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10 Tips for Reheating Leftovers Without Getting Sick

September 28, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Did you know that one in six Americans will contract food poisoning each year? The Center for Disease Control states that 128,000 people are hospitalized each year for this sickness. Sadly, in some cases, food poisoning can become so severe that it can cause death.

Using last night’s dinner for tomorrow’s lunch is financially wise. Do you realize that there are 40 million tons of food wasted each year in this country? The numbers are staggering, considering that many countries have people thankful to get one meal a day.

You want to repurpose your leftover meals and use them for something else. While this is a good idea, you must be safe to prevent contamination with salmonella or other foodborne bacteria.

Here are ten tips for reheating and storing your leftover foods so that you don’t get sick.

1. Don’t Keep Leftovers More Than Three Days

Benjamin Franklin made an astounding comment when he said that fish and company both stink after three days. However, it’s not just fish that you should be concerned with as all foods harbor bacteria. The problem is that when foods get above 40 degrees is it allows the toxins to grow.

So, if your kids open the fridge and get that box of pizza out three times, each time it’s giving them a higher risk of them developing food poisoning. Don’t keep reheating your foods, and throw out all leftovers when they hit the three-day mark.

2. Never Let Food Sit Out for More Than Two Hours

Your refrigerator stops the growth of germs because of the cold temperature, but once you sit it out on the counter for a couple of hours, then it’s a whole different ballgame.

The temperature inside your home is probably around 70 degrees. If that food sits out on the counter for a few hours, then it’s going to be unsafe to eat. If you live in an area where the temperature is warmer, then you should only let it sit out for an hour.

Remember, bacteria won’t always change the taste or appearance of your foods.

3. Reheat Until the Internal Temperature is 165 Degrees

You have many choices for reheating food. However, the key is to make sure that the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. It would help if you used a meat thermometer to check the center to ensure the proper temperature.

If you don’t reheat it properly, then you increase your risk of getting sick. Don’t take a chance because food poisoning is a nasty condition that you don’t ever want to experience.

4. Make Sure All Leftovers Are Wrapped Securely

Have you ever made a bowl of tuna salad and just sat it inside the refrigerator without a lid? In only a few hours, everything in your fridge would smell and taste like tuna. You must put a lid and seal your leftovers tightly.

A lid prevents other flavors from blending as well as keeping germs from entering or exiting this dish.

5. You Can Freeze Leftovers for 3-4 Months

Are you one of the people who think you can toss something in the freezer and forget about it? Believe it or not, food in the freezer also has an expiration date. You should mark each item with the date you freeze it so that you know when to use it by or pitch it.

As a rule of thumb, you should use or toss foods after 3-4 months, specifically ones that have been previously cooked. There are other guidelines for fresh meat, and some can be frozen up to a year or more. However, when it comes to leftover foods, stick with four months tops.

6. Never Reheat Leftovers More Than Once

Each time you reheat that vegetable soup or other entrée, you are taking away from the dish’s vitality. It’s better to portion out the amount you want and save the rest for later. Each time you reheat and cool a food item, you are increasing the risk of multiplying the germs and your chance of getting poisoning.

It gets tricky if you’re pregnant or have a compromised immune system. In these instances, you should never eat leftover foods at all. You want to protect yourself as best as possible, and you can only do this by being extra careful with day-old items.

7. Use the Oven to Reheat When Possible

Some people love using a microwave because it’s a quick and easy way to reheat food. However, many foods lose their integrity in this device. For instance, pizza reheated in the microwave doesn’t taste anywhere near as good as it does in the oven.

Additionally, the oven heats more thoroughly, which can be a big issue when you’re talking about food poisoning. Things like rice need to be a consistent temperature of at least 165 degrees to keep germs like bacillus cereus at bay.

The bacillus cereus toxin can linger in temperatures above 168 degrees, which is why it’s so important to make sure you have a consistent temperature throughout your foods. When in doubt, use your oven to do any reheating.

8. Never Refreeze Leftovers That Have Been Thawed

Let’s assume you take a package of chicken out of the freezer and boil it. Then, you shred it into small packages to put in the freezer for a quick meal. Now, once you take one of those packages out to cook for dinner, never put it back in the freezer.

Once the meat has been thawed and used once, it can’t be refrozen. Why is this such a problem? As you thaw meet, the toxins and germs start to grow. When you put it in the freezer, it stops the growth but cannot eliminate what’s already there.

Then, during the second thawing, it introduces even more bacterium to the food. It’s just never a good idea to refreeze anything twice.

9. Serve Reheated Foods Immediately

You must always serve foods that you have reheated immediately. We’ve already discussed that toxins start to grow once food reaches 40 degrees, so the longer you leave it to sit out, the greater the risk of germs.

Once you’ve reheated a dish, make sure you serve it within 5-10 minutes. Please don’t allow it to sit out in a room temperature home and allow germs to grow. It’s often the little things when it comes to leftovers that have the most significant impact.

10. Know When It Needs to Go

The best way to tell if you’re in danger of getting poisoning is to use your senses. First, examine the foods and look for signs of mold, discoloration, or any other signs that it just doesn’t look right. Second, the smell is a strong sense that can help protect you when it comes to eating tainted food.

Have you ever smelled chicken or hamburger that started to spoil? There will be something about it that smells funny or odd. Always give a quick sniff to any leftover foods. If it doesn’t smell or look right, then don’t eat it.

Check Your Refrigerator Temperature

Do you know what your refrigerator’s temperature is set at? The average American household is set at 50 degrees, but it should be no more than 40-45 degrees. While it may use a little more electricity, setting it down to 35-38 degrees is even better.

Plus, it will ensure your water and other beverages are super cold. If your refrigerator is not at the right temperature, then you are just asking for trouble.

Keeping Leftovers Safe as Possible

Leftover foods are tasty and handy, so you need to make sure you do whatever you can to ensure that they are safe to eat. It’s a widespread belief that you should let foods completely cool before you put it in the refrigerator, but nothing could be further from the truth.

It’s better to allow foods to cool completely inside the refrigerator, a controlled environment that keeps toxins at bay. If you allow food to come to room temperature, then you’re increasing the chance that your food will become tainted and could be deadly if you eat it.

It won’t hurt your refrigerator if you let a warm dish sit inside it, nor will it ruin the food itself. If you have leftovers that you bring home from a restaurant, you can store them in their original container. If the item is covered, you’re in no real danger of picking up germs in these containers.

The Dangers of Cross-Contamination

One of the most significant issues that people encounter is cross-contamination. When you pack your leftover foods, make sure you don’t use spoons or spatulas that have touched raw meats. Chicken carries an extremely high risk of salmonella when not handled properly.

If you’re using a fork or other utensil that touched the raw chicken, then it can make your food tainted. It won’t look or smell any different, but you can get sick shortly after eating it. The last thing you want to do is reintroduce bacteria to already-cooked food.

Final Thoughts on Eating Leftovers Safely

You can reuse your foods and repurpose them for other meals. However, you must use safety to ensure that you reduce the risk of developing food poisoning. Once you’ve had it, you will agree it’s one of the worst experiences of your life, and you will do anything to prevent another encounter.

Boost Your Self-confidence with These 15 Empowering Quotes

September 27, 2020 by Sarah Barkley

We all have times when we need something to help empower us. You may need a boost to your self-confidence, and empowerment can help with that. When you can find something that will empower you, you will notice a hugely positive change in your life.

Having self-confidence and feeling empowerment can help you achieve all of your goals in life. It will make you feel like you can do anything, and it will help you love who you are.

When you can feel this way most of the time, you will not be stopped. Good things will continuously come to you, and you’ll be on the path to your goals.

Fifteen Quotes to Empower You and Inspire Self Confidence

When you need something to help empower you, remember these quotes.

1. “Self-empowerment is seeking the solution rather than fixating on the problem.” – Coach Bobbi

The most empowering thing you can do for yourself is to always look for a solution. Fixating on and complaining about a problem won’t help. The only thing that will help is to figure out a new plan and moving on from the situation.

When you can do this, you will feel your self-confidence rise. You will learn that you are capable of anything you set your mind to.

2. “If you feel like there’s something out there that you’re supposed to be doing, if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it.” – Wanda Sykes

Don’t hold back if you feel passionate about something. If it feels like it is your calling, it probably is. You have to go after it and work hard to make it happen.

3. “Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can’t love and respect yourself – no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are – completely; the good and the bad – and make changes as YOU see fit – not because you think someone else wants you to be different.” – Stacey Charter

No one else can make you feel happy and worthy if you don’t believe it yourself. You have to know that you are capable of being loved, and the only way to know that is by loving yourself. Accept everything about yourself, even if your flaws, because they are what make you unique.

Don’t change anything about who you are unless you genuinely want to. When you make changes because someone else thinks you should, you will never love yourself or see your self-worth.

4. “One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.” – Michelle Obama

As Obama explains, it’s essential to be yourself and go after your goals. Don’t let anyone sway you or make you feel like you can’t do it. You are capable of anything you set your mind to, and your goals are more important than anything anyone else can say.

5. “Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries. They just don’t let these feelings stop them.” – T. Harv Eker

Everyone, even the most successful people, has insecurities and fears and needs something to help empower them. The only difference is that successful people don’t let these feelings interfere with their success.

They keep moving forward and working hard, despite the negative feelings they may experience. These feelings get pushed to the back of their mind because they focus on reaching their goals. So, the next time you feel like you need a boost of self-confidence, remember this.

6. “And then she realized that a fresh start was hers for the taking, that she could be the woman she’s always seen on the distant horizon—her future self. One step at a time. Starting today.” – Unknown

No matter what has happened or where you are, you can start fresh today. This doesn’t mean packing your bags and moving somewhere new, however. It means deciding today to be the person you always intended to be.

Starting over might not happen all at once. Instead, it will take forming new habits and changing your mindset. Always work to better yourself, because this will be what leads to ultimate self-confidence.

7. “Integrating the mind is the essence of life. Decide you will always say and do only what you feel is right. Then, you will come to tremendous clarity and conviction in the inner and outer worlds.” – Swami Nithyananda

Never do anything that doesn’t feel right to you or anything that doesn’t empower you. Be true to yourself when you speak and act, and everything else will fall into place. This is the only way to avoid internal conflict and be confident in all that you have done.

8. “Believe in yourself. Believe in your capacity to do good and great things. Believe that no mountain is so high, you cannot climb it. Believe that no storm is so great that you cannot weather it. Believe in yourself.” – Gordon B. Hinckley

If you believe in yourself, you can do anything, as Hinckley explains. You can do great things, get through any obstacle, and figure out any problem. Never doubt yourself, and remember that you are capable of great things.

9. “You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can’t have it.” – Dr. Robert Anthony

Stop telling yourself that you can’t achieve anything. You can do anything if you have faith in yourself and if you keep working hard toward your goals. Getting what you want involves overcoming obstacles and striving through the hard times, both things that you can do.

10. “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” – Napoleon Hill

If you can think it, you can do it. All that it takes is for you to believe in yourself and never question whether you are capable. If you have dreams and goals, go for them, because anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

11. “Trust yourself. There is no one else on earth that is better suited to determining your ideal and making it happen than you.” – S.D. Buffington

You can’t trust anyone else in the world as much as you can trust yourself. Only you can determine what your ideal life is like, and only you can make it happen. Put your faith and trust in yourself, because you are the only one who can determine the outcome of your life.

12. “Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

You are allowed and encouraged to be yourself. If someone doesn’t like it, that is their loss and their issue to deal with. Love yourself, be yourself, and never let anyone else change your mind.

13. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you can be yourself when everyone around you wants you to change, you are brave and strong. This is the most significant accomplishment you could ever hope to achieve. The world and the people in it will continuously try to change you, but you are amazing just as you are.

14. “I don’t want everyone to like me; I should think less of myself if some people did.” – Henry James

It is impossible to have every single person like you. If they did, it would mean that at some point, you aren’t being yourself. Since opinions, views, ideals, and many other things cause problems between people, you are sure to have at least one person who doesn’t like you.

If you are always faithful to yourself and say what you think, you will have enemies. This means that you stand up for what is right, and you can’t be swayed.

15. “Whether you’re 9 or 90, stop trying to fix the things you’re bad at, and focus on the things you’re good at.” – Gary Vaynerchuk

By fixating on your flaws, you are only weakening your sense of self-confidence. You have to focus on your strengths and use them to help you grow. The things you are good at will be what makes a difference in your life, not the things you are bad at.

Final Thoughts on Boosting Your Self-confidence with These Empowering Quotes

Feeling empowered and boosting your self-confidence can help you achieve many great things in life. It will help you reach your goals and live a life that you are proud of.

You will be happier, and obstacles or hardships won’t affect you as severely. While you are sure to experience times when you feel a lack of self-confidence, regularly feeling empowered should help these instances become less frequent.

Remember these quotes to empower you the next time you need a boost of self-confidence. It will help you get through the day and get you that much closer to your goals.

Banish Negative Self Talk by Trying These 10 Techniques

September 27, 2020 by Sarah Barkley

Everyone experiences negative self talk, even the most confident people. It is detrimental to your wellbeing, however, and you should work to achieve positive thinking, instead.

The negative self talk is what is happening when you are judging, doubting, or belittling yourself. It’s when you are telling yourself you aren’t good enough or that you always mess everything up. Usually, these thoughts you think about yourself are ones you’d never say to anyone else.

You have to remember that every thought you have about yourself affects your life. Regardless of whether it is good or bad, it will play a factor in determining your next steps. It will cause you to give up or hold back, preventing achievements and goals from being accomplished.

Not only that, but negative self talk can also cause depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders. When you are hostile toward yourself, you won’t accomplish as much as if you were optimistic. Your thoughts are what you become, so you should always strive for positive thinking.

The Effects of Negative Self Talk and Positive Self Talk

Effects of Negative Thoughts

Some of the impacts of negative self-thoughts were already discussed, but there are more. Some of them include:

weakening of muscles
increased stress levels
your hormone levels change
gastrointestinal and digestive problems
increased heart rate

Effects of Positive Thinking

The results of thinking positively are much better than those of negative thinking. These effects include:

improved coping skills during stressful times
a longer life span
decreased chance of depression
less stress
increase in the immune system functioning
better overall wellbeing
cardiovascular health

When your body is put through less stress and negativity, you tend to be healthier. Since stress causes the heart to weaken, you have less chance of developing heart disease if you are positive.

How to Stop Negative Self Talk

1. Recognize When You are Doing it

The first step to stopping negative self talk is to recognize when you are doing it. Often, we don’t even notice what we are thinking about as we go about our day. You must consciously keep track of your thought process to recognize and stop it as it’s happening.

One way to recognize this negative thought process is by looking for feelings of guilt, shame, doubt, or worthlessness. When you are experiencing these emotions, you are likely to engage in negative thoughts again.

Once you can regularly recognize when it occurs, you can figure out the situations it most often happens in. Keep track by writing down each time you have the negative self talk and what appeared to make it happen.

2. Replace it With Positive Thinking and Positive Self Talk

Once you have acknowledged the negativity, replace it with positivity. Anytime you realize you have a negative thought, replace it with a positive view about yourself. Starting paying attention to the good things about you rather than the wrong things.

If you get used to consciously changing your thought process to be more positive, it’ll begin to become a habit. You will start to recognize the positives automatically, and you’ll have better thoughts about yourself.

The way this works is simple. When you always tell yourself you are no good, you will subconsciously focus on all the mistakes you’ve made. Likewise, when you always tell yourself you are right, you will begin to focus on the good things you do.

An easy rule to remember is to talk to yourself the way you speak to others. If you would not say it to someone else, you shouldn’t say it to yourself. Lift yourself in the way that you lift others.

3. Figure Out Areas for Improvement and Think About the Cause

This point relates to number one when you recognize and keep track of when you notice negative self talk. When you consistently do that, you will be able to figure out which areas of your life need improvement. If you are unhappy in a particular situation, figure out how you can change it.

This isn’t to say you should walk away from a job or relationship because you are unhappy. It could be all about changing your perspective of the situation. Find which parts of it make you tick and then find a way to make those things better.

4. Find a Reason to Laugh or Smile

Laughing and smiling are sure ways to help you with positive thinking. This is especially important when you are in the midst of negative thoughts. Find something that makes you laugh–and then do that every time you feel you need some positivity.

This could be spending time with a loved one or friend who always cracks jokes. You could also put on a stand-up comedy show on TV or read a funny book. Whatever options you choose, make sure you are genuinely laughing and smiling.

5. Be Active

You’ll be surprised to know that exercise and an active lifestyle can lessen negative self talk. If you exercise for around 30 minutes each day, your mood will be positively improved. It can also help you manage your stress, helping with less negativity in that way, as well.

If intense exercise isn’t for you, there are other options. You can take a light jog or take a walk around your neighborhood a couple of times. Another option is to do yoga, which helps you relax while exercising.

6. Spend Time with Positive People and Doing Positive Things

When you are surrounded by negative people, you’ll wind up being negative, too. If you want more positivity in your life, you have to surround yourself with positive people. They will be supportive and be there for you positively, whereas pessimistic people will only make your negative thoughts worse.

If you can’t be around positive people all the time, surround yourself with positive energy. This boost could be an uplifting playlist or a good book that makes you happy. You could also try a positive movie or podcast.

7. Take a Moment to Breathe

Sometimes taking a break to do some deep breathing can help you reel in your thoughts. Frequently when you become overwhelmed, and the negative thinking begins, it’s because you are overwhelmed. Other times it’s because you have made a mistake.

No matter what the cause is, breathing is likely going to help. It will help slow your heart rate, which will make you calm and help you think clearer.

8. Stop Striving for Perfection

No one is perfect, and you can’t hold yourself to that standard. If you try, you’ll only set yourself up for failure and negativity. Give yourself the same bit of grace that you would show to others and judge your work in the same way you consider theirs.

Imperfections happen, and things can never be completely perfect. Embrace the imperfections and keep moving forward while reminding yourself that you are healthy and capable. Once you stop trying to be perfect, you’ll be happier and have more positive thoughts.

9. Create a Routine

If you have a routine in place, you’ll move through your day with less thought. It will take less energy and less stress, and you won’t feel like you forget anything. You will arrive at places on time, get your work done on time, and never feel like you are behind.

When you can work in this continuous way with minimal stress and thinking, you’ll have fewer negative thoughts. It will prevent you from overthinking and criticizing yourself or your work.

10. Stop Thinking the Worst Possibility Will Happen

When you always think the worst will happen, the negative thinking will set in quickly. You will convince yourself that the worst is the only possibility, even though that is far from the truth.

If you always think you’re going to be fired from your job, you’ll still be thinking of your shortcomings. Conversely, if you tell yourself daily that you are great at your job, you’ll think about your strengths, instead.

Remember that you can’t predict the future, and thinking of the worst-case scenario isn’t healthy. It will only hinder your growth and cause a feeling of worthlessness.

Final Thoughts on Banish Negative Self Talk by Trying These Techniques

Negative self talk is severely detrimental to your mental health and your goals. You won’t be able to achieve your goals if you are always telling yourself you are incapable or unworthy. Remember that you are healthy and can do anything you set your mind to.

When you are having trouble with positive thinking, remember these tips for banishing the negativity. Take a few moments to breathe–then consciously change your thought process.

Spend more time thinking about what you are good at and what you have already accomplished. In turn, you will spend less time thinking about your shortcomings and failures. By doing this, you’ll be able to banish the negativity and think more clearly and realistically.

Experts Reveal 5 Simple Ways To Improve Your Memory

September 27, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Are you a forgetful person? Does your mind tend to discard lists, numbers, dates, names, or faces? Do you often forget appointments or pre-planned events? Have you sometimes found yourself merely not knowing what’s going on at any given time, despite knowing before? Today, we are sharing five easy ways to help you to improve your memory.

If you said yes to any of those, you might have a bad memory! Luckily, memory issues don’t have to be permanent, and you can learn to sharpen your mind and prevent cognitive problems. Here’s how experts reveal five simple ways to improve your memory.

1. Learn Memory Techniques

There are a lot of different tips and tricks for memorizing certain things. Some of these tips and tricks might even expand into something that retain information long-term! If you’re looking to improve your memory, these techniques are the go-tos. Here are five of them:

· Make Connections

Form connections between new information and information you already had. For example, if you are trying to remember your parking bay of H44, think about your friend, whose name starts with an H and is 44 years old. Connecting the new knowledge to something you already have memorized perfectly makes it much easier for you to remember it later. According to Mount Sinai School of Medicine assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and memory enhancement program founder Cynthia R. Green, Ph.D., who is also an author and the president of Memory Arts.

· Simplify

It’s effortless for the brain to forget vast amounts of information that all come at you at once. Green recommends that you break down what you receive into manageable, smaller chunks of information that you can memorize one by one and put together later if needed.

· Create Pictures or Movies

When you have something to remember, try to create a memory picture or a memory movie about it. For example, if you need to remember to buy five boxes of cake mix, imagine five cakes stacked precariously on top of each other. If you need to remember the name Rick, attach the person’s face to the image of Rick and Morty in your mind!

· Review, Don’t Repeat

Reading the same thing over and over again doesn’t have a positive effect on how much information from it you retain. Instead, you want to review or “retrieve” the memory you have from the first reading if you want the memory to be long term. Memory researcher and University of Louisville professor Keith Lyle, Ph.D. recommends thinking about what you length at regular intervals, with the gaps increasing in size each time. This is much more likely to result in retention than simply relearning everything several times over.

· Tell A Story

The storytelling technique involves taking a list of information and making them into a story, says Green. It’s the memory picture or memory movie technique expanded. For example, to remember the words “green, truck, violin, duck,” you might imagine a green truck driving by a duck playing the violin.

2. Hack Your Memory

Hacking your memory isn’t as fancy as it sounds. It merely refers to the ability to use different actions and environmental factors to improve your memory in certain areas. Not sure what we mean? Here are some ideas:

· Make Memory Spots

In your home, office, or other commonly frequented places, designate a particular spot as your memory spot. It’s where you will put all the things you typically forget, like your keys, your wallet, or your phone charger. It can take some getting used to, but Green suggests putting it into practice. Get used to putting items easily forgotten in these memory spots and visit those spots so you can check if you’ve forgotten anything. The next time you lose something, it’ll be waiting in that spot!

· Exercise Your Brain

The brain needs to work out, just like the rest of the body, to stay healthy, says Gouras. Regular mental stimulation through puzzles, tests, and the act of learning new knowledge can help reduce cognitive decline’s effects. Over time, it will sharpen your memory and have positive impacts on brainpower. Think of it as a kind of mental training!

· Write Things Down

Sure, technically, writing something down means you don’t have to remember it, but it’s an excellent way to practice building your memory. It ensures that you do remember what you have to do, letting you practice more memory retention in the future, says Lyle. The act of writing things can also make it easier for some people to commit things to memory – even more so than typing things out, according to studies!

3. Cut Down On Some Foods

Did you know that certain foods can harm your memory? Through several components, these foods can damage the brain’s natural ability to remember things, often affecting parts of the brain permanently in the long run. Here are some food components to avoid:

· Carbohydrates

Not all carbs are bad. The ones that can have a negative effect on your memory are the refined kinds. Think of white bread, white rice, white pasta, cereal, and baked goods. These all have a high glycemic index and are digested by the body at a swift rate, causing blood sugar spikes. These carbohydrates can all lead to an increased risk of cognitive function, including dementia and other forms of cognitive decline, according to studies.

· Sugar

Added sugar has many downsides, but mostly it’s been linked to all sorts of chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Unfortunately, one of the conditions that it has been linked to is cognitive decline. Eating a lot of sugar can shrink the volume of your brain, especially the part responsible for short-term memory, according to research.

· Cholesterol

High cholesterol levels can increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, especially at a younger age than typical. This is according to Weill Medical College professor of neurology and neuroscience and Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research adjunct professor Gunnar Gouras, MD. The consumption of statins, which can lower harmful cholesterol, has been linked in studies to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s development.

· Alcohol

High alcohol consumption has been known to lead to many health problems, but binge drinking is especially worrying for the brain. This is because the natural neurotoxicity of alcohol can affect the brain’s hippocampus, which is responsible for many memory-related functions. The memory-shortening effects of alcohol are effective immediately when one becomes intoxicated, and excessively falling into a drunken state can be the cause for eventual permanent memory decline. It’s OK to have a drink once in a while, especially in a positive environment, but do so responsibly!

4. Add More Of Some Foods

Just like you need to cut down on some consumables to improve your memory, there are some foods you need to add more of. Here are some that the experts recommend!

· Eat A Mediterranean Diet

Mediterranean diets have been known for years as a memory-boosting, brain-protecting, heart-healthy eating plan. This is likely due to the types of foods involved and their rich vitamin, mineral, and nutritional component content. If possible, try to incorporate aspects of a Mediterranean diet into your daily meals, suggests research.

· Take Enough B Vitamins

B12 and other B vitamins play a significant role in positive memory functions in the brain. A lack of them can even lead to cognitive decline. Green states that the older you get, the more complicated your body may find it to absorb dietary B vitamins. Make sure you’re getting enough folic acid, B6, and B12. If you need to, you may want to take a supplement, but talk to your doctor about it first!

· Take Enough Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that fights against free radicals and works to break down fatty substances and cholesterol buildup. It may also help bring down inflammation. With all these factors combined, vitamin E can slow or prevent the onset of cognitive decline and brain issues caused by inflammation, promising more positive memory strength. According to Gouras, you should try to get around 400 IU of daily vitamin E.

· Get Enough Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids, commonly found in fatty fish, fish oils, and healthy fat sources, are essential for many bodily functions. This includes cardiovascular health, positive thinking and mood, and even inflammation. On top of that, it has been found to be able to reduce mental decline. Most foods with lots of omega-3 fatty acids are thought to be brain foods for a reason, after all!

· Stay Hydrated

The brain is full of water; in fact, 85% of it is just water alone! A lack of hydration can cause fatigue and brain fog, potentially affecting your memory in the long run with chronic dehydration. Make sure you’re drinking at least eight glasses of water daily and that you drink water as soon as you feel thirsty.

· Try Some Ginkgo

Ginkgo is a herb that has been found to have scientific links to brain cell enrichment, meaning it can keep the mind healthy while boosting circulation throughout the body. Just make sure you consult a doctor before going through with supplementation!

5. Manage Your Mental Health

Mental health and positive thinking can play a huge role in whether your memory stays sharp or not. Those who experience chronic or frequent anxiety and stress have a heightened level of the stress hormone cortisol in their body. A lot of cortisol production means the body goes into fight vs. flight mode. Of course, this means directing energy to your body staying alive, not to more satisfactory brain function. Green explains that this pattern may affect the hippocampus, damage sleep ability, and even directly affect your ability to retain memories.

On top of that, did you know that depression and cognitive impairment have been linked by research? In fact, according to Grouras, many times, depression can be misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease! Many people who are very depressed can completely forget some moments of their life.

If you think you are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, or chronic stress, seek mental health aid from a therapist, counselor, or similar qualified professional.

Final Thoughts On Some Simple Ways To Improve Your Memory

Memory problems can range from inconvenient to frightening. Luckily, you can learn tips, methods, and habits that will slowly improve your memory over time until you’re a sharp-minded machine! Of course, note that if you think that your memory problems are degenerative or severe, you should speak to a doctor for an opinion.

Nutritionists Explain How the Hormone Reset Diet Restores Your Energy

September 26, 2020 by Power of Positivity

The new hormone reset diet is a radical new way of approaching weight loss that provides more energy and fewer health issues. If you could lose weight and have increased vigor, would you be interested?

What would you say if someone told you that being overweight had little to do with the fact that you consume too many calories or don’t exercise? The problem with your weight could have everything to do with your hormones misfiring.

While the research is still being conducted into this matter, many patients lose weight when they realize that they have things like thyroid issues or insulin imbalances in their bodies that must be corrected. A little something like a faulty thyroid can keep your body from losing the weight you desperately want to lose.

If you’ve been struggling to shed pounds despite your best efforts, it might be worth consulting a Dietitian Nutritionist Ottawa who specializes in hormonal health. An RDN can help identify potential hormonal imbalances, such as thyroid dysfunction or insulin resistance, which may be hindering your weight loss journey. By tailoring a diet that addresses these underlying issues, you can optimize your hormonal balance and enhance your body’s ability to shed excess weight.

Why Your Leptin Level May Be Off?

If you’re consuming too much sugar, your hormones may be the culprit that causes your weight gain. A 2019 research project concluded that leptin is a powerful hormone when it comes to losing unwanted pounds. It releases from your fat cells. Once it’s in your bloodstream, it travels to your brain and sends out the signal that you’re full.

Essentially, this critical hormone helps you from overeating. The problem is that when you eat sugar types like fructose corn syrup, then it impedes the leptin production. Small amounts of fructose won’t hurt you, but if you eat a large amount of it, then the body’s hormone levels become off.

You can find this substance naturally in fruits, but it can also be found in processed foods. You should have no more than five servings a day, or it can send your leptin levels into a frenzy. See, your liver is the organ that must process the fructose so that your body can use it as fuel.

Because this organ cannot convert it to fuel quickly enough in abundant amounts, it turns it into fat. The fat goes into your bloodstream and eventually lands in places like your belly. You will also see an increase in your triglycerides: the more fructose you consume, the more leptin production increases.

Remember, fat is what produces leptin so that you will have too much of this hormone circulating throughout your body. The messages that your body derives from leptin becomes lost because of the overabundance.

Your brain misses the signals that your body is full and doesn’t need to eat any more food. Thus, you will continue to gain weight. The hormone reset diet helps you to get your leptin levels where they need to be so you can start burning fat, not storing it.

How is the Stress Hormone Cortisol Problematic?

If you did a poll of how many people are stressed out in life, you would be surprised how many people feel at wit’s end. When you’re stressed, your body produces a hormone called cortisol. If you want to lose weight, you don’t want an abundance of this hormone floating around your body.

The research concludes that as the cortisol levels rise in your body, it allows your blood sugars to be turned into fat, where it will be stored long-term. When you hoard fat, it becomes useful for your survival. This response occurs because people in ancient times faced great famine, so they used their fat reserves to sustain them, though this is not necessary today.

When you reduce your stress levels, you can also help control the fat-storage from the cortisol hormone. However, there’s another source of this issue that you may not even realize. Coffee is an essential part of many people’s lives.

Sadly, that cup of coffee that seems to be keeping you awake is also causing you to hoard fat. The hormone reset diet can help, but you will need to give up things that are harmful to you or at least limit them, such as coffee.

Are Estrogen Levels to Blame?

Did you know that your estrogen levels can also cause you to store fat? Women are primarily bothered by higher estrogen levels, and it can be the most troubling of all the fat hormones. When it’s at an average level, estrogen helps to keep your body producing insulin, which helps manage your blood sugar levels.

However, as you age, this hormone gets off-kilter. When your insulin levels are out of whack, then you can start gaining weight rapidly. It isn’t easy to understand, but the hormone reset diet can help.

As you eat meals, your blood sugar levels increase to accommodate the excess sugar you take in. It acts like a security guard for your system so that it keeps things safe. It helps to transport the glucose from your body to the places where it’s needed.

How does that work?

Some glucose goes to the liver, while some go to the muscles, and finally, what’s left goes into your fat storage reserves. If your body is in good shape, your pancreas knows how much insulin it needs to produce for it to keep things running smoothly. The sugar will rise after you eat and fall back into the acceptable range of under 100 mg/dl.

Sadly, when your estrogen levels are too high, then your insulin cannot transfer the glucose to where it’s beneficial in the body. Thus, your sugar levels are also high in your bloodstream, and all of it ends up in your fat storage.

The fat tissues cannot hold all this extra sugar, so it starts to expand to accommodate all the excess glucose that it must store. How do the estrogen levels get off anyway? Well, it happens when people eat more meat and forget about their fiber needs.

Did you know that because a vegan or vegetarian eats twice as much fiber as someone who eats meat, they are less likely to have their estrogen levels be elevated? Therefore, so many people are turning to the hormone reset diet. Not only do vegans have more energy than meat-eaters, but they also have fewer health issues and an increased vigor for life.

Meat causes estrogen problems in the body. When you eat animals raised on farms for mass production, they use steroids and antibiotics. These substances are not toxic to humans, but they can do a number on your system.

As you consume these meats, it releases the substances they were fed into your body. Additionally, some of these additives can cause your estrogen to be out of whack by putting your system on overload. Therefore, the hormone reset diet is rich in vegetables and doesn’t include processed meats.

Is Testosterone to Blame?

Both men and women have testosterone in their bodies, but men have more of an abundance. When these levels are off, it will slow down your metabolism. What causes this imbalance?

Each day as you go through your daily life, you encounter genetically modified food types, pesticides, and even herbicides. Did you know that there are more than six different synthetic hormones found in your grocery store-bought meats?

The hormone reset diet cuts out these synthetic hormones from processed foods and even prescription medications and skincare products. Did you know that even the lining of a tuna fish can have fire-retardant materials permeating the air you breathe? If you want to eat tuna, you should always do it in a fresh variety and never canned.

Many of the toxins that you encounter act like estrogen when they get inside your body. Therefore, the hormone reset diet is so good for you. It decreases your exposure and helps to stop the madness.

Did you know that these toxins also affect your children? Why do you think young girls are getting their periods ay before their time? Both boys and girls will also develop faster and head into puberty long before the expected time frame.

Some boys will start developing breasts, while girls can face problems like endometriosis and other estrogen-driven issues. Fake estrogen causes your body’s testosterone levels to go crazy. So, the muscle growth that comes from this can keep your metabolism in an idle state.

What Foods To Eat–And Which to Avoid on the Hormone Reset Diet

Here are a few of the foods you should eat to overcome hormonal imbalances, along with some to avoid. Over six weeks, you will remove the unwanted foods and gradually replace them with healthier options on the hormone reset diet.

Week One and Two

You are detoxifying your body of unwanted chemicals that can knock your hormones off-kilter. Start striking the following items off your menu:

Grains that contain glutens
Cow’s milk products
Caffeinated beverages
Alcohol
Canned foods
Potatoes
Peanuts
Dried fruits
Red meat
Artificial sweeteners
Sugar
Processed foods, boxed meals, frozen meals

You may eat the following foods:

Vegetables
Berries
Citrus fruits
Eggs
Organic lean proteins
Plant-based milks
Goat milk
Sheep milk
Quinoa
Fish (low in mercury species)
Soy proteins
Fish oil supplements

As you change your eating habits, begin working in daily exercise for thirty minutes. Walking, yoga or other gentle movements are a great starting point.

Weeks Three and Four

Most people report feeling great within two weeks, with restored vigor and energy. Now, it’s time to gradually add foods back to your meal plan. If any of these items impede your progress, do away with them again.

Some foods you can try to add back to your diet include the following:

Peanuts
Coffee (choose organic)
Dried fruits
Limited amounts of organic, grass-fed beef

Be mindful of how your body responds to these additions, and adjust accordingly. Challenge yourself to increase the intensity of your workout efforts during this phase if you can safely do so.

Weeks Five and Six

Swapping out unhealthy foods for organic, whole foods should have you feeling great at this point.

Again, gradually, you will add foods back to the menu:

Gluten-free grains
Any other foods you want to try, with a mindfulness of how your body responds

You started your activity with light walking or yoga. Now dedicate time to strength training, including bodyweight exercises, dumbbell routines, and other home workout options. To really kick that effort up, head to the gym and meet with a personal trainer.

Final Thoughts: The Hormone Reset Diet Can Restore Your Zest for Life

The hormone reset diet fixes all the broken issues with natural, plant-based foods that will help you to heal. You need to fix the thyroid issues, sluggish metabolism, and incorrect estrogen and testosterone levels.

Your hormones are an essential part of your body as it tells it what to do with the food you eat. If you want to slim down and fix your body’s issues without taking a medication, then the hormone reset diet is for you. It uses the power of nature to heal you from the inside out.

Additionally, you will cut or limit things like caffeine, processed foods, saturated fats, items with high carbohydrates, and the use of any artificial sweeteners. To help keep you from getting hungry, you will eat every 3-4 hours to ensure you keep blood sugar levels at optimum levels.

If you’ve tried every other diet out there and have failed, then the hormone reset diet may be what you’ve been looking for all along.

Dentists Reveal 5 Signs You Are Grinding Teeth at Night (And How to Fix It)

September 26, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Are you guilty of grinding teeth at night? When you drift off into dreamland, you would never imagine what happens in your body that you have no control over. Your system is busy creating new cells to keep you happy and healthy, but you’re also doing some involuntary things that can cause big problems.

Grinding teeth is medically termed bruxism. Anyone who bites or clenches their teeth during their sleep can be diagnosed with this issue. Did you know that this problem can also occur during the daytime? While it’s mostly done at night, there are a few that grind during daylight hours too.

Having bruxism at night is a problem that many people don’t realize is happening because they are sleeping. Teeth grinding is a common problem that occurs in about 70 percent of people.

Why Do People Grind Their Teeth?

Why people grind their teeth is not completely clear. According to the American Dental Association, people who have an abnormal bite, have a fitful sleep, and have stress and anxiety can be prone to grinding teeth. Anyone with an overload of stress can certainly have issues during their sleep.

Additionally, people who have poor teeth that are crooked or missing a few are also more apt to grind. As with most conditions, teeth grinding can be mild or severe. Additionally, a person can engage in grinding teeth every night or be an intermittent grinder.

Five Signs You Grind Your Teeth at Night

Most don’t realize they have this issue until some other symptoms develop. It’s important to keep regular dental checkups as this is one of the first places that a problem like this is identified. How do you know if you suffer from grinding teeth? Well, here are five signs that this is happening to you.

1. Enamel Wear

You go for your regular dentist’s appointment, and the hygienist notices some wear on your enamel. It looks as if a sander has been taken to your teeth. Upon further examination, they can see that your teeth are chiseled, and the enamel wear is so noticeable that you need some serious dental work.

Your enamel is not something that can regenerate when you damage it. If your teeth grinding has caused damage, cavities can quickly fill in these damaged spots. The dentist may need to fill the missing space to protect the tooth, put a crown over the top of it, and ensure that it doesn’t develop a cavity.

Grinding teeth can be a serious business, and it can cost you thousands of dollars in dental bills.

2. Disturb Your Partner’s Sleep

Since your asleep when bruxism likely occurs, you may get a report of it from your partner. Grinding teeth can be a noisy occurrence, especially if you’re working the entire mouth.

You may get complaints from your partner that you’re disturbing their sleep because you are grinding away. If you should hear such complaints, then you need to see a dentist.

You don’t want to disturb your partner’s sleep, so a custom-made guard is the best way to stop bruxism.

3. Headaches

Head pain and dental problems go hand in hand. You may think you’re having neck strain or other issues, but it’s coming from grinding teeth during the nighttime hours.

TMJ or temporomandibular joint can develop when someone is a constant grinder. You can quickly identify if you have this problem by opening and closing your mouth. Do you hear a popping noise? The joint becomes worn from being overworked, and it causes intense pain.

You can grind so much that you can dislocate your jaw. People with TMJ often have pain when they’re eating as the problem gets to be severe. If you noticed that your jaw is popping and you’re having constant headaches, then teeth grinding could be to blame.

4. Tooth Pain

It’s only natural that once you wear away the enamel that you will have tooth pain. The enamel acts as a protective coating that helps to ensure that the tooth is protected from hot and cold sensations and bacteria.

Do you have severe sensitivity when you take a bite of something hot or cold? Teeth grinding causes sensitivity like that of a cavity. Your dentist will be able to take one look and determine if your issue is coming from bruxism.

5. Face pain

Do you know that feeling that you get after you’ve done an extensive workout at the gym when your body isn’t accustomed to it? Well, your face can feel that same way after you’ve had a night of grinding. You are working muscles in a manner that they’re not meant to.

So, it’s only natural that you might feel some discomfort the next morning when you’ve ground your teeth all night long. If the muscles in your teeth are sore and painful to touch, then you need to have a dentist check your mouth.

Teeth grinding, or bruxism, can lead to significant damage over time if left untreated. The pressure exerted on your teeth can cause them to wear down, crack, or even break, impacting both your dental health and the appearance of your smile. It’s not just about comfort; prolonged grinding can lead to misalignment and visible signs of wear that can affect your confidence. If you’re noticing these issues, it’s crucial to consult a professional. An Adelaide Dentist can assess the extent of the damage and suggest effective solutions to protect your teeth from further harm.

In some cases, restorative treatments such as crowns or veneers may be necessary to restore the strength and appearance of your smile. A skilled cosmetic dentist will not only focus on fixing the functional issues caused by grinding but also work to improve the aesthetics, ensuring your teeth look as good as they feel. Don’t let grinding ruin your smile; seeking professional care can prevent more serious damage and help you maintain both the health and beauty of your teet

Treating Bruxism

Many people dismiss teeth grinding as a common occurrence and nothing to worry about. If you only do this act on occasion, it may not be as severe as when someone does it frequently. Sadly, grinding your teeth is a huge issue that can cause serious health problems down the road.

Did you know that you can even lose teeth and have a loss of your chewing ability after so long? Grinding away your teeth can cause an unaesthetic appearance to your face.

It’s an issue that you don’t want to ignore. If you’re unsure of whether you grind or not, a dentist will be able to tell you right away.

• Use a Guard

The best treatment for this problem is a mouthguard. Sadly, some people will spit the guard out during the night involuntarily, and it can be challenging to wear. The dentist can make a mouth guard that fits your mouth perfectly to prevent further issues down the road.

If you find that a guard is not a good option for you, you can try something like interventional behavioral therapy.

• Interventional Behavioral Therapy

Many different therapy types can benefit the body, but who knew that there is one that can help you with teeth grinding. You can be taught how to properly rest your tongue, lips, and teeth by using biofeedback.

This type of therapy measures the amount of muscle activity that is in your jaw and your mouth. It tells you when it’s too much and allows you to adjust your grip so that you can stop grinding.

• Learn Stress Management Techniques

Since some experts believe that stress and anxiety are at the crux of this condition, it’s essential to utilize stress management techniques to combat this issue. Some of the best ways to manage stress include the following before bed:

Meditation
Reading a Book
Taking a Walk
Taking a Warm Bubble Bath
Yoga
Drinking Warm Milk

• Limit Caffeine

Another thing that you can do to help with your grinding is to avoid caffeine. It isn’t easy to get any rest at night when this substance has overstimulated your body. Caffeine can even affect your jaw, so you need to make sure that you limit your consumption, especially before bed.

•Avoid alcohol

Alcohol is a depressant, making it increasingly difficult for you to get a good night’s sleep. Many people have found that teeth grinding gets worse after drinking any alcoholic drinks. While you may think that alcohol makes it easier for you to go to sleep, it’s going to make your rest much more fitful.

•Stop Stress Chewing

When stress levels are high, many people chew on things. If you crunch on ice, pencils, the end of your glasses, or anything else to ease your nerves, it can be making your bruxism worse.

Chewing on non-food items is a cause for alarm. You can use mints or gum if you have the urge to chew. Remember, bruxism happens during the day too.

•Add Supplements to Your Diet

Supplements are an excellent addition to your diet. Things like magnesium and zinc are essential for nerve and muscle health. If you have a lack of calcium in your body, then your muscles can suffer. Plus, there are some great essential oils that can help with head pain and muscle aches.

If you want to keep these muscles healthy, then try adding some supplements to your day.

•Medications

Though teeth grinding is rarely treated with medications, it can be if the case is severe. You may need something to help calm you to get a restful night’s sleep, which will automatically stop the grinding sensations. Only a dentist can make the call on whether a medication is needed.

Final Thoughts on Grinding Teeth in Your Sleep

If you are unsure whether you have bruxism, there are a few things to observe when you wake up. Do you notice any of these issues?

Wounds in your mouth
Inflammation or gingivitis of the gums
Cheek Biting
Teeth are looking odd or different – uneven
Jaw Pain
Throbbing Headaches

Many people notice things when they first wake up, but it gets better during the day. Did you know that while you’re grinding away, you can also bite your cheeks? Open wounds in the mouth make you susceptible to gum inflammation and gingivitis.

Dealing with bruxism is never fun, but there are many methods to treat it. You may have the problem for a short while, and it resolves on its own. Still, it’s best to maintain routine dentist appointments to ensure that you don’t have any severe damage from grinding teeth.

Italian Study Reveals Dreams Are a Continuation of Real Life

September 26, 2020 by Kristen Lawrence

In the most extensive study on dreams to date, scientists have found that our dreaming serves as a continuation of real life. Published in the scholarly journal Royal Society Open Science, scientists discovered in their dream research how interconnected dreams and life really are. People have been asking where dreams come from and what they mean for centuries. Now, scientists seem to have found some concrete answers about the mystery of our dreams.

Many ancient civilizations thought dreams happened for supernatural or spiritual reasons. However, in today’s world, people tend to look at their waking lives for clues to interpreting their dreams. We often carry our lives with us even in our sleep, perhaps attempting to solve real-life situations in dreams.

“Research has repeatedly provided strong support for what sleep scientists refer to as the ‘continuity hypothesis of dreams’: most dreams are a continuation of what is happening in everyday life,” said researchers in the study. “It turns out that everyday life impacts dreaming (e.g., anxiety in life leads to dreams with negative affect) and vice versa (e.g., dreaming impacts problem-solving skills).”

What do our dreams really mean?

Computer scientist Alessandro Fogli, a researcher from Roma Tre University in Italy, led the study. His team included researchers Daniele Quercia and Luca Maria Aiello as well. The team analyzed more than 24,000 dreams from a massive public database of dream reports called DreamBank. By doing this, they came up with the following hypotheses about our nightly visions:

Around 80% of our dreams are experienced from a first-person perspective. They tend to involve ordinary situations that we find ourselves in during day-to-day life.
Female dreams are characterized more by emotions rather than activities. They usually involve a limited level of aggression. Men tend to have more aggressive visions, perhaps because they suppress emotions more in real life. Women talk more about how they feel, so their dreams involve feelings more often than not.
Adolescents’ dreams tend to involve more negative emotions, likely because of exposure to new social experiences. In early adult life, they may dream about intimate encounters as they engage in sexual interactions.
War veteran’s dreams tended to involve negative emotions and aggression. Among Vietnam veterans, researchers found this to be accurate as dreamers experienced guilt and violence in dreams.
Blind people, understandably, showed heightened imagination in relation to characters and imagery in dreams. Many of them need caretakers in real life, who most often are female. As such, their dreams tended to feature female caretakers in some aspects.
Dreams recorded during times of societal unrest tended to feature more aggression. For example, during the September 11 terrorist attacks, many people across the U.S. had an increase in dreams about explosions, death, and fire. Even just hearing about the event and not experiencing it firsthand caused a rise in traumatic dreams.

History and modern interpretation of dreams

Dream research done in the 20th century revealed similar conclusions about dreams. For example, Sigmund Freud and others found that dream meanings could stem from a person’s real-life experiences. Today, therapists attempt to decode patents’ dreams by using dream reports. They try to find clues or patterns that may mirror things they experience in their daily life to explain their dreams.

Dream interpretation can help people improve their lives as they work to unravel hidden meanings. Sleep scientists have developed sophisticated ways of understanding dreams. To date, the Hall and Van de Castle system remains the most renowned.

This system for interpreting dream reports codifies dreams by three main criteria:

the characters that appear
the interactions between characters,
and the effects these interactions have on the characters

However, the tedious process of sifting through dream reports to identify themes and patterns can take quite some time. To tackle this problem, sleep scientists have been looking for systems that would automate the task of analyzing dreams. In this latest study on dreams, researchers have found a way to carry out dream research using algorithmic solutions.

In the new study, Fogli and his team tracked over 24,000 dreams using the giant public database called DreamBank. This ensured that they could study dreams on a vast scale, still using the most respected method, while automating the process.

“We designed a tool that automatically scores dream reports by operationalizing the widely used dream analysis scale by Hall and Van de Castle,” the researchers explain in the report. “We validated the tool’s effectiveness on hand-annotated dream reports … and tested what sleep scientists call the ‘continuity hypothesis’ at this unprecedented scale.”

By using this processing tool in their dream research, it greatly simplified the Hall and Van de Castle system. They shortened the text in dream reports and still focused on characters, interactions between them, and emotional words. The team wrote the following:

“These three dimensions are considered to be the most important ones in aiding the interpretation of dreams, as they define the backbone of a dream plot: who was present, which actions were performed and which emotions were expressed.”

In a comparison of the language processing tool and hand-written notes of dream reports by experts, the results matched about 75% of the time. While the system isn’t foolproof, it still shows great promise in the future of dream analyzing technologies. Dream research will likely continue to evolve and provide more insight into the true meanings of dreams.

The future of dream research

The team says that in the not-too-distant future, they hope to work with various research communities and practitioners who could benefit from this technology. They even talked about the possibility of integrating their tool with ‘with a mobile app with which users can record their dreams in a convenient way.’ Fogli’s team explained that this application could help explain the relationship between well-being and dreams. As it would collect self-reported well-being scores, this can help dreamers understand their inner emotional health. The researchers believe that their study on dreams will make it ‘possible to build technologies that bridge the current gap between real life and dreaming’.

Ultimately, the researchers believe their study on dreams supports the continuity hypothesis. This states that dreams are essentially a continuation of our experiences in everyday life. According to the research team, various “statistical markers” in dream reports showed a reflection of dreamers’ daily lives. If you’d like to learn more about this analysis, visit this website, which replicates data from the study.

Most common dreams

Never ignore the meaning of these eleven recurring dreams.

In dream research, scientists usually find a pattern among dreams. The following dreams seem to occur with a striking frequency, indicating that many of us have similar daily encounters:

Dreams about falling.

This scenario can indicate that you feel out of control or feel overly stressed about your responsibilities. You may subconsciously be looking for an escape from your daily life.

Injuries, death, or losing teeth.

These themes may indicate an underlying lack of self-worth. Death may not mean a literal end of life, but an end of a specific chapter. Losing teeth can also convey a feeling of losing control or suppressed anger.

Being embarrassed in public or failing a test.

You likely feel stressed and worried throughout the day, which carries over into your dreams. Analyze your daily life to figure out why you might feel anxious about something.

Being naked.

This indicates that you’re afraid of something exposing a secret about you. Or, you don’t want to feel vulnerable in front of certain people. You might feel insecure or ashamed about specific weaknesses being revealed.

Being chased.

In their study on dreams, dream experts believe that this could mean you want to avoid conflict. You may feel that running from problems is more comfortable than actually confronting them.

Dreams about the apocalypse or natural disasters.

If you have these dreams, don’t worry, because many people experience them from time to time. You may feel threatened, or like you’ve lost control in real life. Or, perhaps a major traumatic event happened, such as 9/11, to prompt these types of dreams.

Crashing your car.

You may feel you don’t have adequate emotional support in real life. Or, you possibly have problems connecting to the people around you.

Thoughts of your partner cheating or leaving you.

These types of dreams shouldn’t be taken literally; however, it could mean you feel insecure in your relationship. You may feel your partner drifting or not being as engaged with you as you’d like.

Final thoughts on the study on dreams showing they’re a continuation of real life

Not surprisingly, the most extensive study on dreams to date found that our real lives carry over into our nightly musings. Dream research continues to show the strong link between everyday life and dreams and reveals new technologies to analyze dreams. When we dream, scientists believe that we’re trying to solve problems or understand situations in our waking lives. The typical dreams experienced by people prove that theory and show how alike we are despite our differences.

10 Natural Remedies for Wrist and Hand Pain

September 26, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Think of all the things your hands do in a single day. They’ve served you faithfully since the day you were born and often get neglected and overworked. Is it any wonder that you have wrist and hand pain?

Perhaps you work on a computer all day. Or maybe you work with hand tools all day long. Repetitive motions like this can cause inflammation, pain, and nerve damage. Let’s take a look at the causes, symptoms, and, most importantly, the remedies you can try at home.

Why Do You Have Wrist and Hand Pain?

There are many types of arthritis, and many of them cause inflammation and pain in your hands, fingers, and wrists.

• Arthritis

Arthritis is a degenerative joint and tissue disease, but you can do some natural things to minimize its symptoms. Did you know that there are more than 100 different types of inflammatory condition?

The ones that most commonly affect the hands include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, Spondyloarthropathie, juvenile arthritis, and psoriatic Arthritis.

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

A median nerve controls movement and feeling in your wrist, thumb, and first three fingers. The median nerves run from your forearms, wrists, and hands through the carpal tunnels. A network of tendons shares the carpal tunnels and allows your hands to move.

Repetitive hand and wrist motions can cause your carpal tunnels to become inflamed and pinch your median nerves. You will usually experience numbness, weakness, tingling, or pain in your wrist and hand when the median is pinched. Medical specialists call this condition carpal tunnel syndrome.

Statistics say that as many as 10 million Americans are affected by carpal tunnel syndrome each year. If you are a woman, you are more apt than a man to develop this condition. Carpal tunnel syndrome also tends to affect more middle-aged and senior people than younger ones.

If you work in a technical field, factory, musician, or have any other job that requires repetitive hand and wrist motions, you are more likely to be bothered with this painful condition. However, carpal tunnel syndrome has common symptoms of other joint and nerve disorders, so a specialist must diagnose it. Fortunately, carpal tunnel syndrome is easily treatable, often with natural remedies.

Ten Remedies to Try for Easing Pain in Your Hands and Wrists

These remedies are easy to practice, and you can do them in your home, office, or anywhere you want. Most of them can be done in a sequence throughout your day. Here are ten remedies for painful hands for you to consider.

1. Give It a Rest

One of the main reasons you may have wrist and hand pain is that your hands are tired. When you have a job that keeps your hands in continual motion, they are bound to react with pain and exhaustion. How can you be kind to your hands and wrists and give them a rest?

Do you ever notice tingling, numbness, or pain in your hands, wrists, or fingers? Make it a practice to rest and stretch your hands a few minutes for every hour you work. You can also give your hands a break using ergonomic equipment, especially if your job involves repetitive hand movements, like typing.

2. Use a Support Brace

If you are bothered by chronic hand and wrist pain, perhaps you need some support. When your hands, wrists, and fingers make repetitive motions for hours at a time, the constant wrist bends inflame your carpal tunnels. Your pinched nerves can even bother you at night and interrupt your sleep.

Consider wearing a support brace during the day and when you are working. You can find these braces in most pharmacies and department stores, and they aren’t that expensive. They fit snugly around your wrists and hands and keep them in a comfortable neutral position, allowing your hand nerves a chance to rest and heal.

3. Try Stretching Exercises

Have you discovered how stretching exercises like Pilates and yoga tone your muscles and each tension and pain in your body? The same principle can apply to your hands, wrists, and fingers. Just a few simple hand exercises each day may relax tense muscles and joints to alleviate hand pain.

Take a few minutes every day to gently bend your wrists up and down, allowing your fingertips to point to the ceiling then to the ground. Now, gently move your wrists in a circular motion a few times to the right and then to the left. The last step is to spread your fingers as wide as possible and then clinch them into a fist at least ten times.

4. Change Your Sleeping Position

Do you often awaken with numbness or a tingling sensation or bothersome wrist and hand pain? It could be that you are sleeping in an awkward position and don’t realize it. This is especially true if you are a stomach sleeper.

You may frequently lie on your hands and twist your wrists in painful positions while sleeping at night, which presses on the median nerves. Try sleeping on your side or your back or find a way to lie comfortably without pinching your hands and wrists. Changing your sleeping position may ease the morning hand pain.

5. Alternate Heat and Cold

Whenever you have a strain, sprain, or other pains in your body, you often find blessed relief with heat or cold treatment. When it comes to carpal tunnel or arthritis pain in your hands and wrists, alternating between the two may help you. Each treatment has different effects, so what may be good for you today may not be tomorrow.

A covered ice pack held on your forearms for 10-15 minutes at a time can help reduce inflammation and acute pain in your hands and wrists. If your hands, fingers, and wrists feel stiff and achy, heat may be the answer. Use what’s best for you.

6. Try a Massage

There’s nothing like a soothing massage to relax your muscles, ease tension, and alleviate pain. The good news is that you can offer your hands and wrists the same benefits. You can massage your own hands or have your sweetheart do it for you, which is a bonus.

Hold your left hand with your right hand and gently massage the hand’s center, clear out to the fingers. Rub softly on either side of your wrist, as well as the front and back. After you’ve eased the tension in your left hand, switch to your right hand, and repeat these steps.

7. Increase Your Vitamin B6 Intake

The B vitamins are an essential part of your energy and well-being. Vitamin B6 is especially necessary for brain health, metabolizing protein, and regulating hormones. Preliminary studies suggest that B6 may help wrist and hand pain because of its pain sensitivity reduction properties.

You can find Vitamin B6 supplements in the drugstore, but most people get enough from a healthy diet. Overindulging in B6 can be toxic to your body, so try getting what you need from food. Spinach, bananas, and some fish are rich sources of B6 and other essential nutrients.

8. Modify Your Diet

The Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus believed that we are what we eat, and modern research agrees. Did you know that a diet high in sugar, refined carbs, and saturated fat can cause inflammation throughout your whole body? Poor eating habits can exacerbate wrist and hand pain caused by overuse and inflammation.

Do your body a favor and eliminate junk foods as much as possible and replace them with healthy whole foods. Include anti-inflammatory foods in your diets such as fatty fish, berries, green leafy veggies, nuts, and refreshing water. Not only will you notice less pain in your hands and wrists, but you may lose weight and feel better.

9. Use Herbal Remedies

Until modern times, people couldn’t run to a medical specialist for every pain and illness. Instead, your ancestors depended on Mother Nature’s bounty of herbs for their medicine and home remedies. While some of these remedies have been proven ineffective or even harmful, many herbal remedies are backed by scientific research.

If you are bothered by chronic wrist and hand pain, consider herbs with strong anti-inflammatory properties, such as turmeric, white willow bark, or devil’s claw. Have a hot cup of green tea each day to help reduce the inflammation. Before you take these or any other herbal supplement, discuss it with your primary healthcare provider.

10. Consider Acupuncture

For centuries, Ancient Chinese medical practitioners recommended acupuncture for inflammation, pain, and many disorders. According to the concepts of acupuncture, your entire body is mapped in lines called meridians that correspond to nerves and energy flow. Little needle points can stimulate blocked meridians and restore vitality to the body.

Studies suggest positive results for using acupuncture for carpal tunnel syndrome and other pains in the hands. Your healthcare provider can help you locate a licensed and experienced acupuncture practitioner near you. It’s worth a try to relieve the problem, and some insurance plans will cover the cost.

Final Thoughts on Trying These Natural Remedies for Wrist and Hand Pain

You only have one set of hands, so it’s essential to take care of them the best you can. If you have hand and wrist pain due to injury, carpal tunnel syndrome, or arthritis, you can take pain relief steps. Talk to your primary healthcare provider about other natural remedies or treatments that are best for you.

15 Ways to Silence Your Inner Critic and Love Yourself

September 26, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Meet your worst critic–yourself. Consider this scenario, below:

Danielle worked hard to be noticed by an agent. It seemed that it was finally paying off as she sat in the lobby, waiting for her turn to audition. As she sat there, she looked around at all the other women. “Their clothes are a lot nicer than mine,” she thought to herself.

Not being able to do anything about her clothes at the moment, Danielle decided to read over the script once more, convinced that she’d forget every word as soon as she got in front of the agent. The thought of this brought sweat to her forehead. “Great, now I’ll be a sweaty mess, and my curls are going to drop. This meeting is going to be a disaster.”

A pretty woman walked out of the room and called Danielle’s name. “Here goes a train wreck,” Danielle thought to herself as she entered the room. It seemed like the agents stared a hole into her soul as Danielle repeated the script. When it was over, the said “thank you” in a monotone voice as she exited the room.

“I blew that audition. I don’t even know why I’m still pursuing this,” Danielle thought to herself as she entered the elevator. Tears ran down her face, and she didn’t even care because she figured they would blend in with her sweat.

You might not be an actor, but you can probably identify with self-critical feelings like those.

Introducing the Inner Critic

That story was depressing, but it’s a great way to illustrate how your inner critic can make your life miserable. Talking to yourself can be a good thing in some cases, and the private conversations in your head should always be inspiring. However, that’s not always the case. Sometimes that criticizing voice in your head can be a real bully.

You must silence that bully to be happy and love yourself. It’s not easy to do this, but with practice, it’s not impossible. In this article, you’ll learn a little about what an inner critic is as well as 15 ways to manage it.

Understanding Self-Criticism

Your inner critic is a voice in your head that scrutinizes even the tiniest anxieties. It’s a voice that can make you feel insecure and lower your self-confidence if you don’t learn how to tame it. Listening to it becomes addictive, and like all addictions, it can lead to self-destruction.

If you aren’t in control of that inner voice, it can seem that the voice is elusive. You’ll be so used to it that you don’t even realize when it’s speaking. However, this critical voice can become entangled deep into your sense of self – so deep that it’s almost a part of who you are.

Everyone has that judgmental voice. Some people are better at managing it than others. The good news is that you can get better at managing it. Using the 15 tips below, you can take control of your self-criticizing inner voice, silence it, and love yourself again.

Silence Your Inner Critic with These 15 Tips

1. Detach from your inner critic.

The first thing you need to do is realize that the voice in your head is not you. You could even give it a name to establish it as a separate entity. This way, when it shows up, you can say, “go away, Fred,” or whatever name you decide to use. Doing this is the first step to taking power away from Fred.

2. Post affirmations and read them often.

It’s no secret that reading or saying positive affirmations help to inspire and motivate you. This tip is especially true if you use affirmations designed explicitly for anxiety. Affirmations can boost self-love, inspire positive thinking, and push self-criticism to the back burner. Just make sure your assertions are rooted in reality, so you aren’t disappointing yourself.

3. Be aware of your thoughts.

As mentioned earlier, you could be so used to self-criticism that you don’t even realize it’s there. You may have accepted it as a way of life. To take control of Fred, you’ll need to be aware of when he rear’s his ugly head. Start paying attention to the thoughts that come across your mind so you can begin to stamp away from the negative criticism.

4. Let go of past situations.

Sometimes that awkward self-criticism can be sourced by situations or even people from your past. Someone said to you as a child could have cut you so profoundly that it remains with you through adulthood. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past or what someone said about you in the past. You determine who you are and what your life is.

5. Give yourself advice like you were a friend.

Sometimes it’s easier to give other people advice than it is to take your own. Fred is glad because he can continue to criticize you relentlessly. Instead of letting Fred win, try giving yourself advice like a friend if they were in the same situation. Then apply that to yourself.

6. Improve yourself instead of settling.

Many people give in to what their self-criticism says. Instead of doing this, prove your self-criticism wrong. Does your inner voice say you won’t pass a test? Prove it wrong by studying harder. Does it tell you that you’ll never be rich? Make a financial plan to become a millionaire and put it into action. Maybe it says you’ll never lose weight. Join a gym and workout every day. Show yourself how wrong that inner voice can be.

7. Turn criticism into constructive criticism.

Sometimes that inner voice might be hinting at a bit of truth, even if it is mean about it. This habit may take a bit of practice but try to strip down the negativity in the thought and use it as constructive criticism. For example, if your inner voice tells you that you’ll never get the promotion you so desperately want and you know that you’re always late, stop being late. You’ll still need to have a more positive inner voice but use the criticism to do better.

Learn the most powerful techniques to build self-confidence.

8. Be nice to yourself.

You can be the harshest person to yourself. This self-talk doesn’t help your self-esteem at all. Sometimes you need to give yourself a break. You’re only human, and no one is perfect. Try being better to yourself, even when you mess up, or things go wrong.

9. Celebrate your accomplishments.

When you achieve something, no matter how small it is, you should celebrate it. Reward yourself somehow for reaching your goals. Psychology tells us that self-regard isn’t selfish. In fact, it’s a great way to begin disassociating negative behaviors like the ones that trigger self-criticism.

10. Show yourself some compassion.

You’re going to mess up sometimes. That’s a part of life. No one is perfect. Therefore, you should show yourself some compassion. There are going to be times when things don’t go your way. Maybe something terrible happened. Perhaps you actually caused it. However, remember not to be so harsh on yourself. It could happen to anyone.

11. Focus on your great qualities.

Instead of focusing on what your inner voice is telling you is wrong, focus on all the things that are great about you. Drown out the negativity from Fred with as much positivity as possible. Even if it’s small things, add that to your focus list. Eventually, you’ll realize that Fred was wrong, and your positive list is a lot longer than the negative list in your head.

12. Start a daily journal.

Journaling may sound like something a teenage girl does while stretched across her bed with a fuzzy pink pen, but it’s a proven way to improve self-esteem, self-love, and self-confidence. Journaling helps to unlock things about yourself you may not be aware of. One of those things is negative thought patterns. You’ll be able to see these thought patterns and make changes to them.

13. Don’t compare yourself to others.

Comparing yourself to other people is a disaster waiting to happen. You’re not like anyone else, so you can’t expect yourself to do what everyone else does. When you compare yourself to other people, you automatically set yourself up for negative self-criticism because you’re comparing yourself to someone who you’ll never be. Instead, focus on what you can do and are willing to do to improve yourself.

14. Remember that you are your own worst critic.

You would be surprised how much other people are not criticizing you. Usually, the worst criticism happens internally. People can be so hard on themselves. It’s okay if you’re pushing yourself to be better. If it gets to a point where you’re putting yourself down, it’s time for a change.

15. Consider therapy.

If all else fails, you may need to consider getting professional help. It’s not fair to continue to allow negative self-criticism to take away your peace and your grace. Don’t feel bad if you can’t handle it on your own. That’s what therapists are for.

Final Thoughts on Silencing Your Inner Critic

Self-critics are the harshest critics on the planet. Your inner voice can have your self-esteem in the trash. If you keep listening to that inner voice, you’ll eventually lose your grace and your self-love.

You don’t have to suffer from negative self-criticism. With a little effort and some great advice, you can overcome the self-criticism. Use the 15 tips above as a starting point to stop being your worst critic with more positive thinking.

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

Dreams about falling.

Injuries, death, or losing teeth.

Being embarrassed in public or failing a test.

Being naked.

Being chased.

Dreams about the apocalypse or natural disasters.

Crashing your car.

Thoughts of your partner cheating or leaving you.

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!