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4 Tips to Help You with Positive Thinking

4/17/2019

Having a positive outlook in life is a choice. You can choose to see the brighter side of life instead of letting depressive and negative thoughts take control of your mind. Doing so can have a positive impact on many levels of your health and well-being. Optimists are better skilled at coping with stress, have lower risk of cardiovascular disease and they also tend to develop a stronger immune system.
Although optimism has been associated with many health benefits, the truth is positive thinking does not come naturally.

So, if you are more of a skeptic, what can you do to lean into that optimistic thinker? Getting on the path to positive thinking may require different approaches, but they all revolve around identifying negative thoughts and replacing them with those that are more positive and hopeful. While it may take some time, with continued practice you will find that positive thinking will start to become second nature. To get started with this important character-molding endeavor, here are 4 tips to help you think more positively.

1. Cultivate Positivity
The best way to develop any virtue is to adopt behaviors that reinforce that trait, and this applies to positive thinking as well. So, if you want to become a positive thinker, it is helpful to engage in activities that cultivate those emotions. Relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga are effective ways to ease your mind and cultivate positive emotions. Even the simple act of smiling seems to boost a positive affect. You might even try developing a positive mindset by reading, reciting, and looking at, daily inspiring affirmations.

2. Stay Away from Pessimists
The people you associate with can influence your behaviors, beliefs and overall perspective on life. It is therefore imperative that you choose your friends and associates wisely. If you hang around with negative people, eventually some of their negativity will begin to rub-off on you. So, if you want to develop optimism, you should surround yourself with positive people and spend less time around negative individuals. Pessimists will only feed your mind with doubt while optimists will inspire and encourage you.

3. Tame the Fear of Failure
Negative thinking often stems from the fear of failure. It takes root when thoughts of a bad outcome become deeply rooted in your expectations. To think more positively, you should not fear failing because in doing so, you are inviting failure itself. Instead, view mistakes and failure as opportunities to learn. It becomes much easier to maintain a positive outlook when we have forgiving expectations for ourselves.

4. Listen to Music or Read Books that Feed Your Positivity
What we feed our minds tends to manifest in our thoughts, words or actions. Therefore, if you want to be a positive thinker, you need to be careful of what you expose your mind to. You can increase optimism by listening to music or reading books that encourage positivity. Positive messages and stories can shape your thinking and lead to a more upbeat attitude toward life.

There are many other approaches to improving positive thinking. The four methods shared above serve as a good starting point on the journey to mastering optimism. Remember that being a positive thinker does not happen overnight. It takes time to nurture this trait and therefore a consistent effort will be required.

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SMOOTHIES: A QUICK AND EASY WAY TO ADD MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES TO YOUR DIET

4/3/2019

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If you are looking for a way to add more fruits and veggies to your diet, smoothies are one of the quickest and easiest ways to do it. And the great thing about them is that you can get as creative as you want - adding this and that - coming up with unique tastes to suit you and your family. But if you don't feel comfortable just 'winging' it and creating your own, look online for recipes - you'll find lots to choose from.
Using smoothies as a way to add more fruits and vegetables into your diet is also great because some people don't like the texture or taste of certain vegetables, for example kale, but find mixing it in a smoothie is delicious.
Another benefit of smoothies is that if you have picky kids who make faces at just the mention of fruits and veggies, you can ensure that they're getting more of them by 'sneaking' them into a smoothie. Because the flavors all blend together, they'll never even know they drank something they didn't like.

Now that we've touched on the benefits, let's look at a few of the fruits and vegetables you can use in a smoothie.

Spinach
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Carrots
Kale
Strawberries
Bananas
Pineapple
Plums
Peaches
Nectarines
Kiwi

This is definitely not an exhaustive list of the fruits and vegetables you can use in smoothies. It's just some of the basic ones to give you an idea of what you can use. You should also get creative and experiment with some exotic fruits and vegetables such as papaya, mango, and beets.

There are a few things you should keep in mind when creating smoothies.

1. Avoid fruit juices - instead use things like water, almond milk, coconut water, etc. for your liquid. Fruit juices add a lot of unwanted calories and sugar.
2. Preparation of fruits and vegetables - if you want your smoothie to be a smoother consistency, chop/dice them.

And in case you need a recipe to help get you started, the one below is an easy combination of a fruit and vegetable smoothie.

Strawberry Kale Smoothie Recipe
Couple handfuls of strawberries (frozen or fresh)
1-2 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon flax seeds
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until desired consistency is reached.

There you have it, an overview of how quickly and easily you can add more fruits and vegetables into your diet simply by adding them to a smoothie. Try drinking a smoothie every morning for breakfast or replace one snack a day with a smoothie to help guarantee you'll get more of the fruits and vegetables you need in your diet.

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15 Ways To Have A Better Relationship With Food

3/27/2019

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1.Know Hunger
Many people do not know what hunger feels like. They don’t understand the physiological cues of hunger; they will either ignore them or never let them happen. You want to get acquainted with both hunger and fullness. The more you know about these two states, the more you will be able to recognize them. On that note, it’s also important to mention that many of us simply are not in touch with how little food the body needs in one sitting to feel satisfied.

2.No Punishment
Many people will punish themselves for what they had to eat earlier in the day, or even yesterday. They do this by starving themselves, skipping meals, taking laxatives, or over exercising. It is important that you stop these punitive steps immediately if you want to stop damaging your view on food.

3.Mindful Eating
The practice of mindful eating is supported by almost every eating disorder website, dieting website, healthy food website, and nutrition website. So, what is it? Mindful eating is the practice of being present and actively participating in the meal you are eating. Take the time to smell the aromas, chew the food, take in the sights of the meals, and actually pay close and deliberate attention to each and every bite. Mindful eating does not happen in the car during 5 o’clock rush hour. Stop and smell the roses, or in this case, your pot roast.

4.Don’t Eat To Fill Time
Many dysfunctional eating patterns emerge when we are younger. We start to eat to fill time. We were bored in the grocery store, so mommy or grandma hands us a lollipop to keep us busy. These habits follow us into adulthood. If you aren’t physically hungry, stop eating. It may take practice, but you can do it!

5.Eat Only At The Dining Room Table
If you struggle with eating when you’re not hungry then eating only at a formal dining space can really give you an advantage. This method doesn’t restrict food content, quality, or type; just how you consume the food, you eat. Snacking to fill time can be a huge problem. So make it a rule only to eat in a formal dining setting.

6.Don’t Let Food Rule Your Life
You have established a healthy eating routine, and now some friends want to go out to eat. To maintain a healthy relationship with food, you have to let these situations happen without freaking out. It’s OK to eat out of your usual pattern, just choose the healthiest meal for you, and move on. Remember food getting in the way of your social life, is a sign of a negative relationship with food.

7.Stress And Food
Stress can actually drive your eating patterns. If you’re not aware of it, then it can destroy any attempt at healthy eating. It’s a good idea to keep a journal to cue into your life’s stress and see how it is driving your craving for foods. Do you notice that you only crave that triple cheeseburger when there is a deadline coming up? Is the only time you eat a half a cheesecake when your boss has screamed at you, or you are bored or lonely?
What activities in your life are driving you to eat the way you do? If you can figure out these eating patterns, you are going to be able to start to shape different responses to your emotional stress. Instead of diving into a basket of fries, you can choose to fall into a pair of yoga pants to help alleviate the stress you’re feeling. The point is there is always other options than food.

8.Start A Food Diary
A food diary for someone who is looking to change their relationship with food is going to look very different from a food diary for someone who is just trying to track calories. Emotional eating and disordered eating have many elements that are not related to actual food consumption. The level of stress for the day should be considered when writing in a food diary. How you felt when you began eating and how you felt when you were done eating should also be documented. Recording the emotional elements of food will allow you to track how certain foods, triggering events, and even emotional states make you feel and eat.

9.Don’t Keep Trigger Foods In Your Home
With binge eating episodes, often the problem starts with a particular pattern or food. One thing that you can do is avoid keeping your personal trigger foods in the house. If your binges always start and end with cookies, chips, ice cream and other junk, then you shouldn’t keep those foods in the house. Not having triggering foods in the house will help you avoid the binge in the first place. If there are foods you love, but end up binging on, go out for a treat once or twice a week. It is easier to buy a scoop of ice cream once a month than to live with eating a half a gallon of ice cream three times per week. Find a way to work around the craving and the binge.

10.Use Portions
One problem that many people have is that they sit down with an entire bag of their favorite snack, and then they watch TV while eating until the bag is gone. This is a trap that always leads to over eating. Single serving packages are fantastic because they teach you when the portion is over. The box is empty, and you have a cue to stop eating. If you do buy large bags of treats, then you should portion them out into individual sizes or take a small bowl to snack on. This way you are still getting the cue to stop eating when the portion is done.

11.Stop Using Weight As A Measure of Worth
Often negative relationships with food grow from the fact that our self-worth stems from our weight. The desire to be thin begins to outweigh any other feeling we have. The problem with this is that many times people are not able to view their body with an accurate eye. Often people see themselves heavier than they actually are. Other people, especially those who have developed anorexia or other eating disorders will see distorted images of their body. These images don’t accurately reflect what their body mass index shows, or what other people see. Furthermore, there are cases where people simply place all that they are into how they look or how much they weigh; neglecting to appreciate their worth based on personality, their level of caring for other people or their general goodness and decency.

12.Seek Quality
When people develop unhealthy relationships with food, they begin to do strange things, such as choosing radical diets that include eating cookies before a meal, drinking diet shakes for most of the meals, or only eating cabbage soup for 5 days, just to name a few. Since you want to change how you view food, change what you are eating. Aim to increase pleasure and satisfaction while you eat more nutritious foods as this will allow you to indulge in the experience of eating and reconnect you with your body’s natural response to food. Forcing yourself to eat foods you don’t like or chronically under eating is just reinforcing a weak relationship with food.

13.Stop Making Rules
One of the key signs of a poor relationship with food is having too many dietary rules. These rules could include things like how much you allow yourself to eat, how many times a day you allow yourself to eat, restricting healthy fats or even regulating the number of times that you chew your food. The more rules you have, the more likely it is that you have an unhealthy relationship with food

14.No More Guilt
Every eating guide available talks about releasing the guilt associated with food. Chances are if you’re eating, it’s because you need to eat. Don’t let every little thing you eat turn into a huge guilt trip. Beating yourself up all day because you had that office doughnut is not going to do anything productive for you or your health. Instead, try to bless and release. Instead, learn the art of moderation, which means eating a healthy nutritious diet on a regular basis, while indulging on occasion and managing proper portions.

15.Seek Help
If you have tried everything that you can think of to help yourself with your relationship with food and still find yourself struggling then it may be time to seek professional help. There are many organizations out there that are dedicated to helping people with disordered eating and unhealthy relationships with food. There is no shame in admitting you need help sorting out why you have problems with how you deal with food. It takes great strength to admit when you need help, but the rewards are well worth it.

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Essential Oils For Depression

3/20/2019

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The olfactory system consists of specialized tissues, olfactory bulbs and olfactory mucosa, and parts of the body, the nose, and nasal passages. The olfactory system, which facilitates the sense of smell, shares an almost immediate connection with certain parts of the brain. One of the most powerful connections ties the sense of smell to the limbic system where memory and emotion reside.

This region of the brain also influences heart rate, the balance of hormones, blood pressure, stress levels, and breathing. The broad influence of the limbic system and its strong connection to the sense of smell makes aromatherapy an effective treatment for balancing emotional and mental well-being.

Aromatherapy and Depression

The causes of depression vary. Depression may arise due to a chemical or hormonal imbalance in the body, which can cause the mental state described as depression. It may also manifest following significant and difficult personal experiences characterized by loss or stress.

Depression occurs when sadness deepens into more extreme feelings like apathy, a loss of self-worth, feelings of disempowerment and lack of hope. Clinical depression occurs when these feelings last for prolonged periods of time.

A depressed state is often accompanied by physical distress and other emotional stressors in the form of:

Low energy up to and including fatigue
Inability to concentrate
Insomnia or excessive sleeping
Restlessness
Weight loss or weight gain
Loss of interest and enjoyment in daily activities
(especially previous favorites)
Spending most of the day in a depressed mood, especially in the morning
Feelings of stagnation
Impaired judgement and indecisiveness
Physical aches and pains

Aromatherapy supports other therapies to alleviate the mental and physical symptoms of depression. The close relationship between the sense of smell and the areas of the brain, which control memory, breathing, and blood pressure, make it a fast acting method for combating depressive symptoms.
Please note that aromatherapy is not a cure for depression and that you should always follow your doctor’s advice as to the best treatment options for you. However, aromatherapy is a great complimentary and all natural remedy that can uplift your mood anytime you use it.

As with many alternative therapies, aromatherapy works best with consistent and appropriate application.

Essential Oils to Treat Depression

When treating depression, essential oils may be used alone to address individual symptoms or as part of a synergistic blend to affect several symptoms at the same time. The essential oils selected to treat depression need to meet four criteria.

Selected oils should:

1. Elevate mood
2. Improve energy levels
3. Calm and soothe the nervous system
4. Improve mental clarity

Essential oils recommended to alleviate depression include:

Basil--improves mental focus and relieves physical aches
Bergamot--alleviates depression, anxiety and stress
Citrus oils (orange, lemon or grapefruit)--uplifting and energizing
Clary sage--relieves fatigue and stress
Frankincense--improves concentration and mental clarity
Geranium--calming and uplifting
Jasmine--uplifting
Lavender--balancing, calming and may help relieve insomnia
Neroli--improves mood; alleviates insomnia and stress
Peppermint--mental clarity
Petitgrain--energizing and uplifting
Rose--alleviates depression and stress
Sandalwood--calming; relieves stress and depression
Vetiver--has a grounding, calming and stabilizing effect on the psyche
Ylang-ylang--relieves anxiety, depression and stress

A variety of recipes incorporating these oils may be discovered by consulting with an aromatherapist or searching online and in reference books on the topics of essential oils and aromatherapy. As you seek out blends or create your own, keep the properties of the desired oils as well as their scents in mind. The ratio of oils blended together as well as the dominance of their scent will determine the smell of the final product. Try to blend complementary oils together in complementary ratios. For example, rose, sandalwood, and vetiver would blend.

There are many methods available for the use of essential oils. You may purchase pre-blended massage oils, creams, and lotions. You may also create your own blends for use in a diffuser or to add directly to a bath. Never use essential oils directly on the skin. Always mix them with a carrier oil or shake well when suspended in water. You may also choose to burn incense or place a few drops of essential oil in a pot of warm water; the oil will evaporate permeating the air with its scent as the water cools.

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Cooking with Edible Flowers and Herbs

3/13/2019

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Cooking with edible flowers and herbs can be a wonderful new way to add flavor and interest to your favorite recipes, or even branch out and try new recipes.

A World of Flavor

There are many edible plants with wonderful tastes and visual appeal. Taking the time to research what is edible and which recipes it can be used in will not only add variety to your meals, but also phytonutrients (plant nutrients), vitamins and minerals.

In terms of herbs, just take a look at any spice rack in a supermarket, and chances are you will see both old favorites, like oregano and basil, with new, intriguing herbs like borage and cilantro. Most herbs can be grown at home in containers or in the garden. They will be cheaper than store bought, and delightfully tasty when used fresh.

You can also dry your harvested herbs, which will be a lot less expensive than commercial brands. Best of all, your own herbs will hopefully be organic and pesticide-free.

Traditional Recipes

Our ancestors wasted nothing. They started as hunter-gatherers, and through a process of elimination, discovered which flowers and herbs could be eaten.

This knowledge got passed down through the centuries, and eventually made it into the earliest cookbooks. Many of these are free online, so you can discover popular dishes from the Middle Ages, or how Shakespeare would have dined.

A World of Recipes

There is also a world of cuisines to explore, each with their own herb combinations. Italian food, Indian, Thai, Chinese... learning about the herbs and spices used can help you add variety to your weekly meals, without expensive restaurants or takeaway.

Soups and Stews

Soups and stews are an excellent way to cook for two reasons. The first is that everything goes into one pot to simmer, for easy cooking and clean-up. The second is that everything is cooked together, so no nutrition is lost.

Soups and stews tend to also be very hearty and filling. They are ideal when in a hurry or during chilly weather. Chances are you won’t overeat either, because the food will be so flavorful and satisfying.

The herbs you use will depend on the main ingredients in the soup. For lamb, seasonings like sage, rosemary and thyme will enhance the food. Just add a range of vegetables such as peas and carrots, and some wedges of potato for a complete meal.

Sauces

One of the most popular sauces is Italian tomato sauce to pour over pasta. You can make your own in minutes with some fresh tomatoes that have been cored and quartered, and some oregano, basil and a dash of olive oil. Some people lightly sauté the herbs in the olive oil to release more of the flavor.

Other sauces can liven up chicken, fish and beef. It is all a question of learning which herbs you prefer and which can be part of your fun journey of exploration.

Garnishes and Decoration

Edible flowers and herbs have also been used for centuries to make food more attractive, in addition to adding flavor if the items used are intended to be eaten.

You can add flowers to ice cubes to add beauty and flavor to a pitcher of drinks, or a platter of cheese. Your salads can take on new and vibrant colors with the help of nasturtiums and other edible flowers.

Desserts

Edible flowers and some herbs were also the foundation of the desserts our ancestors loved. Rose petals and rose water were highly prized and used in many different recipes.

Violets and other flowers were candied and eaten as is, or used to decorate cakes and puddings. Jellies were also very popular, and are both tasty and nutritious.

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Core Stability vs Core Strength

3/6/2019

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When talking about your core muscles, you might think that the ultimate goal is to make them as strong as possible, just like with working out any other muscle. You also might be hearing people talk about core stability, but might not know exactly what the term means. While the two concepts are related by the same muscle group, the specifics are actually very different. Find out what makes core strength so separate from core stability, how they affect your body and what you can do to modify your workouts to focus on your core more effectively.

What is core strength?
As its name suggests, core strength refers to the actual strength of your core muscles. For many people, the first thing that comes to mind is the abs, and the ideal workout move to strengthen them are sit-ups.

While having strong core muscles can help with various actions, such as your jumps and throws in different sports, excessive strength training for the core eventually leads to a plateau in results. Additionally, these strength-training moves don’t provide specific help in improving your stability, instead leading to little more than a more defined six-pack.

What is core stability?
Core stability refers to your ability to keep your spine from movement during physical activity. That can be anything from keeping level while planking to swimming in a straight line, as the core muscles are integral in virtually all forms of physical activity.

Stability comes from engaging all of the muscles in your core, not just your ab muscles, and thus involves a much more complex focus on the region. All of these muscles help you to control your body more effectively, starting out by keeping the spine from bending or flexing unintentionally and extending to your ability to better utilize your arms and legs.

The core muscles are the workhorse of your body and influence the way you move in every capacity.

The benefits of core workouts
While both types of core workouts can have a positive impact on your health and your everyday life, core stability training is likely going to yield better and more noticeable results. This is because stability is an integral part of a wide range of activities, whereas the base strength of your core has a more limited focus.

Increasing your stability helps you to execute better form, and sustain it for longer, because you are more capable of controlling your body. More core stability helps you to keep from leaning forward while you run, which can lead to a decrease in speed and form over time. Similarly, being able to keep your body still during stretches makes them more effective at reducing injury, as well as ensuring that you do not unintentionally hurt yourself.

How to train for stability
For the most balanced results, you should focus on improving both your core strength and your core stability to avoid creating an imbalance in your body. Despite the differences between each type, the two are very much related through the shared musculature and functionality. The key is to refrain from putting too much emphasis on either camp and retaining an even focus on the entire body.

Moves such as planks help to engage the entire core, rather than overly targeting a single section. An easy way to help identify moves that can improve your core stability is to see if they involve stability to begin with. For example, because a plank requires you to keep your body still and level with the ground, you know its engaging those muscles. Alternately, crunches typically only focus on your ab muscles and thus may not have a major impact on your stability.

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Herbs That Help You Quit Smoking

2/27/2019

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Nicotine addiction is a serious condition and is one that is very difficult to let go of. Smokers who try to quit find that the withdrawal can be unbearable and so any type of aid that can ease the transition is not only helpful, but, can greatly improve the chances of success.

Herbs That Ease Nerves

Herbs that are mildly sedating have two-fold benefits: they soothe nerves and curb nicotine withdrawal. Green oats are believed to have both sedating and tonic effects on the nervous system.

The post-cessation period will invariably call upon a varying degree of anxiety and panic attacks. While in such a state, passion flower can be used as a remedy.

Mood swings and depression brought on by smoking cessation can be cured by kava kava, which, is an effective antidote to such emotional disorientation.

Anxiety that follows immediately after you give up smoking can be alleviated by skullcap. It should be taken alone during the day, and with valerian at night as a natural sleep aid.

Valerian is known for relaxing tense muscles. It is highly effective for insomnia, if that happens to be one of your quitter’s symptom, and allows you to get a good night’s sleep.

Lobelia

The herb lobelia is used in many anti-smoking products, mainly because, lobeline, the herb’s active ingredient has similar effects on human body as nicotine.

Studies have found that lobeline increases the level of the neurotransmitter dopamine in human brains, much in the same way cigarettes do. Dopamine is responsible for producing feelings of pleasure.

Lobelia is a toxic herb, use with caution.

St. John’s Wort

As much as St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is used to treat depression, some preliminary studies have validated the herb’s efficacy in smoking cessation.

Up until now, all standard St. John’s Wort extract supplements were known to contain 0.3% of the active ingredient hypericin. A recent study suggests that another compound, hyperforin, found in the herb could be the reason why St. John’s Wort works as an antidepressant.

On a cautionary note, St John’s Wort has the tendency to interfere with some prescription and over the counter drugs, such as, other antidepressants. HIV and AIDS treatment drugs, drugs to prevent organ rejection for transplant patients, and contraceptives.
It is never recommended for pregnant or nursing women, kids, those suffering from liver or kidney disease and those with bipolar disorder.

Ginseng

Nicotine releases neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain and causes smokers to experience the feeling of pleasure, which, results in addiction. Ginseng prevents nicotine-induced release of dopamine, however, no concrete research has been carried out to establish the herb as an anti-smoking agent. Evidence does exist, however, that Ginseng can help.

Ginseng can help with side effects as both Asian (Panax ginseng) and American (P. quinquefolius) ginseng -- the former more aptly called “adaptogen” -- can help the body to deal with and adapt to the physical and mental stresses of quitting smoking.

Ginseng’s positive effect on the brain is implicit. Regular intake of ginseng increases respiratory quotient, enhances alertness, concentration and improves visual and motor coordination. All of which can become impaired during withdrawal from nicotine.

Milk Thistle

The Liver plays an important role in filtering out the toxins created by smoking, it is, therefore, crucial to ensure that it functions properly. Seeds of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) can be used to produce extracts that support healthy liver functions.

Silymarin, at 70% concentration, is central to standardized milk thistle extract. Studies prove that standardized extract of milk thistle changes the liver’s outer cell and prevents toxic chemicals from entering the liver’s inner cells.

The extract also elevates the liver’s capacity to create new cells, which, activates the liver-specific antioxidants. These antioxidants then eliminate the notorious oxygen radicals residing in the liver.

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Support Your Body With a Liver Detox

2/20/2019

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Of all the things you can do in alternative health, the liver detox is probably one of the most important in terms of achieving maximum health in today's environment. For the health conscious person, a liver detox is mandatory.

The best time for a liver detox is spring. Of all the things you can do in alternative health, the liver detox is probably one of the most important in terms of achieving maximum health in today's environment.

We live in an age where our deteriorating natural environment is polluting our bodies with cigarette smoke, pesticides, food additives, smog, chemical toxins, heavy metals, and more that threaten our intestines, colon, kidneys, liver and gallbladders. It is best to detoxify your liver and gall bladder twice a year. Naturally remove heavy metals such as lead and mercury from the body.

One of the primary purposes of the liver detox is to flush all of the gallstones from your body and minimize the chances of their return. A deep liver and kidney cleanse will improve your digestion and immune system and help keep your whole body healthy.

Body signals that your liver needs detoxification include:

- Chronic constipation
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Frequent headaches
- Eczema or skin related disorders
- Flatulence, gas and bloating
- Excess weight
- Food allergies
- Parasites in stool
- Bad breath and body odor
- Constant fatigue and low energy
- Yeast infection
- A yellowish tint to the skin and/or liver spots on the skin;
- poor hair texture and slow hair growth;
- skin itching and irritation. Elevated cholesterol (and all of the problems related to high cholesterol).
- Anemia and large bruise patches indicate severe liver exhaustion

Detoxing is no longer practiced by only the healthy few. Detoxification is regarded as an essential element for successfully treating cancer by alternative cancer treatment specialists. Detoxification of the liver with a liver detox diet can get the liver working properly again and help the individual regain their appetite.

Detoxification is an ongoing process that takes place continuously within the liver, lymph, kidneys, intestines, blood, and colon and in every cell in your body. Feeling tired and sluggish, blocked up or headaches, with less tolerance of alcohol, sugary foods or caffeine are all possible signs that your liver may benefit from a detox.

The liver is the organ which helps in detoxification of our bodies. Find a cleanse that is an easy-to-use, a natural cleanse program containing minerals, vitamins, herbs and amino acids which have long been used to promote healthy detoxification and cleansing of the liver.

Keep in mind, a colon cleanse may be of initial importance so as to prevent your body from reabsorbing toxins.

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Trager Work Reawakens the Body and Mind

2/13/2019

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The Trager Approach (also known as Trager Work) is a structural integration system, developed by Milton Trager, an American doctor. Milton Trager developed the psycho-physical integration technique during his medical practice, and over a period of 65 years.

Trager had a congenital spinal deformity and through his own persistence became a dancer and gymnast. He died at the age of 88 and spent his life ‘healing’ many people with his amazing approach.

During the 1970's his efforts were recognized by California’s Esalen Institute. He began to treat patients there and soon retired from his medical practice in Hawaii and began to work full time using the psycho physical integration technique.

Somatic Education and Other Bodywork Therapies

The term ‘somatic education’ is used to describe the Trager Approach, and also other bodywork therapies such as the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, and Hellerwork.

This type of therapy works to bring about improved communication between the body and mind, as many bodywork therapies do.

Trager Work Therapy Sessions

During treatment, the patient lies on a massage table and the practitioner helps explore the range of motion through large movements. If an area seems to be stiff or unyielding, the practitioner may engage in a dialogue hoping to cause the movement to become lighter and freer.

A trained practitioner of Trager work can sense tension and “blocked” areas of the body and manipulate them to release the toxic problem.

Trager believes that “tight muscles can be caused by many things, but the pattern of tightness is all in the mind.” Releasing the tensions of the mind can cause a better range of movement and relieve tension and stress.

Much of Trager work is based on the intuitions of the practitioner, and using hand and mind to manipulate and communicate, the Trager therapists awaken certain patterns in your mind and body through movement and touch.

Rocking and shaking movements are incorporated to loosen the joints and help the patient relax, and Trager work therapy promotes feelings of lightness and freedom. The technique is designed to open the mind to realizations that certain movements of the body will not cause pain. For example, those patients suffering with chronic back problems, as did Trager, may find relief from these treatments.

Improves Athletic Performance

Athletes also use the method to enhance their performance and gain more flexibility. It also helps their movements become more graceful, improves their focus, speed and stamina. In addition, there risk of injuries is lessened and they conserve more energy.

Health Benefits of The Trager Approach

Trager therapy is used to relieve symptoms of conditions such as:

Chronic back pain and sciatica
Anxiety and depression
Migraine and general headaches
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Neuromuscular pain
Muscular dystrophy
Parkinson’s disease
Carpal tunnel and even polio.

More research is being conducted in the possible uses for Trager work and many natural healing practitioners are using this therapy to relieve the symptoms of certain conditions and promote healing. You can watch videos online to see how this treatment is applied.

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3 Ways To Use Mindfulness to Relax and De-Stress

2/6/2019

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When you think of mindfulness, you probably think of an overall sense of positivity and well-being. You may also think of a lot of meditation and essential oils, or creating a positive environment around you. Mindfulness, though helpful in those areas, is also beneficial to someone who is trying to reduce their daily stress and maintain a relaxed lifestyle. Here are 3 places mindfulness can be used in your daily life to reduce stress.

Journaling with Purpose

Journaling is one of the biggest aspects to mindfulness techniques. The reason for this is based on the idea that you are doing it with small purposes and larger purposes. Ideally you are writing on a routine basis and journaling whatever comes to mind. You might also explore your 'attitude of gratitude' at the end of the journal entry. This can be something that you are happy about or grateful for in that day. In addition to this, you might be go back and review your journal entries which might lead you to find the patterns that are causing stress in your life. Then take a step to remove those stress inducing issues in your life. This can be an important way mindfulness can help you relax and de-stress.

Breathing with Purpose

You may think breathing with purpose is what you do, since breathing is what keeps you alive. Though that maybe the basic reason for breathing, there are other factors to breathing that relate to your stress and mindfulness. Mindfulness techniques related to breathing help you perform calming breathing techniques with the purpose of controlling your initial stress related reactions. This is breathing with purpose and can be a vital mindfulness step in learning how your body responds to stress, then keeping those reactions in check and dealing with your stress before it hurts you physically.

Meditation with Purpose

Meditation is listed in most mindfulness techniques as part of learning your body, being aware of how it feels, and how it is reacting, it is noticing not judging. Meditation with purpose is mediating to focus on your stress, relieving that stress, and finding what the root issue is. Through meditation you can start to see a pattern in your issues and the issues you need to focus on instead of the initial knee jerk reaction of what the stress is.

These techniques can be used by themselves or can be used together to help your stress levels. You can adjust them or change them as you need and as your stress levels rise or fall. The key is to have a mindfulness routine that works for you when you need it.

If you need a little help with mindful journaling you might try...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1946159182?tag=dghbooklaunch-20

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