Anti Aging Health & Products Directory. » Mental health

Stress Tips for Health & Anti-Aging

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:24:01 +0000

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Vitamins and antioxidant health supplements, along with healthy diets of natural, organic foods for weight loss, exercise and fitness are necessary for optimal mental health and anti-aging. But it goes further than that.

Stress may be the number one killer of modern times. Everywhere you go, you hear people saying how stressed they are. This is due to the fact that life is changing and progressing at an exponential rate. People are losing their jobs or changing careers and relationships faster than ever before. Debt is at record levels, at least in America.

Of course, this change is both good and bad. It is good because it means knowledge and technology are advancing exponentially, increasing our life-expectancy and standard of living. It is bad if we do not learn to cope with this change.

Statistically, about about 12% or 13% of all Americans ages 18 to 54 suffer from an anxiety disorder at some time in their life. That’s about 20 million people. This is the number one health problem among women, and the number two health problem among men second to alcohol and drug abuse.

More people suffer from anxiety than any other mental health disorder. Women suffer from anxiety at twice the rate of men. The cost to society approaches $50 billion a year. And what is the cause of this anxiety? Very often it is triggered by stress.

Stress does not just cause anxiety, it also leads to depression, another scourge of modern society. Stress is a killer, which can cause many horrible diseases from high blood pressure, strokes and cardiovascular illness to autoimmune disorders and cancer. We know that stress weakens the immune system, which is responsible for fighting nearly all disease.

During stress, the body releases hormones that can be useful against short-term threats or for physical activity, but when released for an extended period of time lead to the break down of the body and disease. In addition, stress leads people to unhealthy habits such as poor diets, drinking, smoking, lack of exercise and drugs.

So how do we fight stress and become more relaxed? There are many ways, and each person must find what works best for them. Here are a few suggestions that seem to work well for many people.

The first thing is to realize that almost all stress is caused not by events in the external world, but by how you react to those events. Stress is produced by the thoughts in your own mind which you are responsible for creating.

One of my favorite techniques for reducing stress is listening to music. When you are feeling stressed, your body is vibrating at a low level of energy. Beautiful music vibrates at a higher energy frequency. So by listening to music, the higher levels of vibrational energy will lift and increase the energy levels in your own body and naturally decrease your stress levels. Music will help your body to vibrate at a higher frequency, and has been shown in scientific studies to reduce stress levels.

Meditation has also been proven to reduce stress levels. If you have not learned how to meditate, now is a great time. Meditation is a great way to reduce stress and gain control over your life. Everyone I know who meditates appears more calm, relaxed and in control of their emotions and their life. Meditation clears your mind of the negative thoughts that produce stress and draw negative experiences into your life. Remember, stress is produced by the thoughts in your mind. By learning to meditate, you are taking control of your thought process which produces your reality.

Exercise has also been proven to reduce stress. When you are feeling anxious, stop what you are doing, get up and move your body. This can be as simple as going for a walk, or just doing some stretching exercises. You will be surprised at how effective this can be at reducing stress in your body and mind, as simply moving will help you feel better. I find for myself that a good exercise workout in the gym lifting weights is a tremendous stress reducer. Fitness is fabulous. In fact, at no time in the day do I feel better than after a good hard workout. Exercise releases endorphins in the brain that are responsible for elevated mood and just plain feeling good.

Most people spend their entire day inside. They go from their house to their car to the office, back to the car and back home again. They get no direct sunlight on their skin, which is necessary for creating vitamin D, serotonin, melatonin and other hormones that help you to feel good and get adequate sleep. If you are feeling stressed out, go out and get some natural sunlight on your skin, and even better, exercise in the process. Additionally, commune with nature. If there is a park or some woods nearby, take a nice walk and soak in the calm and beauty of the natural world.

Learn to laugh more, and laugh and play every day. Laughter is a great stress reliever. Watch a funny movie or a comedy routine on TV. Or better yet, go out and see one live. Getting out of the house will increase your confidence and help you to feel that you can master your world. Laughter has even been shown to fight disease. Figure out what gives you joy and pleasure in life and do more of it. Find and learn to love the child within.

Make friends and socialize. Studies show that people who are socially active have less stress, are less prone to disease and live longer. Married people live longer that singles. Even people who have animals that express the positive vibrations of unconditional love have reduced stress levels.

Eat a healthy, nutritious diet of natural, organic foods. These should include lots of organic fruits and vegetables (and fresh juicing), whole grain carbohydrates, quality proteins such as eggs, spirulina and lean meats, and healthy fats such as olive oil (no trans fats).

This is critical for maintaining fitness and feeding your cells with the vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and nutrition necessary to support your immune system to fight disease, and give you the mitochondrial energy to live an active, long and productive life.

Supplement your natural food diet with extra vitamins, anti-oxidants and hormones for maximum anti-aging health benefits. These should include powerful multi-vitamins, herbs and health supplements such as DHEA, melatonin, pregnenolone, fish oil, green tea, ginseng and resveratrol.

Finally, remember one thing if nothing else: the law of attraction. You are the master of your thoughts. You create the thoughts in your mind, and the thoughts in your mind create your reality. Learn how to think positive thoughts, and learn how to imagine and visualize the things that you want in your life. The more you do this, the more you’ll attract these positive qualities and experiences into your life, the better you will feel about yourself, and the more success you will achieve.

Alcoholic Signs of Abusive Drinking

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:06:38 +0000

Daniel had been engaging in excessive drinking, or alcohol abuse, since her freshman year

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in college. Now, seven years later, her drinking had slowly increased and she drank more than ever. One Thursday night when she wasn’t feeling all that well, Daniel decided to stay home and watch some TV to relax and forget about her troubles.

While searching for something to watch that she would find interesting, she immediately became attracted to a special program about adolescent and young adult drinking difficulties, problems and addiction. She felt something within herself begin to wake up. She felt nervous but excited.

When Everyday Alcohol Addiction Symptoms and Signs are Manifested by Alcohol Dependent Individuals

The spokesperson of the TV program was discussing the difficult subjects of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, and then discussed the subject of alcohol dependency symptoms and alcoholism warning signs. When the television spokesperson went into more descriptive detail about a person’s alcoholic behavior and some of the more widespread alcoholic symptoms and signs that alcohol dependent individuals exhibit, Daniel became quite alarmed because it truly seemed as if the speaker was talking about her.

Daniel knew this was an important moment in her life, and she had a sense that something had to change, and that something was about to change. After watching the television program, Daniel made a promise to herself that she would telephone her physician the next business day and make an appointment to discuss her drinking problem. This took a lot of courage as she didn’t want to face her problem. She was terrified.

When the following morning arrived, true to her word and despite her fears, Daniel called her health care professional and made an appointment. In the meantime, she went on the Internet and did a search for alcoholic symptoms. Especially difficult for her to read as they hit so close to home, were the following signs or symptoms: sneaking extra drinks before social occasions, increasing irritability, making excuses to drink at almost every opportunity, sleep problems, and serious work-related and relationship problems.

Due to the fact that Daniel manifested all of these symptoms, she went deeper in her Internet research and found a tremendous number of websites and blogs that gave lots of valuable information about various alcoholic warning signs and symptoms, which further clarified her situation. She couldn’t deny the evidence any longer; she definitely had a drinking problem.

One of the signs that really captured her awareness and made her sit up was the following: “Do you ever drink after stating to yourself that you won’t?” While Daniel never before totally comprehended the fact that she may have a serious drinking problem, after reading about the many diverse alcoholic symptoms and warning signs, she couldn’t deny the fact that for the past several years, she again and again tried but was unsuccessful at decreasing her drinking or stopping entirely.

When Family Members Aggravate You by Denouncing Your Excessive Drinking Behavior

Another alcoholic symptom that really troubled her was: “Have people at home or work aggravated you by bringing up the subject of your excessive drinking?” When Daniel read this she without delay thought about a recent fight she had with her uncle about her abusive drinking. In addition, Daniel openly reflected on a recent fight she had with her parents about her abusive drinking. Since Daniel sincerely thought that she didn’t have a problem with her drinking, when relatives mentioned her drinking she quite naturally got angry and upset.

A third alcoholism warning sign she noticed was: “Do you want a drink when you first get up in the morning?” That one really got her. Until now, Daniel had been untruthful with herself about the circumstances of her drinking. She was always able to rationalize things to herself or others. However, after reading about the aforementioned alcoholism warning signs, she knew if she was sincerely honest with herself that she was facing a serious drinking problem – especially since she now believed she needed to drink first thing in the morning when she woke up to reduce her constant worry, tension and anxiety.

Helping Others Help Us

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:01:20 +0000

When someone is sad, depressed, feeling anxious or insecure about themselves and in pain, what can you do to help them?

Often it seems that when you try and say something encouraging to someone who is really down, it has no effect. You could become the target of misdirected anger or disappoint. Maybe they feel shame or embarrassment and shut down or turn away from you – change the subject.

It is difficult for some people to accept or hear positive things about themselves because they don’t believe in themselves to begin with. What we know to be true in our mind we sometimes cannot embrace with our hearts.

At difficult times like these it is important to stay positive and encouraging, and to perservere. This eventually lets the person know that you are not just trying to flatter them, but genuinely care about how they feel. When you really care, your heart will be felt in the weight and tone of your words.

Positive, encouraging feedback from others: family, friends, a community, is necessary for us all to feel whole. It helps us realize that we are human like everyone else, that other people are hurting too, and that we can take strength from them.

What part do you play in the lifting up of others? Have you said something nice to your kids today? Have you offered them words of encouragement; told them you were proud of them? Have you tried to reach out to someone who needs help?

If this is hard for you to do – the spiritual uplifting of others – then look inward and think about what might be blocking your feelings of love and support. Perhaps you have hurts you still carry within you, that prevent your heart from unfolding.

When you give positive words and emotions to others you are like a gardener or farmer planting seeds. If you have ever gardened or farmed, you know that planting and tilling and sewing seeds is hard work. They may not grow right away, or as fast, or in the way that you would have liked, or they may not grow at all.

But if you nourish them steadily, reinforcing feelings with words and words with feelings – and good deeds – usually they will grow and blossom into something greater, something beautiful. Whey you speak kindly and encouragingly to others you are planting seeds that one day can make a big difference in a person’s life, when they finally take root and blossom.

So we are social animals and get our identity from the feedback of people and culture around us. We all have this power to uplift others, which in turn will help uplift ourselves. We must also be aware of our ability to hurt others through careless words and selfish disregard. We each have a responsibility to uplift each other.

When you hurt others you injure your own heart, and you can no longer walk without a shadow over you, in the light of integrity. You will no longer feel whole within yourself. When you hurt others your soul dies a little too. There is no greater feeling, or task, than empowering another through love and support. But the work comes before the reward; as ye shall sew, so shall ye reap.

If you think that your life does not touch others, that they are not your business, you will find yourself cut off from those around you, from the society around you. And even if you form your own little society, it too will be alienated from society at large. There is a communal soul we all must share and take part in.

When you try to encourage others, don’t try and force a solution onto their life, or set a timetable for them to heal. Some people get over a relationship in 2 weeks; some take 2 years. Practice patience. Be like an old Oak Tree by their side. Listen to them closely enough and they will tell you what they need to heal. Then help them to get it.

Have faith that you can be a positive influence in a person’s life. Believing something makes it much easier to do. When you see some of the fruits of your efforts and find some success, you share in the bounty. You begin to have more faith in yourself.

Good Health: Basic Principles

admin — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:28:22 +0000

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Health is a concept that is not easily defined. The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of desease or infirmity.”

They are saying that health is a lot more than just the absence of disease. It is much more than that. But good health usually comes down to personal responsibility: choosing to live a healthy lifestyle or an unhealthy one. It is our choice.

It doesn’t help that the media and food industry are loaded with messages encouraging poor health. Most of the food manufactured and produced in the US, for example, is junk filled with disease causing chemicals and stripped of almost all nutrition. And we wonder why there is a cancer epidemic in the US?

There are 4 main steps to a healthy lifestyle.

A healthy, optimistic attitude filled with gratitude, forgiveness, love and nourishing, supportive relationships.
A healthy diet, of mostly raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains and legumes.
Adequate supplementation to add what we cannot get from our normal diets. This includes fruit extracts such as resveratrol and hormones such as melatonin and dhea.
Exercise and movement. It doesn’t have to be going to the gym and benching 300 lbs. Anything that involves moving, from simple household chores to walks to gardening have shown to keep our bodies healthier, leaner, more flexible and more resistant to aging and disease. Keep moving.

Probably the most important of the 4 is a positive mental attitude. Our thoughts are so powerful that they radiate chemical messages to every cell in our bodies 24 hours a day. Either your body is going to respond to those messages by releasing healthy chemicals or by releasing toxic stress hormones. Which do you prefer?

More evidence is showing the intimate connection between the mind and the body. When the mind is unbalanced and stressed, depressed and fearful, our bodies eventually respond and break down. We become ill, stricken with one disease or another.

When it comes to mental health, perhaps one of the greatest contributors to our modern day understanding comes from a great innovator in the field of psychology, Abraham Maslow. He gave us the notion of “self-actualization“, in which a person becomes the person they were meant to be at their highest capacity – when a person lives up to their fullest potential. It is fulfilling our talents and dreams, finding our purpose in life and accomplishing it.

As he put it, self-actualization is a process of “ongoing actualization of potentials, capacities, talents, as fulfillment of a mission (or call, fate, destiny, or vocation) as a full knowledge of, and acceptance of, the person’s own intrinsic nature, as an increasing trend toward unity, integration, or synergy within the person.”

Using our talents to the fullest, finding a purpose for living, and becoming whole within, which means connecting with the outside world.

Maslow was the first great psychologist to study healthy people instead of sick ones. This helped give him his unique insight into an understanding of what it means to be healthy. Most self-actualized people have several things they share in common.

A balanced personality has a realistic and accurate perception of reality. Such people have more realistic expectations of themselves and others, are more accepting and less critical, and have a clear understanding of their limitations and strengths. They are more accepting of their weaknesses and limitations.
Of course, such people still feel negative emotions like everyone: sadness, anxiety, envy, fear, but they can keep things in perspective and not become obsessed and stuck in their negative emotions. They pull out of it with their positive thinking.
Most self-actualized people are spontaneous, meaning they can do things at the spur of the moment without having to have everything planned out beforehand. This spontaneity is a sign that they are mentally flexible and adaptable, not rigid and stuck in certain, possibly unhealthy, patterns. They can go with the flow.
The healthiest people take the center of attention off themselves and put in on a cause or mission or purpose larger than and outside of themselves. Perhaps they are involved in politics, or saving the environment, or volunteering at the local church or hospital. Whatever it may be, they don’t obsess about their problems. The look to help solve the problems of others.
Self-actualized people tend to be quite independent, detached from the unimportant little things most people get upset about, and value their privacy and solitude. They are comfortable with themselves and don’t always need the approval of others to be productive or feel good about themselves.
Healthy people have a rich capacity to enjoy the simple things in life. Good food, a walk in nature, music or sex. They are not inhibited by feelings of guilt or shame. They accept their nature and feel good about pleasing themselves. Even the simplest things in life give them a feeling of wonder and awe. They appreciate life and are grateful for what they have.
Self-actualized people have usually had some kind of mystical or life-altering experience that has awakened them spiritually. Often it is a tragedy or loss of a loved one, which forces them to discover who they really are, what they really value, and see that there is more to life than what they usually experience on a mundane level. They see life as an awe-inspiring mystery and miracle.
The ability to get outside of ourselves, our own egos, and care about others is critical to a healthy lifestyle. The capacity to love, feel compassion and empathy for others, makes us feel better about ourselves. Helping a homeless person. Stopping to give someone directions. Healthy relationships fill the heart and soul.
Healthy people have a voice and are not afraid to use it. If they see something they don’t like, they will say so. They are not passive victims of life but choose their path, make responsible decisions for their own care and boundaries.
They tend to have fewer but very intimate friendships, rather than 100 “acquaintances.” This shows they have the capacity for genuine relationship – not just superficial connections.
Healthy people tend to be humble, not arrogant. The are “democratic” in that they see and treat others as equals, with a sense of fairness and integrity. They are not condescending to others, nor do they feel superior to them. They find something to appreciate and learn from in everyone.
Healthy people have a strong ethical and moral sense, but not necessarily conventional. They have strong principles, but they reach those principles by thinking for themselves and arriving at their own conclusions. They don’t blindly follow others, but have a sense of confidence in their own intuition and wisdom.
Healthy people have a healthy sense of humor. That means they don’t laugh “at” people so much as “with” them, and can definitely laugh at themselves. They don’t take themselves too seriously, and go through life with a light-hearted, joyful attitude. They like to laugh and laugh often. Laughter has been shown to release healthy chemicals in the body, and is now used in the therapy and treatment of many diseases.
Self-actualization means learning to be creative. Creativity is the essence of life, and the more we can create the deeper the well from which we can drink. The act of creation, music, painting, being yourself, etc, is healing to the soul and makes us feel genuinely useful to others and society. A strong, wild imagination adds passion and zest to your life. Read books.

We don’t become self-actualized in one day or week or year. It takes a lifetime. But as our lives unfold they can become beautiful. But we need to make wise decisions, live a healthy lifestyle with integrity and morality, and take action to attract the things into our lives that will make them more fulfilling and whole. Start writing that novel you’ve always wanted to write. Start a web business. Go back to school for a degree you’ve always dreamed about. Get some counselling for addictions. Do, do but do.