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Counselors Share Red Flags Your Child’s the Victim of a Bully

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Bullying is a much more serious problem than ever before. Your child may have a bully without you even knowing about it. Many children won’t want to talk about it for fear of even worse retaliation. Also, it’s an embarrassing topic. There are signs you can look for, though.

Counselors provide several red flags to look out for if you suspect your kid is a victim of bullying.

Red Flags That Reveal Your Child’s the Victim of a Bully

1. Signs of Physical Altercations

Every kid gets injured. It’s a part of growing up. Children might get hurt from playing sports, playing with friends, or learning some valuable life lessons. However, you should keep your eyes open if you notice that your child seems to come home with physical injuries or ripped clothing more often than usual.

If you do notice injuries, ask your child what happened in a non-confrontational way. You should also keep your eye open for your kid, trying to cover up their bruises. You might notice them wearing long sleeves in summer or refusing to wear clothes that show off their body when they usually would wear those clothes.

2. Drastic Change in Friendships

Most children don’t appreciate it when parents take too much of an interest in their child’s friendships. However, you probably notice who they hang out with most often. Friendships change for many reasons, and one of the reasons could be bullying. Your kid might not be included in their old group anymore. This exclusion could be causing them stress. The group of friends may even be bullying them, causing your kid to back away from them. Feel free to ask your kid about old friends.

However, keep in mind that the separation might be for the best. Encourage new friendships that appear healthy. Offer support but don’t pry about friendships that have seemingly dissolved.

3. Going to Extreme Lengths to Avoid School

Not many teens and preteens want to go to school every day. Who wouldn’t prefer to stay home and play on their phones all day? Your child may even be known to fake sick to avoid going to school. However, you should take notice when it gets more and more dangerous. If your kid tries to avoid school every single day or start crying and throwing a tantrum when you make them go, they may be avoiding something or someone at school.

While challenging, ask them directly if there is a reason they are so reluctant to go to school. Some children may even desperately try to change schools as a sign of bullying happening. While you can’t allow your child to skip school, you should take the time to talk to them about the issues they may be having.

4. They Start Bullying

When someone gets bullied, they may start to get extremely defensive with their bullies. Instead of taking the bullying, they may decide it’s time to fight back and even become a bully themselves. In some cases, if they don’t feel confident enough to challenge their bully, they may start to attack easier targets around them to make themselves feel better. You need to make it clear that the behavior is wrong and punish them appropriately.

However, you should also talk to them about their actions. You may discover where it’s coming from. If you get to the bottom of the problem, they may also stop bullying others. Many bullies will be too embarrassed or too nervous to explain the real problem. Don’t be afraid to take your kid to a therapist if you think they will have a better chance of getting your kids to talk.

5. Low Self-Esteem

As parents, we have a responsibility to help build our child’s self-esteem. We do this every single day by encouraging them when they do well in school or sports and teaching them to love themselves. However, some children may still seem to have extremely low self-esteem. Many times, this can be because other children are making fun of them at school.

Does your kid always make comments about how bad they look or how dumb they are? When you hear this, immediately correct them.

Tell them they are beautiful and smart. Help them by giving them tools that might give them more confidence in those problem areas. Then, take the time to ask them why they would think so poorly about themselves. Hopefully, they will open up and tell you about any insults being hurled at them at school.

6. Unhealthy Relationship with Social Media

Everyone is glued to their phones nowadays. Most of the time, teens are joking with their friends and posting funny pictures and videos. They may also be keeping tabs on other friends to see what they are doing. Someone who is excluded by peers may stay glued to their phone to see what they are missing out on.

They may also pay excessive attention to their phone if they are being made fun of on social media or fighting with people on social media. On the other end of the spectrum, some children may delete social media accounts all together to avoid people commenting mean things on the stuff they post.

Either way, it’s good to talk to your child about their social media habits. If they insist that there is nothing terrible happening, believe them. However, if they still have a social media account, it’s a good idea to be friends with them so that you can see what’s happening for yourself.

7. Drastic Change in Eating Habits

As children get older, they may become more aware of their weight. If your kid is overweight or underweight, they might even get made fun of for their appearance. In this case, it can cause a kid to change their eating patterns. If your kid avoiding eating at dinner? Are they eating more than ever?

Small changes may be related to regular changes in appetite with growth. Some changes may even be useful if your child is eating healthier. However, there is a fine line between eating healthy and being unhealthy. While you don’t need to force sweets or french fries down their throat, you want to ensure they eat. You also want to talk to them about how to be healthy.

8. Change in Appearance

Many of us go through a period in our younger years, where we experiment with our appearance. It’s quite natural to try new hairstyles and clothing. However, some children do it to avoid getting bullied. Instead of leaving them to work on their appearance on their own, it’s essential to be supportive.

While you don’t want your kid to think they should change their appearance to make others happy, the new look can boost their self-esteem. You don’t want to take that away with them. Even if it’s a style that you don’t particularly like for them, offer support.

a bully may cause social anxiety

Learn why people with social anxiety face challenges in coping with emotions.

9. Losing Valuable Items/Asking For Extra Lunch Money

Theft is a serious crime. Many young people don’t understand how serious the crime is. A bully may steal from other kids to assert dominance and simply because they want whatever item they took. If you bought your child a cool new gadget, they would probably bring it to school. If they don’t come back with it, they will probably tell you they lost it or something similar. This could be true. However, when it happens over and over again, it could be a sign that someone else is stealing from them.

They may not want to tell you to avoid being called a snitch or avoiding getting beat up. Encourage them not to take items to school anymore. If you give your kid money for lunch every day, they may have this stolen from them. To still be able to eat that day, they will probably ask for additional lunch money. Ask to see what they are spending their money on at lunch.

10. Trouble Sleeping

A lack of sleep or trouble sleeping can be the result of severe anxiety. Your kid may lie in bed, worrying about what will happen when they have to see a bully at school the next day. The tension and lack of sleep may also prevent the kid from doing as well in school.

While many parents may take their kid to the doctor to help them with sleep medication or another medical solution, that might not get to the root of the problem. Try to get them to a therapist or work with people at the school to help come up with a solution. When you work together, your kid will see that they have a robust support system. Hopefully, they’ll be able to sleep normally again.

coping with bulliesFinal Thoughts: Address the Bully Situation Through School Resources

Having a bully at school is a terrible experience. The social dynamics in school are unique, and it’s something that your kid will need to learn to handle. It can be hard to watch them struggle on their own. Do your best to show your love and support. Work with other adults at your child’s school to find the best solution possible.

13 Ways Fear Of Suffering Can Limit Your Potential

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Life has its fair share of ups and downs, and most people will experience suffering to a certain extent within their lifetime. It’s a good idea to prepare for the unexpected, but what happens when you focus too much on the possibility of suffering and live your life in fear of it?

This state is far from a healthy way of life, and it can even be damaging. When you are frightened of the mere concept of hardship, your progress and growth will stagnate. You could waste all the goodness within you if you allow anxiety to run your life.

Here Are 13 Ways Fear Of Suffering Can Limit Your Potential

1.    You Procrastinate

Procrastination is a common problem faced by anyone who has ever had something important to do. But when you have a lot of fear, it exacerbates the issue even further.

Fear can paralyze you (more on that later), and your motivation is drowned out by it. This emotion causes you to push aside tasks that could help you or that need doing because you’re frightened of:

  • Failing
  • Being judged
  • Being rejected
  • Receiving criticism
  • Not being satisfied with the result

All this fear will make you put off whatever you have to do in favor of staying far, far away from anything that could warrant these responses – and, unfortunately, that is just about anything in life.

2.    It’s Bad For Physical Health

Fear causes your body to experience high levels of stress – and stress isn’t particularly healthy for you. Stress doesn’t just decrease your positive thinking – it reduces your bodily health in ways you may not be aware of.

Chronic and repeated stress keeps your body on edge. You’re never really is a resting state when you’re always expecting the worst. It can increase your risk of developing the following disorders (or make them worse if you already have them):

  • Headaches
  • Obesity
  • Asthma
  • Diabetes
  • Muscle pain
  • Heart disease
  • Gastrointestinal issues
  • Chest pain
  • Back pain
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Libido issues
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Fatigue
  • Lowered immunity
  • Insomnia

3.    You Care Too Much What Others Think

A general rule of life is that you cannot please everyone. There will always be people who dislike you, disapprove of your decisions, or aren’t that interested in you. And that’s okay! It doesn’t mean you’re a terrible person, and it shouldn’t be a reflection of your sense of self.

Fear of suffering often translates to a fear of criticism, reprimand, or judgment from others. This feeling can cause you to put too much stock into the thoughts of others. While it’s important to listen to and value feedback, this type of overly-reliant mentality can severely stall your progress. You are the captain of your fate – act like it!

4.    Your Expectations Get Too High

Many people who fear suffering have made all sorts of crazy ideas in their heads for what bad things are going to happen to them – but they’ve also created out-of-reach ideas for their standards. You may feel like you have to be perfect to avoid perceived suffering – an impossible task to begin with.

Of course, challenging yourself in critical, and you should always strive to set goals that are tough to reach. But there’s such a thing as too much! You need to keep your expectations realistic, or you’ll just be setting yourself up for failure and discouragement.

5.    Your Energy Is Drained

When you’re fearful all the time, your energy gets drained very quickly – whether that’s physical, emotional, or mental power. All of it goes down the drain when your brain focuses on stress and terror.

Often, this energy further depletes when you entertain these fears of suffering. Your mental prowess goes to waste, focusing on all the bad things that could happen instead of rationally attempting to locate solutions or turn to positive thinking of the sake of better clarity. It’s a very non-constructive way of thinking.

Every single moment you spend concentrating on your fears is another potentially decisive moment wasted!

6.    You Need To Be In Control

When you’re afraid of suffering, you can become something of a control freak. The world feels like it’s spinning outside of your grasp. So you desperately reach for anything at all in your life to exert power over. You try to prove to yourself that you’ll be okay.

This type of micromanagement isn’t healthy for you, and it causes you to view the world with undeserved suspicion. You don’t want to leave anything to chance. Therefore, you avoid all things that may lead down negative roads – which is everything! You can’t control everything in your world, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

7.    You Only See The Negatives

Fear isn’t capable of positive thinking. It fills the world with shades of gray, stopping you from seeing anything good in it at all. Even when met with opportunities, you so fear suffering that you won’t want to take them.

For example:

  • Positive: I have an interview for a new job!

Negative: I’m probably not qualified enough anyway.

  • Positive: This person I’m dating is really amazing!

Negative: I’m going to mess it up.

  • Positive: I have enough time to sign up for a class I’ve always wanted to try!

Negative: I’ll likely do poorly at it, and it’ll end up being a waste of money.

8.    You Play It Safe And Settle

If it wasn’t clear from our previous points, fear makes you want to play it safe. In your comfort zone, you can control things, predict things, and do what you know. This situation means settling for less than you deserve in many aspects of your life, including:

  • Jobs
  • Romance
  • Relationships
  • Business ventures
  • Deals and agreements

What does that mean? It means you’ll be harming yourself and your potential, often. You’ll take the more comfortable and less promising route just because it’s familiar, ignoring that a small jump of faith could bring you to an amazing new place in your life.

9.    You Never Speak Up

Fear, unfortunately, often means being a doormat, too. This ties into a wish for everyone to perceive you in a good way. Fearing judgment or ridicule, you may:

  • Keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself
  • Not feel comfortable standing up for yourself when you need to
  • Be too anxious to ask for what you want
  • Neglect communication and keep problems to yourself
  • Never contribute new ideas or suggestions that could potentially earn you praise

Not only does this make it impossible to make real friends, but it also considerably limits you. People can walk all over you for as long as you refuse to speak up and out.

10. You Say Yes And No At The Wrong Times

Fear is often heavily focused on self-preservation. You want to be liked and to avoid suffering, so you’ll base your answers on what you think others want to hear, not on what you believe.

You may say yes when you want to say no, such as when:

  • Someone keeps asking favors of you
  • People ask for your time when you don’t have much to give
  • Others ask if you approve of or agree with certain things, and you don’t

You may also say no when you want to say yes, such as when:

  • You’re too afraid to try something that looks exciting to you
  • Someone asks you if something’s wrong, and there is
  • Others ask if you approve of or agree with certain things, and you do

11. You Don’t Plan For The Future

The future is scary as it is, but when you add the fear of suffering into it, it becomes downright petrifying. There’s no way for you to look into the future and know what’s going to happen next, so your positive thinking in this area will plummet with fear.

Thinking about the future when you’re so frightened only gives you more and more anxiety. You can’t predict what will happen, so planning feels pointless. You begin to feel helpless or hopeless like you have no power over the situation.

But goal-planning for the future is a very crucial part of a positive and healthy future. You need to have a general idea, at the very least, of where you’re heading – and that’s just another way this fear stalls you.

12. You Can’t Move

Fear is paralyzing. It keeps you rooted in one spot because any movement would involve some form of risk. This anxiety can stop you from:

  • Quitting a bad job
  • Getting out of an abusive home or relationship
  • Making big decisions that could change your life
  • Going to rehab for an addiction
  • Setting boundaries with family and friends
  • Seeking therapy or mental health aid

Most commonly, this type of fear leads to the challenge of “decidophobia.” When faced with different options, you become so terrified by the fact that you can’t guarantee what the future will be, no matter what you choose, that you never choose at all!

fear of suffering13. You Find Bad Ways To Cope

While this doesn’t happen to everyone, many people who live this sort of life, filled with overwhelming fear, the only way to cope with those feelings is to turn to vices and unhealthy coping mechanisms. These may include:

  • Smoking
  • Alcohol
  • Gambling
  • Drugs
  • Empty pastimes (television, video games, etc.)
  • Workaholic focuses
  • Intimacy
  • Self-harm

There’s nothing wrong with a little drinking now and then, the enjoyment of intimacy, or an hour or so a day spent doing nothing important. But when that becomes your whole life, you’re facing a severe and potentially life-threatening issue.

There’s nothing wrong with coping mechanisms, but they have to be positive in nature. Examples of suitable coping tools are:

  • Exercise
  • Journaling
  • Expression through art
  • Self-care days

face your fearFinal Thoughts On Some Ways Fear Of Suffering Can Limit Your Potential

We all get a little scared sometimes, but it is essential not to allow that fear to control your entire life. When it does, you do yourself a disservice and stop yourself from reaching great heights.

If you need help overcoming your fear of suffering, don’t be afraid to seek advice from a counselor, therapist, psychologist, or other mental health professional. You are not alone in what you feel, and you can overcome it and live your life to the fullest.

Doctors Explain Risks of Overeating High Protein Foods

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High-protein diets are all the rage these days. Many people have lost a significant amount of weight on plans like Keto, Atkins, Zone, and Paleo. These eating plans measure your macronutrients and encourage people to eat high amounts of fat, moderate amounts of protein, and little to no carbohydrates. By eating a diet low in sugar and carbs, people are dropping massive amounts of weight. Is it safe to eat high protein foods and avoid simple carbohydrates?

The good part about these eating plans is that protein is an essential part of a healthy dieting plan. It’s excellent for keeping bones strong, as well as repair issues with muscles and organs within the body. Additionally, people that favor high protein lifestyles like keto can quickly reduce fat and watch their pounds melt away. They don’t have intense hunger sensations as they feel fuller for more extended periods. Plus, they will retain their muscles while shedding unwanted fat.

The Risks of Overconsuming High-Protein Foods

Consequently, many risks come along with a high-protein diet plan that many don’t fully understand. Protein should be eaten in moderation and shouldn’t be the basis of one’s daily consumption. If you’re exceeding the recommended amount, it can cause health problems. Protein can be hidden in places most don’t imagine, like their protein powder and other supplements.

Since protein is a nutrient, eating large amounts, come with risks, and health complications can be inevitable. Did you know that the Keto diet was initially created as a quick fix for epilepsy back in the 1920s? While the menu showed great promise to help those that needed to rewire their brains, newer anticonvulsant medications wiped out the need for this eating plan. Additionally, it was only meant to be used in the short term, and it was never meant to be a long-term eating plan. Here are some of the issues discovered by eating high protein foods for extended periods.

1 – Weight Gain

While weight loss is inevitable at the start, once the body becomes accustomed to the high levels of protein, it can be counterproductive. You will put on pounds. When you consume more protein than what is recommended on Keto or Atkins, the body will store it as fat. All the amino acids that you’ve built in surplus are excreted. Eating high protein foods can easily add up to an overage of calories. While that eating plan may work in the short term, it doesn’t work forever.

2 – Bad Breath

Who would think that high protein foods can affect your breath, but it does? If you are reducing the simple and complex carbs you eat and consuming mostly meats, then your breath can be unpleasant. More than 40 percent of users that partake in low carb, high protein diets report bad breath as a side effect.

Ketosis is a metabolic state that people strive to help burn fat for energy. When a person enters this state, the chemicals the body produces are less than favorable. Some say the aroma is a fruity smell that brushing won’t help. However, it’s helpful to increase your water intake and chew gum to counteract this troublesome side effect.

3 – Constipation

Another major issue with eating primarily high protein foods is constipation. Since these diets are deficient in fiber and have little carbohydrates, the body doesn’t have much to keep the digestive system active. Constipation is a serious issue as you can become impacted if you let it go too long.

One way to counteract this problem is to increase your fiber and water intake as well as using stool softeners and enemas. It’s advisable to keep track of your bowel movements so that you can ensure you’re going to the restroom frequently enough.

4 – Diarrhea

While some people face constipation when eating high protein foods, others deal with diarrhea. When you eat a great deal of dairy or processed foods, and there is little to no fiber intake, it can cause the stool to be watery. Lactose-intolerant people may have a big issue with all the cheese they must eat. Heart-healthy proteins are always the best option, such as fish, poultry, and red meat.

If you want to avoid diarrhea, then you need to limit your drinks loaded with caffeine and drink plenty of water. Try to stick with baked foods rather than fried, and make sure you get plenty of fiber.

5 – Dehydration

When you urinate, your body removes fluids and water, and it also removes the excess nitrogen in your system. Since this is a vital amino acid that your body needs to survive, you will need to make up for the loss. Without the proper nitrogen levels, you will feel dehydrated. Additionally, you may feel thirstier than usual.

In 2002, researchers decided to review athletes to see how much protein intake would affect their hydration. The study had staggering results. The more protein a person ate, the more their hydration decreased. Though the impact was minimal, it was enough to be concerned. Active people can quickly become dehydrated, so it’s imperative to drink water throughout the day. Even if you’re not on a low carb eating plan, you still need water.

6 – Kidney Damage

To date, there have been no major studies that have shown a link between kidney damage and excessive protein consumption. However, if a person has a preexisting kidney issue, then it’s a cause for concern. It stems from the excessive amounts of nitrogen that are in your amino acids, which help to make up your proteins. If your kidneys have any damage, then they must work overtime to get rid of all that additional nitrogen. Additionally, protein metabolism also produces plenty of waste products, which the kidneys must also flush.

7 – Increased Cancer Risk

Researchers believe that eating some high protein foods, specifically red meat, is linked to an increase in cancer. A Harvard study found that eating processed meats and red varieties raise the likelihood that a person will develop either prostate or breast cancer.

Consequently, other sources report that eating more protein decreases your risk of developing cancer. Because there are hormones and carcinogenic compounds in meat, it may help to stave off malignancy. Since the studies are split on this matter, it’s something to keep an eye on.

8 – Heart Disease

It seems only natural that eating high amounts of fat and protein would cause heart disease. The only oxymoron to that statement is that Dr. Atkins of the Atkins Diet created his eating plan to help his heart patients, and it did. However, people need to watch the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol that they consume.

A study was done in the UK in 2010. It showed that people who consumed plenty of high protein foods that were loaded with trans and saturated fat were at risk. Such a high-fat content can put a person in danger for coronary heart disease. However, eating the proper proteins, like fish, nuts, and poultry, lowered the probability. The good news is these are keto friendly offerings.

9 – Calcium Loss

Consuming high amounts of protein can cause the body to lose calcium. Poor bone health leads to conditions like osteoporosis and other degenerative issues. While research is inconclusive on this matter, it’s still worth mentioning. Eating cheese does provide some dairy, but it’s not the same calcium levels as drinking or consuming milk products.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

You’re probably wondering what a safe amount of protein is to consume each day. Many things go into this equation, such as your gender, activity level, age, and overall health. However, the best way to figure this amount is from your body weight. Rule of thumb is you need to eat about.4 grams of protein for every pound. If you are an athlete or exercise regularly, then you can eat up to .6 or .8 grams of protein per pound. So, an athlete that weighs 190 pounds should have no more than 152 grams of protein each day.

keto diet memeWhat Kind of High Protein Foods Should You Eat?

When choosing foods that are high in protein, you must select healthy options on your keto diet. Not only will it help you lose and maintain weight, but it will keep negative effects to a minimum.

Eat keto items like:

•Wild Fish (Salmon)

•Legumes

•Eggs

•Poultry

•Nuts

•Whole Grains

Avoid high protein foods like:

•Red Meat

•Deep-Fried Meats and Vegetables

•Foods High in Cholesterol

•Foods High in Saturated Fats

high protein foods

Read to learn the best way to strike a balance in the keto diet.

Final Thoughts: Get an Expert Opinion Before Eating Solely High Protein Foods

Before starting any high protein, low carbohydrate diet like keto, it’s important to talk to your doctor. Those people who are suffering from heart or kidney disease may need to find another eating plan to help them shed weight quickly. A dietitian can also be beneficial to assist you in putting together an eating plan that is based on your individual needs.

Overall, there is no substitute for a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. Quick fixes may work in the short term, but they are difficult to follow and not always right in the long run. To achieve your health goals, you must consume a variety of foods, which include fruits and vegetables.

Researchers Reveal New Treatment to Help Flush Kidney Stones

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You’ve seen the beautiful pictures of calcifications in caves – those amazing crystalline, white formations created from a buildup of salts, calcium, and other minerals over time.  They look amazing.  When those same crystalline calcifications form in our bodies, however, they are not so fantastic.  We can form calcifications on our joints, in our arteries, heart valves, kidneys, bladder, gallbladder, muscles, tendons, and even our breasts and brain. And kidney stones are an extraordinarily painful condition.

Sometimes, they remain relatively symptomless, but other times they can cause problems, such as with kidney stones.  Much like how water can eventually wash away the formations in caves, most kidney stones are flushed out through drinking lots of water.  It can be excruciating for 2-10 days.  Fortunately, researchers reveal a new treatment to help flush kidney stones and hopefully decrease the amount of pain and length of time for them to pass.

How Kidney Stones Form

Our urine contains various waste and minerals.  Multiple factors, including not consuming enough water, cause those minerals to accumulate, which can create crystals that, in turn, draw other chemicals to further collect onto the crystals.  Typically, our kidneys filter and flush out these wastes as we drink water that our bodies perform specific chemical reactions.  For some people, however, these chemicals don’t flush and form into rough, hard stones.  The possible compounds that create the stones are:

  • Calcium
  • Oxalate
  • Urate
  • Cystine
  • Xanthine
  • Phosphate

One study proves that there is a correlation between zinc aiding in the formation of kidney stones as well. Plos One published the University of California, San Francisco study. Lead researchers Thomas Chi and Man Su Kim focused on fruit flies, which also tend to develop kidney stones.  They previously ascertained that zinc played a factor in how certain chemicals mineralize and crystalize.

They discovered a correlation between zinc and oxalate, a known chemical related to the formation of kidney stones.  Their study demonstrated that as zinc levels decreased, there was a change in the amount of oxalate that formed.

Types of Kidney Stones

Depending upon the prevalence of certain chemicals in the stones, kidney stones can be formed into five different types:

  1. Calcium Stones:

    Despite its name and chemical makeup, calcium stones don’t come from taking or ingesting too much calcium. In reality, dairy foods help decrease the risk of kidney stones.  They form from calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate.  Calcium oxalate is found in the majority of all kidney stones and has a higher chance of recurring than other stones.

  1. Struvite Stones:

These stones occur in about 10% of cases.  They are also called infection stones or triple phosphate stones.  These occur in individuals who are prone to chronic urinary infections in which urease is commonly produced.  Urease is necessary to convert urea into Co2 and ammonia to decrease its alkalinity.  When more phosphates form in the urease, the alkalinity is not obtained, causing a buildup of ammonia.  More women are prone to this form of kidney stone.

  1. Cystine Stones:

This form accounts for only 2% of kidney stones and is genetic.  It is a disorder in which amino acids and cysteine don’t transport properly, creating a buildup of cystinuria in the urine.  Cystine is either absorbed or leaked into the urine and cannot be absorbed, creating the stones.

  1. Stones created from specific drugs:

Certain medications interrupt the breakdown of calcium and other chemicals resulting in creating stones.

  1. Uric Acid Stones:

This type makes up about 3-10% of cases and results from a diet high in purines, like animal proteins, creating a condition that reduces urine output and decreases the PH levels. This formation more commonly occurs in men than in women.

Once someone develops kidney stones, they stand an increased risk of them occurring again.  Kidney stones may also contribute to multiple severe diseases:

  • Chronic Kidney disease
  • Renal Failure
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure

Symptoms of Kidney Stones

Doctors commonly refer to the condition like kidney stones. However, they form in multiple areas of our excretion system.  This results in a variety of symptoms based on their location. The symptoms may be:

  • Severe cramping in the lower intestinal area
  • Pain in the lower back and side, near the rib cage
  • Blood in urine
  • Urinary tract infections or disease
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Weak urine flow from blockage
  • Pain while urinating
  • Pungent urine odor
  • A sensation of wanting to urinate more frequently, despite lack of urine.
  • Possibly fever and chills if an infection is present

Contributing factors toward Kidney Stones

According to the National Kidney Association, 1 out of 10 people will develop a kidney stone. The percentage of populace developing kidney stones has been increasing in the last 30-40 years. In 1970, 3.8% of the populace developed stones.  In the late 2000s, the percentage rose to 8.8%. 19% of men are likely to develop kidney stones and 9% of women.  For men, their chances increase after the age of 30.

Why the increase in kidney stones in the last few decades?  Scientists believe it is related to the rise in obesity and possibly due to an increase in global temperatures.  That said, no definitive factor has been pinpointed.

The accepted causes of kidney stones, regardless of the recent increase in rates are:

  1. Inadequate water consumption. We all are familiar with the 8 x 8 rule for drinking water a day.  When we are calculating that, we cannot include soda or fruit drinks and must keep activity and heat in mind.  On days of higher temperatures or increased activity, we need to increase our fluid intake.
  2. Not eating enough fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables help to lower the pH of our urine, making our bodies less acidic
  3. Inherited conditions or diseases
  4. Chronic urinary infections or kidney infections
  5. Those who have undergone stomach surgeries
  6. Those with diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammatory bowel disorder or are obese
  7. High consumption of certain foods such as animal proteins, high salt or high sugar

model of a kidneyTreatment of Kidney stones

In most cases of kidney stones, treatment consists of drinking a lot of water to flush them out naturally.  This can be a harrowing ordeal, particularly for men.  Some say that a man flushing out kidney stones is the closest he will get to understand the pain of childbirth.  Frequently, a doctor will recommend taking over-the-counter pain killers, and occasionally, a diuretic to help increase urine flow.  When the stones are too big to pass, surgery or using shock waves to break up the stones are options.

A new study in Nature Biomedical Engineering shows promise in aiding in the passage of kidney stones through the use of two medications. The study was performed at MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital led by Michael Cima.

Currently, while doctors generally prescribe painkillers, there lacks an FDA-approved medication to aid in relaxing the ureter to allow the stones to pass quickly.  The ureter is a small tube that runs from the kidneys to the bladder.  It is where the stones pass through.  The muscle wall of the ureter becomes inflamed and tense, making passing stones more difficult.

They analyzed over 18 drugs to discover which ones best relaxed the smooth muscle surrounding the tube.  They isolated two medications that not only worked individually but worked more effectively together.  These medications were nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker commonly used for high blood pressure, and a ROCK inhibitor generally used to treat glaucoma.

Using the combination of these drugs on ureters from pigs, they discovered that the contraction of the muscles was reduced both in frequency and duration.  On live pigs, the contractions ceased altogether.  The drugs were given directly into the ureter via a scope, and there was no evidence of it leaking into the bloodstream.

The scientists plan on starting trials on humans soon and have great hope in its success to ease the pain and length of time to pass kidney stones.  Currently, it can take upwards of 10 days.

kidney stonesFinal Thoughts on New Methods of Managing Kidney Stones

Despite the length of time humankind has had kidney stones, treatments have remained the same over the last 50 years.  Painkillers are only slightly effective in making their passing more tolerable, and narcotics have less effect in decreasing the pain.  Researchers discovering new treatments to help flush out kidney stones is a great find.  Being able to relax the muscles making up the wall of the ureter will not only decrease some of the pain but also allow easier passage of the stones.  Hopefully, we can look forward to that treatment soon.

10 Early Warning Signs of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

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If you’re struggling with carpal tunnel syndrome, you can take solace in knowing you are not alone. According to the American College of Rheumatology, over 4 million Americans are struggling with the same condition. That said, there are two different types of carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral and unilateral. The good news, however, is that both of these conditions are treatable.

For those unfamiliar with carpal tunnel syndrome, the condition triggers a numbing or tingling sensation in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and ring finger. In most cases, carpal tunnel syndrome, also known as CTS, is a byproduct of a repetitive strain injury. For reference, these injuries result from cumulative damage to muscles, tendons, and nerves in the wrists and hands.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURIES

To better understand CTS, it helps to know a little more about repetitive strain injuries (RSI) as the two conditions often go hand in hand. Because repetitive strain injuries are the result of moving the same muscles, tendons, and nerves over and over again, individuals with certain occupations are more likely to develop them.

That said, between 2007 and 2014, the occupations with the highest rate of CTS-related worker’s compensation claims that stem from RSI were in production, material moving, and administrative support, according to a study published by safety.blr.com. Additionally, the study highlights workers’ comp adjuster tricks that can impact these claims, such as delaying payments or disputing the severity of injuries, which can significantly affect the compensation workers receive. Separate studies showed that CTS-related worker’s compensation claims were almost just as high for the following occupations:

  • Professional athletes
  • Cashiers
  • Seamstress
  • Construction workers

RSI can also be brought on by certain hobbies, such as drawing or crocheting, for example. Either way, most individuals will start to notice signs of RSI long before the condition gives way to CTS. Some of the most common tell-tale signs of an RSI include tenderness, swelling, and weakness that affect the hands or wrists. However, it is not uncommon to experience these symptoms in the forearms and elbows as well. RSI will eventually give way to CTS if the median nerve, which extends from the hand to the wrist, becomes compressed. This situation can happen if an individual does not seek treatment for their RSI or if the RSI is severe.

10 EARLY SIGNS OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

Now that we have a cursory knowledge of what causes CTS, let’s take a moment to familiarize ourselves with some of the first signs of the condition. Similar to RSI, those who develop CTS will often experience the following:

1 – Burning or tingling sensations

These symptoms are typically felt during the day and can affect the forearm as well as the wrists and hands.

2 – Hand numbness at night

Most people with CTS report experiencing a loss of feeling in their hands upon waking up in the morning. In most cases, this is the result of sleeping with one or both of their wrist in a bent position, which can place even more strain on an already compressed median nerve.

3 – Shock-like sensations

Along with burning, tingling, and hand numbness, CTS can also trigger intermittent shock-like feelings that affect the thumb and fingers. As the condition worsens, this particular symptom will start to present itself more frequently and may become more intense.

4 – A decline in pinch strength

Those with CTS will usually experience a loss in pinch strength, which makes even basic tasks, such as buttoning a shirt or gripping small objects, for example, exceedingly difficult.

5 – Pain

Those who are struggling with CTS often report feeling pain in their thumb, index, or their middle fingers. The same pain can also sometimes affect their entire hand.

6 – Itchy palms

While the exact reason for why this occurs is unclear, many individuals with CTS will develop itchy palms. Most scientists and researchers believe that this symptom is the result of the median nerve being pinched or compressed.

7 – Changes in hand temperature

Another common symptom associated with CTS is a change in hand temperature. Studies show that when the median nerve becomes either pinched or compressed, an individual’s hands will be colder or warmer compared to other parts of their body.

8 – Changes in skin color

Similar to changes in hand temperature, a pinched or compressed median nerve can also alter skin color on the affected hand.

9 – Unable to make a fist

According to a study published by Medical News Today, individuals with CTS often have a hard time when it comes to being able to make a fist.

10 – Stiff fingers

When the median nerve in the wrist becomes irritated as a result of being pinched or compressed, it often results in stiff fingers.

ADDITIONAL FACTORS THAT CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF DEVELOPING CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

In addition to RDIs, many other factors can increase one’s risk of developing CTS. Some factors include obesity and chronic health problems, such as thyroid disease, diabetes, and arthritis. Not surprisingly, wrist fractures also contribute to CTS.

WHEN SHOULD YOU CONSIDER BEING SEEN BY A PHYSICIAN?

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms detailed in this article, it would be a good idea to be seen by a physician as soon as possible. After all, doing so will help you determine whether or not your condition is associated with an underlying health problem. In either case, your physician will be able to outline a course of treatment that addresses your illness or one that resolves your CTS symptoms. Beyond that, he or she will likely also take x-rays to confirm your symptoms are not related to a wrist fracture. Along with taking x-rays to rule out wrist fractures, most physicians will perform the following to confirm a patient has CTS:

Physical exam

During these exams, the physician will try to identify muscle weakness in the hand where CTS is suspected. There are two different approaches when it comes to this particular type of exam, including

Tinel’s sign

Named after French neurologist Jules Tinel, the Tinel sign test helps physicians determine if the median nerve is pinched or compressed at the wrist. In short, these tests entail tapping over the nerve to trigger a tingling or a “pins and needles.” If the patient experiences either of these two sensations, they more than likely have CTS, especially if your physician rules out underlying health problems and wrist fractures.

Phalen test

Also commonly referred to as a Wrist flexion test, the Phalen test involves the physician holding the patient’s wrist in a flexed position for a set time. And if the patient starts to experiences numbness or tingling in their median nerve, they more than likely have CTS.

carpal tunnel syndromeWHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO THOSE WITH CTS?

If you receive a diagnosis of CTS, several treatments can help ease stiffness, swelling, mobility issues, and many of the other symptoms commonly associated with the condition. Two of the most common physician-prescribed therapies used to treat CTS include cortisone injections and carpal tunnel release, a surgical procedure that is effective in relieving pressure on the median nerve. It is important to note that surgery is usually only recommended as a last resort as most patients tend to respond well to non-surgical treatments, which also includes the following home remedies:

Exercises

Doing CTS exercises is a great way to relieve many of the symptoms that you may be experiencing. With that, here are two that can start doing today:

  1. With your affected hand, make a fist and then slowly release it while pointing your fingers straight up. Ideally, you will want to complete five sets and ten repetitions for best results.
  2. Again, make a fist with your affected hand; however, this time, you will want to fan your fingers out as far as possible like you were opening an oriental fan. For the best results, you will want to complete five sets and ten repetitions.

Rest and ice

If your doctor diagnoses you with CTS, he or she will likely recommend rest. While it may not be possible for you to skip off the job to immobilize your wrist and hand, you can purchase a wrist wrap that helps the condition. You wear this device at work and while completing those repetitive tasks to help alleviate the swelling.

When you’re now wearing this device, you can apply ice to your affected area to help cool the burning sensation.

Over-the-counter pain relievers

A great way to combat stiffness, swelling, and pain associated with CTS is by taking over-the-counter pain relievers. Your doctor might recommend ibuprofen or acetaminophen. However, seek the correct diagnosis before starting this treatment.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T SEEK TREATMENT FOR CTS?

Generally speaking, over-the-counter pain relievers, coupled with CTS exercises, can go a long way toward easing your symptoms and may even reverse the condition. The same applies to surgery and cortisone injections. However, if you don’t seek treatment, things can quickly go from bad to worse. According to an article published by the Mayo Clinic, CTS can result in weakness and a loss of coordination in your fingers and thumb if left untreated, both of which can become permanent.

carpal tunnel syndromeFINAL THOUGHTS ON IDENTIFYING CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

All in all, CTS can have a profound impact on your day-to-day life. That’s because it affects nearly everything that requires the use of your hands. Fortunately, the onset of CTS is very gradual. Therefore, you have enough time to implement some of the at-home treatments detailed in this article and even schedule an appointment with a physician before it gets worse.

8 Hemorrhoid Remedies Women Often Miss

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Are you struggling to cope with painful itching that comes from an ongoing battle with hemorrhoids?

The truth is, you don’t face this struggle alone.

Every year, doctors diagnose 10 million Americans with hemorrhoids. The condition is caused by swollen blood vessels in the anus and rectum. Notable symptoms include prolapse, itching, and pain during bowel release. Even though the situation is not fatal, it can be an annoying recurrent problem.

You’ll learn that there are two types of hemorrhoids: internal and external. The former develops in the rectum, while the latter forms on the anus. Since the condition is unpleasant, you can use the following tips to deal with your condition.

8 Useful Coping Strategies for Caring For Hemorrhoids At Home

1. Eat More Fiber In Your Diet

Medical research shows that foods rich in fiber can help you cope with hemorrhoids by making your stools softer and far more comfortable to pass. Some people find that a fiber-rich diet helps make bowel movements more comfortable. On the other hand, some people take fiber supplements.

Foods that are rich in fiber include:

  • Whole grain bread (wheat or oat)
  • Oatmeal
  • Prunes
  • Brown rice
  • Fresh fruits
  • Leafy green vegetables
  • Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Beans
  • Flax seeds

2. When You Have To Go, Go

It is not unheard of for hemorrhoid patients to suppress their urge to go to the toilet either because they are busy or they don’t want to. Unless the situation demands it, never postpone going to the bathroom whenever you feel the sudden urge. Delaying bowel release worsens constipation and puts a strain on your hemorrhoid.

3. Elevate Your Legs When You Sit On The Toilet

When you sit on the toilet seat, your legs and abdomen create a 90-degree angle, which puts a severe strain on your bowel movements and increases the intensity of hemorrhoid pain. To ease the pain, you can raise your legs in front of you, onto a stool to make your legs bend up a little more. So that you don’t forget, you can make it a routine of yours to step on something during bowel discharge.

4. Take A Warm Bath to Soothe Hemorrhoids

According to research, if you take a warm bath 20 minutes after stool release, you can ease the discomfort caused by hemorrhoids. You can also add a scoopful of Epsom salt to the warm water to increase the effectiveness of the warm bath. Alternatively, there two ways you can do the bathing: take a sitz bath or a full-body bath. Since a sitz bath focuses on the inflamed area, you can do a session of 15 minutes 2 to 3 times a day.

5. Cold Compression

Interestingly, you can also use ice for hemorrhoids treatment. Take an ice cube and wrap it in a piece of cloth, then press it against the anus for 15 minutes to reduce the swelling caused by inflammation of blood vessels. Repeat the procedure several times during the recovery period for the best results.

6. Avoid Tight Clothing

Wearing tight underwear made from polyester is not suitable for your hemorrhoids treatment because it can lead to sweat and increased irritation – you may end up amplifying symptoms. Therefore, you are advised to wear loose-fitting cotton underwear to allow aeration and dryness of the affected area. An important point to remember is that washing your clothes with scented detergents and fabric softeners can also increase hemorrhoid symptoms.

7. Lubrication

If you want your stools to be extra soft and minimize pain during excretion, you can mix a tablespoon of mineral oil with yogurt or applesauce (if you are lactose intolerant) and drink it when you wake up or after you take lunch. However, be careful with this concoction; excessive intake of mineral oil can lead to oil leakage – some of it may not be completely digested and may pass directly through the anus.

8. Avoid Tissue Paper

The surface of most tissues is rough, and using them can aggravate the inflamed area. For this sole reason, you are better off looking for soothing wipes that won’t irritate the affected area. Select wipes with anti-hemorrhoid components such as Aloe Vera and witch hazel. However, not all ingredients are good, if the wipes contain alcohol or perfumes, avoid them since they can worsen your condition.

hemorrhoids

Learn 18 foods that can aid in healing hemorrhoids.

Final Thoughts On Treating Hemorrhoid Pain At Home

The above tips are related to dietary and lifestyle changes; therefore, make sure that you eat a balanced diet and engage add regular exercise to your daily routine. Examine how you live and make the changes that are most appropriate for you.

However, if you try the hemorrhoid relief procedures listed above, but the pain doesn’t go away, visit a physician for further diagnosis. For such scenarios, surgery might be the only way to get rid of the pain.

13 Ways A Bad Situation Can Help Transform Your Life

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Have you ever been in such a terrible situation that you thought your world was ending? It’s easy to feel that way sometimes. But did you know that a bad situation can be beneficial for you in the long run?

It’s true! There are so many ways that even the most awful of circumstances can make your life better. All you have to do is know about these methods and use them the next time things start going sour.

Here Are 13 Ways A Bad Situation Can Help Transform Your Life

1.    You Learn To Process Negative Emotions

Emotional repression and dysregulation are severe problems that many people don’t even realize they have! If you often take poor thoughts and feelings and shove them away into some far recess of your mind, you’re setting a ticking time bomb.

Those problems will either come back to haunt you when they overflow, or they’ll manifest by changing your behavior and state of mental health. But it’s not just that a lack of negative emotion processing reduces positive thinking – it can even shorten your lifespan.

When bad things happen to you, the only way to move on is by processing the situation. This allows for healthy self-reflection and pushes you to improve yourself often.

2.    You Learn Patience

In bad situations, you can do all you can to make them better – but then it’s all down to a waiting game. You learn how to hang in there, even when things feel impossible.

Patience is a virtue, and it’s also a valuable life skill. It teaches you to stop, breathe, and contemplate a situation instead of diving in impulsively. You can further hone patience by:

  • Practicing calming or relaxing forms of meditation or exercise
  • Forcing yourself to wait for certain non-crucial things
  • Paying attention to things that trigger your impatience

3.    You Learn Acceptance

The five stages of grief aren’t restricted to the loss of loved ones. Those stages, in general, are ones we all go through when attempting to process something negative. The stages are:

·         Shock And Denial

When something first happens, you may be unable to process what is going on, and it can feel unreal or impossible to believe.

·         Anger And Pain

The pain of being in your situation takes over you. To manage the pain, your mind defaults to anger.

·         Bargaining

You get lost in “what if” and “if only” statements.

·         Depression

You start to realize that there’s no easy way out of this, which makes you feel sad and hopeless.

·         Acceptance

You begin to understand the situation, and you sigh and accept that it’s happening to you.

Of course, the five-stages model is not the only one out there, and it’s not a concrete structure that you must follow. In fact, there are more positive alternatives to it. But the fact remains that bad situations can and will teach you about acceptance – especially in situations you can’t control.

4.    You Learn To Forgive

Bad situations can be eye-openers when it comes to forgiveness. You realize:

  • You forgive other people for what they’ve done. Moreover, you understand that they are complex individuals and that there are two sides to every story
  • You forgive yourself for “allowing” this to happen. Plus, you either realize it isn’t your fault, or you find the parts that are your fault and learn from them
  • You forgive the world for landing you in this situation; the world is not out to get you, and it has never been!

Of course, do note that forgiveness is not mandatory when it comes to others. You do not have to forgive someone for hurting you. However, learning the process of forgiveness can help you live a life with more positive thinking and compassion.

5.    You Learn Positive Thinking

What do you do when everything looks awful? You look for a silver lining. This is easier said than done, of course, but even the worst possible situation has something good you can take from it. For example:

  • The support of your friends or family
  • The evidence of your strength
  • The fact that you can learn from this bad situation

When you learn to look at the world in a positive light, automatically seeking out the good over the bad, you’re changing your mindset for the better!

6.    You Become Your Own Best Friend

In some cases, the worst situation means being totally, 100% on your own. It’s a terrible feeling, but it can still teach you new things and change your life.

When you only have yourself to rely on, you have two choices. You can continue to be cruel to yourself, thus removing your only form of support. Or you can be kind to yourself, bolstering your support, so you thrive.

Becoming your own best friend, and treating yourself the way you’d treat someone you care about, is a hugely positive step forward in personal development. It means that, even when you’re totally alone, you’ll be fine, because you still have yourself.

7.    You Find Out What You Can Control

There are many things in life you cannot control, and these may be the things that led to these “worst” situations. But what about the things that you can control?

The concept of taking control over certain life events and circumstances is known as self-efficacy, and it can prevent things from spiraling out of your grasp altogether. So take control of the small things and work your way up! You can start by:

  • Rearranging the furniture in your home
  • Taking up a new hobby
  • Changing your usual routine
  • Dyeing your hair a new color or getting a new haircut
  • Trying a new fashion style

8.    You Find Out What’s Worth It

Everything in life comes with a cost. Sometimes, it takes a truly bad situation for you to realize that something you’ve been pursuing is the wrong choice for you. Being in the worst situation teaches you what’s worth it and what isn’t.

This isn’t to say that you stop putting in effort or start giving up on everything. It just helps you shift your perspective so you can truly see what matters most to you and what has never been an important factor all along.

9.    You Realize You Can Overcome Anything

If there’s one thing a bad situation can do, it’s to show you your inner strength. Think about all the terrible circumstances you’ve gotten through and how you’ve managed to emerge unscathed. Doesn’t it feel good to know what you’ve overcome? Haven’t those things shaped the amazing person you are today?

That’s what these bad situations teach you. No matter how difficult or impossible it seems, you will get through it. Things get better, even when they feel like the absolute worst now. This type of awakening regarding your strength and capabilities will boost your confidence, transforming your life through positive thinking.

10. You Learn To Ask For Help

You can’t do everything on your own. Or, if you can, it may not be the healthiest or most positive way to go about it. It’s okay to need help, and it’s okay to ask for help. Other people can provide you with different perspectives that you may not be able to see.

Here are some ways you can ask for help:

  • Reach out to a friend or family member
  • Seek help from a therapist or counselor
  • Find support groups, whether online or in-person
  • Talk to someone you trust for advice
  • Ask for a deadline extension from a teacher, boss, or client

Learning to ask for help can dramatically change your life. This doesn’t mean you stop being self-reliant. It means you become secure enough in yourself that you’re comfortable seeking assistance when you need it. There are many things in life that are simply better together, after all!

11. You Can Learn Positive Coping Mechanisms

Yes, many people fall to negative coping mechanisms, like alcohol, drugs, or self-destructive behavior, to cope with hard times. But you don’t have to. You can learn positive coping mechanisms that will become entrenched in you. Before you know it, these mechanisms will be what you automatically reach for throughout the rest of your life.

Some examples of positive coping mechanisms are:

  • Meditation (especially mindfulness meditation)
  • Exercise (even simple, gentle kinds)
  • Expressions through art, like writing, painting, or singing
  • Watching movies or shows
  • Reading books
  • Pampering yourself with a self-care, DIY spa day
  • Cooking

12. You Learn Gratitude

Gratitude is a crucial trait in life. It helps maintain positive thinking and keeps you looking forward with compassion and acceptance. For quick ways to be grateful, you can:

  • Stop and think about aspects of your life that are wonderful
  • Compare your life now to life back in olden times
  • Consider all the ways things could be much worse

An even better idea is to develop a gratitude journal, where you write down a minimum of three things you are grateful for every day. Here are some examples of things you may be thankful for:

  • Clean water and food
  • Electricity, gas, and other utilities
  • A roof over your head
  • A job that pays the bills
  • Your education level
  • Good health
  • People who care about you

learn from past failures13. You Learn How To Do Better

One of the best teachers in the world is a bad situation. It can impart valuable knowledge to you that you will carry and utilize for the rest of your life. But it’s not always easy to collect and apply those teachings well. Here’s how to do so:

  • Look for three life lessons that you can take away from your bad situation
  • Find what life is trying to teach you
  • Decide how you can use this information to improve yourself
  • Develop a plan for using these lessons to be better
  • Vow to do better in the future
be optimistic even in bad situations

Read why being an optimist is vital to good health.

Final Thoughts On How A Bad Situation Can Help Transform Your Life

Life isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. You’re going to have ups and downs along the way. What’s important is that you don’t let those bad times define you and the way you live your life.

Instead of wallowing in misery whenever bad things occur, take your life in your own hands. Find the ways that you can become a better person through these negative circumstances. When you finally overcome the situation, you’ll be stronger, smarter, and much improved!

8 Health Benefits Of Yoga That Can Change Your Life

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We often hear about the wonders of yoga.  But with how much people rave about it, its benefits can seem exaggerated. Is it worth it? Are there really that many good results?

Surprisingly, even the most extreme accounts of yoga-based success aren’t too far fetched. In fact, this discipline promises countless different positive results. Even if you don’t receive all of them, you’re likely to benefit in several ways. This usefulness is due in part to the fact that it is an excellent form of physical activity, but also for its specific style of exercise.

So, what can you expect from practicing yoga?

Here Are 8 Health Benefits Of Yoga That Can Change Your Life

1.    Migraines

Every year, approximately 1 in 7 people in the United States will experience migraines. Though science classifies these headaches, they are much more severe and usually require medication-based treatment.

According to recent research, yoga can lead to reduced frequencies, intensities, and even pain levels of headaches and migraines. This relief may be because yoga can stimulate the vagus nerve in the body. And that links back to migraine reduction.

A 2007 study entitled “Effectiveness of yoga therapy in the treatment of migraine without aura: a randomized controlled trial” saw 72 migraine patients split up into self-care and yoga therapy groups. After three months, those who did yoga experienced significant reductions in the severity of their migraines.

In 2014, scientists published a study called “Effect of Yoga on migraine: A comprehensive study using clinical profile and cardiac autonomic functions.”

This study found that among 60 migraine patients, those who did yoga experienced less frequent and intense migraines than those who went through conventional care.

2.    Cardiovascular Health

If your heart isn’t healthy, the chances are that the rest of your body isn’t healthy, either. The heart’s condition is crucial to your overall wellbeing. As such, a benefit for your cardiovascular system can easily be a benefit for your entire body.

Yoga has a positive effect on blood pressure and heart health, reducing cardiovascular disease risk. Research findings include:

One study from 2003 entitled “Effect of yoga on the cardiovascular system in subjects above 40 years” found that those aged 40 and over who continually and consistently practiced yoga for five years had a more positive pulse rate and blood pressure.

A 2009 study entitled “Beneficial effects of yoga lifestyle on reversibility of ischaemic heart disease: caring heart project of International Board of Yoga” indicated that among 113 heart disease patients, those who made lifestyle changes involving a healthier diet and one year of yoga experienced decrease by 26% of their body’s bad cholesterol content. 47% of the participants who did yoga also had their heart disease stop progressing.

Yoga can minimize stress, and according to a 2014 study called “Stress and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” stress reduction and management can significantly reduce heart disease risk.

3.    Chronic Pain

Millions of people all around the globe deal with chronic pain, whether idiopathic or as a symptom of a disorder or disease like arthritis. Though there is a lot more research that needs to be done before any definitive conclusions regarding this problem can be done, a decent number of studies show that yoga can aid pain symptoms.

One study from 1998 called “Yoga-based intervention for carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized trial” had 42 carpal tunnel syndrome patients split into two groups. One group received wrist splints, and the other did yoga. After eight weeks, they found that yogis had lower pain levels and increased wrist function.

A more modern study from 2005 entitled “Iyengar yoga for treating symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knees: a pilot study” showed that yoga could have positive effects on knee function. The practice successfully decreased levels of pain and widened physical motion in osteoarthritis patients.

4.    Balance and Flexibility

If you’ve ever tried yoga, you’ll know that it requires a significant amount of flexibility and balance. As such, it’s not difficult to imagine that if you perform poses that focus on these areas, you may be able to increase your balance and flexibility – and science supports this. Here are some research findings.

A study from 2014 called “Flexibility of the elderly after a one-year practice of yoga and calisthenics” involved 66 elderly individuals. They were split into groups and told to either practice calisthenics or yoga. A year later, the group that did yoga was a whopping four times more flexible than the other group.

In 2016, a study with the title “Impact of 10-weeks of yoga practice on flexibility and balance of college athletes” was released. It revealed that after ten weeks of practice, a significant improvement in balance and flexibility could be seen among 26 male athletes of college-age.

There was also a 2013 study entitled “A 12-week Iyengar yoga program improved balance and mobility in older community-dwelling people: a pilot randomized controlled trial”. This study found that older adults could experience bolstered mobility and balance if they performed this exercise.

5.    Depression

Yoga can reduce cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is a stress hormone that, when produced in excess, can limit the production of the positive hormone serotonin. This is likely why yoga connects with the reduction of depressive symptoms.

Plenty of studies suggest that yoga boosts positive thinking and reduces the severity of depression. Those who practice it have often been found to have lower cortisol levels as well as lower adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels. ACTH is a type of hormone that is typically responsible for cortisol production and release.

It is worth noting that yoga alone may not be able to treat severe depression adequately. It is, however, recommended alongside other forms of depressive disorder treatment, such as therapy or medication.

On that note, if a calmer activity isn’t your thing, plenty of physical activity and exercise options aid depressive symptoms. However, this particular practice has the most research put into it. Therefore, this might be the most reliable option.

6.    Anxiety

Many people who practice this ancient exer ise likely associate it with serenity or peacefulness. Though it seems like a bit of a cliché, there’s a lot of truth to that. In fact, there are plenty of individuals who use yoga as a tool for managing anxiety, with excellent results for positive thinking.

Research seems to agree, too. A study published in 2009 with the name “Effects of yoga on depression and anxiety of women” revealed that women who practice yoga classes two times every week wind up experiencing decreased anxiety. (However, this study was tiny with just 34 participants.)

But it’s not just “ordinary” anxiety that yoga may help. Trauma-based anxiety from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, can also be aided by yoga. According to 2014’s study “Yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled trial,” more than half of women with PTSD who do yoga once a week wind up no longer meeting the minimum criteria for PTSD at all.

anxiety and yoga7.    Inflammation

Inflammation is a complex subject. On the one hand, it triggers to help heal the body. On the other, chronic inflammation in excess is likely to lead to a wide range of conditions, including:

  • Cancer
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Bowel disease

Doctors use inflammatory markers of all kinds to detect excess inflammation. And, they use the indicators to conduct research linking inflammation to practicing this exercise.

One study conducted in 2015 and called “Effect of Yoga Practice on Levels of Inflammatory Markers After Moderate and Strenuous Exercise” took 218 individuals and split them into groups. One group did not do yoga, while the other group consisted of regular yoga practitioners.

After performing strenuous and moderate physical activity, designed to put the body under stress, those who did yoga often had fewer inflammatory markers. However, this may be due to their overall fitness level.

Scientists published another study in 2014 on breast cancer survivors. Titled “Yoga reduces inflammatory signaling in fatigued breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial,” it revealed that these cancer survivors would experience fewer inflammatory markers after practicing yoga for 12 weeks.

8.    Sleep Quality

Many, many things result when you have a poor quality of sleep. Indeed, the condition can affect your entire body and increase the risks of:

However, studies indicate that this exercise may be capable of improving sleep and treating insomnia.

In 2014, the study “Effects of Hatha yoga and Omkar meditation on cardiorespiratory performance, psychologic profile, and melatonin secretion” was published. It showed that yoga could boost the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Do note, though, that more research is needed before this is definitively confirmed.

A 2005 study entitled “Influence of Yoga and Ayurveda on self-rated sleep in a geriatric population” took 69 participants of senior age and divided them into three groups. One group received an herbal infusion, another practiced yoga, and the final was a control group. Those doing yoga were able to sleep faster and longer, allowing for a more well-rested feeling come morning.

Patients with lymphoma are less likely to experience disturbances while they sleep. Additionally, they may also have longer and more positive sleep overall. This is according to the 2004 study “Psychological adjustment and sleep quality in a randomized trial of the effects of a Tibetan yoga intervention in patients with lymphoma.”

Of course, it is worth noting that many kinds of exercise can help you fall asleep more quickly as you are burning calories during the day as you go. As such, if you are dealing with insomnia and don’t want to do yoga, and kind of physical activity will likely help you to some degree.

benefits of yogaFinal Thoughts on Adopting Yoga Into Your Life

Yoga is an excellent form of exercise. It is gentle yet challenging and promises plenty of benefits, with many personal accounts of positive results from around the world. Although many people make fun of it, its ability to bolster health makes it a worthy endeavor. If you’ve never tried it, why not give it a go? You never know – it might just change your life!

10 Books That Have The Power To Transform You

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The right words, written by the right person, and read at the right time, has the power to transform the essence of who we are. If you’re seeking wisdom, check out these ten books.

Ask yourself: Why do I read? For two reasons: entertainment and knowledge. While the former can help us to forget our problems, the latter can help us to overcome them. While education is not necessarily wisdom, it can be that, which is one big reason why reading is so empowering.

We’ve got a long list here, so let’s get right to it. If you are interested about African-American heritage, you may want to consider reading Black Empowerment Books.

Ten books that have the power to transform any area of your life:

1 – Happiness – 10% Happier by Dan Harris

“Make the present moment your friend rather than your enemy. Because many people live habitually as if the present moment were an obstacle that they need to overcome to get to the next moment.”

Dan Harris is a co-anchor of the show Nightline and a prolific, well-respected host and reporter for various other programs. Harris suffered a nationally-televised panic attack while hosting Good Morning America that convinced him that some serious changes were needed.

Like many who eventually found peace of mind, Harris discovered that it was his mind that was the cause of his problems. More specifically, the constant voice in our head that never shuts up. Eventually, Harris found that meditation was the answer.

Harris’s account of his plight and his surmounting of it is frank, honest, and witty. Partly spiritual, partly practical, this book will help us become happier, a little bit at a time.

2 – Career/Job – So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport

“…the happiest, most passionate employees… are those who have been around long enough to become good at what they do.”

In his smart, counterintuitive style, Newport makes it clear that he’s not a fan of omnipresently and cliche advice of “Just follow your passion.” Passion, Newport argues, is not the cause but the effect of doing good work.

Which is good for us, considering that most people don’t like their jobs. While some of us no doubt have a good reason for such disdain, Newport essentially warns again heading out for greener pastures too soon.

Instead, says Newport, the goal is to work on improving your skills, becoming good at what you do, and letting the passion come to you.

3 – Finances – The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley

“Wealth is often the result of a lifestyle of hard work, perseverance, planning, and most of all, self-discipline.”

Books that write about the mindset of millionaires and billionaires tend to be both abstract and fantastical as opposed to concrete and practical. Stanley’s book is solidly in the latter category – and he backs it up with meticulous research.

For example, Stanley details the seven common characteristics of American millionaires – 80 to 85 percent of whom are self-made – as:

  1. Living well below their means.
  2. Efficiently allocating their time, money, and energy.
  3. Valuing financial independence over displays of social status.
  4. Not receiving “economic outpatient care” from their parents.
  5. Requiring the economic self-sufficiency of their children.
  6. Being proficient in targeting market opportunities.
  7. Choosing the right occupation.

4 – Relationships (Cordial) – How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

“By fighting, you never get enough, but by yielding, you get more than you expected.”

Dale Carnegie’s bestselling book is the literary gold-standard of how to improve relationships. But it doesn’t stop there, as Carnegie convincingly writes that, by improving how we interact with people, we also expand our influence in any situation.

The genius of the work is that Carnegie teaches us how to apply his core lessons to nearly every conceivable social interaction, including the workplace. In other words, this book is a must-read for anyone who seeks to improve their social abilities for any (genuine) reason whatsoever.

5 – Relationships (Marriage) – The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman, Ph.D.

“Friendship fuels the flames of romance because it offers the best protection against feeling adversarial toward your spouse.”

John Gottman, a.k.a. “The Marriage Whisperer” is the relationship expert of our times. He (gracefully) dispenses with the mushy lovey-dovey-but-ultimately-worthless nonsense that makes up so many “relationship” books on today’s bookshelves.

Instead, Gottman approaches marriage with a sense of compassion backed up with solid research on what actually makes a marriage work.

6 – Relationships (Dating) – Real L0ve: The Art of Mindful Connection by Sharon Salzberg

“I have never believed that you must completely love yourself first before you can love another … But it’s hard to sustain [this] love … until we have a sense of inner abundance and sufficiency.”

Sharon Salzberg, whose name is usually associated with meditation and mindfulness, wrote this dandy of a book on how engaging the present moment can assist anyone in finding and nurturing loving relationships.

Ms. Salzberg focuses her efforts throughout this book not only on guiding principles but in leading the reader through mindfulness exercises and meditation techniques based on loving-kindness.

7 – Spirituality – The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

 “The only thing ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That’s all there is.”

While there are many brilliant and potentially lifechanging spiritual books, Tolle’s ‘The Power of Now’ stands above all. It does so by explaining, very simply, the essential problem that leads to all unhappiness: the inability to be present.

But Eckhart Tolle goes far beyond this basic observation by masterfully weaving a convincing work of self-discovery and – in many readers’ opinions – ultimate truth. Tolle’s book is entirely capable of upending any and all misplaced narratives around life’s purpose.

8 – Productivity – Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success In A Distracted World by Cal Newport

“Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not.”

Cal Newport not only writes about living a productive life, he, well, lives it. He became the youngest tenured professor in MIT’s history in his mid-30s. He’s written books that have had as much impact on casual readers as his academic papers have had on the field of computer science.

At its core, Deep Work is all about focused concentration and the rewards thereof. For, as Newport clearly implies, few people are willing to do any semblance of deep work. Those who do are rightly rewarded and enjoy a greater sense of meaning.

9 – Health and Nutrition – How Not to Die by Michael Greger, M.D.

“When the Dalai Lama comments about your book, you know that you’re doing something right.”

While a relatively recent book (published in 2015), Dr. Greger’s work may be the most important concerning the role of food in preventing and counteracting disease. A topic that has become almost taboo with the proliferation of – and our overreliance upon – prescription drugs.

Additionally, the timing of this book could not be better. Especially considering that we in the West are contending with skyrocketing numbers of hypertension, obesity, stress levels, and other life-threatening conditions.

Among the contents, Dr. Greger writes about “How Not to Die From”: heart disease, lung diseases, brain diseases, digestive cancers, infections, diabetes, high blood pressure, liver diseases, blood cancers, kidney disease, breast cancer, suicidal depression, prostate cancer, and Parkinson’s Disease.

 Dr. Greger also lists off his “daily dozen” of essentials, including beans, berries, other fruits, cruciferous vegetables, flaxseeds, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices, whole grains, healthy beverages, and exercise.

books10 – Inspiration – Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given site of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

This classic needs no introduction.

Viktor Frankl was an Austrian Jew who survived internment in four different concentration camps over three years in Nazi Germany. Frankl chronicles his experiences as a prisoner, including the imprisonment and murder of his pregnant wife, his parents, and his brother.

Despite the horrific circumstances in the concentration camps, Frankl committed to living as fully as possible. To do so, Frankl often consoled his fellow prisoners, serving as a confidant and friend in times of both tragedy and relative peace. He would resort to humor in an attempt to lift his fellow prisoners, who were often suicidal and in the grips of angst, depression, and fear. Frankl, a trained neurologist, and psychiatrist would often use his self-designed therapeutic techniques in these interactions.

Frankl cemented his legacy upon his release. Included in his writings is his psychoanalytic theory of Logotherapy, which theorizes that meaning and a sense of purpose are integral to wellbeing and happiness.

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