Health

Mental disorder

2012-01-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

A mental disorder or mental illness
is a psychological or behavioral pattern that is generally associated with distress or disability, and which is not considered part of normal development or a person's culture. Such disorders are defined by a combination of affective, behavioral, cognitive or perceptual components, which may be associated with particular functions or regions of the brain or nervous system, often in a social context.

The recognition and understanding of mental health conditions have changed over time and across cultures, and there are still variations in definition, assessment and classification, although standard guideline criteria are widely used. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over a third of people in most countries report problems at some time in their life which meet criteria for diagnosis of one or more of the common types of mental disorder.

The causes of mental disorders are varied and in some cases unclear, and theories may incorporate findings from a range of fields. Services are based in psychiatric hospitals or in the community, and assessments are carried out by psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and sometimes psychiatric social workers, using various methods but often relying on observation and questioning. Clinical treatments are provided by various mental health professionals.

Psychotherapy and psychiatric medication are two major treatment options, as are social interventions, peer support and self-help. In a minority of cases there might be involuntary detention or involuntary treatment, where legislation allows. Stigma and discrimination can add to the suffering and disability associated with mental disorders (or with being diagnosed or judged as having a mental disorder), leading to various social movements attempting to increase understanding and challenge social exclusion.

Your Child and mental health

2012-01-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

Your Child and mental health

While many adults believe that children live a life of ease, this is certainly not necessarily always true. Your child and mental health is a dynamic world unto it's own.
Children are not without their own emotional, mental, and physical troubles. Just as with older humans, children are capable of feeling all types of feelings. These include feelings of sadness, hurt, mistrust, anxiety, and anger. In addition, the way that children deal with these feelings can have a huge effect on their emotional health. Children and mental health often reflects greatly on the parental mental health that a child has when he or she become a parent themselves. Kids that grow up in a positive environment are much more likely to be positive adults than those that experience negative emotional mental health during their childhood.
Infant and child mental health establishes a foundation of self-esteem for life.

Children as young as infants are aware of trust and mistrust in others and in self. After a child is only a few months old, their emotional health begins to develop. It is important during infancy that a baby learns he or she can trust the caregiver. The baby needs to know that his or her needs are taken care of when a diaper should be changed or a feeding needs to take place. Infants that go long periods of time without the attention of the caregiver are much more likely not to trust.
Once the infant passes through the stage of placing trust in others, a toddler encounters a stage of emotional mental health called autonomy vs. shame and doubt. During this period, the child needs to feel that he or she is capable of independence. While an infant needed others, toddlers are looking for space to obtain good mental health. When a toddler is not given the opportunity to find independence, he or she often grows up having a lacking self-esteem, feeling ashamed as well as a whole assortment of other mental health issues. Much independence during this stage of life is found through potty training with the toddler taking care of his or her own bathroom needs.
Your child and mental health goes hand in hand with the circumstance of the family environment while growing up.
Initiative verse guilt follows the toddler stage when a child reaches preschool and kindergarten. During this stage, the child emotionally needs to explore others and the world around him or her and begins to become interested in belonging to a group and role-playing within that group. During this stage of life, a person develops much of their background for social interaction. Children who are allowed to explore and interact with others are much more likely to carry over positive social skills into adulthood than those that are secluded from group activities. These others can end up on the opposite side of the spectrum in regards to their social and mental health becoming withdrawn from others.
It is quite apparent that child and adult mental health become synonymous throughout life.

Part of creating a solid foundation in children to carry over into adulthood is allowing children the opportunity to learn how to make choices. Children need to experience the effects that their choices have on their lives. Instead of continually giving a child direction, it is better to give a child options.

When allowed to take some actions into their own hands helps create an emotional mental health framework for the future, Setting boundaries and preparing children for disappointments help children prepare for good mental health and avoidance of mental health issues as an adult. In some cases, children can make choices for themselves. However, children also need to learn that not everything will always be controlled by them. They need to learn to accept the things that they cannot control. A child that learns to cope with disappointment through a caregiver that sets boundaries will grow into an adult with a foundation of more positive emotional mental health than those children that never experience hearing the word "no". All of this is very critical for child and adolescent development.

While all research indicates that the environment in which a child grows greatly affects his or her emotional mental health, not all parents that fail to properly foster their child's stages of health are neglectful or bad parents. In fact, many parents struggle with the proper methods they should carry out to help their child grow into a prosperous adult.

Interaction is a great way to help your child's emotional mental health bloom. Children need to be cuddled and feel the touch of others. In addition, they need communication. Even as an infant, babies respond to parents and others through coos. Responding to these babbles is an important part of the infant and child mental health development process (both mentally and emotionally). As the child grows older, let him or her know what he or she has to say is important by listening and responding in conversation.

In addition to talking, your child and mental health is dependent upon nonverbal responses also. Be certain to make eye contact with the child. Share gestures and facial expressions during daily routines such as dinner, story time, and bath time.

Be certain that you have expectations for your child and that they are appropriate for the child's age level. Placing too much pressure or high expectations on your child can be harmful to his or her emotional mental health. Do not place expectations on the child that he or she is not mature enough to handle.

When your child reaches a charged emotional situation, try to help the child understand the feelings and work through the problem. Let your child know that it is okay to express emotions if they are expressed in a proper manner.
Raising or working with a child can be a large responsibility when it is realized that the things the child experiences now affects how he or she will respond to the world as an adult. The positive or negative environment that a kid encounters through childhood affects the ways that he or she handles situations independently when grown.

Carefully considering the emotional health needs that help a child feel secure about him or herself and about the environment are important to his or her success in the future.
Enter a world of adventure in Children's and Baby Furniture at: Baby Furniture Cribs.

Mental Health

2012-01-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

Bipolar disorder
People use the term mood to describe the emotional tones that color their daily lives. Moods are everywhere and ubiquitous; everyone has them. Moods may be happy or sad; energized or sluggish; embodying various combinations of emotional states. Moods consist of feelings as well as the thoughts and judgments that give feelings their meaning...

Mental disorder
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern that is generally associated with distress or disability, and which is not considered part of normal development or a person's culture. Such disorders are defined by a combination of affective, behavioral, cognitive or perceptual components, which may be associated with particular functions or regions of the brain or nervous system, often in a social context...

Your Child and mental health
While many adults believe that children live a life of ease, this is certainly not necessarily always true. Your child and mental health is a dynamic world unto it's own.Children are not without their own emotional, mental, and physical troubles. Just as with older humans, children are capable of feeling all types of feelings. These include feelings of sadness, hurt, mistrust, anxiety, and anger...

Discovering Bipolar Disorder

2012-01-02T15:35:00.000-08:00

Discovering Bipolar Disorder

People use the term mood to describe the emotional tones that color their daily lives. Moods are everywhere and ubiquitous; everyone has them. Moods may be happy or sad; energized or sluggish; embodying various combinations of emotional states. Moods consist of feelings as well as the thoughts and judgments that give feelings their meaning. An anxious mood may shift into an excited mood with a simple change of perspective, and a depressed mood may shift into a happier one upon hearing pleasing news. Moods are typically transient things that shift from moment to moment or day to day, but they can be prolonged states as well which color the whole psychic life for long periods of time.

While people's moods rise and fall as various life events are experienced, most moods never become that extreme or feel uncontrollable. As depressed as an average person might get, it won't take too much for them to recover and start feeling better. Similarly, happy and excited moods are not easily sustainable either, and tend to regress back to a sort of average mood. Most people can't stay too depressed or too happy for any length of time.

In contrast to people who experience normal mood fluctuations are people who have Bipolar Disorder. People with bipolar disorder experience extreme and abnormal mood swings that stick around for prolonged periods, cause severe psychological distress, and interfere with normal functioning.

Bipolar Disorder (also known as Manic-Depression, or sometimes Bipolar Affective Disorder), is a category of serious mood disorder that causes people to swing between extreme, severe and typically sustained mood states which deeply affect their energy levels, attitudes, behavior and general ability to function. Bipolar mood swings can damage relationships, impair job or school performance, and even result in suicide. Family and friends as well as affected people often become frustrated and upset over the severity of bipolar mood swings.

Bipolar moods swing between 'up' states and 'down' states. Bipolar 'up' states are called Mania, while bipolar 'down' states are called Depression. Mania is characterized by a euphoric (joyful, energetic) mood, hyper-activity, a positive, expansive outlook on life, an inflated sense of self-esteem or grandiosity (a hyper-inflated sense of self-esteem), and a sense that most anything is possible. When in a manic state, bipolar people tend to demonstrate a decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, rapid speech (wherein the words won't come out fast enough to keep up with their racing thoughts) and heightened distractibility. Manic individuals typically show poor judgment and impulsivity, and are prone to engaging in risky or dangerous behaviors and activities.

Depression is, more or less, the opposite mood state from mania. Depression is characterized by feelings of lethargy and lack of energy, a negative outlook on life, low or non-existent self-esteem and self-worth, and a sense that nothing is possible. Depressed individuals tend to lose interest in things that used to give them pleasure and enjoyment (such as sex, food or the company of other people). They may sleep too much or too little. Regardless of how much sleep they actually get, they tend to complain about feeling constantly tired and fatigued. Their mood tends to be dysphoric (e.g., distressed, negative, unhappy), although they may experience dysphoria in different ways. Traditional depressed mood (e.g., sadness, melancholy), irritability, short temper, and even agitation are common mood states reported by depressed people with bipolar illness. Additionally, anger, guilt, failure and hopeless feelings may be present. Such negative feeling states help depressed people lose confidence in their abilities, become pessimistic about their futures, and (sometimes) conclude that life is no longer worth living.

Although popular culture tends to equate mania with happiness and depression with sadness this isn't really the best way to think about what is happening in bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorder involves not so much a swing between happy and sad states, as it does a swing between high and low energy states. When in a high-energy state, people appear happy because they are motivated and excitable, whereas in a low energy state, people feel sad, and lack motivation and enthusiasm. As the energy level of a manic episode increases, the early happy mood tends to degenerate into a more agitated and psychotic state which may be experienced more as terrifying than happy, but which is nevertheless very energizing. Similarly, as a depressive mood state increases, people may go from merely feeling badly about themselves to literally not being able to leave their bed. Thus, the happy and sad moods that are thought to characterize mania and depression respectively are results of different energy states and not necessarily primary features of the disorder.

The high and low energy states characteristic of bipolar disordered moods are often thought of as places that exist upon a continuum of energy levels. Manic moods are characterized by high energy states, while depressive moods are characterized by low energy states. As bipolar moods shift from depressed to manic and back to depressed again, part of what is happening, according to this way of seeing things, is that there is a smooth shifting of the bipolar person's energy state moving up and down the energy continuum. Each end of this energy continuum can be considered to be a pole, or end point (in the same way that the North and South Poles are the end points of the earth), hence the origin of the term "Bipolar" (meaning, involving movement between two poles).

Health benefits

2012-01-02T15:17:00.000-08:00

Health Benefits

Remember playing outside until mom called you in for dinner? Today’s kids probably won’t.

In the last two decades, childhood has moved indoors. The average American boy or girl spends just four to seven minutes in unstructured outdoor play each day, and more than seven hours each day in front of an electronic screen.

This shift inside profoundly impacts the wellness of our nation’s kids. Childhood obesity rates have more than doubled the last 20 years; the United States has become the largest consumer of ADHD medications in the world; and pediatric prescriptions for antidepressants have risen precipitously.

Our kids are out of shape, tuned out and stressed out, because they’re missing something essential to their health and development: connection to the natural world.

Body

Outdoor play increases fitness levels and builds active, healthy bodies, an important strategy in helping the one in three American kids who are obese get fit.
Spending time outside raises levels of Vitamin D, helping protect children from future bone problems, heart disease, diabetes and other health issues.
Being out there improves distance vision and lowers the chance of nearsightedness.

Mind

Exposure to natural settings may be widely effective in reducing ADHD symptoms.
Schools with environmental education programs score higher on standardized tests in math, reading, writing and listening.
Exposure to environment-based education significantly increases student performance on tests of their critical thinking skills.

Spirit

Children’s stress levels fall within minutes of seeing green spaces.
Play protects children’s emotional development whereas loss of free time and a hurried lifestyle can contribute to anxiety and depression.
Nature makes you nicer, enhancing social interactions, value for community and close relationships.

Whole grains benefits

2012-01-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Whole grains benefits

Studies show that eating whole grains instead of refined grains lowers the risk of many chronic diseases. While benefits are most pronounced for those consuming at least 3 servings daily, some studies show reduced risks from as little as one serving daily. The message: every whole grain in your diet helps!

The main benefits of whole grains

The benefits of whole grains most documented by repeated studies include:

stroke risk reduced 30-36%
type 2 diabetes risk reduced 21-30%
heart disease risk reduced 25-28%
better weight maintenance

Other benefits indicated by recent studies include:

reduced risk of asthma
healthier carotid arteries
reduction of inflammatory disease risk
lower risk of colorectal cancer
healthier blood pressure levels
less gum disease and tooth loss

Summaries of Recent Whole Grain Health Research

To support the deliberations of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Oldways and the Whole Grains Council have compiled a summary of research on whole grains and health that has been undertaken since the 2005 Dietary Guidelines. This PDF report includes information from almost four dozen studies, largely from 2006 to 2008; it augments an earlier compendium from the Bell Institute of Nutrition at General Mills.

Putting the Whole Grain Puzzle Together:
Health Benefits Associated with Whole Grains

In April 2010, the American Society for Nutrition brought together researchers to review the evidence regarding the health benefits associated with whole grains. Current scientific evidence indicates that whole grains play an important role in lowering the risk of chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and also contribute to body weight management and gastrointestinal health. The findings were published as a supplement to The Journal of Nutrition in May 2011 and made available as a Free Article.

Whole Grains and Human Health – an Overview

In 2004 (Nutrition Research Reviews, May 2004; Vol 17: 99-110), Dr. Joanne Slavin of the University of Minnesota published a meta-analysis that reviewed and compiled scores of recent studies on whole grains and health, to show how whole-grain intake is protective against cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

Maximum health benefits

2012-01-02T09:19:00.000-08:00

How to harvest and prepare rose hips

Rose hips are the small, colorful bulbs that stay behind when a rose dies. They are roughly the same size as berries and vary in color from orange to red. Oftentimes overlooked because gardeners trim the dead flowers before the rose hips can form, rose hips are a great source of Vitamin C and can be harvested and prepared as a natural way to boost intake of this important vitamin.

With a sweet tartness, rose hips are part of the apple and crabapple families. Almost all roses create rose hips, as they are the natural product of a dead flower, but the ones that are said by many to be the best tasting are rugosa roses. In addition to tasting the best, these roses also produce the largest and most numerous hips.

Harvesting rose hips is very straightforward. They should always be removed from the stem of the rose plant after the first frost, when they are the sweetest. At the time of harvest, hips should be firm with a little give in texture and bright red or orange in color. If any of the hips on the plant are shriveled or are not the right color, do not collect them; they will not go to waste, as they will provide a great treat for the birds, rabbits, squirrels, and deer in the area.

Preparing rose hips is also simple; however, make sure that they are prepared as quickly as possible after being harvested, as waiting to do so will compromise a lot of their nutritional value. Once they have been collected from the rose plant they can be used whole, but they have seeds inside of them that have a hairy surface and can cause irritation if eaten. If the rose hips are to be incorporated into anything other than a jam, it is recommended that the insides of the hips are removed before further preparations are conducted. To remove the seeds, trim the ends of the hips and then cut them in half using scissors (the hips will be too small to accurately trim and slice with a knife). Then remove seeds, rinse the hips in cold water, and drain them thoroughly.

After the rose hips have been drained, they should air dry to remove any additional exterior moisture. Once the rose hips are trimmed and ready for use, they can either be prepared fresh or dried. To dry them, lay them out evenly with a lot of space between them. Place them in a dark, dry, and warm location until they shrivel up, much like a raisin. Once dry, rose hips can be refrigerated or frozen.
Rose hips are great to use in jellies, sauces, soups, seasonings, or tea. If the recipe in use calls for them to be cooked, do not use aluminum pots, pans, or utensils, as it will deplete the vitamin C levels and alter the color of the rose hips.

Vitamin C is an important part of a balanced diet, and rose hips are a wonderful source of Vitamin C. Anyone looking for a natural, delicious, and easy to prepare source of this important vitamin will benefit from harvesting his/her own rose hips and from the beautiful roses that will grow in the process!

10 reasons why you should use pure unrefined sea salt

2012-01-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

10 reasons why you should use pure unrefined sea salt

Salt use has been a controversial health issue. Most allopathic MDs consider it a source of high blood pressure. But researchers from holistic health circles, including some independent MDs, have embraced pure sea salt as vital for good health. The taboo on salt has been challenged.

Taboos Based on Hearsay

Similar taboos within the same established medical circles have existed for saturated fats and cholesterol to avoid clogged arteries. As a result of unproven medical dogma, unhealthy margarine replaced healthy organic butter and toxic trans-fatty processed oils replaced fatty acid rich coconut and palm oils.

Now many health experts have been disabused of the negative press on saturated fats. The salt issue is very similar. The doctor tales go this way: High salt intake leads to high blood pressure resulting in heart attacks or strokes.

There have been epidemiological studies that indicate those on low sodium diets, salt restricting diets, are even more susceptible to cardiovascular issues than heavy salt users. One study surveyed a group with high blood pressure compared to another group with normal blood pressure and found no difference for heart attack risks.

Apparently the unequivocally absolute causal link of salt consumption for high blood pressure to heart attacks is bogus. But the right type of salt should be used for optimum health.

Why Sea Salt

Normal refined commercial table salt is rather toxic and lacks the nutrients contained in unrefined, raw sea salt. The toxicity comes from the refining and bleaching process, which also removes many of sea salt's naturally occurring trace minerals.

Though we all need sodium to live and function efficiently, our bodies have a hard time recognizing it from refined salt. Digestion and metabolism become imbalanced, perpetuating toxicity internally.

Our blood salt content closely resembles sea water salt content. All unrefined salt regardless of its current origin came from the sea originally. Therefore, pure salt can be sourced from ancient caves as well as seaside beds.

Pure unadulterated salt has been consumed by humans for centuries. Over the past few decades, industrially processed salt has taken over our cuisine and has been overly used in packaged and fast foods.

And that is the type of food that sodium sensitive types should restrict, especially since those nutritionally empty foods are also full of toxic ingredients. Commercially processed salt even passes on aluminum, used for processing, to your brain cells.

Ten Health Benefits of Unrefined Sea Salt

1) Salt helps stabilize and regulate heartbeats, thanks to its magnesium and sodium content.
2) Sodium is essential for proper muscular function.
3) Salt helps minimize the effects of stress by maintaining proper melatonin, serotonin, and tryptamine levels in the brain.
4) Salt helps the body hold water sufficiently for proper cell hydration.
5) Salt helps remove cellular acidity, especially in the brain and kidneys. Thus it is an alkalizer.
6) Sea salt boosts your immune system.
7) Since salt is taken into bone matter as part of strengthening bones, it helps prevent osteoporosis.
8) Sea salt provides a buffer for blood sugar levels to help prevent diabetes or to help those who are diabetic use less insulin.
9) Sea salt provides iodine in a natural setting, making it easier for your thyroid to absorb it and to regulate the endocrine system.
10) It tastes better.

Caution:Avoid overdoing a good thing. Sea salt should be balanced with appropriate water consumption. For more information, check out the sources below.

Dragon fruit benefits

2012-01-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

Dragon fruit benefits

Because of the multiple scales on the outside of it, dragon fruit was originally known as pitaya. This night-flowering cactus plant is also known as strawberry pear, mood flower, skogkaktus, pa-ni-ni, catobarse and long gou. Originating in Mexico and South America, this fruit is now also grown commercially in Asia. There are a few different varieties of dragon fruit. While some are dark pink, others are yellow or white. They have a taste similar to that of kiwi fruit, pear and watermelon. Health benefits of this unusual fruit range from improving memory to boosting the body's metabolism.

Because of its ability to lower blood glucose levels naturally, those suffering from diabetes can also benefit from eating dragon fruit. Its high protein content makes it beneficial for those needing to boost metabolism. Its Calcium content enables it to assist with strengthening teeth and bones naturally. Having a high fibre content, it is ideal for those suffering from constipation or irregular bowel movements. It possesses natural skin moisturizing properties.

Dragon fruit is also known to be a natural appetite stimulant, making it a good choice for anyone recovering from a loss of appetite after illness. It is an excellent antioxidant, which helps prevent the spread of free radicals within the body. It is able to lower cholesterol levels and high blood pressure naturally. It has also been shown to help those suffering from respiratory infections and asthma.

Besides calcium, this spiky fruit contains a host of other nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), carotene, phosphorus, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), iron, protein, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), carbohydrates, fibre and Vitamin C. It contains a small amount of ash and is approximately 83% moisture.
The Vitamin C in dragon fruit enables it to help build the immune system and heal bruises and cuts naturally. It also acts as a natural detoxing agent, because it is able to help the body neutralize substances like heavy metals.

This versatile fruit can be served whole, in salads, on homemade pizza and as a beverage if squeezed. It can also be used to make spreads, jams and preserves.

Health Benefits

2012-01-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

10 reasons why you should use pure unrefined sea salt
Salt use has been a controversial health issue. Most allopathic MDs consider it a source of high blood pressure. But researchers from holistic health circles, including some independent MDs, have embraced pure sea salt as vital for good health. The taboo on salt has been challenged...

The science of vitamin C
Among all supplemental vitamins, vitamin C may be the most controversial. The scientist most responsible for bringing vitamin C's benefits to the public, Linus Pauling, has been vilified in an attempt to kill the messenger and marginalize the message. But proof of vitamin C efficacy continues despite the medical mafia's suppressive efforts...

Benefits of cinnamon
A shaker of cinnamon often sits on the spice rack in most of our kitchens. Given its frequent use in sugary baked goods, many health mavens overlook cinnamon's centuries-old history as a healing substance, focusing on more exotic herbs rather than a brown powder found in Grandma's kitchen. Yet cinnamon, derived from the bark of a tree commonly found in South Asia and the Middle East region, not only adds flavor to pies, it also delivers a host of health benefits..

Dragon fruit benefits
Because of the multiple scales on the outside of it, dragon fruit was originally known as pitaya. This night-flowering cactus plant is also known as strawberry pear, mood flower, skogkaktus, pa-ni-ni, catobarse and long gou. Originating in Mexico and South America, this fruit is now also grown commercially in Asia. There are a few different varieties of dragon fruit...

How to harvest and prepare rose hips
Rose hips are the small, colorful bulbs that stay behind when a rose dies. They are roughly the same size as berries and vary in color from orange to red. Oftentimes overlooked because gardeners trim the dead flowers before the rose hips can form, rose hips are a great source of Vitamin C and can be harvested and prepared as a natural way to boost intake of this important vitamin...

Whole grains benefits
Studies show that eating whole grains instead of refined grains lowers the risk of many chronic diseases. While benefits are most pronounced for those consuming at least 3 servings daily, some studies show reduced risks from as little as one serving daily. The message: every whole grain in your diet helps...

Health Benefits
In the last two decades, childhood has moved indoors. The average American boy or girl spends just four to seven minutes in unstructured outdoor play each day, and more than seven hours each day in front of an electronic screen...

Benefits of cinnamon

2012-01-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

Surprising health facts

A shaker of cinnamon often sits on the spice rack in most of our kitchens. Given its frequent use in sugary baked goods, many health mavens overlook cinnamon's centuries-old history as a healing substance, focusing on more exotic herbs rather than a brown powder found in Grandma's kitchen. Yet cinnamon, derived from the bark of a tree commonly found in South Asia and the Middle East region, not only adds flavor to pies, it also delivers a host of health benefits.

Ancient India's Healing Tradition

Ayurveda, the ancient healing system of India, often uses cinnamon to stimulate circulation as well as to increase the bio-availability of other herbs. Ayurvedic healers, prescribe remedies based on an individual's dosha or type. Ayurveda sees cinnamon as an appropriate remedy for people who belong to the kapha type (characterized as sturdy, heavy, calm, slow and moist) and the vata type (thin, cold, prone to nervousness) since cinnamon tends to have a heating and energizing effect. People who belong to the pitta type (fiery, oily, sharp) can partake of cinnamon in moderation.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Herbalists and acupuncturists in the Chinese tradition value cinnamon for its warming qualities. Doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may prescribe cinnamon, often in combination with another warming substance such as ginger, to ward off colds. TCM healers may prescribe cinnamon for disorders associated with the kidney meridian.

Anti-Viral

During the 1918 influenza outbreak, workers at cinnamon factories seemed immune to the Spanish flu which decimated the population. A potent new form of cinnamon extract may even protect against HIV. An Israeli researcher, taking a cue from a Biblical reference to high priests using a holy oil containing cinnamon, in 2007 developed a powerful cinnamon extract which may protect against modern viruses like the Avian flu.

Blood Sugar Control

There may be a touch of ancient wisdom at work in all the recipes which combine cinnamon with high-carb and high-fat ingredients. Cinnamon can mitigate the impact these foods have on blood sugar levels, slowing the rate at which the stomach empties after meals and thereby reducing the potential spike in blood sugar. Cinnamon can offer aid to people who have type 2 diabetes by preventing insulin resistance and has even been recommended by the American Diabetes Association. Research has shown cinnamon outperforms diabetes drugs. In a study published in The Journal of Diabetic Medicine, research subjects given cinnamon supplements experienced greater improvement in blood sugar levels than those who received standard diabetes drugs.

Muscle to Fat Ratio

Studies indicate that cinnamon supplements go beyond just improving blood glucose levels; they can also reduce body fat percentage and help increase lean muscle mass.

Scent

If people at the holiday dinner table seem especially alert when the cinnamon-spiced pumpkin pie is being served, it might be because of its scent, not just an appetite for sweets. A 2004 study found that the smell of cinnamon helped boost brain function. Study participants performance on tasks involving virtual recognition memory, attentional processes, working memory, and visual-motor speed while using a computer were measured comparing the relative effects of jasmine, peppermint, cinnamon and no odor. Cinnamon had the strongest positive effect on study subjects' cognitive processing skills. Cinnamon's aroma comes from cinnamonaldehyde, an essential oil in the bark of cinnamon trees.

Anti-Microbial

Cinnamon has the ability to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, molds and yeasts, including Candida yeast. In a 2003 study, two batches of vegetable broth were refrigerated, one with, and one without cinnamon oil. The broth with the cinnamon oil was resistant to food-borne pathogenic Bacillus cereus for at least 60 days. Researchers in this study observed that the cinnamon not only served as an effective preservative but also improved the flavor of the broth. In another study, researchers at Kansas State University discovered that cinnamon eliminates E. coli in unpasteurized apple cider.

The science of vitamin C

2012-01-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

The science of vitamin C

Among all supplemental vitamins, vitamin C may be the most controversial. The scientist most responsible for bringing vitamin C's benefits to the public, Linus Pauling, has been vilified in an attempt to kill the messenger and marginalize the message. But proof of vitamin C efficacy continues despite the medical mafia's suppressive efforts.

The November 24, 2011 Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine newsletter discussed a study referenced in PubMed that linked high blood levels of vitamin C with lower incidence of heart failure, while lower serum levels of vitamin C were connected to higher death rates.

If you peeked at the report summary, you'll have noticed that the study was based on determining if high vegetable and fruit consumption is beneficial for heart health. Most of us know this already, but the bio-marker used in the study was vitamin C serum blood levels.

Orthomolecular medicine relies on the application of high dose supplements to treat both mental and physical disease. High doses are often rendered by injection or IV for critical situations, such as the one that rescued a New Zealand farmer from his near death coma.

In 2007, the CDC reported over 600,000 deaths from heart disease. The Orthomolecular.org newsletter examines this study with the angle that supplementing with inexpensive vitamin C would increase your vitamin C blood levels safely.

According to the newsletter, each 20 micromole/liter (μmol/L) of vitamin C in the blood reduced the heart failure death rate by nine percent. It may take only 500 mgs of vitamin C to achieve 80 micromoles/liter.

Since vitamin C is not produced by the human body, and absorption rates vary among individuals, it's apparent that taking more even more vitamin C is a good heart health investment.

Some vitamin C facts and fiction
Orthomolecular MDs are amazed at the prevailing vitamin C misinformation. The recommended dosage amounts (RDA) listed for vitamin C are just enough to prevent scurvy, at best. But for optimum health the dosages should be much higher.

Those sites and reports that are sanctioned by the medical mafia recommend staying below 2000 mgs of C daily to avoid diarrhea. But the threshold of vitamin C maximum intake is determined by when diarrhea begins. And that varies from individual to individual.

One of the ten websites that spread vitamin C misinformation also warns of cancer from too much vitamin C. This Reuters Health report has been rebutted by Science magazine, but continues to be spread around.

All vitamin C, regardless of origin, is the same molecule known as ascorbic acid. Whether from a natural source or synthetic, most experts consider the results to be the same. Large dosages should be taken in smaller amounts throughout the day to maintain maximum blood levels.

Mega dose vitamin C by IV or injection for critical conditions is based in ascorbate powder, which buffers the ascorbic acid's acidity. Mega-dose vitamin C transforms the antioxidant to oxygenate cells. Thus it can be used to treat even cancer. Straight ascorbic acid is too severe to be rendered by injection or IV. Ascorbate forms of oral vitamin C supplements are good for people with sensitive stomachs also.

How important is it to take your medicine?

2012-01-02T06:09:00.000-08:00

How important is it to take your medicine?

On June 22, 2011 the Medicine Today section of Medscape Today News posted an article entitled Consumer Medication Information: One Page Fits All, that discusses a report from the AMA Council on Science and Public Health. Sounds pretty impressive, doesn't it! Even more impressive, Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, a clinical associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, Past President of the American College of Physicians, and who previously served on the AMA Council of Science and Public Health, reports that noncompliance, when it comes to taking pharmaceutical drugs, leads to more frequent hospitalizations, more deaths, and nearly twice the cost (some $100 billion annually) for health care than those patients who take their medications as directed by their physicians. What group of patients is she referring to? Could someone with all these prestigious accomplishments be taking a position that is misleading, intimidating, and only a partial truth?

I have no doubt that for many patients with advanced health care issues Dr. Fryhofer's position is often correct. After spending 35 years working in the ICU, CCU, emergency, and the general wards, I've seen what medications can do to save lives.

However, this one sided article fails to take into consideration that there are many patients who do take pharmaceutical drugs as directed who die (about 400,000 annually), are hospitalized for serious adverse drug events (2-3 million annually), and drive up health costs (to the tune of about $300 billion annually). Let's face it, MDs are seriously undertrained when it comes to the side effects of medications as well as when it is better to turn to lifestyle and other less invasive approaches rather than prescription drugs and technologies to deal with chronic diseases.

The American public is becoming increasingly gun shy when it comes to trusting what people like the distinguished Dr. Fryhofer have to say. Oh yeah, did I mention that she was awarded an honorarium from the people from WebMD who own Medicine Today? Are you wondering who the primary source of funding for WebMD might be? You got it, it is none other than Big Pharma!

Sadly, no study has been done that compares the benefits and risks of the overall practice of medicine from the point of lives saved and lives lost, morbidity, and cost, with placebo. It has been proclaimed unethical to even consider doing such a scientific study because "medical treatment is so obviously beneficial." Consequently, what has followed is a polarized discussion from both the medical profession and those outside the medical profession that is not much above name calling.

Wouldn't it be refreshing if mainstream and CAM practitioners formed a partnership for the purpose of combining their strengths? There are enough sick people to go around, but there obviously is no profession that has been successful in curing even one of them. What is to lose by pooling resources and increasing our options to manage chronic diseases?

What we all want is good medicine, a style of practice that is safe, keeps us healthy, and is affordable. We're in the midst of a transformation where service is becoming the objective and transparency the modus operandi. But we're not yet there, and that is why one sided articles like the one published by the AMA are still being written.

So long as money trumps service, we have some evolving to do before good medicine can become a reality.

Treating cancer integratively

2012-01-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

Treating cancer integratively

There are more than enough cancer patients in need of treatment, but there aren't anywhere near enough treatments that get the job done! Half a million US citizens lose their life to cancer every year. Medical doctors and CAM practitioners should be working together to pool resources and bring as many options for treatment as possible to the table as consideration for treatment. It is the moral and scientific responsibility of every health care practitioner who treats cancer to have, or have access to, broad knowledge of all treatments that treat cancer before rushing to any specific treatment, especially if the treatment has potentially serious side effects. This is just simple commonsense. So why, then, doesn't this happen in the real world? Why do patients feel forced to create their own cancer treatment programs that merges mainstream and CAM treatments and then withhold this information from their practitioners?

Can we let arrogance take precedence over wisdom when choosing a patient's treatment program, especially when life is at stake? Is it necessary to only accept peer reviewed literature from major medical journals when it comes to recommending treatment. On the other hand, is there any possible value to using time tested treatments that have not been studied from the perspective of western medical research?

Should treatment options be limited by the particular health care discipline the practitioner is trained, whether mainstream or CAM? We must demand that our practitioner state things accurately. If there is no further realistic treatment in the opinion of the treating practitioner, it should be stated that the practitioner is unaware of further treatment benefits, but it might still be a good idea to continue searching for additional treatments. All too commonly, oncologists make the arrogant assumption that because there are no additional medical treatments that there is nothing more that should be sought after. How would they know when they are not trained in CAM therapies? It is presumptive and inhuman for any health care practitioner to tell a patient to go home and get his or her affairs in order because no further treatment is possible and death is on the horizon?

There is a huge ongoing turf war between mainstream and CAM practitioners when it comes to treating cancer. What is keeping these well-meaning health care practitioners from coming together and synergizing new treatment strategies? Is it about money or just simple arrogance? Mainstream doctors are taught that research is the basis for using certain drugs and that without it there is no science and therefore no basis for additional treatment approaches.

However, there are two flaws in this thinking. First, what is published in mainstream medical journals is hardly good science. This has been studied numerous times and is it now firmly established that most of the studies published that are funded by Big Pharma are seriously flawed because of conflicts of interest. Secondly, just because there are no studies on a treatment does not mean it doesn't work. It simply means that we have no studies showing that it either works or does not work. If the treatment being considered is non-toxic, cheap, available, and possibly helpful to treat cancer, why not consider using it, especially as a last resort? The minimum possible benefit will be the placebo effect. We must remember that the major effect of most drugs is the placebo effect!

Another important aspect that explains why oncologists focus on chemotherapy is that it is highly beneficial to them financially. Big Pharma allows oncologists to sell their cancer drugs directly to patients. This accounts on the average for 33% of oncologists' annual income. Do these conflicts of interest of between Big Pharma and oncologists cause you to raise your eyebrows? There is data showing that oncologists tend to prescribe higher priced new drugs that are still on patent than older drugs that will bring them less income. Wow!

Making matters even worse, there is a Public Health law in the State of California making it a felony for MDs to treat cancer with any modality other than chemo, radiation or surgery? Do Big Pharma's tentacles stretch farther than you thought?

Thank God that California Citizens for Health Freedom headed by Frank Cuny has devoted its interest to repealing this outrageous law and protect forward-thinking MDs and NDs from these harsh legal consequences for using CAM approaches for treatment of cancer.

It is time that "we the people" wake up to how the cancer treatment industry works and take action by passing legislation that makes it legal for MDs, NDs, and other cancer treating disciplines to use both mainstream and CAM therapies. Bringing more options to the table and removing conflicts of interest interfering with integrative cancer treatments is essential if we're going begin developing new integrative strategies.

Health Insurance Quotes

2012-01-02T05:47:00.000-08:00

Health Insurance Quotes

Why Haven’t You Enrolled In A Health Insurance Program Yet? Get Health Insurance Quotes Today!

Have you ever had a serious injury or another medical issue that required the attention of a medical professional? Have you ever had to spend some time in the hospital as you recovered from an illness? If so, you are not alone – almost everyone has to go through something like this at one time or another in their life.

But, there is an even bigger problem that is spreading around the United States – fewer people are signing up for health insurance plans than ever before! The number of people that have a complete health insurance plan for themselves and their family is at an all time low, and it is dropping every year…

Why do you and your family need health insurance, though? If you haven’t been to the hospital or your local medical practitioner lately, you have no idea how much the price of standard medical procedures in this country have shot up in the past decade. Even something as simple as a standard check up can cost close to one thousand dollars in some areas in the country, and a short hospital stay – it’s better if you didn’t know the average cost…it’s that high!

What is the solution to this problem? Easy! Sign up for one of the many health insurance plans that are available to protect you and your family. Getting health insurance quotes on the Internet, right from the comfort of your home, has never been easier. The process is simple – all you have to do is enter your zip code in the form at the top of this page, fill out a few personal details pertaining to you and your family, and you will get health insurance quotes from some of the leading health insurance providers in the country. It takes no time at all!

When you finally sign up for a health insurance plan, you will have peace of mind that if something ever does happen to you or someone in your family, there will be a way for you to pay for all the medical bills you may accrue. Ask anyone you know who has had to pay for an extended hospital stay or a complicated medical procedure when they weren’t covered by a health insurance plan- they are probably still trying to pay off the debt they had to take on to cover the cost. It’s not something you want to put you or your family through.

When you see how affordable most health insurance plans actually are, you will wonder why you haven’t signed up for a health care plan before! Make the right decision – get a few health insurance quotes, sign up for a plan, and ensure you and your family stay safe when it comes to medical bills!

Health insurance

2011-12-28T07:20:00.000-08:00

Health insurance

Health insurance can sometimes be rather costly that's why many people tend to overlook its benefits simply because they think it's too costly for them. Sure thing, health insurance plans are often a rather costly thing to include into an average budget. However, people who think that health insurance is too expensive tend to forget what this type of insurance is used for in the first place.Health insurance is used to cover most of your medical expenses. And if you have ever been to a hospital without any insurance coverage you probably know how expensive even the simplest medical services can be these days. So what's the main idea behind health insurance and why it is so beneficial?

To put it simple, health insurance is an agreement between you and the insurance company that they will pay for your medical services when required against a regular payment made by you. And it doesn't really matter whether you use the coverage during the payment period or not
– you still have to pay in order to keep the plan valid. But when the coverage gets actually treated it can pay out thousands of dollars for the medical services that otherwise you would have to pay out of own pocket if you had no health insurance.

There are many types of health insurance plans available on the market each catering the needs of different customer groups. You can get a plan that will cover the minimum set of medical services because you don't need more and this will usually cost you less than a plan that covers a lot of services and specific conditions.

There are individual plans and group plans, managed care plans and traditional plans. And choosing the appropriate plan type requires a clear understanding of what you really need in terms of health insurance. Just asses your health service needs, see if you have particular health problems that need to be addressed on a regular basis and analyze your financial abilities.

Health insurance doesn't necessarily have to be expensive. It all depends on the choices you make when buying a plan. So make sure to learn more about your health insurance options, consult with an insurance expert or your insurance agent to get a better understanding of what you need in the first place. And don't forget to shop around if you want to get a really good plan for a small amount of money.

Five tips on reducing health insurance rates

2011-12-28T06:18:00.000-08:00

Five tips on reducing health insurance rates

With the living costs crawling higher and higher each day saving some money on health care is definitely something that a lot of people will find useful. The good news is that it's not so hard to do it if you put some effort to it. You'll just have to spend some time on adjusting your current plan and with the following tips you will certainly get the desired results without too much hassle:

1. Do your research first

A lot of buyers don't like to waste their time on comparison shopping and often buy the first plan they are offered. They tend to believe that all insurance is the same and there's no point in shopping around since you get the same conditions everywhere. Of course, it's not true and you can save a lot by doing some research first. See what the local providers have to offer, investigate all the plan types and focus on those offers that appeal to your insurance needs. Even when shopping around for the same plan type you might find significant differences in rates across companies. So do your research before buying anything.

2. Minimize risky activities

Insurance companies deal with risks and if we're talking about health insurance there are a lot of activities that can put you in the high risk zone and raise your premiums considerably. If you do not want this to happen consider cutting your risky activities that may endanger your health. That's why things like skydiving, racing, mountain biking, extreme fishing and other activities that can cause serious harm to your health or even death should be put in the end of your to-do list.

3. Drop bad habits

We get to hear about healthy lifestyle a lot these days and for a reason. Such widespread habits as smoking and drinking are very serious negative health factors that are known to cause a wide range of health problems such as heart diseases, different types of cancer, hypertension and many others. If you succeed in abandoning any of bad habits you may follow this will automatically put you into a lower risk group and make your health insurance rates drop.

4. Stick to managed care plans

Managed care plans are definitely the most competitively priced form of health insurance available on the market these days. And it also makes a difference which plan type you choose. HMOs are the most affordable but you're subjected to a set of limitations on where you can get services. PPOs and POS plans are more flexible as you may get covered both inside and outside the network of providers to different degrees but you will get higher rates for that. Consider which plan type appeals to you the most and get it.

5. Review your insurance needs periodically

People often forget that their health insurance needs change with time and the plans have to be adjusted accordingly. If you get married, give birth to children, change workplace and domain of activity, develop a health condition and so on your need for health care will change and so should your insurance coverage. So make sure to review your needs periodically and adjust the plan if required.

Health Insurance

2011-12-28T06:13:00.000-08:00

Health insurance Basics
Health insurance can sometimes be rather costly that's why many people tend to overlook its benefits simply because they think it's too costly for them. Sure thing, health insurance plans are often a rather costly thing to include into an average budget. However, people who think that health insurance is too expensive tend to forget what this type of insurance is used for in the first place.Health insurance is used to cover most of your medical expenses.

Factors that influence health insurance rates

Five tips on reducing health insurance rates

Health insurance exchanges explained

Tips for buying individual health insurance

2011-12-28T06:03:00.000-08:00

Tips for buying individual health insurance

The need for having own health insured through a plan is obvious for any person who has ever tried to receive care without having one. But in case you're self-employed or your employer doesn't offer any group plans the only choice you're left with is looking into individual insurance plans. The main problem with individual plans is that they are usually more costly than group plans so you'll have tot take your time and shop around in order to get affordable individual plan with all the coverage you need. On the other hand individual policies are much more flexible and you can tailor them to your actual health conditions. Besides, despite that the plan is called “individual” you can include your spouse and children to the plan too.

But getting an individual health plan could be a bit problematic, especially if you have certain health conditions you need to attend to. Insurance companies tend to get rather picky about pre-existing health conditions when reviewing individual plan individual plan submissions. Still, you have a higher chance getting these conditions covered under an individual plan than in case of an employer sponsored group plan. The only thing is that your premiums will be higher.

The general rule is that health insurance is more expensive for customers with serious health issues and who are older, and is cheaper for young and healthy buyers. However, the rates vary significantly from company to company, because each insurer has different claim statistics and methods of determining their rates. So no matter what age and health group you belong to shopping around for health insurance when getting individual plans is a must.

With individual plans there are also several things you have to consider in order to make the policy adequate both to your needs and budget. Try asking yourself the following questions and act according if you want the plan to be competitive and adequate:

Do I want to stay with my current family doctor?

This question can influence what type of individual plan is best for you. If you have good relations and are confident in your current family doctor and do not want to switch him, then a PPO plan will work for you just fine. Otherwise you may choose an HMO plan, which will require you to choose from in-network physicians only.

Do I need lower premiums with lots of out of pocket expenses or higher premiums with less additional costs?

Depending on your health insurance requirements you may choose from different options. If you pay your doctor visits frequently together with your family, it would be best to choose a managed care plan such as HMO with higher premiums but lower additional costs in order to save money on tests and doctor visits. However, if you're still young, single and with good health you may choose to purchase only catastrophic illness coverage and pay out of pocket for all the usual medical services that you're not using often.

How much coverage should I get?

It strongly depends on how often you go to receive health care and what particular services you're using. If you or any of your family members have specific health conditions such as asthma, diabetes or any other chronic conditions then getting more coverage would be better in order to assure that all the services are covered. Just analyze your needs and choose the respective amount.

Health insurance exchanges explained

2011-12-28T06:01:00.000-08:00

Health insurance exchanges explained

The reform of health care industry proposed by President Barack Obama last year has featured a new type of services called insurance exchanges. These services are designed to create a common marketplace for insurance services, where the customers would be able to shop around for different plans, learn more about this type of insurance and quickly apply for any plan they will find attractive.

Upon passing the law onto signing there were already a couple of working insurance exchanges in New York, Utah and Massachusetts. There were also attempts to create such exchanges in two other states but they have been confirmed to fail because they didn't succeed in meeting the initial purpose they were created for.

However, after the proposed health care reform health insurance exchanges will be implemented in all states under federal government supervision and the implementation will also be looked after in order to avoid any failures.

A good example of an exchange can be found in Georgia, where the marketplace was taken online and put on georgiahealthinfo.com. This website provides all Georgia residents with detailed information on local providers and all available plans within the state. It also features an easy-to-understand insurance vocabulary, information on government-sponsored alternatives for special groups of citizens and other helpful information that is called to improve the overall knowledge of the subject in order to avoid misuse of health insurance.

The legislation requires the exchanges to be provided in a comprehensive form using simple to understand language that would eliminate any possibility of misinterpreting the plan contents and receiving inadequate coverage. It's also proposed to provide results in a random manner so that that there wouldn't be any preference to particular providers. The main intent is to provide unbiased and comprehensive information about health insurance to the consumer and allow accountability of the industry in general by the federal government.

If the insurance exchange model proves to be successful it will become the common place for customers to shop around for insurance. Knowing that in a couple of years after the reform will be completely in force people will be charged penalties for not having a health insurance plan, having such a developed marketplace as insurance exchanges will definitely benefit all the parties involved. And just like people use a multitude of quote comparison websites these days for finding competitive health insurance plans, exchanges will be used for the same purpose but with a greater degree of reliability and under government supervision, which will definitely benefit the consumer.

Some people will find insurance exchanges very similar to insurance brokers in their basic functions. And for some people the individual approach a person will offer is more comfortable than a common market where they have to find the plans themselves. So, some customers will definitely be disappointed by the introduction of exchanges as mandatory elements for insuring their health. Either way, it's a firm step forward to creating comfortable conditions for the majority of Americans when they need to find a plan to insure their health with.

Factors that influence health insurance rates

2011-12-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

Factors that influence health insurance rates

If you have your health insured or are researching your options to do that you have probably noticed that quotes vary from company to company and depend on a set of factors. These factors are used by insurance providers to determine how much of a risk is to provide you with respective coverage and how likely you are to use health care services. If the risk is high then you will have to pay higher premiums.

There are two main types of health plans
– individual and group
– and depending on the plan type you sign to the weight of these factors will differ.
Under group plans, which are usually provided by employers, there is a large group of people involved with different factors and health conditions and it's up to the HR department to determine what is the optimal rate for each plan participant. However, under individual plans all the factors mentioned below will really matter. So if you want to know what will affect your rates here are the factors:

1. Insurability

When you apply for a health insurance plan the company first determines whether you can actually be categorized into various groups or should be denied coverage right from the start. This is called insurability and it reflects how it is likely for you to get insured. For most people insurability isn't a problem. However, if you have serious or terminal health conditions, have low or unsteady income, use health services too often or have other problems then you may be denied health insurance right from the start.

2. Health condition

Health itself is another very important aspect when determining your rates. If you don't have any health problems then the premiums you will pay will be lower compared to the situation where you have health problems or some risk factors involved such as smoking, drug abuse, alcoholism, high risk job activity and so on. The insurance company will require you to take a set of clinical tests in order to determine whether you have any health risks and will also ask you to provide your health history report. The better your health the cheaper the plan.

3. Plan type

There are different types of health insurance plans you may choose from. The most popular are of course managed care plans such as HMO, PPO and POS. Depending on the plan type you will have different rates. For example under an HMO plan your premiums will usually be lower but you will have more restrictions on out of network services. Under POS you will have greater flexibility of where to receive care but the premiums will be higher. It also matters whether you choose to lower your co-payments or increase them. If you will choose to pay more from your pocket then the insurance plan will in turn be cheaper.

4. Location

If you live in a large city area then you will usually get higher rates for the same amount of coverage as compared to rural areas. This is explained by the frequency of doctor visits that are higher in large cities. There are also more health risks involved when living in a large metropolitan area. So it really matters where's your residence when buying a health plan.

5. Age

It's evident that the older is the person the more health risks are involved. That's why younger customers always get lower premiums for the same coverage set as older insurance users. Older people also tend to use health care services more often.

Living Well

2011-11-25T10:54:00.001-08:00

Living Well

Unfortunately we lost on the run in mourning and we fail to exercise gratitude. And how important it is for us to say thank you realize how much we are beings capable of learning every moment of our life, so celebrate! Below I share with you my letter of gratitude:

Thank you for life, despite death, know that today is just a new stage of life.

Thank you for the joy, despite the sadness that made me cry so much ... and also think.

Thanks for the laughter, despite the tears, but I know who came to wash my soul.

Thank you for reality, despite the illusions, I know that today only kept me in pain.

Thanks for the lies, I know that today, led me to find the truth.

Thanks for so many achievements, despite the errors, we now know, were to make me appreciate more the way.

Thanks for harmony, despite the fights that brought me suffering, but also growth.

Thank you for health, although many diseases that could have affected me, but if they involve one day I'll know that I still have something to learn.

Thank you for my profession, despite the difficulties I went through, because that was the way I should have chosen to rescue me helping others, and from which I receive much more.

Thanks for that learned to have respect for other people and their most sacred feelings, though often not been respected.

Thank you for every person who showed me with pride the value of humility.

Thanks for having forgiven everyone who hurt me, and I apologize to those I may have hurt.

Thanks for so many paths I took, I got injured, but managed to get out with the help of a few people who eternally grateful, and so today I am exactly in the way of light!

Thanks to Mel for having been unconditionally by my side during those seven years, loving me and above all, teaching me. And I hope you get many more years.

I thank my parents, despite the distance, but that brought me to life. And God for having kept me on the path of good.

I am grateful for my beloved grandparents, my parents really, that although they are no longer physically present, I left the best legacy: love!

I thank my beloved aunt, who among so many lessons, I showed two main paths: the path of God and respect for animals, with only example of his life!

I also thank the people who hurt me so much because they made me much stronger and made me look for other ways.

I thank the many people who expect love and affection, and did not get, but I learned that you can not give what one has not. But thank you for every person that went through my life, and others that are still present, and gave me love.

How hard was it to learn it all! And I realize how much I still have to learn!

But now I feel that I am free! Free from illusions, pain, tears, lies, sorrows, errors, faults, today, finally, I am free! Releases to continue to learn and grow!

And today I just thank you all for having me become who I am.

I, like you, we are beings of light, we want to become better people, so when we leave, we can just go in peace!

And through it all today I thank you, and I hope to become more who I'm just a being of light! Just like you!

This is my letter of thanks to the little I have learned. Now what do you think of your writing? And if you want to share with me, send me, I enjoy reading!

Passionate Love

2011-11-21T13:50:00.000-08:00

Passionate Love

We live in an era where love marriages are fast and the end of the night to day. This has a natural fear to be alone and helpless.

So, paradoxically often cling to our love as if it were "eternal" and unique, we are capable of any action not to be alone.

This often confuse love with custom.

And what are morals?

They represent a whole routine of life with another, tours, day after day of waking and sleeping together, knowing that he or she will hit 19 hours, fighting, making love, etc..

The routine of custom becomes so familiar that we start to need it, even when we are unhappy. I realize in many patients is still confusion between loving and being "still a loving life routine."

After a relationship ends, these people claim they have no more day by day as well known, feel the bitter loneliness of living with the need to start over. After all, had a life that seemed so structured, but that collapsed.

But how to know if we're missing someone we love or who still we're used to that person? This response comes from your inner knowing.

Just be honest with yourself and think, if the context changed with this other person, if you still have the feeling of love.

If you lived in town and had a routine run ... but now everything has changed and you would live with him on the beach in a more peaceful ...

You love the one that you missed or lost?

This deep reflection leads us to discover truths about us that are often hidden.

Some people are surprised and confide that after the end of a relationship life got better. The freedom gave way to the new: take courses, go out with friends, get ready ... more

In this case, the room was depriving that person to be herself. Often we enter into a lifestyle and we believe that we need to be stuck with it for the rest of our lives.

I believe that love is so often confused with custom and we should do this inner work several times in detecting what is pleasing or not in our routine in order to be happier.

Freedom can be good, as well as family life, but we must be ever vigilant about our emotions and feelings.

Behavior

2011-11-20T10:01:00.001-08:00

Behavior

Crying is their only means of survival, so it is that she communicates her suffering and is likely to be adequately cared for. And if the whole house waking up to your cry? And if the crying affect the neighbors? The baby has no neuropsychological condition to worry about these issues. What matters is the suffering cease.

As it grows, the child's situation changes, when she pulls hard on the mother's hair, that expresses pain, removes the child's hand and tells him that "can not pull the hair of the mother."
This applies to similar situations is when you try to pull a toy from the hand of fellow daycare or the dog nudges. It will take a while, but even in steps of ant, that child will eventually learn that she is able to act for or harmful to herself or others.

For this to happen, two things are essential: it will have to have a vision of himself as someone different, unique, separate, but linked to the rest of the world (since their behavior has an effect on the world) and realize that the other is capable of feeling, thinking, willing, things absolutely different from what she thinks, feels or wants. This is the basis for learning the art of living in society: how to negotiate what I want when it falls on a collision course with the needs and viewpoint of the other?

The child wants his lap just in time that the mother needs to work out racing. Or want to see more TV, and when dinner will be served. The list of such situations that are part of the life of a child seems to have no end.

Educating a child is, in part, to teach him to tolerate some degree of frustration. It also means teaching her to put into perspective of the speaker, understand the point of view of someone else:

"If you ruin your toy friend, he will be sad and will no longer lend you his stuff"

"Now Dad is in the car, come here go home, he can not answer the phone"

"Look, the baby is crying, what does he need?"

Lady and chess board games that are, to win the match, depend mostly on the ability to predict the opponent's point of view, their likely moves, so as to have to block them. Hide and Seek is another game that also helps in this process, the child must be placed in a cache that is effectively inaccessible to the eye and wit of "enemies."

When a child to watch cartoons, is moved with the young orphaned Lion King or Bambi, she seems to be the way to acquire the ability to apply in place of another person and feel similar emotions. This is the acquisition of the capacity to empathize with the joy or suffering of others, a very important skill in society. Who is able to empathize less likely to injure the other, to take advantage of any weakness of someone to get a benefit of the situation. The popular saying "Do not do to others what you do not want done to you" translates well into this issue.

Compassion is the sister of empathy, it is a form of action geared to the common good, guided by values ??of love of neighbor. The child who is taught to care for their toys, I enjoyed them at will (ad nauseam them or get too big for that activity) can also be encouraged to give this toy to anyone who does not have resources.

Sounds silly, but also benefits a child when he learns to respect the hard work of garbage collectors, pushing heavy carts in large urban centers in search of metal and paper. Find that there are still people who need pick up fruits and vegetables at the time of chow semiamassados ??fairs to have to eat is a necessary and painful lesson for a kid in this world of inequalities. There is much to be learned about the pain of who we are near or far. Being able to act compassionately, verbally or physically, for the sake of someone is a skill we can teach children, and examples are one of the best ways to do this. Let's put our hands dirty?

Family

2011-11-18T09:13:00.000-08:00

Family

Most of us remember the first best friend and the importance it has had on our lives. There is no sense in English, best friend's best man.

The first relationship that child establishes relationships are called endogamous, that is, relationships within the family, relations with relatives. Thus, interactions, child-parent, brother, brothers, grandparents, grandson, nephew, uncle, cousin, cousins ??are the interpersonal relationships in early life. Important lessons learned are derived from them.

In the first year of life, in general, the baby is the center of interest of the house and the recipient of attention from family members. From the second year, the child begins to realize that the other person to whom it relates, is a being with thoughts, needs and desires. She earns as a consequence the possibility of perceiving what is happening with the other, the ability to feel what others feel, that is, develop the capacity for empathy.

Gradually the child learns, with the help of who governs it, to make emotional exchanges. All this is experienced and lived in the family.

Upon entering kindergarten, the child begins to socialize with classmates. But, it also has the opportunity to play with them in a cooperative way, because it admits sharing his toys. On the contrary, to defend their properties, uses many resources, such as slapping, shoving, biting and hair pulling. But soon after, begins to enjoy playing together and have fun with the company of colleagues. There comes a time in which the colleague becomes, in fact, the friend, who is the favorite to play, and invited to go home and go to his house.

This is how the precursor stages of the emergence of the category "best friend". Best friend or best friend is a choice of a gender identity. Rarely does the first best friend has a different sex. Homoafetivas is a relationship that tends to linger, sometimes for many years, especially if the children share the same school environment.

The best friend is the "chosen brother." With the advantage of not sharing the same parents, therefore, the royal brothers to share the parents and jealous. The best friend is a bridge to a world of relationships exogamous, that is, relationships outside the family to which it belongs.

Accompanied by best friend, the child feels safe to propose new experiences. This friend is fellow adventurer, who gives strength and security to dare, test limits, but who can also share blame.

The best friend is an absolutely individual child's achievement. Parents should not become very good friends of the parents of the child's best friend, which often, unfortunately, tends to happen. This, when it occurs, brings the loss of the relationship exogamous, that is the relationship with an outsider, someone independent of other family relationships, so fundamental to the development of the child's capacity for autonomy.

It is clear that parents and families need to know with whom their children are related, but they must respect the fact that the same best friend and the bond with his parents, was won by his son and must remain so.

Best Friend featuring a degree of friendship, where knowledge, mutual trust, loyalty and selflessness are needed. Disagreements and disruptions, however, tend to happen and cause much pain at all ages. The sense of betrayal is very strong. Children, however, usually use a very healthy defense against such a situation: they have the first best friend, second best friend third best friend ... and it is publicly verbalized.

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