HANG ON!

We all have moments in life where we feel like we just want to give up.  Sometimes we feel hopeless and have no desire to do or accomplish anything.  These moments are when we really need someone to motivate us into action.  So what do I do to get out of this draining and negative energy?  As I am always in the state of learning and growing, recognizing my feelings when I’m in any kind of ‘static’, is the first step to removing that ‘static’.  I then remind myself, that I still have breath left in me and that I am alive.  I then take a few deep breaths and quietly meditate for health, peace of mind and strength – then I begin my day.

Here are some great ways to help remove negative energy and to pick yourself up from feeling blue:

• learn something new (cooking class, tai chi, special interest, etc.)
• exercise and get your blood flowing (yoga, weight training, cardio)
• go for a long walk in nature and appreciate the life that is around you
• write in a journal or start a journal – releasing some pent-up feelings make help alleviate your ‘low energy feelings’
• turn off the television – I find that television (especially news) tends to promote anxiety, fear and perpetuates negative feelings
• stay away from things that heighten your ‘low energy feelings’ like drugs and alcohol
• put on some of your favourite high energy songs – songs that make you happy
• meditate – if you don’t know how, pick up some meditation instructional books or cds, check out Hay House www.hayhouse.com – founder, Louise Hay, has some great tools and books that will help you alleviate your ‘low level feelings’

For me, I find that music is the best source for me to remove negative and any ‘low level feelings’ that I may have, especially music that has positive and uplifting messages.  I used to blog a ‘song of the week’ every Thursday – sharing songs that I found had profound and positive messages, I stopped as I figured I would just complete these types of blogs when I really felt I needed to.  Today, is one of those days.  Here are lyrics to a song that has kept me in great spirits and motivated me to HANG ON!

Singer/songwriter, Tiffany Lee Arbuckle notes that “Hang On” was written about finding hope when you feel hopeless.  The song is performed by Plumb, here are the lyrics followed by the lyric video:

HANG ON

(Derek Murphy, Tiffany Arbuckle Lee, Jaclyn Rose Schutrop, William Dixon, Luke Harry Sheets Walker)

I’m so stubborn, it’s how I got here
So alone, feels like forever
Wanna swim away and breathe the open air
But I feel so afraid, then I hear you say

Hang on when the water is rising
Hang on when the waves are crashing
Hang on, just don’t ever let go

I’m so hungry, how can I stay here?
Starving for what I hold so dear
Like a hurricane it takes everything from me
Wake me from this dream

Hang on when the water is rising
Hang on when the waves are crashing
Hang on, just don’t ever let go

Hang on when you are barely breathing
Hang on when your heart’s still beating
Hang on, just don’t ever let go

Three days, thirty years
So hopeless, doesn’t matter
Don’t say it’s too late if you blink your eyes
The sun is rising, the sun is rising, oh

Hang on when the water is rising
Hang on when the waves are crashing
Hang on, just don’t ever let go

Hang on when you’re barely breathing
Hang on when your heart’s still beating
Hang on, just don’t ever let go

Artist – Plumb

 

You can purchase any of Plumb’s singles/albums via the iTunes store.

 

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

  

NATURAL WAYS TO HEAL COMMON HEALTH ISSUES

*** Disclaimer ***

I am not a medical doctor and am only providing this information based on personal research from various sources.  I always recommend speaking to your doctor, naturopathic doctor or holistic health care practioner before starting any new nutritional health care program.  I also find that it is best to be proactive and not reactive when it comes to your health.  Do your own research and find methods that fit best for you and your lifestyle.

Here are some natural ways of lowering blood pressure, suppressing a cough, reducing migraine pain, treat PMS and depression/anxiety.

BLOOD PRESSURE

Supplements:  Studies have shown that coenzyme Q10 reduces blood pressure.  The antioxidant, required for energy production, dilates blood vessels.

Soy:  A study from Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, found that replacing refined carbs in your diet with foods high in soy, can bring down systolic blood pressure if you have hypertension or prehypertension.

Pottassium Rich Produce:  Sweet potatoes, tomatoes, orange juice, potatoes, bananas, kidney beans, peas, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and dried fruit such as prunes and raisins are key to a blood pressure lowering program.

Read Food Labels For Sodium:  It is suggested that are sodium intake be approximately 1,200mg daily – check labels for sodium levels, you will be surprised to find that most items are very high in sodium.  Buying or low sodium alternatives is a great way to drastically reduce your daily sodium intake.

Tea:  Hibiscus helps lower stystolic blood pressure.  Many herbal teas contain hibiscus.  Look for blends that list it near the top of their ingredient chart.

Dark Chocolate:  Flavanols tend to make blood vessels more elastic, which helps with our blood flow….1/2 ounce of dark chocolate daily will help reduce high blood pressure (make sure the chocolate has at least 70% cocoa).

Drink Alcohol:  Some studies have shown 1 drink daily (for women) and 2 (for men) helps lower blood pressure.  Please note:  drinking excessively leads to other emotional and physical health issues – please drink responsibly.

Rigourous Walks:  Excercise helps the heart use oxygen more efficiently.  Going for a fast-paced walk or jog everyday for 30 minutes is beneficial to reducing high blood pressure and as a bonus – will help you shed unwanted excess weight.

Relax With Music:  Soothing tunes will keep you relaxed and relieve daily stress – try listening to light classical, indian or spiritual chanting to unwind from a busy day.

Breathe Deeply:  I can’t say it enough – meditation, yoga, and tai chi decreases stress hormones – which elevate renin, a kidney enzyme that raises blood pressure.  Start off slowly – 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night.  This is a great way to start and end your day.

SUPPRESSING A COUGH

Almonds:  Finely grind almonds (enough for a few teaspoons) and mix with a cup of orange juice.

Flax, honey and lemon:  Boil flax seeds (2/3 tablespoons) in a cup of water until thickened.  Strain and add 3 tablespoons of honey and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.  Take 1 tablespoon as needed.

Thyme:  Officially approved German treatment for coughs, upper respiratory infections, bronchitis and whooping cough. Thyme flavonoids relax trachel and ileal muscles, which are involved in coughing – flavanoids also reduce inflammation.  2 teaspoons of crushed leaves in a cup of boiling water – cover then steep for 10 minutes and strain.

MIGRAINE HEADACHES

Feverfew:  Effective in preventing migraines but not stopping them once they have begun.  Parthenolide, the active ingredient in the plant, inhibits the chemicals in the brain that cause the blood vessels to dilate.

Butterbur Extract:  Used medicinally since the middle ages, butterbur extract can be taken daily as a powder, tincture, or other forms and is thought to have both antispasmodic effects and anti-infammatory properties.  It should be taken for 2 to 3 months until the migraine sufferer experiences a period ‘free of migraines’.

Aromatherapy:  Peppermint and lavender are used most often, but rosemary, eucalyptus, sandalwood, and basil often work well also.

PMS 

Evening Primrose Oil:  Is made up of significant amounts of essential fatty acid named Gamma Linolenic acid or GLA.  This is understood to ease breat tenderness and swelling associated with your monthly menstrual cycle.

Magnesium:  Has been shown to effectively reduce weight gain, tenderness, bloating, swelling and mood swings.  Magnesium reacts with antibiotics and other diabetic medication and should not be taken if you suffer from heart/kidney disease or diabetes.

Chaste Tree Berry:  The chaste tree berry has been known to relieve depression, irritability, breast tenderness and headaches.  This can induce side-effects, so you should consult a doctor prior to taking.

St. Johns Wort:  Effective in alleviating the pain and discomfort of heavy periods and also helps to ease depression.

DEPRSSION/ANXIETY

Antidepressants have been shown to be scientifically fraudulent (all the studies that show antidepressants do not work were never published…the rest barely show any benefit).  If a person can recognize that something isn’t right inside their body and mind, then that person is probably not really “mentally ill”.  They are probably suffering from physical and mental symptoms due to physical causes (processed food, food allergies, lack of vitamins, toxins etc).  Find the root of the problem, treat that problem and you can elliminate depression and anxiety.

What may be causing feelings of depression or anxiety?

Food Allergies:  You can exhibit feelings of depression an hour or even days later after eating certain foods.  You may have an allergy to certain foods that you eat.  Visit your doctor, a naturopathic doctor or holistic health care practitioner and ask about allergy elimination diets, food allergy testing, and other digestive health measures such as digestive enzymes and leaky gut problems.

Chronic Infections:  Lyme disease, bartonella, mycoplasma, babesia, many viruses, Candida, and many other pathogenic organisms are at the root cause of many epidemic diseases, including depression.  Get evaluated – an ‘LLMD’ (Lyme-literate medical doctor) is probably the best bet for finding someone who can properly evaluate your case.

Heavy Metal Chelation:  Mercury, lead, arsenic and numerous other toxic heavy metals have been shown to cause just about any illness, including depression.  Contaminated food and water, amalgam dental fillings, and vaccinations are some common sources of heavy metals.

Mold Toxins:  At least one study shows that household exposure to mold is related to depression.  Many integrative physicians have already long since known this.  Mold toxins can irritate your brain and cause virtually any symptom ranging from depression all the way to violent behaviour, seizures, and stroke.

What you can you do to elliminate depression and anxiety?

Raw Foods Diet:  Raw foods diets incidentally avoid refined sugar, processed foods, pesticides, preservatives, and additives, all of which have been linked to depression.  They are also dense in nutrients, which enhances wellbeing universally.  Fruits and vegetables also tend to have lower degrees of food sensitivities than many other foods.  Raw foods also help to balance low blood sugar, which is a major cause of depression.

Stop Addictive Behaviour:  Coffee, junk food, smoking, drinking, and drugs are all addictive.  Studies show the brain responds to junk food in the same way it does to heroin.

Probiotics:  At least two studies show that probiotics can reduce nervousness, anxiety, and depression.  Probiotics are “good” bacteria in your intestines.  They help detoxify, digest food, and modulate the immune system, which in a sense is literally an extension of the brain.

Other very helpful ways of elliminating depression and anxiety include the following:  removing toxins from the body (there are various methods), exercise and meditation.  Find what is best for you and live a more balanced and fullfilling life.  Remember – you must be proactive for your physical and emotional well-being.  Research, talk to your nutritionist, doctor, naturopathic doctor, and holisitic health care practioner to seek the answers and solutions that will best work for you!

Resources: 

scientificliving.net

migraine.com

butterburresearch.org

organiclifestylemagazine.com

 

Things You Can Do To Quiet Your Mind

There are so many things that easily distract us in our day-to-day lives – things that can preoccupy our minds and cause much unwanted static.  Television is a primary source to inject our minds with fear, anger, hurt and disappointment.  I believe that most networks want us to fill our time watching meaningless reality television or programs that do not promote positivity in our world.  We are constantly bombarded with negative news stories from around the world about politics, the economy, natural disasters, mass murder, environmental disasters etc…It is hard to remain positive in a world that seems to only want to instil fear, hate, anger and rage.  I have found many ways to ensure that my mind is not filled with the poison that television tries to ingest into us (besides the obvious of turning the television off), here are my 10 favourites:

1.  Exercise

If you have had a bad day – and you have much pent-up frustration and anger inside of you, there is no better way to release this anger than by working out.  Getting the blood flowing in your body is a great way to release stress, anger and the days frustrations.  Start with some light full body warm ups, then 30 – 45 minutes of strength training and ending with a nice relaxing 15 – 20 minute jog.  You will feel rejuvenated having released your frustrations and have a sense that you have accomplished something great for your mental and physical health.

2.  Meditation

A great way to relax for daily tension is to meditate.  This may take some practice (especially for those who find it difficult to silence your inner voice) but once you have practiced a few short meditations, you will find it very rewarding to connect with a higher consciousness.  By quieting our inner voice, we can sync our energies and focus on the things that  are of real importance to us.

3.  Go Back To Nature

A great way to give us perspective on what really should matter in our lives is the natural and beautiful landscapes our earth has given us.  Going back to nature is a great way to forget about our troubles and to quiet the mind.  Listen to the whisper of the trees, the gentle sounds of water meeting with the shoreline and the relaxing chimes of the birds singing.  If you really want to feel connected to our earth and marvel at its beauty – you don’t really have to go far.  Connecting with our earth may even ignite a passion in you to defend its natural beauty.

4.  Learn Something New That Isn’t Too Stressful

If you love art – try taking an art class.  If you love to cook – take a cooking class.  If you love languages or have always wanted to speak another language – take a course to learn a new language.  If you love to dance – take a dance class.  The opportunities are endless and we are never to old to learn something new and exciting.  Never limit yourself to what you can’t do but to what you want to do.  Look at learning new things as fun and good rather than scary and hard – this will make learning something new so much more positive.

5.  Listen to your favourite music and music artist(s)

I always found that listening to my favourite light music has always allowed me to relax from daily tension.  If your music library has been worn out….try listening to new music – especially world music.  I found that New Age and Chillout  music has contributed much to helping me quiet the static in my mind.

6.  Keep a journal

I find that keeping a journal (you don’t have to write in it daily – although you probably will) and writing every time you feel stressed, angry, upset, hurt etc…will allow you to release that stress or whatever pain you are feeling from keeping your feelings inside.  This is a great way to help you understand and pinpoint the exact reason someone or something is bothering you.  Sometimes what is really bothering us is not really what we thought it was at all.

7.  Read a book by your favourite author or take the time to discover a new one

A great way to take your mind of something that has been festering in you is by reading a book.   Reading takes some concentration and the use of our imagination – once you pick up a book you will have to focus on giving those words meaning and bringing them to life.  What better way to escape from our day-to-day lives by creating a world using only words and our imaginations.

We don’t realize how important it is to give our minds a break from the demanding and fast-paced pressures of today’s world.  Many people can’t even function without the help of pharmaceuticals to keep us going – some people need help with sleep, anxiety, depression, stress, nervousness, etc….if we just took the time to quiet our minds and allow ourselves the luxury to really feel and be present in what we feel and what we do – we would be so much more loving and positive with one another.