The Importance of Stress Reduction

Stress seems to define many people's lives in this day and age. Trying to make ends meet financially, balance work and family responsibilities, have quality relationships, and deal with the inevitable crisis that come up in all of our lives takes its toll both physically and emotionally.

Stress is a given. It's not a question of whether we will have it, but rather how we are going to deal with it. Actually, not all stress is bad. When needed and appropriate, stress can enable us to deal with difficult or dangerous moments by releasing adrenaline and other hormones to meet the immediate need. Stress really begins to cause concerns when it is chronic, and when we don't take positive steps to eliminate it or cope with it.

How Can Excessive Stress Harm Me?

Ongoing high levels of stress is very bad for physical and mental health. Here are some of the major ways stress can be hazardous:

• Hormonal imbalance: Stress can throw of the hormonal balance in the body, opening us up to all types of illness. Hormones play such a large role many bodily functions, and when there are too few of some and too many of others (a scenario which stress can cause), the body becomes open to all types of disease.
• Immune system: This factor is a vicious cycle that causes illness resulting in more stress on the body, and the cycle repeats. When the immune system is compromised, our natural ability to weather stress is weakened, we are thus more susceptible to simple infections and debilitating conditions.
• Malnutrition: Stress can greatly have an effect on your digestive tract. This can lead to a variety of health issues, one of which is the inability to efficiently absorb nutrients from the food you eat. This can also result in poor immune system function as well as bowel function, causing toxins to build up in your system and thus exposing you to many potential diseases.
• Cardiovascular: Chronic stress causes the heart to beat faster and typically raises blood pressure as well. In addition, when the hormonal balance is thrown off, the risk for coronary disease is even greater.
• Emotional health: Stress can cause individuals in its grip to feel overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, confused and experience dangerously high levels of toxic emotions such as anger and fear. When the mind is affected this way, it also has a negative impact on our physical health as well.

Symptoms of excessively high stress levels may include:

• Headaches
• Muscle/joint pain
• Stomach aches
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Indigestion
• Confusion
• Brain fog
• Memory loss
• Hopelessness
• Depression
• Fatigue

What's the Best Way to Deal With Stress?

• Start with the basics: Develop a lifestyle that pursues wellness by eating an organic, whole-foods based diet; drinking plenty of purified water in order to keep the body hydrated; exercising regularly; and getting enough quality sleep. You've heard of this before, but it bears repeating because it is so foundational to our overall wellness.
• Learn to differentiate between stressors you can't control and stressors you can change. For example, if you must commute to work through heavy traffic, you probably can't avoid that. (However, you can help yourself by listening to relaxing music while you drive, thus handling the stress better.) But some stressors, such as rushing because you get up late, can be changed if you choose to.
• Keep a stress journal: If you see recurring patterns of stress in your life, keeping a journal for a few weeks will help to identify causes and potential steps you can take to reduce stress. Write down what happened, how you felt, and what may have triggered stress. Identifying root problems that lead to stress is a great way to begin managing and eliminating it.
• Time management: Read a book or take a course on management and organization techniques. We can avoid a lot of stress simply by having order in our homes, offices, and lives.
• Talk about it: If you are feeling stressed-out, the worst thing you can do is keep it to yourself. Opening up to a spouse, friend, or counselor is excellent therapy. Ask for help if you need it. This will often strengthen relationships with your friends and loved ones, rather than harming them as stress so often does.

Other Suggestions

• Adequate B Vitamin intake. I recommend Max Stress B Nano-Plex which is an all-natural Vitamin B Complex.
• Bio D-Mulsion -- Studies indicate that low levels of Vitamin D-3 can cause depression and stress on the body.
• intra-MAX -- Organic, liquid multi-vitamin/mineral complex. Provides vitamins and minerals to support health.
• Lithium Orotate -- Natural lithium salts recommend by Dr. Hans Nieper and very effective. Great to take before bed for calming a racing mind.
• Pure Energy -- Serotonin and Melatonin Production. Serotonin is a neural transmitter which calms the system. Does not give one energy but definitely helps with stress and also promotes good sleep. Contact OAW for more information.
• Lavender and Rose Bulgaria essential oils applied to back of neck.
• Listen to the Healing CD from the Mozart effect. Use headphones.
• Deep breathing exercises.
• Walks in the sunshine.
• 8-10 hours of sleep every night in a dark, cool room.
• Afternoon at the spa -- massage, reflexology, facial, etc.
• Reading an up-lifting book.
• Chiropractic adjustments.
• Learn to say "no" to activities or requests in which you know will stretch you too thin.
• Gardening/hobby.

Recommended Reading

Stress
Conquer Your Stress Naturally
Stress Relief Video

Negative Emotions and Your Health

The concept of a mind-body connection is as old as time itself. The Bible and other ancient literature refer to the benefits of joy, laughter, and other positive emotions, as well as to the physically damaging effects of bitterness, unforgiveness, and similar negative emotions. The French mathematician and philosopher Rene Descarte proposed such a connection, a view that put him at odds with the Catholic church during the Middle Ages. Many conventional health practitioners of the last century have scoffed at such a notion, but new scientific tools and diagnostic techniques have recently kindled new interest in and respect for this holistic approach to health and wellness.

Many studies have been done that indicate proof positive that people who are emotionally healthy -- feeling positive about themselves and their relationships with others -- are much less prone to getting sick and tend to heal much faster if they are fighting an illness. Modern imaging techniques have even given us pictures that support this theory. Specifically, abnormal intestinal activity, such as indigestion and stomach aches, have been documented to occur when negative stress sets off activities in the brain that chemically cause such discomfort.


Rather than doubting the effects of emotions on the body, many modern physicians are now embracing this idea. In fact, some new terms have cropped up in medicine in the last few years, terms such as "health psychologist," "behavioral medicine," and the field of "psychoneuroimmunology." More and more hard evidence is being discovered that gives increased creedence to what we have always instinctively known and what natural health practitioners have been proclaiming for years.

How Do Emotions Affect Our Physical Health?

Our bodies are basically complex chemical factories with the brain running the show. Our organs do not operate independently, but take their orders from the brain and central nervous system -- orders that are chemically delivered. Physical characteristics such as digestion, heart function, blood pressure, respiration, and other bodily functions are triggered by the release of hormones and other chemicals that are originally stimulated by the brain. Research has proven that negative emotions such as fear, bitterness, anxiety, anger, trying to get 'even ', depression, and unforgiveness can cause the release of chemical agents that lead to poor digestion and absorption of nutrients, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, and inflammation throughout the body, a key factor in cancer, heart disease, and many other debilitating conditions.

One of the most interesting and significant physical effects of negative emotions is how they impact the immune system. Hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol -- helpful and necessary when appropriate -- are released in abnormal amounts when a person is fearful, angry, or otherwise emotionally upset. These chemicals weaken the immune system and harm its ability to fight disease. The flip side of this scenario is that positive emotions such as laughter and contentment have been known to release chemicals that strengthen the immune system and act to prevent and heal cancer and other serious illnesses. In fact, as support for the mind-body connection grows, it is not uncommon for behavioral medicine specialists to assist medical teams in cardiac, intensive care units, and cancer care wards.

How Can I Manage My Emotions to Prevent Illness?

--Deal with negative feelings or emotions in a balanced way. Do not stuff them! This is the worst thing you can do. This may involve spiritual counseling, talking with a trusted friend, journaling, or involvement in a support group.

--Choose to forgive, if this is needed in your life. That's right, make a conscious decision to just forgive and then let it go! The decision to forgive may come with or without the feelings, but often the feelings come later.

--Watch out for the "everyone is out to get me" mind set. This brings on a victim mentality that can be a "cancer to the whole body" especially if it is allowed to fester.

--Take care of your health. We all experience stress and bad things in life at certain times. If we have a strong foundation of wellness to support us, we will be able to weather emotional storms more easily. Eat a healthy diet, exercise, get plenty of sleep, fresh air, and sunshine. Find a hobby, take up Pilates, Yoga or learn EFT. And remember to count your blessings and practice thankfulness!

--Develop a servant's heart. One of the best ways to heal our own toxic emotions is to reach out and help others. This can also establish healthy, loving relationships to replace or help heal those that are damaged in our lives. As the Bible says: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Why Should We Forgive People?
by Andrew Matthews (seashell.com.au)

At some point most of us learned that it is a good idea to forgive people. We learned that it is "holy" or "spiritual". But there is a more basic reason to forgive people: when you don't forgive them, it ruins your life!

Let's say: a) you are my boss and you give me the sack, or b) you are my girl, and you run off with my buddy. So I say, "I'll never forgive you for that!" Who suffers? Not you! I'm pacing the floor. I've got the knot in my stomach. I'm losing sleep. You are probably out partying! Where do we get the idea that if WE don't forgive people, THEY suffer? It's nuts!

Recent studies at the Public Health Institute in California confirm that hostility and resentment tear down your immune system and double your risk of heart attack, cancer and even diabetes. Bitterness makes you sick!

To forgive someone, you don't have to agree with what they did. You just have to want your life to work. Is it easy? Usually not. But you don't forgive people for their benefit. You do it for your benefit.

Anger Quotes

"He who angers you conquers you."
Elizabeth Kenny

"Whatever is begun in anger, ends in shame."
Benjamin Franklin

"He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly."
The Bible (Proverbs 14:29)

"Anger is the weak persons imitation of strength."

"Anger: an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored
than to anything on which it is poured."
Seneca

Fear Quotes

FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."
Dale Carnegie

"There are four ways you can handle fear. You can go over it, under it, or around it. But if you are ever to put fear behind you, you must walk straight through it. Once you put fear behind you, leave it there."
Donna A. Favors

"For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and love and of a sound mind."
The Bible (2 Timothy 1:7)

FDA Approves Known Dangerous Drug for Use on Children

Federal regulators have pulled a lot of bizarre stunts over the years, but this one is a real head-scratcher. Just over a month ago, the manufacturer of an antidepressant drug called Lexapro (Forest Laboratories Inc.) was brought up on charges for illegally bribing pediatricians to prescribe it for children, for which it was not approved. So what does the FDA do? They announced last week that they had given the green light for Lexapro to be used on patients from 12-17 years of age. To make things even weirder, this ruling contradicts Forest Labs' own statement that Lexapro had not proven itself in studies to effectively maintain control of depression symptoms in adolescents.

The timing of this move makes absolutely no sense, and it screams of corruption and conflict of interest, something the FDA is no stranger to. The really odd thing about this all is that the FDA's ruling actually overrides Forest Labs' findings that Lexapro is ineffective for treating depressed children, and that it is highly dangerous for them as well -- even more so than for adults. If you visit Forest Labs' Lexapro website where their branding mantra is "POWER TO ENJOY LIFE", they have clearly posted an ominous warning right under their Big Announcement:

LEXAPRO is now approved for
acute and maintenance treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in adolescents aged 12-17.

"Antidepressants increased the risk, compared to placebo, of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults in short-term studies of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders."

For the FDA to make the decision to legalize the prescriptions of Lexapro to children under any circumstances is highly questionable, but when it was done in the shadow of the indictment of Forest Labs, it becomes scandalous.

What Kind of Corruption is Going on Here?

The accusations against Forest Labs that were announced last month were the culmination of a five-year investigation by the Federal Department of Justice. Prosecutors found that executives in the company had told their sales and marketing people to push pediatricians to prescribe Lexapro and its chemically similar sister drug Celexa to children and adolescents, even though it had not received FDA clearance to do so. However, this is a common occurrence in the world of Big Pharma, and the practice is called "off-label" prescription and is not technically illegal. However, it is illegal for drug companies to urge physicians to do so.

Yes, it sounds unbelievable, but if a physician wants to use a drug for something other than what it is designed to do because he feels it may "help" his patient, he is legally free to do that in some cases. Where Forest Labs got themselves in trouble, is that they were caught pushing off-label use through illegal "marketing" methods such as offering bribes to doctors in the form of cash, tickets to sporting events and Broadway shows, fishing trips, spa visits, and other expensive perks. Employees of Forest Labs were also instructed to ignore studies that showed less than favorable results of these drugs on kids, and to highlight studies that gave the results the company was looking for. This cat and mouse game is also a very common practice in the FDA/Big Pharma network. Lexapro is Forest's biggest product ($2 billion in annual sales and number 15 on the list of all US drug sales), but apparently they weren't satisfied with that.

Just How Dangerous is Lexapro Anyway?

Many doctors, and thus their patients, have been told by drug company reps that Lexapro is "non-habit forming." However, the truth of the matter is that this toxic drug has over 250 known side-effects, either during use or when stopping use of the drug (withdrawal symptoms). Some of the major side effects include:

• Gastrointestinal: (cramps, diarrhea, constipation difficulty swallowing, vomiting)
• Cardiovascular: (irregular heartbeat, chest pain abnormal EKG, varicose veins)
• Muscle pain
• Aches and pains
• Joint pain
• Loss of balance
  Tremors
• Involuntary muscle contractions
• Psychiatric: (crying fits, auditory hallucinations, abnormal dreaming, depression -- the very thing it is supposed to treat!)
• Asthma and other allergies
• Acne and other skin disorders
• Shortness of breath

Experts also urge caution when withdrawing from Lexapro. Potential problems include many of those listed above, plus:

• Cardiac arrest
• Gastric ulcers
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Increased psychiatric symptoms
• Kidney disease
• Vision problems: (macular degeneration, detached retina)

Google "Lexapro withdrawals" or "weaning off of Lexapro" and you will find literally hundreds of sites and forums of individuals trying to wean off of Lexapro. Drugs.com contains a discussion forum with 314 pages of posts devoted only to people trying who are trying to stop Lexapro. Evidently some have been trying to get off this "non-addictive anti-depressant" from 3 to 8 months, and yet are still having tremendous difficulties in accomplishing their goal.

Unfortunately, as you can see, you can't always trust what your doctor tells you and the FDA continues to show us over and over just how much they really do NOT care about our health and well-being. Be sober and wise about any drug that is prescribed for you or your loved ones. Research and do your "due diligence." For me, I will choose NOT to get my POWER TO ENJOY LIFE from a pharmaceutical drug.

How Our Moods Affect Others

The idea of "the pursuit of happiness" may have been popularized in the Declaration of Independence, but according to a new study, our personal happiness is not a solo affair. It has been known for years that people who have many relationships with others are most likely to feel happy, but the other side of the coin is that my mood -- for good or bad -- can significantly impact the well-being of a large number of other individuals.

We are by nature social creatures, and we have been created to flourish best in a positive and healthy social network. I found this article to be especially appropriate for our current state of affairs here in America, and around the world as well. While we are facing some very real challenges in our economy, it is so easy to focus on the fear and the negativity that pervades the media day in and day out. Today's article shines some light on how happiness is not only an individual pursuit, but that it has a corporate aspect as well.

Perhaps we all need to take a thoughtful look at what we believe, speak, read, and listen to on a regular basis. It is also important to assess the types of people we surround ourselves with. Do we find ourselves more often in a positive, grateful mood, or is negativity and complaining more the norm? Just as we can impact the moods of others, so it is that we ourselves can be influenced too. Mental health is a critical part of overall wellness, and since we are all about prevention on this blog, perhaps some lessons can be learned here about avoiding depression and discontentment simply by monitoring what we allow our minds to absorb. As the study discussed in this article points out, there is more at stake than our own personal happiness.

Experiment. While out shopping, eating and/or socializing during this Christmas season, smile and greet people with a Merry Christmas! From my own experience, you will see sad and tired faces literally light up as they acknowledge your smile and friendliness. You will also find that your spirit and mood will be up-lifted as well.


Happy Contagion
05 Dec 2008

A laugh can be infectious. You don't need a sophisticated study to tell you that. But does this happy contagion vanish as quickly as a smile?

New research from James Fowler of UC San Diego and Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School shows that happiness spreads far and wide through a social network traveling not just the well-known path from one person to another but even to people up to three degrees removed.

This holiday season, during gloomy economic times which, if things get dire enough, might be called a "depression" it is heartening to know, said Fowler, that "happiness spreads more robustly than unhappiness" and seems to have a greater effect than money.

The study is being published in the British Medical Journal."Scientists have been interested in happiness for a long time," said Fowler.

"They've studied the effect of everything from winning the lottery to losing your job to getting sick, but they never before considered the full effect of other people. We show that happiness can spread from person to person to person in a chain reaction through social networks."

"One of the key determinants of human happiness is the happiness of others," said Christakis.

"An innovative feature of our work was exploring the idea that emotions are a collective phenomenon and not just an individual one."

Christakis and Fowler used data from the Framingham Heart Study to recreate a social network of 4,739 people whose happiness was measured from 1983 to 2003. To assess the participants' emotional wellbeing, they relied on answers to four items from the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale: "I felt hopeful about the future"; "I was happy"; "I enjoyed life"; and "I felt that I was just as good as other people.

"The research shows that happiness loves company. Happy people tend to cluster together, and, on the surface, people with more social contacts seem generally happier. Fowler and Christakis observe, however, that what matters there is not just the total number of connections but the number of happy ones.

On average, every happy friend increases your own chance of being happy by 9 percent. Each unhappy friend decreases it by 7 percent.

Happiness, the researchers found, spreads in a social network up to three degrees of separation: You are 15 percent more likely to be happy if directly connected to a happy person; 10 percent if it's the friend of a friend who is happy; and 6 percent if it's the friend of a friend of a friend.

Unhappiness also spreads, but not nearly as much.

"The effects we observe may not seem like much at first," said Fowler, "but consider that $5,000 extra dollars, in 1984, was associated with just a 2 percent increase in happiness and you see that the power of other people is incredible. Someone you don't know and have never met the friend of a friend of a friend can have a greater influence than hundreds of bills in your pocket.

"The structure of connections matters, too. "Remarkably," said Fowler, "where we sit in the social network has a big impact on how happy we are."

According to the study, individuals' happiness depends not only on how many friends they have but also on how many friends their friends have. In social-network terms, this is known as "centrality." And the more central a person is the better connected their friends or the wider the social circle the more likely they are to become happy. (The effect does not work the other way around: Becoming happy doesn't widen a social circle.)

Fowler and Christakis also looked at what happens to happiness with distance. When a friend who lives within a mile becomes happy, it increases the probability a person is happy by 25 percent. More distant friends have no significant effect. Similar effects are seen in siblings who live within a mile and in co-resident spouses versus distant siblings and distant spouses. Next-door neighbors have a significant effect, 34 percent, while neighbors further away, even on the same block, do not.

"We think the spread of emotion has a fundamental psychobiological aspect," said Christakis. "Physical personal interaction is necessary, so the effect decays with distance."

The effect also decays with time.

There are several practical implications to the work, not least of which, Fowler said, might be to take greater responsibility for your own happiness because it affects dozens of others. "The pursuit of happiness is not a solitary goal. We are connected, and so is our joy."

The study follows up on research by Fowler and Christakis published in the New England Journal of Medicine documenting social-network effects in obesity and smoking cessation.

The research is funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging, a Pioneer Grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and a contract from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to the Framingham Heart Study.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/131875.php

Don't Forget To Dream

Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become.- As A Man Thinketh

Paul Potts was a cell-phone salesman who dreamed of spending his life doing what I feel I was born to do. Watch him as he takes a huge step toward that dream.

WARNING: This video may cause goose bumps and even tears. Watch at your own risk and then get your dream out--polish it off--and put it back on the mantle so you see it every day.

No matter what you are going through in life, there IS a reason, don't give up or give in to negative thinking or emotions. There is always an answer and always a solution. Stay the course, step out of the box and FIND your answer.