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Doctors Explain How 12% of Colorectal Cancer Occurs in People Under 50

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The world was heartbroken by the death of Chadwick Boseman. However, the most common reaction was shock and confusion at learning that he’d died of colorectal cancer. No one except for his close family knew. It was an event that the world wasn’t prepared for. Perhaps the most confusing part of the whole ordeal is the fact that Chadwick Boseman was only 43 years old when he died.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), this cancer most commonly occurs in people that are 50 years old or older. It’s the third most common cancer-related cause of death in the United States. However, it’s highly survivable with early detection.

Chadwick Boseman was young for death from this type of cancer. This fact goes to show how important it is for everyone to be screened for colorectal cancer as early as possible. It shouldn’t be thought of as just an elderly person’s disease.

What is Colorectal Cancer?

Colorectal cancer is a form of cancer that can be in the large intestine (colon) or the rectum. It’s often called colon cancer or rectum cancer for short (these terms will be used interchangeably for the rest of the article).

This particular cancer begins with polyps (a collection of small lumps) that may occur in the colon or the rectum. These polyps are often benign, meaning non-cancerous. However, some can turn malignant, meaning cancerous. For this reason, doctors recommend getting polyps removed as soon as possible.

Colorectal Cancer Statistics

Diagnoses of colon and rectum cancers have been on the decline over the past few decades. This news also means that the deaths from these cancers are also on the decline. However, when you do a breakdown by age and race, the statistics can be surprising.

colorectal cancer

Breakdown by Age

Chadwick Boseman’s age is partly what made his death from colon cancer seem unreal. It used to be that this cancer rarely showed up before 50 years of age. Despite an overall decline in colon cancer cases, the cases among people under 50 are on the rise. The American Cancer Society estimates that 12% of colon and rectum cancer diagnoses will be in people younger than 50 years old in 2020.

Here are some other age-related statistics:

In 2011 to 2016, cases:

  • dropped by 3% per year in people ages 65+
  • rose by 1% per year in people ages 50 to 64
  • rose by 2.2% per year in people under 50

In 2008 to 2017, death rates:

  • declined by 3% per year in people ages 65+
  • reduced by .6% per year in people ages 50 to 64
  • increased by 1.3% per year in people under 50

Unfortunately, Chadwick Boseman was a victim of that increase for people under the age of 50 years old. With the rates on the rise for young people, it’s more important than ever to get a colonoscopy (a screening for colon and rectal cancers) as early as possible.

Breakdown by Race

While age is the most crucial factor when it comes to colon and rectum cancers, the statistics on race show which groups are most at risk. Here are some statistics about the rate of new diagnoses of colon and rectum cancers by race in 2017 from the CDC:

  • Black people had the highest rate at 40.4%
  • White people had the second-highest rate at 36.3%
  • Hispanics were 32.5%
  • Indigenous people were 29%
  • Asians were at 28.5%

The percentages for the Black community are particularly alarming because they make up such a small percentage of the population. Blacks only make up 13.4% of the people in the United States. Yet, they have almost half of all colon and rectal cancer cases in the country.

This huge mismatch of numbers is thought to be because minorities don’t have access to adequate health care, so the polyps aren’t being caught before they become malignant. It’s true – the numbers are high among minorities. However, colon and rectal cancers are a big problem among all people.

Risk Factors of Colorectal Cancer

While the causes of colorectal cancer are unknown, there are risk factors that link to this particular cancer. Some risk factors can be avoided while others can’t. These risk factors include:

Unavoidable Risk Factors

Age is one of the unavoidable factors that was discussed earlier in the article. The median age for developing colon and rectal cancers is 68 years old. However, it can occur in much younger people.

Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity and type 2 diabetes, which are strongly associated with each other, can be a risk factor for the cancers. Research suggests that a lack of insulin, as well as a large waist circumference, increases the risk of colon cancer. This statistic is no surprise since these two issues also cause several other problems in the body.

A History of Polyps or Cancer

If you’ve had polyps or cancer before in your colon or rectum, this puts you at a higher risk of developing them again. This factor is true even if your doctor removed all the polyp or cancer, or even if they were benign.

Genetics

If you’ve ever heard someone say, “it runs in the family,” they’re referring to genetics. It seems that cancers can rampage through generation after generation in a family. It’s not fully understood how this happens, but it appears that inherited genes and shared environmental factors contribute to cancers being passed down through generations.

Inherited syndromes are risk factors for colon and rectal cancers. Two common syndromes are familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC).

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Avoidable Risk Factors

Avoidable risk factors are choices that you make in life that are unhealthy or unsafe. Despite them being risk factors, people make decisions to participate in unhealthy choices every day.

Diet

Researchers believe that eating a lot of red meats and processed meats can lead to colon cancer or rectal cancer. However, eating a fiber-rich diet full of fruit and vegetables can reduce your risk of developing cancers.

Substance Abuse

Substances like cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs can lead to an increased risk for cancers. Cigarettes are a terrible culprit – they’re full of chemicals that can ravage your body and cause many different types of cancers.

Signs of Colorectal Cancer

Early detection is the best way to beat colon and rectal cancers, so if you have any signs of the cancers, you shouldn’t hesitate to see a doctor. Signs of colon cancer can include these symptoms:

  • Noticeable changes in your bowel movements
  • Narrow stools
  • Blood in the stool
  • Abdominal discomfort
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Diarrhea or constipation
  • A feeling that the bowel isn’t empty

If you have these symptoms or a combination of them, don’t hesitate to see a doctor and request a colonoscopy. It’s much better to be safe than sorry. If you happen to have colon cancer or rectal cancer, catching it in an early stage gives you your best chance of beating it.

Stages of the Cancers

Researchers and medical experts may not know the exact causes of the cancers, but they have been able to divide them into stages. The stages are numbered from zero to four. Phase zero is sometimes not considered as having cancer. This means it hasn’t grown through the inner layer of the colon or rectum.

In stage one, colon cancer has grown through some layers of the colon or rectum. It hasn’t reached the lymph nodes or spread to other areas yet.

Stage two is divided into three parts. By the end of the third part, cancer may have grown to the outermost layer of the colon or rectum but has not spread to the lymph nodes or other areas yet.

Stage three is where things get scary. This stage is also divided into three parts. By the end of the third part, cancer grows through the last layer of the colon or rectum and next spreads to nearby lymph nodes.

Stage four is also in three parts. In this stage, cancer has spread to other organs or other parts of the body. Even if the tumors did not spread to the lymph nodes for some reason, extending to an organ automatically puts it in stage four.

Stages three and four are critical. In many cases, once cancer reaches this point, it can be lethal. Indeed, Chadwick Boseman wasn’t diagnosed until he was in phase three. He was in stage four when he died.

colorectal cancerFinal Thoughts on Colon and Rectal Cancers in People Under 50

Colon and rectum cancers can no longer be thought of as cancer that old people get. It’s clear from the breakdown by age and race that young people are developing these cancers at an alarming rate. It’s even worse for young minorities.

Beating colon or rectal cancers is possible with early detection. Doctors are starting to recommend that people get a colonoscopy at the age of 45 instead of 50. However, don’t be afraid to get one even earlier than that. It could mean the difference between life and death.

15 Anxiety Management Tips That Can Improve Your Mental Health

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Do you have the proper tools for anxiety management? Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders around. It’s estimated that more than 40 million adults suffer from this condition.

When your body is in a constant state of worry, you can feel tired, irritable, restless, and as your whole life is out of balance. As if all the mental signs weren’t bad enough, it’s also common for you to feel numerous physical symptoms. The time between when the symptoms appear, and you get an official diagnosis can be unsettling.

You may feel as if you have the flu or some other illness that is draining your resources. Your body and brain share a strong connection. When you feel your anxiety rising, it can cause digestive issues.

Then, the digestive issues can increase your anxiety because you know something is wrong and can’t figure out what is causing it. Many people don’t know what is causing the symptoms they’re experiencing. Society wants to blame everything else before looking to a mental health disorder for the truth.

Here are some red flags and strange sensations that come from an underlying anxiety condition and tips for managing them.

1. Stopping the Feeling of Impending Doom

You can have issues in your body that make you feel like you’re going to die. People who have a problem with constant angst often feel like there’s something wrong.

Being under constant stress can make you have headaches. Chronic headaches may make you think you have a brain tumor. The truth is that your issues are caused by muscle strain not cancer. The physical symptoms can be quite painful.

• Management Tip:

Remind yourself that this is anxiety and will pass. For those aching muscles, try a warm compress to help soothe away the pain.

anxiety management

2. Slowing a Racing Heartbeat

When you feel stress and angst, your body releases hormones that control the fight or flight response. Cortisol and adrenaline are two powerful hormones that help you stay safe. Once the anxiety passes, the flight or fight response will calm, and your heart will stop racing.

• Management Tip:

Learning mindful breathing and meditation can help to calm a racing heart and is a vital part of anxiety management.

3. What to Do With Sweating?

Why is it that when you get nervous you tend to sweat? It’s yet another one of the physical signs displayed from the overload of adrenaline and cortisol in the body. Some people will become drenched in sweat when they feel their nerves are in an uproar.

• Management Tip:

Thankfully, the unpleasant sensation will soon pass. Try using a cool cloth to help your body regulate its temperature. Placing it on the back of the neck can work wonders.

4. Settling Nausea and an Upset Stomach

When you have problems with anxiety, you become hypersensitive to every sensation you feel. You might be having hunger pangs from missing lunch or that second helping of spaghetti didn’t sit right with you. Your stomach can start churning when your anxiety is at peak levels.

• Management Tip:

The key is to counteract the overproduction of acid, which is likely caused by stress hormones. You can drink ginger ale or have some saltines to help the sensation pass quickly. Part of anxiety management is finding methods to calm digestive and other issues in the body.

5. Stopping Dizziness

Dizziness or being lightheaded is a common problem when someone is having an anxiety attack. A lack of oxygen causes most cases of lightheadedness due to hyperventilation.

When you are feeling pangs of anxiety, you start breathing faster than usual, and you’re not getting the proper amount of oxygen to your brain.

• Management Tip:

Breathing into a paper bag or using meditation can help to quickly restore oxygen levels to a normal range.

6. Counteracting the Feeling That You Will Faint

Along with dizziness and lightheadedness comes the feeling as if you’re going to pass out. You want to be mentally sound, but it’s hard to make sense of all these weird feelings.

Very few people pass out during a panic attack. Part of anxiety management is knowing the sensation will pass and develop good coping skills.

• Management Tip:

Find a safe place to sit or lay, and close your eyes. Turn a fan on to help circulate air, or put your head between you’re knees. It will be over before you know it.

7. Warming Yourself During Shaking or Chills

Shaking or having chills during times of anxiety is normal as the body is trying to regulate its temperature. It’s a fleeting physical symptom that doesn’t last long, but it’s just another way your body is trying to cope with what’s going on.

• Management Tip:

To manage this symptom, grab a throw and cover your body. You can help to regulate your temperature until the attack passes

8. Relax Your Breathing Difficulties

Having a panic attack can make you feel as if you can’t breathe. Your chest may feel heavy, and you may feel as if you are struggling to get air. Your airway is not shutting down, but it can certainly feel that way.

• Management Tip:

Keep an inhaler with you if you have problems breathing as it’s one of the best anxiety management tips. Also, breathing in a brown paper bag can help as well as going outside and inhaling fresh air.

trigger anxiety

9. Stopping Constipation or Diarrhea

Have you ever received terrible news and instantly felt sick with diarrhea? The digestive tract is sensitive to all the extra hormones floating around your body, and it will respond accordingly.

• Management Tip:

Chronic issues with these digestive problems can affect your overall well-being. To manage this, control your diet and use herbal remedies like extra fiber to regulate your bowels. You may also need antidiarrheal medications to leave your home.

10. Handling Chest Pains

One of the most troubling sensations during an anxiety overload is chest pains. It’s one of the red flags for a heart attack, so it’s hard to know if it’s coming from your mind or heart.

If the sensation doesn’t pass in a few minutes, you need to see a doctor and be evaluated for heart trouble. It’s one of those things where you don’t want to take a chance.

• Management Tip:

If it’s panic, usually mindful breathing will help to release the tension in your chest area. Don’t linger because it could be a heart attack.

11. Stopping the Feelings that You’re Going Crazy

Did you know that if you were going to have a battle with psychosis and take a mental vacation that you don’t usually have thoughts about it first? If you have feelings that you’re not mentally sound and about to go crazy, you can almost count on it being anxiety-based. Psychosis isn’t often a condition that gives you advanced warning.

• Management Tip:

Remind yourself that this is anxiety and it will soon pass. Use self-talk to get through this. Grounding techniques can also help to restore a sound feeling

12. Dealing with Dissociation

Some people believe that their body gives them little warnings that they’re about to have an anxiety issue. One of those physical signs is disassociation. People who have dissociative tendencies often feel as if they’re losing touch with reality or time.

• Management Tip:

To handle this symptom, you need to make mental notes of things around you. Say out loud what you see, smell, and things of this nature. Remind yourself that your okay and this feeling will be over soon.

13. Stopping the Irritability or Agitation

During times of high anxiety, you can become quite irritable or moody. Though it’s not one of the most common signs when your anxiety is peaking, you may feel out of control and like you’re mad at the world.

• Management Tip:

To control agitation when you feel angst, you need effective anxiety management techniques to keep from alienating those around you. Take a walk or close yourself into a safe space until you can be around others without being offensive.

14. Countering the Need to be in Constant Motion

Part of the fight or flight sensation makes you feel like you need to move or go. Some people run outside when they have a panic attack, feeling that they need to get out of the house.

• Management Tip:

Grounding techniques can help you feel safe. This instinct could protect you in imminent danger, but the threat is exaggerated when anxiety occurs. If you feel like you need to run, go outside and practice mindful breathing to calm down.

15. Dealing with Derealization

When your anxiety is getting ready to peak, things may look strange and like you’re in a cartoon world. If you look around and see that the room looks off and odd, then you know a panic attack is coming as derealization is a warning sign.

• Management Tip:

One of the best anxiety management tips for this is grounding. Remind yourself of things you see, objects you can touch, and where you are. Vocalize to yourself that this is your anxiety and you’re not going crazy.

anxiety managementFinal Tips on Embracing These Effective Anxiety Management Strategies

Anxiety rocks your sense of well-being. When you first start having these attacks you don’t have effective coping skills. The severity of the symptoms can send you into a tailspin.

However, after you experience a few bouts of panic, you will learn effective anxiety management skills. The best anxiety management methods include grounding, meditation, mindful breathing, self-talk, or calling a trusted support person.

With your new mindset, you can and will learn how to deal with this situation, and thankfully, anxiety is very treatable.

10 Healthful Benefits of Potato Juice Never to Ignore

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Did you know that potato juice is one of the healthiest elixirs around? Yet few indulge in this radical drink? Juicing has been the buzzword in the health and fitness world for quite a while. Maybe you’ve discovered the benefits of drinking fresh juice from fruit, vegetables, and herbs.

If you’ve ever grown these vegetables, you know that they grow from smaller versions planted in mounds or hills. The “eyes” on the seeded spuds sprout and send up a small bush of green foliage with delicate flowers.

Although these greens are toxic, the underground tubers are dug up for our consumption. Did you know that you can also grow impressive spuds in large plastic tubs filled with rich soil? It’s okay if you don’t grow your own. Just be sure to choose the freshest ones in the grocery store or farmer’s market, organic, if possible.

Have you ever wondered about the origins of potatoes? They show up in every culinary way possible, and even in our literature and art. Do you remember the cute Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head toys with the removable faces?

Potato History

Where would global cuisines be without the humble spud? Whether you eat it boiled, fried, mashed, or baked, potatoes are a beloved staple. Statistics say that Americans consume 110 pounds of the tasty tuber each year, and Europeans consume even more. The passion for potatoes is so great that The Potato Museum in Washington, D.C., is a popular tourist destination.

The Incas: World’s First Spud Farmers

potato juice

The next time you dig into a mound of mashed spuds or bite a crunchy chip, thank the Incas of ancient Peru. Food historians believe that these native South American people cultivated potatoes as early as the 8th century BCE.

After Spain invaded and conquered Peru in the early 1500s, the Spanish conquerors brought some spuds back to Spain, and the tuber’s popularity spread throughout Europe.

From Europe to America

Perhaps no European nation is more synonymous with potatoes than the Emerald Isle, thanks to Sir Walter Raleigh. He saw profit in the delicious vegetable and planted a 40,000- acre plot of them in County Cork in 1539. Soon the abundant spud carried into Africa and Asia and all over the world.

The British brought potatoes to the American colonies, and soon it became a legendary crop in the New World because they are easy to grow and provided satiety. Did you know that Idaho and Washington’s states produce almost half of the potatoes grown in America today? No wonder spuds are number four on the chart of America’s largest crops.

The Vast Benefits of Juicing Potatoes

While you’ve eaten them fried and mashed, what about juicing them? Here are some health benefits to drinking the juice of a spud.

1. High in Potassium

You probably eat bananas because you know they are loaded with potassium. Did you know that taters are also a treasure trove of this electrolyte? This essential electrolyte that your body uses for several functions, such as:

  • Regulating blood pressure
  • Balancing water in the body
  • Controlling nerve impulses
  • Maintaining a proper pH balance
  • Supporting digestion
  • Maintaining heart rhythm
  • Supporting muscle functions

If you drink just one glass of tater juice, it will provide a little over 30 percent of your daily potassium requirements.

2. High in Iron

When you think of foods abundant in iron, meat, and other proteins, probably come to mind. However, vegetarians and vegans will be happy to point out that many vegetables, like the spud, are excellent iron sources, and they provide just as much satiety. If you need more energy, iron helps oxygen flow throughout your body to battle exhaustion.

When you juice a large spud and drink it, you’ll be ingesting almost 20 percent of your daily protein needs. Having a glass of potato water is an ideal way of starting your morning or preparing for a workout. Let this terrific tuber help you pump the iron.

3. High in Vitamin C

Remember how your mother always encouraged you to drink your orange juice so you’ll have enough Vitamin C? Mom knew what she was talking about and would be pleased to know that her famous tater casserole was also a valuable vitamin source. Keep your immune system in prime condition with extra Vitamin C from potato juice.

4. Provides B-Vitamins

Who would have thought that a serving of spuds could boost your mood? These root veggies contain a multitude of B-Vitamins, such as B6, B3, and B2. Multiple studies show a positive correlation between consuming Vitamin-B and reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety.

If you have one of these common mental conditions, boosting your B-Vitamins may help you. The sun may shine a little brighter in your world when you enjoy a fresh glass of potato juice.

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5. Provides Calcium

Dairy products are a prime source of calcium that your body needs to maintain healthy bones and teeth. A lack of calcium can weaken your smile and cause brittle bone disease and osteoporosis. You won’t be short on calcium when you enjoy a refreshing glass of potato juice.

You get about 30 mg. of calcium from just one big potato, which will also help muscle function, circulation, and hormone balance.

6. High in Beta Carotene

Have you ever seen a rabbit with poor eyesight? Perhaps they instinctively know that carrots, high in Vitamin-A, keep their peepers bright and focused. While you munch on healthy organic carrots, don’t forget that spuds and their juice have a healthy beta carotene dose, too.

7. The Link to Zinc

You maintain a keen sense of smell and taste, thanks to getting enough zinc in your diet. This essential mineral is found in many foods, like spuds, and is also necessary for your immune system. Guys, zinc is also required for good prostate health, so you can’t go wrong with having a cold glass of potato juice.

8. Provides a Kick of K

Maybe you don’t think about Vitamin-K as much as its sisters, but your body must have it to absorb calcium better. If you want your blood to clot properly, you also need some K. Let potato juice give you a head start for your daily requirements.

9. Provides Antioxidants

Give your immune system a boost with a yummy glass of potato juice. It has the antioxidants you need to fight free radicals that can damage your cells. Plus, it allows your body to absorb iron better and produce collagen for younger, healthier skin.

10. Kind to Your Skin

For generations, people often rubbed a sliced spud on their skin to relieve irritation and promote healing. Why not try potato juice as a refreshing skin tonic? It may help calm the symptoms of acne or other skin conditions.

An Easy Way to Make Potato Juice

Are you ready to enjoy the bountiful benefits of potato juice? It’s quick and easy to make whenever you want it. All you need is a large organic potato per person, a juicer, or a blender. It doesn’t store well, so only make enough to be consumed immediately.

How To:

Place your spud in a cold sink of water with a half-cup of white vinegar. Use a veggie brush to scrub away the sand and dirt on the surface till it’s spotless.

Avoid the temptation to peel the tuber because most of its nutrition is in the skin. If you notice any sprouts or unsightly dark spots, use a paring knife to remove them.

Now, cut the spuds into bite-sized chunks. Add the pieces to your juicer or blender to make the servings of the tater juice you need. If you are fine with a little healthy pulp, a blender will work. If not, most juicers will strain the pulp for you.

Flavor Options

You would be surprised at how delicious potato juice is on its own. However, if you want to bump up the flavor factor, you can always add a few other healthy ingredients. Just like in traditional juicing, you are only limited by your tastes and imagination.

Consider These Choices:

•Add a tropical flair with a splash of lemon and lime juice, providing more Vitamin-C.

•Want a sweeter taste? Add a few strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries for a flavor that even your kids will love.

•When you add kale or other dark leafy greens, you will boost the juice’s taste and its nutrients.

•Who said you always must use a white potato? Try different varieties, like Yukon golds, purple, or even sweet potatoes.

potato juiceFinal Thoughts on Drinking a Nice, Tall Glass of Potato Juice

Okay, so this beverage might sound strange at first. But now that you have read the reasons why not give it a try? If you want a healthy juicing option, you can’t go wrong with a glass of potato juice. It’s inexpensive, easy to make, and chock full of the nutrients your body needs.

Dermatologists Explain Stress Acne and 3 Ways to Fix It

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Nobody is immune to stress, from the wealthiest crust of society to the poorest of the poor, there is no escape. If you have a physical or mental condition, you know that stress only makes it worse. But can tension cause your body to have a breakout of stress acne?

While it’s possible to reduce stress in your life, it’s impossible to eliminate it. Indeed, life is demanding. Stress protects you from imminent danger and is necessary for learning and growing.

Like many other automatic responses in your body, your brain is hardwired to respond to stress. In a dark, primordial world filled with unknown hazards, early humans depended on this response to survive. They often had a split second to energize their bodies and decide to fight, flight, or flee.

The human survival instinct remains unchanged over thousands of years. The same response that your ancient ancestors had now protects you in dangerous situations. However, your brain doesn’t distinguish stressors and will react accordingly.

How Stress Works

Think of stress as your body in overdrive. Since you aren’t a superhero, your body doesn’t operate at maximum speed and strength continually. When your brain perceives a threat, i.e., stress, it kicks into high gear with complex reactions.

Stress and your brain

stress acneYour brain signals your body to produce adrenaline and cortisol for an instant boost of energy and strength. It’s preparing you to fight, flight, or flee. If you’ve ever read stories of people lifting cars off someone trapped underneath, you understand how robust this response is.

How many times has this survival response helped you avoid danger or even saved your life? Without it, humanity would have been extinct millennia ago. Even when it comes to a survival instinct, you can have too much of a good thing.

Since your brain treats every stressor the same, your body may freeze in a constant state of threat. You may not be running from a hungry saber-tooth tiger-like your prehistoric ancestors, but your brain doesn’t differentiate. Whether you had a fender bender or are late for work and stuck in traffic, stress is all the same to your body.

The stress response was meant for times of emergency, never as a persistent condition. Unless you are fighting for your life, your body doesn’t need a rush of adrenaline and cortisol. Doctors explain that when you have a chronic overflow of these supercharging hormones, they can be a hazard to your body.

Signs & Symptoms of Excess Stress

Perhaps you are one of the millions of people in America who admit that they are stressed out in their lives. Just as a car would do, your body will soon wear out if it’s continually driving at high speeds. These are some signs that your stress levels are over the top.

Mental:

  • Problems with memory
  • Concentration problems
  • Chronic negative thoughts
  • Poor judgment
  • Anxiety, panic, or racing thoughts
  • Chronic worrying

Emotional:

  • Depression that won’t ease
  • Chronic agitation
  • Mood swings, irritability, rage
  • Feelings of isolation and loneliness
  • Feeling overwhelmed and hopeless
  • Exacerbation of mental illness

Physical:

  • Unexplained aches and pain
  • Digestion issues, such as constipation or diarrhea
  • Dizziness, nausea
  • Rapid heartbeat or chest pain
  • Loss of interest in pleasurable things, like sex
  • Chronic colds or flu symptoms

Behavioral:

  • Change in eating habits, such as overeating or not eating enough
  • Oversleeping or insomnia
  • Isolation and withdrawing from family and friends
  • Procrastination or neglect of responsibilities
  • Substance abuse to self-medicate: drugs, alcohol, tobacco
  • Newly developed nervous habits, such as tics, pacing, or nail-biting

Stress and Your Skin

Remember the joys of being a teenager? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to turn back the clock to those days? Your body was a raging river of hormones trying to bridge the gulf between childhood and adult.

Along with your changing body came the dread of every teenager: acne. For the most part, you have your hormones to thank for those whiteheads and blackheads that popped up out of nowhere. They seemed to appear at the worst possible times, like the morning before your senior prom.

Anyone who has ever raised a teenager knows about the

notorious mood swings due to hormone changes. Teenage years are also filled with stress, which adds a double dose of hormones to the brew. They go through many of the symptoms of undue strain, including skin breakouts.

Understanding Stress Acne

If you could look at a strong magnification of your skin, it might resemble a sponge. Your skin is covered with thousands of tiny holes called pores. Each pore is a porthole to either sweat or an oil gland.

Your oil glands produce a light lubricant that protects your skin and keeps it supple. Sweat glands make perspiration to cool your body when it’s overheated. Your pores’ purpose is to allow oil or sweat to come to the surface of your skin and any toxins that need to be washed from your body.

Both your sweat glands and oil glands are active from birth to adulthood. However, hormone changes in puberty often cause the body to overproduce oil, which is problematic for your pores. It’s the reason teens complain about the zits on their face, neck, and backs.

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Dealing with Clogged Pores

As your body’s largest organ, your skin is constantly shedding millions of dead cells and replacing them daily. Most get rubbed off by movement or from your clothes rubbing against your body. Many more are washed away when you shower.

Along with dead skin cells, your skin’s surface is also an assortment of dust, pollen, and bacteria. Many of these microbes are harmless or even beneficial, but some can cause infection and sickness. Dermatologists with the American Academy of Dermatology explain that a microbe called propionibacterium acne is the rogue bacteria responsible for zits.

Did you know that the stress hormone, cortisol, is what causes your skin’s oil glands to go into overdrive? Since adolescence is a prime season of stress, it stands to reason that an abundance of cortisol will pop out the zits overnight.

When your skin produces too much oil, you will often see those infamous slicks of fat on your T-zone, namely your forehead, nose, and chin. The surplus oil mixes with dirt particles and bacteria that clog your pores. If your pores can expel this toxic mix, blood rushes to them with warrior white blood cells, causing swelling and inflammation.

Blackheads are an open pore that’s clogged, while whiteheads are covered with a thin layer of skin and are usually inflamed. Soon, you have full-blown pimples that are swollen, painful, and full of infection. Stress acne works in the same way.

How to Fight Stress Acne

You awaken in the morning to get ready for your big presentation at the office. As you look in the bathroom mirror, you notice blackheads, whiteheads, or a pimple the size of a small planet right in the middle of your forehead. Does this sound like a familiar scenario?

It’s common to develop acne when you are overly stressed, especially if you have a history of acne problems. Your brain registers stress, believes you are in danger, and turns on the flood of adrenaline and cortisol. Not only do these excess hormones cause damage to your body, but the cortisol can cause acne breakouts.

It’s impossible to eliminate stress from your life, but you can minimize it. Stress acne is one of the myriads of conditions that are brought on by undue stress. Other issues include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and some forms of cancer. It’s never too late to bring some tranquility to your life.

Learn ways of changing your lifestyle to lower your stress levels. Some people benefit from going for mindful walks, practicing yoga, meditation, and other stress-busting activities. Less stress may equal less acne.

How to Treat an Outbreak of Stress Acne

The same suggestions you give your teenagers at home are true for your adult stress acne. As much as you are tempted to do so, avoid squeezing whiteheads, blackheads, or a pimple. You may think you are just getting rid of the infection, but you may do the opposite and push more of it into the pore, which can make the problem worse.

The leftover scab can cause permanent scars or pits. Instead, you’ll need to be patient so that the blemish will heal on its own. If you are bothered with acne, there’s natural help. Try these three tried and true home remedies for your breakouts.

1. Tea Tree Oil

For generations, people have used tea tree oil to fight skin infections. It is a natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Rub a dot of tea tree oil on the pimple, and it will usually dry up within days. Dermatologists participating in an Austrailian study reported significant improvement in acne after twelve weeks of use. Further, they reported few side effects.

2. Witch Hazel

An overproduction of oil can cause acne. Mild astringents such as witch hazel can clear your skin of excess oil without stripping it completely. Use a cotton ball soaked in a little witch hazel to wipe your face after washing gently.

3. Fresh Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is mildly acidic and is another natural astringent that can dry up acne. Rub some in break out areas after you have washed your face. Dermatologists who studied the topical use of lemon juice in one study attribute this favorable outcome to Vitamin C. They explain that the vitamin fights free radicals, enabling skin to renew and heal faster.

stress acneFinal Thoughts on Beating Stress Acne

Take control of your stress and minimize its effects on your body, including whiteheads, blackheads, and stress acne. Find ways to bring peace in your life and watch how much better you will feel. Your body, including your skin, will love you for it.

20 Quotes About Serenity and Achieving Inner Peace

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When you are attempting to achieve serenity, you are looking for a state of calmness and peace. This is easier to achieve than you think because the only thing it depends on is your mindset. To reach inner peace, you have to rely on yourself because no one else can determine our level of peace. It is all about how you deal with things and your thoughts along the way.

We all struggle to remain in a state of serenity; however, even if it is easy. When this happens to you, these quotes about serenity can help you.

Twenty Quotes About Serenity and Achieving Inner Peace

1. “Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.” – Wayne W. Dyer

When you can start appreciating and accepting life for what it is, you’ll find peace within. Avoid thinking of it in terms of what you thought it should be. This is the only way to find peace because accepting the present is essential.

serenity and inner peace

2. “When I am able to resist the temptation to judge others, I can see them as teachers of forgiveness in my life, reminding me that I can only have peace of mind when I forgive rather than judge.” – Gerald Jampolsky

When you feel like you might judge someone, change your thoughts to something positive. Forgive what the person did to be potentially judged, and you will find peace sooner. Judging others is not the way to find it.

3. “If you are depressed you are living in the past if you are anxious you are living in the future, if you are at peace, you are living in the present.” – Lao Tzu

Don’t think of your life in terms of the past or the future. Think of the present only, and you will be able to find peace. By thinking of the past or future, you will be setting yourself up for depression, anxiety, or both.

4. “Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.” – Buddha

Appreciate what you have and avoid jealously of others. When you are jealous of others, you won’t be able to have peace of mind, as Buddha explains. Instead, you will always be worried about what you don’t have that other people do have.

5. “You’ll never find peace of mind until you listen to your heart.” – George Michael

As Michael says, you can’t find peace until you listen to your heart. Only then will you be able to experience serenity. If you aren’t listening to your heart, you will always feel conflicted.

6. “Chasing after the world brings chaos. Allowing it all to come to me, brings peace.” – Zen Gatha

When you are continually searching for what you want, you will never find it. Life will be hectic, stressful, and overwhelming if you live that way. Instead, wait for it to come to you, and you’ll experience peace during the process.

7. “You should feel beautiful, and you should feel safe. What you surround yourself with should bring you peace of mind and peace of spirit.” – Stacy London

The things and people that you surround yourself with should make you feel peaceful. You shouldn’t question your worth or feel insecure. Surround yourself with things and people that bring you happiness and peace, instead.

8. “There will be calmness, tranquility when one is free from external objects and is not perturbed.” – Bruce Lee

When you let outside forces impact your mind, it will not bring peace. Instead, it will bring anxiety and unsettling feelings. When you stop letting those external forces affect you, then you will receive peace of mind and serenity.

9. “You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.” – Eckhart Tolle

It’s impossible always to change the circumstances. So, when this is the case, accept things for how they are and reflect on who you are. Once you become familiar and confident with yourself, you’ll experience peace.

10. “Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.” – Pema Chodron

As explained before, you can’t let outside forces impact you in this way. It is your choice how you will let it affect you. As long as you choose to stay in control of your emotions, you’ll experience peace.

11. “Don’t search for anything except peace. Try to calm the mind. Everything else will come on its own.” – Baba Hari Das

When you are spending all of your time and energy searching for something that isn’t there, you’ll feel defeated. If you ever feel like you are in this position, take a step back and calm your mind. The sooner you can do this, the sooner you will find peace.

pop quote

12. “Compassion, tolerance, forgiveness and a sense of self-discipline are qualities that help us lead our daily lives with a calm mind.” – Dalai Lama

When you can exhibit these positive characteristics, you’ll live peacefully. Be compassionate, tolerant, and forgiving in all instances. This may require self-discipline, which is another way to find peace within yourself.

13. “Peace is a day-to-day problem; the product of a multitude of events and judgments. Peace is not an ‘is,’ it is a ‘becoming.’” – Haile Selassie

New situations occur each day, so peace is something you have to work at daily. You can assume you are at peace; you have to keep working to stay that way. It can change in an instant if you let it.

14. “Just slow down. Slow down your speech. Slow down your breathing. Slow down your walking. Slow down your eating. And let this slower, steadier pace perfume your mind. Just slow down.” – Doko

When you slow down in life, you’ll be able to think more clearly and peacefully. You won’t be as stressed or overwhelmed, and things will seem to happen at a better time. When you do this, you will find that you are much more peaceful than when you are always rushing.

15. “Let go of the thoughts that don’t make you strong.” – Karen Salmansohn

Stop thinking thoughts that make you feel like you aren’t good enough or like you are weak. Neither of those things is true. Instead, you have to think about things that make you feel strong and confident. These thoughts are what will bring you serenity.

16. “The universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself, everything that you want, you already are.” – Rumi

Embrace who you are and what you are. You are unique, and you are intended to be that way. Think of yourself in a good light, and realize that you are more than enough.

17. “Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.” – John F. Kennedy

You have to continually work on achieving peace within. Since life is always changing, you have to adapt, as well. Allow yourself to change and adapt to what is around you, and then you can count on still being peaceful.

18. “You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace, not in denial, but in victory.” – J. Donald Walters

Running from your problems or avoiding dealing with them will only hinder your path to peace. Before you can find peace, you have to deal with everything that may disrupt it.

Stop denying that there is an issue and, instead, address it, deal with it, and move on. This will allow you to let it go and leave peacefully with yourself.

19. “Don’t try to force anything. Let life be a deep let-go. God opens millions of flowers every day without forcing their buds.” – Osho

Attempting to force things will only cause you more stress and uncertainty. Let go of the urge to control everything and see what happens when you just let things be. Then, you will be peaceful, and the good things will come to you.

20. “Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” – Saint Francis de Sales

Take your time and embrace each moment as it comes. Work quietly while thinking calming thoughts even when things get hard. As Saint Francis de Sales explains, you have to hold onto your peace amid hardship.

serenityFinal Thoughts About Welcoming Serenity and Inner Peace into Your Life

It is easy to achieve serenity and inner peace, but you have to work at it continually. It is all about your mindset and your view on life. If you can embrace the present and accept who you are, you will be able to reach a peaceful state. Use these quotes to help you when you are struggling to remain at peace.

 

New Study Confirms That Yoga Improves Anxiety Symptoms

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If you want to improve your anxiety symptoms, you may want to try yoga for relief. Yoga means union of the body and soul or individual consciousness with Universal consciousness. It allows you to see the actual reality of existence beyond just the limited ego. While liberation from body consciousness remains the real goal of yoga, it can significantly benefit one’s mental health.

Because yoga leads to perfect harmony between mind and body, your anxiety will naturally melt away once you reach the highest consciousness. When you unite your consciousness with the highest source of intelligence, your mind will cease to cause suffering to the body. While yoga in the west seems to focus more on conditioning the body, the real goal is the liberation of consciousness.

While the yogic system is designed for upgrading one’s consciousness, the benefits for the mind and body are just as significant.

Health benefits of yoga

1 – Decreases stress.

Studies have shown that the practice can decrease cortisol levels, the primary stress hormone. One study of 131 people showed that after ten weeks of consistent yoga practice, their stress and anxiety decreased dramatically.

improve anxiety symptoms2 – Reduces anxiety.

Yoga can help improve anxiety symptoms by promoting relaxation and stress-reduction techniques. For example, in one study of 64 women with PTSD, the women had fewer symptoms after practicing for ten weeks. 52% of participants no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD after doing yoga just once weekly during the study period.

3 – Lowers inflammation.

One study in 2015 divided 218 participants into two groups. One group practiced yoga, and the other did strenuous physical exercise. At the end of the course, the yoga group had lower inflammatory markers than the non-yoga group.

4 – Improves heart health.

High blood pressure is one of the most prevalent risk factors for heart disease. One study found that participants over 40 years old who practiced yoga for five years maintained a lower pulse rate and blood pressure than the individuals who didn’t. Not to mention, yoga helps lower stress, which also contributes to heart disease risk.

5 – Helps reduce depression symptoms.

Depression remains the leading cause of disabilities worldwide; however, yoga may help alleviate these symptoms. One study found that after just two weeks of practice, participants had fewer depression symptoms and lower cortisol levels. They also had lower ACTH levels, a hormone that releases cortisol into the body.

6 – Improves sleep quality. 

Yoga can help increase the production of melatonin, which regulates sleep cycles. Lower stress levels due to yoga may also contribute to better sleep quality.

7 – Reduces chronic pain.

In one study, 42 people who struggled with carpal tunnel syndrome either did yoga for eight weeks or received wrist splints. By the end of the trial, researchers found that yoga reduced pain and improved grip strength more than the splints did.

We could list even more health benefits of yoga, but we want to discuss primarily how yoga can improve anxiety symptoms. Millions of people suffer with different types of anxiety disorders worldwide, and symptoms may range from mild to severe. However, yoga could provide a cure to this often debilitating disease.

Here’s how yoga can help ease anxiety symptoms:

 A new study shows how yoga can ease symptoms in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This condition causes excessive worry or nervousness about everyday life and can take over someone’s mind. People with this disorder display pronounced anxiety most days for at least six months about many different aspects of life.

Symptoms include the following:

  • Feeling restless, wound-up, or on-edge
  • Being easily fatigued
  • Having difficulty concentrating, the mind drawing a blank.
  • Becoming irritable
  • Having muscle tensions
  • Difficulty in controlling feelings of concern, fear, or worry
  • Having sleep problems. These issues include difficulty falling or staying asleep, restlessness, or unsatisfying sleep

The research on generalized anxiety disorder

anxiety quoteAnyone with anxiety knows of the great suffering that can come with this disorder. It feels like you have little to zero control over your mind and body, and some people even experience dissociation in extreme cases. Scientists have found how yoga can provide relief to those suffering from GAD.

Led by a research team at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, the study found that yoga could treat GAD better than education on stress management. However, they discovered that it didn’t improve anxiety symptoms quite as much as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

“Generalized anxiety disorder is a very common condition, yet many are not willing or able to access evidence-based treatments,” said lead study author Naomi M. Simon, MD, a professor and researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health. “Our findings demonstrate that yoga, which is safe and widely available, can improve symptoms for some people with this disorder and could be a valuable tool in an overall treatment plan.”

Published August 12, 2020, in JAMA Psychiatry, the study assigned 226 men and women with GAD to three groups: CBT, Kundalini yoga, or stress-management education. After three months, researchers found that both CBT and yoga had more significant impacts on anxiety than stress management. Indeed, 54 percent of those who practiced yoga had significant improvements in symptoms compared to only 33 percent in the stress management group. In the CBT group, 71 percent met the symptom improvement criteria.

At the six month follow-up, the CBT group still showed more significant improvements than the stress education group (the control group). However, yoga no longer had the same benefits, suggesting that CBT may improve anxiety symptoms more effectively.

The study

 For the CBT group, the study used an evidence-based protocol for the treatment of GAD. This therapy included the following:

  • education on psychology;
  • cognitive interventions focused on identifying and correcting maladaptive thoughts;
  • muscle relaxation techniques.

The Kundalini yoga group learned physical postures, breathing techniques, relaxation exercises, yoga theory, and meditation/mindfulness. The stress-management education control group listened to lectures about how stress affects the physiological, psychological, and medical aspects of health. They also learned how lifestyle factors could improve anxiety symptoms, such as reducing alcohol and smoking, eating healthy, and exercising. They listened to educational material on stress, lifestyle, and diet for homework assignments as well.

Three to six participants at a time received one of the three treatments over 12 weeks. They had weekly two-hour sessions with 20 minutes of daily homework assignments.

So, does yoga improve anxiety symptoms?

Currently, around 6.8 million Americans suffer from a generalized anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, many of them don’t get proper treatment for it out of shame, fear, or lack of resources. It can impair someone’s life if not treated properly, however. Most people have expressed feelings of anxiety at some point in their life; however, it becomes a disorder when it significantly impacts daily routines.

The study above shows that, while yoga can effectively ease symptoms of anxiety, CBT still ranks highest in treating the disorder. Medications can also treat anxiety, but not everyone wants to take the risk of having adverse side effects or complications from them. Also, the lack of access to medication or therapy prevents many people from seeing improvements in their anxiety symptoms. Because of this, yoga may prove useful for those who have no other options, as you can practice for free in your own home.

“Many people already seek complementary and alternative interventions, including yoga, to treat anxiety,” said Dr. Simon. “This study suggests that at least short-term there is significant value for people with a generalized anxiety disorder to give yoga a try to see if it works for them. Yoga is well-tolerated, easily accessible, and has several health benefits.”

Dr. Simon suggests that research in the future should try to narrow down who would benefit the most from yoga for GAD. That way, therapists and healthcare providers can personalize treatment to ensure better results for their patients.

“We need more options to treat anxiety because different people will respond to different interventions, and having more options can help overcome barriers to care,” she said. “Having a range of effective treatments can increase the likelihood people with anxiety will be willing to engage in evidence-based care.”

improve anxiety symptomsFinal thoughts on how yoga can improve anxiety symptoms

As the study above shows, yoga has a vast potential to ease symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. The practice helps promote feelings of calm and relaxation by reducing cortisol levels, and it brings awareness back into the body. The best part is that anyone in any age group can do yoga and reap all the benefits from it. No matter what ailment you may suffer from, you can see results from the practice if you keep consistency.

While cognitive-behavioral therapy still comes out on top for treating anxiety, this doesn’t mean you can’t practice yoga as well. Plus, it provides an excellent option for those who don’t have access to therapy or don’t feel comfortable with it. Besides, yoga does more than improve anxiety symptoms – it also lessens depression, inflammation, and chronic pain. If you haven’t started your practice, you can find plenty of free resources online to help you.

Don’t Use A Microwave To Reheat These 11 Foods, Reveal Experts

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A microwave is such a convenient appliance. You can easily pop just about any food item into it, set a good time and temperature, and within just a few minutes or less. It’s warm and ready to consume. But can you put any food into a microwave? The answer, as it turns out, is no.

Certain foods, when microwaved, can produce catastrophic results. These results may affect your health, your safety, or even the lives of others! Here’s why you don’t use a microwave to reheat these 11 foods, as revealed by expert studies and official health warnings.

Eleven Foods Never To Reheat in Your Microwave

1.    Processed Meat

microwaveProcessed meats aren’t healthy, to begin with, primarily because they’re packed with preservatives and all kinds of dubious chemicals. These preservatives are used to make them last longer, but they’ve never been good for health – and microwaving them makes them so much worse.

When you microwave these questionable substances, you may expose them to chemical changes – especially cholesterol oxidation. Here are some research papers detailing this information:

  • “Cholesterol oxidation in meat products and its regulation by supplementing sodium nitrite and apple polyphenol before processing” in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2000). This study showed that microwaving processed meats is likely to result in several different chemical processes, including the oxidation of cholesterol. It also found some potential alternative preservative products that could prevent cholesterol oxidation and be more positive for health overall, though most processed meats do not use them even now.
  • “Consequences of Microwave Heating and Frying on the Lipid Fraction of Chicken and Beef Patties” in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2003). This study found that frying chicken and beef patties can cause a 1.5 to 2.6-fold increment in cholesterol oxidation products. It sounds like a lot until you hear about microwaving them instead, which generates 5.3 to 6.1-fold increments!
  • “Formation of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) in animal products” in Food Control (2007). This study revealed that the products of cholesterol oxidation are likely to lead to disorders and diseases that can be life-threatening, including coronary heart disease.

2.    Fresh Mushrooms

The danger in microwaving fresh mushrooms doesn’t come from the process of microwaving itself, but from the context in which you may microwave them.

You see, fresh mushrooms are best consumed very shortly after preparation. Mushrooms have a lot of short-lived proteins that can go bad very quickly, especially if you overcook them in the microwave.. If not eaten immediately, they can harbor harmful bacteria and start to taste pretty terrible.

It’s recommended that you only store fresh mushrooms in a refrigerator for up to a maximum of 24 hours before eating them. Anything beyond that, and it’s safer to toss them out. When reheating, at least they’re heated to a minimum 158 degrees.

Luckily, only fresh mushrooms need this extra-careful treatment. Mushrooms that can be kept and microwaved safely include:

  • Canned
  • Frozen
  • Dried

3.    Water

Superheating is when certain parts of water can rise to temperatures above water’s boiling point, meaning higher than 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When you microwave water, certain “hot spots” can develop where the water becomes superheated.

When you move a cup of superheated water, even to take it out of the microwave or tilt it to take a drink, an eruption can occur from within it. This eruption splashes out scalding water that can land on you as you move, causing severe burns. In fact, the FDA has a warning about overheating water and recommends the following more positive ways of using your microwave for water:

  • Always read the instruction manual of your microwave often and follow its recommendations and precautionary measures, especially in regards to heating times.
  • Make sure you don’t use too much time when heating water, or any other kind of liquid, in a microwave.
  • Learn to heat your water to the exact desired temperature (never close to the point of boiling) and familiarize yourself with the setting that gets you safe but satisfactory results.

4.    Rice

Rice contains a surprising amount of toxic bacteria known as Bacillus cereus. Even when the bacteria are killed by heat, a lot of its produced spores will remain, according to research. This presence can wreak havoc on the digestive system. This is why rice left at room temperature after being microwaved winds up giving its consumers food poisoning or “fried rice syndrome.”

Why does this happen? It has to do with the warm, humid environment of the rice, which is a fertile breeding space for microorganisms. You can avoid this bacterial haven by heating rice to an almost boiling point, then keeping it warm at a minimum of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This will kill the bacteria and keep its spores from thriving.

5.    Eggs

Eggs are, in a way, self-contained. They are protected by their shell or the thin membrane around them, so when they’re microwaved, a lot of heat can get trapped inside.

This is exacerbated by the moisture that naturally exists inside an egg. When you microwave it, that moisture is heated and causes a high steam buildup. It almost becomes a sort of pressure cooker in there! This can happen even if the eggs are:

  • Raw
  • Cooked
  • Shelled
  • Unshelled

All that steam buildup can, over time, result in the egg exploding in your microwave, leaving you quite the mess to clean up. Worse still, this explosion may not occur in the microwave – but outside. This means an egg can explode in your hand or your mouth, spilling scorching egg on you and even burning you.

If you need to microwave an egg, cut it up first. Still, it’s better not to microwave eggs at all!

eggplant6.    Leafy Green Vegetables

Many leafy green vegetables contain nitrates, which are typically very healthy. But when heated in a microwave, nitrates have the chance of turning into nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are organic compounds that some research indicates are carcinogenic. Some examples of leafy greens that contain nitrates are:

  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Celery

It’s worth noting that it’s not just these types of green, leafy veggies that run the risk of converting their nitrates into something more dangerous. Beets also shouldn’t be microwaved for this same reason. For both them and leafy greens, you’ll want to reheat them on the stove for safety’s sake.

7.    Fruit

There is minimal benefit to microwaving fruit. Most people agree that fruit tastes best cool, cold, or at least at room temperature, and warm fruit can sound pretty unappetizing. But even if you’re in the rare, somewhat odd minority that enjoys the occasional hot fruit, you shouldn’t take to the microwave for that job.

Take, for example, grapes. Some people have a false idea that microwaving them may produce raisins, which it absolutely will not. Instead, microwaving two grapes can lead to a significant amount of plasma creation. That plasma is so powerful and substantial that it can melt a hole in plastic dishes or containers, which doesn’t do very positively for your house, microwave, or smell.

Even if plasma doesn’t ruin your bowls or plates, microwaving whole fruit is generally risky because microwaving eggs is risky. Their skin can trap a lot of heat and steam thanks to the added moisture, so biting into that microwaved fruit could burn your tongue badly. The fruit may also explode while you microwave them.

8.    Carrots

Do you know what arcing is? It’s what happens when a microwave produces sparks as it reacts to something metallic. Nothing quite saps away positive thinking like the fear of your microwave setting your house ablaze!

Carrots are dangerous to the microwave because they may contain leftover minerals from the soil. This presence can cause sparking, even when there doesn’t look like there’s any reason for this. It’s OK to try microwaving cut-up carrots, but stop immediately the second there’s a sign of arcing.

9.    Hot Peppers

Not all peppers are safe to microwave, thanks to their crucial ingredient, capsaicin. Capsaicin is a chemical that is responsible for the spicy punch that peppers packed. When you use a microwave to heat peppers, you release that capsaicin into the air.

As an airborne chemical, capsaicin can cause a lot of grief. It might burn your eyes or other sensitive parts of your body, and worse still, it won’t just be you who suffers! In 2016, an entire building in New York had to be evacuated after someone microwaved a pepper and ruined everyone’s day ( plus their positive thinking). Residents started experiencing breathing difficulties and coughing fits due to capsaicin. So save your neighbors, and don’t reheat hot peppers!

10. Baby Formula

It’s not uncommon for breastfeeding parents to decide to pump breastmilk and freeze it for use later. This is a great idea and perfectly fine to do, but make sure you don’t reheat that milk in a microwave!

You’ve probably noticed by now that microwaves don’t evenly heat food, even when that food is spread across a plate. This results in “hot spots” that may develop in a bottle of breastmilk, with uneven temperatures throughout. A baby drinking from the bottle may then accidentally hit a “hot spot” and find their mouth and throat burning up!

This doesn’t even consider the possible carcinogenic consequences of heating a material like plastic. This is probably why the FDA has their guidelines on reheating breastmilk for positive results. Heat a bottle of milk in a bowl of hot water or reheat it on the stove in a pot.

11. Potatoes

Botulinum is a dangerous bacteria found in potatoes. At room temperature, C. botulinum can survive after a spell of heat from the microwave and affect those who consume it with botulism. It doesn’t sound very likely, but there is a lot that toxic bacteria can do. In fact, some experts refer to C. botulinum as the “most poisonous poison.”

If you have the know-how, cooking potatoes from scratch with a microwave is safe. But for reheating potatoes, stick to using a baking sheet and an oven to do the job. Be sure not to use aluminum foil – that protects the bacteria!

microwaveFinal Thoughts On Some Foods That Experts Recommend To Never Reheat In A Microwave

We’re all grateful for how much easier a microwave can make food preparation, especially for a busy go-getter. But there’s wisdom in knowing what can and can’t be stuffed into this machine. Be sure that you don’t reheat any of the foods we’ve discussed, and you’ll be just fine!

Editorial note: Updated research on the possibility of carrots containing small amounts of lead from the soil.

Counselors Explain 10 Reasons It’s Healthy to Talk to Yourself

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‘-Talk may be cheap, but you certainly do a lot of it. You mostly talk to others, but you also speak to yourself regularly. According to researchers, your self-talk is an integral part of your mental health. Here are ten reasons why talking to yourself is healthy for you.

Self-talk ranges from reminders to boost your memory or to pep you up for a long day ahead. So you might be telling yourself it’s time to get up, or wondering whether your package is coming today. You may remind yourself to lock the back door before you leave. This telling, wondering, and reminding are all parts of self-talk. Talking to yourself is natural. You weren’t taught how to do it. Some people experience these internal musings more than others.

Studies show that self-talk connects to your reasoning, planning, problem-solving, and motivational side of your thinking.

Positive thoughts can motivate you, but sometimes you can drift into self-talk that’s negative. This type of self-talk demotivates. It is self-defeating, telling you that you’re not good enough. Negative self-talk can happen when you’ve had an upsetting event or situation. As you rehearse it, you may feel regret or anger towards yourself.

Benefits of  healthy self-talk

It’s easy to underestimate the power of healthy self-talk. It can be a powerful resource in your life. Here are some valid reasons why talking to yourself is healthy.

1. Motivates you

talk to yourself

Positive self-talk can motivate you. It helps you not give up. Self-talk can be the pep talk you give yourself. It’s the inner talk that no one else knows about. You are reviewing your weakness and strengths, weighing whether you want to keep going. Your inner dialogue could sound like this

 I need to exercise more, but I’m not sure how I will do it right now. I wonder if there’s an app I could use? Hey, that’s a great idea! And it’s doable right now.

Self-talk helps you find it within yourself to get motivated when otherwise you’d give up.

2. Lowers your stress

Talking to yourself can lower your stress.  It helps you step back and evaluate situations. You can ask yourself questions such as

  • Am I overreacting?
  • Why am I feeling so upset or angry right now?
  • Is there anything I need to do right now?
  • What’s my biggest fear related to this situation?

Talking through things is helpful because it can reduce the pressure you’re feeling and help you be more objective about a situation. Self-talk is a positive tool to help your mind and body calm down and find a sense of peace.

3. Talking to yourself helps to clarify things

Self-talk can pinpoint problems and help you get to the root cause. You can ask yourself the right questions, think about things from different angles, or talk yourself through difficulties. Self-talk is a constructive way to clear up your misconceptions of a conversation. As you rehearse what was said, you may remember things you said or did. It can motivate you to go back and work out problems with people or get clarity on something that came to your mind when you were talking to yourself.

4. Improves your focus

When you work through each problem, you’re focusing on an issue. You look at it from all angles, wondering about the how, when, and why of the matter. Staying focused not only helps you finish what you’re doing, but you gain self-confidence at your ability to finish something.

5. Encourages your will power

Internalizing this dialogue gives you motivation, and the will power to do things. It encourages you that you’re able to do the job. You may say something like

  • I really want this!
  • I can do this!
  • This goal is worth the effort.
  • I want to push myself to do this.
  • I’ve done great so far. I’m not giving up.

6. Understand yourself

Speaking to yourself teaches you things about yourself. You know your temptations, your weakness, and your strengths. You are aware of all things you feel and think. It teaches you how to encourage yourself, to correct yourself, or ask yourself the right questions. Positive self talk build you up but keeps you humble.

7. Process things better

When you self- talk, you can work out things in your mind. Wondering, comparing, evaluating are all part of helping you process. Self-talk helps you problem solve.

8. Enhances your gratitude

Self-talk can motivate you to count your blessings. Positive self-talk is aware of others, not just yourself. You can see the many ways you’ve been blessed and can rehearse them to yourself. You may say something like

  • I am a blessed person to surround myself with such good friends
  • My job isn’t the greatest, but I’m grateful I have a job
  • I’m thankful I have a supportive partner
  • My family is a mess sometimes, but I love them, and they love me
  • I’m so grateful for my church community’s support right now

Gratitude enhances your positivity. It builds you up and helps you build up other people.

9. Focus on your ambitions

If you’re pondering your interests and ambitions, look no farther than your innermost musings. You think and mull over what interests you. Perhaps you’re always looking at decorating blogs or knitting patterns. Are you talking to yourself about them? “I love that look,” you may say to yourself. This introspection is a sign– it may be a field of study or a hobby you should pursue. Self-talk reveals your desires. If you really like the look of a knitted blanket, why not learn to knit it? Don’t doubt your self-talk. It’s guiding you, so listen to your self-talk.

10. Improves your self-confidence

Knowing yourself boosts your self-confidence. You know where you’re healthy and where you’re weak. Self-talk can help you not compare yourself to others. You feel secure in yourself because you’re well aware of what you feel and think. You have a healthy view of who you are, and you’re not afraid to be yourself.

Ten types of negative self- talk

As much as positive self-talk helps you, negative self-talk can harm you. Here are ten types of negative self-talk you want to avoid.

1. I’m not worthy.

This negative dialogue devalues your sense of worth. It tells you that you’re not worthy enough to receive love or help.

2. I don’t care.

This attitude steals your motivation to do anything. It leaves you feeling helpless. Negative self-talk robs your ambitions and makes you feel hopeless about yourself and your future. Pretending like you don’t care is not being honest with yourself. When you lie to yourself, it causes you to feel like a fake.

3. I’m a failure.

Every person fails at one point or another in their life. Beating yourself up over a failure isn’t healthy. It drags you down and demotivates you to try again. Stop each negative thought in its tracks. It leads to discouragement and depression.

4. I’ll probably mess it up

You may feel disappointed, and instead of admitting your disappointment, you lie to yourself by saying you’ll mess up again. It’s important to speak truthfully to yourself, but not go into negative self-talk. You could say something like

 I’m disappointed and discouraged. I’m tempted to feel like I’ll mess up again.

You value being honest with others, why not be honest with yourself? Admit your discouragement without belittling yourself. Honesty is critical for a healthy mentality.

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Banish Negative Self Talk by Trying These 10 Techniques

5. People won’t like me.

This is a form of self-rejection. If you feel like people don’t like you, you’ll act differently. You withhold from them, so you don’t come across as who you are. So, people will feel like you’re disingenuous. When people get a negative vibe from you, they may back off, so in a weird way, your self prophecy that people won like you comes true.

6. Everyone is better than me.

It’s normal to compare yourself to others. It’s easy to be harsher on your accomplishments than you should when you compare. If you always come up short in comparisons, this is negative self-talk. Step back from this thinking. Of course, there are almost always others who are better at things than you, but you have items that you can do better than others. Don’t belittle who you are by making these false comparisons.

7. I’m a terrible person

Every individual has areas in their life where they need to change. Don’t focus on all the bad or weak things about your personality. Instead, look for ways to improve yourself. Turn the negative into a positive.

  • Negative: I talk too much
  • Positive: I’m want to learn to be a better listener.
  • Negative: I’m stingy.
  • Positive: I want to be more generous.

Turning the negative areas into positive ones gives you hope for change. Negative statements can become positives ones when you use them to motivate instead of discouraging yourself.

8. I made another mistake

Everyone makes mistakes. Remember, you’re not perfect, but no one else is either. Striving for perfection isn’t realistic. Avoid negative talk that tells you that you must always get it right.

9. What I have to say isn’t important

Self-talk that tells you that you don’t have anything to contributes is defeating. Your thoughts are essential and to withhold them is false. Share your thoughts. They are worth it.

10. I’ll never change

Change isn’t easy, but self-defeating talk won’t help. Negative self-talk demotivates you. It makes you feel hopeless and helpless. Don’t buy this lie. Everyone can change if they want to.

talk to yourselfFinal Thoughts on the Benefits of Talking to Yourself

Everyone talks to themselves. Your inner dialogue can be a positive or negative force in your life. If you notice a habit of negative self-talk, find ways to turn your negativity around. Be honest with yourself and allow your positive self talk to motivate you to enjoy your life.

Experts Reveal 5 Ways To Deal With Verbal Abuse

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Many overlook the severity and impact of verbal abuse because it doesn’t leave physical marks. But the truth is that psychological and emotional abuse is just as severe and dangerous as verbal abuse.

If you are in a verbally abusive situation, you need to either wait for the abuser to change their ways or learn to handle it until you can walk away. Still, that’s much easier said than done. Here’s how experts reveal five ways to deal with verbal abuse.

1.    Learn To Detect Verbal Abuse

Many victims of abuse find themselves second-guessing the occurrence of abuse. They may feel unsure if something they’re experiencing truly is abuse or if they’re sensitive. That’s why learning to detect critical features of verbal abuse is so important. Here are some kinds of verbal abuse to look out for:

·         Name-Calling

There is little excuse for calling someone else names or insulting them with derogatory terms to their face. Name-calling may include using insults, swear words, or even slurs to put you down.

verbal abuse

·         Sudden Outbursts of Anger

These outbursts are often extreme, involving yelling, shouting, and threatening body language. Although they don’t escalate to physical violence, they can still be very frightening, and verbal violence is a serious issue, too.

·         Invalidating Separateness

In a relationship, you retain your identity, including your emotions, beliefs, thoughts, and opinions, says Patricia Evans, a consultant, speaker, author, and expert on verbal abuse. A verbal abuser may respond negatively to these forms of your separateness, failing to see their positive sides instead of taking them as an irritant or an attack on them.

·         Gaslighting

A verbal abuser may try to make you question your perception of the world by warping reality to fit their narrative. They may be unpredictable or present situations to you in such a way that suggests you are crazy, overly sensitive, or misremembering real-life events. This can cause you a lot of confusion and psychological pain, says Evans.

Many forms of verbal abuse aren’t easily categorizable. If you find yourself questioning if someone is verbally abusive, you might be in trouble. Brogaard Lab for Multisensory Research Director and Professor Berit Brogaard, D.M.Sci., Ph.D., suggests carefully examining your relationship if you aren’t sure if you’re experiencing verbal abuse. Types of verbal abuse, you should also look out for that are commonly overlooked, according to studies, are:

  • Arguing or countering anything and everything
  • Blame games and accusations
  • Criticism in excess or that crosses into judgment.
  • Diverging or blocking topics of discussion
  • Insults, especially ones you’ve already expressed disliking
  • Issuing commands or orders to stay in control
  • Issuing threats on themselves, you, or your loved ones
  • Outbursts of anger or aggression
  • Refusing to admit to any abusive or angry behavior
  • Trivializing, invalidating, or minimizing you and your experiences
  • Undermining your speech
  • Withholding communication or vulnerability, especially as “punishment.”

2.    Stand Your Ground

Verbal abuse can be a deliberate act of malice. It can also be something done accidentally, focusing on using it as a defense mechanism without any awareness of the damage it does to you.

As such, what you want to do now is make the person in question aware that their actions are verbally abusive. However, it is essential to be realistic about holding such a conversation. Consider:

  • It is sporadic for verbal abuse to come from a place of complete and utter ignorance that can be solved in a single conversation.
  • Patterns of verbal abuse that recur over time are widespread, and they are not ones that you can break quickly.
  • After the first conversation, you will have to point out instances of repeated verbal abuse to the person until they can detect it themselves.

If you and the other person plan to work through their tendencies towards verbal abuse, you will have to learn to stand your ground to deal with it, says Brogaard. Here are some things to keep in mind when you are the target of this person’s verbal abuse:

·         Be Clear, Concise, And Firm

Simply telling the person in question to stop what they are doing with a stern voice is more than enough. If you can detect the exact kind of verbal abuse, you can be more specific; for example, you can say, “Stop insulting me!” or “Stop undermining me!”

·         Never Engage With Abusive Content

When something is being said to you in the form of verbal abuse, do not listen to it or engage with it.

·         Do Not Reason With The Abuser

A verbal abuser cannot be reasoned with, ever. Do not waste your time attempting to explain to them what is wrong with what they are saying or why it is wrong – at least, not yet.

·         Know When To Walk Away

If nothing you’re doing is working, turn and leave the room. Let the person stew in their emotions until they have calmed down enough to see rationally. Remember, you are under no obligation to come back and/or forgive them.

3.    Be Calm and Know How To De-Escalate

De-escalation is a handy and valuable skill to learn, whether you’re learning it for a job in customer service or to better handle conflict in your everyday life in a more positive way. When you’re face-to-face with an abuser, it becomes even more crucial. Here are some tips for staying calm and de-escalating a situation according to Licensed Professional Counselor Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS:

·         Understand The Risks of Violence

Just because a verbal abuser has never escalated to physical abuse doesn’t mean that they can’t and won’t. It’s highly recommended that you learn to recognize warning signs that physical escalation may occur. Agitation is the main factor you should keep an eye out for fast speech. A raised voice or vocal tone, aggressive shaking or pacing, erratic gestures, cursing, or intense verbal abuse are all warning signs that mean you need to start de-escalating for your safety.

·         Use Positive Body Language

It’s natural to become tense when on the receiving end of abuse. Begin by breathing deeply to relax your posture and maintain a neutral expression slightly. Maintain non-threatening eye-contact and keep a reasonable distance between you. Then, move slowly, relax your muscles, stand at an angle to them, and do not approach them suddenly in any way. The goal is to avoid sending threatening nonverbal cues to the person in question.

be the change

·         Speak Calmly

Maintain a reasonable volume and neutral tone when speaking to this person. It’s a good idea to speak slowly and continue a gentle volume even when the other person is shouting. Speak when the person stops to breathe. If you notice your voice speeding up or getting louder, stop, and let yourself breathe. However, do note that you should still speak firmly, so project your voice from your diaphragm when you talk.

·         Respond To Positive Communication

If the abuser slips healthy questions or statements into their rants or raves, latch onto them and respond to them. Maintaining the calmness, engage with the more beneficial talking points that this person brings up. This shows them that you are willing to work out problems with them if they treat you with the respect you deserve.

4.    Separate Yourself

If things don’t get better, it’s time to leave your abuser. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible, especially not immediately. Here are some tips for separating yourself, whether or not you can do so long-term at the moment from Brogaard and Griffin:

·         Set Boundaries

As mentioned previously, you need to be able to firmly demand a stop to verbal abuse and refuse to engage in arguments that center around this abuse. Be clear about what you will and won’t tolerate and what will happen if your boundaries are crossed. Make sure the consequences you cite are ones you can follow through on if you need to. Remembering, setting boundaries is important even in positive relationships, so they’re even more crucial in negative ones.

·         Reduce Time Spent With Them

If you have to be in close quarters with them, find ways to reduce the time you do spend with them. Walk your dog for an extra amount of time, join classes or clubs that take you away from home, visit friends, busy yourself with errands, or even work overtime.

·         Set Plans In Motion

You need to be independent of your abuser in order to escape them. If possible, start planning to get what you need to lose that dependency. Search all avenues, talk to people you can trust about favors, and begin working behind the scenes with the goal of leaving.

·         When It’s Time, Cut Them Off Clearly

It can take a lot of courage and positive thinking to follow through on a decision to cut an abuser off, especially if things are complicated by living situations or dependency. But when it’s time to leave, you have to. Burn the bridge, and don’t look back.

5.    Make Sure Others Know About The Abuse

The biggest mistake you can make in dealing with verbal abuse is keeping it to yourself. Verbal abuse is difficult for outsiders to detect and typically only happens in private settings, so making others aware of your situation is essential, says Brogaard.

You might feel anxious or lack positive thinking, prompting you to keep the problem to yourself. You might wonder if anyone will believe you. But you have to tell someone, or you risk putting yourself in more danger. According to Griffin, you can:

·         Tell Trusted Friends, Family, or Loved Ones

The people in your life may be able to offer you support or a way out of an abusive situation. People who matter and are worth your energy will believe you and want to help.

·         Call A Hotline

Your country is likely to have relevant hotlines that can provide guidance and aid for you if you are a victim of verbal abuse. Look up the ones where you live and give them a call if you’re in need of help.

·         See A Therapist

Speaking to a mental health professional about what you experience can help you to stay healthy and understand your emotions in this difficult time. Don’t be afraid to avail of counseling, even when you’re still in the abusive environment if it allows.

verbal abuseFinal Thoughts On Some Ways To Deal With Verbal Abuse

You should never have to put up with verbal abuse. If you are a victim of verbal abuse that doesn’t look like it will end, it’s time to leave. Stay strong, and remember that you deserve better treatment than this.

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