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7 Warning Signs Of Anxiety

June 23, 2016 by Chris Butler

People with anxiety can tell you how exhausting and frustrating their disorder can be, and the worst part is, that finding a cure for it isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. People respond differently to different treatments, and finding the one that works for you is just a matter of trial and error. Even if one attempts a full recovery, totally getting over anxiety may not happen for some people.

Despite all the research and information available about anxiety, scientists remain baffled as to the direct cause of anxiety. Because anxiety can creep up on anyone at any time, we thought we’d make a list of common symptoms to look out for so that you can prevent anxiety before it rears its ugly head.

Seven Common Anxiety Warning Signs

Here are some of the most frequent warning signs of anxiety:

1. Muscle Pain

Anxiety affects the entire body, plain and simple. One such area of discomfort lies in the muscles, as stress can make muscles tighter and cramp easier. People with anxiety can experience almost constant muscle tension, and those who have lived with the disorder for a while, may not even notice it anymore. Regular exercise can help to keep this symptom under control, but those with anxiety may still experience muscle tension despite moving their body regularly.

2. Headaches

Since anxiety causes the whole body to tighten up, the head is no exception to this. People with chronic anxiety report frequent headaches and migraines, as the tension causes a buildup of cortisol in the body. This stress hormone can cause you actual physical pain, as the body essentially prepares for a situation in which survival is at stake. Our bodies still have this fight-or-flight response, but in those with anxiety, it doesn’t seem to operate properly.

3. Fatigue

Anxiety can severely deplete the body’s energy stores, resulting in extreme fatigue and exhaustion. If you regularly feel tired despite a good night’s rest, you might have anxiety. Your body is using most of its energy on simply staying alive and avoiding a dangerous situation, so you have no energy left for anything else. Also, anxiety causes you to ruminate over things, which can leave the body and mind feeling depleted as well.

4. Craving Sugary or Starchy Foods

When we experience high levels of stress or anxiety, we want to reach for the first sugary or fattening treat we can find in order to stabilize our body. However, this is heightened even more in those with anxiety, as their bodies feel under constant attack from their disorder. If you find yourself using food to cope with your emotions often, you might have a hidden anxiety disorder. Keep note of when you start to crave these types of foods so you can better understand when and why you use these foods to cope with your feelings.

5. Digestive Issues

Chronic anxiety has been directly linked to poor digestion, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). When the brain is “not right,” the digestive system generally isn’t either. In fact, between 80 to 90 percent of the brain’s “calming” neurotransmitter, serotonin, is produced in the gastrointestinal tract. The result is two-fold: poor digestion and inefficient production of serotonin.

6. Fluctuating Moods

When our brain is inundated with anxious thoughts, we have very little patience for things that demand our attention. Note that is obviously counterproductive – it is far better to focus on things that are constructive than to allow anxiety to run amuck. However, for those with chronic anxiety, their default reaction is to “snap” or “lash out” when someone or something requires attention.

7. Insomnia

This is relatively obvious, but when the brain is rapidly firing it can be quite difficult to enter a state of relaxation. When relaxation is difficult, sleep is as well. It is common for someone with chronic anxiety to be “exhausted in body, but restless is mind;” in other words, they may be more than willing to enter a deep sleep but their brain simply won’t allow it.

17 Behaviors to Help Beat Anxiety

Here are some steps you can take to restore your peace of mind.

1. Learn about anxiety

Learning everything you can about anxiety helps you better understand it. This will also help you understand how to respond when you feel anxious. Educating yourself about anxiety helps you feel in control instead of the anxiety controlling you.

2. Explore the outdoors

Being outside is a natural way to beat anxiety. When you’re in the sunshine and fresh air, your body releases a chemical called serotonin. It’s a natural mood enhancer that makes you feel happier. Get outside every day for at least 15 minutes to raise your vitamin D. This vitamin helps your immune system and allows your body to absorb and regulate calcium. Try outside activities such as:

Walking
Gardening
Birdwatching
Biking
Having a picnic
Swimming

3. Read a good book

Reading gets overlooked to beat anxiety. But reading not only strengthens your brain, but it also relaxes your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure. One study found college students who read every day were less prone to anxiety. Reading slows down your heart rate and breathing so much that it’s been compared to meditation.

4. Watch your diet

One way to beat your anxiety is to eat a healthy diet. When you’re eating well, you feel better and have more energy. This boosts your positivity. Eating less sugar, low fat, and low sodium are great choices. Choose to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, whole fibrous grains, and low-fat meats to stay fit, so you can maintain a positive outlook.

5. Relaxation

If you’re feeling anxious, find some relaxation strategies to reduce your anxiety. These techniques put you in control of your anxiety, rather than being controlled by it. Try relaxation techniques, such as:

Deep abdominal breathing
Isometric relaxation
Muscle relaxation
Yoga
Ta chi

6. Sufficient sleep

Individuals who are well rested are less prone to depression and other mental health conditions, like anxiety. When you sleep, it recharges your mind and body. An adequate amount of sleep can

Help you remember things better
Protect your heart
Improve your decision-making skills
Prevents weight gain
Improve your ability to learn new things

7. Laughter

Laughter improves your mood and relieves depression and anxiety. It’s a natural way to lower your stress, so you feel better about your life. Studies show that laughter decreases cortisol levels, so the stress in your body goes down. Laughter also increases the dopamine and serotonin levels in your body. Many therapists are incorporating laughter into their patient treatments.

8. Let your creativity flow

Creative experiences stimulate your mind and lower your stress level. Being creative allows you to focus. Creative endeavors produce positive emotions, which give you a sense of well-being and happiness. People who let creativity flow say they have more energy and feel happier. Try some simple creative activities:

Doddle-Let your mind wander as you doddle. This stimulates brainstorming.
Write a little song about the problem you’re having at work
Try some new today-Breaking out of your routine, frees your mind to think creatively
Move your desk-Rearranging your office can stimulate creativity.
Listen to music

9. Write about it

Writing your thoughts and feelings is a wonderful way to beat anxiety. It helps you work out exactly what’s bothering you and can ease your stressful feelings. The act of writing doesn’t take away your problems, but it makes you feel better.

10. Socialize with friends and family

Resist the urge to isolate yourself when you’re struggling with anxiety. Being alone is the last thing you need. Having friends and family around you gives you a new perspective on your life. As you focus on others, the anxiety fades. Talk to your family and friends about how you’re feeling. This breaks the secret hold anxiety has on you.

11. Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs

Alcohol and drugs make anxiety worse. If you’re already feeling depressed and anxious, they will only make you feel sadder. If you feel you’re addicted to these things, find a support group to help you break free from the control alcohol and drugs have on you.

12. Quit smoking

Nicotine creates a sense of calm, so you think smoking helps you to relax. But it’s a temporary experience. Soon after you smoke, you’ll have cravings for more nicotine. It’s classified as a stimulant because it speeds up your breathing and heart rate. It’s hard to withdraw from nicotine, and this adds to your feelings of anxiety.

13. Avoid caffeinated drinks

Too much caffeine creates the same feeling as an anxiety attack. Your heart rate speeds up, you breathe quickly, and your mind races. It’s important that you’re aware of this when you choose your drinks. You don’t need to give up caffeine entirely, but if they give you anxiety symptoms, you want to find alternative drinks.

14. Identify triggers

If you suffer from anxiety, you need to understand what triggers it. As you learn your triggers, you can be better equipped to beat anxiety. Triggers for anxiety include:

Finances
Work problems
At home issues
Health problems
Feeling isolated
Falling into bad habits

If possible, limit your exposure to your triggers, or use coping strategies to get through situations you can’t avoid. You may need extra help from your therapist, your friends, or your pastor.

15. Catch your negative thoughts

Negative thoughts trigger anxiety. If your mind focuses on something negative, stop your thoughts and redirect them. Pick to think about positive things. It takes deliberate effort, but there is always something positive in any situation. Negative thoughts steal your joy about your life.

16. Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy reduces anxiety, giving you a sense of calm. Whether you use a scented aromatherapy candle, incense or diffuser, the soothing scent helps activate certain brain chemicals that ease your anxiety. Choose scents like these for best results.

Lavender
Sandalwood
Chamomile

17. Belief in God

Believing in someone bigger than you can help you beat anxiety. Faith releases you from feeling as if you need to control every little thing in your life. You find strength in trusting God. Prayer to God helps you let go of your fears. Write your prayers in a journal and read the Bible to find peace. Find other friends who share your same values to draw strength from them.

Final Thoughts on Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety is exhausting to deal with. There is no one way to deal with it. Plus, different experiences or situations trigger anxiety. Everyone’s a little different which helps them fight anxiety. Hopefully, these suggestions help you beat your anxiety and find peace in your life.

Holding This Point On Your Body Can Melt Stress and Anxiety

June 23, 2016 by Sarah Barkley

Everyone deals with stress and anxiety sometimes, but not everyone knows how to overcome it. Knowing the best ways to melt stress can quickly improve your life and well-being. One way to handle the feeling is through acupressure, but there are other ways.

Anytime you feel tense, experience worried thoughts, or notice physical changes in your body, it could be anxiety. It can be a healthy emotion if you don’t allow it to get out of control and interfere with your life. Learning to melt stress can make a lasting difference, improving your well-being and sense of peace.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States, so you aren’t alone. It affects around 40 million adults each year, making it a well-known and researched condition. One way to melt stress is by using acupressure, and there are specific pressure points that target your feelings.

While there are multiple pressure points you could try, the one discussed below works quickly and effectively. It relieves physical and psychological distress, allowing you to feel better overall.

The Best Pressure Point to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

The union valley point is one of the best points to hold to melt stress and anxiety. This pressure point is also called Hegu (LI4). It is located in the webbing between the base of your thumb and index finger,

Putting pressure on the union valley point eases stress, but it also reduces headaches and neck pain. Plus, it can induce labor, so be mindful of that if you’re pregnant.

How to Stimulate It

Knowing where the union valley pressure point is won’t help much if you don’t know how to stimulate it. Follow these directions:

Use your index finger and thumb of the opposite hand to apply pressure to the area.
Massage the pressure point for four or five seconds while focusing on sleep and deep breathing.
Switch hands and do the opposite side.

Why It Works, According to Science

Some experts believe that stress or anxiety occurs when your body’s qi is unbalanced. The qi is a natural energy that flows within, affecting your health and well-being. Activating pressure points throughout your body can help restore your energy balance.

Research shows that people who receive acupressure report decreased stress levels. Other studies show that it also improves physical signs, including heart and respiratory rates. Furthermore, acupressure reduces depression and stress while increasing overall well-being.

What Causes Anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal part of life, but you must learn to cope with it. Some people experience the feeling more than others, and sometimes it negatively impacts their life. No matter how severe your situation, knowing the causes can help you make a beneficial change.

As long as you can imagine your future, you’ll experience anxious feelings. It indicates that you’re thinking about what might or might not happen in the future. Feeling uncertain about pending circumstances can cause feelings of overwhelming worry.

The worry might be about your job, health, relationships, or world events. Anything that triggers you or makes you feel threatened can cause the anxious feelings that you desperately want to ignore.

Anxious feelings can also occur when you experience the following:

Potential danger
Something needing your attention
Urges to prepare for your future
Needing to protect yourself
Dread or misfortune
Presenting or speaking in front of others
Risk losing social standing
Too much caffeine
Hormone imbalance
Disease or disorders
Stress at work
Financial difficulties
Significant life changes

With that being the case, it’s easier to understand why stress and anxiety can be a good thing. However, if it intensifies or persists, it might be going too far. You’ll end up struggling with problem-solving and mental functioning.

Some risk factors increase the chance of developing anxiety, including:

Biological makeup
Genetics
Life history
Personality factors
Lack of coping skills

Determining the causes and risk factors can help you overcome stress and anxious feelings. It’ll help you recognize your triggers and decide which ones you must work on first.

14 Anxiety Coping Strategies

Acupressure is a beneficial way to cope, but it isn’t the only way. There are many other ways to cope, building your resiliency with each step.

1. Stay Physically Active

Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s happy hormones. Each time you get active, you’ll experience a boost of positivity as stress melts away.

If you develop a routine to stay active, you’ll experience much less stress. You should be active most days of the week, improving your mood as you keep your body healthy. Start slowly and then increase the intensity of your movement.

2. Avoid Drugs and Alcohol

Many people believe that drugs and alcohol make them feel better, but it’s not true. These substances worsen stress quickly, severely exacerbating the symptoms. If you need help quitting, seek a professional for assistance.

3. Stop Smoking Cigarettes

The nicotine in cigarettes can worsen anxious feelings. Cut back until you can quit entirely, and you’ll notice a drastic change in your overall well-being.

4. Cut Back on Caffeine

Caffeine worsens anxiety symptoms, so overindulging has effects on your life. It increases your heart rate and blood pressure, increasing stress levels.

Additionally, caffeine withdrawal can contribute to anxious feelings, too. If you consume too much right now, start cutting back gradually rather than all at once. However, if you haven’t developed this problem, take precautions to avoid it.

5. Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep each night can make all the difference in your life and overall well-being. Set a bedtime schedule to help wind down before lying in bed each night. Do the same for the morning to have something to look forward to.

6. Eat Nutritious Foods

Consuming a healthy diet can make a big difference in your mental health and well-being. Make sure you include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish because they all reduce stress.

7. Identify Your Triggers

If you can learn what triggers your anxious feelings, you can decrease and prevent episodes. You’ll know what to avoid or which areas of your life to address.

8. Write in a Journal

Writing about your personal life and thoughts can help you identify areas of your life to work on. It’ll show what triggers you the most, helping you work through the situation. As you write, you’ll take the time to think about it and process it.

9. Spend Time with Friends and Loved Ones

Stress and anxiety often make you feel like you should isolate yourself, but it worsens the situation. Instead, reach out to people you enjoy spending time around or talking to anytime you feel overwhelmed. It can help you sort through your emotions, or it can help you think about something else if that’s what you want.

Try to focus on nonjudgmental people when you aren’t feeling great. Otherwise, you could wind up feeling worse than when you reached out. Turn to someone who will support you and want you to be happy.

10. Practice Self-Care

Taking care of yourself involves regular self-care, and it’s more than just bubble baths and naps. You can practice self-care by doing things to keep your body healthy and strong. Then, participate in activities that bring joy and relaxation to your life.

Many people are surprised to find that taking a break and relaxing can make you more productive. So not only do you reduce stress through self-care, but you also do better at your daily tasks. There’s no losing when it comes to taking care of yourself.

11. Meditate

Regular meditation is life-changing, and it doesn’t take as much time as many people think. Even five minutes a day can make a difference and help you feel better.

12. Be Creative

Being creative has a way of reducing stress, and you have plenty of options to choose from. You can paint, scrapbook, write, cook, or bake because they all get your creativity flowing.

Focusing your mind and energy on creating something can boost your mood and melt stress. Creativity can help you process your thoughts and work through things that overwhelm your thoughts.

13. Practice Breathing Techniques

Deep breathing techniques help reduce your heart rate, calming stress and anxiety. Box breathing is one technique that involves breathing in for a count of four and out for another four seconds. However, there are many other methods, so make sure to explore your options.

14. Ask for Help

Sometimes you might need a little help with your anxious feelings. Don’t feel bad if that’s the case because it’s more common than you think. Reach out to a mental health professional who can help you overcome and persevere.

Final Thoughts on Mastering This Anxiety Reduction Technique

Occasional stress and anxiety are normal, but they shouldn’t control your life. If anxious feelings occur more than you’d like, this technique can help. Plus, you can try other ways to cope and see what works for you.

Reducing stress can improve your life in so many ways. You’ll be happier and feel better as it promotes mental and physical health.

3 Signs It’s Time To Take Your Relationship To The Next Level

June 23, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Knowing if the time is right to take your relationship to the next level can be tricky. Missing the right timing for taking things to the next level can have negative consequences for your relationship. Moving too fast could scare your partner into thinking that you want things to become too serious too soon.

When you and your partner think you might be ready, look out for the following things to be present…

3 Signs It’s Time To Take Your Relationship to The Next Level

Making a special connection to someone that you feel could make a good romantic partner feels amazing. The initial spark of attraction is strong and your hormones are telling you to take things to the next level. But this is a big decision that could impact the rest of your relationship. How do you know if it’s the right time?

There are many firsts in a relationship and when you are wondering if you should take things to the next level, it could mean the first time you and your partner:

Kiss
Make love
Move in together
Meet each other’s family members
Talk about important things like having children
Discuss getting engaged

You don’t have to agonize over making a decision about whether to take things to the next level in your romance. You just need to make sure that both of you are on the same page in your relationship.

Here are 3 signs that this is a good time to make a move.

Understanding yourself and your own relationship history is a good step to making sure that you are ready to take your current romantic relationship to the next level. How did you learn to act in a relationship from your earliest experiences with one; your parents?

As a teenager, your communication between parents and yourself can be either positive and supportive or negative and rejecting. The way that you interact with parents is likely to influence how you interact with romantic partners later in life.

Penn State University researchers say that early life also affects your adult relationships in how you handle conflicts as well as how you experience love from family. The divorce of your parents can also shape how you see commitment in your own relationships. Awareness of your parents’ relationship good or bad habits is helpful to recognize your own tendencies in relationships.

1. You can tell that you and your partner trust each other

You have established a bond of trust. Most likely, you know something about your partner that was special for them to open up to you about and you have done the same thing for your partner.

You have shared experiences together. You communicate emotions well and express your needs to your partner, who in turn provides what you need. When you know that someone cares for your needs, you know that you can trust in them. When you feel comfortable disclosing personal information to them and they do to you, you know you can trust each other.

2. You and your partner communicate your needs well

From the arranged marriages of the 1800’s, dating has changed rather rapidly. It’s no wonder that single people who are in relationships get confused about how fast to move when they really care for another person. Asking your partner to ‘go steady’ used to be one of the steps in taking your romance to the next level.

Researchers have connected the level of your personalized communication to the strength of your relationship. As a relationship progresses, more personal details are shared and you build a bond of intimacy. Improving your communication skills with your partner is a good sign that it’s an appropriate time to take your relationship to the next level.

Researchers also found that the labels we give our relationships like ‘friend,’ ‘lover,’ or ‘fiance‚’ are important to how our relationships develop over time. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of the ‘friend-zone’ designation when you were hoping for more, you can understand how labels can affect relationships.

3. You are not afraid to talk to your partner about this decision

Other than making the first move and giving your partner a kiss, most other relationship-next-level decisions might actually need to include your partner in the decision-making process. If you are considering advancing your relationship, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask your partner to tell you if they think it’s time to move things along.

Tell them how important mutual communication, understanding, and trust are to you and tell them that you’ve been thinking about taking things to the next level. Listen to your partner and also look for the non-verbal body language clues that tell you if their words match their feelings.

Science Explains 8 Health Benefits of Drinking ‘Golden Milk’ Every Night Before Bed

June 23, 2016 by Chris Butler

You probably know the feeling – enjoying a delicious meal before going to bed, yet not being able to sleep due to unbearable heartburn, indigestion, or acid reflux. In fact, 60% of the adult population in the U.S. will experience gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) within a 12 month period and 20 to 30% will have weekly symptoms. While many medications on the market can treat digestion issues, you can get the same results by drinking golden milk.

Of course, avoiding the types of foods and drinks that cause indigestion and other stomach problems is ideal, but we all like to enjoy and indulge in a delicious meal every once in a while. According to Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology, people with GERD should avoid the following foods, drinks, and lifestyle habits.

Foods to Avoid if You Have GERD

tobacco and nicotine products
chewing gum and hard candy (these increase the amount of air swallowed, which leads to belching and acid reflux and colitits)
late-night snacks and lying down directly after eating
tight clothing and bending over after eating
large meals throughout the day (eat smaller meals for better digestion)
carrying extra weight (being overweight increases the likelihood of experiencing GERD)
fatty or fried foods
peppermint/spearmint
oils
chocolate
creamed veggies or soups
fast foods
citrus fruits such as grapefruit, oranges, and pineapple
coffee
tea
caffeinated soft drinks
spicy or acidic foods
alcohol
processed meats

While this might seem like a lot to avoid, the key to following this lies in how often you consume these foods and drinks. Stick to a whole foods diet, preferably with as many fruits and vegetables as possible, and try to consume the foods listed above on occasion.

So, what if you eat one of your favorite meals one evening and experience terrible GERD before going to bed? Luckily, the following “golden milk” can alleviate your symptoms and have you feeling refreshed the following morning!

Drink This “Golden Milk” At Night – Amazing Results in the Morning!

You’ll only need a few common ingredients to make this miracle drink: turmeric, ginger, coconut milk, honey, and black pepper. This drink improves digestion while alleviating symptoms associated with acid reflux.

All of the ingredients provide amazing health benefits, and when combined, the effects increase dramatically.

For example, here are some of the health benefits of turmeric:

Eases arthritis pain due to its anti-inflammatory properties
Helps to detoxify the liver
Boost blood circulation while also thinning the blood
Soothes the digestive tract and prevents ulcers
Reduces pain and fevers
Prevents and even reverses cancer, in some cases
Alleviates arthritis symptoms
Promotes brain and heart health

Coconut milk, another ingredient we’ll need for this drink, provides a healthy source of fat, and coats the esophagus to alleviate pain and discomfort from GERD.

Black pepper can enhance the turmeric’s bioavailability and absorption of curcumin, the main ingredient in turmeric.

Honey, used for centuries by many people for a variety of ailments, contains important amino acids, enzymes, minerals and vitamins that can help with digestion and ease the burning feeling associated with acid reflux.

Here’s what you’ll need to make golden milk:

Ingredients for golden milk:

Two cups coconut milk
One teaspoon turmeric
One inch piece of sliced and fresh ginger root or one teaspoon ginger powder
One-quarter teaspoon ground black pepper
One tablespoon organic honey

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except the honey in a bowl and mix together. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and allow it to cook for five minutes. Then, add the honey while the drink is warm, and enjoy before bed!

So, instead of reaching for pills or other conventional remedies for acid reflux, try making this easy drink before going to bed to alleviate your symptoms.

Nature provides all we need to thrive and heal from past lifestyle choices, and you probably already have most of the ingredients listed in your home anyway!

Drink this at least one hour before bed, so it has time to digest a bit before you fall asleep. Then, when you wake in the morning, you’ll feel rejuvenated and free of pain and discomfort!

Ten Additional Benefits of Drinking Golden Milk

Besides drinking golden milk for stomach pain relief, you can find these other benefits.

1 – Brainpower

Turmeric contains curcumin. Curcumin is the bright yellow substance produced by some plants in the Curcuma longe species. It’s the primary ingredient in turmeric and what gives turmeric its golden yellowish color. The curcumin in turmeric has been found to improve your brain function, increase memory, and improve your overall mood. Drinking golden milk any time of the day may improve your brain function.

2 – Cholesterol-lowering effects

So far, research supports the idea that turmeric contains cholesterol-lowering properties called phytosterols. It has been proven with lab animals. Currently, studies still need to be done to prove that turmeric can lower cholesterol in humans. The findings so far are promising. It’s thought that humans who drink golden milk may experience reduced cholesterol levels and LDL levels.

3 – Reduces heart disease

Curcumin found in turmeric may prevent heart disease. It’s been found to reduce serum cholesterol levels, which protect against changes that occur in the body because of atherosclerosis. They also linked inflammation to heart disease. There is some evidence that suggests that curcumin could help lower inflammation that increases a person’s chances of heart disease.

4 – Good for your skin

Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties benefit your skin healing. Its antioxidant benefits help in other ways, including:

Reduce scarring
Heal abrasions
Heal psoriasis and eczema
Lighten dark circles under your eyes
Make your skin glow

5 – Healthy fats

Whether you drink your golden milk using dairy or choose a more low-fat dairy-free beverage such as almond milk or coconut milk, you’re choosing a source of healthy fat along with nutritionally rich curcumin. Your body needs healthy fats. Healthy fats support your heart, sugar metabolism, weight loss, and cell metabolism. Full fat coconut milk is a good choice for your golden milk because it provides fatty acids that boost your immune system.

6 – Antioxidants

Turmeric is an antioxidant in lab animals. It proved to lower oxidative stress in rats and mice. The hope is that as studies continue on humans, they’ll find that turmeric taken in milk will produce the same amazing benefits as seen in lab animals. Antioxidants keep free radicals from killing off the healthy molecules that make up your proteins, cells, and DNA. Drinking golden milk can boost your natural defenses to better fight off infections, pollution, and toxins that can overwhelm your system.

7 – Menustral function

Golden milk has anti-spasmodic abilities that can ease the pain you have during your menstrual cycle. It’s thought to help normalize a menstrual cycle. Because it’s may also help boost your mood, it can help you feel a sense of calm and reduce the physical discomfort during your period.

8 – Liver function

Turmeric can help the flow of your liver’s bile duct to cleanse your liver. It helps eliminate the toxins that cause damage to your liver. It’s also an anti-inflammatory, so it helps fight off inflammation of your liver.

9 – Delay type 2 diabetes

There is some evidence that curcumin found in turmeric can delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. This chronic condition leads to high levels of blood sugar in your body when the cells don’t respond to insulin as they should. Turmeric slows down inflammation, which affects blood glucose.

10 – Slows down the aging process

It’s thought that the curcumin in turmeric prevents damage to your cells and reduces inflammation. Because of this, drinking turmeric-rich golden milk may help slow down the aging process. It may prevent wrinkles and fine lines, plus boost your skin’s glow and healing properties. Curcumin may stimulate new cell growth so your skin gets renewed by new cell growth.

Final Thoughts on Drinking Golden Milk to Improve Your Health

Golden milk has so many amazing health benefits. Researchers are committed to learning all they can about this natural plant’s medicinal benefits. If you aren’t already drinking golden milk daily, why not get started today?

(C) Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

5 Things That Happen In Honest Relationships

June 21, 2016 by Power of Positivity

What entails a loving and honest relationship? You might have to kiss a lot of frogs before finding your “One,” but when you do, you will know it.

Writer Paulo Coelho has an incredible line in the book, The Alchemist, that reads: “Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.” When you are in an honest relationship, your heart feels the priceless treasures. From the time we are children, we are exposed to fairy tales. Little girls begin believing in hopeless love. Little boys play games about knights and saving others.

Here are 5 things that happen when you’re in an honest relationship:

1. You grow spiritually and emotionally.

When you are in an honest relationship, you learn things about yourself through your counterpart. You grow together in many aspects. You enrich each other. No one is pushing anyone. You are both gently expanding and changing to the best parts of yourself. An honest union enhances each other to grow. They support one another in careers, parenthood, spirituality, health, sexuality, and other facets of life. As individuals, you thrive, and together you are a team.

2. You are vulnerable, and it’s freeing.

Trust is underrated in relationships. It’s that one component that binds partnerships. Once that’s gone, it’s difficult to get it back. Vulnerability is perhaps the glue that holds an honest union together. It takes courage and strength to be raw. By exposing all to one another, you are set free of expectations, assumptions, and disappointments. There are no guessing games. There is no hidden agenda. You can show the strong and weak parts and still be loved by your partner.

In an honest relationship, there is no criticism because you are both open to whatever happens. This becomes part of the attraction. It’s not based on co-dependency, but rather the admiration of strength and courage. At times, life is a journey of challenges and difficult circumstances, but together you make it through.

3. You forgive easily.

There are no perfect relationships because we are imperfect humans. We will make mistakes. We will have bad days. You will argue and disagree on many things. However, you don’t hold grudges. You get past it and move to the next issue. You learn that holding anger is destructive, so you move away from it by letting things go. Forgiveness solidifies the partnership. You learn the art of agreeing to disagree while still supporting the other. As Martin Luther King Jr. quoted, “Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”

4. Your self-worth is in a healthy place.

You can both admit your weaknesses and still love one another without judgment. Dr. Dovid Lieberman, speaker, and author has dedicated his research on self-esteem in his book, Real Power, in which he shares, “When a person has very low self-esteem, it does not matter how accomplished he appears; such a person is dependent upon everyone and everything to feed his ego…. A healthy sense of self-esteem endows us with the ability to give. To the degree that we do not like ourselves, we cannot receive, we can only take. The more self-esteem we have, the more we are whole, as receiving is a natural consequence of giving.”

When we are in an honest relationship, we feel good about ourselves. We can transform and transcend love for ourselves because we are being emotionally sustained.

5. You learn to cooperate, compromise and communicate.

In this new era of self-promotion, it seems that communication is not always available. Most people put themselves out there in social media without any regard to their partner’s feelings. But, healthy-loving relationships understand and accommodate each other. They affirm one another to meet their needs. Compromising is healthy, but it can also lead to unhealthy boundaries where one partner is constantly taking and the other is always giving. Cooperation is a unit and you learn to faithfully support one another. But without communication, there is nothing.

The key to an honest relationship consists of the 3C’s: cooperation, compromising, and communication. Honest relationships don’t take the other person for granted. They don’t bulldoze one another. They know that in order to succeed in their partnership, there are equal parts of giving and receiving. There are times that they will need one to help pull the other up. Communication allows them to freely share without feeling used or abused.

Honest and loving relationships learn from each other. They learn new perspectives, share goals, and succeed because they are a team. They grow through the changes. They compromise, share, support and most of all, provide a safe haven for their souls to transcend. There is nothing more beautiful than the authenticity of your partner who is also your best friend.

(C) Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

12 Super Powers You Actually Have (And How to Use Them)

June 21, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Our bodies are filled with mysteries that scientists are still unlocking, and they have found ways for you to actually use your natural superhuman powers.

You may have seen these superhuman abilities in previous articles and we’ve talked about some of the amazing things that your body can do with minimal effort on your part.

Let’s look at twelve ways to discover our superhuman potential.

12 Super Powers You Actually Have (And How to Use Them)

1. Prevent pain

The next time you get a bump or bruise, try coughing. This act of forceful pressure activates your body’s vagus nerve. Coughing or bearing down while holding your breath is a way to activate your vagus nerve. This will help reduce stress, slow your heart rate, and lessen the impact of pain.

2. Night vision

The supposed reason for a pirate’s trademark eye patch is to unleash the superhuman ability of night vision. By keeping one eye closed, you avoid exposing your closed eye to bright lights (like torches) that cause your pupil to dilate, which is great for daylight vision, but not for night vision.

3. Prevent brain freeze

Eating your ice cream a bit slower would help, really, but the painful sensation of a brain freeze headache can be prevented even if you gulp your chilled treat.

Use your tongue to press against the roof of your mouth after each mouthful is swallowed. You are using your tongue to warm the roof of your mouth and the nerve that is there connecting to your brain.

4. Cure a headache and hold your breath underwater longer

Hyperventilation leads to vasoconstriction in the brain, which reduces the amount of blood pressure present in the blood vessels and helps with the pain of a headache.

Rapid, shallow breathing also forces more carbon dioxide out of the blood, which means there is more room for oxygen. Hyperventilating before a long dive under water will allow you to hold your breath longer.

This superhuman ability is due to the reduced carbon dioxide in your blood, which is usually the signal to your body to take a new breath. By reducing the trigger, you postpone the body’s need for a breath.

5. Superhuman memory abilities

Put the information in your brain before going to bed to unleash your superhuman ability to remember things. At night, our brains process information that came in during the day and creates memories from it. Review what you need to remember right before dreaming and you’re more likely to recall it.

6. Build your superhuman skeleton

Repeated stress activities, like running, can build stronger bones in the limbs that receive the impact. This is also true for the forearms and hand bones of martial artists who break boards and stacks of bricks.

7. Super hearing power

Use your right ear to hear a faint conversation in a crowded party better. Turn your head so that your right ear is closer to the person speaking. Your left ear is better for picking up musical notes.

8. Heal yourself with your superhuman placebo abilities

In a study of patients with irritable bowel syndrome who were offered, and told, that a placebo could help them, actually had fewer IBS symptoms, even when they KNEW they were getting a pill that had no medicine in it. If you have to fool yourself into making a fake label for a bottle of vitamin supplements that says ‘Superhuman Healing,’ try it the next time you have an illness or pain.

9. Breathe through a stuffed nose

Clear your clogged sinuses by pressing against the roof of your mouth with your tongue and then pressing the spot between your eyebrows. Do this back and forth for a while pressing your forehead, then the roof of your mouth until the blockage is cleared.

By pressing this area, you are forcing your sinus bone to rock, which unleashes your superhuman ability to breathe, even when your nose is stuffed. The tongue and finger pressure moves the Volmer bone, which divides the sinus cavity, and this should release the pressure, drain the sinus and allow you to breathe normally.

10. Stop bleeding

Most people know that you pinch your nose and tilt your head back to stop a nosebleed, and contain the mess with a tissue, but this method is not ideal. When you tilt your head backwards during a nosebleed, you end up just allowing the flow of blood to continue down the back of your throat.

Instead, press a finger below your nose in the center of your upper lip and apply pressure. The pressure above your upper gums and below your nose helps stop most nosebleeds.

11. Stop the Earth from spinning

Anytime you feel dizzy, be it one too many drinks or an illness, you can regain your sense of control by holding on to a flat surface. Put your hand flat on a table or counter to give your body a reference point for something that is level and stable.

12. Avoid using the bathroom

If you are holding it and need to find a bathroom soon, the pressure on your bladder can become painful. Instead of suffering, relieve some pain by turning your thoughts to sex for a minute or two. The diversion helps your brain to pay attention to something else while you track down the nearest facility.

5 Behaviors That Attract Toxic Partners (And How to Avoid Having Them)

June 21, 2016 by Chris Butler

We can all conclude that at some point in our lives, we’ve acted in some emotionally toxic manner, pushing people away. After all, we are mirrors of each other. Sometimes the things we don’t like in others are those we suppress in ourselves. But when it comes to relationships, what are we doing that attracts these emotional vampires and toxic partners?

Here are five behaviors that attract toxic partners (and how to avoid them):

1. Toxic partners take things too personally.

You are only responsible for your behavior. Unfortunately, we live in constant concern about what others think of us. When we take things personally, we attract drama in our lives. We stop being authentic to our spirits. If you constantly internalize things, you will attract those negative characteristics to your relationships.

In a relationship, there are two people. You cannot possibly know every situation in your partner’s life. Therefore, don’t take it personally when he/she is having a bad day. It could be work-related. It could be something completely unrelated to your union. If you don’t want over-sensitivity to be part of your partnership, it’s time to recognize what is yours and your partner’s. It’s also essential to have the freedom to have your own set of friends. Each person needs their space.

2. Jealousy.

The green-eyed monster is birthed through insecurities. Nothing is more toxic in a relationship than jealousy. The ego will create these elaborate scenarios that play on childhood traumas, past relationships, and old beliefs. When someone is insecure, it will conjure up drama that’s not there. You will also attract cheaters, liars, and manipulators into your life. Dr. Ayala M. Pines, the author of Romantic Jealousy: Understanding and Conquering the Shadow of Love, says, “Jealousy is a reaction to a perceived threat–real or imagined–to a valued relationship or to its quality. A nationwide survey of marriage counselors indicates that jealousy is a problem in one-third of all couples coming for marital therapy. This helps explain our fascination with stories about the wild things some people are driven to do.”

If you have a reason to feel insecure, it’s time to take accountability for your partnership. Are there infidelity issues involved? What is the root of the insecurities? Relationships based on these doubts, uncertainties, and distrust are not worth living. Jealousy is maddening and can show off as pure insanity when it’s at its highest level of emotional turmoil. If things keep coming up, then it’s best to look hard at reality. Reality is based on your perception. So, check it out and see what is causing this imbalance.

3. Toxic partners might be carrying past pain.

Past traumas, events, and hurt carry on into all facets of our lives. When you piggyback these emotions, you are not living in the moment. You are connecting, attracting, and revamping those issues over and over. We are all wounded. We have all been hurt to some degree. How we process that heartache determines how fast we heal and to what level of forgiveness. You cannot blame your new partner for what the last one did.

There will always be pain until you face the past, process it, and let it go. Get help through counseling, spiritual guidance, or support groups. These types of issues manifest in addiction which we attract in others. It’s essential to accept your past. Your experiences have made you stronger. Dr. Mark Banschick once wrote,

“We learn from our need to forgive. Even if you were hurt terribly, like with a rape or a financial scandal, there may be a place for forgiveness, if not to the one who hurt you, than to a God that may have watched while it happened, or to a situation in which there was nobody there to protect you. There’s always a place for healing and forgiveness can help you heal. Make a difference in the present and the future. If you had been abused, you may wish to protect the world and others from such a fate. This is the next step in forgiving a terrible wrong.”

4. Negative thought patterns.

A negative person will attract a pessimistic partner. Often, we take on the victimization role while our partner takes on the martyr one. We are so miserable in other parts of our lives that we carry these negative patterns into our love life. Unfortunately, a negative person will dispose of your dreams, self-worth, and abilities and disarm you with their judgment and opinions.

How do you break the negative pattern? You begin to reward with positive reinforcements. You start to find joy by being honest. You’ll start to look at the real issues in your relationship. You also begin to realize that you have control of your life and your future. You are not in a cage. When you wake to these realizations, you can no longer return to unhappiness, where your spirit is degraded.

5. Judgment and criticism.

In a perfect world, love is unconditional. Unfortunately, in reality, love is conditional. It is based on our reality and expectations. Therefore, our perception shifts and changes as relationships go on. Judgment and criticism become the meter on which conditional love sustains itself. We are taught to analyze others to get what we need.

To some extent, judgment can be constructive if done healthily, helping each other grow. But, constant criticism, nagging, and negative input are hurtful and destructive. A relationship that is driven by demoralizing another, by putting a person down, is abusive. Emotional abuse is just as bad as physical abuse. The person in the relationship has their self-esteem and worth manipulated by another.

Abuse of any kind is unacceptable. No one has power over you, including a mate. This is a form of control to get you to stay in the relationship. You have the ability and tenacity to do anything in your life. You don’t owe anyone the right to ownership. It takes years to heal from severe judgment and criticism. It carries over to other parts of our lives: parenthood, careers, and other relationships. Get help by getting support for your emotional body. That person will most likely be gone whenever you stop the bull-dozing behavior and set boundaries. They need to be in charge.

Final Thoughts on Toxic Partners

There is a healthy balance in a good relationship. When two people get together, challenges will always be, but you don’t have to participate in toxic energy. You are not there to fix anyone. A healthy and loving relationship enhances your best characteristics. It consists of love, trust, respect, equality, and acceptance.

10 Things Only Introverts Will Understand

June 21, 2016 by Power of Positivity

According to a 1998 National Representative Sample by the Myers-Briggs organization, 50% of the population identifies as an introvert.

This means that at least half of the people reading this can relate to the following things that only “us introverts” will understand.

10 Things Only Introverts Will Understand

1. Feeling like you could spend forever in your own company and not get bored.

Introverts can spend long periods of time alone and not get tired of it; after all, we derive our energy from solitude. Other people might need constant entertainment and socializing in order to stay happy, but we don’t require that. In fact, we run from it. Solitude, peace, and quiet help us to stay grounded, centered, and balanced.

Give an introvert some space and relaxation, and he or she will deeply appreciate and adore you.

2. Wanting to spend your weekends at home rather than go out and socialize.

Weekends mean something different to an introvert than they do to an extrovert. Introverts see them as two days of pure bliss where they can just chill out and relax without having to answer to anyone or meet obligations, whereas extroverts see them as two days to pack as much fun stuff in as possible. However, introverts just need food, Netflix, nature, animals, and some cuddle time to stay fulfilled on their off time.

3. Getting annoyed with people who talk too loudly or quickly.

Introverts process things differently than extroverts, and usually, they get annoyed with those who talk to hastily or loudly. Introverts need time to go over what you said, and prefer conversations that don’t feel rushed or strained. Loud voices and fast talking can make introverts nervous, and they get frustrated when people either talk over them or don’t match their pace of conversing.

4. Getting nervous when you have to talk to someone new.

Not all introverts identify as shy, but some of them get incredibly flustered when talking to someone they don’t know. If you want to talk to an introvert, make he or she feel welcome and comfortable first – it will help them open up much faster.

5. Blushing a lot when you get embarrassed.

Introverts also don’t enjoy the spotlight, so putting pressure on them or making them talk in front of a lot of people can cause anxiety. However, some people blush at anything they perceive as embarrassing, which can sometimes just mean going out in public or talking to the barista at the coffee shop. Don’t call someone out for blushing; trust me, they know what’s happening. Just keep talking to them and don’t draw too much attention to the matter.

6. Wanting to talk, but then getting tired of it after a few minutes.

Introverts love talking, but in small doses. They can easily get worn out after a long conversation, even if it’s meaningful and thought-provoking. Respect the introvert’s need to recharge before engaging in more conversation.

7. The joy of finally getting away into nature after spending too long in suburbia.

Introverts love solitary activities, and that includes spending time in nature. City life can easily wear them out, leaving them feeling frazzled and disconnected from themselves. They go into the wilderness to reconnect with their souls, so if you identify as an introvert, then you know exactly how great it feels to drive out of the city even for a day or two.

8. The feeling you get when you help someone with their problems.

Introverts make wonderful listeners and advice-givers, because they can empathize with how someone else feels. Even if they just sit there while the other person pours their heart out, it can make that person feel understood and heard. Listening can heal, and introverts would much rather hear you out than talk anyway.

9. Getting annoyed with people who interrupt your alone time.

We already feel annoyed if we get too little alone time, but interrupting our precious solitude will make our blood boil pretty quickly. Respect our need for space and relaxation, and we will return the favor.

10. Craving close relationships and fierce independence simultaneously.

Introverts are a complicated group – they need both meaningful relationships and plenty of time alone, which can leave them feeling conflicted pretty often. While the relationships in their lives mean so much to them, they also have this unshakable urge to just run away sometimes and enjoy life alone. Striking the right balance between the two isn’t always easy, as any introvert will understand.

15 Signs You’ve Made A True Connection

June 20, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Creating a genuine emotional connection to your partner is one of the great joys of being in a relationship. You may also be looking for signs that your partner feels the same deep love and connection to you, which means they are more likely to stay long-term.

15 Signs You’ve Made A Deep Emotional Connection With Your Partner

We all want the moments of joy and happiness to outweigh our worries and sorrows. Creating an emotional connection with your partner is about the full range of human emotions; sadness, anger, fear, and joy.

We cannot have only positive emotions in our relationships, but we find good, healthy, positive ways to talk about and deal with the negative emotions. Doing the emotional work for your relationship will be worth it to create the loving emotional connection that you want with your partner.

1. You know how to eliminate distractions

Some things in your environment are preventing you from bonding with your partner. One of them could be your social media habit. Researchers found that a high level of Facebook usage is associated with breakups and divorce, especially for those who have been in relatively newer relationships of 3 years or less. These are adverse relationship outcomes that no one wants when working to make an emotional connection.

Distractions like TV and social media are ways to disconnect emotionally. When you focus on something else, you can’t focus on the person next to you. Rather than disconnecting, turn toward your partner and ask an open-ended question like ‘What is on your mind?’ or ‘How can I show you more love?’

Communication is one of the most critical parts of a relationship with your partner. Sometimes, we get it wrong, and miscommunication creates conflict. Eliminating distractions helps avoid miscommunication and allows you two to listen more to each other’s needs. If you know what your partner needs, and they know yours, you can better provide it and keep them happy in the relationship.

2. You respond to them rather than react

Our initial gut reaction to what we see, hear or feel is not how we should talk to our partner unless our gut reaction is love. Initially, what your partner says may upset you. If that is the case, recognize that you are reacting and say, ‘I’m reacting right now. Give me a moment to respond to you.’

Wait to say the words that properly communicate how you feel rather than how you first felt. Defensiveness is a response to a threat, which may be how we feel when our partner raises their voice, for example. Own your defensiveness and recognize when you put up a barrier. Again say what’s happening ‘I’m being defensive. Let me take a few breaths and prepare to listen to you.’

3. Build greater intimacy through intimate moments

Intimacy is about much more than sex. Intimacy can be built from a touch on the hand, a shared joke, a quiet moment of eye contact, or many different ways that aren’t sexual. Time sleeping in bed together is an intimate moment that most couples take for granted.

Touch is vital to human companionship. Part of an intimate relationship or even a friendship involves touch of some kind. Touch releases happy hormones for our brains, which creates an emotional connection to your partner and makes them want more of the happy hormone. Getting addicted to intimate touch is not bad when you build emotional bonds with your partner.

4. Create a safe place for expressing emotions

Emotions are insufficient words to some people. Men, primarily, are traditionally taught to be tough and to stuff emotions down and hide them. Men can be as gentle and loving as women can, but they have a more challenging time showing it because they have less experience with it after practicing emotional stuffing for so long.

Being sensitive to your partner’s sensitivity to emotions is essential. Researchers at the University of Melbourne found that responding to your partner with gentleness and care was the most accurate predictor of marital strength, even more than sexual attraction.

5. Picture your future together

Imagine you and your partner growing old and building a lasting companionship. The emotions come to your eyes quickly when you think about long-term love. We can avoid many minor aggravations by looking at our relationship’s big picture as a journey. Each partner will grow and evolve, change, and make a new start every time a significant life event happens.

6. You’ve Become More Patient

When you have a deep bond with someone, you’ll be more patient with them. You’ll notice that you’re more understanding than you used to be, and you don’t get irritated as easily.

Having a deep connection means that you understand their heart and can forgive them easily. You might even notice that things that irritate you about others don’t both you when your partner does it.

7. You Can Be Yourself and Are Similarly Weird

Everyone is weird in different ways, and you’ll be okay with that in your relationship. If you feel like you can be yourself, it’s clear that there’s a deep bond. You won’t have to stress about what you say or how you behave when you know they accept you for who you are.

Additionally, having similar weird qualities signifies a close couple. You’ll still have differences, but your quirks will be in the same category. These similarities help you develop a bond, and then they help solidify it and keep it strong.

8. You’re Confident in Your Feelings

When couples fight and disagree, they sometimes wonder if the relationship is right for them. This situation doesn’t occur when two people have a bond. Instead, you’ll argue with your partner and then work on moving forward together.

It’ll never cross your mind that you might be better without them. Your inability to stay angry or consider severe consequences stems from deeply understanding one another. You might get annoyed or frustrated, but your feelings will never waver.

9. They Make You Want to Be Better

A loving connection inspires you to become a better person and try new things. The inspiration boosts your confidence and self-esteem, making it possible to achieve all of your goals. You’ll do the things you only dreamed of and improve every aspect of your life possible.

The feelings that come with a bond make everything seem achievable. You’ll start tackling the things you’ve put on the back burner, and you’ll experience fulfillment and meaning.

10. They Help You Face Your Darkness

Everyone goes through hard times, but some of us never face the darkness. When you’re in a healthy relationship, you’ll feel ready to address unresolved issues from the past. Your person will help you overcome the darkness and begin moving on, seeing yourself for who you are right now.

11. You’ve Overcome Hardship in Your Relationship

All relationships experience hardship, and it’s all about how you work together to overcome it. If you and your partner have been through undesirable situations together, it creates a deeper bond. Deciding to continue the relationship after hardship shows that you think the relationship is well worth it.

12. There’s Never an Awkward Silence, and Deep Conversations Aren’t Uncomfortable

When you bond with someone, things won’t be awkward or uncomfortable. You’ll have deep conversations involving personal topics without it feeling strained.

Additionally, the silence won’t be awkward when you’re together but not speaking. You might even find that the silence is peaceful because your partner’s presence is enough.

13. You Want to Spend Time Together

Some couples only spend time together when it’s convenient or expected. On the other hand, couples with a close bond want to be together even when they don’t have to be. They don’t get together only when there’s nothing else going on because they enjoy spending time with one another.

It’s easy to put people on the back burner when life gets busy, but a couple with a connection doesn’t do that. They don’t only want to spend time in a group, either. Close couples love having alone time to talk and bond.

14. You Know Each Other’s Closest Family and Friend

As a relationship gets deeper, you’ll want your partner to know your friends and family. It’s a good sign if you and your partner have reached this stage and you know their loved ones well.

15. You Like Traveling Together

If you can travel with your partner without getting stressed, it’s a sign of a deep connection. Traveling with someone else means you must compromise on what you see and do together. If you agree on things or enjoy the compromise, you’ll find that you and your partner share a deep bond.

Final Thoughts on the Beauty of a True Love Connection

A love connection is a beautiful experience, and it’ll bring you incredible amounts of joy. If you’re in a relationship, you likely identify with many of the signs on this list. However, if you didn’t relate, it gives you something to think about and address within your relationship.

Embrace your love connection and recognize your partner for the blessing that they are. Plus, remember your worth within the relationship, too, because you’re part of the reason for the close bond.

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