The Importance of Gratitude

By Sam Obitz      

I don't know many people who would argue against the value of giving thanks, so on the surface it would appear that I am simply preaching to the choir here. It's easy to be thankful for all the blessings we have in our life like family, friends, health, food, shelter, etc. Expressing gratitude has also been linked to a plethora of benefits ranging from better mental and physical health, to improved relationships and productivity.

I recently entered gratitude into a search on Google and it returned 109,000,000 results, and I noticed a disturbing trend. Based on the top links that came back it appears that many people are using gratitude for selfish aims. Among the top links that came back on page one in my search were: "The 31 Benefits of Gratitude You Didn't Know About," "Can Gratitude Make Millennials More Successful?" and "7 Surprising Health Benefits of Gratitude."

In my experience, the only genuine practice of gratitude is when it is done to enrich others. In fact, in my regular practice of gratitude I specifically ask the recipient not to acknowledge it, but rather, if they feel compelled to respond, to send a similar message of gratitude to someone in their life OTHER THAN ME!

I believe that expressing gratitude for selfish reasons will eventually backfire in the same way I see general selfishness and greed eventually come back to bite people. It's not always easy to do, but in the long run, helping others will fill you up a lot faster than only looking out for yourself.

Our society has become obsessed with results, to its detriment, in my humble opinion. I have found that the need for results makes those very results much less likely to occur. That's why my focus is based primarily on process and purpose. Unfortunately, I do not have time to go into process and purpose (but will in a future blog post) as I want to tackle another issue with how people practice giving thanks.

The other problem I have with the way people express gratitude is that they often focus on the easy things. If you have read my blogs before, you have likely seen me utter the phrase: 'Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you react to it" (although I now believe it's more like 3% and 97%). I have personally found that once I learned to embrace the bad things that have happened to me, and to be grateful for them, it accelerated my growth exponentially.

As a child, I used to curse the fact that life was not fair and often felt sorry for myself. I think a big reason I felt this way was because my mother passed away two days before my fourth birthday. Regardless of the cause, all feeling sorry for myself did was make a bad situation even worse.

I eventually realized there was a positive side to losing my mom at a young age. It made me a more sensitive and empathetic person and those traits serve me to this day. I'm even grateful for all the people who bullied me or took advantage of me when I was down, for I would not have gained the valuable skills or knowledge I have, otherwise. These experiences forced me to learn how to problem solve at a young age and think on my feet. All of these traits and skills are vital to the work I do today.

In addition, I also suffered deep depression and anxiety after my mom passed away, but fighting those battles made me a better person. Though it took a lot longer than I would have liked, I like the person I am today.

Having said all of that, if I could choose, I would give up all of these benefits in a second to have my mother back for even a few days. But I can't choose, so I have finally learned to play the cards I have been dealt in a forward looking way.

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking about what would have or could have been. In my case it would be if my mother had lived. But those fantasies are filled with inaccuracies as they envision an idealized version of the person I am now, and the reality is I may have ended up being a completely different person. Perhaps even an entitled spoiled momma's boy with very little compassion, for all I know.

If you want to accelerate your growth, learn to have gratitude for the things that you missed out on or that went wrong, as well as the things that went right, and when you choose to express it outwardly, do it to enrich others not to receive any benefits for yourself.

You can follow Sam on Twitter @SuperTaoInc

POSTED IN THE MIND SIDE BLOG

Sam Obitz is a leader in the use and development of mental skills that help you achieve peak performance. Visit The Mind Side Blog at http://supertao.com/category/the-mind-side-blog/

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Water - The Essential Ingredient

By Greg S Gruba      

Water May Be Just What The Doctor Ordered

If you have ever heard me speak or been in my office, chances are I asked you about your daily water consumption.

In today's world, I am amazed how little water most people consume. Maybe it's because it is not as flashy as the cool cans and bottles filled with various soft drinks, energy drinks, or even beer. I think we have developed the need for taste, regardless of the benefits of plain water and the horrible effect the other drinks have on our health and longevity.

Think about this, our bodies are made up of about 75 percent water. Doesn't it make sense to nourish it with the same ingredient? I often think about a well hydrated muscle as a nice red, raw steak. Conversely, I imagine a dehydrated muscle as a piece of tough jerky. If you cherish flexibility and strength, which would you prefer?

What is even more amazing than the water content of an adult, is the water content of a baby. A typical healthy baby is made up of about 90 percent water! Keeping this in mind, think about how healthy they are and how quick they bounce back from illness.

On the contrary, an elderly person only has a body water content as low as 55 percent. Keep this number in mind when an older person is admitted to the hospital and are often told they are dehydrated. Without proper hydration, ill health is the obvious outcome.

Over our lifetime we drop from a 90 percent water makeup to 55 percent. Doesn't that alone indicate that the younger, healthier person benefits from proper hydration?

What about Chronic Dehydration?
Chronic dehydration is simply your body using more water than it takes in over time. The signs of dehydration often are misdiagnosed and present to a chiropractor or medical doctor for related symptoms.

As a chiropractor practicing in South Dakota, one would think dehydration cases are far and few between. Believe it or not, dehydration seems to be very prevalent in the colder temperatures. It often seems like people neglect drinking water in the winter or colder climates. Therefor, hot temperatures may contribute to acute dehydration, but the cooler climates appear to be ripe with chronic dehydration. Our office sees numerous headache patients seeking acupuncture or chiropractic. Many of these patients are also dehydrated.

Signs of dehydration include dry skin, bad breath, cramping, fevers, chills, headaches, and even cravings for sugar.

Severe dehydration can cause life threatening problems such as blood clots or seizures.

A couple simple, but accurate, signs of dehydration can be ongoing fatigue or yellow urine. If you are always tired and the color of your urine is not mostly clear, chances are you need to drink more water.

How much water should I drink?
As I mentioned, keep an eye on urine color and energy level. A good rule of thumb for proper intake of water is 1 ounce of water for every pound you weigh. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 150 ounces of water per day. This sounds like a lot, but believe me, it's not! Shoot, some literature recommends 1 ounce of water for every pound of body weight divided by 2. Even that formula is not met by most Americans.

Sometimes, hunger is confused with dehydration. Many people will feel hungry and only need to increase their water uptake. I suggest you drink between a half and a full liter of water prior to all meals. If you are consuming 3-6 liters of water per day, you are probably in the hydration ballpark.

Should I drink tap water?
Drinking water should be filtered. Many doctors believe you do not need filtered water because your body and kidneys will filter the water you drink. Unfortunately, over time your body will be overloaded with toxins. A proper filtration system should at least remove toxins such as chlorine and chloramine.

Mineral such as calcium and sodium will improve the absorption of water. Recent research has shown ionized water to be even better.

Also, make it a point to drink from a glass bottle instead of a plastic bottle. Plastic will leach into the water and cause issues with estrogen and testosterone levels in men and women.

Another popular type of water is carbonated. Carbonated water is not as easily absorbed by your body. Avoid sugar and preservatives in your water.

Start your day with a short breathing exercise and a liter of water. You will be amazed how your appetite and energy levels improve.

To Your Health Dr Greg Gruba

DrGruba.com is a site dedicated to your health. Articles are written by Dr Greg Gruba, a Rapid City, SD chiropractor and acupuncturist.

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New Studies Extinguish Notion of e-Cig Safety

Monday, 02 April 2018 17:42By Kristen Schepker, Assistant Editor    

A pair of new studies exploring electronic cigarette use among teens cast doubt on vaping as a "healthy" alternative to cigarette smoking. 

In early March, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) published two reports in the journal Pediatrics, each showing that e-cigarettes pose alarming health risks to adolescents and others. Their findings indicate that electronic cigarette vapor contains cancer-causing chemicals, and that teenage e-cig use strongly predicts and promotes progression to future tobacco cigarette smoking.

learn more>>>https://www.holisticprimarycare.net/topics/topics-a-g/chronic-disease/1947-new-teen-vaping-studies-reveal-significant-e-cigarette-health-risks.html

Tackling the "Seven Deadly Toxins"

Wednesday, 14 June 2017 02:02By Kristen Schepker, Assistant Editor

A number of pervasive toxins -- seven, to be exact -- are wreaking daily havoc on health and wellbeing, according to detox expert Deanna Minich, PhD.

"We are living in a sick, toxic world," Minich said at the recent Clinical and Scientific Insights (CASI) conference sponsored by Designs for Health in San Francisco. She discussed her unique holistic approach to detoxification.

Minich, a faculty member of the Institute for Functional Medicine, is a nutrition researcher, clinician, and author of the book Whole Detox.  She holds that effective detoxification programs need to address much more than just diet alone. To successfully clear the body of toxins, it is essential to consider the whole spectrum of toxic elements to which an individual patient is exposed. This includes factors that negatively affect the the mind and spirit.

learn more>>>https://www.holisticprimarycare.net/topics/topics-o-z/psyche-some-a-spirit/1886-the-seven-deadly-toxins.html

10 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin

Written by Kris Gunnars, BScon July 13, 2018

If you buy something through a link on this page, we may earn a small commission. How this works.

Turmeric may be the most effective nutritional supplement in existence.

Many high-quality studies show that it has major benefits for your body and brain.

Here are the top 10 evidence-based health benefits of turmeric.

learn more>>>https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric

10 Ways to Improve Your Day in Just 5 Minutes

By Jennifer Soong

Five minutes. It's only a little bit of time. But it's long enough for you to do one thing that could make your whole day better.

That's a great return on your time investment!

So take five minutes and try one of these 10 simple ways to lower stress, boost your mood, and get more energy. It might give you that extra spark you need to meet the challenges of the day.

learn more>>>https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/improve-your-day#1

Aiding to Epidemic - The Growing Menace of Sedatives

By Barbara Odozi

Americans have been flirting with various prescription drugs - opioids, stimulants and depressants - for quite long. As a result, the nation has been paying in the form of a drug epidemic that claims thousands of lives every year. Ironically, the number is only growing despite several measures by the authorities.

While opioids are largely blamed for this public health crisis, sedatives or tranquilizers also play a key role. Because of the way depressants impact the central nervous system and cause it to slow down, use of sedatives leads to a sense of calm, sleepiness, and serenity. Some popular sedatives across the age-groups are barbiturates, benzodiazepines, alcohol and even opiates to some extent.

While people have been consuming alcohol since time immemorial, drugs like barbiturates emerged as a result of the backlash against common opioids, including opium, morphine and heroin, in the 1910s and the 1920s. As these drugs were associated with a particular race and ethnicity, these were looked at with suspicion.

This phenomenon has been explained in detail in "Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac," by David Herzberg, associate professor of history at the State University of New York at Buffalo. As a result of the widespread hostility, doctors who had previously been prescribing morphine for insomnia and anxiety started prescribing barbiturates to patients.

Barbiturates, unfortunately - as was discovered later - were as risky as opioids. It was then that benzodiazepines came into existence. The first benzodiazepine was introduced in the 1960s. By then it was apparent that barbiturates were harmful, and raised the risks for overdosing, addiction and death, and thereafter their use for medical purposes declined.

Benzos replacement for barbiturates

Once considered as a surefire cure for a number of psychological disorders, such as insomnia, anxiety and panic disorders, it soon emerged that benzos too had side effects. It became evident that these drugs also involved the risks of abuse and addiction. Worse, these drugs sometimes worsened the disorder it was meant to cure.

Currently, the number of drug overdose deaths that could be attributed to benzos is on the rise. America, some reports point out, could be facing a benzo epidemic next. It is estimated that between 1999 and 2015, the number of people who died due to a benzo overdose rose significantly. From nearly 1,000 in 1999 to more than 8,000 in 2015.

Graded as a Schedule IV controlled substance by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), benzos like Xanax, Klonopin, Restoril, Ativan and Valium are hard to quit because of the pain and the discomfort experienced by the person during withdrawal.

It is for this reason, for a person who has been addicted to benzos, going cold turkey can be a risky proposition. Furthermore, in case someone has decided to quit the drug, it is necessary for them to realize the following:

• Withdrawal will never be a quickie. It will be a long process, sometimes stretching to even months and years.
• Withdrawal can never be a painless affair. Depression, anxiety and physiological symptoms like palpitations will be common during a withdrawal.
• Usually, tapering off slowly is advisable. For example, a person who is addicted to Xanax and Ativan could be put on a long acting benzo like Valium.
• Certain medications, like antidepressants and antipsychotics, will make the detoxification process painful.
• As foods containing caffeine and additives such as MSG may make the withdrawal pangs more discomforting and painful, it is better to avoid these during they detox.

Quitting addiction

Abuse of any sedative, whether alcohol, barbiturate or benzos, is dangerous. It impacts the brain chemicals, so it is often difficult to kick the habit without external help. Though the severity of withdrawal is one of the predominant reasons why a person is not keen to enter detox rehab centers, some affordable detox centers that use medically supervised detoxification can help achieve lifelong sobriety.

In case there's someone you know who is addicted to prescription or illicit drugs and requires help, call the Florida Detox Helpline. Our representative can help you find the right detox center in Florida. Call at our 24/7 helpline 855-920-9869 to know about the best detox center Florida.

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Different Methods to Treat Addiction

By Shalini Madhav      

Pleasure is an inescapable part of our lives. All of us crave it, sometimes beyond anything else, and sometimes, at a cost which proves detrimental to us, though we may not realize this at the time. While some of us prefer listening to music and either working out or walking or performing some similar form of exercise with music pumping through our ears, some of us prefer the sanctity and quietness of our own homes with our favorite snacks and our favorite TV shows on or say, our favorite snacks with a good book in hand, whereas there are some more people who just prefer to meditate (that is, do nothing) and so and so forth, since the list of activities performed by people to obtain pleasure are many.

Out-of-the-World

However, all of the above activities notwithstanding, there are a certain group of people in our society whose idea about the activities which lead to pleasure are quite radically different from those of normal people like us. Their ideas often lead to either unhealthy or unsavory ends, sometimes for both them as well as our society.

The groups of people being referred to here are none other than the drug addicts and alcohol addicts, of course. These people stand almost a class apart when it comes to pleasure, because their ways of obtaining it are, quite out-of-the-world.

However, as with all things in nature, excess of anything is bad, and so, or thus, when these people start to consume drugs or alcohol, or both, in excess, it is then that trouble begins.

Time for a rehab, pal

And it is in such situations, when the consumption and over-use of the drugs and alcohol take place that rehab or rehabilitation centers are most in demand, for only they are the places specially equipped to handle such situation.

Rehab or Rehabilitation centers can thus be defined as centers which have been created for the special purpose of curing addicts (both drugs as well as alcohol) of their addiction and thus leading to their all-round development.

The Cures

The methods and the various methods used to cure these addicts of their addictions have been described below. Read on to know further or more about these methods.

1. Suboxone treatment
2. Psychiatric Assignments
3. Intensive Out-patient and In-patient care
4. Comprehensive assessments

Etc and so on.

Suboxone is a chemical mixture of buprenorphine and naloxene which is used to gradually wean people away from opioids (that is, substances, either laced with or having the properties of opium based substances or opium itself).

Thus suboxone treatment refers to the administration of this particular compound to addicts.

Psychiatric Assignments refer to the characteristic and periodic psychological evaluation of the addicts, that is, the addicts are made to undergo periodic evaluations where in their resistance and usage or consumption of drugs and alcohol is monitored and where further treatment is decided on the strength or basis of these evaluations.

If the information provided above about rehab centers, their purpose, drug and alcohol addictions, the various methods like suboxone treatment, regular or periodic psychiatric evaluations which are employed to treat them, etc. has proved insufficient or unclear, then please do log onto the link provided below to know more about the rehab Chicago and drug and alcohol addictions.

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A System To Stimulate Short Term Memory

By Vic Smith     

As we grow older, we find that our short term memory isn't as sharp as it used to be. We wind up having to make notes or lists to remember things in our daily lives. Forty and some odd years ago I learned a system where I can remember fifteen or twenty items and rhyme them back off in the order they were given to me. I can go to the supermarket without a grocery list and remember every item. This system not only stimulates your mind but is something you can have fun with. So here is how it works.

First we have to create a series of what I call anchors. These anchors are pictures in our minds that are ridiculous and absurd. To give you an idea, my first five anchors are:

#1 A race horse running alone on a racetrack in the rain.
#2 A canoe that is just about to go over a huge waterfall.
#3 A parachute that got caught in some high power lines and just burst into flames.
#4 A package falls out of the back of a delivery truck and bounces up on the hood of my car.
#5 I am riding the bullet train in Japan with Santa Clause.

Now let's create a list of five items we want to remember to buy at the supermarket. I am going to list things you wouldn't buy every day.
#1 A jar of dill pickles.
#2 A bag of whole-wheat flour.
#3 A block of cheddar cheese.
#4 two cans of chicken noodle soup.
#5 A large bag of frozen corn.

Now we tie our grocery list to our anchors and here is what we now picture in our minds.
#1 the race horse running alone on the track in the rain and on his back is a jar of dill pickles.
#2 the canoe about to go over the falls throws out a bag of whole-wheat flour.
#3 the parachute caught in the high power lines and just burst into flames, dangling at the bottom is a block of cheddar cheese.
#4 the package falling out of the delivery truck and bounces up on the hood of your car contains two cans of chicken noodle soup.
#5 riding the bullet train in Japan with Santa Clause and he pulls out of his sack... a large bag of frozen corn.

You can expand up to twenty or twenty five items by creating more anchors. You can also use this system to remember ingredients for a recipe or the arrangement of items or events in a certain order. Write down the anchors you create and number them and don't change to number sequence. The more ridiculous and obscure the anchor image the easier it will be to remember.

V Smith is a part owner of a website that sells exercise clothing, equipment and accessories. Shop their selection at [http://YourFitnessPlace.com]

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Four Tips To Strengthen Your Memory

By Kathleen Boucher     

Your memory does not magically improve without some effort on your part. These four tips take a bit of practice and focus. However, the dividends outweigh the time it takes to make them habitual.

1. Let's say that you believe, and constantly remind yourself, that you are terrible at remembering names. Ask yourself:

a) Did you focus intently on the person as they introduced themselves? Did you correctly hear their name?

b) Did you repeat their name back to them?

c) Make a remark about the name. (It is the same as a friend's name, or you never heard that name before, and so forth.)

d) Did you associate something ridiculous and memorable to their face that will help you remember their name? For example, let's say that their name is Noseworthy. You may imagine a huge nose on their face; it's worthy of being noticed. As absurd as this may sound, the mind loves to think in pictures. The more ludicrous the association is then the easier it is to remember.

e) Be courageous, and introduce them to a colleague.

f) Use their name more than once in conversation. (Don't overdo it.)

e) Use their name when you leave.

2. Suppose that you want to buy food for supper. You are great at writing lists; you are terrible at leaving your lists at home, or misplacing them. Here is a simple tip. Chunk your list of items into categories. The mind loves to chunk things and finds it easier to recall.

a) Dairy: milk, butter, eggs

b) Vegetables: beans, carrots, beets

c) Meat: hamburger, chicken, steak

3. How do you remember how to spell difficult words? For this example, you may pick the word "believe". Did you learn in school, "Never beLIEve a LIE?"

The same idea works for piece-"a PIEce of PIE".

This applies to remembering how to spell similar words.

"To be stationAry is to stAnd still, or "To use stationEry is to writE a lEtter".

"A princiPAL at a school is your PAL, and a principLE you believe is a ruLE".

Have you used these?

4. Let's say that you are studying for an exam, and that you have to memorize the periodic table of elements. Research the mnemonic used to memorize it. Chances are that someone has creatively come up with a mnemonic for most things that you are studying. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. Do what works.

Never believe that because you are older that your memory has declined. It is not a matter of age, but rather a matter of use. Pride yourself on practicing these four approaches. Friends and family may comment on how much your memory has improved!

Best wishes.

Kathleen Boucher, CEO of Great Kids & Me, http://www.greatkidsandme.com, Practice these four simple techniques for improving your memory. Feel good about yourself! Practice and focus are key!

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How Meditation Benefits Your Body and Mind

October 26, 2017

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• Evidence shows your mind and body are intricately connected, and that your mind has a direct impact on your physical health. Thousands of genes have been identified that appear to be directly influenced by your subjective mental state
• Meditative practices have been shown to lower your heart rate, blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, cortisol and overall stress level, all of which help reduce your risk of heart disease
• The American Heart Association recently issued its first guidelines on seated meditation, suggesting it can be a valuable adjunctive intervention in combination with other recommended lifestyle and medical treatments
• Stress-related problems account for as much as 70 percent of the average U.S. physician's caseload. Research suggests that practicing meditation and other relaxation techniques could save the average patient between $640 and $25,500 a year in medical costs
• People who received eight weeks of relaxation-response training reduced the number of doctor’s visits by 42 percent, lab use by 44 percent, use of procedures by 21 percent and emergency room visits by 46 percent a year after the program

read more>>>https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/10/26/meditation-benefits-body-mind.aspx

Research Finds Sugar Changes Metabolism in Even the Healthiest of People

October 25, 2017     

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• Refined sugar is one of the most dangerous products you can ingest and triggers addiction that is difficult to break, as it affects neurotransmitters in much the same way cocaine does
• Sugar consumption is strongly linked to the leading causes of death. It triggers metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction leading to obesity, depression, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease
• Historical data have demonstrated the sugar industry has manipulated information for decades to increase profits
• Your best strategy to reduce health care costs is to severely reduce your sugar intake and carefully read labels on any packaged foods for the more than 50 names manufacturers use to disguise sugar

read more>>>https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/10/25/sugar-trigger-metabolic-dysfunction.aspx

Is Most Back Pain Caused by Repressed Emotions?

October 25, 2017

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• Worldwide, 1 in 10 people suffers from lower back pain and it’s the No. 1 cause of job disability. In the U.S., $90 billion is spent on back pain each year
• Few people want to be told that their pain is psychological or emotional in origin, but there’s quite a bit of evidence that backs this up. Studies suggest that, to be effective, pain needs to be addressed from a biopsychosocial perspective
• The late Dr. John Sarno used mind-body techniques to treat patients with severe low back pain. He believed you unconsciously cause your own pain, and that pain is your brain’s response to unaddressed stress, anger or fear
• Pain acts as a distraction from the anger, fear or rage you don’t want to feel or think about, acting as a lid to keep unwanted emotions from erupting. Sarno believed most pain can be overcome by acknowledging its psychological roots
• Recent research supports Sarno’s ideas. In one recent study, emotion awareness and expression therapy reduced chronic musculoskeletal pain by 30 percent in two-thirds of patients; one-third of patients improved by 70 percent

read more>>>https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/10/25/back-pain-repressed-emotions.aspx