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10 Basic Tips To Learn About Reading Palms

May 12, 2020 by Power of Positivity

When you carefully study the inside of your hands, you’ll notice an intricate web of intersecting lines and curves. Like fingerprints, everyone’s palm prints are unique. Could there be a hidden code about your past and future woven into the edges of your palms and the shape of your hands?

Palmistry, also known as chiromancy, is as old as civilization itself. While historians can’t pinpoint its origins, they believe it may have begun in ancient India and spread throughout the known world. Furthermore, the popularity of palm reading for entertainment and serious divination remains intact today.

Have you ever visited a palm reader? For centuries, courts of kings and emperors revered fortune tellers. Nobility and peasantry alike depended on these predictions for any of their plans.

In modern times, palm readers were relegated to enshrouded tents with other oddities and curiosities in traveling carnivals. You probably know the stereotype of an older woman adorned with bangles, reading palms by eerie candlelight. For a small fee, the reader claimed to glance into the future by interpreting lines in her clients’ palms.

Is there more folly than fact behind this timeless divination, or could our future be linked to the lines in our palms? If so, are we destined to fulfill these prophetic zigzags, or can we change them at will? Delve into the fascinating mysteries of reading palms with these helpful suggestions.

Setting the Stage for Your Reading

If you are serious about learning how to read palms, it is essential to study as much information as possible and talk to experienced practitioners. Then, you can start practicing with family and friends to develop your intuitive skills. Remember that you have a moral obligation to tell people that reading palms comes from your intuition, and everyone is ultimately in charge of their lives and future.

Set up a quiet room or corner where your clients, called querents, will be comfortable. Lend credibility to your practice and forget all the stereotypical fortune-teller décor. You’ll want your querents to take you seriously, not as a prop in a cheesy street carnival.

If you like, you may light a few candles and burn some fragrant incense. Set up a small table for viewing your querents’ hands, with two comfortable chairs. You could also beautify your space with sacred images, crystals, or other objects that help you channel your intuitive energy.

First Impressions: Shape of the Hands

Chiromancy is not an exact science but an intuitive practice. The whole hand is considered during a palm reading, not just the lines. By merely examining a person’s hands, fingers, and nails, you can tell how a person works and lives.

Starting with the left hand, representing the querent’s past, examine its shape. According to chiromancy, four basic hand shapes correspond to the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Each item has its own set of personality traits.

•Earth

Those who have short fingers and square-shaped palms are considered earth. Their solid grip shows their practicality, stability, and reliability. Because earth people are so pragmatic, they may have difficulties seeing beyond today’s responsibilities to future dreams.

•Air

If your querent has long fingers and a square-shaped palm, his element is air. You may notice boney fingers and knobby knuckles. He is an intellectual who knows how to communicate well. However, he is often edgy and can easily be distracted by too many details.

•Fire

Long palms and short fingers indicate that your querent’s element is fire. Like a blaze, she burns passionately and is confident in all she does. Because she has such a driving force, she may lose sight of compassion for others and herself.

•Water

Lastly is the element of water, represented by long palms and long fingers. His soft hands indicate resonance with his emotions and intuition. You will often see this element in those who are psychically gifted and creative. Be careful, because he usually wears his feelings on his sleeve and is apt to hold a grudge.

Over the Mountains and Through the Valleys

Other crucial details to notice when you are palm reading are the natural raised and low parts on the palm’s surface, known as mounts and plains. These undulations correspond to your querent’s life themes. Further, they represent the seven perfect heavenly bodies in astrology.

If a mount is fleshy and prominent, it indicates a durable quality in the represented area. A flat or sunken mount suggests an area where the querent has struggles. If you notice that the mount is overly prominent, that quality may be exaggerated.

•Mount of Venus

Venus, the goddess of love, rules the mount at the thumb’s base. This mount represents attraction, sexuality, and romance. Whether the querent’s Mount of Venus is prominent or flat may suggest her experience and attitude about love relationships.

•Mount of Luna

Luna, the goddess of the moon, represents the mount on the bottom of the palm on the little finger’s side. It corresponds with the querent’s imagination, creativity, and psychic intuition. Her compassion and empathy are symbolized on Luna’s mount.

•Mount of Mercury

Mercury was the messenger of the gods and is symbolized by the mount underneath the little finger. It represents your querent’s communication and social skills and how resourceful he is.

This mount also links to intelligence.

•Mount of Apollo

The sun god rules the mount underneath the querent’s ring finger. If this mount is prominent, she may be an optimist and is in tune with her artistic ambitions. It also reveals joy and vitality in her life.

•Mount of Saturn

If you want to divine your querent’s wisdom and determination, study Saturn’s mount located under his middle finger, it is also symbolic of his responsibility and honesty. A prominent Saturn mount shows that he is flexible with life’s many curves.

•Mount of Jupiter

Jupiter was chief of the gods, so he ruled the mound of the index finger. Used as a pointer or indicator, Jupiter’s mount is related to confidence, ambition, and endurance. It also connects with divine intervention.

•Plain of Mars

Life can be a battle, so the area toward the lower palm is named for Mars, the god of war. As you look, you’ll find it is divided into three sections. Upper Mars is right under Mercury and represents your querent’s bravery and patience.

On the opposite side under Jupiter is Lower Mars, symbolic of physical strength and courage. Between the Upper and Lower Mars is the Plain of Mars, located in the lower center of the querent’s palm. It shows the balance of power between the two, as indicated by the lines that cross it.

Reading Between the Lines

As you improve your skills in reading palms, you will become more familiar with their signature lines and symbology. Remember that chiromancy involves intuition rather than a precise science. These lines are most important for your reading.

•Headline

Since your brain is pivotal in your life’s journey, it’s represented by the line that crosses the center of the palm. The depth of the line reveals that your querent is a deep thinker, while the length of the line shows her many intellectual pursuits. A straight line indicates a traditional thinker, while a wavy one shows the person is more progressive in thought patterns.

•Heart Line

Matters of the heart are ruled by the horizontal line highest from the headline. It represents love, passion, and relationship. Its depth shows deep intensity, and longer lines indicate long relationships. Conversely, short or broken lines may indicate several lovers over the years or more temporary relationships.

•Lifeline

Never rely on this iconic line as an indicator to see how long your querent will live. The lifeline curves under the headline and represents enthusiasm and experiences in life. Thus, if your querent has a short line, it indicates a healthy, independent living, not necessarily an early demise.

•Fate Line

Another line familiar to those reading palms is the fate line, the vertical one toward the center of the palm. It indicates how much outside forces beyond his control may influence your querent. The fate line often changes and shifts as we get older.

•Apollo’s Line

Is your querent wondering about fame and social standing in her future? The line of Apollo, located the highest on the little finger’s side, may foretell. Its depth, length, and position may indicate how and when success will be gained.

If Apollo’s line intersects the querent’s fate line, it may symbolize success that is achieved through outside influences. When the lines are not close to each other, the querent may be independently successful.

Final Thoughts on Mastering Reading Palms

Of course, these essential tips are the primary premises on reading palms, and it isn’t exhaustive. Do you want to learn more about this fascinating divination? Read books, articles, and online tutorials as you advance in the craft of palmistry.

As you advance in your practice and read palms, let your intuition be your guide. Moreover, maintain high standards of ethics and realize that palmistry is a tool for understanding life’s journey, not for defining it.

15 Signs That Reveal A Good Man

May 12, 2020 by Power of Positivity

A good man may be hard to find, according to many women. The definition of what makes a man “good” may vary, but certain qualities are non-negotiable. Many people wonder what traits are essential in a good man. So, what qualities make a man suitable?

A good man, one study found, has certain qualities. Women ranked qualities like honesty, humor, kindness, and dependability as the most important. But there are other qualities that could be added to this list.

Here is a list of 15 signs that reveal a good man.

1 – Supportive of you

A good man is supportive of you, whether it’s in your career, your schooling, or your creative outlets. He sees what you’re doing as essential, not just secondary to him. He encourages you to pursue your dreams because he cares about you and your interests as much as his own interests. He’s for you, not against you.

2 – Works hard to get to know your family and friends

If you’re in a relationship or married, you know how important it is to you that your family and friends get to know your partner. When he wants to get to know your family and friends, it’s especially encouraging to you. He cares for enough about you to want to know these people, because they’re people you love. When he reaches out to your family and friends, it’s a sign of his love and commitment to you. Keep an eye out for this kind of good man.

3 – Respectful

Respect is an essential quality in human relationships. If your man isn’t respectful of you, it should be a huge warning sign. Disrespect means he’s not really for you, he’s more concerned about himself. Don’t believe the lie that once you’re married, he’ll be more respectful. Disrespect of women can be a sign of entitlement or sexual dominance, one study found. If you see this in your man, you may need to step back in the relationship.

4 – Emotionally open

Men who are emotionally open and in touch with their feelings are better able to listen and encourage your emotional growth. Emotional vulnerability makes your relationship deeper. When you share your opinions and struggles with your man, you should feel his understanding. A man who is emotionally uptight or unwilling to talk about his feelings is immature. This isn’t the kind of relationship you want.

5 – Willing to work on your relationship

A good man values your relationship enough to work towards its growth. He doesn’t blame you but seeks to own his own negative contributions. One study found that forgiveness is an essential element in a relationship. A good man is willing to forgive. He doesn’t hold a grudge or try to get revenge when you do something wrong. Part of being human means you do and say things you may regret later on. A man who’s willing to work to make himself better and work on your relationship is indeed a good man.

6 – You share similar values

This might not seem like a game-changer in a relationship, but it’s a huge contributing factor to a successful relationship. Having similar values means you and your man have the same values related to marriage, family, religion, and character qualities like trust and honesty.

If you disagree on too many of these values, you’ll be clashing all the time. You may not agree on all of these, but a good man is open to discuss his values and is ready to compromise for the sake of the relationship. If he’s refusing to budge on too many of these, he may not be the one for you.

7 – Good manners

Good manners show respect. A good man knows how to relate to people like a gentleman. Here’s a list of some basic manners a good man should practice.

Ready to vacate his seat for an elderly person or disabled person
Says excuse me
Says thank you and please
Doesn’t use foul language in public
Is ready to help
Listens
Doesn’t talk about bodily functions in a group of people
Chews with his mouth closed
Doesn’t talk with food in his mouth
Keep his elbows off the table.
Washes his hands
His cellphone use in public should be private. NO one wants to hear him shouting into his phone at a restaurant.

A good man is mannerly or at least desirous of good manners. Not everyone learned good manners at home, but if your man is as least anxious to learn good manners, this is positive. If he thinks these courtesies are stupid or unnecessary, be alarmed. It’s not a sign he’s a good man.

8 – Reliable

Reliability is critical in a relationship. A good man is trustworthy. If he says he’ll do something, he does it. He doesn’t make excuses for himself. He’s reliable at work and at home. He shows up for engagements or parties on time. If your man is unpredictable, you can’t trust that he’ll be there for you. This quality is essential, so don’t overlook it when you’re considering a good man.

9 – Mature

No one wants to see a man acting like a teenager. It’s unattractive and quite honestly annoying to see a man speaking and acting half his age. It’s a sign he’s insecure. Men like this are usually looking for attention. This type of man may be fun at a party, but he’s not ready for a long term relationship. No woman wants a relationship that requires her to continually rescue her man from his immature activities. If your man acts like this, he may not be right for you.

10 – He’s a leader and a follower

We often consider a good man as someone who can lead, but a good man is one who can also follow. He is respectful at work of his boss, or team lead. He’s doesn’t need to be in control all the time. Also, he is willing to allow you to lead in areas where you have more experience or know-how. He is neither insecure nor afraid he’ll look “weak” if you lead in the relationship. Good men also know how to lead when needed in various situations which include

Knowing how to delegate
Respecting that others may be better at a job than they are
Motivating the right way, without guilting or threatening
Empathizing with others
Wanting others to succeed
Being humble, but don’t tell everyone they are
Wishing the best for everyone around them

11 – Owns his mistakes

A good man owns up to his mistakes. He listens to criticism without getting angry or blame-shifting. He admits he was wrong without drama or playing the victim. No one wants to be in a relationship with someone who wallows in self-pity. It’s selfish and proves they can’t handle criticism. A humble man that owns his mistakes is a good man. He’s humble enough to admit his weaknesses and desirous of change.

12 – He communicates

Studies show that couples who have effective communication have a more satisfying relationship. A good man not only communicates well, but he initiates contact with you. He doesn’t see it as your job to start a conversation. Also, he values your input.

And while may not agree with you on a topic, but he’s open to talking about it. He doesn’t insist that he’s right, or make you feel like your ideas are stupid. A good man will communicate with you because he cares for you.

13 – He takes the initiative in the relationship

A good man is an initiator. He initiates in

Home projects-he doesn’t wait for things in the house to fall apart before he gets them fixed
Finances-he’s saves and budgets
Communicating with you.
Planning activities as a family or couple
With the kids, he’s attentive to what they’re doing and how they’re doing.

14 – Faithful

A faithful man is a good man. He’s faithful by not gossiping about you behind your back or flirting with other women. He’s loyal enough to protect your reputation, your confidences, and your sexual relationship. His love isn’t divided, he’s attentive to you alone because you’re most important to him. A faithful man is a faithful man who you can trust with your life.

15 – Financially responsible

A good man knows how to keep his finances in order. He should understand or be learning about the essential elements of economics such as:

Credit score
Savings
Reasonable financial risk versus bad financial risk
Insurance
401K
Cash savings
Investing
Taxes

A good man won’t prey upon you for money, or ask to borrow money from you all the time. On the other hand, he doesn’t place too much emphasis on money. A good man is generous, not stingy. He won’t get angry if you spend money on something for yourself.

Finally, he’s balanced when it comes to money, seeing it as a means, not an end in itself. Lastly, a good man is willing to learn from you if you have more financial knowledge and experience than he does. This is a sign that he’s humble, and that’s good.

Final Thoughts on Finding a Good Man

If you have found love with these traits, hang on to him. He’s a definite keeper. Congratulations–you found a good man!

7 Beauty Products to Make at Home to Feel Young and Pretty

May 12, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Beauty products are sold in dozens of stores for a wide range of prices. Women around the world use cosmetics, whether they are top of the line, or the dime store brands. Foundations can cost as little as two-dollars or as much as $200. Women begin using makeup, some, as young girls playing dress-up with mom’s lipstick.

There are many items in the makeup aisle: scrubs, astringents, powders, facial creams, perfumes, scented cleansers, and unscented beauty aids. Here are a few in-home spa homemade solutions you might want to try.

Homemade items are made from natural materials, basic elements sitting in your kitchen cabinet. A person can use herbs grown on a window sill.

Materials to Use for Homemade Cosmetics:

Simple things serve as cosmetic products, coconut oil, coconut milk, cinnamon, rose petals, jojoba oil, sea salt, and lavender. Dozens of plants and flavors used each day are candidates for cosmetics.

7 Beauty Products You Can Make at Home (with ingredients you might already have on hand)

1 – Oatmeal Facial Mask:

Dead skin builds on every part of the body. A great way to remove dead skin naturally is to use oatmeal. It is natural, inexpensive, and found in most kitchen cabinets.

Simply mix it with water and lather it over your face, legs, or where ever you choose. It can get a bit messy, but once you see the results, you will find it worth the trouble. This substance will leave your skin smooth and soft.

Some are not born with naturally beautiful skin. This process takes nurturing. If you are using over the counter items, they can cost a lot of money. Beautiful skin is an everyday challenge, and using the right beauty aids makes a difference in the successful use of cosmetics.

Thankfully, there are natural ways to get the beauty supplies you need. One way to treat dry, rough skin caused by too much cold weather is with an old-fashioned oatmeal facial mask.

Oatmeal Facial Mask Recipe:

1/2 cup coconut oil
Two chamomile tea bags
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 cup oil of coconut

Combine Ingredients:

Whole oats need the assistance of a food processor or blender to mix. However, if you only have access to three-minute oats, you do not need the blender. The point is, get the oats as fine as possible for your mixture.

Once this is done, place the oats in a container, add the tea bags and oils. Make sure the oils are liquid. Do this by sitting the oil jars in warm water beforehand, then stir this all together.

Application:

Now you have a great facial mask or moisturizing body mask to add to your other beauty products. Use this mixture after you have cleaned your skin, so the effects of the oatmeal and oil moisturizers last longer. Use the massaging action of the fingertips or use a cloth.

Moisturizing is great for the skin; however, if your moisturizer cannot reach the true texture of the skin, moisturizing efforts are wasted. The oatmeal mask gently exfoliates and allows the oils to reach the surface of the skin. If you prefer a little aromatherapy, place a bit of chamomile in the mix.

2 – Homemade Tea Tree Oil and Sugar Scrub:

Your hands are constantly on display, so you always want them to look nice. If you are a mom constantly using your hands in detergents and suffering from dry skin, a tea tree oil and sugar scrub is a healing, soothing, smoother for rough hands. Note, it is also good for the face but with limited use once weekly.

Tea tree oil is a healing substance since it is anti-inflammatory, and it fights bacteria on the skin. This makes the self-care mixture of tea tree sugar scrub one of the essential beauty aids for any home self-care regimen.

Ingredients:

Sugar
Tea tree essential oil
Coconut oil

Combine Ingredients:

Prevent coconut oil from being too thick by placing it in warm water. Let it sit in a warm area, or give it a second or two in the microwave. Then mix it with one cup of sugar and tea tree oil. Use only 10 to 12 drops of this oil. Tea tree oil is very strong, so it is important to dilute it into a solution when using it in beauty products.

Learn why drinking orange juice could be the secret to glowing skin.

3 – Foot Scrub with Natural Essential Oils:

Weather is always hard on the body. However, some places on the body with less protection face harsher challenges, like the feet. They work constantly and take a lot of battering.

In summer, you want your feet to look soft and beautiful. This is possible if you use a good exfoliating cream. Good, over the counter brands, are expensive. However, you can make your own with a few natural ingredients.

Put together a mixture of sea salt, non-greasy argan oil, Shea butter, finely ground pumice, cocoa butter, walnut shell powder, and a touch of your favorite scent, and give your feet a relaxing treat. This particular mixture uses peppermint essential oil for a refreshing feeling. Mix this into a smooth cream, and apply it to tired feet and watch it work.

Ingredients:

2 ½ oz sea salt
4 oz. walnut shell powder
½ oz. cocoa butter
½ oz shea butter
¾ oz. argan oil
½ oz fine pumice stone
10 drops peppermint essential oil
¼ oz sweet almond oil
5 drops tea tree oil

Instructions:

Before you begin, make sure you have everything you need within reach: a dropper, and a kitchen scale. Tree tea oil has a built-in, dropper, but, some containers do not. So, if you use other oils, a dropper on hand will make the job easier.

Measure out the cocoa butter, shea, then mix in the argan and almond oils. The butter may be too solid to mix, so be sure to melt them a bit, mix coconut oil, tree oil, and sugar.

This is very much like making a cake. Measure out your ingredients then mix. However, unlike a cake, you start with the oils first, then blend in the powdered ingredients.

Combine all of this; let it solidify into a smooth cream. If it fails to gel together, mix again, and let cool. Place your foot scrub into a pretty container and add this to your spa materials.

4 – Face Powder:

The number one ingredient in face powder is cornstarch. When making beauty products, you want to consider the texture of your skin. Arrowroot blends with the skin, but if your skin is hairy, you might want cornstarch since it sticks better. Either way, you will get a natural blend.

Tinting Your Powder Mixture:

The tinting process depends on how you want your skin to look. If you prefer a tanned look or have a darker toned complexion and want to tint the powder to a darker hue, cocoa is preferred.

Beauty products are in ample supply in many kitchen pantries, cocoa, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Cinnamon offers homemade powder a reddish tint, while cocoa powder gives it a darker hue.

Many skin tones need both the reddish hue of cinnamon with a splash of cocoa. Nevertheless, the whole point of homemade powder is to match it up with your special complexion. Create pressed powder by adding drops of sweet almond or jojoba oils, then stir to the consistency you find suitable.

Ingredients:

Start with 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg or cocoa powder, add more as necessary
Five drops of essential oils:
Mature Skin – use Frankincense, Myrrh or Lavender
Oily Skin that’s prone to breakouts – Melrose blend, Rosemary, Tea Tree, or Geranium
2 tbsp of cornstarch or arrowroot powder
(Scents) Lavender, Gentle Baby blend, Joy blend or Rosemary
Vegetable Glycerin

5 – Rosemary/Lavender Shower Gel:

The easy mixture of castile soap helps to create a great smelling shampoo for the body. This mixture used as unscented or scented forms a base for rosemary/lavender shower gel. Smells are important to relaxation, and this beauty gel works on the hair as well as the body.

Things Required:

1/2 cup Dr. Bronner’s Magic Pure Castile, Lavender Liquid
1 tbsp (sweet) almond oil
1/4 cup water
Five drops rosemary/5 drops lavender essential oil
One wide container/your choice

Directions:

Rosemary shower gel is a natural astringent, assisting in the health of the skin. It moisturizes and removes excess oil. It tones skin giving it a refreshing look. Mix oil and soap and pour this gel into your choice of containers.

6 – Rosewater Toner:

When struggling with oily skin, buying beauty products becomes frustrating. Try rosewater skin toner. It is easy on the skin and chemical-free. This toner soothes, softens, and tightens your skin. This homemade remedy fits practically every skin type.

Before using the solution while doing your in-home spa regimen, cleanse, and dry the skin. It is a good idea to test a small section of the skin to make sure it does not irritate your particular skin type. You can buy roses in the stores, but if you have a neighbor with roses or if you grow roses, two roses are enough for a good source of rosewater toner.

Directions:

Two roses/ one compacted cup of rose petals
2 cups/ boiling water
One strainer
One sterilized glass jar

Instructions:

Place rose petals inside a pan. Pour hot water over petals, cover, and let cool. Rinse rose petals and place them in a small pan. Pour boiling water over petals and let them sit. Let cool. Use a strainer to remove petals from the liquid.

Place the liquid into your sterilized jar if you choose to use a small container for bathroom use. Place the rest of the rose toner in the fridge, but label it. The solution lasts about a week.

Read how adding rosewater to your beauty routine can lower your stress levels.

7 – Vodka Fragrance:

The stores are filled with great fragrances. However, they can put a real dent in your budget. So, try making a special fragrance at home with the oils you love most. Take your pick of essential oils, lavender, lemon, eucalyptus, and many others. Mixtures last for about a month.

Note: Essential oils are not recommended for pregnant women.

Supplies:

2 cups water/distilled
Three essential oils/5 lemon/10 orange/10 eucalyptus (your choice of oils)
Glycerin /5 drops
3 tbsp vodka
Large glass bottle/fitted lid
Dropper/baster
funnel
Container

Instructions:

Choose your oils then utilize the above measurements. Add distilled water to a large container (glass). Add vodka then mix with glycerin. The add oils. Mix thoroughly. Then put in a dark area for about 12 hours then shake the mixture before placing it into perfume containers.

Final Thoughts on Making Homemade Beauty Products to Feel Young and Pretty

The adventure of making homemade beauty products that work may take a little more effort for most. However, this process is not as distressing as you might think. People are treating their skin better with natural beauty products every day. However, pregnant women should consult with a doctor before using essential oils.

Well, now you’re older, but that does not mean you don’t want to feel young and pretty. Also, with age comes wisdom, and you have found over the counter makeup can get expensive. After spending a fortune on retail in-home spa self-care, maybe you have decided to make your own. Now, reap the benefits and enjoy it!

12 Signs of a Gifted Child to Never Overlook

May 12, 2020 by Power of Positivity

A gifted child, by definition, has a higher level of intelligence and is advanced academically. They are often creative, artistic, and possess leadership skills. If you think your child is gifted, it’s essential to know how to help your child best.

Gifted kids act differently than other kids. But researchers suggest that parents and educators must view a child’s giftedness as their potential for growth rather than something they’ve already achieved. This information will help a child be motivated to learn and grow in their talents.

Gifted kids versus bright kids

People often confuse the terms bright and gifted. They have two different meanings. Bright children and gifted children are both smart. However, here are some fundamental differences between these two descriptions.

Bright kids	Gifted kids
Like to work hard and do well in school.	Don’t need to work hard to do well in school.
Like to get the right answer to earn approval	Ask more questions, are curious, not looking or approval
Learn progressively, line upon line	Learn with some gaps, high in one area but low in another
Social development is correct for their age	Usually like to be adults or older kids more than their peers, may not respond correctly to social cues
Can handle scary movies or books for their age	Tend to be fearful, ask lots of questions, get scared easily
Like being at school	They’d rather learn by themselves
Can finish their work then do something else like read or draw	Very detailed, overly specific and interested in one minute point

Here are twelve signs of a gifted child you should never overlook:

1 – Talk like a professor

Gifted kids’ language skills develop early. If you have a child who is gifted, he or she will have a large vocabulary for a child their age.

They’ll speak in more complex sentences and sound like a little professor when they talk to you. It’s easy to assume that a gifted child’s maturity level matches their language, but their minds get ahead of their physical and emotional growth.

They’re still a child with developing emotional needs. Don be intimidated or awed by your child’s intellect. Seek to provide them with a stable home environment where they can grow physically, emotionally, and intellectually.

2 – Read constantly

Gifted kids are voracious readers. They need to be told to stop reading at meals or bedtime. They read through their age level books so quickly. It can be quite challenging for parents and educators to find age-appropriate but exciting books for them.

A gifted child can quickly end up reading a fifth or sixth-grade book in kindergarten or first grade. The classic literature books are great reads for gifted kids.

3 – They’d rather hang out with adults

School can be challenging for these kids because they prefer adult conversations to talk with their peers. They find their peers’ non-intellectually stimulating. Adults tend to know more and have more experiences that gifted kids want to learn about.

It’s challenging for parents and educators to help them learn how to relate to their peers while allowing them time with adults for higher levels of conversation.

4 – Creative thinkers

Gifted kids are often creative and original thinkers.

Studies show there’s a connection between intelligence and creativity, but how they function together isn’t understood. They are inventive and often think outside the box when they play or do school work. Their creative energy can be hard to keep up with as a parent or teacher.

They may be obsessed with one particular type of creativity, like construction bricks, building elaborate structures that kids typically do not create. Wise parents will provide them books, materials, and the freedom to allow this outlet.

5 – Seem mature

Gifted kids like all kids develop physically, emotionally, and physically over some time. It’s easy to assume because a gifted child talks like an adult, they are adults. But gifted kids aren’t little adults.

They are still growing and maturing, sometimes at different rates in each area. They may be tiny for their age or very immature but seem older in the way they speak. It’s easy to put higher standards on how they should act because they’re gifted. Parents and educators must give a gifted child room to grow up and be a kid, even if they need intellectual stimulation.

6 – They are natural-born leaders

Gifted kids show leadership. They like to take charge because they’re full of ideas. They’re often intensely focused on their ideas. Other kids who want to follow will attach themselves to these kids because they like the excitement of being with the gifted kids. They get easily frustrated with themselves and others if people aren’t doing what they were asked to do.

7 – They might have a hard time socially

Researchers found that kids who have an IQ of 130 or more are more apt to have socio-emotional problems. These kids often have adjustment problems and behavior problems. Gifted kids prefer to hang out with adults. They may find it hard to play with their peers. They may be immature around kids. Gifted kids may want to take over the playtime with their creative ideas, making other kids feel like they’re being bossy.

8 – Precocious

Studies show that a child’s precociousness is a good indication they’re gifted. This precocious growth may be in intellect, music, understanding how things are related to the space around them, the ability to understand information physically through their hand and body movements. Precocious kids are typically advanced intellectually.

9 – Get bored at school

Studies show that schools often misunderstand the needs of gifted kids, making them sit through regular class instruction when they already know the information. The school may feel that a gifted child needs to learn to sit in a class with other kids so they’ll grow socially.

Although gifted kids do need to develop social skills, sitting through a slow-paced lesson isn’t the way to achieve this goal. A gifted child will often say that school is too easy for them, and this is misunderstood by an educator. Sadly, gifted children are often treated with irritation and alienation for being bored and unmotivated when their lessons are too easy.

10 – Like to talk

Some gifted kids are early talkers, while others don’t talk until they’re three or four. Whatever age they begin to speak, once they start talking, they don’t stop. Gifted kids have an incredible curiosity about things-how they work, why they work that way, and where they came from. If you have a gifted child, they will question you about everything, and you may find that you don’t the answers to their questions. That’s okay because you can teach them how to find the information they want to know in books, dictionaries, or appropriate online sites.

11 – Need little sleep

Gifted kids often have little sleep or time to reboot. This can be difficult for parents who try to get them to sleep longer. Typically gifted toddlers don’t nap as long as their peers and give up their naps earlier than other kids.

Parents will also note that their kids function well on less sleep. But some of their lack of sleep is that they can’t turn off their busy mind. They are thinking, questioning, and wondering all the time, so this interrupts their sleeping ability.

12 – A more advanced sense of humor

Gifted kids can crack jokes that even adults think are funny. They have a quick ability to see the funny side of things. This humor can sometimes be disarming to adults that a child is so quick to create a pun or an unusual side of something. They have a sense of humor above their peers who may be more literal and don’t understand abstract thinking as early.

Meet some famous gifted kids from history

Albert Einstein: His teachers found him dull. He got kicked out of primary school because he couldn’t read fast enough.
Mozart: He started playing the harpsichord at three years old and composed his first musical piece at age 5.
Pablo Picasso: The first word he said was “pencil.” He painted his first famous oil painting at age nine years old.
Blaise Pascal: He taught himself mathematic terms since his father refused to teach him these skills. Then at 12, he discovered on his own all the geometric proof of Euclid without a textbook.
Clara Schumann: She didn’t talk until she was four years old. At the age of 7, she knew how to play the piano like a master. She started composing at ten years of age.
Stevie Wonder: He was born blind to an impoverished family. He began singing and playing the organ and piano as a child. At 12 years of age, he recorded his first songs and performed them on stage.
Marie Curie: As a gifted child, Marie Curie had a fantastic memory and incredible frankness even as a child. Once at the age of 4, she told one of her parents. Remember that time when I was three months old, and you put my diaper on backwards, idiot?

Final Thoughts: Nurture the Emerging Abilities of Your Gifted Child

Parenting a gifted child can be both a blessing and a unique challenge. You might find that your child outpaces his or her siblings and that their homework is over your head! Do all you can to continue to foster an environment that will allow your child to flourish and for these innate abilities to emerge.

Science Explains What Happens to Your Body When You Don’t Exercise

May 12, 2020 by Power of Positivity

It’s no secret that exercise can be tough, especially if you aren’t used to it. Finding the motivation to get started can be even tougher. Despite how hard it is, we still must do it. It’s essential to human life to get up and move.

The consequences are dire if you don’t get adequate physical activity. At first, you may not notice what’s happening to your body. Eventually, it will become visible. Mirrors don’t lie. When it becomes apparent, that means some damage may already have been done.

So what exactly does lack of physical activity do to your body? Scientists explain in detail what happens to your body when you don’t get enough physical activity. Keep reading to find out more.

Mental & Emotional Consequences

While the activity of exercising is physical, it can have severe mental and emotional consequences. The good news is that it’s easier to get rid of mental and emotional outcomes than it is to get rid of physical effects (discussed further along in the article). Simply beginning an exercise regimen, no matter how small, can alleviate many of these consequences listed below.

Lack of Motivation

You may think that you need the motivation to start exercising, but in truth, a lack of it leads to a lack of motivation. You begin letting yourself go, and before you know it, you can get into a sense of feeling as if you don’t “deserve” to do better or to be motivated.

Kathy Smith, famous in the 1980s for her aerobics videos and fitness classes, said in an interview with BeliefNet, “It rescued me from a path that could have been partying and playing and low self-esteem and just not taking care of myself and getting into the wrong crowd…and I would say that this was my salvation. It rescued me from an unhealthy lifestyle.”

Adequate physical activity leads to motivation for other areas in your life.

Depression & Anxiety

Lack of physical activity doesn’t directly cause depression and anxiety. However, it is a solution to depression and anxiety, so without adequate physical activity, you could be setting yourself up to sink into mental despair. This is true even if you don’t already suffer from depression and anxiety. Lack of exercise can be an introduction to these psychological problems.

The effects of this are even more significant if you’ve had an adequate amount of physical activity in the past, but you stopped it. Studies support the theory that stopping exercise can lead to an increase in depression.

Decreased Cognitive Functioning

Lack of physical activity can lead to a decline in cognitive functioning over time. This decline can manifest in mental diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia later in life. Many people never think about how a lack of exercise can affect their minds because, on average, the effects don’t become evident until they’re in their 60s or later. While this correlation has been scientifically proven, the odds can easily be reduced by increasing regular physical activity earlier in life.

Research proves that a lack of exercise is more harmful than smoking cigarettes.

Physical Consequences

The physical consequences of a lack of adequate physical activity are what gets noticed most often and, consequently, what would prompt someone to increase their physical activity. Like many of the mental consequences, physical consequences can be stopped in their tracks. Here are three of the most common.

Uncontrollable Food Cravings

The link between lack of physical activity and uncontrollable food cravings may not be visible, but they are scientifically proven. There are two parts to this.

The first part is that increasing physical activity will cause a person to crave more food (energy) to replace the lost energy. This type of food craving isn’t wrong – these are sustaining food cravings because you’re burning so many calories. However, you must make healthy food choices. Otherwise, your increase in physical activity will be for nothing.

There is evidence that exercising right before a meal can decrease the amount of food that a person would want in one sitting. This data indicates that while an increase in physical activity will make you hungrier more often, you won’t eat as much in one sitting. Overall, increased physical activity leads to fewer food cravings.

Conversely, lack of physical activity leads to uncontrollable food cravings, especially for unhealthy foods. This desire is because as you gain weight, your body begins to crave more and more food to satisfy your caloric requirements. If you’re eating the wrong foods, it’s worse. Foods like sugary carbohydrates can be addictive, making you want more and more.

The point of both of these scenarios is that scientists and medical experts agree that adequate physical activity can reduce bad food cravings.

The Most Obvious Consequence: Weight Gain

Weight gain is the number one consequence of not getting enough physical activity. The reason for this is that it throws off the balance of calories in/calories out.

It’s a simple formula. If you eat the same amount of calories you burn, there is no weight gain or no weight loss. If you take in more calories than you lose, weight gain will occur. A lack of physical activity means that you’ll likely take in more calories than you burn.

Once counter to this is to eat lower calorie foods. For most people, this will slow your weight gain, but without proper physical activity, the weight gain will still slowly eventually creep in. There simply is no substitution for adequate physical activity.

Weight gain is a problem – but the biggest issue is that it leads to more dangerous health problems. There have been plenty of medical studies, and scientific evidence published that outlines these problems.

Weight Watchers: Learn the Pros and Cons of this Diet Phenomenon

Health Consequences: Diseases and Conditions

Whether you gain weight or not due to lack of exercise, scientists have found evidence that there is a high risk of health problems without regular physical activity. As these health problems occur, they can get worse as you continue to live without daily physical activity.

Heart Disease

Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, is one of the major killers among health conditions. An increase in fat cells, especially around the waist (known as visceral fat), makes heart disease much worse. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), one person dies from cardiovascular disease in the United States every 37 seconds. It’s a very alarming mortality rate and unfortunate since it can be prevented with regular physical activity, often.

Common types of cardiovascular disease that can occur from lack of physical exercise include:

Coronary Artery Disease (most common and most deadly)
Heart Attack
High Blood Pressure
Stroke
Congestive Heart Failure

According to Chiadi Ndumele M.D., M.H.S., the Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, “In everyday terms our findings suggest that consistently participating in the recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each week, such as brisk walking or biking, in middle age may be enough to reduce your heart failure risk by 31 percent.” This is a small amount of physical activity to incorporate into your life to keep those fat cells at bay and prevent shortening your life span.

Joint & Bone Problems

Physical activity contributes to the health of joints and bones more than you realize. It encourages the production and distribution of synovial fluid. The synovial membrane which surrounds your joints produces this substance. Think of this fluid as a lubricant for your joints, keeping them from rubbing together, causing joint pain, and degrading over time.

Physical activity increases blood flow, which gets distributed to your joints better when you’re active. Autophagy is a condition triggered when you do regular physical activity. This is a process that essentially removes damaged cells in the joints so that new cells can be generated. It also helps to prevent joint pain.

Without these processes, including others that aren’t mentioned here, your joint and bone health can decline over time. You can begin to suffer from problems like arthritis and osteoporosis. Physical activity keeps you from having to worry about these inconveniences.

Muscle Atrophy

Muscle atrophy is a condition where your muscles waste away due to lack of activity. This commonly happens when people have injuries, are paralyzed, or have other problems that prevent movement of certain body parts. However, a lighter version of this condition – weakened muscles – can occur if you don’t do physical activity regularly.

You can see weakened muscles easily – people who work out are strong. People who don’t are weak. However, over time, it can become more serious than just not being able to bench press a lot of weight. It’s a situation of “use it or lose it.”

Final Thoughts on the Importance of Prioritizing Exercise

All it takes is a look at all the scientific research and evidence to see why physical activity needs to be a regular part of your life. This doesn’t mean everyday activities like chores or walking around your office. It needs to be at least 150 minutes of vigorous activity each week. No matter how uncomfortable physical activity is, it’s a small inconvenience to prevent stroke, heart attack, depression, or any of the other problems that could happen.

Research Reveals Why Your Brain Doesn’t Want You to Exercise

May 12, 2020 by Power of Positivity

The struggle to exercise is real, and new research shows that it could be the fault of your brain. This may come as good news to some. It means you now have a legitimate reason for your previous lack of physical activity.

You can’t let your mind keep holding you back, however. The American Heart Association says that you’re supposed to get at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week. This would only be 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week.

Although the recommended amount of physical activity isn’t too time-consuming, many people still don’t reach the goal. The reason behind it is stunning, as scientists have proven it has to do with your mind.

Know the signs that it’s time to get yourself in shape.

Why Your Brain Doesn’t Want You to Exercise

This scientific conclusion was determined by a researcher named Matthieu Boisgontier, Ph.D., from the University of British Columbia. In the journal titled Neuropsychologia, he explained why your mind doesn’t want you to exercise.

He monitored the brain activity of 29 people as they looked at images of physical activity or inactivity. Additionally, he also observed them move avatars on a screen toward the same images.

The participants of this study had to move their avatars as quickly as possible from one image to another. When they were directed to move their avatar away from the active photos and toward the inactive photos, then, they were directed to do the opposite.

Boisgontier discovered that the participants used more mental activity to move away from the images that showed inactivity. This was further confirmed when they were able to move more quickly toward the images that showed physical activity.

Basically, the research showed that your mind is naturally inclined to avoid physical activity.

Why Exercise Is Essential

You know that physical activity is good for you, but it’s important to know why. Without the facts, it’ll be even harder to get yourself motivated.

1 – It Helps You Reach a Healthy Weight and Feel Better Overall

Most people know that exercise can help you reach a healthy weight, so it’ll make you look and feel better. Along with that, your confidence and self-esteem will improve.

By reaching a healthy weight, you’ll notice that you don’t feel winded when walking through a store. Household chores will become easier, too, as you can move more quickly and for longer periods.

2 – Physical Activity Boosts Your Mood, Aids in Depression, and Helps You Sleep

Physical activity can also boost your mood. If you’re had a rough day, physical activity of any kind will help clear your mind. Not only that, but it’ll release chemicals that make you feel relaxed and happier.

You may also notice a decrease in depression and anxiety. Regular physical activity can help you sleep better at night, too, which can further improve your mood, concentration, and productivity.

Science explains what happens to your brain when you panic

3 – It Helps Prevent Chronic Illness

Regular physical activity can also help prevent chronic illness, such as heart disease and osteoporosis. It aids in regulating your cholesterol levels and triglycerides. With the two of these regulations, your blood will flow more regularly, and any plaque buildup in your arteries will be reduced.

Other health problems that regular physical activity can help prevent include cancer and type II diabetes. It’s also helpful when it comes to delivering oxygen and vital nutrients throughout your body. This will help your cardiovascular system and give you more energy each day.

Now that you know why physical activity is so important, you have to figure out how to do it. As the research mentioned before shows, it is natural to want to avoid physical activity. There are ways around that urge, however.

What You Can Do to Make Your Brain Want You to Exercise

Even though we are hard-wired to be lazy and avoid exercise, you can still train your mind to enjoy it. The trick is to make the physical activity fun. You can do this by finding a few types of activity that makes your heart race and that you enjoy.

Once you find the activities you enjoy and make your heart race, do them regularly. You’ll want to switch it up sometimes, so you don’t get bored or burnt out. By rotating through a few activities, you’ll keep your mind engaged and interested.

If you like to walk, make sure to set aside time to walk each day. You can switch up the location, but a brisk walk around your neighborhood is possible daily.

Another idea is to pair walking with another activity such as golf or hiking basic trails. This will give your body other types of movement along with the walking that you enjoy.

On days you didn’t find time or motivation to get physical activity, you can easily make up for it. While watching your favorite show or listening to a podcast, do jumping jacks or jog in place.

Another idea is to take a walk during your lunch break at work or take stairs instead of the elevator. At the grocery store, park toward the back of the parking lot and walk quickly to the store. Making many small choices like this during the day will add up to quite a bit of physical activity.

To do any of this, you have to work hard and be determined. Remember, your mind doesn’t want you to exercise, so every excuse not to will pop into your head.

Resist against those excuses and get moving, and before you know it, the excuses won’t come to mind as often.

Working out with your partner can help you get on track.

The Excuses You May Come Up with and How to Get Past Them

1 – Not Enough Time

Life is busy with jobs, friends, family, home life, appointments, leisure, and anything else that takes up your time. It can be easy to eliminate physical activity since it’s the thing your mind doesn’t want you to do anyway. This can easily be overcome, however.

You only need 30 minutes of physical activity each day, so think of ways to work in a few minutes every hour. As mentioned before, you can choose to take the stairs or park in the back of a parking lot. You can also do easy exercises while you wait for the water to boil in the kitchen.

Another easy way to make time for physical activity is by working harder on household chores. Move quickly and effectively so that your heart rate goes up. One other way to make time is by finding leisurely activities you enjoy that get your heart beating faster.

2 – You Don’t Enjoy It

If you’re getting bored while exercising, then you’re not doing the right activity. Everyone is different, so you have to find which type of physical activity you enjoy.

Some of the different physical activities you could try include:
-Running
-Walking
-Yoga
-Pilates
-CrossFit
-Dancing
-Kickboxing
-Hiking
-Tennis
-Biking

3 – Nowhere to Work Out

This excuse is the easiest to get past. You can get physical activity anywhere you are, whether you’re at work, home, or the park. If you’re at work, you can use your breaks to go for brisk walks.

Highly effective exercises you can do at home include squats, jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, and many others. You can also find exercise videos online for free. There are many videos for all types of physical activity, including yoga, dancing, and many others.

At the park, you can do many different types of physical activity. You can walk, run, ride a bike, or do yoga. If you have kids, you can even count chasing them at the park as your physical activity.

4 – Your Children Get in the Way

A common excuse to avoid physical activity is that kids get in the way. You can overcome that by having your kids join you instead of giving up. Kids can do many activities that adults can do, and it’s never too early to begin teaching them new things.

Have them join you as you do yoga, go for a walk or run, or even as you’re doing squats or push-ups. They’ll love the time spent with you, and they’ll be learning something new while exercising at the same time. It’s beneficial to both of you no matter which way you look at it.

Read about how skipping out on exercise is more harmful to your body than smoking cigarettes.

Final Thoughts on Researchers Reveal Why Your Brain Doesn’t Want You to Exercise

It may be comforting to know that you’re not the only person that struggles to exercise regularly. Since your brain is wired to avoid physical activity, you’re naturally inclined to follow that urge. It’s important to fight against it, however, as physical activity is essential to a healthy life.

To train your brain to enjoy physical activity, you must find activities that you truly enjoy. There are many types of physical activity to choose from, so don’t give up if the one you try is boring.

Fight past any of the excuses that you tell yourself, and fight against the urges of your mind. It’s time to stop avoiding physical activity and learn to enjoy it.

Doctors Reveal 10 Early Signs of COPD

May 12, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, is an umbrella term used to describe respiratory conditions that block the airway and impair breathing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that COPD affects the lives of over 15 million people in America. Further, it claims the lives of more than 140,000 of those patients every year. Also, they predict that the healthcare cost associated with treating COPD may reach $49 billion in America by the end of 2020.

Who Is Most at Risk of Developing COPD?

Individuals who smoke are at high risk of developing COPD, especially long-term smokers. And the disease can significantly lower their life expectancy.

To substantiate this claim, we only need to take a look at a study published by the National Institutes of Health. This agency is part of the U.S. government responsible for biomedical and public health research. The study broke down the life expectancy of current smokers with COPD based on the severity of the disease. Then they classified them as stages one through four.

The results of the study indicate the following stages, as follows:

1 – Life expectancy declines by 0.3 years
2 – Life expectancy declines by 2.2 years
3 and 4 – Life expectancy declines by 5.8 years

Can Non-Smokers Develop Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases?

According to the American Thoracic Society, a nonprofit committed to improving care for those with pulmonary diseases and other critical illnesses, even non-smokers are at risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. And in many cases, it is the result of exposure to air pollutants. In fact, some studies have linked inhaling dust or fumes used in homes for heating or cooking to the development of COPD-related respiratory diseases in non-smokers.

Chemicals and fumes found in some work environments also contributed to COPD-related respiratory diseases among non-smokers, according to the same studies.

That said, the probability of developing a COPD-related respiratory disease that leads to impaired breathing remains the highest among those who smoke cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products. The same is true for those who routinely inhale secondhand tobacco smoke.

Additional Risk Factors for COPD-Related Respiratory Diseases Among Non-Smokers

Along with air pollutants in the home or workplace and secondhand tobacco smoke, risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases can also include

Age

Several studies have revealed that age plays a role when it comes to the development of COPD-related respiratory diseases as they are more common among individuals age 40 and over. It is also worth noting that gender is yet another factor. According to the Lung Health Institute, women are 37 percent more likely to struggle with impaired breathing caused by COPD than men.

Genetics

In addition to age and gender, genetics can also play a role in whether or not an individual will develop a COPD-related respiratory disease. According to the National Institutes of Health, 5 percent of individuals with COPD have what is known as an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. For those who are not familiar with alpha-1 antitrypsin, it is a protein that belongs to the serpin superfamily. Individuals who are genetically predisposed to having too little of this protein are more susceptible to lung damage, which can increase their chances of developing a COPD-related respiratory disease. It is important to note that an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency can also adversely affect liver function.

Maternal smoking during pregnancy

According to a study published by Sage Journals, a leading peer-reviewed open-access journal, women who smoke during their pregnancy are at an increased risk of giving birth to a baby with underdeveloped lungs. When this happens, the chances of the baby developing a COPD-related respiratory disease as they get older increases considerably.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases and Impaired Breathing

Now that we have a broader understanding of the risk factors when it comes to chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and the toll that they can take on one’s health, let’s take a moment to go over some of the more common forms of these respiratory diseases:

Chronic bronchitis

This particular chronic obstructive pulmonary disease occurs when the bronchi, the breathing passages in the lungs, become inflamed and remain that way long-term. More often than not, those with chronic bronchitis will experience a noticeable uptick in mucus production that makes it difficult to breathe. And this increase in mucus is typically accompanied by respiratory infections and a chronic cough.

Pulmonary emphysema

Also commonly referred to as emphysema, pulmonary emphysema is an even more severe form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pulmonary emphysema is a condition whereby the alveoli, the air sacs in the lungs, is damaged extensively, often to the point where they become narrowed, stretched, or over-inflated. In most cases, damage to the alveoli leads eventually leads to permanent holes forming in the lung tissue. When this happens, it can lead to persistent breathlessness.

Asthma

Although often seen as a separate respiratory illness, asthma also falls under the umbrella of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases as it can significantly impact lung function. For those who may not be as familiar with asthma, it is a condition that causes swelling and inflammation that affects the lining of the airway.

Further, individuals with asthma will typically experience an uptick in mucus production. That increase invariably leads to the development of mucus plugs in the lungs. Not surprisingly, the swelling, inflammation, and mucus plugs associated with asthma can make breathing extremely difficult.

10 Early Signs of COPD

Here are a few noteworthy facts about COPD before we look at the signs.

Symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases among smokers and non-smokers are generally the same. However, smokers have more comorbidities as a result of their struggles with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases than non-smokers.

According to a study published in the Journal of the COPD Foundation, some of the more common comorbidities associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases include

Cardiovascular disease
Osteoporosis
Diabetes

The severity of the symptoms associated with COPD can vary depending on the stage and the type of disease developed. That being said, ten early signs of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease often include the following:

1. Chronic Coughing

An occasional cough is typical. But persistent coughing is often one of the tell-tale signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In short, coughing is the body’s way of expelling harmful contaminants, such as tobacco smoke and fumes, from the lungs.

2. Shortness of Breath

When it comes to COPD-related respiratory diseases, feeling out of breath and fatigued is not uncommon. And this has a lot to do with the respiratory system working harder than usual to combat the inflammation, build-up of mucus, and damage to lung tissue caused by the diseases.

3. Excessive Mucus

Excess mucus production goes hand in hand with most chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. In short, the body produces more mucus to minimize the damaging effects of irritants in the respiratory system.

4. Yellow Sputum

When you have either the common cold or the flu, it is not unusual to produce yellow sputum, a mix of saliva and mucus that one coughs up from their respiratory tract. However, in the absence of the flu or common cold, yellow sputum is an early sign of COPD.

5. Frequent Headaches

Individuals with a COPD-related respiratory disease seldom get enough oxygen flowing into their lungs while they are sleeping. That lack of air leads to more carbon dioxide in their blood. As a result, when they wake up in the morning, they often experience severe headaches, dizziness, and lightheadedness.

6. Swollen Ankles

Another early sign of a COPD-related respiratory disease would be swollen ankles. The same is true when it comes to feet and legs as well. In most cases, the swelling of these body parts is caused by lung damage, which reduces the flow of oxygen to blood vessels.

7. Difficulty Sleeping

In addition to chronic coughing and breathing problems, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases can trigger sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease, all of which can stand in the way of getting a good night’s sleep.

8. Unexplained Weight Loss

A study published by the Lung Health Institute noted that between 40 to 70 percent of individuals with COPD experience unplanned weight loss. Researchers and scientists involved in the survey attributed the weight loss to the lungs harder for the patients to breathe. In the process, however, they burn more calories, which leads to losing weight unintentionally.

9. Chronic Fatigue

According to Dr. Fernando Martinez, a pulmonologist with Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, most people who have a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will experience chronic fatigue. And in many cases, fatigue will be coupled with breathlessness, which can make performing even basic tasks extremely difficult.

10. Frequent Respiratory Infections

Frequent respiratory infections are quite common among individuals who have a COPD-related respiratory disease. These infections generally involve the lower respiratory tract and can range from acute to chronic.

Final Thoughts on Living with COPD

In summary, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases stem from either smoking or exposure to dangerous fumes in the home or workplace. Regardless, it can take a tremendous toll on one’s health and overall quality of life.

Fortunately, before these diseases reach an advanced stage, the body will signal that something is wrong. If you’re experiencing any of these COPD symptoms, you visit your physician as soon as possible.

Psychologists Reveal How to Form Healthy Habits (That Will Actually Last)

May 12, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Do you consider yourself a creature of habit? Everyone has patterns that are good or bad for them. How do you kick bad ones and build new healthy habits?

The old saying that you can’t teach an old dog a new trick is false. While it may take time and patience, you can retrain your brain and change your routines. Opting for a healthier lifestyle may add years to your life.

How can you create healthy routines and apply them to your daily regimens? Are you willing to admit you need to make changes and will work diligently to do it? If so, you have made the first crucial step.

Whether you want to change your diet, exercise more, or learn how to meditate, the process is the same. Only, having the desire isn’t enough. You must put action behind your thoughts to achieve your goals.

Nobody said it would be easy to retrain your brain. However, you can use the same tenacity you used to form bad habits to change them into good ones. Here are some suggestions that psychologists reveal for creating new healthy habits that will last.

It Starts in Your Head

If a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step, your first one would be to identify your goal. Before you can develop a healthy routine, you must define it in your mind. Once you can visualize the habit, you can establish steps to incorporate it into your daily regimens.

Take time to think about creating new habits and how they will benefit you. Do you want to lose weight and feel healthier? Visualize the scales registering smaller numbers and see yourself in that lovely designer dress you’ve longed to wear.

Use the law of attraction to make the changes you desire. Proclaim to your Higher Source that you are exercising more, or you are eating healthier, or you are concentrating on personal relationships. These powerful declarations will do more for developing wholesome routines than just wishfully thinking.

Look at the Big Picture

If a habit can’t be sustainable in the long run, then it’s not worth your time. You may wake up one morning and vow that you are going to run five miles every day, rain, or shine. While it may be an admirable goal that’s good for your health, it isn’t a reasonable goal, and you may quickly become discouraged.

Let’s take that goal and rework it into a manageable plan that would create a healthy habit. For example, decide that you will run at least a mile a day. As you run daily, your body becomes accustomed, and running becomes automatic.

What if the weather is terrible or something unexpected comes up that needs your attention? Give yourself some slack and continue your running regimen the next day. Flexibility and sustainability help you build healthy regimens that will stick.

How many times have you looked in the mirror on a Monday morning and swore that you were going to lose fifty pounds as soon as possible? You decided to try one of the fad diets you saw on a late-night infomercial.

The plan promises that you will drop weight effortlessly in no time, and all you must do is replace your meals with expensive frozen dinners. In the long run, can such unrealistic expectations turn into a healthy routine? It may work for a while, but it won’t last. All you will end up losing is a ton of money, and your determination to form better eating habits.

Set Yourself Up to Win

How many times have you resolved to trade a poor routine into a healthy regimen, just to sabotage yourself? You may not even know that you’re doing it. If you want to retrain your brain to lead a beneficial lifestyle, you must set the scene for victory.

Is one of your goals to make better nutritional choices? It won’t do you much good if you want to eat healthier, but the fridge remains loaded with junk food. You won’t successfully build good habits if you don’t nix the things that cause you to stumble.

For any plan to succeed, you need a Plan B. Make safety nets in advance in case you veer from your course a bit. As you see the benefits of your new habits, you will be likely to internalize them permanently.

Do you want to spend more time outdoors getting fresh air? Find parks or hiking trails that are close to where you live or work. Give yourself the tools to succeed, and your health goals will become a habit.

Perhaps you want to cultivate better habits of conversation and listening skills. It can only become a good routine if you practice as often as possible. Practice listening and genuinely thinking about what the other person is saying, and the pattern will become second nature.

For your new healthy routines to stick, you often must tweak your schedule. For example, you may be learning new eating habits, and sweets are your downfall. If you know that your boss brings donuts to the break room each morning at 9 am, you might consider moving your break time up so the temptation won’t be so great.

Be Patient with Yourself

You’ve probably read skewed statistics that said all you need is twenty-one days to turn a behavior into a habit. We are individuals with countless variables, so everyone’s journey for building healthy habits is different. It may take you a couple of weeks, a few months, or a year or more to create the regimen you want.

The key to successful brain retraining is time and patience. If you falter one day, start fresh the next one. You didn’t create a bad habit overnight, so turning it into a good one won’t be instantaneous either.

So, you caved in and had that dish of chocolate ice-cream you craved. It’s not the end of the world. You can still have the occasional slipup without abandoning your new eating habits.

Keep focused on your goals, and don’t be discouraged. Soon, your healthy habit will be so ingrained that you won’t need to think about it. Being kinder to yourself is a habit worth cultivating.

Have an Accountability Partner

While you are ultimately responsible for creating your habits, having a cheering squad helps. Studies show that people who are trying to improve their eating habits and lose weight do better when they partner with a friend or loved one. Real accountability and competition can change the healthy behavior into practice.

If you can’t meet face-to-face, give your person a call or send an email. Maybe your partner has been where you are and can serve as a supportive mentor. Forming good habits is even more of an occasion to celebrate when you share success.

Use the Reward System

Unless a person is selfless, everyone is more motivated with an incentive. Have you ever seen the proverbial carrot on the stick that the donkey chases? With each small success of turning behaviors into healthy habits, make it a cause for celebration.

You needn’t be extravagant with your reward system. Have you kept up with your morning yoga classes? Why not treat yourself to some new yoga pants or an individualized course? Just a little reward may be the thing to keep you motivated and on track.

Have you kicked the smoking habit and exchanged it for a healthy walking ritual? Take some of the cash you saved from not buying cigarettes and treat yourself to a new outfit or a dinner date with your mate. When your brain perceives a reward, it’s more likely to continue the action habitually.

Final Thoughts on Reaping the Benefits of Your New Healthy Habits

For a behavior to become a healthy habit, you must see how it benefits you. Even though you know, you will fight cravings and occasionally cheat while modifying your diet; however, being lean and healthy is worth it to you. If you don’t perceive any benefits, then you aren’t likely to form the habit.

As you break your goals down into smaller increments, chart your progress in a place where you can see it daily. Watch how your developing habit of drinking water instead of sugary soda is showing on the scales. You may also notice that your new habit of exercising more is paying off as you watch your running chart mileage increase.

How have you felt since you decided that you wanted to meditate a few minutes each day? Are your anxiety levels decreasing, and do you find yourself living more in the present? You have successfully created a healthy habit.

Another tool that will help you realize beneficial habits is journaling. Track your progress, thoughts, and shortcomings in a notebook or on the computer. Every few days, reflect on your journal entries to see what things are supporting your new habits and those that are a hindrance.

You are the boss of creating healthy habits. It’s possible to turn positive behaviors into healthy habits with time and patience. When you get into the habit of caring for yourself, your body will thank you with joy and longevity.

Dermatologists Reveal 5 Signs of Stressed Skin (And How to Heal It)

May 11, 2020 by Power of Positivity

Any dermatologist will tell you that stressed skin has an undeniable way of showing itself. You may notice things such as dry skin, itchy skin, dull skin, or even rough skin. Even worse, you can start to develop skin conditions and diseases that make your skin look even worse.

Skin is the largest group of cells that make up the human body, so it’s no surprise that stress can have such a substantial effect on it. There are plenty of great skincare routines on the market. But stressed skin that manifests in the form of skin conditions or diseases might require the intervention of your dermatologist.

5 Most Likely Causes of Stressed Skin

1. Bumps, Boils, or Acne

Bumps or boils can occur for many reasons on the body. Usually, it’s an indicator that there is some contaminant that your body is trying to push out. Stress triggers an increase in chemicals and hormone production in the body. These bumps and boils can be a way for your body to try to dispose of this surplus of substances.

A lot of smaller bumps, especially on the face, is called acne. Acne is one of the most common skin conditions in the world. These bumps can range from small bumps that you may or may not feel to large, red, painful bumps. Since acne almost always occurs on the face, it’s hard to hide it.

Acne is a condition that most pre-teens and teens face when going through puberty, whether they have stressed skin or not. It commonly lasts through the young adult stage and tapers off as people get older. However, it’s not unheard of for it to continue well into adulthood.

Acne happens when hair follicles become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. Stress can make this happen much more often than it usually would. Stress causes overactive sebaceous glands (oil glands), which leads to a higher chance of clogs. The result is more acne for younger people or persistent acne for older people.

For most people, acne is just a nuisance but doesn’t cause permanent damage. However, some people aren’t so lucky. Bumps from acne can be painful and bleed. If acne is severe enough, it can even lead to permanent scarring. With stress increasing its occurrence, there is a higher risk of permanent damage from acne.

The great thing about acne is that treatments are usually straightforward. Typical cases of acne can be treated with OTC skincare routines such as facial cleansers or skincare products with Benzoyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid. You can even manage more severe cases of acne that are caused by bacteria with ongoing and diligent care.

2. Red Splotches or Hives

Hives are an evident skin rash that occurs from some type of irritant. It appears as pale red bumps or puffy red splotches on the skin. These “splotches” can link together to form larger areas called plaques. These plaques can grow as big as the size of a plate.

Anyone can get hives since it’s caused by some type of allergic reaction to an irritant. A typical case of hives doesn’t last long and can go away in a day or so as long as the person isn’t still exposed to the irritant. However, acute or chronic hives can last weeks and can typically be due to underlying conditions such as Hepatitis C or cancer.

Hives happen when your body releases a chemical called histamine. Histamine causes small red blood vessels to leak under your skin, which leads to the red splotches. Stress can cause hives in one of two ways. Stress can amp up the production of histamine or cause small blood vessels to leak even without the presence of histamine.

Typical cases of hives can appear anywhere on the body and cause swelling and itching. Occasionally they can burn or sting. It’s rare, but extreme cases of hives could require immediate medical attention because the swelling could close the airways.

Usually, hives can be treated by removing the trigger. Depending on the reason for your stress, this could be difficult to do right away.

Know all the signs of wheat intolerance.

3. More Bumps – Rosacea

Rosacea is almost like a combination of acne and hives. It’s characterized by red blotches on the skin with small, pus-filled pimples or bumps. Rosacea usually occurs on the face. You may be able to see tiny blood vessels under the splotches.

Rosacea affects men as well as women, and people with fair skin are at higher risk of developing the condition. Rosacea doesn’t usually develop in children, but it’s not unheard of for this to happen. When it does occur in children, there can be severe complications.

The essential cause of rosacea is an adverse reaction to bad chemical reactions in the body. Stress causes several chemical reactions in the body, so it’s no surprise that it can cause rosacea to flare up. Even worse is that you can never tell which chemical reactions stress will produce, so you’d have to assume that any type of stress could be a trigger.

Rosacea mostly causes superficial skin problems. Redness, tingling, itching, and bumps are the most common problems. The worst problem is if rosacea starts affecting the eyes. In fact, the risk of eye problems is higher in children. These problems can include pink eye, styes, swollen eyelids with open sores, sensitivity to light, or even blindness.

There is no cure for rosacea, but getting rid of as much stress as possible can significantly reduce breakouts. Learning the triggers of the condition and avoiding them is the best way to prevent the disease.

4. Dry, Rough Skin or Eczema

When your skin is dry and rough, there is usually an underlying cause. Eczema can be one of those causes. Eczema is a condition where patches of skin become dry, raw, and cracked. There are different types of eczema, with the most common being atopic dermatitis. Familiar places that eczema shows up are the cheeks, nose, chin, neck, inner elbow, or the inner knees.

Anyone can develop eczema at any age. It’s more common for babies and children to develop it and have it go away as they get older. However, some people keep the condition into adulthood, and some don’t develop it until adulthood.

Studies explain that stress can trigger chemical reactions in your body. It can trigger an excess of cortisol. In large amounts, cortisol causes inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation can happen in the skin, triggering an episode of eczema.

The good news about eczema is that it only affects the skin. It doesn’t cause any life-threatening problems. However, rashes that occur from eczema can be very unsightly and uncomfortable. They can itch, crack, and bleed. They can sometimes be painful. There is a possibility of lichenification, a phenomenon where the rash thickens then develops knots and a permanent itch. Another consideration is since the rashes can occur on exposed areas of the body, they can be embarrassing.

You can resolve your eczema with a host of natural remedies, including:

Colloidal oatmeal
Honey
Drinking plenty of water
Eating probiotics

These 12 foods can worsen your eczema.

5. Scaly Skin or Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin rash that commonly occurs on the scalp, knees, trunk, and elbows. It’s characterized by large, red, scaly plaque patches with a silvery crust on them. It’s an autoimmune disease that occurs in a cycle, lasting for weeks to months at a time.

Psoriasis can affect people of any age. It’s not very common in babies and children, although it does show up occasionally at that age. It’s hard to detect in babies because it can be confused with other skin conditions that babies suffer from. Typically, the disease begins showing up in teenaged years.

The reason stress can encourage a psoriasis flare-up is due to why psoriasis happens in the first place. Psoriasis occurs from an overactive immune system. This causes new skin cells to grow faster than your body can shed old skin cells. That’s what causes the plaque buildup. The chemical reactions that stress causes can put your immune system in overdrive, aggravating your psoriasis.

There is a long list of issues that psoriasis can causes. Some of these issues are:

Skin lesions
Onycholysis (nails separating from beds)
Nail crumbling
Joint pain

It can be tough dealing with psoriasis. The disease tends to have more dramatic effects than the other skin diseases on the list. Furthermore, you treat psoriasis from the inside, first.

Some actions you can take to calm psoriasis include the following:

Eating a well-balanced, organic, plant-based diet.
Knowing your food allergies and avoiding them
Consuming probiotics

Final Thoughts on Calming Your Stressed Skin

Dermatologists all over will tell you that skin is a significant indicator of your health, so you should always pay attention when your skin is showing signs of stress. You can fight against stressed skin with proper skincare routines, but the best way is by reducing the stress in your life. It’s always easier said than done when it comes to eliminating stress. But your stressed skin will thank you for your efforts.

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

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!