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15 Ways To Improve Your Eye Health

January 24, 2016 by Power of Positivity

According to a Gallup survey, seven out of ten Americans wear some type of corrective lenses. 40% of those people have considered laser eye surgery to correct their vision, but this surgery can permanently damage vision, as well as cause chronic dry eyes, and other complications. Instead of opting for a dangerous, irreversible surgery, what if you could use natural remedies to at least improve your eye health and eyesight, even slightly?

Many natural herbs and plants have been proven to increase eye health, and while you might not have 20/20 vision after using them, you may have better eyesight than before, and save yourself from costly bills and a dangerous surgery.

Here are 15 natural remedies that will improve your eye health:

1. Saffron

Saffron, used in many traditional Indian dishes, can also help save your eyesight and prevent UV radiation damage. It can also slow the progression of macular degeneration, which eventually leads to blindness. Two compounds found in saffron believed to improve eye health include safranal and crocin, members of the carotenoid family. Carotenoids include beta carotene, a type of Vitamin A that can improve eyesight and also protect against cancer.

2. Pycnogenol

The powerful antioxidant found in France can repair capillaries in the eyes, and therefore reduce leakage into the retina. Other studies have found that pycnogenol can also improve microcirculation, increase visual acuity, and prevent retinal edema.

3. Silymarin

You can find this compound in milk thistle, which can help maintain a healthy liver. The liver stores fat soluble vitamins, glutathione, and B vitamins, which all support healthy eyes.

4. Bilberries

Anthocyanides found in bilberries might improve eye health by protecting the retina, and including bilberries in your diet may also prevent macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts.

5. Gingko biloba

The gingko plant and its extracts have been used to treat a variety of different ailments. They’ve shown promise in treating vision problems in people with diabetes, improving color vision when patients take the extract orally. Also, it might help improve existing damage to the visual field in people with glaucoma.

6. Bentonite clay

Bentonite clay can pull toxins from the body, reduce eye strain, and even help heal eye infections. In some cases, people have used it to treat cataracts.

7. Fennel

According to livestrong.com, fennel contains many nutrients that can improve eye health. These include Vitamin A and C, powerful antioxidants that can protect against macular degeneration and cataracts.

8. Cayenne

Cayenne, a potent anti-inflammatory, can increase blood flow to the eyes and relieve swelling around mucus membranes.

9. Jaborandi

Jaborandi, an herb found in the rainforest, has been used for many years to treat patients with glaucoma. It contains pilocarpine, an alkaloid compound which prompts the constriction of the pupils and decreased pressure in the eye.

10. Coleus

According to WebMD, forskolin, a chemical found in the roots of the Coleus plant, can be used in drop form to treat people with glaucoma. These drops also have the potential to decrease intraocular pressure and increase blood flow in the eyes.

11. Endive juice

Endive, which contains high levels of Vitamin A, can help restore poor eyesight in people with myopia, or nearsightedness. You can also combine it with carrot or parsley juice for even better results.

12. Raw garlic

Garlic contains high amounts of selenium, which can help to increase antioxidants in the body and improve eye health. Some people use it to heal macular degeneration, eating two or three cloves per day for the best results.

13. Carrot juice

Carrots have been associated with healthy eyes for quite some time now, as carrots contain a high amount of Vitamin A, a vital nutrient for good vision. You can either juice carrots to get the nutrients, cut them up and eat them as a snack, or whichever way you prefer to enjoy them.

14. Coriander

Coriander contains a high amount of antioxidants as well, making it a great natural remedy for maintaining eye health and preventing diseases of the eye.

15. Raw almonds

Almonds are loaded with Vitamin E, which can slow down macular degeneration, protect the eyes from free radicals, and delay cataract formation, according to research.

In addition to these natural remedies, make sure you take breaks from technology throughout the day, as staring at one object for hours at a time can strain your eyes and harm your vision. Also, make sure you eat a balanced diet full of healthy fruits and vegetables, and try to perform relaxation techniques, which will help reduce stress in and around the eyes.

5 Ways To Hack Your Brain

January 23, 2016 by Power of Positivity

For those who haven’t heard of the name, Michio Kaku is a world-renowned theoretical physicist and futurist who has penned multiple books on science matters. One of the books that Kaku wrote, ‘The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind,’ delves into what the future holds for the human brain.

Kaku covers topics including telepathy, telekinesis, consciousness, artificial intelligence and transhumanism. This last topic – transhumanism – is actually a movement that aims to advance the human condition through the development and creation of technologies. Ideally, those that subscribe to this school of thought want to see humans enhance their intelligence, physical nature, and psychology with technology.

“We have learned more about the brain in the last fifteen years than in all prior human history, and the mind, once considered out of reach, is finally assuming center stage.” – Michio Kaku

What Is Biohacking?

Cognitive enhancement is likely to be the next significant scientific breakthrough in human health. Multiple legal and illegal products already on the market promise to increase one’s brainpower and intelligence. In other words, brain hacking via technology is becoming a reality.

Let’s provide the definition of “brain hacking” quickly. Brain hacking (or “neurohacking”) is simply the alteration – usually improvement – of the normal functioning of our brain and central nervous system (CNS).

This leads us to our next point: it’s already possible to hack your brain. Maybe not through bleeding-edge technology just yet, but it’s possible nonetheless. This is because of the brain’s own ability to enhance its functionality and structure – also called neuroplasticity.

It’s already been discovered that our brains can create new neural pathways. At one point not long ago, it was a “fact” that brain functionality was fixed – we were born with our intelligence and capabilities and that was it. Not so. As it turns out, the human brain has this remarkable ability to reshape and adapt itself. What does this mean for us?

Simply put, it means that we can enhance our cognitive ability while fundamentally changing ourselves in the process. This inherent malleability of our brain is a tremendously exciting and potentially life-changing concept that can be applied in every area of our lives. We can be happier, work more efficiently, improve our productivity, strengthen our spirituality and so forth. The possibilities are indeed endless; limited only by our own imagination. If we’re willing to embrace this concept and put in the required effort, we can reap extraordinary benefits.

What follows are five different ways to implement the revolutionary idea of brain hacking that we may find directly applicable to our daily lives.

Here are 5 ways to hack your brain:

1. Eliminate stress through laughter

Laughter is an incredibly powerful action. When we laugh, our stress hormones and blood pressure drop; blood flow and oxygenation to our cells and organs increases, and endorphins – the “pleasure” chemical – in the body and brain spikes.

We’ve all been in highly stressful situations – it feels as if all the oxygen in the room has completely vanished. Laughter has the magical effect of restoring normalcy to chaos because of the multitude of positive changes that takes place within our brain and body. In effect, this is a hack that alters our chemical state.

However, there are times when the last thing we feel like doing is laughing, right? Well, do it anyway. Here’s why: our body has a difficult time discerning between our actions that are authentic and those that are not. Here’s what one psychology expert said after conducting a study on artificial laughter:

“Once the brain signals to the body to laugh, the body doesn’t care why. It’s going to release endorphins; it’s going to relieve stress as a natural physiological response to the physical act of laughing.”

2. Create better thoughts through a “stop doing” list

Most of us, at one time or another, have created a to-do list. Some people religiously subscribe to such a list to keep them organized and productive, while others absolutely detest the idea. Many a productivity expert state that a to-do list is beneficial, citing it as a valuable tool that helps to manage both time and stress levels.

A “stop doing” list may be a welcome addition for those that appreciate lists to keep them on track. The reason: every one of us has habits of thinking or behaving that we want to eliminate. A “stop doing” list is designed to get to take note of these habits and replace them with more productive ones.

To create this list requires complete objectivity on our part. It’s uncomfortable to write down the deeply ingrained and undesirable habits that we’ve acquired. However, this list creates a tangible reminder of our situation and prompts our brain into action.

So write down those habitual bugaboos and post the list some place (or multiple places) around the house. Look at the list every day and make the decisions necessary to overcome what’s on it!

3. Use a pen and paper for better memory

With the rapid advances in technology, the pen and paper have somewhat gone by the wayside. For those of us with smartphones and other mobile devices, an app has been created for pretty much every administrative task imaginable – from banking to shopping lists. Although convenient, an overreliance on digital devices to remember information can weaken our memory.

Writing down information engages the memorization circuitry of our brain, whereas digitally inputting information has minimal effect. This is especially true for lists, or when trying to remember multiple pieces of information.

In a 2008 study at Indiana University, researchers brought together preschool students that were trying to learn and memorize the alphabet. The first group was shown the letters and told what they were; the second group additional instructions to write the letters down. When placed in an fMRI machine, researchers noticed the difference immediately: children who had written the letters down had far more activity in the brain responsible for memory.

4. Use the opposite hand to reduce anger

Okay, so this may be the oddest (but true) hack of the bunch.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales in the U.K. instructed people with anger management issues to perform basic tasks with their non-dominant hand for two weeks. The premise behind this experiment was simple: in writing with their non-dominant hand, the subjects would have to exercise self-control – the ingredient often missing in emotional outbursts.

After just two weeks, the group had better control over their angry emotions. This remained the case even under intentional duress from the experimenters.

5. Single task for better focus

According to neuroscientists, multitasking is a drain on our cognitive resources. Although it may feel “productive,” it’s actually much less effective than focusing on one task at a time. Physiologically, the brain is not capable of efficiently processing two different stimuli at once, with the only exception being for rote tasks that require little effort.

Dr. Josh Davis – renowned neuroscientist and Director of Research for the NeuroLeadership Institute – explains:

“It (multitasking) is a bad practice. Having said that, here’s when multitasking can be okay: when you don’t care about the quality of the work…let’s say you’re doing something fairly routine and uninteresting. You put on the TV in the background just to make it so you’re at least enjoying the time (while doing the routine task)…you’re more likely to make errors, but it might not matter for the task.”

In short, single-task when the work is important for the best results!

What Does Your Hair Reveal About Your Personality?

January 23, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Your personality is one of those things that your hair can reveal about you. Your crown of hair is one of the first things that people notice about you when you meet. What is your hair telling other people about you?

Some hairstyles have changed over the years, and our acceptance of them has too. In the 1970’s, a man with long hair was less socially acceptable than it would be today. A study from 1978 showed that college students had more negative impressions of a picture of a long-haired man than they did of a short-haired man. These results reflect a stereotypical personality impression of the long-haired hippie that was pervasive at the time.

The Studies on Hair Color

For the same study, facial hair was the opposite for people’s impressions. Consistent with prior research, the bearded male was regarded more positively than the clean-shaven male.

Other studies from the 70’s looked at peoples’ preferences for hair colors as determined by their own hair color. They found that dark-haired men preferred brunette women. Blonde men though were equally divided in preference for blonde or brunette women. Red-headed women had a preference for dark-haired men, while blondes who were not naturally blonde had no preference for blonde or brunette men.

Researchers also found that stereotypes based on hair color were widely held by the participants and that stereotypes differed based on the hair color and sex of the subject in the study.

Clearly our society has progressed since this research was done. However, certain personality traits are more strongly associated with certain hair colors.

For example, if you complete the following by filling in the blank, you can see what we mean: ________ blonde. Did you fill in the blank with ‘ditzy’ or ‘dumb?’ Most people do, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are some of the other personality traits that people think of when they see a certain hair style or color.

What Does Your Hair Reveal About Your Personality?

Straight, wavy, or curly

Curls have more fun. or at least that’s the personality trait that people most often associate with curly hair. People with curls are more likely to be seen as wild, exciting and energetic.

A wavy hairstyle is viewed as a fun personality too. Those with waves are more likely to be dreamers and creative personalities. They are often physically active and outdoorsy too.

Those with straight hair seem to be viewed as more refined personality. They are sociable, elegant, and calm.

Natural or processed

Those who go with their natural hair color have personalities that are unconventional. This is especially true for women whose hair is turning grey. There is a social expectation that older women will color their hair to maintain a younger appearance. This is also becoming more true for men as well.

If you choose to color, perm, straighten, or otherwise spend hours at the salon getting just the right look, your personality tends to be more perfectionist. You want your appearance to reflect your preference for control.

Wash and go or Style it

Those who style their hair by curling it, straightening it, drying it or other activities involving small appliances tend to reveal that they long for what they don’t heave already. These personalities don’t mind the time that it takes to achieve a perfect look. They are patient, prefer to be in control and care about other people’s impressions of them.

If your hair personality is more wash and go, you are ready for whatever happens. You are more likely to be sociable and ready to hang out with friends with little advanced notice. You are casual, relaxed, and easygoing. Your hair reveals that very little upsets you.

Loose or updo

You leave your hair down or do you braid it, put it or up in a ponytail or bun’ If you have a hairstyle that is more up than down it reveals that you tend to like control, order, and organization. Those with updos are usually bound to a desk in the corporate world where they have to maintain a well-polished appearance.

There’s a reason that the phrase ‘letting your hair down’ means cutting loose.

The personalities of people with hair that is worn loose are more carefree and open to new possibilities. They are more likely to say yes when you suggest a hike or a weekend road trip.

Blonde, red, brown, black or silver

What does your hair color reveal about your personality? These are some traits that people commonly associate with your personality:

Red: Passionate, sexy, vivacious, outgoing, temperamental, and unique
Blonde: fun-loving, bold, charming, sexy, outgoing, and physically active
Brown: introverted, calm, smart, kind, funny, and successful
Black: exotic, sensual, a go-getter, quick-witted, charming, and smart
Silver: intelligent, bold, powerful, successful, and confident

Thick or fine

Not everyone can be born with plenty of follicles. Those who have fine hair generally have to work a little harder to achieve a style that’s anything other than the way they look right after a shower. The personality of those with fine hair tends to be patient.

6 Signs You Need To Clear Negative Energy

January 23, 2016 by Power of Positivity

A fact about life that we quickly learn is that energy ebbs and flows. Something else that we learn quickly is that outside influences can affect our energy state. Positive energy is absolutely contagious, but so is negative energy. It’s this understanding that allows us to be proactive in determining our state of mind and energy.

Energy also has a multiplier effect. If we are in good spirits and in a positive state of mind, we’re much more likely to remain in this state. But then again, the same applies for negative energy. This is why it’s so important to vigilantly guard ourselves from being sucked into a “vortex” of negativity.

“I realized that if my thoughts immediately affect my body, I should be careful about what I think. Now if I get angry, I ask myself why I feel that way. If I can find the source of my anger, I can turn that energy into something positive.” – Yoko Ono

For those that have been in a negative work environment, for example, they’ve felt the underlying tension and collective unhappiness that permeates a group of people. It’s no coincidence that over 75% of people disdain what they do for work – many workplaces are dreaded by the vast majority that occupies it.

Unfortunately, a cycle of negativity happens to nearly everyone. The great thing is that we can all learn to clear this energy. Ask any advanced practitioner of meditation or mindfulness – these people are masters at not allowing their environment or other circumstances to dictate their frame of mind.

With that said, let’s discuss some signs it may be time to clear away negative energy. We’ll also provide some advice on what one can do to counteract the effects of negativity.

Here are 6 telling signs it’s time to clear negative energy:

1. Constant complaining when in a certain situation

Certain situations can invoke more toxic energy than others. The workplace is probably the most common environment where this happens. It can also be in a relationship or while in the company of certain people. These folks find complaining to be a form of relief and a way of “blowing off steam.”

Solution: Get out of the situation ASAP

Simply put, complaining drains our positive energy and replaces it with negativity. Whatever situation that may be causing us to take on a more pessimistic, gloomy outlook should be expelled from our lives. If the workplace happens to be the source of this negativity, refuse to become absorbed by the complaining of other people. If we find ourselves complaining, we should refuse to engage in such thoughts.

2. A consistent feeling of being angry or on-edge

When anger becomes a persistent emotion, it’s detrimental to our physical and mental health. The stress caused by feeling angry or on-edge surpasses that of any other emotion. Therefore, it’s important to either eliminate or minimize anger by taking some kind of action.

Solution: Become emotionally aware

We all have the ability to identify and label an emotion before it takes hold. We do this by actively monitoring our emotions and taking action if necessary. Taking ownership for our thoughts and feelings is the first step. Then, we need to relax our body and mind in order to ward off the “fight or flight” response. Finally, assess what prompted these feelings and take the appropriate action.

3. Persistent feelings of anxiety and/or depression

Feelings of anxiety and depression are among the most two commonly reported symptoms in the world. Physicians are seen by people suffering from anxiety and depression more than all other illnesses combined. Constantly feeling anxious or depressed is a force of negative energy that needs to be addressed.

Solution: Practice mindfulness meditation

While doctors are all too eager to prescribe some kind of anti-depressant or anxiety drug, it’s often not necessary. In fact, The Journal of the American Medical Association (or JAMA) published a groundbreaking study that found meditation to be as effective, if not more so, than prescription medication in the treatment of anxiety and depression.

4. Interactions with people becoming difficult or exhausting

When we’re in a negative cycle, normal interactions with other people can become mentally, physically and emotionally taxing. This is because we’re too wrapped up and engaged with our own inner monologue to accommodate the added stimulus brought forth through conversation.

Solution: Practice active listening

On the surface, this may appear to be somewhat of a strange recommendation. However, the practice of active listening is beneficial in a couple of different ways. First, the practice diverts our attention outward as opposed to inward, which is where the negative energy lies. Second, it can effectively replace the underlying anxiety encountered by making us more prepared (to respond, ask questions, etc.)

5. Increasingly becoming more critical of self and others

Negativity has a deviously deceptive effect on how we view ourselves and others. The simple explanation is that negative energy requires a release and since we’re often among others, people become easy targets. When we’re alone, this negative energy can often cause us to critique ourselves down to every last perceived flaw.

Solution: Recognize and then stop

As with so many other forms of negative energy, criticism has a multiplying effect. When we’re actively criticizing ourselves or others, we’ll often just function off auto-pilot, effectively ceding control. In recognizing and labeling the presence of criticism, we take back this control. We can then refuse to engage with the fruitless thoughts and emotions that criticism summons.

6. Seeking isolation more frequently

When caught up in a negative energy cycle, many people have the desire to isolate themselves from loved ones. While some alone time is healthy, it’s not healthy to experience a sudden desire for seclusion, especially if this was not the case before.

Solution: Knowing that people care

Perhaps the most unfortunate effects of being in a negative cycle are the feelings of separation from everyone else. This often results in family and friends becoming increasingly worried about the state of their loved one. Understanding and acknowledging the love and concern felt by those close to us is often enough motivation to reciprocate those feelings, as difficult as it may be.

6 Signs You Shouldn’t End Your Relationship

January 23, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Your relationship is not perfect and you’ve been wondering if the grass is possibly greener elsewhere, so should you end it? If you haven’t come to a decision about whether or not to break up with your partner, we have a little advice for you.

It is always easier to break something than to fix what is broken, but you don’t throw away a car because it has a broken window; you pay to get it fixed. The same is true of a relationship.

When a relationship ends, there is a period of time where we need to grieve the loss of the connection to that person who was a part of our lives for so long. Researchers who conducted brain scan imaging of people who are grieving the loss of a romantic relationship found that the patterns of activity in the brain are similar to that found in people suffering from depression.

In your relationship, you have made an investment in time, energy, emotion, and other parts of your life. Maybe you shouldn’t end your relationship yet. Here are six signs to help you make a decision about whether breaking it off should be your next move.

6 Signs You Shouldn’t End Your Relationship

1. You have great chemistry

You shouldn’t end your relationship of boring sex life has never been a problem for you two, even now that you’ve been together for a while. If that’s the case, you are indeed lucky to have such amazing chemistry and an innovative partner.

Being able to keep things interesting in the bedroom is a good sign that you shouldn’t end your relationship. No one wants to grow old with someone that they are tired of making love to, but if you and your partner have what it takes to keep things passionate, you may have found a keeper. Read our related article to be sure.

2. You fight over little things

He has the remote and won’t let you watch your show. You made a salad for dinner and he’s a carnivore. The fighting sometimes seems endless in your relationship and you just want it to end.

But do you argue over the big things that matter? If you aren’t fighting over your values, beliefs, or morals then you may be more compatible than you thought. Learn to compromise on the unimportant things and you’ll be much happier in the relationship you already have rather than ending things.

All couples have arguments. You can learn to live with having separate preferences for dinner but at least you share a common set of values that would help you raise an amazing family together.

3. You’re stronger together than apart

Are you a better person when you’re with your partner or when you’re apart? Does your partner challenge you? Do they encourage you and inspire you to be your best? If your partner helps you be your best self, ending your relationship is not a good idea.

Few people can say that they have found someone who is a match for them spiritually, in the sense that their partner helps them to be fulfilled. If your partner looks after your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being, you can hardly ask for anything else in a relationship.

4. Your partner supports your dreams

When you told your partner that you wanted to quit your job and be a pastry chef, they said ‘That’s amazing!’ rather than ‘Why on earth would you want to do that?’ you should not end your relationship with this supportive person.

5. You have built something together

When you and your partner have worked toward building a loving family, a business, or a project you intend to keep working on, it’s a sign that you shouldn’t end your relationship.

Ending your relationship now would mean that you will have to keep seeing your ex as you continue to focus on what you are both passionately involved in. That could get quite awkward.

6. Your partner is willing to work at the relationship

If you have someone who makes an effort to tend to your needs, it’s probably a sign that you shouldn’t end your relationship. Having that drive to do what it takes to make a relationship work is indeed a rare thing. Hang on to this one.

On the other hand, if your partner is not willing to make an effort, read our article to see if it’s time to end things after all.

If you decide to end your relationship, at least walk away having learned something. Personal growth can be a part of a unhealthy romantic relationship.

Researchers found that after a breakup, women more often than men reported being able to improve their own characteristics, traits, and beliefs. For example, one person reported that they learned to admit that they were wrong.

Deciding that you should end your relationship is difficult. Once you have grieved for a time, you may wonder if it’s time to find another partner. Read our article 7 Signs You’re Ready for a Relationship Again for advice on your next step.

Here’s Why You Should Stop Using Shampoo

January 23, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Why would anyone stop using shampoo to clean their hair? Because using that chemical-laden, highly marketed, overpriced shampoo is doing your hair more harm than good. You might want to look like those people in the shampoo commercials after using their product, but chances are that you never do.

Shampoo is not just soap. Depending on your brand, it has many artificial colors, artificial fragrances, and many words with prefixes and suffixes like these: methyl-, -ester, ethyl-, -ane, -ohol, -propyl, and poly-.

According to an infographic on LippieHippie, typical shampoos contain a synthetic surfactant, an insoluble, non-volatile silicone, a suspending agent (long chain esters of ethylene glycol, esters of long chain fatty acids, or long chain amine oxides) and water. The only thing natural in that list of ingredients is the water.

Without naming brand names, here’s an example of why you should stop using shampoo right now. One popular national brand shampoo for preventing dandruff has coal tar in it. Although this ingredient is approved as safe for use by the FDA, animal studies have linked it to foliculitis, genotoxicity (damaging to genes or DNA), mutagenicity (cell mutations, including cancer), liver neoplasms, lung tumors, perianal skin cancer, respiratory difficulty, decreased ovary weights and more.

The Skin Deep App

The nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG for short) has an app called Skin Deep. You can scan a barcode for a shampoo product with their app on your phone while you are at the store. It is a great resource to check your shampoo for cancer-causing agents, chemicals that affect your reproductive health, and potential allergens. You can also type in the name of your product.

Go ahead and check your shampoo now. You will be unpleasantly surprised at all of the ingredients that have use restrictions associated with them. The Skin Deep app shows you a hazard rating for the potential health risk associated with the ingredients in your shampoo. Based on scientific literature, a high rating indicates a safety risk associated with the chemical ingredients.

The EWG looks at known human carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) according to the EPA, skin irritants according to the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel, and other public health and safety concerns. You can also use the app for lotions, sunscreen, makeup, and other products.

Learn three easy recipes to make chemical-free shampoo at home.

Here’s Why You Should Stop Using Shampoo

In an article in Townsend Letter, the Examiner of Alternative Medicine, Rose Marie Williams, says:

“Our awareness of toxic chemicals in cosmetics remains extremely inadequate. As long as cosmetics and personal care products are among the most heavily used consumer items in our culture, it would be prudent for consumers to avoid products that contain a host of toxic, even carcinogenic, ingredients and instead choose products that are made with ingredients less likely to add to their body’s toxic burden of harmful chemicals.”

Need another reason to stop using shampoo? The product that you use is designed to leave a residue on your hair that coats the hair shaft with thickening and smoothing agents. You are not leaving your natural hair shaft clean when you use products that coat it.

Having a shiny coating on the hair shaft might sound good, but it prevents your hair from getting the benefit of the natural oils from your scalp that are actually made to keep your hair healthy, shiny, and promote growth. It seems counterintuitive to add a product to your hair to do something that your own scalp naturally takes care of.

Now that you know that shampoo contains chemicals that can cause cancer, hopefully you’re ready to find an alternative for your hair. Here are some ideas to help you go no-poo (no shampoo) or low-poo (natural ingredient shampoo you can buy).

All Natural Shampoo Alternatives

When you begin to look into reasons to stop using shampoo, you will wonder what is safe, healthy for all hair types and will still leave your hair looking great. Fortunately, there are many recipes out there for you to try.

Here is one version from Alex Raye of AlmostExactlyBlog.com:

In a small glass cup with a plastic spoon mix the following in order:

1 spoonful of bentonite clay (draws out toxins, clarifies hair, defines curls, cleans extra hair grease)
1 ½ spoonfuls of apple cider vinegar (rebalances hair and scalp’s pH, soothes dry scalp, helps with dandruff, smoothes the hair cuticle and enhances shine)
1 ½ spoonfuls of raw honey (helps moisturize, is antibacterial, gives hair softness and shine)
5 spoonfuls of filtered water (use filtered or clay will bind to toxins in the tap water)
nourishing oils (jojoba, avocado, argan or sweet almond oil are optional)

Bubbling in the mixture is normal and is due to the apple cider vinegar. The mixture will be runny, not like your usual shampoo. Put this on dry hair on your scalp and leave it on for five minutes, then rinse. Use some extra raw honey if you need additional conditioning.

Final Thoughts: Try Natural Ingredient Shampoos If You Don’t Want to Quit the Shampoo

Are you not quite ready to purchase ingredients to make your own safe shampoo alternative? You can buy organic, natural-ingredient shampoos instead. Here are a few store brand options with natural ingredients that you can recognize on the label:

- Josh Rosebrook Nourish Shampoo
- Shea Moisture shampoo
- Morocco Method
- 100% Pure
- Desert Essence Organics
- Castile soap

10 Signs You May Have Kidney Disease

January 22, 2016 by Chris Butler

Kidney disease does not sneak up on you without warning signs being present. You need to know what to look for to catch it early and take action to prevent it from becoming a severe health concern.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, one in three Americans is at risk for kidney disease. Over 26 million American adults have chronic kidney disease. The National Kidney Foundation also says that kidney disease often has no symptoms until it is pretty advanced.

Your kidneys are mirror images of each other, and the two organs reside in your lower back beneath the muscles. They are responsible for removing waste and fluid that is not being used by the body’s cells through the urine.

There are different kidney problems, including kidney infection, kidney failure, polycystic kidney disease, cancer, and kidney stones. Kidney failure is also called renal failure. A doctor can determine if you have any kidney diseases by testing either your urine or blood or both.

Risk factors associated with signs of kidney disease include diabetes, smoking, vitamin deficiencies, high cholesterol, and hypertension. Early detection is essential so that steps can be taken to prevent the disease from progressing.

You can reduce your risk of kidney disease by making lifestyle changes. Start by adopting a vegetarian diet that is low in fat, limiting salt and alcohol intake as well as getting regular screenings with a physician.

The consequences of having advanced kidney disease can include dialysis, the need for a kidney transplant, or premature death. It is beneficial to your health to see if you have any of the following ten warning signs of kidney disease and consult with a doctor quickly.

10 Early Warning Signs of Kidney Disease

1. Lower back pain

Backaches and joint pain could be signs of an injury or symptoms of a kidney infection. Read more about helping flush your kidneys in our article here.

2. Dark urine can reveal kidney disease

Blood can be passed into the urine, but this is often only seen under a microscope. However, being dehydrated can result in dark urine. Painful urination is another warning sign of kidney disease.

3. Changes in the quantity of urine

Going to the bathroom either too often or not often enough can be a sign of a problem with the kidneys. You may also feel the need to use the bathroom but cannot do so.

4. Metallic taste in your mouth

A buildup of waste that is not flushed out of your system can make you have a sense of a metallic taste in your mouth. Also, people may notice that you have particularly bad breath, which smells strangely of ammonia.

5. Kidney disease can cause nausea and vomiting

The buildup of waste that the diseased kidneys are not removing can also give you a nauseated feeling. Nausea can become severe enough to make you vomit. This is also another way for your body t try to rid itself of food that cannot be properly processed anyway.

6. Protein aversion

When the body cannot process the nutrients that you are consuming, there will be a buildup of these in your system. A buildup of protein and an inability to process it will cause you to have less desire for protein. It just won’t sound good to you.

Kidney disease can also cause a lack of appetite in general. When your kidneys aren’t functioning well, you can also have cravings for strange things like chewing on ice or eating inedible substances like dirt or chalk.

7. Foamy urine

When you use the bathroom to pass urine, check if it is bubbly or foamy looking. The bubbles can indicate the presence of protein passed in the urine. Typically, the body uses the protein rather than excreted, so this is a warning sign of potential kidney disease.

8. Fatigue

Many reasons can cause weakness, but in combination with the other signs listed here, it is cause for concern. Anemia can be associated with kidney disease, and that is likely what is causing your fatigue.

9. Mental confusion

Anemia is a symptom of kidney disease because the kidneys also help the blood to carry oxygen. When the kidneys are diseased, the number of red blood cells drops. Extreme fatigue can cause mental confusion.

10. Swelling of face, feet, or hands

Swelling means that fluid is retained in the body when it would typically excrete through the urine. When the kidneys are not functioning correctly, they cannot handle the extra fluid properly.

Swelling can happen in multiple places in the body. This swelling is also called edema. The kidneys are not excreting fluid as they should, and the body is retaining water and salt.

8 Habits To Reverse Kidney Disease

1. Eat a whole plant-based diet

Growing evidence suggests that eating a whole plant-based diet slows down the progression of chronic kidney disease. Plant-based proteins have more alkaline and anti-inflammatory properties, which will protect your kidneys. If you choose to go on a plant-based diet, be sure to adjust your nutritional needs to keep the right balance. Eat more fruits, lean meats, veggies, lower-fat dairy products, and whole grains.

2. Reduce your high blood pressure

There is no cure for kidney disease, but if it’s diagnosed soon enough, you can slow down or even prevent the disease’s progression. High blood pressure can cause kidney disease. When you have high blood pressure, your blood vessels get constricted, so they get damaged all over your body, especially in your kidneys. The narrowing of your blood vessels slows down blood flow into your kidneys, so it can’t remove waste and fluids from your body correctly. The extra fluid in your body causes high blood pressure. This threatening cycle leads to more damage to your kidneys.

3. Stay physically active to avoid kidney disease

Exercise helps fight kidney disease by improving your muscles function lowering your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. It also helps your stay at a healthy weight. Choose activities that use your large muscle groups, including:

Walking
Swimming
Biking
Dancing
Skiing

4. Eat less sodium

The National Kidney Foundation suggests you lower your sodium in these practical ways.

Foods to eliminate	Instead, eat these
●Table salt ●Seasoning salt ●Garlic salt ●Onion salt ●Celery salt ● Lemon pepper ●Lite salt ● Meat tenderizer	Fresh garlic, fresh onion, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, lemon juice, low-sodium/salt-free seasoning blends, vinegar
High Sodium Sauces such as ●Barbecue sauce ●Steak Sauce ●Soy sauce ●Teryaki sauce ●Hoisin sauce Avoid salted snacks such as Crackers Potato chips Corn chips Pretzels Tortilla chips Nuts Popcorn Sunflower seeds Avoid cured meats.	Homemade or low-sodium sauces and salad dressings; vinegar; dry mustard; unsalted crackers, popcorn, pretzels, tortilla, or corn chips
Avoid cured meats	Eat fresh meats and proteins
●Ham ●Salt pork ●Bacon ●Sauerkraut ●Pickles, pickle relish ●Lox & Herring ●Olives ●Hot Dogs ●Cold cuts, deli meats ●Pastrami ●Sausage ●Corned beef ●Spam	Fresh beef, veal, pork, poultry, fish, eggs
Avoid processed foods like ●Buttermilk ●Cheese Canned: ●Soups ●Tomato products ●Vegetable juices ●Canned vegetables Convenience Foods such as ●TV Dinners ●Canned ravioli ●Canned Chili ●Packaged Macaroni & Cheese ●Canned Spaghetti ●Commercial mixes ●Frozen prepared foods ● Fast foods	Eat natural foods: Natural cheese (1-2 oz per week) Homemade or reduced-sodium soups, canned food without added salt Homemade casseroles without added salt, made with fresh or raw vegetables, fresh meat, rice, pasta, or no added salt canned vegetables

5. Keep a healthy weight to help avoid kidney disease

Maintain a healthy weight to help reduce or slow down kidney disease symptoms. Avoid fad diets that can be hard on your organs, especially your kidneys. Eat a healthy diet with more plants and veggies, lower your calories and increase your exercise.

6. Reduce elevated urine albumin

Having too high of urine albumin puts you at risk for kidney problems. Albumin is a protein found in your blood. Healthy kidneys don’t allow albumin to pass from your blood into your urine, but they let albumin get into your blood if your kidneys are damaged. You can take medications to lower the loss of albumin in your blood, but eating less sodium, weight loss, and protein can reduce the elevated albumin in your urine. Your doctor can check your urine for high albumin.

8. Avoid low-carb diets

Low-calorie diets help you lose weight, but they can put you at risk for kidney problems. These diets have high protein, which causes hyperfiltration in your kidneys. This puts you at risk of damaging your kidney’s function.

5 Warning Signs Your Energy Level Is Sending You About Your Health

January 22, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Ideally, we’d all like to have endless amounts of energy all the time in our daily lives. However, many times, our image of how we would like to feel comes crashing down just after our lunch breaks at work. While being tired occasionally shouldn’t raise any red flags, consistently feeling exhausted after sleeping for 7-8 hours a night might signal something more serious. Low energy levels can make us feel lethargic, uninterested in our environment, and downright crabby if we don’t have the stamina to make it through our day without a nap, caffeine, or some sort of stimulant to stay awake.

If you continually have low energy levels, read on to find out what it might mean regarding your health.

Here are warning signs your energy level is sending you about your health:

1. You could have an under or overactive thyroid gland.

Your thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck that secretes hormones determining how your body will use energy. If you have an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), your body will produce too many vital hormones. The opposite will occur if you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).

According to WebMD, both of these conditions can cause serious problems if not treated, so schedule a doctor’s visit if you believe you might have a thyroid disorder. Both an under and overactive thyroid can disrupt sleep, making you feel groggy the next day and contributing to low energy levels.

2. You might be overly stressed.

Stress can easily make you feel exhausted. Your mind races, your heart pounds, you have all this adrenaline that you can’t seem to get rid of. Stress requires copious amounts of energy, so it drains you after just a short period. Every emotion we feel is energy, but negative ones deplete our energy stores, while positive ones add to them. If you feel stressed the majority of the time, try deep breathing exercises, moving your body, meditating, and eating well. Usually, we can heal our stress naturally by making a few small changes in our daily routines.

3. You might have a sleep disorder.

If you feel exhausted after getting a full night’s rest, this could point to a sleep disorder. According to Stanford Medicine, there are over 100 different sleep disorders, ranging from trouble falling asleep at night to difficulty staying awake during the day. The most common sleep disorder is insomnia, with 1 in 10 U.S. adults suffering from it each year.

If you believe you have a sleep disorder, talk with your doctor to discuss possible remedies.

4. You could suffer from anxiety or depression.

Just like stress, anxiety and depression can zap your energy levels, making you feel lifeless and exhausted. While anxiety makes you feel intense amounts of energy, it doesn’t serve a purpose unless you find yourself in a survival situation. Our bodies naturally produce a “fight or flight” response when in danger, but feeling this way most of the time can wreak havoc on the immune system and cause low energy levels after the cortisol and adrenaline have died down. On the other hand, depression makes you unable to feel much of anything at all, decreasing energy levels.

If you’d like to read about natural remedies for anxiety and depression so that you can keep your energy levels high, please consult our article here.

5. Low energy levels can indicate a nutrient deficiency.

Feeling low energy levels regularly might mean you have a nutrient deficiency. Our bodies require many different vitamins and minerals to function optimally. Thus, deficiencies mean you won’t have the necessary energy to live your life to the fullest. Generally, eating whole foods, plant-based diet will give you the vitamins and minerals you need to thrive. But if you’d like, you can also take supplements to ensure you get the proper nutrients. If you are vegetarian or vegan, especially, make sure you get your B12 from some source, either from a supplement, a shot, or fortified foods.

Low energy levels can take away from living a happy, healthy life, so if you feel low on energy, try going to the source first. Examine your diet, exercise regimen, self-care routine, and other habits to see if you can adjust your lifestyle to provide you with more energy. Your body, mind, and soul deserve only the best, so give them what they need to thrive!

5 Things That Are Making You Lose Sleep

January 22, 2016 by Power of Positivity

In our world inundated with technology, packed to the brim with responsibility, and overflowing with stress, it’s no wonder that so many millions of us can’t get to sleep. Even if we do get to sleep, staying asleep presents a whole new set of problems altogether. Some of us toss and turn, wake up in the middle of the night, and no matter how many sheep we count, just can’t seem to drift off into Neverland.

According to WebMD, 1 in 4 U.S. workers suffers from insomnia, and this is just one type of sleep disorder. According to an article from Stanford Medicine, there are over 100 different types of sleep disorders. This means that you likely know someone that suffers from a sleep problem, or you might have one and not even know about it.

We live in times where having a sound sleep is as rare as seeing someone talking on a flip phone, to put it into perspective. With so many distractions around us that prevent us from dozing off to sleep peacefully, how in the world can we actually get a good night’s rest? Well, it all starts by eliminating things that can steal our sleep before we even hit the sheets.

Here are 5 things that are making you lose sleep:

1. You play on your phone or computer before bed.

Countless studies have shown that the bright lights emitted from phones and computers can delay sleep for hours past your bedtime. The bright blue lights from tablets, phones and computers basically tell our brains that we need to stay awake, not go to sleep. Think about it: out in nature, the sun would tell our bodies to wake up and get our day started. So, with all these artificial lights today, we stay awake longer and longer because our brains don’t know the difference between natural and unnatural light. However, you can make things easier on yourself by turning off electronics a few hours before bed, and keeping them off during the night so they don’t awaken you with notifications.

2. You drink caffeine late in the day.

Caffeine sends a jolt of energy through our bodies that helps us to stay awake and feel refreshed. Drinking a few cups in the morning to help us get our day started won’t really do much harm; however, downing a cup or two close to bedtime will keep you awake well into the night. If you do drink caffeine, make sure to avoid drinking it five or six hours before bed, as it will stay in the bloodstream for hours after consumption, forcing sleep to evade you once again.

3. You think about all the chores you didn’t get done while laying in bed.

Another thing that causes insomnia is lying in bed contemplating all the things you didn’t get done, the meaning of life, and all sorts of other things that keep your mind active and awake. We have a sleep deprived world, largely because many of us don’t know how to shut off our brains. Before bed, try doing something relaxing that will tell your brain to slow down for the day, such as meditating, yoga, taking a hot bath, or doing deep breathing exercises. Watch how quickly you fall asleep after getting your mind in the zone; then, watch how effortlessly a bedtime relaxation routine develops.

4. You think so much about losing sleep, that it actually happens.

This can truly become a self-fulfilling prophecy, because when we lose sleep, we tend to fear it happening again and again. So, guess what happens? Since we begin to obsess over our lack of sleep, our minds create this scenario over and over again without us even doing much to make it happen. Remember, your thoughts have immense power, so instead of focusing your attention on what you don’t want to happen, try to turn your awareness toward what you do want to occur. However, don’t obsess too much about getting to sleep, either, because then it will seem like a chore to fall asleep at night.

Simply ease your way into it, and do whatever feels most relaxing to you before bed.

5. You don’t exercise.

Exercise releases endorphins that promote relaxation and overall well-being, and many studies have found a link between a good night’s sleep and physical activity. Our bodies were made to move, so if you live a sedentary lifestyle, all that energy is just sitting in your body, unable to be released. Could it be that so many people have sleep problems because they have pent up energy in their bodies? Possibly so. If you find that you have trouble getting to sleep, it might be as simple as going for a 30-minute brisk walk a few times a week in order to get your beauty rest.

Weekly tips, affirmations, and small actions to feel your best.

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!