3 Reasons Why CrossFit and Farmers Markets Go Hand-In-Hand

I am sure no one will argue that the American local farmers markets are making a strong comeback due to various reasons affecting the majority of citizens. The American economic landscape has eroded over the last five years due to things that can be considered unnatural. The financial and agricultural industries have been injected with unnatural constructs and biological uncertainties. For this reason, the true long term effects have yet to be realized.

CrossFit, on the other hand, came from very humble beginnings with the purpose to bring fitness and overall improved physical health to the masses.

Greg Glassman introduced CrossFit to the world via the Internet by posting constantly varied, high intensity exercises. These exercises were functional in nature and performed at a level of intensity that very few individuals could handle, even seasoned athletes.

Strong communities like Law Enforcement, First Responders, and all branches of the Military embraced the CrossFit standards and rose to new levels of fitness. CrossFit participants (AKA: CrossFitters) began to standout in unit-level competitions.

The CrossFit standard began to catch on worldwide across cultures and industries alike. The CrossFit Community was formed by individuals helping individuals become more fit both mentally and physically.

So let us explore 3 reasons why the community effect of CrossFit and the local farmers markets are so closely related.

1. Eating and Drinking Clean Organic Foods and Beverages

The farm-to-market concept was how it all began before the technology of agri-business came into play. Big agri-business is more concerned with profits and shareholders not the quality of the products produced. Cutting corners and playing with God's genetic design has only led to decreased nutritional value for the earth and human being alike.

Part of the CrossFit fitness standard is nutritional health. So the most efficient way to get your nutrition is to eat as many high quality organic whole foods as possible. Which means foods that are not genetically modified (GMO) and foods that use minimal or no pesticides. The farmers that produce these foods use natural forms of composting for premium soil nutrients and, heirloom seeds that still retain high nutrient quantities from the pre-agribusiness timeframe.

Drinking clean filtered water is key to maintain proper hydration. The reverse osmosis method of filtration is the most trusted and reliable. Any beverage being produced should us filtered water of the same standard. Fermented beverages like Kefir and Kombucha contain life giving enzymes that help provide the harmony and balance your digestive system needs.

Last but not least, the consumption of pasture-raised animals that are grass feed and are allowed to feed off of their natural habitat. Feedlot animals are raised in harsh conditions which require artificial means to help them fight off infections (i.e. multiple vaccinations) and are fed the cheapest of food that is counterproductive to the animal's health and well being.

2. Supporting Locally-Owned Businesses

Strong communities are built on supporting local business. People-helping-people is where true community health and wealth is built. Building a tribal effect of truly caring for your neighbor and their family can only lead to prosperity. I always say, "you can truly see where someone stands when you take money or the pursuit of money out of the equation".

The CrossFit affiliate is a community entity that has a passion for helping people in their local community. Its members are a special group of people that believe in charitable giving that support local causes.

3. Growing Community Relationships

Knowing the name or names of the individuals who produce your food strengthens your bond with those folks and it gives them an incentive to continue to produce food at very high standard. As individuals benefit from the local produce, they spread the word. The local farmers market is usually a family affair with several generations that come out and visit.

CrossFitters, in the same way, receive such a great benefit from the workouts and members work hard to involve their entire family and close friends. Similar recommendations from CrossFit members show the strength of the movement which show no signs of slowing down.

The Bottom Line

For total health and wellness, support your local farmers market to fulfill your nutritional needs and visit your local CrossFit affiliate to fulfill your physical fitness needs.

Either way, you can't go wrong.

Duane Waits Owner/Head Trainer of CrossFit Revealed serving the North Austin, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Leander, Texas area crossfitrevealed.com "Get Physically Fit For God, Health, and Wellness"

Sign-Up for the; 1 Double Under Training Program In the World. EE Chapters and Videos available at: oubleundertraining.com

Good Nutrition from quality organic foods from your local farmers markets and good quality functional physical fitness will provide you with long lasting health.

Find and join your local CrossFit Affiliate. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

The Impossible

I'm sitting at my desk staring at my diploma that arrived today. I had just got out of the shower when my husband walked in and showed me the package. He opened it and we both sat there just looking at it. He laughed as he said "Master of Science. All I can picture is you in a white lab coat working with chemicals". I remember when I thought I would never even complete my Associates degree, no less a Masters degree. When I finally completed my Associates degree, I thought to myself "I could get my Bachelors degree. I don't want to waste my GI Bill". Through pregnancy and the birth of my son I completed my Bachelors degree. I will never forget sitting in the hospital doing college algebra online, after having my son who was very sick. You want to talk stressful- that was stressful, and I'm good with numbers. I would have paid someone to complete that class for me, but I pushed through and completed it.

My associates and bachelors degrees were both in business and I really wanted a degree in my first true love, fitness. I decided to go for my Masters so I could have a degree in the field I was working in. Not to mention, I love to learn. There is a never ending flow of information available to us, especially in my line of work. In July I completed my Masters program and I am so proud of myself for achieving my education goals while owning a business, being a military wife, and having a child.

There were so many weekends I stayed home while others went out, in order to complete homework assignments. I spent countless hours studying and trying to balance life in the process. The saying "do now what others won't, to live a lifetime as others can't" rings very true to me. I'm thankful for the sacrifices I made and I'm so thankful for the people who supported me a long the way, specifically my husband.

I am now starting my Doctorate program. This is something I never in a million years thought I could do, but I'm doing it. If you would have told me I would have a Doctorate degree 5 years ago, I probably would have gave up before I even started because the thought was to overwhelming and too far out of reach.

You have to take the first step in your journey no matter what it is. Set goals you feel are attainable and move in that direction. The more you accomplish, the more empowered you will feel. I feel that there is absolutely nothing I can't do now. If I want it, I know that I can make it happen. The same is true for you. Embrace your gifts and invest in yourself!

To you health,

Jessica Summerall: This is the motto I choose to practice to make sure that I am doing everything I possibly can to ensure someone is successful, long term. My job is to educate, support, train, teach, and encourage the people who come into my life. Their job is to use those tools to achieve the success they desire, whether it be financial or physical. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

How to Boost Your Energy Levels in Just 5 Minutes

If you want more energy to remain active and enjoy your day, you can make use of the following tips to give you the extra boost that you need to conquer all the challenges that you will face during the day:

Tip 1-Make your bed

Even though this sounds small and insignificant, this 'small' ritual helps to create a calm atmosphere in your bedroom. This calm atmosphere causes a soothing feeling to permeate through your bedroom which helps you to relax and sleep better when you are in your room.

Therefore, if you are able to use this it will help you to sleep very well at night so that when you wake up in the morning, you would be highly refreshed and strong enough to face the challenges of the day.

Tip 2-Prepare and pack a snack before you leave the house

Prepare a healthy snack to take with you before you leave your house in the morning. You can make use of fruits, unsalted nuts, and vegetables to make healthy snacks. If you have your healthy snacks ready in the afternoon, you will not be tempted to eat junk foods when you start to feel hungry.

Tip 3-Tidy your desk

Remove all the stray papers, scattered coffee mugs and all other things that clutter up your desk. If you can tidy up your external environment, you will be more organised and focused.

Tip 4-Listen to music

Good music helps to lower your blood pressure and your stress levels; it also helps to elevate your moods and keep you upbeat more easily. Download as much music as you like into a playlist on your MP3 player which you can listen to when you are at work and when you are exercising.

However, make sure you don't set the volume of your earpiece to a very high volume so that you don't end up damaging your eardrums.

Tip 5-Sniff soothing natural scents

Some fruits like lemons, basils, junipers, and lavenders have natural stress relieving scents that you can sniff to calm down your nerves.

Tip 6-Gentle stretching

Engage in gentle stretching exercises. You can stretch your arms over your head, and you can also raise and lower your shoulders gently a couple of times. These stretching movements help to improve the circulation of blood in your body and they also help to relax muscular tightness that is caused by the effect of stress.

Tip 7-Meditation

You can take out time to ponder upon bible verses that talk about the goodness and the faithfulness of God; you can meditate on inspiring bible verses from the book of psalms.

Tip 8-Count your blessings

Count and keep a record of every good thing that has happened to you. If you keep your mind constantly thinking about the all the negative things that are happening in the world around you, you will be drained of all your energy.

However, if you (and you can) choose to deliberately keep your mind on only the good things that are happening to you, you would experience higher levels of inner energy as you give thanks for all the good things that has happened to you.

Tip 9-Turn off your gadgets

Take a break from your tablet, personal computer, flat screen television, and mobile phones from time to time. Just switch off everything and unwind especially at night before you go to bed.

Even though the world is on for 24 hours every day of the week, you should switch off from time to time.

Tip 10-Set your priorities

You cannot do everything that you want to do every time. Make a list of all the things that you want to do and arrange them in their order of importance and then you can start doing them one after the other as you start from the top of the list.

If you do this, you will gradually do most of what you want to do after some time.

By the way, are you interested in knowing the healthy foods that you must eat to stay fit, trim and healthy?

If so, click here to sign up for a free 7 day fat loss and healthy diet e-course by the diet solution program. Also, visit weight loss solution to read an honest review of the Primal burn fat burner program natural diet program. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Three Costly Mistakes Preventing Your Peace of Mind

Mistake #1 - Your body and mind are separate. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

It's been said that "You may fool yourself some of the time. You may fool others some of the time. But, you can never fool your body. It is the most sensitive barometer of your inner world." And, both are inter-connected. "What tones and calms one, soothes and improves the other."

Your behaviour is actually creating worldly and psychic frameworks that future humanity and your descendants will inhabit.

Solution - Choose your acts and thoughts very wisely. Life responds to wise attention in remarkable ways! A body scan is a good way to begin to live mindfully. Your mind has a direct impact on your body. What inhabits your body? Your mind. If the mind is tense, and disconnected, the body will match. Doing a body scan is a simple technique that helps you to energetically wake up your body-mind connection.

Mistake #2 - Your Thinking Mind. I know it sounds silly but most people's thinking is automatic, repetitive and involuntary. You don't think. Thinking happens to you. The voice in the head has a mind of its own, and unfortunately most people are at the mercy of that voice. Your mind picks up all kinds of things from earlier in the day and "replays" it endlessly, or it's restless and can't stop running around. These are all very powerful internal states and your mind gets attached to this conditioned way of thinking. Your mind wants attention right now!

Solution: Get out of your head! Let go of the stories. Free your mind by sitting quietly. Try paying attention to your breathing. This not only changes the direction of your focus, but it also helps in not strengthening your wayward thoughts.

Mistake #3 - Your Ego. Yikes! This is a big one. For thousands of years humanity has become mind-possessed. Because we have become so identified through our mind, a false sense of ourself came into being - the ego. And there's even more to this.

Another dimension of the ego is emotion. Emotion turns into ego when you identify with them; that is to say when they become "I" takes over.

Explained a different way, let's say that you see two of your friends over in the corner having a quiet conversation. Your mind observes this and then begins to chatter away. Saying things like "I bet they're over there talking about me." Or, "I just know that they're talking about what happened today at the gym." You have not only become emotional, but the situation becomes about you.

Solution - How do you get a handle on this? You need to let go of the story and return to the only place of power. The Present Moment. You hang onto your stories because it strengthens your identity. But, nothing ever happened in the past that can prevent you from being Present Now. And, if the past can't prevent you from being Present Now, what power does it have? Again, become quiet in your body and allow your mind to become still so it can see what is really there. This is called having a mindful experience.

Here's what I have for you. Visit me at calmtoday.com. You can catch the free online webcast to see for yourself how easy this can be. (Come on, you know you can do this!) Invest in yourself. You're worth it! Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Sleep Is Necessary to Life

The importance of sleep cannot be overstated. According to a recent report, 70 million Americans are having trouble getting a good night's sleep. Research from Harvard Medical School's Division of Sleep Medicine has shown the critical importance of sleep in fortifying the body and keeping the mind clear. Modern science has also shown how necessary a good night of sleep is for maintaining healthy brain functions such as memory and learning skills.

Why So Many of Us Sleep Deprived

The reasons are not surprising. For many women, stress is the main reason for lack of sleep. When you're mentally stressed at night, the body increases its production of cortisol, the stress hormone that acts like a shot of adrenaline preventing restful sleep.

For others, it's the culture we live in with so many temptations to stay up late surfing the internet, texting friends, playing video games, checking emails, watching Netflix, etc.

Many Americans are also over-worked with longer hours and night shifts which leads to an over-indulgence in caffeine from coffee, soda, energy drinks and sugar.

The Important Benefits of Sleep

There are so many reasons to get enough sleep. Studies have linked sleep deprivation to a higher risk of stroke and insomniacs are more likely to suffer a heart attack than those individuals who sleep well at night.

Getting enough sleep at night will also make your mind sharper, your skin healthier and your body slimmer. You will even be nicer and may improve your marriage since lack of sleep can make us irritable and cranky.

Learn How to Sleep Again

Remember when you could fall asleep and stay asleep, waking up feeling rested and refreshed, ready to take on the day? When left untreated, trouble falling asleep can lead to chronic tension, anxiety and even weight gain.

If you are ready to check yourself into sleep rehab or need a sleep intervention, then consider the following sensible tips to help you reclaim your rest and get the type of deep sleep that will rejuvenate your mind and your body.

Tips to Sleeping Better at Night

- Turn off all electronics one hour before bedtime.

- Take time to unwind with a warm bath or good book.

- Set the thermostat to a cooler temperature at night to promote sleep.

- Ease up on the amount of caffeine you drink, especially after 3 PM.

- Maintain a consistent sleep-wake schedule including the weekends.

- Consider a sleep mask to block out all light that can disrupt your sleep.

There is no one single solution to improve sleep that works for everyone. Try doing a few things differently at night to find out what works for you. It will be worth the effort because sleep is a basic necessity just like eating and can have a significant impact on every aspect of your overall health and well being. Sweet dreams!

About The Author: Robyn M. Cooke is the editor of Quick-Weight-Loss-Tips-for-Women.com which has everything you will need to reach your weight loss goals, including great advice, great products and the inspiration to succeed! Remember, the best investment you can make is in yourself! Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Like No Time Has Passed

One of the major factors for health and longevity is social connection.

Because we are social animals, having connections with other people is crucial to our emotional well-being, but it also positively affects our physical health.

One of the best things you can do for your health is to build and maintain strong social networks.

Interestingly, the online social networking that has taken the world by storm the past few years doesn't have the same positive correlation to health as face-to-face connections.

This was brought into clear focus for me last week, when a friend from college and her family vacationed at a beach near my home. We made arrangements to spend the morning together, visiting and soaking up the sun's rays.

As my husband I drove to where she was staying, I thought about some of the experiences and escapades we have shared over the years, some as far back as 29 years ago!

And as we got closer to her place, I wondered what we'd talk about all morning. Waxing nostalgic is fun for awhile, but I hoped that we still had enough in common to fill a morning.

Our lives have taken different paths: she is a skilled and compassionate nurse with a beautiful 10-year-old boy, while my life took a less traditional trajectory, after living overseas, working in complementary therapy, and watching over our 11-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback, Kizzy.

Would our history be enough to sustain our friendship now?

I needn't have worried. When we started talking, it was as if no time had passed at all. She is still the person I rely on to tell it to me straight, whatever the situation, and I count on her common-sense, compassionate approach to life to help guide me when I get lost.

And I can count on her to eat chocolate with me, any time, day or night!

It occurred to me on the way home that this is the essence of social connection that is so important to our well-being. Human beings are not "wired" to be connected via a computer screen. We are at our best when we are face-to-face with others, holding space, and really being present for one another.

It doesn't matter how much time has gone by - it's staying connected in the present moment that makes us whole.

That's a great prescription for health and wellness. That, and the occasional chocolate bar with an old friend.

If you're interested in building some new social connections, think about joining us for the upcoming Reflections in Health Study Circle, The Foods We Eat, http://www.OasisCST.com/food. It begins in October, but you can register now.

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

Life of Possibility Vs Life of Limitation

It is Monday and I am sitting by the water, typing and listening to the waves rolling onto the rocky shore, while taking in the fresh air. I'm sitting on a book by Dr. Peter Levine - In An Unspoken Voice, so my butt doesn't get sore sitting on the rocks. My dog is sniffing in the trees, looking for something either to chase or eat, or um... both.

This is my Monday! My Mondays didn't always look like this, but they are more and more reflecting the nurture and luscious living I have craved for years.

I just finished reading a section from Peter's book that fits well with what I am experiencing...

"When [Einstein] was asked what he thought would be the next great breakthrough in science, Einstein pondered for a moment and then replied: "To prove that the universe is friendly." He did not mean, I believe, that there would not ever be pain and suffering in life, but that the universe was, well... Playful, wonderful and fascinating. " ~ Dr. Peter Levine, In An Unspoken Voice, 2010, pg. 280.

I shared with someone the other day that money is here to support and nourish us, like food and water it is our ally, not our enemy. He was uncomfortable with that point of view ~ because to him, money was to be controlled, managed and taken seriously. He had linked money to his survival, creating a very deep powerless feeling inside of him. Which he compensated for by controlling, and in doing so he was always at the mercy of money. It was either his savior or his jailer. He gave the illusion of money is power.

What area(s) of life are you giving your potency and your inborn intelligence away to? The same intelligence that goes into pumping your heart is what it going into creating your limitations. Would you be willing to re-integrate, re-own what is rightly yours ~ your aliveness?

I just pulled Peter's book from under my bum and saw another quote that is useful here:

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson.

When we take a breathe and engage ourselves at a sensation level, we create resilience and awareness and begin the re-integration process.

But the degree to which we cannot deeply feel our body's interior is the degree to which we crave external stimulation. Addictions to drama, food, spiritual override, suffering, excess video games, over-spending, over-working, chronic negativity, intellectualization, mental rumination, relationship and exercise addictions, fixating on our limitations, etc. keeps us over stimulated and thus separate from the sacredness of the body and higher mind. If we continue to suppress, control or numb our bodies, it is going to be very difficult to feel our aliveness and as such become difficult, if not impossible, to break free of our limitations and create a life that honours.

The less the body is experienced as a living entity, the more it becomes an object. The less it is owned, the further it is divorced from anything having to do with one's core sense of self." Dr. Peter Levine, In An Unspoken Voice, 2010, Pg. 285.

If you are overwhelmed by addressing your areas of limitation, lovingly start by cleaning up your addictions. Everything is birthed from this place. Do not think that by breaking free of your addictions and feeling into what-is, that that is all you are doing. You are beginning the process of reclaiming your life and asserting your value. It is an act of Self Love like no other. Welcome it and encourage it.

Jane Latimer, M.A. founder of the BodyWay Program have 35 years combined experience helping women with their issues with body and food. Click here to download the E-Book: http://www.janelatimer.com/break-free-from-the-diet-game

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

Spas, A Relaxing Atmosphere and Rejuvenating Treatments to Renew Mind, Body, and Spirit

We live in a fast-paced society that focuses on getting ahead, and newer technologies can help individuals meet their goals sooner than ever before. With so much going on, it is easy to see how it can take a damaging toll on the human body. Athletes that spend hours each day trying to get in top form and condition can suffer from all the aches and pains that come with it. Many of these athletes have found it beneficial to visit day spas and get what is known as a sports or medical massage to help them prevent injuries and improve their sport performance.

During the sports massage therapy, the professionals at the spa will use a special medicinal herb oil to relieve muscle pain and tension. This therapeutic massage focuses on injuries, pains, and chronic aches. Other types of massage therapies that may be offered at a day spa include deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, Reflexology, and Pre-Natal Massage, Lymphatic Drainage Massage, Shiatsu Massage, and Post-Partum Massage.

An additional area of the body that is often neglected is the facial region. Before you know it, one, two, and three acne pimples pop up on your face that soon turns into a widespread acne problem. If you have not been able to take care of your acne problem through the many over-the-counter medications you have tried, day spas may be able to offer you a facial rejuvenation treatment that can make your skin smooth, radiant and youthful looking again. The following are some facial treatments you may be able to get from a day spa:

1. Microdermabrasion-This skin treatment is non-invasive that helps reduce or eliminate the severity of acne scars, mild to moderate wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots that formulate as a result of hormonal changes and sun damage and much more.

2. Laser Acne Treatment-Uses a painless laser to exfoliate dirt, oil, dirt, and bacteria from the skin as it cleans both inside and outside skin.

3. Micropeel-This treatment is used to treat conditions such as wrinkles that are associated with aging, fine lines, and hyperpigmentation as well as improving skin dullness and imperfections.

For information on additional skin treatment offered at day spas, call and schedule a consultation. The spa may even offer services to enhance your appearance such as permanent make-up that will not only make you beautiful, but will offer you convenience in your daily routine.

Relax the mind and the body. Learn more about Bergen County spas at: http://www.parkercenterspa.net. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, hypnotherapist, counsellor and life coach in London.

The Beginner's Guide to T'ai Chi

Everyone knows that dynamic good health depends in part on physical exercise. The human body was made for work - for movement. Our ancestors got their exercise from survival activities, like chasing down the woolly mammoth or plowing the lower forty. In our modern world, however, our lives are too sedentary. Our work is in the factory rather than the field, or in the office instead of on the ocean. So we need to add exercise to keep our bodies healthy.

The question is, what kind of exercise is best for you? Weight training for strength? Pilates for six-pack abs? Yoga for flexibility? Or perhaps a mixture of several different kinds of exercise that you blend together - a format that fitness professionals call, "cross training."

But what if there were a single workout that could satisfy all your fitness needs, and more? And what would you call it? What would you call a workout that was simultaneously a system of self-defense, a shield against disease, a means of meditation and a beautiful dance? Well, you might call it "T'ai Chi Ch'uan" - one of the world's most popular workouts. It's practiced by more than a billion people throughout Asia and around the world. T'ai Chi Ch'uan is called "the ultimate exercise" for body, mind and Spirit. If you've ever been curious about this ancient Chinese martial art, here are just three things you ought to know.

First of all, T'ai Chi is a phenomenal physical workout. It builds great lower body strength and flexibility, and along the way delivers a terrific cardio workout. The upper body also gets a great resistance workout as you begin to practice the T'ai Chi sword, or include the weighted Chi ball. Its greatest workout benefit, however, is how it hones your balance and coordination, which makes it the perfect complement to any other workout. No matter what your other sport may be, T'ai Chi will make it better.

The second important benefit is how this discipline helps you manage and relieve stress - and who couldn't benefit from that? Good T'ai Chi practice teaches you to trigger what is known as the "relaxation response." The relaxation response is a total release of the unconscious muscle tensions and a reversal of the stress hormones that have created our chronic "stress responses" (our automatic reactions to stress, like increased blood pressure and heart rate, shallow breathing and elevated cortisol levels).

Finally, T'ai Chi has a deeply metaphysical or philosophical side (some would even say Spiritual). It is based on ancient principles that not only teach you about exercise and self-defense, but about life itself. It teaches you the principles for living in a very physical way. Here's just one example, almost all Spiritual systems talk about the importance of "balance" in your life. But what does that really mean? How are you supposed to use balance to your advantage? Most of the time, you are left to figure that out for yourself. But T'ai Chi demands that you balance your physical body, teaches you how to do it, and shows you the consequences of not having balance (you fall down).

Of course, the most important feature of the extraordinary discipline is simply this: it's fun. The traditional way of telling people you practice this art is to say, "I play T'ai Chi." That by itself may justify the name, "The Ultimate Workout."

David-Dorian Ross - T'ai Chi Master, life coach and celebrity wellness expert - writes a regular advice column on practical coaching for daily life called "Invincible Living" at http://www.daviddorianross.com/ask/. Got a persistent problem? Email your question to daviddorianross@gmail.com. Remember: when body, mind and Soul come together - we are invincible! Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, hypnotherapist, counsellor and life coach in London.

On The Usefulness Of Classifying Dreams

My purpose in writing this article is two-fold; to encourage the development of a universally accepted model of dreams -including purpose, meaning and language- and; to encourage the cooperation and sharing of information on a wider, freer platform that isn't restricted to peer-reviewed publications or primarily published works.

Over the years it's been suggested, by a number of individuals, from various disciplines, who work with dreams, that it would be beneficial and useful to sort dreams into some kind of system. This idea evolved into the classification or organization of dreams into types, or themes. Based on the work of a few prominent dream researchers, we now have twelve basic types, classifications or dream themes, with each type having both a positive and negative meaning (resulting in 24 rather than 12 types of dreams). It's been strongly suggested that we can develop a clearer, more specific form of dream analysis and interpretation through these classifications and do so without adhering to any one theory.

From the beginning, science has expanded, progressed and proliferated primarily by the observation, collection and naming of data whether in the form of specimens or information. Whether observing the thousands of species of beetles on the planet, the trillions of stars in the sky, or the hundreds of fragments of bone in the earth, researchers collect the data or specimen then proceed to organize them into some logical system. They usually sorts them into groups of similarities and differences. The data is then named, numbered and analyzed. This process allows for other researchers to work with the same set of data and reproduce or continue working in the same area with the expectation of gaining understanding and cohesion in studies and experiments. Once all this work has begun and patterns or anomalies observed, a theory or theories are developed to help explain the findings.

Through the past century or so, we've actually learned quite a bit about the mechanics or dreams. We've discovered that:

• REM (rapid eye movement) is associated with dreaming (though not solely);

• We've learned that dreams progress through different stages throughout the sleep cycle;

• We now know that different states cycle throughout the night

• We can now observe the different brainwave patterns during different states of sleep and wakefulness;

• And we think we understand at least some of the physiology of dreaming.

However, in all this flurry of activity and discovery, we're no closer to understanding the purpose or meaning of our dreams. As a science, or even as an art, dream analysis or interpretation is still stuck in the stone ages. Many dream experts argue that this is because we, as dream workers, haven't organized and shared our combined knowledge about dreams and their vast array of subjects, images and symbols.

Sadly, though, we, as a discipline, are stuck at the stage or level of specimen/data collection. We've amassed a mind-boggling amount of information on the images, emotions, symbols and subjects of dreams, but we haven't been able to organize this information into any agreed upon theory or system from which to work from. Because of this, we're unable to corroborate each others' findings or observations and settle on a definitive answer as to what purpose dreams hold or even what they mean.

This work has been attempted by other prominent dream workers, such as Hall, Van de Castle, Garfield, Ross and others. For example, a universal classification system was developed by Patricia Garfield, Ph.D., but unfortunately this or other similar systems haven't been widely accepted or used. The nearest we have to a generally accepted classification (or coding) system is that developed by Calvin Hall and Robert Van de Castle way back in 1966. Like most research-based scoring systems including personality, psychology and other systems, it's helpful for the quantitative collection of data but excludes the individual dream and dreamer. You can code a dream down to its last period, but it's not going to help a dreamer understand what the dreams message is.

With both the Hall and Van de Castle Content Analysis System and Patricia Garfield's Universal Classification System (and other lesser known systems), the suggestion is that dreams can be broken down to their parts and understood this way. This is similar to the physics paradigm; by smashing particles into ever smaller units, the belief is that they'll be able to understand the whole of the universe and thus reality. Modern scientists always tend to follow this reductionistic approach. In personality psychology, researchers have continued to whittle down the number of personality traits we humans have from the original 116 characteristics observed in the last century all the way down to two. However, the early personality researchers realised that this was too simplistic, so the majority of them settled on five. Do you think 5 personality traits are enough to define who you are? The point I'm trying to make here is that the same is happening with dream research. Dream workers try to reduce what they're studying to its most basic structure or function and expect to understand the whole.

The paramount question I have is this: Can dreams even be classified? Granted, dreamers around the world have similar dreams (universal dreams). And why shouldn't they? We're all human beings; we're all concerned with the same things -food, clothing, shelter, family, security and society. However, we also have concerns that are more personal, more egocentric and more subjective. There has to be a comfortable middle where not every single word of a written dream has to be analyzed, but has more points of analysis than just the general, overall theme. This is where my research has lead me. I'm trying to find the middle: where analysis isn't so detailed that every single sigh in a dream is analyzed, but detailed enough that more than just the examination of general actions or activities are taken into account.

The biggest oversight I've observed in dream work is that the majority of dream researchers fail to account for or even consider the dreamer behind the dream; the interaction between the imagery in the dream and the dreamer herself; or the response elicited or evoked from and throughout the dream experience. We have to consider the source before we can hope to understand the purpose or the meaning.

As research continues, eventually, I or another dream researcher, will get there. The question, however, is whether others will get on board.

Ms. Terry L. Gillis, dream analyst and investigator, invites you to visit http://www.terrygillisdreamanalyst.ca for more dream articles like this one. You may also participate in her ongoing research and become a part of the growing dream community by posting your dreams on her blog. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, counselling hypnotherapist and life coach in London.

How to Have a Positive Attitude Despite Different Challenges in Life

How to have a positive attitude: this is a question that must be answered by all people especially those who would normally face different challenges in their lives. Suffering from a bad mood after a long day at work? Feeling stressed because of problems at home? There are different ways for you to change your mood -- and outlook -- from negative to positive. Although the change may not come in an instant, you can assure that your mindset will be better after some significant amount of practice.

How to Have a Positive Attitude: Understanding That Not Every Day is Yours

If you want to maintain a positive outlook in life, it would be best not to expect that everything will go according to how you envision things. The odds will sometimes be against you. Once you are able to make yourself understand that the world doesn't revolve around you, you will slowly learn how to adjust your sails in order for you to move along the current and the wind. This will allow you to change your mood and outlook as the situation requires so, making you more adjustable and in the long run, you can keep on thinking positively at all times.

Effective Ways on How to Have a Positive Attitude When Faced with Challenges

Below are ways on how you can pick yourself up when you are faced with challenges that you didn't expect, or those who would always go back time and time again to tease you.

Listen or watch to inspirational stuff. Watch your favorite movie or TV series. Listen to your favorite singles and albums. All of these can be done instantly, thanks to modern technology. Whenever you feel bad mood knocking, you need not wait to go home for you to quickly change your mood. You can always tune in to your iPod or if allowed, turn on your office computer's media player. This is a quick fix for almost all mood swing bouts.

Change the way you move. If your bad moods are being triggered, you can try to change your body moves and acts, and your mood will change as well. For instance, if you are starting to feel angry, force a smile out of your face and keep it there for at least a minute. Meanwhile, if you need to relax or feel more confident, stand up, hold your head and back straight. For best effects, do both at the same time and you will slowly feel lighter on the inside.

Appreciate your current situation -- and everything else in your way. This is one of the quickest way on how to have a positive attitude. Appreciate your clothes: how do they make you look adorable today? Appreciate your food: how good did it taste? Appreciate your boss: what are his positive traits? There are a lot of things around you that you can appreciate and make you realize that life is still full of cheer.

Workout. Exercising is something that can help you achieve positivity and maintain it in a longer period of time. Through exercising, you will feel more confident about yourself that will support your positive outlook. Furthermore, scientifically speaking, working out can stimulate chemicals in the brain that can make you feel happier and relaxed. Exercising also provides you with more energy -- more energy to face life's challenges.

Having a positive attitude is a necessity. However, problems can really be too much for one to handle. Fortunately, there are resources online that can give you bright ideas on how to have a positive attitude when things get rough.

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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.

How Is Kava Used in Ceremonies?

For over five thousand years, kava is known to have been used as part of elaborate community-building rituals throughout the Pacific islands. Even though Christian Missionaries tried to eradicate the use of the ancient and sacred plant, it was too deeply rooted (no pun intended) in various cultures across the Pacific to be fully eliminated from the island culture. As a result, kava is still used in ceremonies and to celebrate special occasions.

Kava has long held an exalted place among high-ranking members of Pacific society, and its ceremonial uses range from a simple welcome for honored visitors, to celebrations for the completion of work projects, to ceremonies for recognizing the social status of citizens in the community. Kava is also often enjoyed during the celebration of a new birth or marriage, and is even taken at funerals. Essentially, in any situation that Westerner cultures commemorate with a toast of an alcoholic beverage, we find that Pacific cultures also lift a glass - but for us, it's a cup of kava!

Perhaps the most interest ceremonial use of kava is when it is consumed by elders during divination ceremonies as they contact the spirit world in order to find missing things, diagnose illnesses, and foretell the future. We also use kava to mark several key events in a child's life, such as the naming of children who have lived for one full year, the consecrating of an infant at birth, and the imitation of girls into the traditions of hula and chant when they reach adolescence. In some places in the Pacific, kava is poured onto the ground instead of being consumed during these rituals.

In Vanuatu, a Polynesian island on which kava traditions remain a deeply integral part of the culture, political decisions are enacted during kava ceremonies. Kava ceremonies are also places where enemies are reconciled and goodwill is restored. When there are conflicts in the community, kava is used to return a sense of balance and goodwill to the community. Criminals may even be pardoned and given their freedom after a particularly effective kava ceremony!

Even nowadays, kava is an essential aspect of important political and social ceremonies, and is used to welcome honored visitors to Pacific island nations. Many famous figures, including Prince Charles and Pope John Paul II have participated in traditional kava ceremonies upon visiting the Pacific!

Finally, the whole kava root is often presented to guests and visitors as a symbol of peace and good will. If you are ever handed a rather ugly tan root anytime during your visit to the Pacific, it is not an insult. This is a sign of honor, peace, and friendship!

Kona Kava Farm ships worldwide and offers safe, effective, and unusually potent Kava made only from the roots of our organic-certified, estate-grown plants. Don't forget to register for our free monthly Kava giveaway when you stop by as well. Aloha no, Makaira Kealoha

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.

Intuitive Health Readings As Preventative Medicine

Modern medical diagnostic techniques are fantastic at finding the presence of disease. But what if disease is not yet present in organic form? That is, it cannot be seen by an MRI, CT scan or X-ray and isn't revealed in blood work, an EEG or EKG. How can we predict tendencies to develop illness before it manifests in the body as detectable disease?

Genetic markers are one answer. By evaluating someone's DNA, it is possible to see familial patterns that have the potential for developing disease. But these are only probabilities. What of the actual energetic complex in an individual at any given point in time? What of the diseases that are hovering, ready to manifest in tumors or heart dysfunction, or waiting to send our cells spiraling into mutation?

All of Earth and her inhabitants are composed of energy in its myriad forms - the humans, the animals, the plants and the members of the mineral kingdom. It is simply a matter of density, form and intention. Given that, it is reasonable to presume that disease in an organism has an energetic footprint. Stress, sadness, anger and emotional trauma can all contribute to an imbalance in homeostasis.

Viewing an entity intuitively is a way to see into these energetic footprints. What can be perceived surpasses the abilities of mechanical diagnostic techniques, seeing into the very energy profile of an organism. Areas of concern, the mental and emotional composition of an entity can be assessed by an intuitive health reader before organic disease manifests. Thus, matters can be addressed leading to more vigorous health and well-being.

As example, we will make certain assumptions about the progression of an intuitive reading. Let us say that current bodily systems will be visualized as they would appear to conventional diagnostics, giving us a literal picture of the state of any organ. In a reading where disease is hovering, the visualization would be more ethereal. The area viewed might present as a color of light or darkened area signifying disturbance or the intuitive might simply feel a disruption in the area. Emotional causes might make themselves apparent to the reader or past physical trauma might be visualized. Simply put, the reader can sense the seeds of disease before they materialize.

This kind of appraisal can be invaluable in discerning the impending presence of illness or disease and can arm the client with information that they can then take under their own council, to their health care provider, psychoanalyst or spiritual advisor. Unraveling some of the underlying origins of stress, disquiet and so on gives the client tools with which to begin moving toward well-being, and in so doing, also toward more robust health.

Semi-annual or annual evaluations with an intuitive practitioner along with wellness checks from medical professionals can yield a holistic approach to preventative medicine.

Alannah Hudis has studied natural spirituality with Medicine Woman Loren Cruden for several years and offers intuitive health readings for people and animals. For more information about Alannah's readings, please visit: www.healingspiritsong.com. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.

Practical Ways to Forgive and Forget

It's easy to be angry and bear grudges against a person who wronged us. We sometimes even get the urge to take revenge or get even. Although it can give you some sort of satisfaction, it can actually do more harm to you. That is because resentment can make a person unhealthy both in mind, body and spirit. But all of these can be avoided if you know how to forgive and forget. Read the tips below on how you can do it.

Pray. When a person harmed us or did something awful, most of the time bad words come out of our mouths. Doing so will only make things worse and fill your heart with anger. Instead, try saying a prayer for that person. Pray that this person finds true happiness so that he or she will stop hurting other people.
Count your blessings. Focus on the things that you can be thankful about instead of the things or persons that make you angry. Hating someone is like putting yourself under someone else's power that takes away your happiness. Avoid that from happening by focusing on your blessings and taking pride in it. At the end of the day, it's the blessings that matters the most. Be thankful.
Learn from experience. If you find it difficult to forgive someone then at least try to learn from the bad experiences between you and that person. Learn as much as you can so that those things won't happen again. Try to learn patience, compassion, faithfulness and open-mindedness. In time these will turn into strengths that can help you forgive.
Stay positive. Just because you're going through a tough time doesn't mean that your whole life should go to that direction. Remind yourself that this is just a part of life and not your whole life. So let go of the bad moments and know that the best is yet to come. One day those negative thoughts and feelings will be replaced with positive ones and you'll eventually be able to forgive.
Let go of resentment. As Carrie Fisher puts it, "Resentment is the poison you swallow hoping the other person will die. " You should be aware that if you resent someone, you're giving that person the power to control your emotions. It will only build up negative thoughts and feelings which you will eventually succumb to. Don't give that person the power. Let go of resentment.
Love yourself . It's difficult to forgive someone if your heart is filled with hate, bitterness and anger. If this is the case then you will eventually turn into a hateful, bitter and angry person that needs to be forgiven as well. Start loving yourself so that it won't happen to you. Know that you are a loving, happy, and passionate person that knows how to forgive.
Deliver a positive revenge. Yes, there is what you call a positive revenge that doesn't inflict any kind of pain. All you have to do is go on with your life in happiness. That's right, just be happy with what you have, with who you are and where you are. Live your life with a smile on your face because the best revenge is to show those who hurt you that you're still having a good life. Eventually the bad experiences won't matter to you anymore and you'll be able to forgive.

Being resentful and angry are signs of the weak because they let others take away their happiness. Be a bigger and stronger person by knowing how to forgive and forget.

"To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness."
~Robert Muller

Please visit ezhealthmanagement.com/blog/ for more articles. 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.

Health Habits: I'll Drink To That

Get The NEWSS, And Stay Hydrated (But Not Inebriated)

You need to get The NEWSS - that's what I call the five key daily health habits that everyone should adopt (though to different degrees, since everyone's different). NEWSS stands for Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sleep, and Supplements... and whether your leadership mission is in the service of an organization, or you own your own business, you need to make sure your vitality and energy are kept strong. Your business depends on you! And The NEWSS is a good place to start.

Nutritionally, find the plan that works best for you - but have a plan. I've tried several things over the years, from "balanced" calorie-counting to vegetarian, and I've found the nutritional approach that works best for me is a low-carbohydrate approach. Mostly, though, everyone would benefit from adding more fresh, real food to their diet and cutting out the processed "convenience" foods (the consumption of some of which amounts to dumping garbage into your body).

A disciplined exercise approach is also essential for nearly everyone. For some people, based on their age and medical condition, simply walking on a regular basis is a fine exercise regimen. And some recent studies suggest you can overdo it - most people shouldn't exercise more than an hour a day, and won't benefit from more (and could damage the heart). But you should assume you need regular exercise of some kind. I like Bill Phillips' "Body For Life" approach. It's a disciplined exercise program that varies what you put your body through, from aerobic/cardio work one day to strength training (weight lifting) the next. If you're just starting out, do this: work out three times a week - every other day - and do whatever exercise gets your heart rate up to your personal target rate, and keeps it there for 20 minutes (your target rate is 80% of the difference between your age and 220).

You also need to get your eight hours of sleep every night, to give your body a chance to reload (this means you, Busy Entrepreneur); and you should take at least one good multi-nutrient supplement every day (my favorite is a liquid nutraceutical that's formulated to make it easy for your body's cells to use).

That leaves water... and your other fluids.

The journal "Cancer Prevention Research" recently reported on the benefits of drinking plenty of fluids (I try never to drink less than two liters of water in a day). Staying hydrated, according to the report, may help protect men against bladder cancer since the fluids might flush out potential carcinogens before they have a chance to attack and damage tissue. Men who drank at least approximately two-and-a-half liters a day showed about a 24% reduction in their risk for bladder cancer.

Water is the key - but should you be drinking other stuff? The big ones, of course, are caffeine and alcohol. I think people vary in their tolerance to both of these - one good rule of thumb is to have an extra half-liter of water for every alcoholic beverage or cup of coffee you drink... it helps you keep from overloading on things that might not be great for you.

Harvard Medical School also released some recent research, including a report on drinking red wine. There seems to be little doubt that the resveratrol in red wine is good for you, and that's why people think red wine is "healthy." Harvard notes that many studies have shown red wine to be of benefit to the immune and cardiovascular systems. But you have to drink a LOT of wine to get the maximum benefit from the resveratrol, and that would cause you alcohol problems (instead, look at supplementing with a high-quality non-alcoholic resveratrol extract). The Harvard study showed some concern that women who drink even moderately (as few as three drinks a week) show an increase in their risk for breast cancer. Bummer! But the report also stated that women who abstain from all alcohol might find that the potential benefit of lower breast cancer risk is more than offset by the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. What's a girl to do? I think if your family has a history of heart trouble, drink some red wine. If you have more of a history of breast cancer risk, don't. And in both cases, add a good reseveratrol supplement to boost your body's protection from all sorts of maladies.

People, especially business leaders, are increasingly realizing that the specter of socialized medicine and shortages of doctors and drugs are threats to a person's vitality - and that, without your health, your mission is in serious jeopardy. They're getting in shape. They're getting The NEWSS.

I'll drink to that!

Michael Hume is a speaker, writer, and consultant specializing in helping people maximize their potential and enjoy inspiring lives. As part of his inspirational leadership mission, he coaches executives and leaders in growing their personal sense of well-being through wealth creation and management, along with personal vitality.

Michael and his wife, Kathryn, divide their time between homes in California and Colorado. They are very proud of their offspring, who grew up to include a homemaker, a rock star, a service talent, and a television expert. Two grandchildren also warm their hearts! Visit Michael's web site at michaelhume.net. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online.