How to Get Healthy

Are there many steps to follow on how to get healthy? Being healthy is not about some steps you need to follow. It is not about living on some diet plan and making sure that you follow it religiously every single time of the day. It is about eating the right foods in the right amounts, changing your habits to better fit your lifestyle, doing activities that will keep you physically fit and making sure that all of these have a positive impact on your health.

However, getting and staying healthy is also more than just about the things you do and the food you eat. Sometimes, it is also about making the right decisions, having the right mindset and yearning for the right results. It is more than just wanting to be skinny so you can fit in your jeans. If you want to learn how to get healthy, here are some things that you might want to do first:

1. Stop comparing yourself to anyone else. Weight issues are what pushes many people to start being healthy. Some women want to be skinny as this is what society has made them think is beautiful. Beauty is what you think and see it is. No one can force a standard to you. If you believe in yourself and are not after the aesthetic benefits of being healthy, it would still give you more than enough physical, mental and emotional benefits to keep you going for life.

2. Don't be too serious about it. Things go wrong when people start punishing themselves for eating a bit too much when they are on a diet. They then binge and get worse than where they started. If you ate more than what you're supposed to, let yourself think and reflect, and then promise that you wouldn't do it for as long as you could. You're wrong if you think it does you good when you eat less than what you're supposed to. You're even more wrong if you think you're less of a person because you can't discipline yourself to eat right.

3. Think balance. Balance is always good. If you are planning to make yourself full with a lunch dessert, you need to make sure that it is the only sweet treat you'll have for that day. If you are eating a salty dinner, make sure that none of your other meals or snacks is. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are essential. Instead of counting every calorie you take in, just make sure that you have enough and not too much energy for your daily activities.

There are many easy ways on how to get healthy. However, none of them would be effective if you do not have the time, effort and determination to make "healthy" happen. It helps if you visit your doctor or nutritionist every once in a while, but being healthy would be always more than just about the foods that you eat and the exercises that you do.

If you are looking for information on how to get healthy, click on the link. Or visit lifestylesecretreview.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Erasing Joint Pain: Energy Clearing

Wouldn't it be nice if you could take an eraser and rub out your pain?

Like a pencil mark on a paper, pain is very noticeable. But once you erase that mark, you can forget about it completely. It no longer grabs your attention. And when a pain goes away, we easily forget it was ever there.

But how can you erase a pain?

One way, which is probably the most popular one, is to mask the pain with drugs. But that does not really solve the problem.

Another, which is our subject here, is to remove the cause of the pain and then the pain must vanish.

The Cause of Joint Pain

In order to remove the cause of the pain, you must know the cause of the pain. And this is where it gets interesting!

You may think of the cause of your joint pain as an athletic injury or the repeated stress and microtrauma of sitting at a computer or standing for long hours. You may say you cannot undo the injury and you cannot go back and undo all your years of typing or working on your job. And you can't even stop now or you would lose your job. So how can you remove the cause of the pain?

The Hidden Cause

While you may not be able to stop or reverse the mechanical cause of your pain, there is another approach that can help. There is another cause of pain which usually goes undetected and unaddressed. It is a more subtle cause and so it requires a more subtle technique. But the results are often as dramatic as taking a painkiller.

This hidden cause of much of your pain is conflicted energy. Like static on a radio or a virus on a computer, energy conflict within a system causes that system to fail. It simply cannot function properly. But once you tune in that radio station or clean up those computer files, everything can go back to optimal functioning.

A Viable Alternative

There are many energy workers using a variety of techniques that can help you with your joint pain. They can open the way for true healing in your joints. Find someone who inspires confidence. You will probably do best when you work with someone with whom you resonate well. Once the dynamic life force flows through you in an unconflicted way, you may very well notice an instant diminishment of your pain. In time it can completely disappear. For some, this process is very fast. For others it can take an extended period of time.

Erasing the Pain

The joints of the body create the most exquisite movements of human expression. But when they hurt they can cause some of the most excruciating moments in your life.

When you seek out an energy worker to help you with your joints, you are not masking the pain. You are erasing the pain by correcting the cause. And when you're dancing again, you probably won't even remember the pain at all.

You can experience an energy clearing session first hand. Will it work for you? You now have an opportunity to find out. Get your Free Guest Pass to the next YOFA Energy Clearing Session at InnerAlignmentSessions.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Getting a Healthy Living Make-Over

We all want to be forever young, not necessarily in our actions, but in our physical bodies and our mindset. Hopefully, we don't carry the live forever young philosophy too far and act like children when we're adults. However, having faith as a child and believing that life is good and can be good, even when it sometimes seems bad-is the ticket towards getting a healthy living make-over.

To be in total body health, we need to take care of our three parts. We are a spirit, we have a soul and we live in body. We need to always remember that if one of those parts is not in total health, it will bring the other two parts down as well. Getting a healthy living make-over, begins with getting the right positive mental and spiritual outlook in our lives. Some people look to faith in God as the answer. You need to find your own meaning and purpose to life. Once those two parts of your body are in order, then you need to take a look at the physical side.

We should begin the healthy living make-over by taking our own personal inventory or health assessment. If we're feeling sleep deprived, that could very well be because of stress. The lives we live today are so filled with multiple stressors and we don't know how to organize our daily routines without driving ourselves crazy. On top of that, we need to add daily exercise, at least three times a week, to our schedules. Exercising helps release the endorphins and serotonin which create a sense of overall well-being in our bodies. True, a good workout can create sore muscles, but that's good because you're working your body the right way. However, there's something nice about the satisfaction you get after a good workout.

Ridding our bodies of harmful toxins is a must for a healthy living make-over. Toxins negatively affect our thyroid and can shut down our metabolism. For a natural detox, drinking a cup of hot or cold green tea works really well as a natural detox. Some green tea does have caffeine so drinking it after the evening hours can hinder sleep. We should always pay attention to the labels on our foods.

We should take omega 3 supplements-they stabilize our moods and have few negative side effects. Taking probiotics is also important. They are natural bacteria that help our bodies maintain natural balance of organisms in the intestines. They increase our metabolism and balance our digestive system. Fiber is essential to a healthy diet. Many of us do not get the right amount of fiber in our daily diets. That's why if you don't, then taking a fiber drink or supplements is a good idea. Fiber is essential in lowering bad cholesterol, regulating blood sugar and lowering the risk of heart disease.

Staying hydrating is so vital to healthy living. Water keeps every part of our body working properly each day. It assists in flushing out waste and keeping our body at the right temperature. We lose water every day when we sweat, urinate, breath and have bowel movements. You can survive longer without food, but not that long without water. It's essential to drink enough every day, especially as we exercise and in the hot weather.

Eating a healthy diet is important, but it's also been studied that eating smaller meals, two to four, every day can help stimulate our metabolism and improve our health and body composition. Some people have a very good metabolism and they digest their food and this happens consistently and quickly every time they eat. However, not everyone has this great metabolism. So, if you do eat small meals, it will aid your body in properly digesting your food.

It's easier to let our bodies go and not take care of all our three parts. The harder factor is to live each day with the mindset that a healthy living make-over is obtainable. However, when we live with the mindset that we are taking care of our bodies, this prevention will be the best medicine because we'll be less susceptible to sickness and disease. Prevention is always the best medicine.

Joanne Troppello is an author of romantic suspense novels joannetroppello.weebly.com/blog.html. She is married and loves spending time with her husband and family. Joanne and her husband, John own and operate Mustard Seed Marketing Group, LLC mustardseedmarketinggroup.com, they are Ind. Distributors with Shaklee and they are Empower Network affiliate members. They are network marketing coaches who teach that you don't have to be an SEO guru or a social media specialist to make their system work for you. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Top 7 Benefits of Laughter

Everybody loves a good laugh. It helps us feel good and makes every moment worth remembering. But laughter serves us more than just a good dose of happiness. It actually has long term benefits that prove to be essential in achieving a healthy mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Here are the top seven benefits of laughter.

Lowers blood pressure. Japanese researchers have found that laughter and other elating activities like playing music can help expand blood vessels and lower a person's blood pressure. A lower blood pressure means lower risk of death from heart disease or stroke.

Gives an internal workout. Laughter can be as beneficial as having a workout. It can have effects in the body that is similar to exercise such as toned diaphragm and abdominal muscles, improved cholesterol and blood pressure levels, decreased stress hormones, strengthened immune system and regulated appetite. Overall, the body's response to repetitive laughter is similar to repetitive exercise.

Reduces stress. Laughter reduces stress by acting as a positive outlet or emotional release. It lowers stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine and dopamine and is replaced by health-enhancing hormones like endorphins and neurotransmitters. It also serves as a positive distraction to stressful situations and negative emotions such as anger and depression.

Improved immune system. Stress was proven to weaken the immune system which makes a person more prone to sickness and diseases. But since laughter can reduce stress levels, then it is true that laughter helps the immune system protect the body from infections and reduces the risk of contracting colds.

Increases brain functions. A study in John Hopkins University Medical School shows that laughter and humor increases memory and learning which led to higher test scores. Since laughter helps in relaxing the body and reducing stress it becomes a big contributor to improved mental alertness and creativity.

Relieves pain. Laughter serves as a natural pain killer by becoming a positive distraction thus taking your mind off the pain. It also triggers the release of endorphins, the chemicals in the brain usually found during exercise that makes us feel good.

Social benefits. Laughter also has its social benefits by helping us connect with other people. Just like smiling and kindness, laughter is contagious which helps spread positivity and brings people closer. Laughter can also improve social interactions in stressful environments such as the workplace which reduces stress and improves productivity.

Never underestimate the power of laughter. Like exercise and healthy diet, it is a natural way of making and keeping yourself healthy both mentally, physically and spiritually.

"A day without laughter is a day wasted."
~Charlie Chaplin

For more info visit http://ezhealthmanagement.com/blog/

Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, counsellor, hypnotherapist and life coach in London.

Remote Healing And How It Works

Remote healing can be defined as an effective way to work with someone regardless of their location. This type of healing can also be termed as absent or long distant healing. It is not necessarily you know the person or even talk with them; someone can just pray for a person who is in distress. The internet has been a very helpful tool in facilitating remote healing process by making it easy for us healers to communicate with our patients who may otherwise be unable to travel to receive care because of health or financial issues.

There are scientific evidences that have proven that the phenomena of distance healing work. There are many studies that have been done which point to remote healing. In these studies that have been done, the healing technique has proven to provide effective results in animals, humans, DNA, cells and plants. Daniel J came up with a study that was done on cardiac patients; the study showed patients who were sent prayers improved in their health as compared to those that were not sent. Fred Sicher, Elizabeth Targ and other seven scientists saw that patients who experienced energy from senders showed a great improvement compared to a controlled group that they were experimenting on.

Dr. William Braud after twenty years of research had conducted thirty experiments of more than 650 sessions and came to a conclusion that there is a possibility of the mental process of a person to affect another person in any direction or distance. Also as it has been noted before, the remote healing process can be used with animals. A study was done involving mice and the results were, remote healers were in a position to wake up anesthetized mice much faster than the mice kept in control. All this studies and research is just a taste of remote healing.

Quantum physics together with other detailed studies conducted by doctors and physicists brings a clearer picture on distant healing. The study of quantum physics revealed a person's thoughts have an effect on their lives as well as influences the lives of others, whom they think about. Having said all this, everyone should have positive thoughts about themselves, other people, animals and also plants. It will bring you a positive effect and make others think of you in a positive way as well.

Advantages of the remote Healing

Remote healing can be administered to the adults, infants and children. It can be given to a person on a business trip or on his/her vacation. Remote healing can be used for healing and also provide diagnosis for causes of different symptoms, that many conventional medical systems miss out sometimes, on top of this the treatment is given to you at the most convenient place it can be your home or any other location of your preference. When receiving remote healing, it is good be open minded but not necessary as the effects haven either way, something that has been misunderstood. So whether you belie it or not, you can benefit from having distant energy healing.

Grab the latest energy Healing and Quantum Mind Power Secrets, Techniques and Frequency Activations at http://www.quantumreprogramming.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, hypnotherapist, counsellor and life coach in London.

How Subliminal Messages Works

Since Ancient Greece, researchers theorised about the existence of subliminal perception. After being the willing hijack victim of Science Fiction, subliminal perception remains very misunderstood. The internet is awash with strange misinformation from seemingly authoritative sources.

During the late 1980s, a lot of clinical research was produced that showed subliminal messaging to be a potential treatment of anxiety related conditions and an effective self-help tool for enhancing natural aptitude.

Unlike Western chemical medicines, researchers could not demonstrate how subliminal messages work. It was only when the subliminal messages were observed in action using MRI technology that a full and credible argument could be made (Kouider, Dehaene, Jobert & Le Bihan, 2007).

Research had demonstrated how subliminal messages are unconsciously received and processed as words within the brain (Malik, Krasney, Aldworth & Ladd, 1996). Research shifted from proving the reality of subliminal perception to seeking methods to enhance its effectiveness.

So how does subliminal messaging work? Let us explore the process using the example of weight loss programming. Here, subliminal messages are designed to change an individual's relationship with food and alter the emotional triggers of excessive calorie intake.

These are disguised to the listener's conscious mind, through either video and/or audio manipulation. The reason for this is to bypass the conscious mind. The conscious mind, to be useful to man, is very critical and inflexible. It enjoys being right and thinking through things rationally and logically.

If it were told "Hey you're healthy now," it will draw on evidence to support or refute the assertion. It may well reply, "You can't just say that. I always eat too much Pizza. Hey, you don't even know me!"

The unconscious mind in contrast is capable of a far broader perception - it sees and hears far more information. It need not be selective of the information it receives as it can process a lot more of it per second. By exploiting loopholes in conscious perception, affirmations are not decoded consciously but freely enter the ever welcoming unconscious mind unhindered. Through repetition, the unconscious mind begins to accept the affirmations and explore new decision sets and new ways of thinking. The unconscious mind draws upon its lateral thinking, flexibility and creativity to interpret the information it is presented with.

But it is here where the misinformation creeps in. Subliminal perception does not trigger a magical process whereby an individual can listen to the programming then automatically shed the pounds. Cognition, like voyages of discovery and home cooking cannot be outsourced. In truth, subliminal perception only refers to the one way communication of information.

Information received through subliminal perception is no more in control of behaviour, than the unconscious world of dreams. The decisions which lead to life changes remain firmly in the territory of the conscious mind and are part of the normal decision making process.

So if subliminal messages do not control behaviour - what's going on? Understanding what is going on requires a little more subtlety. Subliminal programming such as those produced by Subliminal Today are aimed at alter decision sets and reinforcing through affirmation, specific aspects of self-perception.

In order to achieve this, NLP is used to crystallise a complete and meaningful idea by addressing a cluster of related concepts. In our weight loss example, these may be healthy living, natural food, longevity, benefits of feeling healthier and the route to achieving the associated positive emotions.

In essence the messages convince us at unconscious to consider "Hey, I am a healthy person, and capable of making healthy decisions." This idea is held 'front of mind' long enough for the individual begins to make healthier decisions more often. The mind has an opportunity to observe these new tendencies, feel good about the choices made, experience the benefits and consciously choose to alter self-perception. There is no stronger psychological principle than Cogito ergo sum - I think therefore I am.

Kouider, S., Dehaene, S., Jobert, A., & Le Bihan, D. (2007) Cerebral Bases of Subliminal and Supraliminal Priming during Reading. Cerebral Cortex, 17, 2019 - 2029.

Malik R., Krasney M.S., Aldworth, B., & Ladd H.W. (1996). Effects of subliminal symbiotic stimuli on anxiety reduction. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 6, 771-784.

Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, counselling hypnotherapist and life coach in London.

The Stress of Following a Weight Loss Program Could Be Fattening

When you are trying to follow a really intensive weight loss program your life can become very stressful. You have to think about all of the places you go to eat, what type of foods you are allowed, how much of any type of food are you allowed, and is the restaurant you are eating dinner at tonight going to let you have the Chef's Special without sauces, butter or any other integral part of the recipe? What is more alarming that incurring a chef's displeasure though, is that the stress you are putting yourself through so you can lose a few (or a lot of) pounds, can be making it harder for you to lose weight at all.

Stress can contribute to increased weight gain in three major ways. Firstly studies have shown that many people are prone to eat comfort foods (those yummy things you eat when you feel a bit down, and that have no nutritional value at all) when they are feeling stressed. If you eat to feel better then you are going to be compromising your weight loss efforts.

A second way that stress can cause you to gain weight is that stress causes your body to release the hormone Cortisol. Cortisol is only released in the body during times of stress or danger to help divert your body's resources to the places where it is needed the most for fight or flight. Unfortunately when cortisol is raging around your blood system your body is going to store the energy taken from the foods you eat and store it into fat in case it needs that energy at a later stage. A second problem with this issue is that the body doesn't know the difference between your stress at being stuck in a traffic jam and your stress from meeting up with an uncaged tiger.

The third issue with stress is found in people who live a totally stressful life from one day to the next. Whether the stress is real or imagined, the human body will respond in the same way. If Cortisol is being released virtually every day over time the body starts to build a protective layer of solid belly fat around the major organs. While the body feels it is protecting you, solid belly fat can signal some major health problems if the fat reaches a level where it starts to impede the normal functions of these organs.

For more information on how stress can be making you fat look for "The Happiness Diet: How to lose weight quickly and with a minimum of fuss" by Lisa Oliver on Amazon.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, hypnotherapist, counsellor and life coach in London.

Carrying On With Joy and Peace

Every day is an anniversary of the passing of a loved one - whether it is ours, a friend's, or someone we do not even know or have a relationship with. The loved one can be a person, a beloved animal companion or a place that we no longer call home that may still be dear to us. Well meaning people may tell us to just 'carry on' or 'move on' and we wonder how it is that we can accomplish this in the face of such grief.

While there is no disputing the usual stages of grief, and we must make time for that process; there is a time that we move from grief to a space that is different and yet just as powerful in its capacity to encompass emotion and energy. The old saying 'carrying on' can take form of a new meaning to utilize this new and dynamic space.

We can choose with intention to Carry On with Joy, Peace and Love. This new and dynamic Carrying On leaves behind the tired, old and worn out energy of 'carrying on' or 'moving on' that many are accustomed to feeling. We accomplish this by bringing the energy and memory of our loved ones into our heart spaces and then we can allow Carrying On to bring us to a space of renewal. In this way we can allow ourselves to find peace and joy in each moment knowing that our loved ones are safe within our heart space.

This type of Carrying On also celebrates the age-old cycle of life and death in that it brings renewal back full circle to us after the dormant stage - just as it does in all of nature. Our renewal encompasses our loved ones as we move forward with the knowledge that they reside with us in spirit rather than 'being left behind'. With certainty, this process is as unique as there are individuals in terms of timing and the ebb and flow of cycles. This too can be completed with a measure of peace if we so allow.

Within the space of Carrying On with Peace & Joy there is also a measure of honor. We honor both our loved ones and our true inner essence by our intention to live life to its fullest extent being centered in the present moment. Within the present moment we will always find our true essence and its natural connection with divine presence in our lives.

Enjoyed this resource? Deidre Lin invites you to read more about the art of Healthy Lifestyles for mind, body and spirit at http://www.transformx.com.

Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, counselling hypnotherapist and life coach in London.

Health and Wellness 101

A vast difference exists between the words health and wellness. While most people consider these words to convey similar meanings, their definitions vary considerably. Health, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is defined as, "the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit; especially freedom from physical disease or pain." More simply put, health is a conditional state. A person can be in good health or bad health, based on their physical and emotional symptoms.

As well, a person can alter the condition of their health by changing their habits for better or for worse. For example, if a person is considered unhealthy due to a weight problem or high blood pressure, they can start exercising, eating a healthy diet, and changing poor lifestyle habits. If this person eventually loses weight and lowers their blood pressure, the doctor may declare that they are now in good health. However, the term health is conditional. This person can easily slip back into a state of unhealthiness by returning to the habits that got them there in the first place.

On the other hand wellness is defined as, "the quality or state of being in good health, especially as an actively sought goal." Wellness, unlike health which is conditional, is a continuous state of optimal health that is maintained through persistent effort. If health and wellness were designated as running terms, health would be a sprint and wellness a marathon. Wellness, like health, does account for the physical, emotional, and spiritual state of a person. However, wellness primarily refers to a person's continual effort to strive for peak performance and overall well-being in the physical, emotional, and spiritual realms.

It is for this reason that corporate wellness plans are essential to a company's long-term success. Workplace health programs do not just promote employee health, but also stress the importance of wellness-a continuous state of health and well-being. The benefits of long-term employee health for a company include less payment towards health plans, happier workers, and higher production rates. While it may seem to be common knowledge, a person who is physically healthy and emotionally stable will perform at higher levels than an employee who is dissatisfied with his or her overall health. This does not just benefit a company while the program is in place, but long after as a result of its employees profiting from a healthy lifestyle.

A wellness lifestyle encompasses more than a person's physical state. Emotional and spiritual health is also taken into consideration. Now, the importance of good employee health should not be downplayed. It is extremely important to encourage all employees within a company to endeavor to reach a healthier state. However, striving for good health should not end once a person reaches their desired health goals. A journey towards wellness is what constitutes effective corporate wellness plans.

Sources: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/health and http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wellness.

For more information on corporate wellness lunch and learns visit http://www.weightwellnesswellbeing.com/. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, counselling hypnotherapist and life coach in London.

Ensuing Challenges to Epilepsy

Health challenges

One thing most all individuals have total control over (except when moms and dads decided for us) is the time we close our eyes and go to sleep. So everyone more or less takes for granted the control of their consciousness and everyone has likely experienced times when they lost their consciousness, due to accidental falls, drinking too much, staying up too late...

So, one is to normally choose the time and "surroundings" of their sleep; bed, pajamas, covers, blankets, etc, etc, and "schedules" their loss of consciousness, each night.

However, the disabling disorder of epilepsy; tonic-clonic, complex partial, petit mal seizures, abruptly takes away one's control of that highly valued personal treasure.

Witnessing someone having a seizure and losing control of their consciousness terrifies and shocks everyone. This helps explain why nobody ever wants to deal with it - but the fact is, one could easily understand and alter their responses if they simply scan the many websites about epilepsy.

I remember, ironically, parts of what happened after the first one; I awoke, at age 10, lying down on something different. It was dark and I couldn't see anything around me. Then I saw a light shining through a crack in the darkness. I pondered if I was on my way to seeing what heaven was like. A few minutes later, my senses began coming back to me. I soon realized I was lying on a different bed than mine. Before long I was looking up at a ceiling I had never seen. A couple of minutes later I began realizing that the light I was looking at was coming into the room through a doorway. But even so, at that time I hadn't heard anything. About 20 minutes later, during which time I had just kept staring up at the ceiling, I heard a sound, turned my head, and saw a nurse coming into the room. Then, of course, I realized I wasn't in heaven, But in a hospital. As the nurse was taking my temperature and checking my pulse, she didn't even look or speak to me. After she left, a little while later a doctor came in. I don't remember everything he said, but I do remember him giving me a prescription and then firmly telling me that I'd best be sure to take my medicine, and to behave myself according to the rules he had given my father. If I didn't, I could have another seizure, and if so, I would likely swallow my tongue and choke to death! This myth is still present today!

By the time I was in my senior year in high school my seizures were, gratefully, well- controlled. I didn't feel as if I had epilepsy.

But in my late 20s they started flaring up; either severe tonic-clonic, complex-partial, simplex-partial or status epilepticus and by my mid-30s would become intractable.

Over those years, my doctors were trying all possible combinations of medication for me, but were unable to find one that successfully controlled my seizures. My next step was voluntarily taking part in two separate clinical drug trial studies. But neither one worked.

My neurologists then informed me that my options were to either keep suffering those intractable seizures, or choose brain surgery to possibly control the seizures. Brain surgery? Good grief! I immediately had all kinds of panicky thoughts and terrors whirling around: becoming a zombie, turning into an airhead... I remained thunderstruck, even while trying not to think about it. I couldn't accept the fact that there were only two choices left; have surgery or wait to keep trying new medications still in the developmental stage. It was a very difficult decision, believe me. I was frantic with fear and anxiety. I was so unsure, I couldn't really even conceive what to expect during and after the surgery. And, of course, the uncertainty of not knowing how well I would function afterwards continued to race through my head. My wife Angela had watched me agonize for days about the decision to have brain surgery or not, so she called me over and asked me to count up the times seizures had come close to killing me. Well, I had never looked at that aspect before. I reminisced and started counting out loud all the times I had nearly died due to the seizures, and she helped remind me of some - it was 28 times!

I decide right then that it would be a higher risk for me not to have brain surgery.

I was, of course, quite apprehensive when I checked into the hospital's epilepsy-monitoring unit on the evening before the first of my four surgeries. I couldn't relax. My mind was a whirling inferno of all kinds of fears: I may turn into an airhead, my lovely wife will leave me, I will never get to know my little daughter, I will lose my voice, I'll be shunned by everyone,... But as I was being taken into the pre-operative room, I suddenly became resigned and relaxed, having faith in God that things would turn out all right.

After the 84 wire grid was implanted on the left temporal lobe inside my head, I was taken off my medicines in order to induce seizures so that my surgeons could better see and locate the whereabouts of the epilepsy in my brain. It was pretty uncomfortable to lie in that small bed for that many days. This was especially true because I couldn't rest my head on either side. For wire attachment security, those bandages around my head were wound quite heavily. And, as I'm sure everybody knows, the food was not very appetizing.

In the late afternoon of the 13th day I did finally have seizures. A few hours after the last one the doctors came in and suggested the partial removal of the left temporal lobe of my brain suspected of causing the seizures.

The next day surgeons soon took me in for the procedure of the second surgery to remove the electrodes, along with the partial removal of the left temporal lobe of my brain suspected of causing the seizures.

I awoke, sluggish, a few hours after the second 12-hour surgery. I soon realized where I was and why I was in the hospital bed and that I would be leaving there soon and going back home. I was very excited and at the same time relieved, knowing I was "thinking" the same as before.

Over the next year Angie, I, doctors, - everyone - was watching the results of the surgery to see if it better controlled, or slowed down, the seizures. However, the seizures continued to occur.

At first I was dismayed and exasperated. Why haven't they been eliminated? Why do they keep happening? Will I have seizures the rest of my life... ? But I stayed positive and did not let any of it discourage me. I simply accepted the fact that the surgery didn't stop the seizures and reiterated to myself that tomorrow is a new day and things can change for the better.

I had my second set in November of 1994. That was the last thing I'd sought - but I had no other choice - it was imperative that my seizures be controlled.

Talk about tense! No, I was not looking forward to being in the operating room two more times.

The final surgery was quite harsh. It has taken many, many years for my brain to regroup not only its remaining memories, but also to reestablish my basic fathoming of reality. In actuality it took about 8 years, before I stopped coming across to everyone as somewhat of an airhead.

While my brain was regrouping its thought "process", I couldn't interact with anyone. Came across as being laconic or stoic to many people. That behavior of course had everyone labeling me as "flakey" or "off".

One thing I've told others was that after the surgeries I could remember the numbers one to ten but they just weren't in that order. More like five, one, nine, three... It took quite a few years to get those numbers back in order. I re-learned the expected picture of reality during those first few years through all possible avenues: listening to others' discussions, watching and reading national and local news, newspapers, television... while also philosophically reflecting about life. Throughout the 10 years following my surgery, my grasp of reality changed at varying speeds.

I've always kept looking, and still do, for the right words to best explain my surgery experiences. One of the main reasons I have talked often about my surgeries is to help others be more relaxed about the after effects (some of which are startling to others), and to realize that today's drugs and medical care have advanced immensely.

Being free of seizures, has given me the opportunity to lead a treasured normal life!

And that simple statement, to some/many of us, is like participating in a real, larger-than-life miracle!

Tom McGranahan

Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, counselling hypnotherapist and life coach in London.

Corporate Wellness Plans Reduce Healthcare Costs

Concerns over the rising costs of healthcare are well-founded. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, "only five cents of every healthcare dollar spent in the United States is expended on prevention, while about ninety-five cents are spent on treatment." For the financially conscious, this news is disconcerting. Their research also revealed that, "more than seventy-five percent of our health care costs stem from preventable chronic conditions." The equivalent of such a system is inconceivable.

Consider a large cliff overlooking a treacherous gorge. Rather than placing a fence or guard rail at the top of the cliff to prevent visitors and tourists from falling, a hospital is built at the bottom of the valley. When people slip and fall off the edge of the cliff they are treated for their injuries at the hospital. The health care costs for this treatment are extremely high, yet the cost to build a fence or guard rail is inexpensive in comparison. While this example may sound ludicrous, it is a metaphor to show the seriousness of current healthcare costs and conditions. It is imperative that action is taken to prevent disease and promote well-being, rather than continuing to apathetically accept rising healthcare costs.

Corporate wellness plans and workplace health programs are just one of the ways to "build the fence" so to speak. A vast majority of employees work for corporate and business related enterprises. Using corporate wellness plans to enhance overall employee health will target a high population. By stressing disease prevention and health promotion in the workplace, healthcare costs can be significantly reduced. A 2010 Employer Survey on Purchasing Value in Health Care Report conducted by the National Business Group on Health and Towers Watson admitted that, "The greatest challenge to managing health care costs is employees' poor health habits and the biggest obstacle to changing employee behaviors is the lack of employee engagement." To improve employee health and well-being it is evident that employees must become engaged and motivated to improve their overall wellness. Starting a corporate wellness plan is an effective way to inspire one's workers to become proactive in their own health. Workplace health programs that encourage prevention not only benefit an overall corporate health, but also individual workers. The focus on wellness, as opposed to achieving a single health goal, challenges employees to focus on long-term maintenance and commitment to their overall health.

Many people believe that corporate wellness plans or workplace health programs only will apply to their employees' general physical health. For example, they may assume that corporate wellness plans only have goals of weight loss or lowered blood pressure. However, it should be noted that wellness actually encompasses a person's physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Workplace health programs actually may overview one's dental health, financial well-being, overall fitness, mental condition, nutritional health, general safety, stress-management techniques, tobacco over-usage, and alcohol abuse. The goal of corporate wellness plans is a holistic approach to corporate health. Research increasingly shows that adding the services of a Health Coach to a company's existing Wellness Plan, increases employee participation and focuses more attention on prevention. Many wellness plans target only those employees who are on the verge of, or who have already developed a compromised health condition. Health Coaches interact with all employees and work with them to set long-term lifestyle changes to live healthier lives. That's a win-win for the employee and the corporations' Healthcare Costs!

Sources: http://www.engagementhealth.com/why-wellness--pages-12.php and http://wellnessproposals.com/request-free-wellness-quotes/

To schedule a corporate wellness consultation today go to http://www.weightwellnesswellbeing.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, counselling hypnotherapist and life coach in London.

External Influence, How It Can Affect Your Healthy Living Programme

You've had your efforts doubted before and you'll be doubted countless times more.

You'll be ridiculed; insulted; despised; disliked; dissuaded and have all manner of challenges thrown your way by others.

It's the manner in which you treat these people that will determine how you deal with
your situation.

Just how do you deal with these people when they persistently try to drag down you and everything you're trying to do?

The answer is simple. They are not there to be dealt with; they are there to be accepted.

Don't waste your precious positive energy on disliking them and attracting negativity.

Try to understand them.

The only difference between what's real in your mind and what's real in the physical world is direct action and the unwavering knowledge that it will carry you through to the desired result.

You must focus on finding solutions to your nutritional and physical obstacles as they arise and stop perceiving them as problems.

Problems are the past; solutions are the future.

You must develop a mind-set I call "instinctive" mode. A frame of mind where we think only of the end result of whatever you're trying to accomplish, and bypass thoughts of anything else in relation to that goal.

Do not give anyone the satisfaction of viewing you as being anything other than the stellar and infinitely valuable individual you truly are.

Never let your standards fall below their absolute pinnacle.

They are worth every inch of the will power it takes to uphold them.

Draw from your best friends or even that one person who serves to sustain your sanity when times are tough.

This person may drive you to distraction at times and make you wonder why you still entertain the thought of their company, but they will have an important place in your development and overcoming challenges.

The "best" people in your life; the ones you're drawn to the most, can serve as a safety net during a free-fall.

They may not be able to defy gravity, but they can still intervene and serve to empower, protect, and inspire you, while forming an unconditional friendship that will endure.

"Be persistent"

You will benefit from developing the ability to be relentlessly persistent with the ability to remain resolute in those situations from which others would flee.

It's the ability to uphold your ideals and values regardless of whatever outside influences try to deflect you that will ultimately serve to deliver your success in every task you dare yourself to undertake.

"Be selfish"

Def.: Selfish - "Concerned chiefly or only with oneself"

There is nothing wrong with being selfish at times when the word is stripped to nothing but its definition, as opposed to the many negative connotations modern society has given it.

Being selfish is as vital an asset to not only your success and happiness, but also that of the many people you care for and who care for you.

Visit www.personaltrainersinyork.co.uk and www.jasondiprose.co.uk for the most effective solutions to weight loss and goal attainment. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Energy: The Foundation of Happiness

Have you ever felt ineffective, drained, anxious or depressed? What exactly does this suggest? This could be a very considerable sign that your energy levels are not properly aligned! Your body has three main types of energy, including your physical, mental and emotional resources. There are approximately 50 trillion cells in the average adult human body. Each one of those cells is working diligently to produce some sort of energy your body will later on emit. If all of your energy types begin to work simultaneously, you will notice you're able to achieve great things with little to no effort. That is why it can be vital to get your energy levels aligned properly. It can reveal the simplicity of every day responsibilities and tasks, whether you're at work, school or at home.

There are many methods of controlling and aligning your energies. There can be adequate benefits such as obtaining self empowerment, guidance and healing within your body. The idea of energy alignment closely depicts the practice of self meditation which has a vast array of similar benefits. Most of the time your conscious mind's thought process is very technical and will not be aware of changes in your body that reflect your inner energy levels. This is where your unconscious mind comes into play. Once you have turned your mind off or at least made it quiet for the moment, you begin to feel your inner essence. Meditation is a practice of controlled thought, directed energy and contemplation which helps you better understand your body as one. Meditation comes from the Latin word "meditari" which means to think, contemplate, devise, ponder, and meditate.

"Every time you don't follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness", says Shakti Gawain. It is very essential to acknowledge every aspect of your inner body. Spending time out in nature, workouts, yoga and meditation can all give you the extra positive energy boost you need to get you through the day. You should frequently set aside time for you to be still, quiet and focused. The very basic fundamentals of meditation and energy levels derive from concentration, peacefulness and staying focused. A good practice you can try at home is to look at one simple object and focus on it for 5 - 10 minutes. Anytime your mind begins to wander away just block out all other thoughts and just maintain focus and continue staring at it. Examine the texture, size and any other detail that will keep your mind occupied. This technique will give you a beginning foundation to realize how to control and maintain your energy levels from being mentally drained.

Remember to stay focused on your energy levels inside your body that your mind tends to overlook. You will begin to start feel more energized and clear minded throughout the day. Practicing meditation a few minutes a day and feeling the inner energy of your being can dramatically improve your outlook on life, and your overall wellness!

Steven Johnson is committed to helping people maintain healthy and effective lifestyles. For more information on any other health supplements please visit his website Alternative Health Supplements at alternative-health-supplements.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

5 Effective Tips on How to Handle Criticism

Whether you like it or not, time will come that you will receive criticism in different forms. It will definitely hurt at times especially if you're living in a world of productivity where everything should be close to perfection. Receiving criticism is often times a blow to your self-confidence and self-esteem so it is best to learn how to handle it before it hinders you or fills you with anger. Here are five effective tips on how to handle criticism.

1. Keep your mind open. Try to understand that criticism is part of your growing life. Everyone receives criticism regardless of your position in life. Even the president has the whole country ready to criticize him in any turn of events. Keep in mind that not everyone thinks like you or works the way you do. I'm sure you understand since you also criticize others when the situation arises. Only this time you might be on the receiving end. Just keep an open mind and do your best.

2. Take it positively. People criticize you because you probably have done something great or worth noticing. And that thing is still probably a little rough on the edges so people do what they do best during this kind of scenario, they criticize. It's easy to criticize than give advice. So the best way to handle this is to take criticism positively by thinking that it's their way of wanting to let you know that you still need to improve. C'mon! We both know that we can't please everyone.

3. Learn from it. Taking criticism positively is not enough if you're not doing anything to improve yourself. Of course, criticism won't go away even if you're perfect but if you're receiving the same criticism over and over again then I think you have a problem you need to address. Criticism is a like a true friend that tells you what's wrong, but instead of sugar-coating it with a hug, he slaps you silly to wake you up. When you are being criticized, try to learn everything you can so you can improve yourself.

4. Consider the source. Like I mentioned earlier, it's very easy to criticize, meaning everyone can do it and everyone will criticize you once you get their attention. The more people who criticize you, the bothered you will get. When that happens, always consider the source of criticism. For example, let's say you're walking down the street then a random stranger shouts at you and calls you stupid. Will you take that as criticism and find a way to be "not stupid'? Of course not! You don't even know each other! For all we know that person is just plain crazy. But if criticism came from a loved one or a close friend, then it pays to listen to what they have to say because they know you. Get it now? From now on always consider the source.

5. Let it go. When all else fails, this one is the simplest yet the hardest thing to do, letting it go. When criticism is too high and it's already stressing you, discouraging you, and stopping you from doing what you have to do, then just let it go. Criticism should only bother you for a short time which is enough for the whole idea to sink in and for you to do something about it. Otherwise, if it keeps going and it's starting to affect you in an unhealthy way, then it's wise to divert your attention to other things that needs your focus. Give yourself time to adjust and gather your confidence and once you feel better, get back up and do your thing.

Criticism plays a painful yet important role in our lives. It allows us to grow into mature individuals. It shouldn't hinder you but rather it should be used as a springboard to launch yourself higher and be successful.

"Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things."
~Winston Churchill

How do you handle criticism? Do you think criticism is healthy for our growth and health? Let us know what you think by writing a comment below.

For more info, visit ezhealthmanagement.com/blog. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Jesus Asked, "Do You Want to Get Well?"

If you are or ever were a Christian, you might be familiar with the story of Jesus healing the man at the pool of Bethesda from the Bible (John, chapter 5). Bethesda was a holy place, a place of healing. It was a natural pool that had been set apart as a place of bathing, cleansing, and over the years, had become a place of tradition. The tradition was that when the waters were stirred, the next person to get into the pool would be healed of whatever ailed them.

People with many different complaints came to this healing pool. Daily, the area surrounding the pool was full of people waiting to be healed. Many of them came back day after day. First, they had to wait for the waters to be stirred. We're not sure how they got stirred - some said an angel came to stir the waters. Who knows? It could have been a breeze or an underground tremor that stirred it, or the intermittent bubbling of a hot spring. Nevertheless, the opportunities for healing were few, and the more able you were, the more likely you were to be the first one to hop in. Some, who were more disabled, were accompanied by others who could watch the pool for them and help them in.

One day, Jesus came by to check it out. Someone who was familiar with the crowd, who knew the individual cases who had waited for healing, some perhaps for years, recognized Jesus and was giving him the scoop. Perhaps the most devastating case he heard about that day was a man who had been disabled for 38 years. The implication is that he had been lying there next to that pool every day for a very long time.

Jesus looked at him and asked the man, "Do you want to get well?"

In response, the man replies - "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."

Let's think about this exchange. At first, Jesus' question seems a bit obvious. But Jesus is not known for rhetorical questions. He is asking the man a soul searching question here - do you really want to get well, or more to, "Do you have it in you to get well?" You see, he anticipated the man's answer.

One would think, after 38 years, this man would have simply shouted, "Yes! Yes! I want to get well." But he doesn't. He makes an excuse. Ahhhh. A bit of insight into his character. Jesus' question was, in fact, quite apt.

Ostensibly, the man did have help. He wouldn't have been allowed to just lie there, soiling himself, dehydrating, and starving to death. No, someone was looking after this man. Someone saw to it that he had a modicum of care, that he was at least fed, cleaned up - perhaps even moved to shelter at night. By day, he came (or was brought) to lie a little in the shade and beg and be fed. He could beg for food, but apparently, he couldn't (wouldn't) ask somebody to help him get into the water. Why? For one of three reasons: 1) he either didn't think it would really work for him, or 2) he was profiting somehow from his disability, or 3) he thought he didn't deserve it.

How do I know about the man's motives? Because Jesus didn't help him into the pool, he didn't lay hands on him, he told the man to get up and walk. The man did so. He ran off to show all his friends that he was healed, and somebody asked him who had healed him. He realized that he didn't know. So he went back to find out. Jesus was already gone by that time, so the guy kept looking. When he found him, did Jesus say to him, "Looking good, Jack. Glad you're doing so well?" No. Jesus said to him, "Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you."

How much of a sinner could this guy be? He was sorely disabled, and spent his waking hours lying around the pool and begging. Probably not a killer, nor much of a womanizer. Likely he wasn't an out-and-out profaner of the sacred, nor a thief. He probably wasn't cheating anyone in his dealings, nor coveting his neighbor's wife or life. Well, he could have been doing the latter because this guy's sin was a sin of the mind. Probably not, though, because these kinds of thoughts are considered sinful because they lead to sinful acts. This guy wasn't doing anything.

More than likely, his crime was against himself. He would rather have his meager existence than figure out how to get well.

How many people do you know who are like that? How many take their disability or their pain or their illness and make it their badge and banner? Even if their doctor could heal them, they wouldn't be for the exact same reasons as the man at the pool. They are so spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally impoverished that they don't feel they deserve to be healed. Or they are getting much needed attention and sympathy. Or they simply don't believe it can happen to them.

I'm not talking about every ill person. I'm not implying that every illness is psychosomatic. I'm not even talking about those with a chronic illness which could have been prevented years ago but has been allowed to persist until it has completely wasted their body. I'm talking about those who prefer to feel sorry for themselves, or make excuses, instead of hearing what it might take to truly get well. What did it take for the man at the pool to get well? Simply to pick up his mat and walk. By the way, picking up his mat has some major implications as well, but maybe we'll go into that another time. For now, let it simply be seen as his willingness to do something for himself. But when Jesus saw him again, he warned him that unless he changed his mindset, that his healing would only be temporary.

Do you want to be well and happy? Then change something that will lead you to health and happiness. Sometimes it means changing an outward circumstance, but it always means changing an inner attitude, toward yourself first, and then toward others. Do you really want to be healed? Then figure out what is within you that is keeping you from doing so.

Do you want a rich life, or do you merely covet the life of others, feeling sorry for yourself, seeking sympathy, or acting out of jealousy instead of being proactive in your own life? Only you can make the necessary changes.

Be healed. Be filled with prosperity. Be rich. Live rich. Live life to its fullest. Be healed.

Julian Greene is a freelance writer living in Southeastern Arizona. Look for more articles like this one here and at julianjade.wordpress.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Change Your Perspective, Change Your Health

Do you generally feel weighed down by all that you believe you do not have? Are you lonely, overweight, drowning in debt, lethargic, bored by your current job, etc.? Most of us have struggled with one or another of these issues at some point in our lives. The first of the four main tenets of Buddhism, called The Four Noble Truths is, "Life is suffering." If that's the case, are we all doomed to live a life of lethargy, of misery, of pain?

I would beg to differ. There's a Zen Buddhist quote that goes something along the lines of, "If there's shit on your nose, everything stinks." If you walk around with the idea of, "I'll never get well. I'll never lose the last fifteen pounds, I'm always going to feel this tired and miserable," then those things are what will manifest in your life. Even if you hold the thoughts in this manner: "I want to lose fifteen pounds, I want to be healthier, I don't want to keep suffering," you are still focusing on what you perceive as lack, and you will continue to manifest that which you are thinking about.

Changing your health, your mindset, your financial situation, your experience at the workplace, etc. is as simple as changing your perspective! Even if you feel you are stuck in a body you dislike, focusing on that will continue to make that true for you... you will forever be in a body you dislike. Thoughts become things. Therefore, at every moment, you have the power to attract to you anything and everything you desire. It might not happen overnight but I guarantee you, it will happen! The Law of Attraction, as detailed in the bestseller, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, is a law of physics. So, whether you believe in it or not, what you devote your thoughts to, will be attracted to you.

Try it! What can you lose?

My recommendation would be to create your very own vision board. Imagine all the things that health and wellness mean for you. Is it a different body shape than you have now? A certain piece of clothing you'd like to wear, sport you want to play that you feel apprehensive about trying now, or location you want to travel to that you are holding yourself back from? Is it being free from a particular illness or having more energy? Whatever it is, create it! Get a large poster board in a color that speaks to you, paste images from magazines or the internet or even draw what you are envisioning! Use images, text, etc. Then hang it in a place where you can look at it daily, particularly a place where you will see it upon waking. Spend 5-10 minutes first thing in the morning, at the very least, visualizing yourself joyful and healthy.

"If there's shit on your nose, everything stinks." So... wash your face! What I mean is, change your perspective!

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