If you get sick more times a year than Lauren Conrad swears off best friends, you may be able to blame your immune system—a team of trillions of white blood cells that, when healthy, attacks unwelcome invaders like viruses. Some immune systems fight certain invaders better than others depending on several factors, including the route by which the bugs entered the body (i.e., nose vs. mouth) and how well the body has demolished them in the past, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Yoga can help stimulate the four main physiological systems that are linked to the immune system: the circulatory, digestive, nervous, and endocrine systems, says Surya Kolpakov, a certified yoga therapist and owner of Aranama Studio in Newton Center, Massachusetts. Poses that affect at least one of these four systems help bolster immune function, says Kolpakov, who teaches workshops on yoga for immunity. “For example, I’ve found that bow pose is one of the best ways to stimulate digestion and improve immunity,” he says. To help stave off colds and other bothersome bugs, he recommends these immunity-boosting poses.
Down dog vinyasa
This short dynamic sequence, targeting the circulatory system, is an excellent all-around warm-up. It stretches and strengthens most of the major muscle groups, promoting circulation and helping white blood cells move through the body to fight invaders.
1. Begin in plank pose splaying your fingers out wide on the mat to create a firm base.
2. Lift your hips up into downward-facing dog pose (adho mukha svanasana). Take a couple of long breaths here.
3. Slowly lower the hips and bring the body parallel to the floor, returning to plank pose.
4. If comfortable, lower the hips even further bringing the chest through the upper arms into upward-facing dog pose (urdhva mukha svanasana) or cobra pose (bhujangasana). In either cobraor up dog, avoid locking your elbows, keep your back long, and stretch the whole front of the body by gently lifting the chest. Keep your neck in line with your spine, gently stretching your chin forward without pinching your neck. Take another long breath here.
5. On your next inhale, smoothly and fluidly move back to down dogby curling your toes under, pressing your palms firmly into the floor, lifting your knees off the floor and raising your hips up and back. Straighten your knees as much as is comfortable.
6. Exhale right back to plank pose.
7. Inhale slowly to up dog or cobra again.
8. Exhale back to plank.
9. Inhale back to down dog.
10. Repeat this sequence five to eight times.
Bow pose (dhanurasana)
Bow pose puts pressure on the belly, making the digestive system stronger and healthier by increasing blood flow to the abdominal organs. And because the digestive system is full of lymphocytes, the small white blood cells that fight invaders, strengthening it boosts your overall immunity and health as well.
Lie down on your belly, keeping your arms alongside your body. Tuck your chin toward your chest to lengthen your neck. If comfortable, rest your forehead on the mat. Bend your knees and reach for your feet or your ankles. Smoothly and slowly, lift your head up off the floor, raising your chin and chest. Press your feet back into your hands, gently lifting your knees off the floor. In the full posture, the knees and the chest come up to the same height off the floor. Breathe slowly and deliberately into your belly. If your breath is short and choppy, you’re overstraining. Once your muscles begin to tire, after five to eight breaths, release the pose slowly. Rest on your belly, turning your head to either side. Repeat two more times. As a gentler alternative, you can replace this pose with bridge pose (setu bandha sarvangasana).
Shoulderstand (salamba sarvangasana)
The shoulderstand pose puts pressure on the thyroid gland at the base of the throat, stimulating the endocrine system, which works with the nervous system and the immune system to help the body cope with stresses and fight invaders.
Practice this pose on a soft surface to protect your neck and upper back. Carpet, a folded mat, or a blanket will work. If using a blanket, fold it carefully and place it under your shoulders, upper back, and the base of your neck letting the length of your neck extend beyond it and your head rest on the floor. Lying on your back with your arms alongside your body, raise your legs up toward the ceiling. Pressing your arms into the floor, smoothly swing your legs up overhead. Let your legs hang over your head or knees rest on your forehead. Place your palms on your back to support the weight of your body. Inch your elbows closer together on the floor and lift your legs straight up toward the ceiling. It’s not necessary for your legs to be perfectly straight. Just keep reaching up gently with the feet, breathing naturally, and mindfully noticing your blood flow. If you need to cough, sneeze, or swallow, slowly come out of the pose. Stay for one to five minutes. To come out, slowly lower your legs over your head into plow pose (halasana). Place your arms down by your sides. Using them as brakes, slowly with control roll down one vertebra at a time to lie on your back. Take a few breaths on your back to notice the effects of the pose.
Marissa Conrad
www.womenshealthmag.com
Thursday 29 September 2011
Monday 26 September 2011
Beating PMS With Diet (2)
Dietary Principles
A fundamental principle for managing PMS for most women is to eat meals and snacks that provide both protein and carbohydrate.
Do not be afraid of carbs
One of the most important dietary factors for balancing hormones is to keep your blood sugar level even. Eat plenty of complex, unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grains (oats, brown rice, whole-grain bread and pasta, millet), beans (lentils, soya beans, kidney beans) and plenty of vegetables. However, do cut out all refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white pasta and rice, cakes, biscuits and sweets, and any foods containing added sugar (check labels as there will be more foods than you think - even bread, often has sugar added to it).
Get the right five a day
Although eating plenty of fruit and vegetables has many benefits, vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are especially beneficial for PMS sufferers, as they contain a substance called diindolymethane (DIM). DIM has been shown to mop up excess oestrogen and therefore relive the associated problems such as weight gain, PMS, acne and menopausal symptoms.
Out with the bad, in with the good
Cut back on 'bad' saturated and hydrogenated fats (found in meat, dairy products and processed foods, such as cakes, biscuits and junk food), as these have no nutritional value. Replace these fats with the essential fats found in oily fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils. These good fats are especially important for menstruating women as they help to prevent inflammation and reduce abnormal blood clotting. Cutting out saturated fats should also help to reduce headaches, menstrual cramps and endometriosis discomfort. In fact, it has been shown that diets high in saturated fats increase oestrogen production and prevent the absorption of the beneficial essential fats.
Bulk up
Not only does fibre help with digestion and reduce cholesterol levels, but it also plays a key role in balancing female hormones. Fibre found in vegetables, fruits and whole grains can absorb excess oestrogen in the gut and prevent it from re-entering the blood. Oat fibre from whole oats or rough oatcakes is particularly good.
Cut the caffeine
Caffeine not only removes vital minerals and vitamins from our body due to its diuretic effect but it's also linked to PMS, in particular breast pain and tenderness. Caffeine in tea, coffee, chocolate, soft drinks and headache tablets is also a stimulant affecting blood sugar levels.
...and the alcohol.
Although it has been all-too-easily accepted that red wine is 'good for the heart', research has actually shown that these effects are only evident in women post-menopause. The liver is one of the key organs for controlling and balancing hormones, as this is where excess hormones can be removed. If the liver is over-taxed by a poor diet and alcohol, this elimination will not occur.
Fight symptoms with phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens are oestrogen-like, plant-derived substances which are found in high amounts in soya products and various vegetables such as peas and beans; however, despite being similar to oestrogens, they can actually reduce the problem of oestrogen dominance. This is because they lock onto, and block, the body's oestrogen receptors, so protecting against the negative effects of too much oestrogen receptors so protecting against the negative effects of too much oestrogen. Research has found that soya supplementation can help with many pre-menstrual symptoms, including headache, breast tenderness and cramps. Asian women, who typically eat a lot of soya products, have fewer symptoms of the menopause, suggesting a beneficial effect on hormones. Remember to bear in mind, however, that the majority of soya eaten by Asian women is the fermented kind, which is safer and has greater health benefits. The herb red clover also contains several phytoestrogens which may help balance oestrogen dominance.
Herbal and supplemental help
As well as following a well-balanced diet with the addition of some valuable vitamins and minerals, (I recommend) black cohosh, agnus castus/chasteberry, dong quai, dandelion ... to help with hormonal imbalances.
In terms of supplements, the most important are vitamins B3, B6, zinc, magnesium and a combination of fish oil omega-3 fats with borage oil for omega-6 fats.
Patrick Holford
- Balance Your Hormones
A fundamental principle for managing PMS for most women is to eat meals and snacks that provide both protein and carbohydrate.
Do not be afraid of carbs
One of the most important dietary factors for balancing hormones is to keep your blood sugar level even. Eat plenty of complex, unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grains (oats, brown rice, whole-grain bread and pasta, millet), beans (lentils, soya beans, kidney beans) and plenty of vegetables. However, do cut out all refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white pasta and rice, cakes, biscuits and sweets, and any foods containing added sugar (check labels as there will be more foods than you think - even bread, often has sugar added to it).
Get the right five a day
Although eating plenty of fruit and vegetables has many benefits, vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are especially beneficial for PMS sufferers, as they contain a substance called diindolymethane (DIM). DIM has been shown to mop up excess oestrogen and therefore relive the associated problems such as weight gain, PMS, acne and menopausal symptoms.
Out with the bad, in with the good
Cut back on 'bad' saturated and hydrogenated fats (found in meat, dairy products and processed foods, such as cakes, biscuits and junk food), as these have no nutritional value. Replace these fats with the essential fats found in oily fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils. These good fats are especially important for menstruating women as they help to prevent inflammation and reduce abnormal blood clotting. Cutting out saturated fats should also help to reduce headaches, menstrual cramps and endometriosis discomfort. In fact, it has been shown that diets high in saturated fats increase oestrogen production and prevent the absorption of the beneficial essential fats.
Bulk up
Not only does fibre help with digestion and reduce cholesterol levels, but it also plays a key role in balancing female hormones. Fibre found in vegetables, fruits and whole grains can absorb excess oestrogen in the gut and prevent it from re-entering the blood. Oat fibre from whole oats or rough oatcakes is particularly good.
Cut the caffeine
Caffeine not only removes vital minerals and vitamins from our body due to its diuretic effect but it's also linked to PMS, in particular breast pain and tenderness. Caffeine in tea, coffee, chocolate, soft drinks and headache tablets is also a stimulant affecting blood sugar levels.
...and the alcohol.
Although it has been all-too-easily accepted that red wine is 'good for the heart', research has actually shown that these effects are only evident in women post-menopause. The liver is one of the key organs for controlling and balancing hormones, as this is where excess hormones can be removed. If the liver is over-taxed by a poor diet and alcohol, this elimination will not occur.
Fight symptoms with phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens are oestrogen-like, plant-derived substances which are found in high amounts in soya products and various vegetables such as peas and beans; however, despite being similar to oestrogens, they can actually reduce the problem of oestrogen dominance. This is because they lock onto, and block, the body's oestrogen receptors, so protecting against the negative effects of too much oestrogen receptors so protecting against the negative effects of too much oestrogen. Research has found that soya supplementation can help with many pre-menstrual symptoms, including headache, breast tenderness and cramps. Asian women, who typically eat a lot of soya products, have fewer symptoms of the menopause, suggesting a beneficial effect on hormones. Remember to bear in mind, however, that the majority of soya eaten by Asian women is the fermented kind, which is safer and has greater health benefits. The herb red clover also contains several phytoestrogens which may help balance oestrogen dominance.
Herbal and supplemental help
As well as following a well-balanced diet with the addition of some valuable vitamins and minerals, (I recommend) black cohosh, agnus castus/chasteberry, dong quai, dandelion ... to help with hormonal imbalances.
In terms of supplements, the most important are vitamins B3, B6, zinc, magnesium and a combination of fish oil omega-3 fats with borage oil for omega-6 fats.
Patrick Holford
- Balance Your Hormones
Sunday 25 September 2011
Beating PMS With Diet (1)
Many women suffer the monthly problems of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which is believed to be hormone related. PMS hit the health agenda in the 1970s and it is only since then that it has been recognised as a genuine health problem. Before it became a 'syndrome', it was called premenstrual tension and referred to the variation of physical and mood symptoms that begin during the last one or two weeks prior to a period and usually end an hour to a few days after menstruation starts.
The specific combination of symptoms is very individual, but common ones include acne, anxiety, fatigue, irritability, fluid retention, forgetfulness, mood swings, bloating, breast tenderness, sweet cravings and weight gain.
Eight in ten women experience some kind of PMS, with an estimated one in ten having severe symptoms. About 3-5 per cent of women have symptoms so severe that it affects their work, education, relationships and/or daily activities. This is equivalent to 500,000 women in the UK alone.
The average age of onset of PMS is 26 and it generally gets worse with age, with the most severe form affecting more women in their forties. As women get older they spend more time in premenstrual phase as the cycle gets shorter and shorter towards menopause, giving rise to more frequent symptoms.
PMS does not occur before the onset of the first period, during pregnancy or after natural or surgical menopause. Although the precise cause remains elusive, ovulation appears to be an important factor, with evidence suggesting that the symptoms are generally a result of changes in brain chemistry triggered by fluctuations in ovarian hormones.
Both oestrogen and progesterone levels generally fall sharply before a period, and this sudden change is thought to trigger PMS. Two major brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) seem to be affected by this change - serotonin and gamme-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
Serotonin - sometimes called the 'happy hormone' - has been shown to help control appetite and carbohydrate cravings. Oestrogen helps to improve mood by keeping up the levels of serotonin. Antidepressants, such as Prozac and Seroxat, are thought to work by helping to maintain levels of serotonin, although there are more natural ways to achieve the same thing. Dopamine is another neurotransmitter involved. Having a well-balanced diet is the best way to provide the nutrients needed for all three of these neurotransmitters to work effectively.
Patrick Holford
- Balance Your Hormones
The specific combination of symptoms is very individual, but common ones include acne, anxiety, fatigue, irritability, fluid retention, forgetfulness, mood swings, bloating, breast tenderness, sweet cravings and weight gain.
Eight in ten women experience some kind of PMS, with an estimated one in ten having severe symptoms. About 3-5 per cent of women have symptoms so severe that it affects their work, education, relationships and/or daily activities. This is equivalent to 500,000 women in the UK alone.
The average age of onset of PMS is 26 and it generally gets worse with age, with the most severe form affecting more women in their forties. As women get older they spend more time in premenstrual phase as the cycle gets shorter and shorter towards menopause, giving rise to more frequent symptoms.
PMS does not occur before the onset of the first period, during pregnancy or after natural or surgical menopause. Although the precise cause remains elusive, ovulation appears to be an important factor, with evidence suggesting that the symptoms are generally a result of changes in brain chemistry triggered by fluctuations in ovarian hormones.
Both oestrogen and progesterone levels generally fall sharply before a period, and this sudden change is thought to trigger PMS. Two major brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) seem to be affected by this change - serotonin and gamme-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
Serotonin - sometimes called the 'happy hormone' - has been shown to help control appetite and carbohydrate cravings. Oestrogen helps to improve mood by keeping up the levels of serotonin. Antidepressants, such as Prozac and Seroxat, are thought to work by helping to maintain levels of serotonin, although there are more natural ways to achieve the same thing. Dopamine is another neurotransmitter involved. Having a well-balanced diet is the best way to provide the nutrients needed for all three of these neurotransmitters to work effectively.
Patrick Holford
- Balance Your Hormones
Saturday 24 September 2011
Finding Meaning To Cope With Life Struggles
Think of a time you experienced difficulties and felt overwhelmed or burdened with your situation.
How did your view of life and existence change?
When we go through a demanding and trying time, it can be tough to cope and stay self-assured. Going through emotionally demanding experiences like loss and trauma often leads to negative emotions such as grief, anger, fear and shame.
It can be difficult to overcome this negativity and work through the pain when there is no apparent reason for what occurred. If we don’t work to heal and reproach our negative perspective, it becomes very difficult to move beyond the anger and grief that engulfs our day to day life.
One way we can begin to work through the stains of our loss and trauma is to find meaning and purpose within the experience.
Meaning comes from moving beyond ourselves and connecting with something bigger and more profound than our immediate reality. When we experience loss or trauma we can use this sense of purpose to piece our life back together, and use the emotional energy to make a positive impact.
There are many examples of people in history who have lived out a mission to better others and found life enhancing meaning from a vision for their purpose.
In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl explores the essential value that meaning offers for our existence and our ability to persevere. By finding meaning within his traumatic experience in a Nazi concentration camp, he doggedly persisted and overcame his captor’s emotional and physical torture.
In a more everyday sense of the meaning, people who look for constructive meaning behind the events of their lives are more flexible and able to bounce back from distress. When you are flexible you’ll live a longer and happier life and find ways to adaptively cope.
This flexibility comes from knowing that sometimes things won’t go our way, and so not expecting an easy and carefree ride. We can let things roll off our back more easily and this relaxed, laid back attitude has benefits for physical, mental and emotional health.
Whatever is taking place in our life we can learn to find purpose and a make a connection to the hopeful and optimistic future impact this will have. Focusing on self-growth provides an open-mindedness to look for something of value in every situation.
Ask yourself, what have I learned, and what value can be gained?
What can we take from our difficult experience to better our relationships with family and friends? How can it alter our character to impact the work we do and the personal strengths we release from within? Are you not more resilient and wise from the trials and tribulations of your life?
I believe people are meaning seeking and meaning-making creatures. We are motivated to lead a life that is happy, fulfilling and worth living. If we can uncover purpose and meaning during times of crisis it offers us a chance to persevere, and keep trying despite any letdown, failure, or disappointment.
Joe Wilner
PsychCentral.com
Friday 23 September 2011
21 Ways To Overcome Disappointment
“We would never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world,” wrote Helen Keller.
How I wish she were wrong.
Disappointments leave us with the unpleasant task of squashing, crushing, and pinching lemons to extract any and all juice.
Here, then, are a few of my techniques to turn sour into sweet, to try my best to overcome disappointment.
1. Throw away the evidence
Albert Einstein failed his college entrance exam. Walt Disney was fired from his first media job. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Get it?
2. Stay in the mud
“The lotus flower blooms most beautifully from the deepest and thickest mud,” says a Buddhist proverb, just in case you thought all crap was bad.
3. Make a pearl
Allow your disappointment to form a pearl just as an oyster does when an irritating grain of sand gets inside its shell, but grab the pearl before the sand gets in your eyes.
4. Ignore the critics
Success is one percent talent, 99 perspiration. Take it from a writer whose eighth-grade paper was read aloud as an example of how NOT to write.
5. Grow your roots
Although the bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on Earth, it looks lazy at first because there is no branching … just growing lots of deep and wide roots. At the right time, though, the evergreen is capable of surging as fast as 48 inches in 24 hours. So are we … if we grow strong roots.
6. Persevere
“The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground.”–Author Unknown
7. Don’t rush the process
Only in struggling to emerge from a small hole in the cocoon does a butterfly form wings strong enough to fly. Should you try to help a butterfly by tearing open the cocoon, the poor thing won’t sprout wings, or if it does, its friends will make fun of it.
8. Protect yourself
Avoid the highly educated relative who might tell you “all things happen for a reason” or that you somehow attracted this disappointment with the wrong thoughts. Build an imaginary bubble and hide inside.
9. Stay big
Newspaper columnist Ann Landers once wrote, “Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, “I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.” For once in your life, the bigger you are, the better!
10. Allow cracks
A crack in your marriage, career, or personal plans doesn’t mean that your life is broken. According to Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, “There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
11. Write about it
Recent research by Dr. James Pennebaker, chair of the psychology program at the University of Texas, has concluded that writing about painful feelings and emotional events relieves stress and promotes healing on many levels. So keep a journal.
12. Back up
Sometimes you can’t make sense of a picture until you back up. Up close all you see is dots … lots of them in different shapes and colors. But with some distance the painting comes alive. It tells a story.
13. Stand up again.
A Japanese proverb says, “fall seven times, stand up eight.” Notice there is no mention of sitting down when you’re tired, or crawling when you’re scared.
14. Join the race
That’s the human race I’m talking about. Because no one is perfect. The human experience is an exercise in collecting disappointments and mistakes, ruminating on them for a little bit, and turning them into wisdom.
15. Take the fork
Yogi Berra once said, “When you come to the fork in the road, take it” … meaning: it doesn’t matter which direction you choose as long as you keep moving.
16. Start over
Every disappointment is an opportunity to start over. A white piece of paper. And if this time you still can’t color within the lines, you get another blank sheet, as many new beginnings as you want.
17. Be gentle
Don’t scream at yourself. Speak to yourself with loving kindness, the same way you would to your friend who was just dealt a big, fat, unfair blow.
18. Get directions
Oprah Winfrey was taken off the air in Baltimore at the start of her career, when she was given a shot at a talk show. Says Oprah: “I have learned that failure is really God’s way of saying, ‘Excuse me, you’re moving in the wrong direction’.”
19. Dance in the rain
My mom once told me, “You can’t wait for the storm to be over. You have to learn how to dance in the rain.”
20. Believe in miracles
I’ve witnessed enough miracles in my life to know they happen … usually when I least expect it.
21. Hang on to hope
There is one thing that never, ever disappoints. And that’s hope. Hold on to it forever.
Therese J. Borchard
Associate Director
PsychCentral.com
Thursday 22 September 2011
Body-Image Disorder
People suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD - a severe mental illness characterized by debilitating misperceptions that one appears disfigured and ugly - process visual information abnormally, even when looking at inanimate objects, according to a new UCLA study.
First author Dr. Jamie Feusner, a UCLA assistant professor of psychiatry, and colleagues found that patients with the disorder have less brain activity when processing holistic visual elements that provide the "big picture," regardless of whether that picture is a face or an object.
The research appears in the current online edition of the journal Psychological Medicine.
"No study until this one has investigated the brain's activity for visually processing objects in people with BDD," said Feusner, director of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Intensive Treatment Program at UCLA. "This is an important step to figuring out what's going wrong in the brains of people with BDD so we can develop treatments to change their perceptions of themselves."
People with BDD tend to fixate on minute details, such as a single blemish or a slight crook to the nose, rather than viewing their face as a whole. The impact of the disorder can be debilitating. Sufferers think obsessively about their appearance and engage in repetitive, time-consuming behaviors, such as checking their appearance in the mirror. Many are too embarrassed to leave the house, some have repeated and unnecessary plastic surgeries, and still others can become suicidal. BDD affects an estimated 2 percent of the population and is thought to be especially common in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The study compared 14 BDD patients, both men and women, with 14 healthy controls. Researchers used a type of brain scan called functional MRI (fMRI) to scan subjects while they viewed digital photographs of houses that were either unaltered or altered in ways to parse out different elements of visual processing. One altered set of images included very fine details, such as the shingles on the roof. The other altered images had very little detail and just showed things "holistically," such as the general shape of the house and the doors and windows.
The researchers found that the BDD patients had abnormal brain activation patterns when viewing pictures of the less-detailed houses: The regions of their brains that process these visual elements showed less activation than the healthy controls. In addition, the more severe their BDD symptoms, the lower the brain activity in the areas responsible for processing the image holistically.
"The study suggests that BDD patients have general abnormalities in visual processing," Feusner said. "But we haven't yet determined whether abnormal visual processing contributes as a cause to developing BDD or is the effect of having BDD. So it's the chicken-or-the-egg phenomenon.
"Many psychological researchers have long believed that people with body-image problems such as eating disorders only have distorted thoughts about their appearance, rather than having problems in the visual cortex, which precedes conscious thought. This study, along with our previous ones, shows that people with BDD have imbalances in the way they see details versus the big picture when viewing themselves, others and even inanimate objects."
Thirty percent of people with BDD also suffer from eating disorders, which are also linked to having a distorted self-image. Feusner is now enrolling anorexia nervosa patients to study whether they have abnormalities in the way they process visual information, to compare them with BDD patients. He plans to use this information to develop treatments to help people reconfigure the way they perceive themselves.
Notes:
Other authors of the study were Hayley Moller and Teena Moody of UCLA, and Emily Hembacher of the University of California, Davis. Funding was provided by the National Institute for Mental Health. The authors report no conflict of interest.
Source:
Mark Wheeler
University of California - Los Angeles
Tuesday 20 September 2011
You Are What You Eat
It's not just what you eat that determines your health but also how well you digest, absorb and use the food. A healthy digestive tract, therefore, is essential if you are to enjoy good health. If it was laid out flat, your digestive tract would have a surface area about the size of a tennis court, and it is a quarter the thickness of a sheet of paper. This is the barrier between you - that is, the cells that make up your body - and the food you eat.
Each morsel of ingested food passes through three processes: the breakdown of food into simple units (digestion); the transport of nutrients across the gut membrane into the blood (absorption); and the selective ejection of waste (elimination). For this process to work efficiently your digestion needs good food. Giving your digestive tract "low grade fuel" puts undue strain on the system, because the extra effort required to deal with inappropriate foods is wasted energy and it draws on your body's reserves of nutrients in an attempt to cope. These valuable nutrients would be better spent balancing your energy, mood and hormones.
According to the late nutrition expert Dr Abram Hoffer, 'Modern diets are designed to appeal to the senses. Modern food bears little relationship to our physiological needs. Modern high tech-food processing has robbed us of the use of our senses in determining whether a food is or is not good for us.'
It is only recently that it has become necessary to educate ourselves about the composition of food. Our ancestors learned very effectively which foods were safe to eat using trial and error. Foods that were bland, salty or sweet were preferred and, as a rule, are not poisonous. These were balanced whole foods needed to maintain health. Today, our food supplies have been manipulated in such a way that we no longer recognise what is and what is not a healthy food.
The Process of Detoxification
The body has to expend a lot of energy detoxifying - in other words cleansing from the body - every man-made chemical, pollutant or inappropriate food that goes into it. Yet every process in the body, especially detoxification, depends on nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins and minerals, which come from the foods we eat. The problem with man-made chemicals, pollutants and inappropriate foods is that they either do not supply any nutrients or may require even more to detoxify them than they provided in the first place. Combined with poor quality food choices, this leads to ever-increasing nutritional depletion and impaired detoxification potential.
This is particularly concerning because used-up hormones and derivatives of hormones also have to be detoxified, as do the hormone-like substances we inadvertently take in from pesticides, plastics, industrial pollutants and detergents residues. If they are not adequately detoxified, imbalances such as oestrogen dominance are created. Furthermore, we now know that even small amounts of oestrogen derivatives (also called oestrogen metabolites) can be quite toxic if they accumulate because of poor detoxification. (However, it is now possible to test for these, and a nutritional therapist might recommend such a test depending on your symptoms.)
Patrick Holford
- Balance Your Hormones
Each morsel of ingested food passes through three processes: the breakdown of food into simple units (digestion); the transport of nutrients across the gut membrane into the blood (absorption); and the selective ejection of waste (elimination). For this process to work efficiently your digestion needs good food. Giving your digestive tract "low grade fuel" puts undue strain on the system, because the extra effort required to deal with inappropriate foods is wasted energy and it draws on your body's reserves of nutrients in an attempt to cope. These valuable nutrients would be better spent balancing your energy, mood and hormones.
According to the late nutrition expert Dr Abram Hoffer, 'Modern diets are designed to appeal to the senses. Modern food bears little relationship to our physiological needs. Modern high tech-food processing has robbed us of the use of our senses in determining whether a food is or is not good for us.'
It is only recently that it has become necessary to educate ourselves about the composition of food. Our ancestors learned very effectively which foods were safe to eat using trial and error. Foods that were bland, salty or sweet were preferred and, as a rule, are not poisonous. These were balanced whole foods needed to maintain health. Today, our food supplies have been manipulated in such a way that we no longer recognise what is and what is not a healthy food.
The Process of Detoxification
The body has to expend a lot of energy detoxifying - in other words cleansing from the body - every man-made chemical, pollutant or inappropriate food that goes into it. Yet every process in the body, especially detoxification, depends on nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins and minerals, which come from the foods we eat. The problem with man-made chemicals, pollutants and inappropriate foods is that they either do not supply any nutrients or may require even more to detoxify them than they provided in the first place. Combined with poor quality food choices, this leads to ever-increasing nutritional depletion and impaired detoxification potential.
This is particularly concerning because used-up hormones and derivatives of hormones also have to be detoxified, as do the hormone-like substances we inadvertently take in from pesticides, plastics, industrial pollutants and detergents residues. If they are not adequately detoxified, imbalances such as oestrogen dominance are created. Furthermore, we now know that even small amounts of oestrogen derivatives (also called oestrogen metabolites) can be quite toxic if they accumulate because of poor detoxification. (However, it is now possible to test for these, and a nutritional therapist might recommend such a test depending on your symptoms.)
Patrick Holford
- Balance Your Hormones
Monday 19 September 2011
Watch That Attitude!
Optimists live longer than pessimists do! That's the conclusion of a 30-year study involving 447 people that was conducted by scientists at the Mayo Clinic. They found that those with a more than positive outlook had around a 50 percent lower risk of early death than negative thinkers and wrote that "mind and body are linked and attitude has an impact on the final outcome, death." This is a startling statistic! Optimists also had fewer physical and emotional health problems; had less pain and increased energy; and were generally more peaceful, happy, and calm than pessimists.
One of the reasons why a positive attitude is so important is because it boosts our immune systems and therefore our ability to fight illness. As we go through our lives, our attitudes affect how we react to viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. A positive, optimistic perspective is ultimately best for our overall health and longevity. We also deal with situations differently depending upon our attitude to them. A positive approach helps us cope with challenges and even see them as opportunities, which ultimately benefits our health.
Dr David R. Hamilton
One of the reasons why a positive attitude is so important is because it boosts our immune systems and therefore our ability to fight illness. As we go through our lives, our attitudes affect how we react to viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. A positive, optimistic perspective is ultimately best for our overall health and longevity. We also deal with situations differently depending upon our attitude to them. A positive approach helps us cope with challenges and even see them as opportunities, which ultimately benefits our health.
Dr David R. Hamilton
Thursday 15 September 2011
Loneliness As A Mentor
In her book “When Things Fall Apart”, Pema Chodron likens sitting with our own loneliness to going into detox.
“Boy, that doesn’t sound like fun!” I thought when I first read her words.
But it sure made me curious.
Is it? Is the experience of my own loneliness really that uncomfortable – or transformative?
Depending on where we are in our relationship with our own loneliness, we may have different interpretations for this image.
It didn’t take long. Before five minutes had passed I started to squirm. To fidget. To THINK.
Oh god. The thinking. That’s the worst.
Pema writes that trying to escape from our own fundamental human loneliness is like trying to find lasting comfort while sitting cross-legged. We settle into a position and hunker down for a relaxing rest. But then our knee starts to hurt. So we shift positions. “Ahhhh, much better,” we think. Then our foot falls asleep. So we shift again. “Yup, this is the ticket. I’m fine now.” But then our lower back starts to spasm…
You get the picture.
She writes, “Usually we regard loneliness as an enemy. Heartache is not something we choose to invite in. It’s restless and pregnant and hot with the desire to escape and find something or someone to keep us company. When we can rest in the middle, we begin to have a nonthreatening relationship with loneliness, a relaxing and cooling loneliness that completely turns our usual fearful patterns upside down.”
What she means by resting in the middle is avoiding the temptation to do something – anything – at the first twinges of loneliness. If we have an eating disorder, we might look to the refrigerator – or stay away. If we are single, we might join a dating site. If we are a drinker we might reach for the bottle. If we have an intense job we might throw ourselves more deeply into our work. But if we are not at ease in the presence of our own loneliness, what is sure is that we will do something to try to escape it.
Pema urges us not to do this.
She says, “The point is that in all these activities, we are seeking companionship in our usual, habitual way, using our same old repetitive ways of distancing ourselves from the demon loneliness. Could we just settle down and have some compassion and respect for ourselves? Could we stop trying to escape being alone with ourselves?”
When I first read these words, I realized that I didn’t know.
So what did I discover – after forcing myself to just sit still, to observe and experience what it feels like to be “lonely me”?
I discovered that it is possible. To just sit. To be with myself. To feel lonely and not die from it. To feel lonely and survive it without doing one single thing to distract myself or try to push it away.
I also discovered that, behind the space where the lonely feelings hang out, there is a peace. Pema draws a direct comparison between loneliness and contentment, and I had never thought of contentment in that way before.
But when I took some time to not just think about it but feel my way into it, I found it to be true. Contentment is accepting and enjoying what is, right in this moment now. Another word for contentment might be mindfulness. And another word for mindfulness might be loneliness. We are often – always – alone with ourselves. This will never change. Pema draws another parallel between loneliness and discipline. The discipline of mindfulness and the discipline of loneliness and the discipline of contentment are one and the same.
In other words, loneliness can be a true friend and a mentor to us….if we will let it. Loneliness can teach us that our own company is not a last resort, our only option, or something we should strive to avoid at all costs.
Loneliness can offer a comfort that nothing else can match, as we relax into what is, and begin to enjoy each moment just as it is, whether we are keeping good company with others or with ourselves.
Today’s Takeaway: Where would you rank yourself on the “comfort meter” when it comes to your own experience of feeling lonely? Are you able to sit with it as you would with a friend? Or do you run shrieking away the moment it arrives? What can loneliness teach you about where you still need to work on strengthening your relationship with yourself? How can making peace with loneliness strengthen your relationships with others as well?
Shannon Cutts
PsychCentral.com
Wednesday 14 September 2011
Attractive Personality?
Part of what determines how much success you will have in the dating world is whether you have a good sense of whether people find you attractive. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that certain personality traits contribute to being a good judge of whether someone else thinks you're worth meeting again.
The study is one of a series to come out of a big speed-dating experiment held in Berlin about five years ago. "Most of the prior research had worked with hypothetical scenarios, where people are asked by a questioner, 'What kind of people would you like to get to know?' and so on," says Mitja Back of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, who co-wrote the new paper with Lars Penke of the University of Edinburgh, Stefan Schmukle of Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, and Jens Asendorpf of Humboldt University Berlin. The problem, of course, is that what people say they like--honesty, humor, and so on-may have little to do with what they actually like-for example hotness.
In this case, Back was interested in another question: is there's something about personality that makes some people better at predicting whether others will want to meet them? In 17 groups, a total of 190 men and 192 women met members of the opposite sex-basically the standard speed dating routine, but this time, with psychologists collecting a lot of data. Among that data was personality information and the all-important question after each three-minute date: for each person you talk to, do you want to see that person again? They were also asked if they thought the other person would want to meet them.
On the whole, people are very bad at guessing how many of the other persons will want to meet them. Some people had no clue at all. But others did better. Success was correlated with particular traits that are stereotypically associated with the sexes: Men who have a more promiscuous orientation were better at guessing if a woman would want to meet them, and women whose personality was very agreeable were better at guessing if a man would meet them.
Back thinks men who are inclined toward casual sex are displaying behavior that's very stereotypically associated with their sex; this may in turn evoke more typical behavior in the woman they're talking to, which could make them more accurate at predicting whether the woman will be interested. Women who are agreeable, on the other hand, might make men more comfortable and more willing to flirt-which could make it easier to judge whether the man will want to meet them again.
"Speed dating is a very good context to study dating behavior" Back says. "It's almost like psychologists could have invented this."
Source:
Association for Psychological Science
The study is one of a series to come out of a big speed-dating experiment held in Berlin about five years ago. "Most of the prior research had worked with hypothetical scenarios, where people are asked by a questioner, 'What kind of people would you like to get to know?' and so on," says Mitja Back of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, who co-wrote the new paper with Lars Penke of the University of Edinburgh, Stefan Schmukle of Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, and Jens Asendorpf of Humboldt University Berlin. The problem, of course, is that what people say they like--honesty, humor, and so on-may have little to do with what they actually like-for example hotness.
In this case, Back was interested in another question: is there's something about personality that makes some people better at predicting whether others will want to meet them? In 17 groups, a total of 190 men and 192 women met members of the opposite sex-basically the standard speed dating routine, but this time, with psychologists collecting a lot of data. Among that data was personality information and the all-important question after each three-minute date: for each person you talk to, do you want to see that person again? They were also asked if they thought the other person would want to meet them.
On the whole, people are very bad at guessing how many of the other persons will want to meet them. Some people had no clue at all. But others did better. Success was correlated with particular traits that are stereotypically associated with the sexes: Men who have a more promiscuous orientation were better at guessing if a woman would want to meet them, and women whose personality was very agreeable were better at guessing if a man would meet them.
Back thinks men who are inclined toward casual sex are displaying behavior that's very stereotypically associated with their sex; this may in turn evoke more typical behavior in the woman they're talking to, which could make them more accurate at predicting whether the woman will be interested. Women who are agreeable, on the other hand, might make men more comfortable and more willing to flirt-which could make it easier to judge whether the man will want to meet them again.
"Speed dating is a very good context to study dating behavior" Back says. "It's almost like psychologists could have invented this."
Source:
Association for Psychological Science
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Generating Vital Energy
Energy isn't just about the food you eat and the air you breathe. It's also dependent on the state of your body. Without exercise, the body loses muscle tone and it accumulates tension - and you feel tired. Exercise improves the circulation and oxygenates the blood, which is a natural high in itself, increasing your energy level. But there's more to exercise than simple physical training and the endorphin effect. Scientific research into yoga and t'ai chi have found health benefits you don't get from aerobic classes or running around the park. While excessive "aerobic" exercise can actually depress the immune system and overstress the body, t'ai chi can boost well-being and immunity. Yoga has been shown to have positive effects on pulse, blood pressure, and mental and physical performance beyond that expected from physical exercise alone.
These ancient systems of exercise were never designed simply to get you fit. They were designed to generate a natural high by removing the blockages that accumulated tension builds up. Such blockages prevent vital energy - known in China as chi, and in India as prana - from restoring your vitality.
And we accumulate stress everyday, which is stored as anxiety in our minds and as tension in our bodies. In the underlying philosophy of Far Eastern martial arts and the ancient Indian traditions, yoga or t'ai chi unlock the tension and allow you to return to a natural and blissful state of equilibrium.
Patrick Holford & Dr Hyla Cass
Natural Highs
These ancient systems of exercise were never designed simply to get you fit. They were designed to generate a natural high by removing the blockages that accumulated tension builds up. Such blockages prevent vital energy - known in China as chi, and in India as prana - from restoring your vitality.
And we accumulate stress everyday, which is stored as anxiety in our minds and as tension in our bodies. In the underlying philosophy of Far Eastern martial arts and the ancient Indian traditions, yoga or t'ai chi unlock the tension and allow you to return to a natural and blissful state of equilibrium.
Patrick Holford & Dr Hyla Cass
Natural Highs
Sunday 11 September 2011
Where Would We Be Without Compassion?
In this day and age the concept of “survival of the fittest” doesn’t apply. There are many people who devote their life to helping others improve their life and get their needs meet.
Why do people desire to prevent others suffering? Why do we sacrifice for others?
Is it human nature and in our best interest to support and revive each other in times of need?
There are, of course, different perspectives about this. Some people are bleeding hearts and will do whatever it takes to achieve equanimity and with everyone receiving a fair share. On the other hand, what is fair? And how do we take into consideration the ideas of personal responsibility, determination, and tenacity when it comes to getting our life where we want it to be? This second perspective may not be so compassionate and giving.
Neither view is right or wrong of course, and I personally see some value to both perspectives. It’s very healthy to have a sense of determination and drive, however it’s hard to deny that with a little more generosity and giving the world would be a vastly better place. It’s difficult to find a balance.
Consider that the online phones service Skype was just purchased by Microsoft for around 8 billion dollars. Can you imagine how this money could’ve have been utilized to drastically improve this entire country?
Though, it’s not Microsoft’s responsibility to get our country out of debt or change local communities, it’s each and every one of our responsibilities.
I know it’s a hard pill to swallow. Even with extensive assistance there will always be people who just can’t get their life together, and will never be the success story that motivates our giving and generosity.
This hopeless notion may be a major reason people don’t dedicate more time and resources to helping those in need. They figure “what’s the point?”
So, what is the point? Do we have an ethical prerogative to improve and even save peoples lives?
Don’t throw life away
What about those people who are “drains” on society? The one’s who use resources, never work a day in their life, and will ultimately never give back to the community.
As I was discussing this topic recently with a friend of mine whom is a mental health counselor, I was offered some very uplifting and reassuring insight. My friend explained that he had gotten into the field because he knows people can change, and in fact he has seen many people completely transform.
In this sense, there is some utility in never giving up on others. Everyone has a purpose and a place in this world. Whether to teach people a valuable lesson and help them learn what not to do, or in making a major impact on the world by inspiring others and overcoming the odds, we all have a purpose to be uncovered.
You never know, it may be the one person who is down and out who ends up discovering the cure for cancer if they are able to make it through the tough times.
We should never throw life away despite our personal values of industry and advancement. Without compassion the human race would not survive.
Building better communities
Psychology has a rich tradition of working to promote healthier communities, and a major focus in positive psychology is building positive institutions. When people come together and have an infrastructure set up to build social bonds and strengthen social ties there is a much greater chance for community wellness.
This can come from supporting diversity and encouraging group cohesion, as well as working to help others become empowered and feel a sense of purpose and autonomy within the community.
This is more than simply having basic needs met. People will turn to unhealthy ways of coping and dealing with inequality if they do not feel heard. Do you feel the current system in your community provides the management of adequate resources? Could political and societal institutions redistribute resources in a more effective way to empower a community more holistically?
By
Saturday 10 September 2011
Fats For The Brain
Essential fats are important for mind and mood. In fact, 60 per cent of the brain is made from fat, and essential fats make a big difference to brain cell communication. So if you want to be naturally high you need to ensure an optimal intake of them. We estimate that around 30 per cent of the calories in your diet should come from fat.
The average diet consists of 40 per cent fat, mainly from meat, dairy products and junk foods, which are high in saturated and hydrogenated fats. These hydrogenated fats may sound good on food labels, where they are often described as polyunsaturated hydrogenated vegetable oils. But in truth, hydrogenating a fat makes it like a saturated fat, no longer able to do all the wonderful things that the unprocessed (essential) polyunsaturated fats can do. Even worse, while they can be incorporated into the brain, they don't work. The junk foods literally numb their thinking processes. In other words, the wrong kind of fats literally lowers your intelligence and worsens your mood.
Alpha and Omega : the essential fats.
The reverse is also true. If you increase your intake of the right kinds of polyunsaturated fats, your mind and mood will get a tremendous boost. These are omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids or EFAs, and you need equal amounts of these in your diet. Omega-3 fats are found in flaxseeds (also called linseeds) and in fish, especially oily coldwater fish such as herring, mackerel, tuna and salmon. Omega-6 fats are found in sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and oils.
Seeds are also a wonderful source of protein, minerals and vitamin E. We recommend you eat a heaped tablespoon of seeds every day. An ideal mix would be half flaxseeds, with the remaining half made of sesame, sunflower, hemp and pumpkin seeds. Since some of these seeds are quite tough, you will get more nutrients out of them by grinding them in a coffee grinder and then sprinkling them on cereal, soups, salads or casseroles.
Essential fats are easily damaged and lose their nutritional value if heated or stored too long, especially if they are exposed to light. So the best way to protect the oils in seeds is to keep them in a tightly sealed glass jar in the fridge.
In addition to your daily heaped tablespoon of the ground seed mix, adding one of the following will help you achieve an optimal intake of omega-3 fats:
* A serving of an oily fish three times a week,
*A daily fish oil supplement providing 400 mg of EPA plus DHA, or (for strict vegetarians)
*A daily dessertspoon of flaxseed oil, or
*An additional heaped tablespoon of ground or soaked flaxseeds.
You can also buy organic cold-pressed seed oil blends that provide both omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These are great to use in salad dressings, in preference to olive oil (which only provides 8 per cent omega-6) and instead of butter, drizzled on vegetables or other food after cooking. Never use polyunsaturated oils for frying though.
Essential fats need to be in balance with your brain. EFAs that hang off phospholipid molecules in the brain are either DHA (a type of omega-3 fat) or arachidonic acid (an omega-6 fat).
Arachidonic acid is found in animal meat, squid, eggs and milk and can also be made from those omega-6 fats found in seeds, although you only tend to make what you need from these seeds. Too much arachidonic acid isn't good for you, which is why a diet high in meat and low in fish can worsen mental and emotional performance. So a good balance is really key.
Patrick Holford & Dr Hyla Cass
Natural High
The average diet consists of 40 per cent fat, mainly from meat, dairy products and junk foods, which are high in saturated and hydrogenated fats. These hydrogenated fats may sound good on food labels, where they are often described as polyunsaturated hydrogenated vegetable oils. But in truth, hydrogenating a fat makes it like a saturated fat, no longer able to do all the wonderful things that the unprocessed (essential) polyunsaturated fats can do. Even worse, while they can be incorporated into the brain, they don't work. The junk foods literally numb their thinking processes. In other words, the wrong kind of fats literally lowers your intelligence and worsens your mood.
Alpha and Omega : the essential fats.
The reverse is also true. If you increase your intake of the right kinds of polyunsaturated fats, your mind and mood will get a tremendous boost. These are omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids or EFAs, and you need equal amounts of these in your diet. Omega-3 fats are found in flaxseeds (also called linseeds) and in fish, especially oily coldwater fish such as herring, mackerel, tuna and salmon. Omega-6 fats are found in sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and oils.
Seeds are also a wonderful source of protein, minerals and vitamin E. We recommend you eat a heaped tablespoon of seeds every day. An ideal mix would be half flaxseeds, with the remaining half made of sesame, sunflower, hemp and pumpkin seeds. Since some of these seeds are quite tough, you will get more nutrients out of them by grinding them in a coffee grinder and then sprinkling them on cereal, soups, salads or casseroles.
Essential fats are easily damaged and lose their nutritional value if heated or stored too long, especially if they are exposed to light. So the best way to protect the oils in seeds is to keep them in a tightly sealed glass jar in the fridge.
In addition to your daily heaped tablespoon of the ground seed mix, adding one of the following will help you achieve an optimal intake of omega-3 fats:
* A serving of an oily fish three times a week,
*A daily fish oil supplement providing 400 mg of EPA plus DHA, or (for strict vegetarians)
*A daily dessertspoon of flaxseed oil, or
*An additional heaped tablespoon of ground or soaked flaxseeds.
You can also buy organic cold-pressed seed oil blends that provide both omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These are great to use in salad dressings, in preference to olive oil (which only provides 8 per cent omega-6) and instead of butter, drizzled on vegetables or other food after cooking. Never use polyunsaturated oils for frying though.
Essential fats need to be in balance with your brain. EFAs that hang off phospholipid molecules in the brain are either DHA (a type of omega-3 fat) or arachidonic acid (an omega-6 fat).
Arachidonic acid is found in animal meat, squid, eggs and milk and can also be made from those omega-6 fats found in seeds, although you only tend to make what you need from these seeds. Too much arachidonic acid isn't good for you, which is why a diet high in meat and low in fish can worsen mental and emotional performance. So a good balance is really key.
Patrick Holford & Dr Hyla Cass
Natural High
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