Why Is It Important to Be Physically and Mentally Healthy?

Why is it important to be physically and mentally healthy? Why should people bother with exercising, dieting and making sure that both their bodies and their minds are in their most ideal states? There are many benefits to being healthy, and there are many reasons why people choose to ignore them. However, some facts are just too true and too serious to ignore.

Why Should You Be Physically Healthy?

• Reduce risks of diseases. There's no way this could be denied. People who are healthy have better chances of fighting off cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and, as some researchers suggest, even cancers. Numerous studies have found the link between physical activity and lowered risks for diseases to be quite strong. This is probably the best benefit that good health can provide.

• Weight control. Being healthy means that you might have better control when it comes to how much you weigh. Healthy people are, most of the times, disciplined people who have learned to say no to heaping second servings and to say yes to exercises even if it takes them hours. All of these and more are why is it important to be physically and mentally healthy.

• Improves balance and widens range of activities. As you age, you may feel that you are being limited about the things that you can do. The things that you might have done for hours when you were young, you may not even bear to do for a minute. Daily activities might tire you right away. Exercises and many other physical activities can not only help strengthen your muscles and bones, but can also improve balance and prevent falls.

Why Should You Be Mentally Healthy?

• Reduces stress. Stress, in moderated amounts, can be beneficial to health. Stress can give you energy, and makes you productive and more alert. However, stress in excess can be severely damaging. It can increase the risks of certain cardiovascular diseases, and can get in the way of the body's natural rate of metabolism, thus leading to weight gain. Stress has also been linked to absenteeism and accidents in the workplace. If it can be effectively managed, your chance of getting promoted also increases.

• Improves mood and overall quality of life. Too much anger, confusion, fear, irritability and anxiety may be signs of mental unhealthiness. Happiness may be more easily attained if a person is mentally healthy. People who are mentally healthy will have healthier relationships, and have better physical health. They can also manage their problems better and can make better life choices.

Conclusion

Why is it important to be physically and mentally healthy? It is important because it can give you a longer and more fruitful life. If you get all these benefits from being physically active, how much more can it help if you are mentally active as well? Mental health and physical health are undeniably interlinked. Physical activities help manage stress and pressure better, while mental health improves the effectiveness of physical activities.

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

How to Protect Yourself From Common Age-Related Health Concerns

Why do we fear old age so much? A Swedish sociologist Lars Tornstam describes this by asking what a 10 year old would say if we asked him what it would be like to be 20. It would be awful to him. There would be no play time. There would be no summer vacation. He would have to get a job! But at twenty he would look back at the age of 10 and say: "There's no way I'd want to be 10 anymore. I have so much more freedom now. I'm making money. I can do whatever I want." But what if you asked him what it would be like to be 40? "It would be awful. I'd be stuck in the rut of a job. I'd be stuck with a wife and kids." And so on. But the end of Dr. Tornstam's analogy is our concept of old age. For some reason our culture fears old age. In general we fear becoming elderly. Our concept of old age is associated with a lack of contentment with life.

Why is this? Why do we despise grey hair and wrinkles? Why do we fear those "golden years"? Why do we scramble to embrace the concept of youth? Why are we so quick to be associated with that insecurity and inexperience and foolishness of youth? How insecure, inexperienced and foolish of us! What do we think we will lose with old age? Is it the excitement of a new experience, or the opportunity of new tests and challenges? Is it the virility of sexual experiences?

It was a typical clinic day. I was seeing patients with diabetes and hypertension, colds, and a recent broken bone. The next patient on my schedule was Carl Fisk. I had never seen him before. He was scheduled to be in my clinic because his regular doctor was gone that day. The reason he was here was for a medication refill. I looked through his chart and found that he was 82 years old and about 3 years ago his wife of 51 years had died of breast cancer. "Oh no" I thought. "This is going to be a totally depressing visit". I had thoughts that his visit would be filled with discussions about depression and sadness. With this I took a deep breath and entered the room.

Mr. Fisk sat in the corner of the room reading a magazine. He had shiny grey hair and a bright smile. As I walked in he stood up to shake my hand. He wore circular glasses that shined in the light of the clinic room. He was well dressed with khaki pants and a tucked in, blue plaid shirt. I introduced myself, "so what brings you here today?" I asked, prepared for an onset of tears and a possible discussion of antidepressant medications.

"Well doctor", he began, with more energy than I had expected. Mr. Fisk had a strange smile on his face. Like a 10 year old who just got into a jar of cookies. "The last doctor I saw gave me a prescription for Viagra, and I wanted to see if I could get a refill."

Caught off guard I stammered and looked through his chart. He was in the clinic only 2 weeks ago and had a prescription for 10 Viagra pills. Did he use them up already? After regrouping, I continued on. In his chart there were no contraindications for him to take Viagra, and he had no adverse side effects. There was no reason he couldn't continue taking this medication. As I was writing his script (for twice the supply and refills), he said a peculiar thing. "You know doctor," he began. "People think that as you get older, you can't have sex anymore, but I haven't been this sexually satisfied in years."

We shook hands as he left and I moved on to my next patient. But I couldn't stop thinking about how happy he was. My initial notion was that he would be a sad lonely old man. But he was the exact opposite.

Over the next few months, I saw Mr. Fisk a few more times. Each time he was as friendly and happy as the time before. We began to get to know each other better. He had a new girlfriend, and was busy spending time with her and his daily golfing games. At the time, I was doing a Geriatrics Fellowship and it was exciting for me to find an elder so excited about life. We talked about this for a while, and he invited me over to his apartment to see for myself. I decided to take him up on the offer. After working around his busy schedule of golf, dating, and volunteer activities, we agreed to meet on a Saturday afternoon.

Mr. Fisk lived in a retirement community with a combination of houses and apartments, surrounded by wooded trees and the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. His apartment was on the first floor in the center of the community. He answered the door with the same smile he always had, and invited me in. Mr. Fisk was a humble man. His apartment was Spartan in its decoration. As I entered, the kitchen was on the right, and the living room on the left. There were only a few pieces of furniture in the living room. A comfortable old green couch and a soft matching arm chair opposite it. There was no television in the room. There was just an old stereo with a record player. Mr. Fisk invited me to sit down on his couch and he sat in the arm chair. I started by asking him how his girlfriend was. His smile immediately broadened and his eyes beamed. "Oh, you mean my sweetheart!" he suggested, "well, we just got engaged! You have to see a picture of her!" Mr. Fisk jumped to his feet and ran to another room. He returned with a 4x6 framed picture of himself standing next to a lady with his right arm wrapped around her shoulder. She looked about his age. They were both smiling broadly. Her name was Janet. As we continued our conversation, he could not stop talking about his "sweetheart". It was as if he were a teenager smitten by love. Even when the subjects of our conversation would change he would find something about his new fiancé to bring up in the conversation.

During the afternoon, we talked about other aspects of his life. He was a retired pastor, he played golf almost every day with a group of friends. He volunteered in the community at a Nursing Home. His previous marriage had been wonderful. He had three children who were spread all around the country, but he was still very close to them. I left his apartment that afternoon with a sense that his days were busier, and fuller than mine seemed to be.

Since that day, Mr. Fisk married Janet. His children, came from all over to be at the wedding and he had a honeymoon at a beach in South Carolina.

Carl Fisk is extremely happy with life. He is content, and the opposite of what we think old age has in store for us. We fear the onset of old age as if it is the first nail of our coffin. But with old age we don't have to lose our ability to enjoy sex, we don't lose the excitement to fall in love again. When we are older and full of experiences, by stepping back and looking at our life, we only change the paradigm of what happiness is. Maybe that is what we don't realize when we fear old age.

My name is Arsheeya Mashaw. I am a Geriatrician in a rural town in Virginia. If you are interested in reading stories about my experiences as a Physician please look at my blog doctormash.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

How to Protect Yourself From Unknown Dangers

Even though today our world gives more importance to science, believing that it is the only discipline that can really show us the truth about our reality, the importance of art, religion, and philosophy cannot be disregarded if we want to have a global vision of our reality.

The divine unconscious mind shows you in your dreams the future development of your reality, so that you may understand how to achieve your goals based on the truth, and not based on your imagination. You learn how to be a serious scientist and a devoted artist who keeps looking for perfection in your work.

You stop being a narrow-minded and one-sided creature who makes many mistakes without understanding the meaning of your actions. After having a global vision of your reality you'll understand how to behave in order to achieve success in life.

You'll become sensitive. You'll pay attention to all the details that compose your reality.

Your dreams will help you understand why you behave the way you do, and how you can always control your behavior in all circumstances, even if you'll be exposed to many dangers and face very difficult situations. Your dreams will also help you avoid all dangers. The divine unconscious mind is your natural protector.

Your dreams will show you unknown dangers that you cannot see, and ways to protect yourself that you cannot find alone. Your dreams will give you many explanations about all matters.

You'll verify that your reality is complex and you must always try to have a global vision about your reality, and never concentrate your attention only on the interesting points for you. This global vision will help you understand the real importance of your actions.

You will find protection from all dangers if you'll be a good student and patient and obey the divine guidance in dreams. The unconscious mind helps you become a prudent person. You learn how to prepare the necessary conditions for your permanent protection from all dangers.

You'll verify that everything that happens to you depends on your attitude. This means that your wise attitude always protects you from outside dangers. The outside dangers cannot cause you any damage if you know how to protect yourself from what is bad.

The unconscious mind gives you clear lessons in dreams. You only have to be an obedient student and patient in order to triumph over life's challenges. You'll acquire sound mental health that lasts forever and attain spiritual perfection.

Christina Sponias continued Carl Jung's research into the human psyche, discovering the cure for all mental illnesses, and simplifying the scientific method of dream interpretation that teaches you how to exactly translate the meaning of your dreams, so that you can find health, wisdom and happiness.

Learn more at: scientificdreaminterpretation.com. Click Here to download a Free Sample of the eBook Dream Interpretation as a Science (86 pages!). Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Happiness, Play And Be Happy

Happiness has been described as an illusion, a warm bath, a bowl of cherries, and many other things by many people throughout time. It is not an abstract concept but there are many descriptions which make the feeling of happiness an individual experience. Since the concepts of happiness are reliant upon the mindsets and emotional states of each person who experiences them, there is a "fuzzy logic" kind of feel to it. Often people attempt to describe their state of mind and body as being directly related to an experience. People say that they are happy for many reasons, and for the most part will attribute those reasons as mirrored expressions of their physical and the emotional state which they experience as a result.

In an attempt to nail down the truth about what "being truly happy" means, it is essential to examine the basic needs that have to be met for people to feel that they have reached this euphoric state of mind. The basic needs of all human beings are water, food, shelter, companionship, and health. If any of these are missing it becomes difficult to maintain a happy disposition. Considering that most of these conditions are met, generally people in the modern world can achieve "happiness" on a regular basis. In considering the state of childhood and infancy, babies and small children according to several studies, smile 62 percent more than their adult counterparts. The rationale as to this deficiency in adult levels of happiness can only mean that at some point people become less happy as they get older. If all of the basic needs are still being met from child to adulthood, one must assume either "something has been taken away" or "something else has been added". In either case in order to change these levels of happiness, something must have "changed" to subsequently reduce smiling capacity by 62 percent. If something got changed, then in theory it can be changed back again!

In people's adult lives, things do change as they get older. Increases in responsibilities and requirements to earn an income, greatly detracts from the leisure of "playtime" that most people experienced as children. The action of aging itself has become a condition that for many reasons adds to a persons unhappiness. The evolution from child to adult and then to parent is a journey of increasing responsibilities and diminishing play time, compounded with a sense of becoming older and less likely to participate in play of any sort. People are living longer but attitudes towards well-being as the population ages are not promoted equally.

There are preconceptions regarding "older people who play", but does it have to be this way? Could this increase in responsibilities and accompanying stresses be the reason for the decrease in levels of laughter and happiness? Most likely this is a key reason why most people become "less happy" as they age. They have forgotten how to play. It would seem that the stresses and lack of playtime greatly detracts from a person's ability "to deal with the stresses" they are accumulating as they grow up. As children we could "laugh and forget" about the injustices and mishaps encountered on a daily basis. As adults we don't shed the "feelings of unhappiness" quite so easily.

The solution isn't necessarily to merely take on fewer responsibilities; rather it makes more sense to increase our playtime and "happy state of mind". As small children, the imagination makes up a huge part of our psychological "well-being". The ability to dream up ideas and creatively play with the idea of things used to make our existence more meaningful. As adults we are told often "to grow up and stop behaving like children", perhaps the opposite is what we should be telling each other. While it's true we must take on many more responsibilities, we can still keep some of the key attributes we had as children. Of these, the values of friendship and "fair play", and how to make others laugh are important functions in the transition from our young lives to our maturity. If somehow people could merge the games and imagination used in their youth with the daily requirements of adulthood, perhaps their lives would be happier.

Since there are times when play is not recommended, by finding things "we like to do", people can establish hobbies and pastimes that enrich their lives at the end of the work day. Simple things like drawing and pottery or a martial arts class can mean the difference between being able to shed the stresses of the day and "carrying them over" to the next day. Parents can join in more of the games that their children are playing, even if it does take them a while to catch on to the rules! The bonds that this will help to form and the resulting energies exchanged by getting down on their level, will go a long way to promoting a much better perspective on life.

As time passes and the memories of childhood fade, so too does our memory of what it felt like to "laugh out loud" in the very realest sense of the now much over used text abbreviation. Instead of allowing our lives to become chaotic pits of desperate and relentless stresses, we must continue to play our games and laugh with our friends. Barring the loss of the essential basic needs of survival, we must strive to use our imaginations and come up with new ways to truly "enjoy our lives". By pursuing happiness we are extending our journey here, not only for ourselves, but for all who are within earshot of our infectious laughter. Remember the old Chinese proverb, "where there is laughter, happiness likes to be!"

Author's Website Link: illipharrison.com. Happiness Links: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happiness. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Using Fitness Consultants Can Help Save Your Life

Being unhealthy will not allow you to reach your full potential naturally or spiritually. Did you know that a Fitness Consultant can guide you every step of the way to a new and improved you? Not knowing what types of foods to eat or the correct exercises to do could lead you to a road of unhappiness. A professional fitness consultant can provide you with every fitness and nutrition key that you need to guarantee your success in less time then you could have ever imagined. A single session with a Fitness Consultant can really enhance your knowledge about health and wellness. Health is something that you can't buy at a store you have to work at it but you will gain confidence and feel better than ever.

Did you know that most people who start exercise programs without professional help abandon the program within the first two weeks? Proper instruction is an essential key to succeed in reaching your health and fitness goals. Having no experience or previous knowledge will hinder your progress, causing you to waste a lot of unnecessary time and ultimately will get you very little results. Fitness Consultants are for everyone you do not need any previous experience and there are no age requirements. Having knowledgeable information about your health is something that you can pass on to friends and family that could be worth more than gold.

Did you know over fifty percent of today's worldwide medical problems are caused by bad eating habits and poor exercising efforts? According to medical doctors adult obesity is at an all-time high nationwide, and child obesity has tripled within the last thirty years. In an effort to enhance employee work performance most large companies are making it a top priority to invest in health and wellness programs. Think about it how an employee can be productive at work if they are eating unhealthy foods, and constantly absent from work because they are sick. Most people look at being healthy and physically fitness as a glass half full but that's merely the case it's a life style change not a ninety day quick fix.

In addition to health and wellness fitness is an art that has many challenges that must be balanced, and guided through instruction and discipline. Proper nutrition along with routine exercise is the only natural keys to a happy and more fulfilling life. Did you know that most people pursuing weight loss skip breakfast which is the most important meal of the day? The truth is your body needs proper nutrition and water to function properly. Did you know that the human body consists of sixty percent of water? Moreover an individual will be amazed at the amount of information that one can learn from a top class health professional.

Sometimes the smallest things can be of extreme value which can ultimately save your life. For example weight lifting exercises helps people achieve stronger bones! But a person that doesn't consult with fitness professionals would never know this life changing information. That's why fitness consultants are so important knowledge is power and it's a unique key that can unlock doors that you've never imagined. Not having the correct knowledge can limit your ability towards reaching your goals. Making a choice to live a healthier lifestyle is most often a tough decision that's why it's most important to talk with someone who has the experience and knowledge to meet your needs.

For more Information to go: fitnesskeys4u.com there you will receive a free book on self Improvement and also a free health chart. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Why Dissolving Your Fears Are Crucial To Your Success

I was watching the Big Bang Theory the other day...

Normally I loved this show to bits... the characters are so funny, so human, and the situations (plus Sheldon... ) are just brilliant.

I had brought the 1st season DVD set, and was watching an episode where we were introduced to Sheldons twin sister. She was tall, dark, and pretty, and predictably the other characters fancied her...

Now normally this wouldn't bother me! After all, most comedys have a pretty girl, where guys swoops to get into her good graces.

And for a while at least, the swooping wasn't too bad.

But then it got sickening. As the story progressed, the sister got far too much attention needed, and the usual date-asking game went on for too long...

... to the degree where each guy character took turns to knock on poor Pennys door, and asking the sister out... and all the while, the sister (politely, of course) said, 'No'

When it cam to Rajs turn, the poor guy didn't even speak (the character in the 1st season had trouble speaking to girls) and made a small wimper that excruciatingly lasted for a good minute (although it felt like more), before walking down the stairs. The sister took it in good spirits (mentioning something about a dog) and finally said goodbye to Sheldon. Then the episode ended.

I hated it! I hated the constant swooning, and (regretably) could relate to what some of the guys went through. Pretty women had power... and they knew it!

I remember a few of my earlier experiences, that guys would sometimes drool over women that had the looks, and the very thought disgusted me.

So much so, that for the next 5 hours, I was practically in a bad mood, going through emotional turmoil, before a thought hit me...

Why am I doing this?

This happens a lot. The producers are only trying to produce a comedy after all... Some people will like that stuff, and some people will hate it!

Not everyones taste are the same!

Then I thought about a comment made by Steve Pavlina on his site, about that fact that if you have an emotional reaction towards something, in nearly all cases, it means that a part of you sees that situation inside yourself.

Fast forward to William Burlmans tip for out-of-body exploration. "Confronting and dissolving the energy manifestations of my own fears, limits and blocks are essential for my spiritual growth"

What had happened, was what started out to be a good day (I had previously felt good before watching the episode) had turned bad, all because my soul showed me some, 'past programming' and I hadn't recognised it as such!

Even in good times, you will always see a manifestation of fear of some sort, and its primary reason is for you to simply, 'dissolve it'.

Why?

Because you are not thought... although you may use thought to create (in fact you do... )

You are not emotion... although you may use emotion to create (in fact you do, as emotion is, 'Energy in 'motion')

You are soul... unconditional love, unlimited creativity and infinite!

Period!

Therefore, you must always seek to dissolve any fear you have. Attack your fears... be relentless (if needs be).

Best way of attacking them... project unconditional love towards them!

Oliver Dodd is an expert in meditating and achieving peace using Chi, Theta and Delta meditation. If you would like to learn to meditate within 60 seconds and not only achieve peace of mind and spirit but also to manifest your goals in life, click here to begin! Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Meditation Bench And Chair, For Effective And Comfortable Meditation Sessions

Meditation brings tremendous benefits in overall health of an individual. It helps with stress management and in treating several illnesses. The practice of meditation helps you to enhance the health benefits like reducing symptoms of stress and anxiety and relieving physical pain complaints like headache and body ache. It even augment the immunity power of the individuals to fight illness.

The different techniques of meditation no longer just exist for yogis and monks. It has become a preferred choice among moms and dads. Most of the people, when start this practice, realize that sitting on the floor is not for them. Therefore, the growing market has provided them with different meditation items like back jack chair or meditation bench to better suit their needs. These items provide a relaxed and pain free meditation sessions, which are not possible during direct sitting on the floor.

The basic requirement of meditation is being comfortable and focused on what you do. Most of the individuals just struggle to hold the correct posture, but fail to do so. Back jack chair, designed for meditation, helps in making good posture with comfortable back support.

During the initial practice of meditation, a sitting device can prove as an effective way to enhance your concentration. These sitting devices can be different types of chairs like meditation benches, tilt chairs or inflatable cushions. These devices become more important, when you are practicing Zen meditation. This type of practice requires different sitting postures. The chairs and benches designed for meditation are made up of numerous material and exhibit varied styles.

With a meditation bench, you can sit in perfect alignment. This does not cause unnecessary pressure on your back. To keep yourself in an upright position, a tilt chair is quite helpful. Several options like folding benches, back jack chair, inflatable cushions, etc. allows you to meditate in any environment and settings. Some chairs are even portable so that you do not miss on your meditation, while you are on the go.

When you go to buy a meditation chair for you, it is advisable to take an experienced person along you. The perfect meditation chair has a slight forward angle to prevent you from slumping. It would be best to buy a chair in which height, weight and comfort level can be adjusted according to your needs. This is important to ensure mind consciousness and achieve clarity of mind. Sitting without meditation chairs causes cramping and distress after a certain period of time.

The main motto of meditation lies in self discovery and inner peace. Physical discomfort takes us away from the wellness and monastic benefits we hope with this practice. Thus, meditation bench and chairs provide a positive experience during your sessions.

Bodymindwisdom is a privately held corporation which provides practical solutions for meditation, yoga practice, floor sitting through products like back jack chair, Zabutons EMF harmonizers, Meditation Bench etc. for more information contact: 1-888-575-5332.

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

What Is Future Life Progression?

Can You See What The Future Holds For You?

Have you ever felt as if you keep on making the same mistakes? Do you feel as if you have some kind of a block that is stopping you from achieving your full potential? No matter how hard you try to be successful in life, relationships or business do you feel that something always seems to get in your way? It's possible that you may have been repeating the same mistakes for more than one lifetime.

Past Life Regression can help you overcome seemingly irrational fears and phobias and blockages caused by traumatic experiences from a past life or lives. Finding out the cause can often help to let go of the problem, release unconscious fears and help you move on.

While Past Life Regression has been gaining in popularity for many years Future Life Progression is less well known? The possibility of taking people forward in time came about when clients undergoing regression began spontaneously moving forward in time into the future. After much experimentation it was found to be just as easy to take people forward as it is to take them back in time.

Think back to what you were doing ten years ago. What were you struggling with then and how different would your life have been if you had been visited by your future self who could have warned you not to make mistakes, to waste time and money on certain projects or to trust certain people? With hindsight, how would your life be now?

Taking a trip into your future could help you to succeed by giving you insight in to what and who to avoid and what and who to focus on. Future Life Progression (FLP) can give you belief in your talents and dreams.

What is Future Life Progression?

The experience of a Future Life Progression (FLP) session will be similar to being engrossed in a good movie or daydreaming. Future Life Progression can be used to find out what will happen if you take a certain course of action and this can be anything from your relationships, a career move or property speculation. Case studies have shown life changing experiences.

If the future you see is not to your liking you have the power to change it. You will benefit from having prior warning. It has been found that by looking at your life in say five years' time and energetically connecting with it the results came come into your life so much sooner than the five year period. If you see the problems or solutions in the future you can go for them now.

Future Life Progression (FLP) can help business and business people to steer clear of costly mistakes and time wasting ventures. It can help businesses to see future trends and decide whether they are worthwhile buying into. Decision making on future ventures is easier with knowledge at your disposal.

Find out more about Future Life Progression (FLP)

Hi, my name is Christine Wesson. I'm a professional therapist and I hold a Adv. DPLT (Advanced Dip Past Life Regression) certificate. I recently discovered and qualified as a Future Life Progression therapist with Anne Jirsch. makingpositivechanges.co.uk. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, counselling hypnotherapist and life coach in London.

More Core Me! Experiments In Alignment

Recently I was at a 5 day psychotherapy conference. Milling around and getting to know 400 hundred other people was both enjoyable (when I made a good connection with a stranger) but also fraught with moments of self doubt. How am I being experienced by others? How come I am not being seen as I thought I came across? Damn, I thought I had overcome this shyness? Why does my friend seem to get more positive attention than me? What is this discrepancy between the down-to-earth, warm, fun-loving person I am perceived as by my friends as opposed to the slightly aloof and shy person I may come across as to strangers?

Since it was a psychotherapy conference and being a trainee therapist I made good use of the situation to learn something by raising this issue with others in a group session. Feedback I got from an experienced therapist who works with the body was that I gave off mixed signals. Whilst the vocal part of me expresses the desire to connect with people, my core is collapsed and part of my body is holding back. With him guiding me whilst I sat in a chair, I practiced a core lift where I really felt my sitting bones making contact with the chair and felt my upper half/chest area rising up and out as I pushed up from my sitting bones. I was supporting myself more from the core. It felt unfamiliar and so a little scary but observers said they felt closer to me as I looked at them from this stance.

The 'core', the 'core'... I started chewing on this cud that has come up again and again and I still feel like I don't really know exactly what is meant by the word 'core'. Is this indicative of the problem? So back home again I decided to investigate some more and found a movement practitioner that works with alignment, focusing on the Bartenieff principles and Laban. I attended a couple of sessions.

In one we focused on shape-flow and moving from a horizontal, vertical and sagittal perspective. As I lay on my back on the floor with my knees bent and feet planted firmly on the floor, I breathed in and paid attention to my chest and stomach as well as upper back and lower back expanding, my spine elongating from lower back to head and my pelvis and shoulder area moving out sideways. I became aware of the 3D effect of my breathing.

I then used this shape-flow awareness when I focused on a technique to ensure the pelvis is aligned and directed down and forward rather than pulling back. I breathed in and out using the shape-flow awareness technique and as I lay on my back and breathed out I very slightly shifted my pelvis forward and down. This is a subtle movement and not at all like a yoga pose where you curl your pelvis up and in. When I first stood up and walked after practicing this the first time I was pleasantly surprised. I felt simultaneously like my legs were pushing down and I was being pushed up. I felt springy and grounded at the same time.

I have been practicing at home every day for the last couple of months. People that know me well say I am coming across as more 'available'. I feel more solid and like I have a wider base. This allows me to take more emotional risks in interpersonal situations without feeling like my world will cave in if the other person does not support me. This is probably what people mean by my being more available. No doubt I have further to travel on this path towards inner security and I am in no way an expert on the subject. Alexander technique, somatic movement... so much more to experiment with and yet I wanted to share what I had learned so far dear reader as maybe it will help you too.

My interest is in becoming more 'me' and sharing what I have learned and the skills I have to help others become more 'them'. I am an astrological/psychological life coach with a post graduate diploma in gestalt psychotherapy and over 20 year's experience reading charts. I blog about whatever holds my energy and curiosity in this moment and whilst it might be related to astrology it could relate to bodywork, nutrition, relationships or whatever else excites me. I do not claim to be an expert on all I write but I speak from my own truth and hope my voice may reach out and nudge you further along your path, in some way. So, if you would like to read me more, come follow me on my blog at http://earthskyspiritcoaching.wordpress.com/category/blog/, See you there!

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.

Downshifting, Cultivating a Slow Life, a Full Life

The love of speed has become a progressive obsession. When people feel short on time, they look for ways to speed up the things they already do. This constant acceleration comes at cost. The pressure to go faster can reduce the quality of the behavior or activity. Over time, you begin to forget how to go slower, and that is a high price to pay.

A rushed life is superficial by necessity. You only allow enough time to skim the surface and this leaves no time for real connection with people or the activity itself. While you may get more done, less enjoyment is yielded from your efforts. Rushing through life cheats you of its deeper meaning and beauty. The things that bind people together and make life rich, such as family, friendship and community, all thrive on time. When people fail to make time for these connections, they lose touch with them. This creates disconnected isolated lives, in the midst of unending opportunity for connection.

Today you can have thousands of connections all over the world; however, you still only have the same amount of time. How many of those connections can be meaningful if they are not nurtured with ones time? It seems that people who live life fast, unwittingly trade depth for breadth. Is this cult of speed, akin to making a deal with the devil? You can have it all; you just won't really enjoy any of it...

Downshifting to a slower pace allows time for doing nothing, being with friends, daydreaming, and reflection. It is a challenge to shut out distractions and to be alone with ones thoughts. A challenge because distractions are plentiful and because it has been so long since doing so, that it is almost uncomfortable to be without stimulation. Where would your thoughts go if they were not challenged by the latest distraction? If you are not sure, try it and find out. That is downshifting; taking small steps in the direction of slowing the pace at which you tackle life.

Test yourself. When was the last time you read an entire article, book, or even an email? Skim, reduce and summarize is the fast life way. However, what is missed when you do not take time for the full picture? Occasionally this is necessary or timely, but when it becomes the norm, you may be facing life stuck in high gear. This means that even when you do have more time, you do not use it to go deeper; you use it to take on more activity in the same shallow manner. This results in a partial, superficial understanding of many topics.

In the age of the sound bite and twitter, people feel free to share what they think, however it often comes from a shallow knowledge base. No longer are people taking time to evaluate their core beliefs or values and how that affects the opinions they form. There is a lack of fully researching subjects before commenting on them. Today, anyone with a computer or cell phone can be an "expert" on a subject.

People today bounce from one hot button topic to the next, sharing their limited point of view. In turn, others begin to form their opinions based on those summaries. It becomes easy to see how opinions can become skewed away from the true heart of an issue. Like the telephone game played as children, the original message is lost, due to sharing through multiple people, what was only partially heard.

Going back to the days of living slow by necessity, is not the goal of Downshifting. The purpose is to live a better, more fulfilling life in the midst of this fast-paced modern world. It places value on slowing down the pace of life and spending time meaningfully, while not spending money wastefully.

To begin downshifting, is to become aware of ones relationship with time and to seek balance. To be easily adaptable, fast when it makes sense to be fast and slow when life can be better savored through slowness. This right speed or tempo giusto as musicians would call it, is a personal choice. It requires finding what is important to you and ensuring you honor that in the way you use your time.

Carl Petrini, the Italian founder of Slow Food, may have said it best, "Being Slow means that you control the rhythms of your own life. What we are fighting for is the right to determine our own tempos." Downshifting allows you to find that tempo giusto, and discover your unique balance of self-nurture, work and home life. It means taking time for what matters and not spreading yourself so thin that you fail to enjoy connections that are at the heart of vibrant living. If your lifestyle is wearing you down, consider downshifting as a way to regain the vital connections that will restore you.

"Wellness Matters" Article Series by Lisa Schilling RN, BSN, CPT
Speaker, Writer, Wellness Coach & Consultant

Lisa Schilling is the author of "The Get REAL Guide to Health and Fitness-FIVE STEPS to Create Your Own Personal Wellness Plan." She juggles life as a doting wife and the mother of three boys, who keep her feet firmly planted on the ground!

Lisa is a Registered Nurse, author and recovering pageant queen, who spreads hope with her Get REAL approach to wellness. She empowers women, caregivers and groups to unleash their fullest potential by helping them to see their true beauty and discover their REAL value.

As an outspoken advocate for wellness and prevention, her motto is: "See one, do one, teach one!" Visit Lisa's website http://www.getrealwellnesssolutions.com to claim your FREE Bonus Gifts!

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

The Importance of Cold Showers

A modern convenience, a luxury we have these days is hot water. This hot water comes out little spouts for us to use in cleaning, cooking, really cruel practical jokes, or whatever else comes to mind. Since this is obviously something that primitive people in the past didn't have access to, we should use it for bathing (or showers) because it's superior, right? After all, the heat kills bad germs, or something like that, right? Oh, and it feels good. It's sooo much easier than taking a cold shower or bath. And cold showers make you sick, right? And aren't good for you? And hot showers are better?

That is about as much reason for hot showers as I've ever heard from anyone. The people who still take warm/hot showers and refuse to take cold ones don't know the real benefits.

Did you know that many of those "primitive" people, like the Romans who have made roads, aqueducts and cities lasting thousands of years with precision that would challenge us to this day, continued to use cold water for bathing even when they had access to steaming hot water?

Or that Native Americans, after sitting in a steaming tent, would immediately jump in a cold lake?

The Aztecs (might have been the Mayans... or Incas) also used cold water after taking a steamy hot steam shower.

Before the big pharmaceutical companies came into play, doctors would recommend COLD baths to fix a whole host of problems.

And to this day, those who are serious about health still take cold showers.

Personally I take only cold showers now. I start the water warm and get my body cleaned, then immediately turn it to cold (as cold as it will go) and let it run over me. Most times I even sit down with my eyes closed and take it for several minutes, breathing steadily, feeling the energy surge through my body.

I don't get this with warm showers. There are many reasons for that.

When that cold water hits your body, the heart begins pumping warm blood everywhere. It speeds up everything about you. The cold bite fights against your mind and your will power. You are forced to either fight it and continue, or give in and take a warm shower just as most people would. When the water is properly cold, it can be hard. But so rewarding.

It is said that a cold shower raises testosterone levels, while a warm shower lowers them. I don't care for the science behind it, I just know that this seems to hold true. Testosterone is the man hormone, and taking luxuriously warm showers sure isn't very manly compared to cold ones. Ask most any tough guy to start taking cold showers from here on out, chances are he'll refuse. I've done this many times, so far not one has been willing to take the challenge.

But you should. Try it once. Turn the water to cold, all the way, and don't jump out. Wait until your body enjoys it. Sit down and let it pour over you like a waterfall. When your heart is pumping so much blood that the water begins to feel warm, you may step out. Chances are when you step out, you will feel as though you can take on the world. A warm shower will never give you this feeling. A testosterone building, will power challenging, heart racing cold shower like this will.

If you're anything like me, you will long for that feeling again and next time sit in the water longer. You'll be wanting a cold shower, even if it hurts at first. You will come to love the challenge. You become excited when the water is freezing cold, and disappointed when it is only luke warm at most. While others are complaining about running out of warm water for showers or baths, you'll laugh and jump right in.

Did I mention that taking cold showers also helps your body adjust to the cold much better? I have a hard time in cold weather, but when I take cold showers regularly, I can handle it as well as those who love the cold.

Something else I have discovered from cold showers is how well they help the body recover. Whether it's muscle soreness from working out or being sick from making a few bad food choices, cold showers either solve or at least help solve the issue. A cold ice bath does wonders for recovery, and bragging rights.

The temporary cold also helps strengthens the hair and skin. While most guys don't worry about having smooth skin and hair, those are signs of health. And it is perfectly acceptable to have smooth yet hard body. Afterall, don't we say we want our bodies carved in granite? Those statues are smooth yet hard. And the cold water will help keep everything it touches healthy (as a side note, healthy skin from cold showers also means less acne).

I've also mentioned it speeds up the heart, gets it pumping. It jump starts the whole body. If you were tired before the shower, you will be bounding with energy afterward. There is no way this can be unhealthy. This energy also strengthens the immune system in the process.

And one of my favorite things about cold showers is bragging rights. Most people have trouble even believing me when I tell them I take cold showers, or that I recommend them for so many problems. Having trouble with the cold? Take cold showers. Tired? Take a cold shower. Sick? Take a cold shower.

It may seem "primitive" and hard, but it works. And besides... who else is willing to try? Stand out from the crowd.

Take a shower.

A COLD shower.

Timothy is the author of Spartan-Living. More of his work is available here: http://spartanlivingblog.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, hypnotherapist, counsellor and life coach in London.

Acceleration Generation, Slow Down, Don't Get Run Down

Which do you value more your money, or your time? Author Carl Honore mused, "All the world is a store, and all the men and women are merely shoppers." Tempted and tantalized at every turn by advertisements and a driving desire to have the latest and greatest things, people seek to cram as much consumption and activity into their already overfull lives. By wanting to do it all and all at the same time, there is a disconnect between what one desires from life and what can be realistically had. This feeds the sense that there is never enough time.

This desire to do it all causes people either to accelerate their pace or to squeeze in more than they can do and fully enjoy. Technology is an enabler and false friend to the acceleration generation. While it saves time, it also creates a new set of duties and desires. In order to use all the new time savers, you must spend time learning how to use them. Moreover, just when you have mastered this marvelous device and all its features, a new improved and better one will take its place, starting the learning task once again.

While offering a valuable service, email, voicemail, cell phones, answering machines, and texts, exponentially increase the demands on your time. Where before, people would have to wait until they saw you or could track you down, they now expect your immediate attention and response to their inquiries. This increased availability has many virtuous uses, but make no mistake, it ups the stress factor in a generous way. Keep in mind, quantity of interactions does not equate to quality. In most cases, it dilutes the quality by forcing people to weed through a volume of interactions before finding any of real meaning.

Living at an accelerated pace creates a cycle that starts by reducing meaningful interaction. This leads to a lack of fulfillment in life and causes people to accelerate further in an attempt to avoid confronting those feelings. This fast life can feel good temporarily, as it fuels the neurotransmitters epinephrine and norepinephrine, but like a drug, it soon wears off leaving you seeking more. Over time you can become used to this cycle, it can begin to feel normal. This insidious tolerance can numb the feelings that seek a deeper and more meaningful existence.

It is possible to learn to use the good aspects of a 24/7 culture, while not becoming a slave to it. Having extended access to people, places and things can be wonderfully useful, however without knowing and setting your own limits, the constant access to "more" can leave you worn out and used up.

The sad truth is that most people have no idea why they live life so fast. In the words of the Alabama song, "I'm in a hurry and don't know why." Part of this comes from mirroring what we see in those around us. Being busy is normal; it is accepted. Reducing activity and slowing down to savor life sounds... well, lazy. That is only because of what we have been conditioned to want.

Look no further than television or a magazine to find ads touting every kind thing imaginable that would make life better, if we would only buy it. Because we are conditioned to equate happiness with material things and money, someone who is working less and playing more, goes against what we subconsciously believe is right. But in reality, is it?

It comes down to pinpointing what you really want from life and understanding what brings you the most happiness. After digging deeper, many people find that it is meaningful connections with people, places, and community, which brings about happiness. Slowing down is essential to make such connections.

While noble in idea, slowing down is like breaking any other habit. You must first make a connection with a real reason to slow down and deeply desire to do it. Then you can start the process of feeling comfortable with slowness. This is not always an easy transition and may require time and effort to make new choices. Just as acceleration and irritation can spiral from event to event, so can going slow and being calm.

Slower living strengthens connections and leads to a stronger sense of community, all of which encourages people to relax and slow down further. You can make a choice to stop and take in each moment. Deep breaths and calm thoughts can bring about a deeper sense of personal fulfillment, but it all starts with the choice to slow down. If you are worn out and run down, what have you got to lose? Become a trailblazer in the slow movement, take back your time and make time for what is truly important to you.

"Wellness Matters" Article Series by Lisa Schilling RN, BSN, CPT
Speaker, Writer, Wellness Coach & Consultant

Lisa Schilling is the author of "The Get REAL Guide to Health and Fitness-FIVE STEPS to Create Your Own Personal Wellness Plan." She juggles life as a doting wife and the mother of three boys, who keep her feet firmly planted on the ground!

Lisa is a Registered Nurse, author and recovering pageant queen, who spreads hope with her Get REAL approach to wellness. She empowers women, caregivers and groups to unleash their fullest potential by helping them to see their true beauty and discover their REAL value.

As an outspoken advocate for wellness and prevention, her motto is: "See one, do one, teach one!" Visit Lisa's website http://www.getrealwellnesssolutions.com to claim your FREE Bonus Gifts! Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, counselling hypnotherapist and life coach in London.

Thinking About Giving Up?

Too often people look at their situations and give up too early. They have no idea, just when things get the hardest, this is exactly when that miraculous shift can happen. Whatever is in the way, will disappear.

However, you must believe this can happen.

No matter what adversity you are facing, it's important to remember the quote by Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra, a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager who once said,

"It Ain't Over Until It's Over."

In other words, don't give up five minutes before the miracle. Whether it's your business, your health, or personal life, difficult challenges can make you feel like throwing in the towel.

However, this is the time when it's important to:

Turn away from fearHave faithRelease the made-up stories in your head Focus on the here and nowDo what is in front of you to do

By focusing on the here and now, you are able to release stress and anxiety. This is living Mindfully, in the moment. And, this is where you can find peace, clarity, and wisdom that you can tap into.

Taking the time to sit in the quiet, will allow you to see whatever is blocking you from your good. This is the opportunity to tune into your thoughts and hear those self- defeating phrases you may be telling yourself over and over.

Getting angry and upset over negative internal babble is not helpful. So, just let it go. Watch the thoughts like passing clouds without getting attached to the dialogue.

This is the way to live mindfully and it will help you to focus. Soon, you'll notice those self-destructive thoughts will come less and less. And, it's place will come solutions for you to rise up over any challenge you are facing.

In the current battle for the NBA Championship, the Miami Heat team is up 3-1 in this title series over the Oklahoma City Thunder team in Game 5 of the finals. Oklahoma must continue to play harder than ever. They can't give up even though sports announcers are claiming that no team has ever come back after losing three games in a row.

They can't listen to doubters or naysayers, because they will start believing they can't come back. They need all of their energy to focus on their game.

Whatever you are facing, keep believing. Refuse to give up. Know that whatever happens after you have given your best, your life is unfolding for your highest good.

Remember, "It ain't over until it's over." ~ Yogi Berra, elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

For more information on how to effectively communicate for better relationships. YourHappinessIsWithin.com and www.sportingtherightattitude.com. Janet Alston Jackson is an award winning author. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

When Life Deals You a Tough Hand of ACEs

Last month I presented a lecture at Bastyr University addressing the relationship and causality between emotions and physical pain. I supported and addressed the use of non-pharmaceutical energetic methods for reducing and eliminating pain. By learning to unhook or rewire painful memories and associations in the brain, one can work in tandem with physical interventions like chiropractic to effectively resolve even long term chronic pain. For some, this would be an outrageous suggestion. For the room of people interested in Energy Medicine, this was a given and they were ecstatic to see that there was scientific evidence behind this perspective.

It is much easier and less complicated to believe that our physical symptoms or diseases are a direct result of purely physical causes - that makes sense to us. It is a paradigm that is influenced by our current model of disease causation. For example, if I eat too much fried fatty food I am likely to get hypertension and heart disease as a result. Genetic disease causality resulted in the human genome project being launched in part because of the idea that if we can name each gene and chromosome we might create early disease prevention with respect to diseases we are destined to have, and then we could manipulate that bad chromosome and voila, no disease!

Slow down I say! A new study shows that when twin's genetic makeup was studied with respect to genetic markers for disease and they were as likely as not to manifest the predicted conditions that they were "genetically determined to be susceptible". So if genes are not reliable as a measurement for disease, is there a more accurate predictor?

This might come as a surprise, but in the 1990's a highly accurate prognostic determiner of future conditions was discovered. It has a very strong statistical correlation between things that occurred in a person's childhood which resulted in brain changes that resulted in a wide variety of physical traits, habits and physical conditions later in life. Repeated studies have supported this idea.

The idea that a child's exposure to painful childhood traumatic events, also known as Adverse Childhood Experiences, (ACEs), was incredibly reliable in predicting major pathological conditions as an adult. The initial phase of the ACE Study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego from 1995 to 1997 with more than 17,000 participants. These ACEs include exposure to nine situations: childhood physical, emotional or sexual abuse, witnessing domestic violence of mother, neglect, exposure to family mental illness, alcohol or drug abuse, family member incarceration or loss of a parent due to death or abandonment; including possible abandonment associated with divorce.

The most fascinating aspect of this research is that there are very specific brain structures that are more susceptible to emotionally triggered physical functional harm and trauma at very specific ages. For example the corpus callosum is the part of the brain that connects the right and left brain hemispheres and regulates negative emotions, processes social cues and promotes learning. It has been shown to be vulnerable to infant neglect and sexual abuse trauma and results in an increased vulnerability to post traumatic stress syndrome.

The cerebellar vermis is a part of the brain that regulates attention, is one of the few areas of the brain that can grow new nerve cells after birth and regulates our ability to hold focused attention. It has been found to be strongly affected by all types of maltreatment before the age of nine. Damage to this area often results in attention deficit problems and a tendency for a body to produce higher cortisol stress hormone levels.

The higher the number of these ACEs, the stronger and more direct a relationship with the many of the following: alcoholism and alcohol abuse, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depression, fetal death, health-related quality of life, Illicit drug use, Ischemic heart disease (IHD), Liver disease, Risk for intimate partner violence, Multiple sexual partners, Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), Smoking, suicide attempts, unintended pregnancies, early initiation of smoking, early initiation of sexual activity and adolescent pregnancy.

I highlighted certain conditions that most people would perceive as predominantly physical or chemical conditions not necessarily resulting from emotionally stressful experiences.

To give you an idea of statistics, a person with zero ACEs has a 1 in 14 chance of having a heart attack. If they have 7 of the 9 categories experienced, their likelihood is 1 in 6 or two and a half times the risk. With nearly 25% of individuals studied having three or more ACEs, the acknowledgement of this important correlation could potentially save billions of health care dollars and thousands of lives in the US.

So what should we do once we understand that we cannot separate our emotionally stressful experiences from our physical conditions? As a physician it is important that with any patient that walks in my door, I must always open my perspective to look beyond the symptom and explanation that is offered as to what may seem the obvious cause of their ailment; especially in the cases of pain not directly associated to immediate injury. Some studies have shown health benefits simply by broaching the discussion with patients to discuss the connection between past emotional trauma and physical conditions. As a patient, it is worth being open to the idea that there may be a correlation and consider working to resolve past traumas as a form of preventive care that may save you from having to live through some very difficult and painful conditions that may be dormant or not currently symptomatic.

Finally, and most importantly if you are a parent, do not add guilt to the mix of what is already the world's hardest job, but just do everything within your control to affirm your children and realize that every loving comment and action that you offer them literally builds a healthier brain as a result. That, my friends, is something you can double down on!

Craig Weiner, DC has been in the health care field for 25 years, as a doctor of chiropractic, certified massage therapist, EFT practitioner, health coach, workshop leader, and creator of the Transformational Dialogues. Together with his wife Alina Frank, they are the creators of Path2Passion, a 6 week webinar series supporting couples in creating a powerful and intimate relationship. www.chirozone.net, reach at drcraig[at]chirozone.net. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

10 Daily "To-Do's" For Your Body's Balance and Good Health

Are you taking care of your body or are you taking it for granted? Do you want to lose some weight or have more energy? Here is how to make it happen.

We have one life to live, one chance on this earth to enjoy so much. We think about our goals and dreams and what we want to do and what we want to accomplish.

However, have you given much thought to your body and how it operates? Did you know that your body functions on a delicate balance of chemicals, systems, teamwork and response to external factors and the environment?

Does this sound familiar? We tend to put whole lot of focus on this kind of stuff at work, yet are we paying enough attention to it when it comes to our own health and well-being?

Unfortunately we often take our bodies for granted while we get busy doing other things. Yet in order for us to do all of what we enjoy, it's crucial that we nurture the health and well-being of our body and make sure that it gets attention and regular maintenance.

At work we develop a weekly and daily "to do" list. I would like to suggest that we do the same for our bodies.

Here is a list of 10 daily "To Do's" for the well-being and balance of your body:

• Start your day with a good breakfast that includes a portion of protein, carbohydrate and dairy.
• Floss your teeth after every meal. Long term benefits may prevent a heart attack!
• Have a sense of humour and laugh at every opportunity. It will release your stress.
• Realize that each day may be interrupted by something unexpected. Go with the flow!
• Enjoy the people around you and appreciate the uniqueness in everyone.
• Take 15 minutes to meditate or think about nothing. Focus on your breathing and visualize your favourite scene. Recognize the beauty that surrounds you!
• Cook from scratch and avoid prepared foods. Home-made meals have less fat, sodium and other additives that could be harmful to your body.
• Have a glass of wine or a bottle of beer at dinner. It's good for your heart and wine is filled with anti-oxidants.
• Be aware of your meal portions and try not to go for a second helping.
• Exercise, exercise, exercise! I can't stress this enough. It only takes 20 - 30 minutes each day and is so important for your body's optimal function.

I am a certified life coach and executive coach, certified by the Certified Coaches Federation. As a multi-faceted professional I have provided creative ideas and innovative solutions for people, human service organizations, school boards, government, municipalities, hospitals and health care organizations, emergency medical response teams, colleges and universities, family leadership groups and business. I am best known for my energy, enthusiasm and passion. I am a dynamic public speaker and I know how to capture an audience.

I specialize in offering a true to life perspective of families in extraordinary situations. If you want to know more about me, check out my website at: www.quantumconsulting.ca. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Is It Anxiety, Is It Stress, Or Just a World Where You Don't Fit In?

I've just finished a fascinating new book all about Introversion and how difficult it is for introverts to succeed in a world where extroversion is King. It got me thinking - and then writing.

Extroverts outnumber introverts in the world by a significant percentage - possibly as many as 3 out of 4 people are extroverts.

I'm one of the minority, an introvert, so I'm pretty clued up on how difficult that makes it to navigate through life in a world where the extroverts seem to be making all the rules, calling all the shots, and deciding what's in the best interests of all of us.

This morning I was reading a report about a young boy with severe emotional problems - he would rather go hungry than talk to someone. Anyone who has suffered from panic attacks, or agoraphobia, will know just how difficult the simple task of supermarket shopping can be and be able to relate to that young man.

There's another aspect to introversion - High Sensitivity, as defined by American psychologist Elaine N. Aron. Now this sensitivity that Elaine Aron writes about isn't emotional sensitivity. It isn't about being sad or happy, or angry or blissful. It's about physiological sensitivity. The highly sensitive are people who suffer physically and mentally when there is too much going on for their bodies to handle.

For example a highly sensitive person (HSP) can get overwhelmed when there is too much noise or just too many people.

About 1 in 5 people fall into the HSP category.

Now because we extroverts & HSPs tend to be quiet, thoughtful individuals, we, and our ideas, are frequently overlooked in a world where loudness is thought to be the same as wisdom.

It's tough being in that quiet minority. It's even tougher when you think it's a medical problem - as I did. It gets even worse when your doctor agrees it's a medical problem and then introduces you to the dark, emotion-suppressing world of tranquilizers and anti-depressants. This is a world you can get trapped in because these drugs sap your will and your will is what you need to get yourself out of the hole you are in.

You get medication when you have a medical problem - not when you are just the way you were meant to be. And so the medical solution teaches you that you are ill. This is the lie that is still perpetuated even 20 years after I found my way out of that minefield.

But the medical view is generally that you need fixing.

My view is that you are OK just the way you are. And the minute you accept that the anxiety starts to drop away.

Yes it's difficult, and if you are very lost you need someone who knows the way to guide you out of the terrifying jungle that is life as you know it. A jungle where to survive each day is a miracle and evening brings the blessed relief that another day is over.

Acceptance of you just as you are is the starting point. Once you recognise that even though you don't seem to fit in with everyone else; once you realise that it's okay to prefer reading to mindless social chitchat; once you realise that it's okay to stay home and watch a good film with a friend rather than go to a party; once you realise that it's okay to want every conversation to be meaningful rather than inane; then you can start to make the changes you want to make to have the life you want.

A life free from anxiety about not fitting in - a life free from worry about not being normal.

Just remember that it's the extroverts who have created the mess the world is in today.

You are perfectly normal, embrace your differences and be proud to be just exactly who you are.

Michael J. Hadfield MBSCH is a registered clinical hypnotherapist, with many years' experience in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and other psychological problems. If this article interested you then visit www.hypnosisiseasy.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Live a Healthy and Happy Life, The Keys to Wellness

Every living being seeks optimal health and happiness, a quality of life where there is a healthy balance between the mind, body, soul and spirit. Our ultimate goal is to live a life of purpose, one of meaning, to love and to be loved, and be healthy. Life throws everything at you, and you frantically juggle to keep things balanced. The pieces come together to create our unique lives that are forever changing. With this comes a feeling of well-being, a status of our wellness. It is the combination of the physical, mental, spiritual, intellectual, social, environmental and socioeconomic components that determines our overall state of health.

The abundance of information about wellness in books, magazines and websites is overwhelming and often causes more confusion than anything else since the sources of information at times oppose one another on a particular topic. For example, in nutrition some say eating late at night leads to weight gain, whereas others stress that it's the total amount of food eaten day by day that will determine weight gain/loss; and in exercise, some promise a magical flat stomach using their unique machine or diet product, whereas others strongly advise that this is only achievable if overall body fat is reduced. It is important that the information comes from a reliable source and has solid evidence backing the claim. Using the services of a certified professional in the field will be of much benefit as they will have the answers and be aware of any recent discoveries in research.

It certainly isn't rocket science to be able to understand how to live a healthy life; most know the basics but there is more to it, isn't there? Lifestyles are becoming increasingly high-paced due to advances in technology and higher cost of living which ultimately results in stress, binge eating, and roller-coaster emotions which leads to our health being neglected. It becomes easier to order fast food, skip exercise, and interact with our friends online instead of actually visiting them in person. This is detrimental to our well-being and is the leading cause of global health issues like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and depression. Chronic diseases such as these are preventable by taking the necessary precautions and making small lifestyle changes that can positively impact your wellness. Unfortunately, only small proportions of society actively maintain and/or improve their lifestyles, whereas the rest continue to let their health slide and chronic diseases sky-rocket.

We have all heard of the saying 'money can't buy you happiness', and in some sense this is true. A recent study has indicated that there is an increase in perceived well-being with an increase in income; however once income rises past a certain level, emotional feelings (such as happiness, and affection) generally tend to level off due to work related stress and unhappiness. Lower incomes were linked to more sadness and stress; and increasingly so with poverty and the occurrence of disease. Considering this, there are those at both extremes that are at the peak of health and happiness since they have been able to maintain a balance of the elements that fulfill their unique needs and desires despite between very rich or poor. Of course there are many factors that can influence a particular situation; however the study demonstrates the importance of balance according to ones values and aspirations. Most live imbalanced lifestyles leading to reduced wellness. For example your physical health may be great since you exercise regularly and eat a nutritious, well-balance diet; but you work too much, have family issues and don't socialize enough with friends. The key is to maintain a balance between the different components of wellness.

Physically, taking part in activity that boosts your heart rate just a few times a week can improve your health significantly. It doesn't mean you have to join the gym if that's not what you like. Take a walk outside, go swimming or cycling, join a dance class or yoga class, or simply stay at home and move to your Zumba DVD. Whatever it may be, there are unlimited options. The key is to find something you like doing, exercise regularly, and have the support of friends and family (getting them involved will be even more beneficial since it strengthens relationships). Combining this with good nutritional habits will enhance results even more. Keep it simple; eat a balanced diet full of natural foods avoiding saturated and trans fats (avoid or at least limit takeaways), watch the portion sizes, grill don't fry, drink alcohol in moderation, and drink enough water. There are online food journals that are great for those who want ideas on meals, track what they eat and the amount of calories consumed. Learning how to read food labels is advised since many products are labeled as 'healthy', 'low-fat', or having 'reduced sugar' but be warned that these are often very similar to their 'unhealthy' counterparts.

There is strong scientific evidence showing the connection of the body and mind, hence maintaining healthy diet and exercise habits is a major step in the right direction to improved health. The importance of mental and emotional health is largely underexposed and should be considered just as important as physical health. Emotions can trigger physiological changes in the body and prolonged negative emotional health can lead to hormone imbalance, hypertension, weaker immune systems, depression and various other threatening health conditions.

Why get infuriated when another driver of a car does something that is out of your control? Your enraged emotions only affect your health since your blood pressure rises and mood becomes edgier, whilst the other driver goes unharmed. Why become an emotional eater? Food is not going to solve the problem! Learning to control your emotions and how you react to various situations will certainly improve your internal homeostasis. Learn stress management techniques, relax (consider meditation and yoga or just breathe), talk to someone, be positive and just smile.

Relationships are another crucial factor. We all want that feeling of belonging to something and being loved. Find the time to talk to your loved ones, visit or even call your friends more often, organize regular gatherings and make new friends by joining a membership or class. As hard as it may be, switch off your electronic device and get talking to a real person!

Ensure you are sleeping your 7-8 hours a day since deficiencies in sleep can strongly affect your cognitive performance, cause weight fluctuations, diabetes, and other physiological imbalances. Also, be willing to learn something new whenever the opportunity presents itself. The brain is amazing and feeding it with new information not only boosts your mental health, but also improves your intellectual well-being. Doing something of meaning according to our values is another driving force to happiness. It doesn't mean quitting the job you don't enjoy as it isn't always possible but one has the power to take the steps to make some long-term investment to making that change in the future. Some are lucky enough to call the work they do their passion and don't need to consider it their 'job', yet this is a small population. Participating in church programs, or belonging to a charity organization is a great way to boost your soul and spirit.

Life is magnificent and we all deserve to enjoy it to its fullest. There are some things we cannot control but mostly we have the power to choose how to live and react. Taking small steps to introduce healthier habits will make a significant difference to your overall health, remembering to maintain constructive balance of all components. Don't wait until it's too late as some things are difficult to reverse. Live a healthy and happy live! Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Do Smart Sugars Provide LIFE to the Blood? What Exactly Are Glycoproteins?

Conflicts in life and health, human and cellular, are resolved only with good communication. When the internal human communication system is faulty, it sustains, compounds, and may even cause the very problem it was designed to inhibit. Human cells in conflict cause toxic infection which is the ultimate cause of most deaths.

Glycoproteins and glycolipids read, transcribe, and process your DNA and RNA, giving instructions for your very life. Smart Sugars joined together with certain proteins are the building blocks for constructing glycoproteins that coat healthy cells like fuzz on a peach.

Glycoproteins are much more than just the Operating System (OS) of the human body. With only a few decades of glycoprotein research and scientific study behind us, the interest is accelerating because we now know glycoproteins hold important keys to life itself.

It is the design, the composition and folding, of glycoprotein structures that dictate their various functions. The sugar to protein ratio in the total mass of the structures range from less than one percent (1%) to more than eighty percent (80%).

Ongoing research has recently been expanded to determine glycoprotein cluster composition to learn more about their structural function as well as communicational function.

Besides communication, glycoproteins provide cell to cell adhesion. They are protective agents and lubricants and are also found abundantly in the blood plasma where they serve many more functions.

The superfamily of Smart Sugars are saccharides of different chain lengths. There are some 200 known Smart Sugar compounds constructed with the building blocks of monosaccarides to polysaccarides. These specific Smart Sugars form more complex sugar molecules that can then be linked to polypeptides (chains of one or more amino acids). A long chain of 50 amino acids makes a protein. Glycoproteins are formed when the proteins are linked to the complex sugar molecules.

Scientists knew the Genome Project would be complex. Then they learned that the Glycome Project may be a thousand times more complex and even more exciting because it is getting closer to what determines LIFE and DEATH. The genes hold the secret to reproduction of LIFE while Smart Sugars determine blood type, provide the Operating System for the DNA, and bring LIFE or DEATH to the cell.

The function of the glycoproteins is determined by how these complex Smart Sugars are arranged and bonded together to form the longer chain polysaccarides and how these chains are bonded to the protein.

The sugars have two possible linkage formations to their protein partners, either a N-glycosidic bond or an O-glycosidic bond. These N/O sugar bonds allow alkaline and acid to be handled differently.

The vast functional diversity of the glycoprotein's roles is determined by the two basic glycosidic structures. Understanding the N/O bond is a quantum leap in glycoprotein research. Smart Sugars provide not only your blood type but they provide LIFE to your blood.

JC Spencer has invested two decades in the research and study of glycomics, the science of sugars. He is CEO of The Endowment for Medical Research, Inc endowmentmed.org.

References from the textbook Expand Your Mind - Improve Your Brain and the ebook and Change Your Sugar, Change Your Life. The book, Change Your Sugar, Change Your Life is downloadable without charge at www.DiabeticHope.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Eco-Psychology and Deep Ecology

Eco-psychology may be thought of as a relatively new movement; however it is an ancient mode of knowing, one that has colored and affected how we live in this world in many ways. From the very dawn of time, humans and non-humans alike, needing to find their path in the world, have sought out ways to move beyond a simple existence and into one of fruitful abundance and comfort; all within the boundaries existing within their being. Eco-psychology can be defined as the study of the soul and its relationship to the natural world. The practices and study of Eco-psychology lead us to a greater understanding of the relationships that all beings, human and non-human alike, have with each other.

Deep Ecology, an idea first proposed by Arne Nast in 1973, is a theory which requires us to look deeply at the connection between our relationship to the earth and all of its inhabitants. This connection must be felt first on a personal level, a level that goes beyond scientific fact and into ancient places of intuition and wisdom - those places within our personal dark abyss where we truly feel the pain of elephants being murdered for ivory, and where trees, which have stood for hundreds of years, are burned away to make grazing land for cattle, who themselves are destined to be slaughtered and ground up into fast food. Deep ecology asks that we share in the pain and suffering of our non-human brothers and sisters so that we might find the courage to stand alongside them, fighting with them and for them, in order that they might live in the same joy that we want for ourselves and our children.

At the root of Deep Ecology is a movement away from and through anthropocentrism, the idea that humans are the only important and valuable life form. In an anthropocentric state of consciousness, humans live at some imaginary apex while all other beings are seen as less important, less worthy of care and compassion. From this perspective we don't feel the need to concern ourselves with other life forms because they are inferior to the "superior" human. From an anthropocentric worldview we are encouraged to deny and/or belittle the relationships we have with other beings sharing the planet with us. We forget about our relationship to the food we eat, the communities we live in, and the earth of which we are a part.

Once, years ago on a trip to Ireland, I had the opportunity to talk with some other people who were staying at the same youth hostel where I was. There were two Norwegian women, a Canadian woman, and an Irish man. We were talking about vegetarianism and I said that my biggest concern with eating meat is that we lose sight of our relationship to the animal it came from when we are able to simply walk into the store, pick up something that bears no resemblance to an animal. is called steak or pork chop instead of cow or pig, wrapped in plastic, and that can be prepared with no more effort than it took to go to the store. It seemed that the most difficult part of this idea for my table mates to contemplate was the idea of having a relationship to food. Generally, food is thought of as something consumed only to keep us from being hungry, or to satisfy taste buds addicted to flesh, fat, sugar, and various food additives; it is rarely seen as something connecting us to the earth where it is grown, the water that nourishes the food source, or the air that interacts with its leaves or lungs.

In an anthropocentric worldview, relationship is something exclusive to human interaction, not human/non-human interaction. Deep Ecology asks that we look deeply into all relationships, not just those scratching the surface of our existence, but also those that run deeply within and throughout all of life.

Deep Ecology requires that we look fully into the face of all of our relationships. Human and non-human alike, all of these relationships are needed to sustain our own body and its ability to move about the world in harmony and health. In a true Deep Ecology we value life as it arises and appreciate all of the abundant gifts of our planet. We enter into our relationship with the earth as a caretaker of the garden, rather than as a hoard of locusts who just stops by to eat and run. We understand the importance of nurturing our human relationships and remember this in our non-human relationships as well. In the spirit of Deep Ecology we honor and respect all and live in such a way that we leave life better than when we found it.

Cynkay Morningsong has been helping people find physical, mental, and spiritual balance for over 20 years. She lives and works in Sonoma County California. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.