Archive for the ‘positive living’ Category

 By Renee Pullman

Are you ready to quit smoking? Facts are that 9 out of 10 smokers who say they want to quit never really give it 100% effort because they believe that it is difficult: they start out by expecting to fail.

Mark Twain said “Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times.”

What is your attitude, do you laugh off your desire to quit smoking with an attitude and a thought like Mark Twain?

Is There The Fear That You Will Fail Because You Know That Quitting Smoking Is Difficult?

Smoking is an addiction and smoking will seriously affect your health and possibly kill you. Sure everyone has heard the story of someone’s uncle who smoked everyday and lived to be 100, but everyone has also seen someone they love holding on to life by sucking air from an oxygen tank after many years of smoking have destroyed their lungs. Maybe you’ve even seen that person need to go on a ventilator and then die.   Quit smoking facts: smokers pay more for health and life insurance.

Quit Smoking Facts: Quitting Smoking Is Serious and You Know It

Here is the truth, another quit smoking fact, and it’s about why so many fail: they believe it is difficult, they believe they will fail; they have no expectation of success.

Here is a timeless truth as stated by Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.”

Our beliefs affect how much effort we are willing to put into any goal we set. Many start out with ideas in the back of their minds on how to explain the expected failure.

This is not the way to approach quitting smoking; you have too much at stake.

Why Do You Want To Quit Smoking?

Is it for yourself and your health? Is it for your family, so you will be there for them, or do you just want them to have cleaner air to breathe?

Do you want to save money? I remember when cigarettes were $2 a carton and now they are around $50. Cigarettes can take up a significant part of a family’s budget.

These are all good reasons to quit and they all deserve an honest effort from you. They will never be achieved unless you are serious and unless you believe that you will succeed. It is important that you have these reasons in mind as the cigarette addiction challenges you to pick them up again. It is also important that you maintain the conviction that you will succeed.

The desire to quit and good reasons to quit along with the conviction that you can quit will go a long way to helping you successful in quitting smoking.

When you are serious about quitting smoking get the quit smoking facts, a good plan and a methodology. Visit http://quitsmokingfacts.us/ and take the next steps to your freedom from this addiction.

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During the last decades there has been a change towards mechanization and homogenization of farming, which uses pesticides, additives, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers and mass-production techniques. All this is clearly affecting mankind’s health, and new diseases are spreading rapidly amongst humans and animals (bird’s flu being the most recent one).

The World Health Organization produces reports to show how the use of chemicals and other products on food, coupled with the manufacturing processes involved, are actually a threat for our health.

If you have space for a few pots or even a small piece of land, it is a wise decision to grow your own organic vegetable garden. Today I’m presenting you with seven reasons for doing this:

1. You will have no additives in your vegetables. Research by organic food associations has shown that additives in our food can cause heart diseases, osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity.

2. There will be no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers used. These chemical products are applied to obtain crops all the time regardless plagues or weather conditions, and affect the quality of the vegetables. Besides, pesticides are usually poisonous to humans.

3. Your vegetables will not be genetically modified (GM). Antibiotics, drugs and hormones are used on vegetables to grow more and larger ones. One of the consequences of this practice are vegetables which look all the same and are usually tasteless. Besides, we end up consuming the hormones that have been used on the vegetables, with the potential risks for our health.

4. Eating your own organic vegetables will be much more healthy for you. They will not contain any of the products or chemicals named above, and they will be much more natural than any ones you would find at the supermarket. Your health will not be at risk because you will then know that nothing has been added to your vegetables.

5. Your own organic vegetables will be much more tasty. The use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics make vegetables grow unnaturally and take the taste away from them. With organic vegetables, your cooking will be enhanced as their flavour will show fully.

6. Organic farming is friendly to the environment. Because you won’t use pesticides or other equally harming products on your vegetables, you will not damage the soil or the air with the chemical components.

7. When you grow your own organic vegetables you are contributing to your own self-sustainability and the sustainability of the planet. Small communities have been founded where members exchange products that they grow naturally, thus contributing to create a friendly and better place for us all.

In the end, eating organic products only means that we do not add anything else to them than they would naturally have. As you can guess, additives, fertilizers, pesticides or hormones are not components of naturally grown food. To better care for your health, grown your own organic vegetables -and a few pots is all you need.

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6 superfoods for age-defying beauty:

1) Goji Berries

Goji berries, hollywoods hottest new food, are one of the most nutritionally dense foods on earth and house a staggering concentration of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, phytochemicals and essential fatty acids. With such an awesome constitution it is not surprising they are reputed anti-aging marvels. Originating in Tibet and greatly favoured in traditional medicine these dried berries have many noted health benefits including boosting immunity, lowering cholesterol, enhancing vision, fighting cancer cells, relieving depression and aiding weight loss.

Goji berries contain 500 times more vitamin C than oranges by weight and more beta-carotene than carrots making them a superb source of vitamin A. Together with vitamin E and essential fatty acids, these berries are ideal for any anti-aging and beauty regime. They also contain polysaccharides, one of which has been found to stimulate the secretion of the rejuvenating human growth hormone by the pituitary gland, as well as B vitamins, 21 minerals and 18 amino acids.

The most well documented case of longevity is that of Li Qing Yuen, who lived to the age of 252. Born in 1678, he is said to have married 14 times with 11 generations of posterity before his death in 1930. Li Qing Yuen reportedly consumed goji berries daily.

A study cited in Dr. Mindell’s book ‘Goji: The Himalayan Health Secret’, observed that 67 per cent of elderly people that were given a daily dose of the berries for 3 weeks experienced dramatic immune system enhancement and a significant improvement in spirit and optimism.

2) Aloe Vera

Foget botox, Aloe vera increases collagen production 100% naturally for a youthful, wrinkle-free complexion and plump, beautiful skin. The ultimate botox alternative!

The inner gel of the aloe vera leaf contains around 200 active compounds with over 75 nutrients. These include 20 minerals, 18 amino acids and 12 vitamins (even vitamin B12 – one of the very few plant sources of this vitamin). Aloe vera also has anti-microbial properties fighting fungi and bacteria and houses anti-inflammatory plant steroids and enzymes. Aloe vera is known to aid digestion and elimination, boost the immune system, and be highly effective at healing, moisturizing and rejuvianting the skin, naturally stimulating the production of collagen.

Aloe vera is best eaten fresh when possible (you can order large aloe vera leaves which last a few weeks refridgerated). Scrape out the inside gel, avoiding the outside of the leaf which is a strong laxative, and blend with fruit for the ultimate beautifying smoothie. Aloe vera has a mild flavour though a slight bitter edge, hence is best combined with fruit.

3) Avocados

Avocados are smoothing and softening for the skin and easily absorbed; compared with almond, corn, olive, and soybean oils, avocado oil has the highest skin penetration rate.

Avocado also contains vitamin E (excellent for the skin), antioxidant carotenoids and the master antioxidant glutathione that is exceptionally powerful and has anti-carcinogenic potential. High levels of glutathione are found in the liver where the elimination of toxic materials takes place.

Glutathione is effective against pollutants such as cigarette smoke and exhaust fumes as well as ultra-violet radiation. Research is currently exploring the potential benefits of glutathione for numerous conditions including cancer, heart disease, memory loss, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, eczema, liver disorders, heavy metal poisoning and AIDS.

4) Chlorella

The nucleic acids RNA and DNA in Chlorella (one of the highest known sources of such) direct cellular growth and repair and enable our bodies to utilize nutrients more effectively, eliminate toxins and avoid disease. The production of nucleic acids in the body declines progressively as we age, which is no doubt why their intake is recommended by Dr. Benjamin Frank in ‘The No-Aging Diet’. Paul Pitchford in ‘Healing With Whole Foods’ writes that ‘insufficient nucleic acid causes premature aging as well as weakened immunity’, Research at the Medical College of Kanazawa in Japan found that mice that were fed chlorella had a 30 per cent increase in life span. Replenishing RNA and DNA can be key to overall health, immunity and longevity.

In addition to nucleic acids, chlorella is jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes and amino acids, making it an incredibly rejuvinating and health-promoting superfood. Spirulina is a virtuous equivalent.

5) Bee pollen

When it comes to young and beautiful skin, bee pollen has outstanding gifts. Swedish dermatologist Dr. Lars-Erik Essen uses bee pollen to successfully treat acne and other skin conditions and observes it’s beautifying and anti-aging effects. He reports that bee pollen ‘seems to prevent premature aging of the cells and stimulates growth of new skin tissue. It offers effective protection against dehydration and injects new life into dry cells. It smoothes away wrinkles and stimulates a life-giving blood supply to all skin cells.’ He believes it’s skin rejuvintoin properties are due to its high concentration of nucleic acids RNA and DNA, as well as its natural antibiotic action. Bee pollen has a host of other health-promoting benefits that include fighting infections, lowering cholesterol, strengthening the blood, Boosting the immune system, increasing physical strength and stamina, aiding longevity and enhancing libido! It has been called a ‘prefect food’ because it is so nutritionally complete.

6) Coconut oil

Coconut oil speeds up your metabolism and can actually help you loose weight. It is also incredibly beautifying and moisturizing for the skin and has antioxidant properties which protect against free-radical damage, keeping the skin youthful and healthy. Taken internally or externally coconut oil is a great ally for any beauty skin care regime. It also contains lauric acid, an anti-microbial fatty acid that kills bacteria, viruses and fungi.

Copyright 2006 Sylvia Riley

Are there cures for snoring? You probably already know that snoring possibly means you have sleep apnea and all of the dangerous things that may go with that — from just being tired all the time to high blood pressure, weight gain, and a host of things. It’s bad stuff.

Your doctor will send you for a sleep study that will cost you a lot even if you have good insurance and then it’s likely that you will get an expensive (even after your insurance pays their part) CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure).

Oxygen flow is reduced as your throat muscles relax and your airway is restricted. These machines help hold the airways open while you sleep by blowing air into your nose. They help some while others have wasted their money. Still others do not have access to CPAP due to the prohibitive costs.

Here is an anti-snoring program – remember some of the same issues cause snoring also cause sleep apnea, and snoring is a precursor to sleep apnea. This program uses exercise to strengthen muscles in the throat-neck, mouth, tongue, and nose to eliminate the problem. There are 24 exercises in the program to naturally and inexpensively solve the problem naturally by strengthening the air passages. Here is an example of one of the exercises:

Try out this jaw strengthening exercise

The best way to see how simple these exercises are is to try one out.

So here’s an exercise that helps to loosen your jaw – because tight or clenched jaws are considered one of the leading causes of snoring.

This exercise takes only a minute, but before you’re done, you should feel your jaw muscles strengthen and the back of your mouth opening up.

Start by lining up your upper and lower molars and put them together, very lightly.
Now imagine your molars are like a hinge (similar to your door). Lower your jaw while keeping your molars together and your lips closed. Open and close your lower jaw about 20 times.See how easy they can be?

This is just one of the 24 exercises that have been developed to stop people from snoring. Each exercise is designed to strengthen a specific area – turning relaxed, weaker muscles that block your airways and flap like a flag into toned and well-controlled muscles.

We’ve explained what causes snoring, That there are cures for snoring and this is an inexpensive program that you owe it to yourself to tryout.  Here is our affiliate link, the owners of this website will receive a commission if you order here.

You should always check with your doctor if you think you have sleep apnea. Have him work with you on the program.

In this expert article Shane Ellison presents information about getting healthy fats into your diet. Healthy fats include Olive Oil, Fish Oil, and other non-transfat fats that contain Omega-3s and other healthy nutrients. Olive Oil should be your oil of choice. Consider using it instead of butter. Have you been to a traditional Italian restaurant? Always Olive Oil is on the table and you have to ask for butter. There is wisdom to this borne out by modern science that has shown the health benefits of Olive Oil. If you go to the store you will find different grades and prices for the Oil. The type depends on how it is processed. The best to buy is Extra Virgin. This oil is pressed out and heat is not used to get it. It means that it is as pure and natural as you can get it.

So substitute Olive Oil for butter – Olive Oil and vinegar dressing is good too. By the way there is a whole other story to tell about the benefits of vinegar and you will see them here in future posts.

The Big Fat Scam for the Obese and Diabetic
by Shane Ellison

Traditionally, a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet is recommended for the obese and type II diabetics. This low-fat approach is based on simple math. Fat has about twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates and protein. Regardless of the lower calorie content, applying the theory has proven disastrous. It has secured America a seat in the worldwide Fat Ass Hall of Fame while giving birth to a diabetes epidemic. No surprise, math isn’t the best measure of a foods effect on the body. Biochemistry is – go figure.

In contrast to carbohydrates, eating fat (not trans fat, but naturally occurring fat) has proven to be the most important method for ensuring fat loss and warding off diabetes. This is courtesy of fats inability to spike the fat storing hormone insulin – and prevent us from feeding our pie hole excess calories. Thus, despite eating fat in the form of grass fed beef, seeds, nuts, avocados, coconut oil or fish, you won’t suffer from unsightly belly fat. This phenomenon has been proven many times.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently showed that eating twice as much fat led to greater weight loss. Researchers compared two eating plans that were similar in caloric intake but vastly different in fat consumption. Obese individuals who consumed 61% fat energy for eight weeks lost 18 pounds; those consuming a mere 30% fat lost 14 pounds (they replaced the fat intake with 46% carbs). (1) Far more staggering than the differences in weight loss are the differences in biochemistry among the two groups.

Low fat, high carbohydrate eaters have the perfect biological environment for obesity and type II diabetes. Their blood levels of glucose, insulin and triglycerides skyrocket.(2) The Nurses’ Study by Harvard found that women who adhere to the Big Fat Scam and eat mostly carbohydrates increase their risk of diabetes 2.5 times! Men are not immune to the deadly carbohydrate effect.

Diabetics usually die early from heart disease, twice as often as those without diabetes. It is so damaging that it can erase 11-20 years from a persons lifespan. Currently, an estimated one in four American’s suffer from it. One in three born in the year 2000 will succumb to the Big Fat Scam and therefore suffer from diabetes according to The Journal of the American Medical Association. (3)

The best way to avoid being an honorary member of the Fat Ass Hall of Fame and the diabetes epidemic is to avoid the Big Fat Scam. Start eating more fat (avoid trans fats, of course, and give preference to fats with omega-3’s). Judge your food based on its effect on insulin (via glycemic load), count calories second. Stop futzing around with fad diets and self-proclaimed weight loss gurus who push wanton pill and supplement use as well as whole grains, fruit juice, sugary yogurt, candy bars disguised as health bars and most anything else served out of a box, package or window.

References:

1. Barclay, Laurie. Low-Carb/High-Fat or High-Carb/Low-Fat Diet Improves Weight Loss, Mood. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;86:580-587

2. YD Chen, AM Coulston, MY Zhou, CB Hollenbeck and GM Reaven.Why do low-fat high-carbohydrate diets accentuate postprandial lipemia in patients with NIDDM? Diabetes Care, Vol 18, Issue 1 10-16.

Liu S, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Hu FB, Franz M, Sampson L, Hennekens CH, Manson JE. A prospective study of dietary glycemic load, carbohydrate intake, and risk of coronary heart disease in US women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2000 Jun;71(6):1455-61.

Gardner CD, Kiazand A, Alhassan S, Kim S, Stafford RS, Balise RR, Kraemer HC, King AC. Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women: the A TO Z Weight Loss Study: a randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2007; 9 (297): 969-77

Frederick F. Samaha, M.D., Nayyar Iqbal, M.D., Prakash Seshadri, M.D., Kathryn L. Chicano, C.R.N.P., Denise A. Daily, R.D., Joyce McGrory, C.R.N.P., Terrence Williams, B.S., Monica Williams, B.S., Edward J. Gracely, Ph.D., and Linda Stern, M.D. A Low-Carbohydrate as Compared with a Low-Fat Diet in Severe Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine. Volume 348:2074-2081. May 22, 2003. Number 21

3. K. M. Venkat Narayan, MD; James P. Boyle, PhD; Theodore J. Thompson, MS; Stephen W. Sorensen, PhD; David F. Williamson, PhD. Lifetime Risk for Diabetes Mellitus in the United States. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2003;290:1884-1890.

Shane Ellison holds a master’s degree in organic chemistry and has first-hand experience in drug design. He is an internationally recognized authority on therapeutic nutrition and author of Health Myths Exposed, The Hidden Truth about Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs and The AM-PM Fat Loss Discovery. Read his free report entitled The Foundational Health Education to beat obesity, heart disease and death by prescription drug:
www.thepeopleschemist.com
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