delay a major operation until they become convinced that the patient is reasonably optimistic about the outcome. At the same time, it is important to note that patients can jeopardize their own health care by becoming too optimistic about their health status, which can lead to neglecting that care.
Optimism can be divided into two types, each having differing health implications. The more positive type relates to an individual’s sense of the ability to overcome any obstacle, any challenge that may arise. While this may seem a good start, the more extreme variety may lead to a form of denial, the inability to acknowledge symptoms or threats to well-being.
The other type, the defensive type, not only lacks benefit, but can actually enhance a health risk. Coming from the sense of helplessness, its most severe form can lead to tragic consequences, such as the phenomena of "unexplained" deaths of people who believed themselves in hopeless circumstances. In some cases, for example, persons died after ingesting toxic substances, of which the amounts were often too small even to make them sick.
In addition, numerous studies have shown a marked correspondence between increased health problems and the amount of stress from multiple life changes, such as joblessness, relocation, bereavement, divorce, death in the family, and so forth.
Health effects are much more prominent among persons already having low self-esteem. However, even dramatic events on the good side can have harmful effects on people not expecting them.
The point is that the individual does not always have a realistic grasp in the actual physical condition. Therefore, people generally consider four components in their decision-making process in seeking medical help and following advice: identity, time line, consequences, and cause of the disease. Their perceptions can actually be skewed by existent psychological factors and, principally, their belief systems.
Therefore, beliefs comprise the most influential factors on health. The problem is, the belief system comes from within, and an individual cannot just simply choose to believe. This is where it may become necessary to seek help. At this point, it may be advisable to do so.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey, don't leave me in the dark! Leave a little comment here for me. Did you like it? Hate it? Do you have anything else in mind? Let me know, right here. It's very easy: just click on the "comments" link immediately below. I would love to hear from you. :)
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Great News!
Hi everyone! After a number of health challenges of my own, I’m back.
Before I say anything, I want to express that I’m just horribly saddened and outraged by the tragedy suffered by our brethren in Norway. I sincerely pray that God be with the families of the victims there. What happened is just impossibly beyond reason. I suggest we all remember them in our prayers.
I do have a happy announcement. During my hiatus, I became certified as a Life Coach. A Life Coach helps people to develop plans of action so they can realize their goals and achieve their dreams in life.
I believing people already have abundant resources within themselves,and I can help them to identify the strategies than have helped them to become successful in other areas of their lives and to dig out and erase the hidden saboteurs that are keeping them from achieving their desires.
If given the proper guidance and direction, you can achieve that quality of empowerment over your talents and abilities, which you already have in abundance--I don't care who you are. I don't do anything with you that you can't do alone . . . IF you know how to do it. That's the key. And even if you do, acquiring trained assistance can enable you in leveraging your gifts and talents faster than you could ever do it alone.
Of course, I already have been doing much of that with my clients, but now more people can become aware of just what all I do.
I don't often use this blog just to advertise my services, but I am so excited about this I can barely contain myself. To tell the truth, nothing--but NOTHING--makes me happier than assisting people in achieving their dreams and experiencing the joy and fulfillment in their lives that many of my clients and I have achieved.
If you would like to find out more about what I'm all about and how I can work with you toward these wonderful objectives, give me a call at 520-495-4235. Or you can email me at Lora@fastmail.net.
Meanwhile, we're working on my new website. I'll be looking forward to your visit when we get it up!
Before I say anything, I want to express that I’m just horribly saddened and outraged by the tragedy suffered by our brethren in Norway. I sincerely pray that God be with the families of the victims there. What happened is just impossibly beyond reason. I suggest we all remember them in our prayers.
I do have a happy announcement. During my hiatus, I became certified as a Life Coach. A Life Coach helps people to develop plans of action so they can realize their goals and achieve their dreams in life.
I believing people already have abundant resources within themselves,and I can help them to identify the strategies than have helped them to become successful in other areas of their lives and to dig out and erase the hidden saboteurs that are keeping them from achieving their desires.
If given the proper guidance and direction, you can achieve that quality of empowerment over your talents and abilities, which you already have in abundance--I don't care who you are. I don't do anything with you that you can't do alone . . . IF you know how to do it. That's the key. And even if you do, acquiring trained assistance can enable you in leveraging your gifts and talents faster than you could ever do it alone.
Of course, I already have been doing much of that with my clients, but now more people can become aware of just what all I do.
I don't often use this blog just to advertise my services, but I am so excited about this I can barely contain myself. To tell the truth, nothing--but NOTHING--makes me happier than assisting people in achieving their dreams and experiencing the joy and fulfillment in their lives that many of my clients and I have achieved.
If you would like to find out more about what I'm all about and how I can work with you toward these wonderful objectives, give me a call at 520-495-4235. Or you can email me at Lora@fastmail.net.
Meanwhile, we're working on my new website. I'll be looking forward to your visit when we get it up!
Friday, May 13, 2011
A Successful Surgery May Depend on This . . .
A surgical patient’s attitude is so important to surgeons that many of them will delay a major operation until they become convinced that the patient is reasonably optimistic about the outcome. At the same time, it is important to note that the patients can jeopardize their own health care by becoming too optimistic about their health status, which can lead to neglecting that care.
It seems that perhaps the trait of optimism, regarding health issues, should be divided into two types, each having differing health implications. The more positive type relates to an individual’s sense of efficacy, or the ability to overcome any obstacle, any challenge that may arise. While this may seem a good start, the more extreme variety may lead to a form of denial, the inability to acknowledge symptoms or threats to well-being.
The more negative type, the defensive type, not only lacks benefit, but can actually enhance a health risk. This type would include optimistic bias, or the inability to apply a health risk to one’s self.
A deficit in the positive type, coming from the sense of helplessness, in its most severe forms, can lead to tragic consequences. Researchers all point to the phenomena of "unexplained" deaths of people who have believed themselves in hopeless circumstances. In some cases, for example, persons died after ingesting toxic substances, of which the amounts were often too small even to make them sick. Numerous other studies have shown a marked correspondence between increased health problems and the amount of stress from multiple life changes (for example, unemployment, relocation, bereavement, divorce, death in the family).
The point is that individuals do not always have a realistic grasp in their actual physical conditions. Their perceptions can actually be skewed by present psychological factors, which can alter their belief systems.
The moral of the story: Don’t undervalue the benefits of pre-surgical counseling. It has been known to be a matter of life and death.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey, don't leave me in the dark! Leave a little comment here for me. Did you like it? Hate it? Do you have anything else in mind? Let me know, right here. It's very easy: just click on the "comments" link immediately below. I would love to hear from you. :)
It seems that perhaps the trait of optimism, regarding health issues, should be divided into two types, each having differing health implications. The more positive type relates to an individual’s sense of efficacy, or the ability to overcome any obstacle, any challenge that may arise. While this may seem a good start, the more extreme variety may lead to a form of denial, the inability to acknowledge symptoms or threats to well-being.
The more negative type, the defensive type, not only lacks benefit, but can actually enhance a health risk. This type would include optimistic bias, or the inability to apply a health risk to one’s self.
A deficit in the positive type, coming from the sense of helplessness, in its most severe forms, can lead to tragic consequences. Researchers all point to the phenomena of "unexplained" deaths of people who have believed themselves in hopeless circumstances. In some cases, for example, persons died after ingesting toxic substances, of which the amounts were often too small even to make them sick. Numerous other studies have shown a marked correspondence between increased health problems and the amount of stress from multiple life changes (for example, unemployment, relocation, bereavement, divorce, death in the family).
The point is that individuals do not always have a realistic grasp in their actual physical conditions. Their perceptions can actually be skewed by present psychological factors, which can alter their belief systems.
The moral of the story: Don’t undervalue the benefits of pre-surgical counseling. It has been known to be a matter of life and death.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey, don't leave me in the dark! Leave a little comment here for me. Did you like it? Hate it? Do you have anything else in mind? Let me know, right here. It's very easy: just click on the "comments" link immediately below. I would love to hear from you. :)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Precautions re Mammograms and Dental XRays: A Useful Warning . . .
I don’t watch a lot of TV. Really, it’s a waste of my time, and I don’t feel the need to be entertained all that much. Oh, it’s not that I don’t enjoy myself. I do. But I guess my tastes just go generally away from the boob tube.
However, one of the programs I watch regularly is Dr. Oz, which provides a great many tips on general health.
A month ago, for instance, Dr. Oz had a show on the fastest growing cancer in women: thyroid cancer. It was a very interesting program, and he mentioned that the increase could possibly be related to the uses of dental x-rays and mammograms.
Dr. Oz demonstrated that on the apron the dentist puts on you for your dental x-rays there is a little flap that can be lifted up and wrapped around your neck. Many dentists don't bother to use it. Also, there is something called a "thyroid guard" for use during mammograms.
By coincidence, I had my yearly mammogram. I felt a little silly, but I asked about the guard and sure enough, the technician had one in a drawer. I asked why it wasn't routinely used. Answer: "I don't know. You have to ask for it."
Well, if I hadn't seen the show, how would I have known to ask? Let's keep our guard up, shall we?
However, one of the programs I watch regularly is Dr. Oz, which provides a great many tips on general health.
A month ago, for instance, Dr. Oz had a show on the fastest growing cancer in women: thyroid cancer. It was a very interesting program, and he mentioned that the increase could possibly be related to the uses of dental x-rays and mammograms.
Dr. Oz demonstrated that on the apron the dentist puts on you for your dental x-rays there is a little flap that can be lifted up and wrapped around your neck. Many dentists don't bother to use it. Also, there is something called a "thyroid guard" for use during mammograms.
By coincidence, I had my yearly mammogram. I felt a little silly, but I asked about the guard and sure enough, the technician had one in a drawer. I asked why it wasn't routinely used. Answer: "I don't know. You have to ask for it."
Well, if I hadn't seen the show, how would I have known to ask? Let's keep our guard up, shall we?
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Saving Up Gratefulness . . .
Here is a little anecdote I ran across in my email. I thought it fitting:
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.
"I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.
"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room," replied the nurse. "Just wait."
"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged. It's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.
"It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice: I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
"Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and a new beginning. And I've stored away, just for this time in my life.
"Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank.
"I am still depositing."
Lora's seven simple rules to be happy:
1. Pray to God that your heart be cleansed to free your heart from hatred.
2. Pray to God that your mind be cleansed to free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply. Appreciate the blessings that have been given.
4. Give more. Do at least three good deeds a day.
5. Expect less. Give from the goodness of your heart.
6. Don't forget to feed the most important feeding, from the Holy Spirit through God's word.
7. Be grateful for your blessings. If you cannot find something to be grateful for, think on those who are not as blessed as you are. The world is filled with them.
Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans.
- Lora
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.
"I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.
"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room," replied the nurse. "Just wait."
"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged. It's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.
"It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice: I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
"Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and a new beginning. And I've stored away, just for this time in my life.
"Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank.
"I am still depositing."
Lora's seven simple rules to be happy:
1. Pray to God that your heart be cleansed to free your heart from hatred.
2. Pray to God that your mind be cleansed to free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply. Appreciate the blessings that have been given.
4. Give more. Do at least three good deeds a day.
5. Expect less. Give from the goodness of your heart.
6. Don't forget to feed the most important feeding, from the Holy Spirit through God's word.
7. Be grateful for your blessings. If you cannot find something to be grateful for, think on those who are not as blessed as you are. The world is filled with them.
Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans.
- Lora
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Stress and Time Management
Health behaviors are actions taken by people to enhance or maintain their health. Good health behaviors can be defined by listing seven behaviors: (1) sufficient sleep, (2) abstinence from smoking, (3) eating breakfast every day, (4) moderation in alcohol consumption, (5) regular exercise, (6) foregoing snacks between meals, and (7) being no more than 10 percent overweight. Although most people practice some health behaviors, most omit at least a few others. One such is time management.
Time Management
Time management is an integral part of stress management. It includes planning, setting, and prioritizing goals. One of the most useful and effective tools for time management that I have seen and used is the maintenance of an individual, daily "to do" list. If I list everything I can think of, there is no way, of course, that I can get to it all. However, if I prioritize that list, then go down it in that order, then I can be sure I will accomplish the most important tasks. This takes a substantial amount of stress off me.
What I do is to sit down the evening before and list everything I can think of that I would like to do, or should do, the next day. Then I prioritize the first five items from the most important or urgent down to the last. I find that if I get through all five items, I have usually put in a full day. If I don’t get through them all, however, I have achieved the items that are first on priority.
It is amazing what a relief from stress this can achieve. It is certainly worth a try, wouldn’t you say?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey, don't leave me in the dark! Leave a little comment here for me. Did you like it? Hate it? Do you have anything else in mind? Let me know, right here. It's very easy: just click on the "comments" link immediately below. I would love to hear from you. :)
Time Management
Time management is an integral part of stress management. It includes planning, setting, and prioritizing goals. One of the most useful and effective tools for time management that I have seen and used is the maintenance of an individual, daily "to do" list. If I list everything I can think of, there is no way, of course, that I can get to it all. However, if I prioritize that list, then go down it in that order, then I can be sure I will accomplish the most important tasks. This takes a substantial amount of stress off me.
What I do is to sit down the evening before and list everything I can think of that I would like to do, or should do, the next day. Then I prioritize the first five items from the most important or urgent down to the last. I find that if I get through all five items, I have usually put in a full day. If I don’t get through them all, however, I have achieved the items that are first on priority.
It is amazing what a relief from stress this can achieve. It is certainly worth a try, wouldn’t you say?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey, don't leave me in the dark! Leave a little comment here for me. Did you like it? Hate it? Do you have anything else in mind? Let me know, right here. It's very easy: just click on the "comments" link immediately below. I would love to hear from you. :)
Friday, December 24, 2010
The Story Behind the Star Spangled Banner
I'm jumping way off topic on this one, I realize. But I think in this case it is forgivable. These were some of the best nine minutes and some seconds I have ever spent . . .
Sincerely,
Lora
Sincerely,
Lora
Thursday, December 23, 2010
12 Compelling Reasons to Ditch Stress from Your Life
Here is an excellent article the nutritional side of Stress I found on Mercola.com. Reproduced with permission.
In this interview, Marc David, an expert in the psychology of eating, talks about the important role stress plays in digestion.
I'm sure you received many valuable health tips from this small segment of the expert interview. To hear the full version of this and other interviews I do with world-renowned health experts is easy...
Simply sign up for the affordable Mercola Inner Circle and receive them monthly, with zero effort on your part. Take this small step -- and take control of your health – 2,250 other Mercola Inner Circle members can't be wrong!
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
This video clip of my Inner Circle expert interview with Marc David exposes the tremendous impact stress can have on your digestion, and in turn your weight and overall health.
Marc is the founder and director of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, and has written two excellent books on this topic: The Slow Down Diet: Eating for Pleasure, Energy, and Weight Loss, and Nourishing Wisdom: A Mind-Body Approach to Nutrition and Well-Being.
The fact is, you can't separate your wellness from your emotions. Every feeling you have affects some part of your body. And stress can wreak havoc even if you’re doing everything else “right.”
What is “Stress”?
The classic definition of stress is “any real or imagined threat, and your body’s response to it.” Celebrations and tragedies alike can cause a stress response in your body. Some stress is unavoidable. Some mild forms of stress can even be helpful in some situations.
But a stressor becomes a problem when:
* Your response to it is negative.
* Your feelings and emotions are inappropriate for the circumstances.
* Your response lasts an excessively long time.
* You’re feeling continuously overwhelmed, overpowered or overworked.
It’s important to realize that all your feelings create physiological changes. Your skin, heart rate, digestion, joints, muscle energy levels, the hair on your head, and countless cells and systems you don't even know about change with every emotion.
Marc notes that Americans, in general, tend to eat under a state of stress and anxiety. While under stress, your heart rate goes up, your blood pressure rises, and blood is shunted away from your midsection, going to your arms, legs, and head for quick thinking, fighting, or fleeing.
All of these changes are referred to as the physiological stress response.
Under those circumstances, your digestion completely shuts down. So a major problem with eating while your body is under the stress response is that you could be eating the healthiest food in the world, yet you won’t be able to fully digest and assimilate that food, and your body will not be able to burn calories effectively.
How the Stress Response Affects Your Digestion and Health
The stress response causes a number of detrimental events in your body, including:
* Decreased nutrient absorption
* Decreased oxygenation to your gut
* As much as four times less blood flow to your digestive system, which leads to decreased
metabolism
* Decreased enzymatic output in your gut – as much as 20,000-fold!
Many nutrients are also excreted during stress, particularly:
* Water-soluble vitamins
* Macrominerals
* Microminerals
* Calcium (calcium excretion can increase as much as 60 to 75 mg within an hour of a stressful event)
As if that’s not enough, your cholesterol and triglycerides also go up, while gut flora populations decrease. You’re also more likely to experience increased sensitivity to food and gastroesophageal reflux, or heartburn.
But perhaps most importantly, when your body is under the stress response, your cortisol and insulin levels rise.
These two hormones tend to track each other, and when your cortisol is consistently elevated under a chronic low-level stress response, you’ll likely notice that you have difficulty losing weight or building muscle.
Additionally, if your cortisol is chronically elevated, you’ll tend to gain weight around your midsection. We’ve known for some time that body fat, and especially visceral fat (the fat that gathers around your internal organs, around your midsection) is a major contributing factor to developing diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
The bottom line?
When you eat under stress, your body is in the opposite state of where you need to be in order to digest, assimilate nutrients, and burn calories.
Everyday Stress Relief
There’s no doubt that finding ways to relieve your everyday stress is an important, if not essential, aspect of optimizing your health. All the organics in the world can’t help you if your body can’t assimilate the nutrients you put into it.
Stress is a serious factor in the illness of nearly all of the patients seen at my clinic. Because in addition to everything mentioned above, stress also plays a major role in your immune system, and can impact your:
* Blood pressure
* Cholesterol
* Brain chemistry
* Blood sugar levels
* Hormonal balance
You cannot eliminate stress entirely, but you can work to provide your body with tools to compensate for the bioelectrical shortcircuiting that can cause serious disruption in many of your body's important systems. By using techniques such as meridian tapping, you can reprogram your body’s reactions to the unavoidable stressors of everyday life.
But there are many other strategies you can employ to help you deal with stress and unwind each day, including:
* Exercise. Studies have shown that during exercise, tranquilizing chemicals (endorphins) are released in your brain. Exercise is a natural way to bring your body pleasurable relaxation and rejuvenation.
* Proper sleep
* Meditation (with or without the additional aid of brain wave synchronization technology)
I also highly recommend you read the book Feelings Buried Alive Never Die. If you’re experiencing any type of physical or emotional challenge in any aspect of your life, this book does a great job of explaining feelings: what they are, how you experience them, how they are integral to your physical health, and, most importantly, how to work with and overcome those that are pulling you down.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey, don't leave me in the dark! Leave a little comment here for me. Did you like it? Hate it? Do you have anything else in mind? Let me know, right here. It's very easy: just click on the "comments" link immediately below. I would love to hear from you. :)
In this interview, Marc David, an expert in the psychology of eating, talks about the important role stress plays in digestion.
I'm sure you received many valuable health tips from this small segment of the expert interview. To hear the full version of this and other interviews I do with world-renowned health experts is easy...
Simply sign up for the affordable Mercola Inner Circle and receive them monthly, with zero effort on your part. Take this small step -- and take control of your health – 2,250 other Mercola Inner Circle members can't be wrong!
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
This video clip of my Inner Circle expert interview with Marc David exposes the tremendous impact stress can have on your digestion, and in turn your weight and overall health.
Marc is the founder and director of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, and has written two excellent books on this topic: The Slow Down Diet: Eating for Pleasure, Energy, and Weight Loss, and Nourishing Wisdom: A Mind-Body Approach to Nutrition and Well-Being.
The fact is, you can't separate your wellness from your emotions. Every feeling you have affects some part of your body. And stress can wreak havoc even if you’re doing everything else “right.”
What is “Stress”?
The classic definition of stress is “any real or imagined threat, and your body’s response to it.” Celebrations and tragedies alike can cause a stress response in your body. Some stress is unavoidable. Some mild forms of stress can even be helpful in some situations.
But a stressor becomes a problem when:
* Your response to it is negative.
* Your feelings and emotions are inappropriate for the circumstances.
* Your response lasts an excessively long time.
* You’re feeling continuously overwhelmed, overpowered or overworked.
It’s important to realize that all your feelings create physiological changes. Your skin, heart rate, digestion, joints, muscle energy levels, the hair on your head, and countless cells and systems you don't even know about change with every emotion.
Marc notes that Americans, in general, tend to eat under a state of stress and anxiety. While under stress, your heart rate goes up, your blood pressure rises, and blood is shunted away from your midsection, going to your arms, legs, and head for quick thinking, fighting, or fleeing.
All of these changes are referred to as the physiological stress response.
Under those circumstances, your digestion completely shuts down. So a major problem with eating while your body is under the stress response is that you could be eating the healthiest food in the world, yet you won’t be able to fully digest and assimilate that food, and your body will not be able to burn calories effectively.
How the Stress Response Affects Your Digestion and Health
The stress response causes a number of detrimental events in your body, including:
* Decreased nutrient absorption
* Decreased oxygenation to your gut
* As much as four times less blood flow to your digestive system, which leads to decreased
metabolism
* Decreased enzymatic output in your gut – as much as 20,000-fold!
Many nutrients are also excreted during stress, particularly:
* Water-soluble vitamins
* Macrominerals
* Microminerals
* Calcium (calcium excretion can increase as much as 60 to 75 mg within an hour of a stressful event)
As if that’s not enough, your cholesterol and triglycerides also go up, while gut flora populations decrease. You’re also more likely to experience increased sensitivity to food and gastroesophageal reflux, or heartburn.
But perhaps most importantly, when your body is under the stress response, your cortisol and insulin levels rise.
These two hormones tend to track each other, and when your cortisol is consistently elevated under a chronic low-level stress response, you’ll likely notice that you have difficulty losing weight or building muscle.
Additionally, if your cortisol is chronically elevated, you’ll tend to gain weight around your midsection. We’ve known for some time that body fat, and especially visceral fat (the fat that gathers around your internal organs, around your midsection) is a major contributing factor to developing diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
The bottom line?
When you eat under stress, your body is in the opposite state of where you need to be in order to digest, assimilate nutrients, and burn calories.
Everyday Stress Relief
There’s no doubt that finding ways to relieve your everyday stress is an important, if not essential, aspect of optimizing your health. All the organics in the world can’t help you if your body can’t assimilate the nutrients you put into it.
Stress is a serious factor in the illness of nearly all of the patients seen at my clinic. Because in addition to everything mentioned above, stress also plays a major role in your immune system, and can impact your:
* Blood pressure
* Cholesterol
* Brain chemistry
* Blood sugar levels
* Hormonal balance
You cannot eliminate stress entirely, but you can work to provide your body with tools to compensate for the bioelectrical shortcircuiting that can cause serious disruption in many of your body's important systems. By using techniques such as meridian tapping, you can reprogram your body’s reactions to the unavoidable stressors of everyday life.
But there are many other strategies you can employ to help you deal with stress and unwind each day, including:
* Exercise. Studies have shown that during exercise, tranquilizing chemicals (endorphins) are released in your brain. Exercise is a natural way to bring your body pleasurable relaxation and rejuvenation.
* Proper sleep
* Meditation (with or without the additional aid of brain wave synchronization technology)
I also highly recommend you read the book Feelings Buried Alive Never Die. If you’re experiencing any type of physical or emotional challenge in any aspect of your life, this book does a great job of explaining feelings: what they are, how you experience them, how they are integral to your physical health, and, most importantly, how to work with and overcome those that are pulling you down.
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Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Emotions: Are We Responsible for Them?
The most basic feelings we experience include not only emotions, but motives such as hunger and sexual drive. The two phenomena (emotions and motives) are closely related. Emotions can activate and direct behavior much the same as do basic motives. Emotions may also accompany motivated behavior: Sex, for example, is not only a powerful motive, but also a potential source of joy.
Similar as they are, they need to be distinguished. The most common basis for distinguishng between them assumes that emotions are triggered from the outside, and motives from within. That is not to say that emotions are activated from without, but that emotions are usually aroused by external events and then are directed back toward those events. Motives, conversely, are often aroused by internal events, then directed toward objects in the environment. Another distinction between the two is that emotions invariably activate the autonomic nervous system, whereas motives typically do not. These distinctions, however, are not absolute. The sight of food, for instance, can trigger the motive of hunger, whereas severe hunger can arouse emotions. Nonetheless, for the reasons that they are so different and so similar, to discuss either intelligently, emotions and motives must be separated as issues.
Traditional arguments surrounding emotions should be irrelevant to any analysis of emotions; an emotion is neither a sensation nor a physiological occurrence. Nor is it an occurrence of any other kind; it does not simply “happen.” Emotions are rational and purposive. Emotions are actions. The individual chooses to emote, whether on a conscious or subconscious level, much as the individual chooses a course of action. It always makes sense to praise or blame a person for either contributing to a situation that incites an emotion or for having the emotion itself. A person can be blamed for unjustified anger, for instance, or praised for courage.
Human beings share a strong emotional commitment to the feeling of free will, and to feeling that they are free to act any way they choose. Choice or control, illusory or not, is crucial to human motivational systems and feelings of well-being.
(Taken from "Emotions by Choice" (2001) by Lora Morrow)
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Similar as they are, they need to be distinguished. The most common basis for distinguishng between them assumes that emotions are triggered from the outside, and motives from within. That is not to say that emotions are activated from without, but that emotions are usually aroused by external events and then are directed back toward those events. Motives, conversely, are often aroused by internal events, then directed toward objects in the environment. Another distinction between the two is that emotions invariably activate the autonomic nervous system, whereas motives typically do not. These distinctions, however, are not absolute. The sight of food, for instance, can trigger the motive of hunger, whereas severe hunger can arouse emotions. Nonetheless, for the reasons that they are so different and so similar, to discuss either intelligently, emotions and motives must be separated as issues.
Traditional arguments surrounding emotions should be irrelevant to any analysis of emotions; an emotion is neither a sensation nor a physiological occurrence. Nor is it an occurrence of any other kind; it does not simply “happen.” Emotions are rational and purposive. Emotions are actions. The individual chooses to emote, whether on a conscious or subconscious level, much as the individual chooses a course of action. It always makes sense to praise or blame a person for either contributing to a situation that incites an emotion or for having the emotion itself. A person can be blamed for unjustified anger, for instance, or praised for courage.
Human beings share a strong emotional commitment to the feeling of free will, and to feeling that they are free to act any way they choose. Choice or control, illusory or not, is crucial to human motivational systems and feelings of well-being.
(Taken from "Emotions by Choice" (2001) by Lora Morrow)
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Monday, November 22, 2010
Take Care of Yourself . . .
If you make a difference in one individuals life, you've accomplished a lot. Why not make that one individual yourself? I use this saying with many of my clients. Most don't understand the meaning at first. I explain that it's not about being selfish, it is about sharing. How one thinks and believes about oneself is a reflection one how one treats others.
Sayings such as "To thy self be true" and "Do unto others as you have them do unto you" are just a couple examples that indicate that our lives begin and end from what we become and who we are from within.
First, we must accept the wonderful gifts that God has given us. Once we do that, we can honestly begin to be thankful. By being thankful we can put what we have been given toward good works.
Make a list of how blessed you really are, then each day after make it a point to add to the list. Soon you will experience growth, just like the list that is in front of you. Graditude will change attitude. So today and everyday, give thanks for what God has given to you, and go out and use it. Beware, if you don't use it, you will lose it.
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Sayings such as "To thy self be true" and "Do unto others as you have them do unto you" are just a couple examples that indicate that our lives begin and end from what we become and who we are from within.
First, we must accept the wonderful gifts that God has given us. Once we do that, we can honestly begin to be thankful. By being thankful we can put what we have been given toward good works.
Make a list of how blessed you really are, then each day after make it a point to add to the list. Soon you will experience growth, just like the list that is in front of you. Graditude will change attitude. So today and everyday, give thanks for what God has given to you, and go out and use it. Beware, if you don't use it, you will lose it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Free Video Reveals #1 Secret On Absolutely Conquering Stress Today! Click Here Now!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tips On Dealing Effectively With Stress
Sometimes it seems as if life is a series of losses--the loss of a spouse, the loss of a job, the loss of a brother. You may realize you need to take time to grieve all of these losses. But what you may not realize is that such losses can also lead to chronic stress--a great deal of it. To remain emotionally healthy, you must learn to deal effectively with stress induced by traumatic life events.
For instance, you might decide to delay a major decision such as the purchase of a new home until you've successfully battled the stress from your divorce. Or you may decide to wait before taking a new job until you've dealt with the stress from your wedding. This self awareness can enable you to reduce your stress level and to maintain your equilibrium as you go through life’s struggles.
One of the healthiest things you can do is to draw up a list of stress causing life events and post it in a place where your entire family can see it. That way, you'll have a constant reminder of just what you're up against. This can also serve to encourage your family at a time of great heartache. Family members will be able to see that the event is a normal part of life–one that many other families face. As a result, they'll be able to put the event in perspective.
Another important thing to do is to verbalize your feelings about a stressful event. Talk to your mate, your parents, a friend, or your pastor. If you feel as if there's simply no one to confide in, you might consider therapy.
Talking about your feelings is an important part of the healing process, and will enable you to deal with the stress much more efficiently. Another good option is to commit your feelings to writing. Keep a journal and use it to express your innermost thoughts. You might be surprised by how therapeutic this can be.
Another important strategy is simply to "take it slow." Don't hurry when making major life decisions, particularly when you are faced with a crisis. Recognize that most things in life do not require instantaneous decisions. You have the luxury of time, so use it to your full advantage. In the end, you'll be happy you've taken the time to think things through, rather than making rash decisions. If you're in a "calm mode," you'll also be better able to handle the stress of difficult situations.
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For instance, you might decide to delay a major decision such as the purchase of a new home until you've successfully battled the stress from your divorce. Or you may decide to wait before taking a new job until you've dealt with the stress from your wedding. This self awareness can enable you to reduce your stress level and to maintain your equilibrium as you go through life’s struggles.
One of the healthiest things you can do is to draw up a list of stress causing life events and post it in a place where your entire family can see it. That way, you'll have a constant reminder of just what you're up against. This can also serve to encourage your family at a time of great heartache. Family members will be able to see that the event is a normal part of life–one that many other families face. As a result, they'll be able to put the event in perspective.
Another important thing to do is to verbalize your feelings about a stressful event. Talk to your mate, your parents, a friend, or your pastor. If you feel as if there's simply no one to confide in, you might consider therapy.
Talking about your feelings is an important part of the healing process, and will enable you to deal with the stress much more efficiently. Another good option is to commit your feelings to writing. Keep a journal and use it to express your innermost thoughts. You might be surprised by how therapeutic this can be.
Another important strategy is simply to "take it slow." Don't hurry when making major life decisions, particularly when you are faced with a crisis. Recognize that most things in life do not require instantaneous decisions. You have the luxury of time, so use it to your full advantage. In the end, you'll be happy you've taken the time to think things through, rather than making rash decisions. If you're in a "calm mode," you'll also be better able to handle the stress of difficult situations.
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Friday, November 5, 2010
What's the Big Deal With Stress?
Numerous medical and psychological studies have shown that a large percentage of visits to doctor's offices are because of acute or chronic stress.
Stress is a normal process we use to appraise and attempt to cope with emotional threats and challenges. Stressors--events and situations--may be blamed for the uncomfortable effects of stress. But the way we perceive stressors determines whether stress is experienced as a panic or a challenge. While normal stress protects the body in times of threat, prolonged stress may potentially damage the body, including the brain.
When a stressful situation occurs, the body reacts with an outpouring of hormones, such as adrenaline, cortisol, and others. These hormones increase heart rate and respiration, send more blood to skeletal muscles, dull pain, stimulate the immune system, and turn sugar and fat into energy.
The stress response is the normal mechanism for addressing stressors in the body and the mind. In most cases, this response occurs for a limited time to aid the individual in dealing with a specific situation, then the body returns to its normal, relatively non-stressed state.
Sometimes, however, the presence of sustained stressors--abuse, combat, perceived unrealistic pressures, illness, anger-producing situations--can have markedly damaging effects on the body and the brain. Studies have showen that a prolonged flood of stress hormones can actually cause shrinking in certain areas of the brain, particularly in the hippocampus.
A major role of the hippocampus is in memory. It is not unusual for persons with prolonged stress to report forgetfulness and difficulty learning. A hopeful discovery is that certain portions of the hippocampus can recover once the stress response is reversed.
Since catastrophes, life changes, conflicts, and the myriad things that produce a stress reaction are a part of most people's lives, it is how we learn to interpret and control stressors that is crucial.
Coping with Stress
Exercise strengthens the body. It can reduce the experience of stress, depression, and anxiety. Dozens of scientific studies have demonstrated the relationship between exercise and mood. Exercise promotes arousal and relaxation, and improves quality of sleep. These conditions help the body recover from the stress response.
Relaxation through meditation, biofeedback, and a variety of other activities and techniques promotes lower blood pressure, slower respiration, reduced metabolism and muscle tension. These counteract the effects of stress.
Social contacts, friends, and family relationships can help in creating emotional trust, support, and relaxation. Even caring for a pet can provide significant emotional comfort that helps reduce stress.
Attitudes of confidence, positive ability to solve problems, and balance allow the cycle of stress response to resolve now and then instead of being sustained.
Healthy lifestyle–for example, abstinence from smoking, moderate use of alcohol, balanced nutrition and weight control, and slowing down and taking time to smell the roses–can promote a sense of peace and control over one's life. Stress is often related to the anxiety caused by a feeling of being out of control.
If one finds oneself in an ongoing state of stress, it may take qualified, outside help to put these measures into effective action. In this case, I heartily recommend it. It would surely beat the dangerous alternative.
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Stress is a normal process we use to appraise and attempt to cope with emotional threats and challenges. Stressors--events and situations--may be blamed for the uncomfortable effects of stress. But the way we perceive stressors determines whether stress is experienced as a panic or a challenge. While normal stress protects the body in times of threat, prolonged stress may potentially damage the body, including the brain.
When a stressful situation occurs, the body reacts with an outpouring of hormones, such as adrenaline, cortisol, and others. These hormones increase heart rate and respiration, send more blood to skeletal muscles, dull pain, stimulate the immune system, and turn sugar and fat into energy.
The stress response is the normal mechanism for addressing stressors in the body and the mind. In most cases, this response occurs for a limited time to aid the individual in dealing with a specific situation, then the body returns to its normal, relatively non-stressed state.
Sometimes, however, the presence of sustained stressors--abuse, combat, perceived unrealistic pressures, illness, anger-producing situations--can have markedly damaging effects on the body and the brain. Studies have showen that a prolonged flood of stress hormones can actually cause shrinking in certain areas of the brain, particularly in the hippocampus.
A major role of the hippocampus is in memory. It is not unusual for persons with prolonged stress to report forgetfulness and difficulty learning. A hopeful discovery is that certain portions of the hippocampus can recover once the stress response is reversed.
Since catastrophes, life changes, conflicts, and the myriad things that produce a stress reaction are a part of most people's lives, it is how we learn to interpret and control stressors that is crucial.
Coping with Stress
Exercise strengthens the body. It can reduce the experience of stress, depression, and anxiety. Dozens of scientific studies have demonstrated the relationship between exercise and mood. Exercise promotes arousal and relaxation, and improves quality of sleep. These conditions help the body recover from the stress response.
Relaxation through meditation, biofeedback, and a variety of other activities and techniques promotes lower blood pressure, slower respiration, reduced metabolism and muscle tension. These counteract the effects of stress.
Social contacts, friends, and family relationships can help in creating emotional trust, support, and relaxation. Even caring for a pet can provide significant emotional comfort that helps reduce stress.
Attitudes of confidence, positive ability to solve problems, and balance allow the cycle of stress response to resolve now and then instead of being sustained.
Healthy lifestyle–for example, abstinence from smoking, moderate use of alcohol, balanced nutrition and weight control, and slowing down and taking time to smell the roses–can promote a sense of peace and control over one's life. Stress is often related to the anxiety caused by a feeling of being out of control.
If one finds oneself in an ongoing state of stress, it may take qualified, outside help to put these measures into effective action. In this case, I heartily recommend it. It would surely beat the dangerous alternative.
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Monday, November 1, 2010
Shadows on the Wall . . .
There once was a little girl named Sissy. She was like any other little girl her age. Sissy was a pretty girl with long, curly hair. But one thing stood out and ruined everything: Sissy had epilepsy. This caused her to have seizures. She would fall down and shake, then wet her pants. The other little children always made fun of her. They did not understand why she did those things.
Sissy could never remember what had happened. So she could not understand why they treated her so badly. All she knew is that she wanted other little girls and boys to like her. Yet nobody wanted to give Sissy a chance. This was worse than any thing else.
No matter how she tried, Sissy could not find a friend at school. She was always the last one chosen to a team in her P.E. class. Lunch period was even worse. Sissy would sit at a table, only to watch the others move to another one. Sissy was left to eat alone. During recess, Sissy sat off to the side as others laughed and played games. Many laughs were directed at her. Yet the smiles from the other faces put a smile on her own. This made her content as she witnessed their fun. But she often asked herself, "Why doesn't anyone like me?"
Sissy tried to get answers from her classmates. But the answer would not come. Nobody would tell her why. Sissy took the last resort. She went home and asked her mother the same question: "Why doesn't anyone like me?" Her mother replied, "You are just hard to get along with." Her mother's answer left Sissy even more confused. This led Sissy into her bedroom with tears in her eyes. No matter how sad she felt Sissy would not give up. She needed to find out why. Besides, Sissy knew that someday the answer would come.
Suddenly, Sissy looked up from her pillow. A shadow was dancing on the bedroom's wall. She felt comforted, no longer all alone. The shadows became her friends. Sissy came up with an idea. By using her hand the shadows could be any shape or form. They patted her on the shoulder. They rubbed her head when it hurt.
Sissy could share anything with her shadowy friends because they listened to her. Her seizures did not cause them to stop liking her. They were always there for her when she needed them. The warmth, filling her room, dried her tears and made her feel better.
Sissy no longer had to ask, "Why doesn't anyone like me?" Now, Sissy had friends to laugh and play with. The shadows turned the sadness into happiness. Her new friends gave her a chance. They gave her love. They made her feel special. Sissy's new friends would never turn away. They would be friends for life.
Sissy's friends showed her how to love others. When others treated Sissy badly she would love them anyway. The feeling of love was all around. Sissy got to where she could handle her seizures.
The answer to her question helped her to understand more about herself. Sissy realized that she was different. She also learned that everyone was different. Sissy no longer had to rely on others. She could rely on her heart. Her love made her heart grow. It kept growing. Sissy learned to be there for others. Her smile put smiles on other's faces.
As she kept growing Sissy's illness did not matter. Sissy even came across others where the seizures did not matter. More people began to not turn away, but instead wanted to stay. Many became her friends also.
All this started with the shadows on the wall. They became her friends and they were willing to give her a chance. Sissy learned what friendship was all about. She learned that just because someone is different does not mean they cannot be a friend. And Sissy's shadowy friends taught her that everyone deserves a chance.
Before jumping to conclusions, take a moment and find out more about one another. The best gift we can give each other is a friendship that lasts, and understanding will help make this happen. Love is no good unless it is shared. And when it is shared it keeps growing from that time on. Remember I need you; you need me; we need each other to share with.
(Retrieved from "Shadows on the Wall" by Lora Morrow, 2001.)
Sissy could never remember what had happened. So she could not understand why they treated her so badly. All she knew is that she wanted other little girls and boys to like her. Yet nobody wanted to give Sissy a chance. This was worse than any thing else.
No matter how she tried, Sissy could not find a friend at school. She was always the last one chosen to a team in her P.E. class. Lunch period was even worse. Sissy would sit at a table, only to watch the others move to another one. Sissy was left to eat alone. During recess, Sissy sat off to the side as others laughed and played games. Many laughs were directed at her. Yet the smiles from the other faces put a smile on her own. This made her content as she witnessed their fun. But she often asked herself, "Why doesn't anyone like me?"
Sissy tried to get answers from her classmates. But the answer would not come. Nobody would tell her why. Sissy took the last resort. She went home and asked her mother the same question: "Why doesn't anyone like me?" Her mother replied, "You are just hard to get along with." Her mother's answer left Sissy even more confused. This led Sissy into her bedroom with tears in her eyes. No matter how sad she felt Sissy would not give up. She needed to find out why. Besides, Sissy knew that someday the answer would come.
Suddenly, Sissy looked up from her pillow. A shadow was dancing on the bedroom's wall. She felt comforted, no longer all alone. The shadows became her friends. Sissy came up with an idea. By using her hand the shadows could be any shape or form. They patted her on the shoulder. They rubbed her head when it hurt.
Sissy could share anything with her shadowy friends because they listened to her. Her seizures did not cause them to stop liking her. They were always there for her when she needed them. The warmth, filling her room, dried her tears and made her feel better.
Sissy no longer had to ask, "Why doesn't anyone like me?" Now, Sissy had friends to laugh and play with. The shadows turned the sadness into happiness. Her new friends gave her a chance. They gave her love. They made her feel special. Sissy's new friends would never turn away. They would be friends for life.
Sissy's friends showed her how to love others. When others treated Sissy badly she would love them anyway. The feeling of love was all around. Sissy got to where she could handle her seizures.
The answer to her question helped her to understand more about herself. Sissy realized that she was different. She also learned that everyone was different. Sissy no longer had to rely on others. She could rely on her heart. Her love made her heart grow. It kept growing. Sissy learned to be there for others. Her smile put smiles on other's faces.
As she kept growing Sissy's illness did not matter. Sissy even came across others where the seizures did not matter. More people began to not turn away, but instead wanted to stay. Many became her friends also.
All this started with the shadows on the wall. They became her friends and they were willing to give her a chance. Sissy learned what friendship was all about. She learned that just because someone is different does not mean they cannot be a friend. And Sissy's shadowy friends taught her that everyone deserves a chance.
Before jumping to conclusions, take a moment and find out more about one another. The best gift we can give each other is a friendship that lasts, and understanding will help make this happen. Love is no good unless it is shared. And when it is shared it keeps growing from that time on. Remember I need you; you need me; we need each other to share with.
(Retrieved from "Shadows on the Wall" by Lora Morrow, 2001.)
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Most touching thing I've seen since "Born Free"
READ THIS BEFORE WATCHING THE VIDEO:
THIS WOMAN IN THE VIDEO FOUND THIS LION INJURED IN THE FOREST READY TO DIE.
SHE TOOK THE LION WITH HER AND NURSED THE LION BACK TO HEALTH. WHEN THE LION WAS BETTER SHE MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH A ZOO TO TAKE THE LION AND GIVE IT A NEW AND HAPPY HOME.
THIS VIDEO WAS TAKEN WHEN THE WOMAN AFTER SOME TIME WENT TO GO VISIT THE LION TO SEE HOW HE WAS DOING.
WATCH THE LION'S REACTION WHEN HE SEES HER. AMAZING!!!!!
(Video and description retrieved from YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFMzzlU3Tts).
THIS WOMAN IN THE VIDEO FOUND THIS LION INJURED IN THE FOREST READY TO DIE.
SHE TOOK THE LION WITH HER AND NURSED THE LION BACK TO HEALTH. WHEN THE LION WAS BETTER SHE MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH A ZOO TO TAKE THE LION AND GIVE IT A NEW AND HAPPY HOME.
THIS VIDEO WAS TAKEN WHEN THE WOMAN AFTER SOME TIME WENT TO GO VISIT THE LION TO SEE HOW HE WAS DOING.
WATCH THE LION'S REACTION WHEN HE SEES HER. AMAZING!!!!!
(Video and description retrieved from YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFMzzlU3Tts).
"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them" - Isaiah 11:6.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Know Thyself . . .
Behavior is influenced generally by three facets of the self: (1) the actual self (the person’s self-concept); (2) the ideal self (what the person would like to be); and (3) the ought self (the mental representation of what that person should be).
We must be careful, however, with the term "actual." While there is, of course, an actual self, a person seldom arrives at an entirely accurate conclusion to that effect. Self-evaluation is subjective, obscuring the actual self from the person’s awareness.
This difference can delude the individual even in what the individual views as behavior. A particularly quick-tempered individual, for instance, although having the awareness of possessing that form of behavior, may be consciously unaware to what degree it exists. This is an explanation as to why we sometimes don’t really know why we hold an opinion or behaved in a particular way.
This form of self-delusion can also carry over how one views oneself, that is, one’s self-concept.
The late Earl Nightingale once asked a very wealthy friend when it was that he considered himself wealthy. The friend replied, "I was rich when I was dirt poor. My present possessions are only symptoms of the reality." A great deal of research has shown that self-concept may be the basis for all motivated behavior.
Although the terms "self-concept" and "self-esteem" have often been used interchangeably, the two have specific differences. Generally, self-concept composes the learned beliefs, attitudes and opinions that one holds to be true about oneself.
Self-esteem concerns the value the individual places on the self, or how one feels about the self, which is fed by the self-concept. It is, then, in effect, the system of measurement of the components of self-concept.
Self-esteem reflects a desire for strength, achievement, adequacy, mastery, and competence. They get to know themselves. When people know themselves, they can maximize outcomes because they know what they can and cannot do.
As one should be able to see, the path from true self-actualization to a healthy self-esteem can be difficult–almost impossible to achieve by oneself. This is one good reason for psychologists, trained ministers, and other competent counselors. It often can make a dramatic difference in one’s life-–and those lives of one’s loved ones-–to seek such assistance. It has been known to save marriages, careers, and, yes, very lives.
Free Video Reveals #1 Secret On Absolutely Conquering Stress Today! http://www.ConquerStressToday.info
We must be careful, however, with the term "actual." While there is, of course, an actual self, a person seldom arrives at an entirely accurate conclusion to that effect. Self-evaluation is subjective, obscuring the actual self from the person’s awareness.
This difference can delude the individual even in what the individual views as behavior. A particularly quick-tempered individual, for instance, although having the awareness of possessing that form of behavior, may be consciously unaware to what degree it exists. This is an explanation as to why we sometimes don’t really know why we hold an opinion or behaved in a particular way.
This form of self-delusion can also carry over how one views oneself, that is, one’s self-concept.
The late Earl Nightingale once asked a very wealthy friend when it was that he considered himself wealthy. The friend replied, "I was rich when I was dirt poor. My present possessions are only symptoms of the reality." A great deal of research has shown that self-concept may be the basis for all motivated behavior.
Although the terms "self-concept" and "self-esteem" have often been used interchangeably, the two have specific differences. Generally, self-concept composes the learned beliefs, attitudes and opinions that one holds to be true about oneself.
Self-esteem concerns the value the individual places on the self, or how one feels about the self, which is fed by the self-concept. It is, then, in effect, the system of measurement of the components of self-concept.
Self-esteem reflects a desire for strength, achievement, adequacy, mastery, and competence. They get to know themselves. When people know themselves, they can maximize outcomes because they know what they can and cannot do.
As one should be able to see, the path from true self-actualization to a healthy self-esteem can be difficult–almost impossible to achieve by oneself. This is one good reason for psychologists, trained ministers, and other competent counselors. It often can make a dramatic difference in one’s life-–and those lives of one’s loved ones-–to seek such assistance. It has been known to save marriages, careers, and, yes, very lives.
Free Video Reveals #1 Secret On Absolutely Conquering Stress Today! http://www.ConquerStressToday.info
Friday, October 22, 2010
Zig Ziglar - Attitude Makes All The Difference . . .
I recommend this highly. It is one of the best 10 minutes I've ever spent.
Free Video Reveals #1 Secret On Absolutely Conquering Stress Today! http://www.ConquerStressToday.info
Free Video Reveals #1 Secret On Absolutely Conquering Stress Today! http://www.ConquerStressToday.info
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Water and Health . . .
The first thing one must realize when considering water pollution is that, in its natural state, water is not pure. Water in its natural state contains minerals, gases, salts, trace metals, bacteria, and organic and inorganic particles. At naturally low concentrations these items are harmless, and some of the minerals and bacteria are even beneficial. It is when their concentrations become higher that the water becomes contaminated
Humankind’s track record is not good. History shows that, once water comes into contact with humans, it will almost certainly become polluted. Industrial waste dumps, landfills, and other effluents, radioactive wastes, artificial fertilizers, pesticides, sewage effluents, and household toxic wastes all leach into rivers and groundwater supplies and degrade them. Even air pollution, created mostly by humans, of course, contributes to water pollution: Atmospheric pollution mixes with water vapor, forming smog and acid rain.
Of all the different pollutants, one of the most dangerous is lead. Twenty percent of American households still have dangerous levels of lead in their tap water. It is, by far the biggest threat because of the level of impending danger. Children who drink lead-tainted water can incur irreversible brain damage, resulting in diminished I.Q. scores, short attention spans, and other mental problems. Infants born to women who have drunk lead-tainted water have also shown to sustain many of these problems.
Adults can suffer kidney damage, high blood pressure, and brittle bones due to lead poisoning. While an adult’s neurological tissue is less sensitive to lead than that of a child’s, the adult can still sustain brain damage because of the deleterious nature of lead.
Though most people have been exposed to "scare tactics" from persons trying to sell something such as safety equipment, it seems all a person selling water filters or treatment units would have to do is to convey the facts! As part of preventing pollution we must strive to become more familiar with what causes water pollution as well as start to learn about and to use safer alternatives.
Free Video Reveals #1 Secret On Absolutely Conquering Stress Today! http://www.ConquerStressToday.info
Humankind’s track record is not good. History shows that, once water comes into contact with humans, it will almost certainly become polluted. Industrial waste dumps, landfills, and other effluents, radioactive wastes, artificial fertilizers, pesticides, sewage effluents, and household toxic wastes all leach into rivers and groundwater supplies and degrade them. Even air pollution, created mostly by humans, of course, contributes to water pollution: Atmospheric pollution mixes with water vapor, forming smog and acid rain.
Of all the different pollutants, one of the most dangerous is lead. Twenty percent of American households still have dangerous levels of lead in their tap water. It is, by far the biggest threat because of the level of impending danger. Children who drink lead-tainted water can incur irreversible brain damage, resulting in diminished I.Q. scores, short attention spans, and other mental problems. Infants born to women who have drunk lead-tainted water have also shown to sustain many of these problems.
Adults can suffer kidney damage, high blood pressure, and brittle bones due to lead poisoning. While an adult’s neurological tissue is less sensitive to lead than that of a child’s, the adult can still sustain brain damage because of the deleterious nature of lead.
Though most people have been exposed to "scare tactics" from persons trying to sell something such as safety equipment, it seems all a person selling water filters or treatment units would have to do is to convey the facts! As part of preventing pollution we must strive to become more familiar with what causes water pollution as well as start to learn about and to use safer alternatives.
Free Video Reveals #1 Secret On Absolutely Conquering Stress Today! http://www.ConquerStressToday.info
Monday, October 18, 2010
There's a Killer in Your Home . . .
The media has stormed the public with information regarding texting and using cell phones while driving. Thousands have been either killed or injured in such practices. Talk show hosts, such as Opra, can't express the dangers enough. Once one decreases one’s focus while driving, the outcome can become devastating.
There is something else, something very common, that can be just as deadly while driving, and it can be found right in the medicine cabinet.
Now that we're in the cold and flu season, it is best to be up to date on what could happen when treating such conditions, and others. Any medication, over the counter or prescribed, can put you and others at risk. Several thousands of people suffer from pain, depression, and or allergies, and most are taking some form of medication for relief.
The shocking news it that any medication that has effect on making one drowsy, or causing a lack of coherence, can be used against a driver as a DUI. Even if one isn't involved in an accident and is just pulled over, an officer can suspect you are impaired, and the costly battle begins.
It can cost up to $10,000 and more to get an attorney to represent you in such cases. Depending on the situation, it has often taken more than a year to get them resolved. Before the court finds one guilty of the DUI charge, one’s license can be taken away, the vehicle impounded, time served in jail. If it is a felony, one is left with a permanent record. If you are involved in an accident, it doesn't matter what little bit of levels are in your system. YOU ARE GUILTY!
This is not to be taken lightly. It can be an expense of one's job, or even losing needed government benefits. In the professional perspective, it can make it impossible for one to obtain a license in one's field. In other words, it can destroy a career.
Use precautions while taking any medication, either over the counter, or prescribed. Research the side effects, and listen to your body as to how you are reacting to such medication.
Be aware that the law does not treat this lightly. They will prosecute you for a DUI. Better safe than sorry.
Free Video Reveals #1 Secret On Absolutely Conquering Stress Today! http://www.ConquerStressToday.info
There is something else, something very common, that can be just as deadly while driving, and it can be found right in the medicine cabinet.
Now that we're in the cold and flu season, it is best to be up to date on what could happen when treating such conditions, and others. Any medication, over the counter or prescribed, can put you and others at risk. Several thousands of people suffer from pain, depression, and or allergies, and most are taking some form of medication for relief.
The shocking news it that any medication that has effect on making one drowsy, or causing a lack of coherence, can be used against a driver as a DUI. Even if one isn't involved in an accident and is just pulled over, an officer can suspect you are impaired, and the costly battle begins.
It can cost up to $10,000 and more to get an attorney to represent you in such cases. Depending on the situation, it has often taken more than a year to get them resolved. Before the court finds one guilty of the DUI charge, one’s license can be taken away, the vehicle impounded, time served in jail. If it is a felony, one is left with a permanent record. If you are involved in an accident, it doesn't matter what little bit of levels are in your system. YOU ARE GUILTY!
This is not to be taken lightly. It can be an expense of one's job, or even losing needed government benefits. In the professional perspective, it can make it impossible for one to obtain a license in one's field. In other words, it can destroy a career.
Use precautions while taking any medication, either over the counter, or prescribed. Research the side effects, and listen to your body as to how you are reacting to such medication.
Be aware that the law does not treat this lightly. They will prosecute you for a DUI. Better safe than sorry.
Free Video Reveals #1 Secret On Absolutely Conquering Stress Today! http://www.ConquerStressToday.info
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Medical Treatment Depends on Attitude
A patient’s attitude is so important to surgeons that many of them will delay a major operation until they become convinced that the patient is reasonably optimistic about the outcome. At the same time, it is important to note that the patients can jeopardize their own health care by becoming too optimistic about their health status, which can lead to neglecting that care.
It seems that perhaps the trait of optimism, regarding health issues, should be divided into two types, each having differing health implications. The more positive type relates to an individual’s sense of efficacy, of the ability to overcome any obstacle, any challenge that may arise. While this may seem a good start, the more extreme variety may lead to a form of denial, the inability to acknowledge symptoms or threats to well-being.
The defensive type not only lacks benefit, but can actually enhance a health risk. This type would include optimistic bias, or the inability to apply a health risk to one’s self.
A deficit in optimism (the positive type), coming from the sense of helplessness in its most severe forms, can lead to tragic consequences, such as the phenomena of "unexplained" deaths of people who believed themselves in hopeless circumstances.
In some cases, for example, persons died after ingesting toxic substances, of which the amounts were often too small even to make them sick. In addition, numerous studies have shown a marked correspondence between increased health problems and the amount of stress from multiple life changes (for example, unemployment, relocation, bereavement, divorce, death in the family) in a recently preceding period.
Such health effects, however, are much more prominent among persons already having low self-esteem. A surprising revelation was that even dramatic events on the good side can have undesirable effects on people who did not expect them. This tends to lead one to the belief that it is the amount of adjustment following change, or the interpretation of a stressor, that can overtax an individual’s defensive resources.
The point is that the individual does not always have a realistic grasp on the actual physical condition. Therefore, although people generally consider four components in deciding whether to seek medical help and follow advice (identity, time line, consequences, and cause of the disease), their perceptions can actually be skewed by existing psychological factors and, principally, their belief systems.
Because I believe that the interpretation of stressors–those factors causing stress–is the most influential factor on health, the patient must master these techniques before going on to others. The others, then will be addressed accordingly, such as deciding on a purpose in life, educating oneself in the disease that afflicts, diet, etc.
(Notes taken from “Belief and Reality: The Major Lifestyle Issues” (2002) by Lora Morrow)
Free Video Reveals #1 Secret On Absolutely Conquering Stress Today! http://www.ConquerStressToday.info
It seems that perhaps the trait of optimism, regarding health issues, should be divided into two types, each having differing health implications. The more positive type relates to an individual’s sense of efficacy, of the ability to overcome any obstacle, any challenge that may arise. While this may seem a good start, the more extreme variety may lead to a form of denial, the inability to acknowledge symptoms or threats to well-being.
The defensive type not only lacks benefit, but can actually enhance a health risk. This type would include optimistic bias, or the inability to apply a health risk to one’s self.
A deficit in optimism (the positive type), coming from the sense of helplessness in its most severe forms, can lead to tragic consequences, such as the phenomena of "unexplained" deaths of people who believed themselves in hopeless circumstances.
In some cases, for example, persons died after ingesting toxic substances, of which the amounts were often too small even to make them sick. In addition, numerous studies have shown a marked correspondence between increased health problems and the amount of stress from multiple life changes (for example, unemployment, relocation, bereavement, divorce, death in the family) in a recently preceding period.
Such health effects, however, are much more prominent among persons already having low self-esteem. A surprising revelation was that even dramatic events on the good side can have undesirable effects on people who did not expect them. This tends to lead one to the belief that it is the amount of adjustment following change, or the interpretation of a stressor, that can overtax an individual’s defensive resources.
The point is that the individual does not always have a realistic grasp on the actual physical condition. Therefore, although people generally consider four components in deciding whether to seek medical help and follow advice (identity, time line, consequences, and cause of the disease), their perceptions can actually be skewed by existing psychological factors and, principally, their belief systems.
Because I believe that the interpretation of stressors–those factors causing stress–is the most influential factor on health, the patient must master these techniques before going on to others. The others, then will be addressed accordingly, such as deciding on a purpose in life, educating oneself in the disease that afflicts, diet, etc.
(Notes taken from “Belief and Reality: The Major Lifestyle Issues” (2002) by Lora Morrow)
Free Video Reveals #1 Secret On Absolutely Conquering Stress Today! http://www.ConquerStressToday.info
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