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  • All About Traditional Chinese Medicine

    All About Traditional Chinese Medicine

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    Traditional Chinese medicine is an alternative to contemporary medicine. The treatment method corrects imbalances in the body and works in different ways that include:

    • Addressing the environment and the external factors of the patient.
    • Helping the patients relate to the internal emotions in a healthier way.
    • Improving the lifestyle of the patients. This includes promoting better diet and exercise.

    The traditional Chinese medicine affects different areas of the body but it focuses on only a few of these areas. The areas include: large intestine, gallbladder, small intestine, lung, liver, spleen, kidneys, and heart.

    Benefits of traditional Chinese medicine

    The treatment option comes with many advantages that include:

    Reduced inflammation: The herbs and mushrooms used in the treatment have antioxidant, antiapoptotic, autophagic, and anti-inflammatory effects on the body. When you take the herbs, you have reduced levels of oxidative stress and inflammation thus you protect the body cells, tissues, and organs from developing diseases.

    Reduction of chronic pain and headache: The use of acupuncture and acupressure plays a vital role in managing pain brought about by arthritis and other medical conditions. Experts have also found that treatment methods such as eating a healthy diet and tai chi aid in reducing chronic tension headaches.

    Hormonal balance: Research studies show that the herbs used in the treatment contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidants that improve the functions within the endocrine and central nervous system. This aids in improving the healing abilities of the body and balances the hormones such as insulin, estrogen, cortisol, and testosterone.

    Improvement of the health of the liver: Since traditional Chinese medicine advocates that you take a healthy diet, the diet aids in improving the health of the liver. Some of the best foods that you should take to improve the health of your liver include: sweet potatoes, healthy fats, spices rich in ginger and garlic, and herbs. You should avoid fried foods, sugary drinks, and snacks, refined oils, alcohol, and processed carbohydrates.

    Tips to consider when engaging in traditional Chinese medicine

    For you to have a great experience with the treatment method, you need to consider a number of tips. Before you settle on a given practitioner, always take your time to research him/her and ensure that he/she is reputable. Experts recommend that you visit a number of facilities and take a look at the displayed certifications. If there are no certifications, you should stay away from the practitioner.

    While the herbs are natural, you should take them under maximum supervision. You shouldn’t take them if suffering from a medical condition or when pregnant. You should avoid medications from an unknown company as they might be containing dangerous additives, lead, cadmium, mercury, and traces of other heavy metals.

    To get the most from the treatment method, you should incorporate different lifestyle and preventative habits such as exercising, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and taking beneficial supplements.

    Conclusion

    This is what you need to know about traditional Chinese medicine. You should remember that the medications are recommended as complementary treatment methods; therefore, you should try them together with the complementary medications. To avoid complications always follow the doctor’s advice.

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    Source by Idd Aziz

    Views: 0

  • Dealing With Relationship Stress

    Dealing With Relationship Stress

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    The start to a relationship is often high-spirited when couples tend to fall head over heels for each other. The urgency to talk and meet is so intense that time seems to fly initially. However, when the euphoria settles and one gets used to the partner, real time problems start surfacing. At times, things might get so stressful that the partners start contemplating separation. At others, the stress slowly pushes them to the brink of developing mental disorders like depression and anxiety.

    Breaking the bond is the easiest thing to do, but, the actual strength of a relationship lies in dealing with the relationship stress together, as a couple and bringing back harmony. Unfortunately, not many couples have the patience to walk through the stressful times together. Yet, one must remember that it is a choice. Either one can work as a team and emerge stronger or one may decide to deal with the stress individually and let the relationship weaken. Given below are some of the ways in which relationship stress can be handled and the development of mental disorders prevented:

    • Accepting each other as is – It is important to understand that reality is far from the rom-com movies that we watch and romantic novels that we read. Expecting your partner to be perfect all the time is not realistic. All of us are flawed. Expecting too much paves the way for intense pressure and disappointments in the long run. Thus, one must accept their partner as is and focus on their strengths.

    • Communicating constructively – When faced with problems, some couples tend to go on silent mode with long periods of no communication. This is a recipe for disaster. One must muster the courage to break the silence and address the issues that have hampered the equation. Moreover, one must express their feelings gently. Shouting and not listening to the other person’s perspective is damaging and would do nothing to rebuild the relationship.

    • De-stressing together – Couples must de-stress together. This can be achieved by going on a holiday, attending concerts, going for walks, learning some hobby together, watching movies, and indulging in any activities that both the partners enjoy. Getting intimate is also indispensable to relieve stress in a relationship. Some couples avoid intimacy when they have unresolved conflicts, however, it is important to make love as that might set you talking and help resolve the unsaid issues.

    • Avoiding blame game – It is important to understand that in a relationship, both the partners are in the same team. Pushing down the other person by constant blaming them can get tiring and destructive for the health of the relationship. In addition, it is also critical to apologize sincerely once they understand that they are at fault.

    • Keeping up social networking – Sometimes, a couple gets so obsessed with each other that they forget about their social obligations. While the option of spending all your time with each other might seem interesting at first, over time, it may bring boredom into the equation. It might also build a lot of stress and socializing might offer a vent to it. Thus, one must keep in touch with their friends and relatives and meet them as often as possible.

    • Investing on self – It is vital to be present for each other in a relationship, however, one must not forget themselves. One must, therefore, ensure that they invest some time and resources on taking care of the self also. Eating right, getting adequate sleep, indulging in some sort of physical activity, getting a massage, etc., can help build self-esteem and invigorate the spirits of an individual.

    Seeking professional help for stress

    Sometimes, despite best intentions and efforts, it gets very difficult to reach a stage of equilibrium in a relationship. In such cases, the continuous stress may lead to the development of mental disorders like depression and anxiety.

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    Source by Susan Navarez

    Views: 0

  • Emotionally Weak: Do Some Peoples Childhoods Set Them Up To Be Emotionally Weak?

    Emotionally Weak: Do Some Peoples Childhoods Set Them Up To Be Emotionally Weak?

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    It could be said that someone’s life would be a lot easier if they were unable to experience emotions. The primary reason for this is that they would no longer experience emotional pain.

    As a result of this, they would never feel sad, powerless, helpless, or hopeless, and fear and anxiety would no longer bother them either. This would allow them to lead a more centred life.

    The Downside

    Living in this way wouldn’t come without its problems, though, as one would most likely lead a life that lacks depth. They would live an empty existence, due to the part of themselves that provides meaning and a sense of wholeness being offline.

    Not only does this part of them provide meaning, it is also what allows them to feel connected to others and the planet. Therefore, while experiencing emotions will be hard for them at times, it would be far worse is they were not able to experience them.

    Hard To Accept

    However, although this is the case, it doesn’t mean that everyone will be able to accept this. If someone experiences a lot of emotional pain, for instance, they may believe that their life would be better if they could no longer feel.

    Yet, given what they often go through, it is not exactly going to be a surprise for them to have this outlook. Their life is not going to be very enjoyable; it could seem as if they are being punished.

    No Stability

    And even when they are not in a lot of emotional pain, they could wonder how long it will be until they are. Before long, something could take place that will completely change their inner world.

    This could take place after another person has said something negative about them or tried to walk over them. Something else that could cause them to come crashing down is a break up or an argument.

    All Over the Place

    It will be clear that it will be more or less impossible for one to handle how they feel. Instead of their emotional self being another part of their being, it will be a part of them that has the tendency to take over their whole being.

    If they were able to contain their feelings and they didn’t take over, their life would be very different. One wouldn’t be a small boat that is tossed around by every wave; they would be a big ship that has the ability handle most waves.

    One Approach

    If one was able to step back and came to the conclusion that they need to do something about their life, they might end up looking for a book to read. Conversely, they could look online for answers.

    What they may learn is that they to develop the ability to manage their thoughts, with this being the reason why their feelings are often out of control. Once they can do this, they will become emotionally strong.

    Support

    Being mindful of what thoughts they entertain, and what thoughts they think, will allow them to have different feelings. The positive feelings that they end up having can give them the strength that they need to feel strong and to achieve their goals.

    Said another way, ones emotional body will be working with their mind as opposed to against it. After putting these steps into practice for a little while, they may find that their life starts to change.

    An Unexpected Outcome

    Then again, one could find that focusing on what is taking place in their head doesn’t have much of an effect on them. Now, this could be a sign that they need to hang in there and to keep going until it works.

    At the same time, it could show that they need to try a completely different approach. There is the chance that one’s emotional body is carrying a lot of emotional pain and this is then why they find it hard to handle their emotions.

    A Missing Ability

    If they are carrying a lot of emotional pain, it could also show that they didn’t receive the type of care that they needed in order to develop the ability to regulate their own emotions. Perhaps their early years were a time when they were abused and/or neglected.

    What should have been a time when they were built up would have been a time when they were traumatised on a regular basis. This would have caused them to suffer as a child and it will still be causing them to suffer as an adult.

    A Totally Different Approach

    The emotional pain that has stayed trapped in their body will most likely need to be worked through. This can involve facing how they feel and feeling their feelings to their completion.

    To do this, one will most likely need to reach out for external support. The reason for this is that these feelings will be too much for them to handle and this will have stopped them from being able to consciously work through them.

    Awareness

    A therapist or a healer, for instance, can provide the presence that one needs so that they can go where they wouldn’t by themselves. This person will be like the scaffolding that is needed while a building is being strengthened.

    The main thing will be for them to reach out for assistance and to keep going no matter what. As for how long this process will take, how long is a piece of string?

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    Source by Oliver JR Cooper

    Views: 0

  • 5 Major Reasons Why Marriages Break

    5 Major Reasons Why Marriages Break

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    Love: Yes, I mean love. I know you are wondering how love could cause a break up. It is believed that love is the basis of marriage. It is love that brings about marriage. You only marry once you realize that you love somebody else just as yourself. You can not marry somebody you hate. Unless is for some other reasons. When the sweet love you once shared turn into bitter, marriage is set to break. How will one live with a person that she / he resents so much. It is impossible, and that is why, most couples choose to separate and go their on ways. Every human being want to be loved. therefore, where there is no love, couples never stay together for long.

    In-laws: What part does in-laws play in your marriage? Well, there is no marriage without in-laws. When couples get married, they automatically get in-laws. Some of these in-laws are the best and some are the worst. One could wonder whether they ever wanted their son / daughter to marry. They interfere with their children's / brother's / sister's marriage a lot. Who is to blame in this case? In most cases, it is the in-laws from the husband's side that bring all these problems. In such cases the blame goes to the man. He should stand up for his wife at all time even if she is wrong. He should not be the one inciting his people against the wife. Am sorry to say this but some husbands have the audacity to bad mouth their wives to their families. Tell me, won't your in-laws hate you when they hear such bad things coming from your own husband? If you allow your family interfere so much in your marriage, then know that with time, your wife will get tired and call it a quit!

    Infidelity: This is the worst of them all. No one desires to be cheated on by the partner.in fact, if discovered by the other party, there is no forgiveness. When a man discovers that his wife is cheating on him, he can do the worst to the man involved with his wife. Women are lenient. On their part, they can forgive their husbands but will never ever love them again. Some women end up choosing to leave the man and even demand for divorce.

    Comparisons: This is a very painful reason for break ups. when a spouse chooses to constantly compare his / her spouse to another, it really hurt much. Even though the one doing it, could be doing it so unknowingly. In some cases, the spouse who does this comparisons, is aware of it and usually do it purposefully to hurt the spouse. The targeted spouse may in some cases, try to much up to the party being compared to and if the sacrifice is not noticed, this may lead to a break up.

    Physical, emotional and mental abuse: This is one of the major causes for marriage break ups. One couple could be abusive to the other partner. This could be physical / emotional torture. An abusive spouse is worse than a murderer. The reason is: they usually use intimidation and manipulation to keep the abused partner under control at all time. They are sadist! They never want to see their spouses happy! They beat them up, call them all sort of abusive names and even cause the other partner feel useless and unworthy. With such, the marriage will definitely break up especially when the abused get tired of constantly being abused.

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    Source by Leah Simiyu Mbatha

    Views: 0

  • Book Advocates Natural Healing for Man's Best Friend

    Book Advocates Natural Healing for Man's Best Friend

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    Healing Your Dog Naturally is a revolutionary new book by Nicole Gabriel that will make you rethink how you care for your dog. It will teach you how to be proactive about your canine's healthcare and by extension rethink your own eating and medicinal habits. Consequently, you can kill two birds with one stone, or in this case, heal your dog and yourself, or better yet, prevent the need to heal from arising.

    While Gabriel's background is not in veterinary medicine, she has plenty of experiencing caring for sick dogs and loving them. This is a woman who deeply bonds with her pets and wants the very best for them. After she lost one of her Shar Pei dogs to an illness she believes was caused by a required vaccination in order for her to move to Hawaii, she decided to begin researching vaccinations and everything else about caring for one's dog. Now she has compiled all that research along with her personal experiences and successes into this new book, which may long be overdue considering the health and natural foods revolution going on for humans. I have to agree with Gabriel on this point: If we are all becoming more health and nutrition conscious about our own bodies, shouldn't we extend that same care and concern to our pets?
    Gabriel walks the reader through a plethora of topics and information on everything from diet and nutrition to allergies, vaccinations, using essential oils, spaying and neutering, homeopathy, and even how to align your dog's chakras.

    But before I go further, this book isn't just a book about how to heal your dog and make him healthier. It's also a book that encourages you to change your own lifestyle so that both you and your dog benefit.

    For example, Gabriel is not a fan of commercial dog food. She provides a brief history of dog food and how it was affected by World War II, why it is taurine-deficient, and why that matters. She makes a great point in saying that if we would not eat the dog food ourselves, why would we feed it to our dogs? Ultimately, she advocates that you cook dinner for your dog just like you would for your spouse, children, or yourself. She even offers several recipes to provide your dog with a nutritious diet. Okay, I know many people might think this is radical-cooking dinner for your dog-but if you want your pet to be healthy, it is a decision worth considering. You can even do it while making dinner for yourself. As Gabriel states, "When you wake up to nutrition, you begin to question everything. This is not a journey that is just for your dogs. Have you gotten that yet? We are all doing this together. This is a pack effort. you choose for you, you choose for your dog and vice versa. "

    The rest of the book may be viewed as equally radical or perhaps just applying common sense. Gabriel comes down hard on vaccinations, not because they are not well-intended but because she has seen her own pet die as the result of one. She walks readers through what may be harmful about certain vaccines and how to reverse possible issues is you've already had your dog vaccinated and it is causing health issues. She also offers advice on spaying and neutering-another "don't do it" chapter you'll have to read for yourself.

    But not everything in these pages is focused on overturning common canine care practices. If anything, this book is written with a lot of love. There are adorable cartoons of dogs throughout reminding us of how much we love our best friends. Gabriel goes into detail about all the wonderful experiences she's had with her pets and why they matter so much to her. She is not afraid of discussing the most sensitive issues, including how to deal with loss of your pet and your grief. She provides simple and natural remedies for everything from dealing with cut footpads to ingenious ways to offer nutritious treats to your pets, and even ways to test your dog for various allergies and make changes to his diet accordingly.

    Most importantly, Gabriel challenges us to see our pets with new eyes and to think more deeply about what we do in our care for them. I can't say whether she is right on every subject, but I do know her heart is in the right place and she provides a great deal of food for thought. I imagine people who read this book will have already gone or be going through a traumatic or heart-wrenching experience with a pet, so they will be looking for answers beyond what their local veterinarian may be able to provide. If so, this book is an excellent place to start. I truly believe Healing Your Dog Naturally will open many eyes, and hopefully, it will lead to a revolution in canine healthcare.

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    Source by Tyler Tichelaar

    Views: 0

  • How To Prevent Alcohol And Drug Addiction

    How To Prevent Alcohol And Drug Addiction

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    Drug addiction is a serious disorder. If not treated, it can lead to crises like loss of employment, living quarters and important relationships. And as if this weren’t enough, this kind of addiction can cause illness and even death. Drug addiction is multi-layered and has a variety of causes as well as contributing factors. With the knowledge we have today, Simplistic anti-drug campaigns, such as the “Just Say No” program back in the 1980’s, and even more complex programs like “War on Drugs” is not very effective. The reason for this is that these campaigns do not address the root causes of drug addiction but battles the symptoms not the causes of drug addiction.

    When most people consider a drug addiction problem, their minds go automatically to old movies or TV-series. A junkie trembling on a street corner, selling her own body for her next fix, or a tragic, pale old man lying in a gutter with a needle in his arm, or even a college girl snorting a line of crystal meth in a frat house bathroom during a wild party. These images are powerful indeed, but drug addiction generally creeps up in a slow but determined pace. Months or years are passing, during which time the addicted person is still able to function in a job, maintain a place to live as well as keeping relationships going. A drug or alcohol addiction problem generally passes slowly through several phases. Just because someone you know has not lost everything he or she owns to drugs does not have to mean that he or she does not have a drug addiction problem.

    One of the most insidious drug addiction is prescription drug addiction, followed closely by alcohol addiction. Let’s face it; we are a nation of pill poppers and alcohol beverage drinkers. Since we were children we learned that if something hurts, we should take a pill to make the pain disappear. We also see that children are being prescribed drugs such as Ritalin in increasing amounts, as parents and doctors smudge the line between active, healthy kids and kids with a true Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). All the time we are bombarded with advertising for pain relievers, sleep medication and a lot of other remedies; prescribed and over the counter. Seen from this point of view, prescription drug addiction is not hard to understand. We hardly question the doctor thoroughly about the risk of dependency on any medication, since using medicine for almost any problem is so widely accepted. It’s so easy to take the drug without question and before we know it, we may have developed a prescription drug addiction.

    Alcohol addiction is almost as easy to develop for much the same reason. We live in a culture of drinking. We often go out for cocktails after work or drinking beer with friends during a sports event slowly gives way to having one, two, three, even six or eight beers every night. It feels normal to continually re-visit the bar during a night at a pub. Next thing we identify is a full-blown alcohol drug addiction.

    How harsh (or maybe great) it may sound, you are the only person that can prevent alcohol or drug addiction, due to the choices or decisions you make. Although addiction is classified as a disease, it may well be one of the few diseases that people choose to get. Each drug or alcohol addicted person started their life as an addict by making a choice. You are free to make the same choice or you can choose to not allow drug addiction to be your disease. It’s your choice and whether you like it or not, it is the price you have to pay for being a human with a free will.addiction a seat in your life. It’s up to you.

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    Source by David Richards

    Views: 0

  • What Is Regenerative Medicine?

    What Is Regenerative Medicine?

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    When Adrienne Shapiro’s daughter Marissa was diagnosed with sickle cell disease, the doctors said that she would not live till her first birthday. However, when Marissa managed to live past that benchmark, it did not mean the end of Adrienne’s worries. In fact, it was the beginning of many painful years of blood transfusions and immunological disorders. When an improperly matched blood transfusion caused a severe reaction leading to the removal of Marissa’s gall bladder and temporary kidney failure, she was unable to receive further blood transfusions.

    However, luckily for Marissa a project sponsored by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), headed by Don Kohn, MD at UCLA, was starting a clinical trial. The objective of the project was ‘to remove bone marrow from the patient and fix the genetic defect in the blood-forming stem cells. Then those cells can be reintroduced into the patient to create a new, healthy blood system.’The success of this clinical trial has given hope to Adrienne that with the help regenerative medicine her daughter will be able to lead a healthy and pain-free life.

    The Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison describes ‘Regenerative Medicine’ as ‘a new scientific and medical discipline focused on harnessing the power of stem cells and the body’s own regenerative capabilities to restore function to damaged cells, tissues and organs.’

    Stem cells that are found in the umbilical cord blood of new born children have the ability to renew and regenerate themselves. A stem cell, through the process of mitosis, can divide itself to either become a specialized cell like a brain cell or muscle cell, or remain a stem cell. They are also able to repair internal damage caused by any type of disease, disorder or trauma. Stem cell transplantation, stem cell grafting and regenerative medicine are some of the ways in which these cells are used to cure disorders and illnesses.

    Regenerative medicine includes a wide range of scientific disciplines, such as biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology and immunology. Scientists from these fields have been conducting research and studies in this domain and have identified three methods of using regenerative medicine. They are cellular therapies, tissue engineering and medical devices and artificial organs.

    Cellular Therapies – In this method, cellular materials, in most cases adult stem cells, are extracted and stored and then injected into the site of injury, tissue damage or disease. These cells, thereafter, repair the damaged cells or regenerate new cells to replace the damaged ones.

    Tissue Engineering – This method is related to the field of biomaterials development and utilizes a combination of functioning tissues, cells and scaffolds to engineer a fully functioning organ which is then implanted into the body of the receiver in place of a damaged organ or tissue.

    Medical Devices and Artificial Organs – When a body organ fails, the most common method of treatment is to replace it with a donor organ. Donor organs are not easily available and can pose as a hindrance in such cases. Even if a donor is available, he or she may need to take immunosuppressant drugs before the transplant and these drugs have been known to cause side-effects. In such circumstances, medical devices that imitate the function of the failed organ can be used, instead of transplantation. An example of one such device is the ventricular assist device (VAD) that is used in place of heart transplants.

    Since regenerative medicine deals with the use of stem cells, it occasionally requires embryonic stem cells for research purposes. This use of embryonic stem cells can often give rise to questions regarding ethics and legality. The laws and regulations concerning regenerative medicine are different in different countries. Creation of human embryos for research is only legally permitted in three countries. Majority of the countries only allow extraction of cells from surplus IVF embryos. A recent study, related to human embryonic stem cells (hECS) research policy, was conducted which revealed that UK, Sweden and Belgium were very permissive in authorizing the creation of human embryos for research, whereas, Luxembourg, Austria, Poland and Ireland had no laws regarding hECS. The legislations regarding hESC in most other countries range between being mildly restrictive to very restrictive.

    Regenerative medicine is the future of modern medical treatments. Scientists are conducting clinical trials and studies every day to further enhance and improve in this area of medicine.

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    Source by Richa Verma

    Views: 0

  • Ready for a High Impact Mindset Reset?

    Ready for a High Impact Mindset Reset?

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    Your mindset, your thoughts, can buoy you up, inspiring you to take courageous action, or they can drag you down, keeping you up at night with worry and paralyzing you with fear. Even though our brains are wired to dwell on the negative, on past mistakes, how we think in this moment is something we can control.

    Changing our minds in the present moment can be hard work! I know from experience that when things aren’t going well, one of the toughest things to do is to turn your mind from impending doom to what is possible and what can be done.

    The good news is that the more you practice these mindset boosters, the easier they become. They do, in fact, become habits that kick in when you need them the most.

    The even better news is that the more you practice them, the more impact both you and your company will have. Staying on track and not allowing yourself to be pulled down will save you a lot of time and energy. The time and energy you free up can be spent on your company’s financial performance and having impact.

    S0 let’s look at ways you can do a mindset reset and the practices that will support you in doing so:

    The Future Doesn’t Just Happen – You Shape It Every Day

    Have you ever seen or read about people in the direst of circumstances who are transcendent, happy? And others who seem to have everything, and yet feel deprived? The way you choose to think about a situation, the parts of yourself that you call on, even dig deep for, are what determine your present and your future. Your thinking is integral to your character.

    When things look negative, question it. There’s always a way to think about a situation that includes a gift, an opportunity. This may seem contrived at first, but think about situations where you’ve suddenly had a shift in perspective and a solution appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. That’s the effect you want to be able to call on.

    “Circumstance does not make the person,

    it reveals the person to himself or herself.”

    ~James Allen

    People become leaders of successful, impactful companies by becoming the people who can lead those companies first. They walk with integrity. They make smart decisions. They step up and into opportunity with courage. They acknowledge their fears, but don’t indulge them. They learn and grow.

    You are becoming the leader of your high impact company right now, in how you show up every day. Treating people with respect. Listening to ideas. Choosing how you use your time and energy. Making decisions with your mind AND your heart.

    You can shape your future by consciously developing the mindset of the leader who leads your company in these ways.

    Doubling down on mission is one way to ensure that your company moves more in the direction of your impact. New Belgium Brewing became a benefit corporation in 2018, ingraining its commitment to internal and community impact in its legal framework, and is now the fourth-largest craft brewery in the US.

    Fear and Getting Through the Storm

    We all have fears. Fears about how the company will do financially this year, about that crucial new hire who looks promising but is unproven, or about how your new offering will fare in a busy market. Fears can abound, especially if nurtured and given attention.

    “The future you constantly worry about

    Is nothing other than a projection of fear and desire from the past.”

    ~Thich Nhat Hanh

    Fears can instead be a tool, an indicator. They can lead you to research, to ask good questions, and to explore options. As long as you don’t allow fears to take over the present, they can actually be valuable.

    One way to be vigilant about fears is with mindfulness. Mindfulness, that focus on the present, is more than a business fad. It’s a practice that decreases stress and increases productivity.

    The leaders of outdoor apparel maker Patagonia are committed to using their successful company as a vehicle to put mindfulness into action. Patagonia founder Yves Chouinard describes navigating what could be a terrifying Class 4 rapid as a teaching:

    • look ahead and prepare

      • be proactive
      • don’t ignore what is coming
      • think through scenarios
      • do what is necessary to get ready to the best of your ability
      • trust that you can handle whatever happens


    • go into a drop

      • take calculated risks
      • once you decide, follow through wholeheartedly


    • read the river

      • be vigilant
      • be perceptive
      • adjust as needed.

    That intuitive process has helped guide his business for the last 50 years. Chouinard believes that if the process isn’t sound, if your intentions don’t come from the right place, the outcome, even if profitable, doesn’t matter.

    Practicing wisdom by making decisions from a place of love rather than fear can open the door to creative solutions. When Patagonia’s CEO Casey Sheahan was faced with laying off 150 employees during the financial crisis, shortly after he took over from Chouinard, he was torn up about the decision. His wife asked him, “Are you making this decision from a place of fear, or from a place of love?” When he realized that it was fear driving the layoff decision, he found another way, leading to unheard-of sales levels after a few rocky quarters.

    Fear can be a driver of decisions and actions, but they don’t have to be. Elizabeth Gilbert in her book, Big Magic, tells the story of treating her fears like an inevitable passenger on a road trip. Fears can and will be there, but they can Never. Ever. Drive.

    Focus on Your Impact

    Do you find your Impact Purpose, a clear statement of the impact you want to have, inspiring? Does it fill you with energy? If it doesn’t, at least most of the time, you might be on the wrong track. Your clarity about the impact you want to have, whether it’s social or environmental or both, can serve as the rock on which you build your impactful business.

    When you steadily focus on your Impact Purpose, you’ll find your thoughts turning from short-term pain to what you could achieve in your business and community. This thinking about others, and not just yourself, is a way to bring you out of the doldrums or away from unhelpful divergent thinking, and back into focus on your impact.

    Reinforce this by having your Impact Purpose statement in front of you, every day. Have it on your desk or screen. In your wallet. On your fridge. Wherever you will be regularly reminded of what you intend, personally and with your company.

    Plan your day and week with your Impact Purpose in mind. Include it in your decisions about how time, money, and resources will be spent, and with whom. Thoughts aligned with purpose are a powerful creative force. Fill your attention with something worthwhile.

    The greatest achievement was at one time a dream. Stay with your dream. It’ll be part of your becoming.

    You Are the Company You Keep

    You may have heard the notion that you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with. That speaks to the influence that those around you have on your thinking and therefore on your actions.

    Some companies who are committed to having impact take this to a highly conscious level. Design firm LimeRed, led by Emily Lonigro Boylan, only works with individuals or organizations that have social impact. LimeRed only engages with clients whose values they share, who are kind and innovative, and who are also accountable to their stakeholders and communities.

    You as a business leader can also take this to another level by incorporating it into decisions about who you include on your team, your suppliers, and your partners. Do you vet who you work with every day through this lens? Do you extend this to your advisors, your pet projects, and your friends?

    You’re more likely to have impact when you devote all your energy and resources toward people and companies that also want to have impact in harmony with yours.

    Your mindset matters to your own fulfillment and well-being. It matters to your company, as you engage with your community and the larger world. Optimize your opportunity to have impact by doing this mindset reset.

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    Source by Ursula Jorch

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  • Climate Change: Its Ill-Effects on Health

    Climate Change: Its Ill-Effects on Health

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    The temperature increase in the atmosphere is more specifically referred to as global warming. But the climate change is the term currently favored by scientists, as it explicitly includes not only Earth’s increasing global average temperature, but also the climate effects caused by this increase.

    Any gas, which has the property of absorbing infrared radiation emitted from Earth’s surface and reradiating it back to Earth’s surface, is called greenhouse gas. Carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor are the most important greenhouse gases. Other greenhouse gases include, but are not limited to, surface-level ozone, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydro fluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons.

    Though a naturally occurring phenomenon, the greenhouse effect results in a warming of Earth’s surface and troposphere – the lowest layer of the atmosphere. Of the greenhouse gases, water vapor has the largest effect.

    Some important causes of greenhouse effect include burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, deforestation, increase in population, farming, and industrial wastes and landfills.

    Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere. With higher than normal concentrations, they lead to unnatural warming. The main cause of the current global warming trend is human expansion of the greenhouse effect, a warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space.

    Even a small global temperature increase could lead to troubling consequences like rising sea levels, population displacement, disruption to the food supply, flooding, and ill-effects on health. As a matter of fact, human health bears the greatest brunt of the consequences of the climate change.

    Ill-effects of climate change on health –

    Climate change can affect human health mainly in two ways: first, by changing the severity or frequency of health problems that are already affected by climate factors and second, by creating health problems in places where they have not previously occurred.

    Effects of temperature increase –

    Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases lead to an increase of both average and extreme temperatures. This can compromise the body’s ability to regulate its temperature. Loss of internal temperature regulation can result in a cascade of illnesses, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke and hyperthermia in the presence of extreme heat, and hypothermia and frostbite in the presence of extreme cold. Temperature extremes can also worsen chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cerebro-vascular disease, and diabetes-related conditions.

    People working outdoors, socially isolated, economically disadvantaged and those with chronic illnesses are more vulnerable to the impact of temperature increase.

    Effects of air quality –

    Climate change has modified weather patterns, which in turn have influenced the levels and location of outdoor air pollutants such as ground-level ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter. Increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) levels also promote the growth of plants that release airborne allergens. Higher pollen concentrations and longer pollen seasons can increase allergic sensitization and asthma episodes, thereby limiting productivity at work and school. Poor air quality, whether outdoors or indoors, can negatively affect the human respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

    Effects of extreme events –

    Climate change causes an increase in the occurrence and severity of some extreme events, which can have health impacts such as death or injury during an event, for example, drowning during floods. Health impacts can also occur before and after an extreme event, as individuals involved in activities such as disaster preparation and post-event cleanup put their health at risk. The severity and extent of health effects associated with extreme events depend on the physical impacts of the extreme events themselves.

    Vector borne diseases –

    Vector-borne diseases are transmitted by vectors, which include mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. These vectors can carry infective pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, which can be transferred from one host (carrier) to another. The seasonality, distribution, and prevalence of vector-borne diseases are influenced significantly by climate. Climate change is likely to have both short- and long-term effects on vector-borne disease transmission and infection patterns, affecting both seasonal risk and disease occurrence over decades.

    Water related diseases –

    Climate change is expected to affect fresh and marine water resources in ways that will increase people’s exposure to water-related contaminants which cause illness. Water-related illnesses include waterborne diseases caused by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Water-related illnesses are also caused by toxins produced by certain harmful algae and by chemicals introduced into water sources by human activities. Exposure occurs through ingestion, direct contact with contaminated drinking or recreational water and through consumption of contaminated fish and sea food.

    Effects on mental health –

    Mental health consequences of climate change range from minimal stress and distress symptoms to clinical disorders such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and suicidal tendencies. The children, elderly, women (especially pregnant and post-partum women), people with preexisting mental illness, economically disadvantaged, and homeless are more exposed to its mental health consequences.

    Effects on food safety and quality –

    Climate change is very likely to affect global, regional, and local food safety by disrupting food availability, decreasing access to food and making utilization more difficult. Higher concentrations of CO2 can lower the levels of protein and essential minerals in a number of widely consumed crops, including wheat, rice, and potatoes, with potentially negative implications for human nutrition. Poor nutritional quality of food is more likely to affect adversely the vulnerable sections of the population.

    The bottom line –

    Over the last 50 years, human activities have released sufficient quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to trap additional heat in the lower atmosphere and affect the global climate. According to WHO (World Health Organization):

    • Climate change affects the social and environmental determinants of health – clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter.
    • Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress.

    So, in view of the serious repercussions of climate change on human health, we all have to make concerted efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases through better transport, food and energy use choices so as to improve our health particularly through reduced air pollution.

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    Source by Dr. Pran Rangan

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  • Spiritual and Emotional Healing for Common Chronic Illnesses

    Spiritual and Emotional Healing for Common Chronic Illnesses

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    Chronic illness can be used as a tool of enlightenment to discover the lessons of soul journeys.

    Often times, our physical bodies reflect the spiritual, psychological and biological imprints of our experiences.

    When we engage a process of healing, often practitioners address the physical or biological aspects of health challenges, yet the psychological and emotional aspects are often neglected.

    Thus, it is important to look at our emotional and spiritual patterns to discover the lessons in specific health conditions.

    In the Chinese system of medicine, there is a mapping of personality archetypes that correlate with specific internal organ imbalances. These correlations can give insight to emotional and spiritual aspects of health challenges.

    For example, someone with a kidney imbalance or adrenal fatigue or urinary bladder issues might lean toward excessive fears such that energy becomes stagnant to create kidney stones. We would call this personality type a “water” type. They might tend to be very introspective and inward, suppressing feelings as opposed to expressing them. Also, water personalities may be challenged with exhibiting discipline.

    On a spiritual level, water aspects are about spiritual essence, so lessons that have to do with our jing-our spiritual DNA or heritage, cyclic patterns of energy that are associated with our spiritual ancestors and our spiritual blueprint.

    So, when we have issues involving a kidney pattern, either in the form of weak kidneys (sluggish energy), kidney stones, weak bones, or cancer, we need to ask ourselves, “On a spiritual level, what energies am I holding around heritage and ancestors that may be depleting my kidney energy? What fears am I holding?”

    On the other hand, a person with high blood pressure, dizziness, and tendency towards insomnia or anger might have more of a wood personality, manifesting imbalances with the liver. The partner of the liver is the gallbladder, another wood element organ. A personality archetype of a person with imbalances of the gallbladder would be one who has difficulty making decisions and defining themselves and their path in the world. There is often a sense of angst or wavering about what to do or who to be in the world.

    Spiritually wood is about creativity and the most benevolent aspects of spirit. So, when we have health challenges that are more of a wood issue, we can ask, “What issues or energies am I holding around blooming compassion or dealing with suppressed anger?” How am I allowing my spirit and personality to manifest creativity?”

    Metal personalities often are more prone to lung challenges, asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory and auto-immune issues that may express more on the skin or through the large intestine. Metal out of balance can represent a person who tends to be righteous in fighting injustices but perhaps at a level that depletes their energy such that the immunity and the lungs suffer. Irritable bowel syndrome can also be a tendency for people who have a strong metal element, as there may be issues with holding onto experience and feelings that no longer serve the body, creating inflammation in the organ itself that is responsible for elimination of toxins. Perfectionists often fit into this metal category as trying to achieve very lofty goals-part of the righteous aspect of the self that is trying to attain the highest level of achievement.

    Spiritually, metal is associated with our “wei qi”, external immunity that protects spiritually. “Wei qi” can be compared to an energetic shield. So, we might ask ourselves, “What issues or energies am I holding around protection, perfection or the need to right injustices on a spirit level?”

    Earth personalities tend to manifest spleen/stomach and digestive issues. They may also exhibit challenge with boundaries (setting appropriate boundaries so as to regulate activities and relationships such that one does not become overwhelmed). Thus, anxiety may arise. Also, the earth personality may tend to ruminate on thoughts and ideas which can also add to anxiety and the health challenges that may accompany stress, such as acid reflux, ulcers, and irritable bowel syndrome.

    Earth personalities can be natural nurturers but may have a tendency to over-nurture and not make time for themselves. Thus, nourishing the self becomes an important healing tool for earth personalities. Challenges with grounding and centering energy may also emerge for earth personality person as often their energies are stretched in so many directions in the attempt to care-take others.

    On a spirit level, earth represents the spiritual intelligence. So, we might introspect earth related health challenges by asking, “What energies or issues am I holding around allowing my intuitive and spiritual intelligence to guide my path versus my cognitive, intellectual self? In what ways am nourishing my ability to let spirit lead?”

    Sometimes our spirit journeys may involve patterns or lessons around these elemental aspects of being such that we may carry the imbalance of earlier spirit journeys in our bodies as patterns that reflect our elemental patterns of those times.

    This is often the case with health conditions that do not respond to traditional western or traditional eastern protocols. These conditions often reflect deeper rooted soul lessons that need to be resolved. Thus, the process for resolution often takes time. Yet sometimes people want a quick fix and only want to invest in their health with a few sessions or herbal formulations. Yet, the condition may have taken several lifetimes form-so the work of healing needs to be consistent, steady and regular to gain optimal resolution.

    Understanding this longer cycle of healing and supporting the journey with self-empowerment tools such as self-acupressure, dietary and exercise guidance and spiritual mentoring is a hallmark of the type of Chinese medicine that I practice. Thus, clients are given a palette of tools from which they can pick and choose what resonates for them. Then, they can decide at which level that wish to implement strategies and tools in their lives. Thus, the client is the driver in the healing experience with the practitioner merely facilitating a deeper road on which to travel.

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    Source by Kay Hutchinson

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