Archive for the ‘affirmations’ Category
Don’t Let Chronic Back Pain Limit Your Brain Power
December 2nd, 2009
- Image by BIJI KURIAN via Flickr
Chronic back pain is one of the most vexing problems that you can have. Not being able to find comfort in any position and the resulting problems.
You can work on back pain by helping your back get stronger and healthier. Remember pain pills are ok to take if you really need them but they don’t solve the underlying problem.
You can begin to address the problem by noticing your posture and beginning to correct it when it is poor. Massage is good. Getting your back more flexible can also help, check out: Kundalini Yoga. There are also more traditional exercises – there is a good video at the end of this post that you should watch. These are just a couple of ideas to help resolve your back problems.
Don’t Let Chronic Back Pain Limit Your Brain Power
You don’t need to be a scientist to know that chronic back pain can have a negative impact on your life, often bringing with it anxiety and depression. It can affect your ability to work, sleep, and perform other daily activities.
Until recently, it has been assumed that whatever changes occurred in the brain as a result of chronic back pain were only temporary and that the brain would revert to a normal state once the pain stopped.
Recent findings by researchers from Northwestern University have turned this assumption on its head. What they found was that chronic back pain — defined as pain lasting six months or longer — can cause significant and long-lasting damage to the brain, aging it up to 20 times faster than normal.¹
The Northwestern study is consistent with other research on chronic pain and cognitive ability.
Evidence of a link between chronic pain and brain function comes from a study done at Keele University in the United Kingdom. Scientists compared the “prospective” memory — such as remembering to pick up groceries or keep a doctor’s appointment — of 50 subjects with chronic back pain to the memory of 50 subjects who were pain-free.
Investigators used something called the Prospective Memory Questionnaire, a self-rating scale that requires users to record the number of times their prospective memory fails in a given period of time. The scale measures three types of prospective memory: long-term habitual, short-term episodic, and internally cued.
Those with chronic pain had significantly impaired short-term memory compared with subjects who were pain-free. No differences were observed in the other types of prospective memory.
Researchers believe that when pain kicks in, it triggers a region of the brain known as the lateral occipital complex (LOC). When this happens, it overrides a person’s ability to concentrate and accurately recognize images.
You can help preserve your short-term memory — even if you do live with chronic pain — by following these easy tips.
Read out loud
If you want to remember something, saying the words out loud will help burn the information into your brain. If you can turn it into a rhyme, it’s even better.
Write things down
Mental clutter makes it hard to recall data. Use address books, datebooks, and calendars. Jot down notes on more complicated material and reorganize your notes as soon as possible. The physical act of rewriting can help imprint facts into your memory.
Rehearse and review
Go over what you’ve learned the day you learn it, and review it periodically. Researchers call this “spaced rehearsal.” It has proven to be more effective than cramming.
Get your vitamins
Nutrients such as vitamins B, C, and E can nurture brain function. Dietary sources of vitamin B include spinach and other dark leafy greens, strawberries, melons, and black beans. Vitamins C and E improve the flow of oxygen through the brain. Good natural sources are berries, sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, green tea, nuts, citrus fruits, and liver. Omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna are also associated with improved cognitive function.
Surprise your brain
Another way to help your brain perform better is to stimulate it through novelty. For example, brushing your teeth with your left hand (if you’re right-handed) will fire up seldom-used connections on the non-dominant side of your brain. Or try “neurobic” exercise, which forces you to use your faculties in unusual ways — say, getting dressed with your eyes closed, taking a course in a subject you know nothing about, or cooking a recipe in an unfamiliar cuisine.
Reference
1. The Journal of Neuroscience, November 17, 2004; 24(46):10410-10415.
[Ed. Note: Jesse Cannone is a certified fitness trainer, rehabilitation specialist and co-founder of the Healthy Back Institute. For more information on how you can reduce or completely eliminate your pain naturally, click here.]
This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.
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Posted in Healthy Living, affirmations | 
Tags: abs, back pain, exercise, Fitness, omega-3, Yoga | 
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Splenda Fatigue, A Web Round-Up With A Touch Of Migrane
June 22nd, 2009
by Renee Pullman
I’ve been using Splenda for a couple of years but recently I’ve been experiencing some serious fatigue problems after long working lunches that I take. Fatigue to the point of needing to go to bed for a number of hours. During these lunches I usually drink 4 or 5 cups of tea sweetened by Splenda. Sometimes I switch off to another drink and I’ve noticed that the problem doesn’t happen.
I decided to check around the web and see what’s being reported by others.
Oct 19 Scientific Basis for Splenda Toxicity By Dr. Mercola
Dr. Mercola shares some of the facts that he has learned about the reasons why Splenda is so toxic and artificial sweeteners need to be avoided. His new book, Sweet Deception, on this topic, comes out next month.
Heart palpitations, accelerated heartbeat, elevated blood pressure …
I had low urine output, dry mouth, fatigue, and heart palpitations… I also had a headache and a little lightheadedness… I had another Splenda beverage, and my symptoms were back… The one I use most is Diet Rite soda. …
Sweetener in the Spotlight: Is Splenda Safe? – Splenda (Sucralose …
Since early 2000 McNeil Nutritionals has been advertising that its product — Splenda — is “made from sugar so it tastes like sugar.” But the National Sugar Association and Merisant Worldwide (maker of Equal brand sweetener) have challenged that … that — though thoroughly tested by the FDA and deemed safe for the general population — has had its share of critics who blame the artificial sweetener for causing everything from brain tumors to chronic fatigue syndrome. …
Is Splenda Really As Safe As They Say It Is? www.mercola.com
Dr. Mercola reviews why there is simply inadequate safety data supporting the long term use of Splenda.
Depression, anxiety, panic, thoughts of suicide or death …
I noticed incredible fatigue and sleepiness… I am not happy with the results… I didn’t even realize it might be the Splenda … I had the worst feeling… I started using Splenda in small doses. …
Your Diet for Treating Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
I switched to Splenda, and that worked for about 2 years. Now I can’t even get near Splenda without the exact same intense reaction (moderate shortness of breath) that takes hours or days to dissipate (depending on how much I’ve …
Splenda Sickness: Depression, anxiety, panic, thoughts of suicide …
Ready for this: Overwelming anxiety, depression, mood swings, confusion, memory losses, diarrhea, constipation, cramps, fatigue, back pain, joint pain, numbness in arms and legs, blurred vision, insomnia and heart palpitations. …
The Truth About Splenda’s History Finally Revealed
You will be shocked to learn what researchers were working on when they accidentally discovered Splenda 30 years ago
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One of the Biggest Lies About Artificial Sweeteners mercola
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Swearing Off Splenda
All of that is enough to get me to swear off Splenda and the other sweeteners.
Dr. Mercola Rocks…
Posted in Healthy Living, affirmations |
Tags: Add new tag, chronic fatigue, fibromyalga, splenda, splenda chronic fatigue, splenda fatigue |
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How To Use Affirmation Properly
December 30th, 2008
We’ve had several posts on affirmations and subliminals:
The topic is an important one, it’s time for another dose:
“I am, therefore I exist,” is a phrase affirming one’s existence as a being. It may be a simple phrase, but it says everything about the being saying them. It indicates a confidence not commonly found among other beings.
But why do people need affirmation? Why do beings need to be affirmed? Is existence relative to one’s affirmation?
Affirmation is a very powerful technique to empower one’s subconscious. Once the subconscious is disciplined to believe one’s affirmation, the latter is converted into a positive action for the conscious mind. Through affirmation, beings are empowered to do, to work, and to strive for more things. Affirmation allows people to believe in themselves and to put their thoughts into action.
Affirmation is a combination of verbal and visual techniques of a preferred state of mind of a person. Strong affirmations can be very powerful, and can be used by almost anyone to achieve his goals and fulfill his desires. However, the power of an affirmation depends on how strong or weak an affirmation is.
Affirmation is merely an assertion made by a person, about something or about a state of being. A person can affirm those that he chooses to attain, like “I now have a good life.” Being healthy in mind, body, and spirit can also be made possible through affirmation.
A strong affirmation should be stated in the present tense to be more effective. An affirmation of “I am now a happy being” is more effective than an affirmation saying, “I am going to become a happy being.” Affirmation should always be in positive terms because it is supposed to work for you and not against you. Instead of saying, “I am not sad,” why not make an affirmation saying, “I am happy.”
An affirmation should be made up of simple but concise words, and it should be short to be more effective. A very long affirmation can work the other way around, instead of creating a positive mindset for a person. A short affirmation can be easily spoken and repeated by a person. It can serve as a mantra that can be repeated over and over again.
To be effective, an affirmation must be repeated. Repetition works and influences the subconscious, which in turn motivates the person into acting out his affirmation. A person who creates the affirmation should be deeply involved with the words he will be using, so he will be able to actualize his affirmation. Writing words that one believes in can be very powerful, and this can be put to good use when creating an affirmation.
However, creating an affirmation alone and repeating them a million times would not make the affirmation a state of mind. The important thing is to live one’s affirmation and to be open-minded enough to do the things that would help the affirmation become a reality. Feeling the affirmation and applying it in one’s life will help in making the affirmation a reality.
While affirmation is generally used to make an individual better, it can also be used to boost or confirm another person’s value. By affirming another person‘s existence, you are helping him improve his self-worth.
Affirmation is a very simple thing that can make a very big difference in a person‘s life. It can be a great motivator and can make things happen.
We’ve had several posts on affirmations and related topics like subliminals:
Affirmations
Subliminals For Improving Your Health, Your Life
December 7th, 2008
We’ve had a number of posts on this site about affirmations for self-improvement and for improving your health. Recently we added Charles Haanel’s affirmation to the affirmation podcast. I believe that affirmations are an effective way to condition your mind to make the things that you decide on acceptable to old programming that may exist in your head. A way to rewire yourself, if you will, to move you in new directions.
Related to affirmations are subliminals. Subliminals are presented just below the threshold of awareness and can be both sound or vision. This product uses your computer to supply the subliminal information that you choose while you are at your computer.
I’m a big fan of self-improvement books and courses. I think each of us owes it to ourselves to become all that we can be.
But reading a book or following a course is so time-consuming. Sometimes I feel that there are so many aspects of my life I want to improve I’ll be an old man before I’ve even changed half of them!
That’s why I was delighted to discover Bradley Thomson and his incredible ‘Subliminal Power‘ website.
Bradley’s Subliminal Power tool lets you achieve all that you want to achieve in a fraction of the time and with absolutely NO effort whatsoever! It’s a little tool that runs in the background on your PC, making carefully constructed ‘suggestions’ to your subconscious while you get on with your work. It’s the mental equivalent of those abdominal exercisers that let you do 3,000 press ups while sitting in a chair!
With Bradley’s technology you can raise your IQ to genius level, develop astonishing powers of concentration and recall, become a ‘natural’ salesperson or public speaker and even ‘command’ your body to lose weight. You can use subliminal messaging to be who YOU want to be with absolutely NO effort on your behalf!
It’s far more powerful than hypnosis … in fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s the most powerful tool for self-empowerment there is.
Check out Bradley’s Subliminal Power.
Affirmations Toolbar
November 30th, 2008
We have several posts now about affirmations and their importance in any area of your life that you are working to improve.
- Affirmations
- Affirmations And Health – Well Being – Success
- How To Write And Record Your Own Affirmations
We are adding a new affirmation to our ITunes Affirmations Podcast and if you subscribe you will automatically get it.
We are pleased to announce a partnership with wwwTheRealMikeGriffin.com (Mike Griffin is the voice on our affirmation recordings) and they have included our affirmations in their tool bar. If you get the tool bar you’ll also get a convenient way to listen to the success classic: “The Science Of Getting Rich” <– download the ebook by clicking the link. With the tool bar you can pick the particular chapter of the book you want to hear and likewise dial up the particular affirmation you’d like. Find our about the tool bar by clicking the Real Mike link above or if you know enough and just want to install it click here –> Get The RMG ToolBar.
The affirmation is: ‘I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy.’ It’s from Charles Haanel’s “Master Key System.” It’s an affirmation he used as a boy to overcome health problems. Here is how he described it:
“I built up an affirmation for myself, taking the qualities I most needed, and affirming for myself over and over again, ‘I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy.’ I kept up this affirmation, always the same, never varying, till I could wake up in the night and find myself repeating, ‘I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy.’ It was the last thing on my lips at night and the first thing in the morning.
“Not only did I affirm it for myself, but for others that I knew needed it. I want to emphasize this point. Whatever you desire for yourself, affirm it for others, and it will help you both. We reap what we sow. If we send out thoughts of love and health, they return to us like bread cast upon the waters; but if we send out thoughts of fear, worry, jealousy, anger, hate, etc., we will reap the results in our own lives.
“It used to be said that man is built completely anew every seven years, but some scientists now declare that we build ourselves entirely over again every eleven months so we are really only eleven months old. if we build the defects back into our bodies year after year, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
