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Researchers Explain 5 Habits That Can Damage Your Brain

September 28, 2019 by Power of Positivity

The brain is our most vital organ. It’s what makes us, well, us. While the debate of “brain vs. mind” is justifiable and even necessary, one thing is for certain. Damage this most vital organ to a certain point and we vanish. Figuratively if not literally.

In this article, we’re going to talk about five habits that can damage the brain. We’ll also give a short primer on its structure and function. To cap things off, we’ll discuss lifelong habits that promote brain health.

Let’s do this!

The Mysterious, Magnificent Brain

“The human brain has 100 billion neurons, each neuron connected to 10 thousand other neurons. Sitting on your shoulders is the most complicated object in the known universe.” ~ Michio Kaku, theoretical physicist (source)

On the surface, there is nothing exceptional about our brain. If you could take the organ out of your head and look at it, what would you see? Nothing pretty. A three-pound mass of what appears to be folds of some grey matter covered in fat.

But it isn’t what’s on the surface that makes this organ remarkable – it’s what lies underneath. Namely, the 100 billion nerve cells, or neurons, that are constantly firing across the brain. Watch a video of a functional magnetic resonance image (fMRI) in real-time, and you’ll see what appears to be a massive, unremitting lightning storm.

Each of our brain’s 100 billion neurons is exceptionally complex. Structurally, the neuron consists of dendrites, soma (or cell body), axon (“tail”) and terminal branches. Called the “basic” unit of the brain, these innumerable, specialized cells communicate with cells across the brain and body. Neurons are solely responsible for the continuous function of our body.

When asked how close we were to understanding the human brain, Christof Koch, Ph.D., scoffs before replying as follows:

“We don’t even understand the brain of a worm.”

To put this gulf of knowledge about the brain into some perspective, the typical worm – a roundworm – contains 302 neurons and some 7,000 connections. Per the Allen Institute for Brain Science, “…we still don’t understand how [the neurons] all work synergistically to give rise to the worm’s behaviors.”

Looks like we’ve got a ways to go.

The Dangers of Brain Damage

Why did we include a section discussing the sheer majesty of the brain? Simply to emphasize just how remarkable of an organ it is – and how critical it is to take care of it. Which leads, naturally, to the real dangers of brain damage.

In the U.S. alone, there are over 2.6 million reported cases of brain injury. Most instances of brain injury occur from serious events like stroke, trauma, or tumor growth. Per the Brain Injury Association of America, 52,000 people die as a result of brain injury every year. More than 5 million Americans require daily assistance due to injury.

Two Kinds of Brain Damage

There are two primary classifications of post-birth brain damage: traumatic brain injury (TBI) and acquired brain injury (ABI).

TBI is the result of an external force that damages the skull. In turn, this skull damage inflicts brain injury. ABI is brain damage that transpires on the cellular level. Catalysts of ABI include most forms of non-impact neurological illness, including a brain tumor and stroke.

Symptoms of brain damage vary. Symptom severity is dependent upon the type of brain injury. Temporary brain injury (not to be confused with TBI) often leads to short term symptoms. Temporary brain injury symptoms include confusion, headaches, memory problems, and nausea.

Severe brain damage leads to disability or death. Symptoms of severe brain damage may include blurred vision, difficulty hearing or speaking, hemorrhage, and loss of consciousness. Cognitive, behavioral, and physical disabilities often result. Many who survive severe cases of brain damage may enter and remain in a comatose (nonresponsive) state.

While not every instance of damage is preventable, many are indeed avoidable. To start with always wear a helmet and protective headgear when playing sports. Reduce your risk of stroke by eating right and losing excess weight. Simple preventative measures can make all of the difference.

Now that we’ve covered the most overt type of brain damage, let’s discuss the more subtle habits that can inflict serious harm.

5 Habits that Damage the Brain

“Smoking is hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs.” ~ King James I (1566-1625)

For someone who lived over four centuries ago, King James I showed remarkable insight into the nasty health effects of smoking. The great king probably could have never predicted that people would continue to ignore the noxious health effects of lighting up. And despite the piles of research directly implicating smoking to increased risk of cancer, lung disease heart disease, and stroke.

Oh yeah, and smoking is harmful to this organ as well as others. No big surprise there. Well done, James!

Without further ado, here are five habits that researchers say cause damage.

Smoking

Let’s just pick up where we left off. While most of the attention on the effects of smoking go to the heart and lungs, smoking does indeed inflict brain damage. In a 2017 paper published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers conclude that smoking shrinks multiple areas of the brain.

Among the organ’s regions affected include the cerebellar cortex, corpus callosum, and thalamus. In “higher pack-year” * users, smoking was also linked to shrinkages of the bilateral amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and subcortical areas.

*Pack-years are a measure of lifetime exposure to cigarettes. Consider the following calculation for comparative and illustrative purposes:

Person 1 smokes 10 cigarettes per day for 10 years: ½ pack (10 cigarettes) x 10 years = 5 pack years.

Person 2 smokes 30 cigarettes per day for 25 years: 1 pack (20 cigarettes) x 25 years = 25 pack years.

Because person 2 is a higher pack-year user than person 1, he or she is likely more at risk for smoking-related conditions.

Oversleeping

On the social forum Quora, a user by the name of Sachin Singh offers up some (mostly) astute advice against taking long naps.

“During the day, short naps no longer than 20 minutes will leave you feeling energized. Longer naps of roughly half an hour will leave you feeling groggy and sluggish. This feeling comes from entering the deeper stages of sleep that occurs after 30-60 minutes,” writes Singh.

It turns out that Mr. Singh is right – for the most part. Per a study published in the journal Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine, 30 minutes – not 20 – appears to be just about right. According to the study’s authors, naps exceeding half an hour are associated with sleep inertia and loss of productivity.

Skipping Breakfast

One Vanesh Bhagat warns against the perils of skipping breakfast. “Those who do not eat breakfast will have lower blood sugar levels. After a long night without eating, this can lead to an insufficient supply of nutrients to your brain. If repeated often enough over a lifetime, this can cause brain degeneration.”

Yes and no.

If Mr. Bhagat is implying cognitive deterioration results from skipping breakfast, he is indeed correct. However, physical degeneration of the brain merely from skipping breakfast – assuming otherwise-healthy dietary habits – is probably a reach.

For the sake of agreement, we’ll assume that Bhagat is referring to cognitive function. Indeed, research shows that breakfast sharpens (enables?) cognitive function by supplying vital energy and nutrients. The science clearly shows that a healthy breakfast enhances both working and learning proficiency.

Dehydration

A Quora user named Lokesh Kumar offers up his take on not drinking enough water. “Taking less water every day is also very harmful to both our body and of course our brain. It’s better to take 9 to 10 [glasses] of water every day.”

The organ is composed of 73 percent water. It’s not surprising that H2O is essential for its function. It’s unclear as to what exactly Kumar means by purported “very harmful” effects of inadequate water intake on the brain. Of course, inadequate water intake over a long period can most certainly cause at least low-grade damage.

Water helps to deliver vital oxygen and nutrients needed by the organ. Research also shows that H2O helps cushion and lubricate brain tissue.

Pollution

A Quora user by the name of Humanshi Chaturvedi offers up some advice concerning brain damage and pollution. “Due to … air pollution … we inhale includes lots of toxic substances [that] harms our lungs and brain. The noise pollution due to traffic jams also leads to damaging the brain…”

In a study published in Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Chinese researchers found a direct link between air pollution levels and cognitive decline. However, according to an article in National Geographic, most “researchers aren’t sure exactly how or why.”

On the issue of noise pollution, researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas cite physical alterations to the part of the organ that influences speech processing. The scientists write “Exposure to intensely loud sounds leads to permanent damage” of the ear’s hair cells. Hair cells serve the function of receiving sound waves for interpretation by the brain.

Final Thoughts: The Magic of Neuroplasticity

“Our brains change in response to experience and in response to training. Our brain changes wittingly or unwittingly. Most of the time, our brains are changing unwittingly..”

~ Richard Davidson, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (source)

Simply by cultivating healthy habits of mind, we can change our brain for the better. That’s because, contrary to popular belief, the brain is plastic.

Okay, so it’s not literally plastic; but it is moldable. This concept is known as neuroplasticity. The definition of neuroplasticity is “the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.” (Emphasis added.)

For years, many people believed – and some still do – that intelligence and other cognitive abilities are fixed. That is, unchangeable. Fortunately, neuroscientific research has obliterated this false notion.

11 Things to Never Do Around an Aquarius

September 27, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Did you know that studies show that least 0.063 % of the American population is Aquarius? This percentage is an indication that there is a high likelihood that one of your family members, family friend, classmate, or even your life partner is an Aquarius. However, a Zodiac signs study shows that few people understand Aquarius.

Thus, it is difficult for you to understand the character traits of your partner if you have in knowledge about zodiac stars. You may miss seeing the clear signs on how your Aquarius spouse expresses love to you. You can nature your relationship with an Aquarius by understanding how he or she represents his emotions.

Basically, the Aquarius zodiac belongs to a unique group of individuals who are exciting thinkers. An Aquarius people are quite difficult to understand because they are deep thinkers who can theorize even a simple coffee table conversation. They like to isolate themselves and get lost in deep thoughts, requiring one to give them personal space. Having this in mind, here are 11 things you should never do around an Aquarius

11 Things You Should Never Do Around an Aquarius

1 – You Should Never Say That That They Are Aloof

Aquarius people can be super detached from your reality. However, never be fooled, they are the most intellectual zodiac members, and they can hear you even when they are lost in their thoughts. Their far-away look should not deceive you to thinking that they are in their world.

Instead, you should reserve your cold remarks. This precaution is because there is a high chance that they can hear you because there is a little that can escape their ears even when they are in their anti-social mode. You may never want your Aquarius friend to hate you because you called him or her cold and thought that they never heard you.

2 – You Should Never Think That They Are Stupid

The best way to build a relationship with a person born of this sign is for you to understand that they have a unique set of character traits. Fast forward, you must be ready to acknowledge their witty nature without making them feel stupid.

Those of this zodiac sign can withdraw from the conventional world if they realize that you are playing with their mental prowess. They are the set of unique individuals living in the future and take pride in the intellect. If your child or life partner is an Aquarius, you must be ready to acknowledge their analytical minds and laugh to their weird humor.

3 – Never Discredit the Ideas of an Aquarius

Aquarius individuals take pride in their prowess minds. They are always in their planets inventing their revolutionary and radical ideas. They have a fearless belief that they are still right. Those living in the popular world should not rubbish their ideas because they are not the Aquarius’s universe.

Rather, you should encourage them because, for them, they believe in the future. Thus, even if an idea is wrong today, it will be right in the coming days. For this reason, you should help them keep the dream going.

4 – Never Question Their Knowledge

Aquarius people do not like hearing people telling them that they do not know something. Aquarius believes that there is an answer for everything. It only that they have not yet found a rational explanation for these particular challenges.

These individuals inherently believe that they can find a solution and take pride in it. Their resilience to be right about everything can push them into not settling for anything less. Aquarius people have a fixed expectation of perfecting thing in their emotional thoughts. Thus, telling them that they don’t know something can drive them into detaching with you completely.

5 -Do Not Start A Fight with An Aquarius

Aquarius individuals have an interesting way of dealing with anger. They will withdraw from reality and lash their anger in activities such as drawing and writing. They will give you a silent treatment to avoid shouting or out bursting with rage.

These people can be seen as emotional zombies when you provoke them, and they consequently want to ignore you. Aquarius hate getting into heated debates, getting angry or even engaging in physical fights.

However, if you continue pissing them off, they will probably explode with anger. You should learn about your partner’s zodiac star to know if he or she is an Aquarius because they may easily hurt you emotionally and never notice the damage if you push them too hard.

6 – Aquarius Do Not Want You to Criticize Them

Aquarius individual does not like being criticized at all. They try as much as possible to avoid confrontation. Even when you provoke them, they tend to say things and assume they never meant to make such comments.

If you have a spouse or child born of this star sign, then you are in trouble. Brace yourself for a life of mood swing. If criticized they can quickly turn from most charming individuals to disengaged being to prevent provocation. You should stay clear from them and let them cool by themselves.

Trying to resolve a disagreement with an Aquarius might cause further damage more than good. Let it pass, and they will come around once they are ready to talk.

7 – Never Interfere With An Aquarius’s Privacy

Privacy is essential in everyone’s life. Many people often feel offended if they feel like someone is infringing their right to privacy. Aquarius get more offended when facing such a situation.

These are individualists who want to be left alone. Aquarius people love their freedom, and hence they can do anything to get space for privacy. You should leave them alone when they disengage from reality.

Although they are socially-minded people the need time alone to reflect their emotional and intellectual needs. Never disturb their alone time. Allow them to adjust and reflect on their next social encounter.

8 – You Should Never Prevent an Aquarius From Exploring Their Creativity

Aquarius individuals view life as an endless possibility of inventions. They spend most of their introverted time to create an ideal solution for the challenges they are facing. Whenever they get bored, they tend to find an intellectual challenge. Therefore, you should never interfere with their creative time.

Instead, focus on challenging them intellectually. This exercise can enhance their mental stimulation. Aquarius people always want to learn a new thing every day. They want someone who can avail an intellectual challenge. If you have a friend of this sign, try to match their intellectual knowledge to help in stimulating your mental thirst.

9 – Do Not Prevent an Aquarius From Travelling

Never mention to an Aquarius that you hate traveling. They can easily withdraw and lose interest in your friendship if they realize that you dislike having an excellent adventure. Aquarius’s minds often get bored with one environment fast.

They love changing their current scenario to help them clear their heads and stay in reality with the environment. Moreover, you will be likely to notice that their hobby is meeting new people and exploring different cultures. Thus, you should never say you hate traveling before an Aquarius.

10 – Never be Petty

Aquarius individuals dislike petty people. The best character trait of an Aquarius is their ability to listen and advice people. If you have an Aquarius friend remember to be frank when around them. Tell them about your emotions and be transparent.

However, if you want to express petty problems like issues in your marriage, an Aquarius will never want to listen to you. To an Aquarius, these are trivial problems that are not worth their mental prowess. They will never want to get along with you if you keep telling them about your life dramas.

Aquarius individuals are more interested when you are honest and having severe problems that can challenge and stimulate their intellectual capabilities. They will refuse to associate with or even lose respect if you are that person who keeps judging or laughing at someone. You must be tight-fisted when surrounded by Aquarius if you want to survive around them.

11 – Never Make Your Life Schedule an Aquarius Schedule

An Aquarius is an unpredictable person to deal with, especially when you want a relationship. Brace yourself for instance of mood swings every time. They can withdraw and deliberately stop talking to you or even participating in life events to avoid you at all cost.

Instead, you must be spontaneous if you want to stay in touch with an Aquarius. Be ready to alter your life schedule and events to suit those of you Aquarius partner.

You can quickly lose your Aquarius friend if you whenever you become strict about following routines. You would instead become flexible to accommodate them and make them feel that you care about them. Aquarius people do not want a controlling person in their lives. You must compromise to maintain a healthy relationship with your loved one.

Never Do These 11 Things Around Aquarius to Keep Your Relationship on Solid Ground

The Aquarius zodiac star reveals a lot about the personalities of an Aquarius. The Aquarius people are quite challenging to stay around because of their complex character traits. They are individualistic and often impossible to open up whenever they do not trust you.

You must be ready to compromise most of your routines to accommodate your friend or lover. It becomes more challenging if an Aquarius is your child or life partners because you have observed the above 11 things that you can never do whenever you are around them.

Everyone Needs to Know These Things About Their Horoscope

September 27, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Horoscopes are astrological charts that represent the position of astronomical bodies like the moon, planets, and the sun. Horoscopes may inspire or influence events throughout different times of an individual’s life. There is no scientific research proving that horoscopes are entirely accurate.

You can choose whether or not to believe what the horoscopes say. Daily horoscopes rely on the moon’s movement and its relation to other celestial objects like the planets on that day. Astrologers interpret horoscopes based on star sign astrology which are based on the position of the sun at the time of one’s birth.

Newspapers and online platforms have for years promoted astrology by posting about the signs and how they influence events at different times. Horoscopes explain various traits and parts of an individual. They shape your personality and thinking.

Horoscopes also help predict possible events in one’s life. This is possible as the events are determined by signs that base the predictions on the position of astronomical bodies like the sun and moon when one is born. Horoscopes are powerful.

Not only do they determine your character, but they can also help you improve your personality and get everything great that the universe offers. Below, we share one thing that everyone must know about their horoscope.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19) Stay Away From Social Media

Social media can drain you both psychologically and emotionally. Combine that with toxic traits of some Capricorns, and you will be finished without knowing it.

Capricorns do their thing without stopping. If it is loving, they will love for real. They will be workaholics and neglect some elements around them if they like to work.

The same thing goes for Capricorns who are active on various social media sites. Deactivate for a while or delete your social media apps and pay attention to the people who are close to you.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18) Never Hold Back

Uranus and Sturn rule Aquarius. With air as their element, Aquarius tend to be experimental and innovative. You will not be surprised to see your Aquarius friend being so in love with advanced technology, fashion, and other social events.

An Aquarius knows the importance of following modern trends. Take advantage of having such an amazing character by never holding back in whatever you do. Go out and be great for the universe.

Your mind is always working and thinking, and this makes you extremely valuable. You can help yourself by noting down the things you do not want to forget. A continuously working mind can be forgetful sometimes. Protect your ideas by penning them down even as you boldly express yourself.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20) Stand Your Ground

Pisces is calm, empathetic, and selfless. The good heart exhibited by Pisces can, however, land them in trouble if they are not careful. Learn to say no as a Pisces.

Not everything is right for you. Some souls will take advantage of you knowing that Neptune rules you and fall under astrology water element. This makes you vulnerable to every type of people.

Build fortresses to protect yourself when you need to. The best thing that you can do to your kind heart is to protect your space.

Be wary of monsters who hide in allies. Spotting them can be demanding as you are programmed to help. This does not, however, mean that you stop being the big-hearted person you are.

Aries (March 21 to April 19) To Be in a Better Financial Space

Aries who are business savvy can use their horoscope to improve their financial situations by looking for better ways to appear at the top. Think ahead and consider yourself a front-runner. An Aries who feels left out may become stressed out for certain periods.

Aries is meant to be at best at all times. Carve your path and create a space where you can put all your potential. Aries are comfortable working with people who push them to do better. Take advantage of any situation that forces you to be in a better place financially.

Taurus (April 20 to May 20) Perfect Your Skills

Taurus is generally known to be stubborn. Planet Venus rules Taurus and thus tend to have characters that lean towards beauty, creativity, pleasure-seeking, and loving luxury. As a Taurus, you have the ability to polish your skills and be a star.

Taurus becomes productive by widening their spaces. A Taurus loves to scream or sing. A Taurus will open up their throat chakra by singing anywhere. They let out their anger by screaming and actually gets to be more perfect in their art.

Gemini (May 21 to June 20) Keep Your relations close

Geminis are fun to hang around with. They know where all the fun is at and will make you have the time of your life. You are lucky if you have Gemini friends.

As a Gemini, you can work on your personality by being the reliable friend everyone wants. Friendship does not stop with the fun. Geminis are known to be curious.

What makes Gemini a unique horoscope is that their interest span in individuals tends to be short-lived. A Gemini may have the best time with you today and show little interest in the future. Dependability is vital in close friendships.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22): Take Care of The Worst First

As a Cancer, you are bound to deal with the worst first when you are attending your schedule. Make it a habit to take care of things that you feel are stumbling blocks.

You will come across frustrations and negative energy every once in a while. Manage yourself by getting rid of what you deem extreme first before dealing with regular issues. This will help you balance yourself as you handle your tasks.

Eliminate what’s annoying or irritating from your view. Once you are done with that, wash your hands and move forward. Don’t get tempted to look back.

Leo (July 23 – August 22): Expose Yourself To The sun

What is a Leo who doesn’t want some natural light? Leos are ruled by the sun, so naturally, they will require some sunshine periodically.

You need a dose of Vitamin D, don’t you? Take some time from your busy schedule and enjoy the sun by going for short walks and strolling in the neighborhood. You can work outside if your career allows you to do that.

Don’t hide inside when you can get your skin and heart glowing under the beautiful sun. Wear bright colors during cold months to continue with the positivity.

Virgo (August 23 – September 22) Plan Yourself

Aren’t Virgos the best perfectionists? Virgos are humble and modest. You will never find a Virgo openly show their pride.

Knowing that they have among the best characteristics, Virgos are encouraged to time themselves in everything they do. Plan your day, make a proper schedule, and give an excellent delivery.

Your Virgo traits, professional skills, and general lovely personality will make everything easy if you are determined.

Libra (September 23 – October 22) and Scorpio (October 23 – November 21) Work With Others

Given that Libras and Scorpios are born towards the end of the year, the two signs need to work closely and mend relationships that broke at the beginning of the year. Do not procrastinate if you are a Scorpio. Put things that take your concentration away if you are a Libra.

What makes Libras and Scorpios a great pair is their differences. Libras are mostly extroverts while Scorpios often keep to themselves. This difference creates a perfect blend as both of them bring in one half to complete the other.

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21) Document Your Goals in Writing

Everyone has goals and ambitions. As a Sagittarius, you are encouraged to create a vision board to harness your energy.

All horoscopes have some good in them. What makes Sagitarrius unique is its ability to adapt at all times. Sagitarrius is probably the most flexible horoscope. They often yearn for change and have crazy but achievable dreams.

Use These Tips from Your Horoscope to Guide You on Life’s Path

Do not feel inadequate, no matter your horoscope. Life is a process. Do not rush things or appear in a hurry to achieve specific targets.

The horoscopes are only there to guide you. The most significant task is on you. Learn how to improve yourself by being more productive.

The procrastinator in you will eventually leave if you put in a little effort. There is no manual in life, and you can’t guarantee what the future holds.

The best thing with horoscopes is that they give you ideas. You cannot be clueless with life when you make it a habit to read and follow your horoscopes. Reading your horoscope on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis will help you understand the universe better.

Horoscopes have the potential to help you view things differently. You will be more open-minded and light at heart.

You can get a sight of your life from a planetary perspective, and eventually help yourself achieve the goals which seemed impossible. Therefore, we encourage you to read your horoscopes regularly fro motivation, inspiration, to stay focused, and to get the sense of direction.

16 Health Facts About Coffee to Never Ignore

September 27, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Statistics by the coffee market in the United States show that it’s the widely consumed beverage. On average Americans spend up to $40 billion to get this morning pick-me-up coffee each year. The average consumption per day accumulates to 1.6 billion cups.

Despite this high consumption, the health impact of coffee has been a debatable fact for a long time now. Coffee lovers advocate for the drink by citing its antioxidant activity.

Scientists believe that the long-term controversial debate is far from over. The current wave of scientific evidence shows that coffee brings about more health benefits than anticipate before. Having said all that, here are sixteen facts you might not know about the benefits of drinking coffee.

16 Facts You Might Not Know About the Benefits of Drinking Coffee

1 – By Drinking Your Favorite Beverage, You Get Healthful Antioxidants

Raw beans contain up to 1000 antioxidants. Beside more antioxidants develop during the processing and roasting procedures. Scientific evidence shows that coffee has more antioxidants when compared with beverages like tea or cocoa.

The health benefits of antioxidants include equipping the body to fight inflammation. Therefore, drinking a cup, a day reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as arthritis and atherosclerosis. Antioxidants are also essential in neutralizing moving radical that originate from the body metabolic functions. The neutralizing process helps reduce the risks of cell damage in the body.

Besides, coffee contains an essential acid known as chlorogenic acid. The acid is another important antioxidant that protects the body from cardiovascular disease.

2 – It Provides A Short-Term Memory Boost

Caffeine can boost your short-term memory. Scientific research on the effect of coffee shows a slight surge in brain activity, especially a few minutes after drinking coffee.

When you drink coffee, caffeine goes to the section of the brain that is responsible for short term memory. According to that research, it boosts your short-term memory and enhances your concentration acuity. Thus, neurologists encourage you to drink coffee when your memory and concentration levels are still at their peak.

3 – Drinking Coffee Helps Prevent Cognitive Decline

This drink inhibits the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaque in your body. Therefore, it can prevent the onset of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Regular drinking of coffee can also prevent the onset and other types of dementia too.

Research shows that amyloid-beta plaque is associated with the advent of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Researchers encourage people to drink between 3-5 cups of jave every day to aid in preventing dementia.

4 – Drinking Coffee Is Good for The Heath of Your Heart

Despite the downside of caffeine, coffee is good for a healthy heart. Detractors of drinking it point out that it can increase breathing rate and heartbeats. However, the beverage has essential antioxidants that are essential for the strength of the arterial walls.

For example, those coffee drinkers get many anti-inflammatory benefits. So, overall, coffee lowers the risk of heart disease eventually. It helps support your cardiovascular health by preventing arterial damage that may occur due to inflammation.

5 – Drinking Coffee Can Help in Curbing Certain Types of Cancers

Coffee contains essential Polyphenols, antioxidant phytochemicals that are anticarcinogenic. People who drink coffee at least once in a day have demonstrated lower risks and rates of cancer.

For instance, men that drink coffee lower the risk of the onset of aggressive prostate cancer. Coffee also reduces the risk of endometrial cancer in women. The antioxidants reduce the inflammation that is responsible for the onset of some tumors

6 – Your Daily Java Reduces the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Drinking coffee can help you keep diabetes at bay. Scientific evidence shows that those drinking cover lower the risks of diabetes. The caffeine present in coffee affects different metabolic functions that are responsible for causing diabetes.

For example, coffee improves the use of insulin in your blood. It protects the insulin-producing cells to enable effective regulation of blood sugar level at all times. The drink also reduces the inflammatory effect of type 2 cancer. Also, the presence of caffeic acid in your coffee protects you from toxic accumulation of amyloid fibrils present in the blood of people with type 2 diabetes.

7 – Drinking Coffee Is Good for Your Liver

Drinking your daily java curbs the risk of liver damage. Alcoholics are encouraged to drink coffee to lower the risks of alcoholic cirrhosis.

Compounds in this beverage help in lowering the levels of liver enzymes. Typically, people with a high level of liver enzymes have an inflamed and damaged liver. Coffee reverses this damage by reducing the level of liver enzymes.

8 – Enhances Your Endurance During Exercise

Exercise and fitness experts encourage you to drink coffee pre- and post-workout. Java is essential in helping you exercise for longer periods. It battles fatigue and improves your resilience to exercise.

Most people refer to caffeine as an endurance enhancer. You will need a cup of coffee before you head into an exercise that requires muscle strength and contraction. Caffeine supports muscle endurance and reduces muscle pain. It increases fatty acids in the blood to give the energy to endure longer exercise.

9 – Drinking Coffee Helps Curbs Depression

Drinking coffee is another non-prescription method of dealing with depression. You should consider a cup of coffee every morning.

Scientific studies show that caffeine present in your coffee is responsible for activating your neurotransmitter. People that drink java display a high brain and neurotransmitter activity.

Therefore, java drinkers have a higher chance to control their moods. Caffeine is also responsible for activating mood control hormones such as dopamine and serotonin.

10 – Drinking Coffee Guards Against Gout

If you drink coffee regularly you reduce the risk for gout. Coffee reduces the risk of gout by up to 40 and 50 percent. The beans contain a vital antioxidant that decreases the levels of insulin in your blood. The low levels of insulin also reduce the amount of uric acid that is responsible for causing gout.

11 – Lowers the Odds of a Stroke

Researchers show that if you stick to your coffee, the risk of stroke may not find you by surprise. Coffee lowers your risk of getting a stroke up to at least 37%.

While strokes happen often with zero warning, you can prolong your lifespan by drinking your four to five cups each day to lower the risk of stroke.

12 – Java Might Also Increase Your Life Span

Scientists have linked increased lifespan with drinking coffee. If you go for your favorite cup of coffee every day, it not only makes you feel better but it may also help you live longer.

Your caffeinated beverage contains bioactive compounds that help you to live longer.

13 – Drinking Java Helps You in Protecting Your Gum and Teeth

Contrary to the commonly known fact that your favorite drink discolors your teeth, you should know that it has protective effects on your dental health. The drink protects you from dental conditions such as periodontal diseases.

A person who takes at least five cups every day reduces the risks of bone loss, which is associated with periodontitis. Coffee also contains antibacterial properties that protect you from gum diseases. Stick to your drink and protect yourself from the effects of various dental issues.

14 – Java Beans Burn Body Fats Faster

The primary function of coffee for many is boosting their body’s ability to burn fat. Once you drink your cup, you get the fat-burning property of the drink to help you improve your daily metabolism.

Athletes and workout enthusiast take advantage of this benefit to break down blood sugar, get energy, and minimize the risk of obesity. The best way to kick start your day is to drink coffee and exercise at the same time to avoid the accumulation of fat component in your body.

Caffeine boosts the free fatty acid disposal rate. Therefore, your body converts fat into energy at a high rate. Caffeine increases the level of the free fatty acid in your bloodstream to conversion of blood sugar into energy.

15 – Drinking Coffee Boosts A Person’s Productivity

One cup of java early in the morning can go a long way in improving your day’s productivity. Your caffeinated drink boosts your alertness, enhances your reaction time, and improves your attention to the world around you.

16 – Four Daily Cups to Reduce the Risk Getting Multiple Sclerosis

The antioxidants in your daily cuppa prevent neural inflammation, preventing development and recurrence of multiple sclerosis. A study shows that 4 cups of caffeinated beverage protects you from MS.

Final Thoughts: Drinking Coffee Has Diverse Health Benefits You Should Not Ignore

Java drinking detractors love to point out its downsides. They forget the brain-boosting abilities and instead fixate on downsides such as increased blood pressure, indigestion, and insomnia.

However, java has several health benefits that many people do not even realize. The above sixteen facts are just a few of the things you might not know about the benefits of drinking coffee.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Dangers to Never Ignore

September 27, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Sleep apnea is a growing problem. Fortunately, you don’t need to suffer as you can find effective sleep apnea oral appliance therapy.

The quality of undisturbed sleep we get has a significant impact on our health. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, more than 22 million adults in the United States suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). There could even be fatal consequences for those whose breathing is interrupting their sleep. Understanding obstructive sleep apnea symptoms and the treatment technology available is the first step towards a peaceful night’s rest.

What Exactly Is OSA?

You might be wondering if your snore is something more serious than a nightly nuisance? Fortunately, not everyone who snores has obstructive sleep apnea.

OSA means that the flow of air during sleep is getting obstructed. That means no oxygen is coming in, and no carbon dioxide is going out. OSA creates repetitive closures of the upper airways known as the posterior pharynx.

Part of the sleep process includes the body loosening its postural muscle tone. During REM sleep, your body lowers its muscle tone. This loss of muscle responsiveness is necessary so that you don’t sleepwalk through your dreams. But some people end up with a lack of air from the loss of muscle tone in their throat region.

The loss of a patient’s striated muscle tone during dream sleep collapses the airway. This causes an airway obstruction. The person’s brain keeps waking the person up to regain muscle tone so that they can resume breathing again.

What Are Some Obstructive Sleep Apnea Symptoms?

Daytime symptoms of OSA include:

Excessive fatigue.
Headaches upon waking up in the morning.
Sore throat and dry mouth.

If you get 7-8 hours of sleep and are still tired and fatigued during the day, then you have obstructive sleep apnea. OSA prevents you from getting to those deeper stages of sleep. This is a severe disease with life-draining consequences.

Nighttime signs of OSA include a choking or gasping feeling. One of the most telltale symptoms comes from someone observing that their bed partner has stopped breathing.

What Are The Risk Factors For OSA

Patients who show obstructive sleep apnea symptoms are often male and obese. There’s a questionnaire to help check for OSA called the STOP-BANG questionnaire. You can take the questionnaire at the University of Toronto website. But here is the gist of STOP-BANG risk factors:

STOP

S is for Snoring. Not everyone who has a snoring issue has OSA, but there is a correlation.

T stands for tired. This includes being sleepy and fatigued during the day, even though you’re getting 7+ hours of sleep.

O means obstructed, as in your air passageway ends up getting blocked.

P stands for pressure. This basically means high blood pressure.

BANG

B is your body mass index, or BMI. This is basically calculated by taking your weight and divinding it by your height. There is a strong correlation between obesity and OSA.

A is for age. The further past 50 one gets, the more at risk they are for OSA.

N is for neck circumference. A risk factor for obstructive apnea is having a neck circumference in males of 17 or greater or 16 or greater in females.

G is for gender. The male gender is going to be more at risk, something around a 2/1 ratio compared to females. But once women become postmenopausal, the risk for females goes higher.

What Health Dangers Are Associated With Obstructive Apnea?

Obstructive apnea is associated with a range of cardiovascular diseases. These include:

Hypertension.
Atrial fibrillation.
Myocardial ischemia.

There should also be warning signs that you can tell your doctor about. If people wake from sleep with chest pain, then it might be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea. People with pulmonary embolism tend to have a higher incidence of OSA.

What Are The Consequences Of Not Treating OSA?

There are so many people out there that have gone undiagnosed. OSA affects your cognitive function, your memory and just being sharp during the day. Having untreated OSA is like having sleep deprivation. Can you imagine not getting oxygen going to your brain? You’re going to be a risk for stroke and congestive heart failure. These are the risks when your arteries are not getting enough precious oxygen.

Patients with untreated OSA can develop something called pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs). Always get diagnosed so you can stop the apnea from negatively affecting your life. The good news is that treating obstructive apnea that’s comorbid with hypertension will also lower blood pressure. That means patients with OSA treating their apnea will potentially take care of many health problems at once.

After getting the correct diagnosis, you’ll need to find out how severe it is. This is done through a sleep study. Sleep studies are either done in a lab or at home. In a lab setting, the clinicians will track brainwaves, eye movement, EKG, breathing, muscle tone, and limb movement. The sleep lab test is comprehensive and can diagnose a wide variety of sleep disorders. The home sleep test is only designed for detecting obstructive sleep apnea.

A sleep study will help determine the severity of your apnea. This will then help determine your treatment options.

OSA Treatment Options

But the good news is that there are treatments available for OSA. The main therapy is always going to be CPAP. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. CPAP is not the mask you wear during sleep; it’s actually the machine that pumps air. The CPAP machine pushes precious oxygen into the upper airways and down into the lungs.

A CPAP machine keeps the airway open during respiration. This machine becomes essential for easier breathing at night. There are also new therapies being tested. One such novel therapy involves a nerve stimulator that targets the upper airway. Patients are able to sleep while the nerve stimulator helps maintain airway muscle tone.

Keep in mind that there are many things you can do yourself to optimize your sleep.

Is the food you’re eating helping or hurting your hormonal system? An out of balance hormonal system can wreak havoc with your sleep patterns.
Add some type of exercise to your daily routine.
Meditate to calm your nerves.
Take regular nature breaks to rejuvenate your body.

Do I Have To Use A CPAP Machine If I Have OSA?

There are other treatment options for obstructive apnea besides CPAP. Some of these are downright practical and can be done yourself.

Let’s first address the literal elephant in the room. If the patient is overweight, then losing weight should be the first goal. Obesity has a very high correlation with obstructive apnea.

Simply changing the way one sleeps can also help. If you have sleep apnea symptoms that are worse on your back, that means gravity is partly to blame. Because there’s loss of muscle tone in the upper airway, the tongue can fall backwards into the airway. Gravity makes this effect even worse when one is sleeping on their back.

Patients with apnea often improve when they shift to being side sleepers. What can you do if you’re not naturally inclined to sleep on your side? Simply get a T-shirt and sew in a bunch of tennis balls on the back. The idea is that when you sleep on your backside, it’ll be uncomfortable enough to get you to switch over onto your side. This can help relieve nighttime apnea to some extent.

Treating Sleep Apnea Through CPAP Means Getting A Mask That Fits

Traditional sleep masks covered the bridge of the nose and had a tube off the front of the individual’s face. These older masks were often painful to wear for patients. Luckily, mask designs are now geared with the patient’s comfort in mind.

There are nasal masks that cover the nose or just underneath the nose. There are also larger full face masks that cover the nose and the mouth. Full-face masks are indicated if you’re a mouth breather. When you’re looking at the mask, you’re looking for one that’s going to have the right comfort, the right fit, and the right seal.

You want you to pick a mask that’s comfortable for you. There could be a medical basis for why you need a full face mask. Other than that, pick one that sits on your face comfortably.

You need to be regular in using your mask and CPAP machine. If you do not use it every night, your obstructive sleep apnea symptoms will be back to how it was before you were treated. Individuals who use their CPAP machines nightly (i.e., they used them for a significant part of the night) have better health outcomes. Work with your sleep doctor to help you to stick with your therapy plan.

Sleep Apnea Treatments Can Restore Your Restful Nights

OSA affects many individuals in many different ways. The first treatment step is to get diagnosed through a sleep study. There are so many treatment options available that no one should have to suffer.

7 Signs of Panic Attacks in Children (And How to Help)

September 27, 2019 by Power of Positivity

A panic attack is an unexpected episode of extreme emotions like fear or anxiety. Your body reacts by halting some functions. Your heart beats rapidly, you are unable to breathe, you start sweating, and you feel like you are In danger.

Some episodes are wild that you feel like you are dying. Panic attacks give no warning. Everything happens abruptly and sometimes during weird hours.

You can get a panic attack when you are sleeping or when you are just sitting. There are three types of panic attacks; situational (cued), unexpected (uncued) and situationally predisposed.

Panic attacks in children are worse as kids sometimes do not know that they are experiencing such episodes. The child may not be aware of the situation, but as a parent, you need to take note of the things they complain about.

Panic disorders happen at weird times. You could be sleeping or just sitting and experience an episode. Panic attacks could last minutes or even hours.

Panic attacks are not fun at all. They make kids develop fears which they previously didn’t have.

Agoraphobia is one of the major effects of panic attacks. Kids become fearful of the places where they had a previous panic attack. Agoraphobic children will also avoid situations that can cause a repeat of the episodes.

Signs you should look out for to identify panic attacks in children

1 – Meltdowns:

Children express their irritability at things all the time, so you are probably used to them having meltdowns. They will get angry at petty and the most minute things throughout the day.

Kids throw tantrums when they are exhausted or swamped up by something. Children also show rage when they are experiencing panic disorders.

Extensive and regular meltdowns are not good characteristic in kids. Watch how often they get angry and at what times they have the periodic meltdowns.

Anxiety in children is portrayed in irritability, bad temper, intense rage, and anger. Do not overlook these signs as they could be more than what they appear to be.

2 – Solitude:

Anxiety and panic attacks make some children crave isolation more than interaction with other children. The kids will shun away from people who appear friendly to them in the hope of being left alone.

A child who loved hanging out with their peers after school will stop doing that and head straight home where they will spend hours locked in their room.

They will avoid taking part in tasks or doing their favorite activities. Look out for kids who prefer isolation and evasion as they could be having panic attacks without your knowledge.

3 – Children become even more inquisitive:

A child who has anxiety issues or has in the past has a panic episode is usually very inquisitive. They will ask questions about specific things.

This could be to satisfy their curiosity or as concern for their safety. Remember that panic disorders make children agoraphobic. Their asking questions may be to determine how safe the spaces they are in are.

They are also concerned about the safety of the people close to them. This could be family, friends, or educators. They repeat the same questions all the time and will constantly seek validation from their guardians.

4 – Psychosomatic complaints:

Kids will have psychosomatic complaints when they feel that they are experiencing physical pain in the body.

Does your child complain of random stomach aches or headaches? A child will not keep quiet when they experience this sort of pain. Ask them which part of the body feels sore.

The child could also be experiencing chest pains and muscle aches. Does your kid complain of difficulty in chewing and swallowing food? Do they suddenly feel dizzy when you are sitting together?

These are the signs that will help you identify a panic disorder in a child. Frequent body pains and unusual complaints should be a cause for alarm.

5 – Avoiding certain places:

You will notice that your child suddenly dislikes goings for a play date, hates going to school or visiting the local swimming pool.

These are places that they previously loved going to. They enjoyed swimming, playing with their peers, and going to school, but the urge disappeared out of nowhere. Take this as a red flag.

Refusal by children to go to certain places could be because the places trigger panic attacks. Talk to their teachers and the people they interact with to see if they have ever had panic attack episodes that you are not aware of.

6 – Melancholy:

Does your child appear to be in a disturbing and sad state 24/7? Your baby will seem worried and anxious even during occasions that they would otherwise seem happy.

Observe if they get emotional during certain periods. A gloomy mood could be symptomatic of a panic attack and anxiety in a child.

Anxious children may seem clingy, feel bad when you leave them, feel insecure, and generally unhappy. You won’t be surprised to find them breaking down every now and then for no apparent reason. The child may also appear distressed and vexed.

7 – Minimum Concentration:

You will notice the concentration levels of your child reduce. They will get distracted every few minutes and struggle to focus.

The child will also lose interest in whatever activity you engage with them. This may affect them in school as their grades will drop due to poor concentration.

A previously attentive child will act unbothered by what you are doing and what they should focus on. Anxiety and panic disorders make children less attentive.

How to Assist Children Who Experience Panic Attacks

1 – Use non-scary terms when explaining the attacks:

Do not use deep, technical words when talking about anxiety and panic attacks to children. This will only make them more scared than they already are.

Some children think that their world is ending when they experience these episodes. Try and use kind words that will make them feel that they are safe.

Call it harmless anxiety, or any other phrase that will not scare them. Using deep terms can trigger other things you had not prepared for. Be as gentle as possible as you try to inform them about their situation.

2 – Be in control:

The child is startled and nervous. They are in a state of confusion and do not know what is next.

Be in charge and show them that everything will be alright. Call out the child’s name and remind them that everything will be fine.

You must make the child feel safe and comfortable. Do not be panicky yourself as this will make them more fearful.

3 – Reduce avoidance:

Children will naturally not want to go to the places where the panic attacks occurred. This is because they imagine a repeat of the episodes when they are there.

Be the one to encourage them when they have doubts about visiting the said places. You can try the option of inspiring a steady re-establishment to the various situations that caused avoidance if you are unable to convince them to go back to the places they avoided.

4 – Be calm:

How you show your concern may affect how the child takes the whole situation. Do not be jumpy or too stressed. The child will pick this behavior from you.

The model being calm by assuring the child that the situation they are in is temporary. A panic attack is serious. Do not, however, be too serious when handling the situation as it will instill fear and weakness in the child. Go about the treatment normally and be strong for the kid.

5 – Be observant of the physical symptoms the child exhibits:

Do they have weird sleeping patterns? Have they changed their eating habits? How are their bowel movements?

Are they complaining of body pains at an alarming rate? Note every change you see in the kid. Physical symptoms of panic attacks are visible and easily noticeable. Journey with them as they face these challenges.

6 – Be their support system:

Remember that you are dealing with a child who possibly thinks that anxiety attacks can kill them. Be free with them and let them express what they feel without being scared of how you will react.

Let them vent if they need to. Be prepared to handle them when they are irritated gently. Give them ample time to settle after they experience panic attacks. Do not rush them or force them to do anything they are not comfortable with.

7 – Children need to be monitored at all times.

They may be incapable of expressing how they feel, and that is why parents are encouraged to watch their children at all times. Panic attacks are common but treatable.

Final Thoughts: When Professional Intervention is Needed For Panic Attacks in Children

There are several hospitals in the country that treat and stabilize patients who have anxiety issues and panic attacks. Children are vulnerable and frightened when they experience these episodes. And, don’t forget to take time to yourself. Your self-care matters!

It is good to once in a while, inform your child about the attacks, as this will make them less worried and more informed about their situation. Talk to their educators and health experts about your child’s panic attacks for it to be treated during the early stages.

The Culture of Mindfulness Around the World

September 27, 2019 by Power of Positivity

(This is part two of a 3-part series discussing the history, culture, and meaning of mindfulness. In each of the three parts, we will also discuss how to practice mindfulness and meditation.)

In part two of this three-part mindfulness series, we will discuss the culture – the ethos – of mindfulness practice.

Relatively recently, mindfulness has become a huge trend. Nowhere is this more evident than in business and tech, where cut-throat competition abounds, thereby necessitating constant innovation. Companies like Google and Facebook have even hosted spiritual teachers like Shinzen Young and Eckhart Tolle.

Ironically, the “science” of mindfulness is traced to ancient India. A time and place that resembles little to nothing of the multi-billion-dollar mindfulness industry now found in the West.

All of which begs the question: how did mindfulness become so popular? Perhaps a better question is: why is mindfulness here? Is it doing any good?

Can it do me any good? Yes, it can. This is something that we will discuss thoroughly in this 3-part series.

In this article, we’re going to discuss the culture of mindfulness across time and beyond borders. Let’s begin by talking about the East’s mindfulness culture.

Mindfulness Culture in the East

Mindfulness culture goes back over 2,500 years to ancient India and modern-day Nepal. It was here that Siddhartha Gautama, who would become the Buddha, introduced mindfulness practice. In the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha introduces the four foundations of mindfulness as a means of achieving liberation – enlightenment.

The word “mindfulness” is a rough translation of the Pali word sati, which means to “bear in mind” or to “remember.” (Pali is an ancient vernacular of India that is commonly used as the scriptural language in Theravada Buddhism.) In this sense, sati refers to remembrance of the Buddha’s teachings in the Suttas.

In the ancient Buddhist tradition, mindfulness is thought to bear fruit by learning the Five Aggregates, or skandhas. The skandhas are a list of conscious experiences that result from the mind’s conditioned thinking – or ‘ego.’ These five skandhas are: feelings, material form, sensory consciousness, perceptions, and volition.

Here is a brief description of the Five Aggregates:

1) Feelings: Emotional sensations that fall under three categories: pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral.

2) Material form: Comprising the material body and the visible surrounding environment. Material form also includes things capable of entering and exiting the body, e.g., the air.

3) Perceptions: Sensory awareness of dimensions, including color, shape, size, and smell.

4) Sensory consciousness: Thoughts that arise in the mind and the perceptible stimuli of the five senses.

5) Volition: Mental, physical, and verbal behaviors and habits.

Buddhists explain that these Five Aggregates are present throughout our waking lives. These skandhas influence our state of mind, particularly when people crave or cling to any of the aggregates. According to Buddhist doctrine, not clinging – becoming dependent on – these skandhas is essential for self-realization and liberation.

Case Study in Eastern Mindfulness: Dr. Tamami Shirai, professor of psychology

“I’m originally from Tokyo. Growing up, mindfulness was a constant part of my life, and I was immersed in it from a very early age. My home had both a Butsudan and a Kamidana—a Buddhist altar and Shinto altar.” ~ Dr. Tamami Shirai (source)

Notice from the quote above that Dr. Shirai is mentioning mindfulness within a religious context. This inclusion is perhaps the most obvious difference between those cultures of the East and West. This is particularly true in Japan, Dr. Shirai’s country of birth. In Japan, Zen Buddhism is noted for its inordinate and formal mindfulness practices, such as the tea ceremony.

Dr. Shirai goes on to mention mindfulness strictly as a meditation-based practice. Of course, mindfulness plays a large role as a meditation technique in the West. But it is by no means the only method of practicing mindfulness, as we will soon find out.

As for Dr. Shirai, she is of the opinion that there’s much that East and West can learn from each other. On this point, the author wholeheartedly agrees.

Mindfulness Culture in the West

Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn, the creator of the mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR), is called the “founding father” of the Western mindfulness trend. Kabat-Zinn was introduced to meditation by the Zen missionary Philip Kapleau in the early 1970s. From there, Kabat-Zinn headed East, studying under Zen masters such as Thich Nhat Hanh and Seung Sahn. It can be said, then, that Kabat-Zinn is thoroughly trained in the domain of mindfulness.

It was only relatively recently, however, that mindfulness has become a huge trend in the West. Why did mindfulness find a permanent home here? Well, according to experts, workplace stress is the leading cause of life dissatisfaction. (There’s a reason why Kabat-Zinn includes “stress reduction” in his program.) Indeed, stress has become a bonafide epidemic in the U.S. and other Western societies.

Of course, one also shouldn’t overlook the fact that mindfulness can improve performance. Companies both large and small, are investing millions of dollars in mindfulness training for their employees. In few places has mindfulness taken such a hold as in Silicon Valley, where cut-throat competition abounds. Companies like Google and Facebook have even hosted mindfulness gurus like Shinzen Young and spiritual teachers like Eckhart Tolle.

Why is this?

Perhaps the powers-that-be did it out of the goodness of their heart. Then there’s the whole thing about mindfulness boosting your productivity like crazy.

We’re gonna go with that one.

Tech companies, motivated to survive a bullish market, are always game for any advantage they can get. Here’s the ‘About’ page of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI), a mindfulness-based company started by minds at Google:

“We aim to embody the benefits of a well-balanced mind and are dedicated to helping individuals and organizations sustain peak professional performance…”

Case Study in Western Mindfulness: Sara Goldstein, yoga teacher

“Instead of being bothered by what is uncontrollable, I have embraced open awareness. I can allow thoughts and sensations to pass through like clouds in the sky. I can embrace sounds and movement as energy, and even incorporate them into my meditation.”

Unlike the Eastern case study, this person mentions nothing about religion or spiritual belief. She simply mentions her mode of being. Does this woman have spiritual inclinations? Maybe. Maybe not. But there is no mention of Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism, or any “-ism.” Implying that one needn’t be that to embrace – and benefit from – mindfulness practice.

The fact that anyone can profit from mindfulness practice is one of the most impactful discoveries ever made.

While some bemoan the downplaying of Buddhism out of mindfulness practice, we kindly ask: what’s the alternative? Mindfulness practice, no matter what form, can never be extracted from its Buddhist elements. Moreover, the Buddha himself never pushed his spiritual discoveries onto anyone. Instead, the great sage encouraged individual experimentation. Advising us all to “Take what is useful. Discard what is not.”

Regardless, one needn’t be a Buddhist to bow – or tip our cap – to the Buddha for his incredible wisdom into the human condition and its remedies.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Go for “McMindfulness.”

“Rather than applying mindfulness as a means to awaken individuals and organizations from the unwholesome roots of greed, ill will and delusion, it is usually being refashioned into a banal, therapeutic, self-help technique that can actually reinforce those roots.” ~Ron Purser (source)

Once again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with practicing mindfulness secularly. You don’t need to be a Buddhist or associate with any religious or spiritual group to benefit from meditation and mindfulness. This is the notion of Buddhist leaders, this is how it is, and this is how it should be.

That said, it was only a matter of time until the ego-driven, Laissez-faire capitalists showed up. According to Jonnie Wolf of The Guardian, one Dawa Tarchin Phillips – a “Californian guru” – “charges $12,000 per day” for mindfulness training.

Not to sound crotchety, but what kind of message is this sending?

As stated, there is no way to surgically extract the Buddhist principles out of mindfulness practice. They are two parts of the same. They call this concept “non-duality” in Buddhist circles. So, this Dawa Tarchin Phillips probably has some valuable insights to share.

Be that as it may, it has long been a Buddhist practice to offer services for free. Some practitioners ask for a small donation to help support their work. Nothing wrong with either approach.

But charging $12,000-a-pop for “training” is unethical. Paying for such services is also unethical. The taking or paying of exorbitant amounts of money goes entirely against the core of mindfulness teachings. Mainly, the folly of chasing after the impermanent. This includes money.

Regardless, one needn’t pay a self-described “guru” thousands of dollars to learn an ancient practice. There are plenty of excellent, free, or low-cost alternatives to learning mindfulness.

The favorite of this reader: the book “Mindfulness in Plain English,” by Bhante Gunaratana. One may also find outstanding, free mindfulness videos online.

Dieticians Explain 3 Best Diet Plans to Lose Weight

September 27, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Putting together a diet plan on your own can be pretty exhausting. But you have to do it because you have made a New Year’s resolution, or you want to look your best for one of your siblings’ wedding or simply because you want to live a healthier life.

While you can easily follow a meal plan to lose weight with the help of a magazine or an online publication, but you can never be sure whether that plan is based on scientific evidence or not. That is why following a meal plan arranged by an expert nutritionist or dietitian will be a wise decision here.

If you are also one of those people who plan to lose weight and would like to know which plans experts think are the best, then you have come to the right place as in this article, we will look at not just one, but three diet plans to lose weight. We will also discuss some tips as told by dietitians to stay on track.

Before we delve further into the topic, we have to talk about the calorie intake since one of the diets on this list is the best low-calorie meal plan. That is why it is important for you to know how many calories you are taking per day. Remember that the number of calories may vary keeping in view your size, your gender, and the number of activities you perform in a day.

A lot of diet plans restrict women from taking over 1200 calories per day. However, the number can be higher if the woman is active physically. Men, on the other hand, are restricted to consuming 1500-1800 calories per day. As we have already discussed that it depends on the gender, you can see the difference.

Best Diet Plans to Lose Weight

Now that we have understood about the calories, let’s go over our first meal plan:

1500 calorie per day meal plan:

Eating fewer calories per day is one of the most common ways of losing weight. The goal here is to take as less as a quarter of your calories regularly but also consuming your daily nutrition. The practical way here is to subtract 500 calories from your daily calorie intake.

For an average woman, almost 2000 calories are needed to maintain her current weight, and for an averagely weighing man, almost 2400 calories are required to maintain his current weight. This means that the woman would have to reduce her calorie intake to 1500 while the man would have to reduce his calorie intake to 1900.

Here is what a sample 1500 calorie diet plan should look like:

The following diet plan was developed by Shereen Lehman who is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American Society for Nutrition.

Breakfast:

A slice of whole-grain toast with one tablespoon of almond butter
One hardboiled egg
An orange
A cup of plain tea or coffee

Lunch:

Two slices of bread (whole grain), two ounces sliced of roast beef, a slice of Swiss cheese and a tablespoon of mustard
Half cup containing sliced carrots
As a beverage, a cup of nonfat milk

Dinner:

A three-ounce chicken breast with two tablespoons salsa
A cup of cooked broccoli with lemon juice
Half cup of cooked black beans
A whole-wheat dinner roll with a teaspoon of butter
A small glass of white wine

Snacks:

A nectarine
Drink plenty of water
A three-quarter cup of plain yogurt with a tablespoon of honey
A half-cup of blueberries
Ten pecan halves
A cup of sweetened grapefruit juice

The DASH Diet:

The following diet was proposed by Jaclyn London, who holds a Master of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University.

The DASH in the name stands for Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. The interesting thing about this diet is that not only people who want to lose weight can try it, but those looking for a healthier lifestyle can also check it out.

The emphasize in this diet is not just on one product, but of all types, including seafood, 100% whole grains, seeds, nuts, and low-fat dairy. The protein intake in this diet comes from pork, seafood, and poultry. The DASH diet also showed that the food intake including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, etc., in this diet helps a person lower his blood pressure. (Tyson, C. C., Nwankwo, C., Lin, P.-H., & Svetkey, L. P. (2012, October).

This plan also puts a limit on high saturated fast foods, added sugars, and sodium. It does so by cutting red meat about half a servings per day and reducing processed foods such as condiments, fast food, sweetened beverages, jam, syrups, etc.

Following is the sample menu of this diet plan. It consists of servings per day:

• 2-3 servings of dairy products. They should mostly be part-skin and unsweetened
• 6-8 servings of whole grains. For instance, a slice of toast or ½ cup of oatmeal or pasta
• 5 servings of fruits and veggies
• 6 ounces of lean protein. A mix of seafood, poultry, pork and eggs
• 2-3 teaspoons of fats and oils
Here’s what the servings per week should be:
• 4-5 servings of nuts and legumes. Like 2 tablespoons of nut butter or a half cup of beans
• 5 servings of sweets per week. Each treat should be of 18 grams and under

The Mediterranean diet:

As the name suggests, the whole point of a Mediterranean diet is to eat like how people in the Mediterranean region used to eat. Their traditional diet included a significant amount of fresh produce, whole grains, legumes along with healthy fish and fats. This is a 7-day meal plan.

A lot of studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet really helps in losing weight. It can also help in preventing heart attacks, strokes, premature death, and type-2 diabetes.

The general guidelines of this diet includes eating the following food:

A broad variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
Healthful fats such as nuts, olive oil, and seeds
Neutral amounts of dairy and fish
A little amount of white and red meat
A few eggs
Moderate red wine

Below is a sample of the Mediterranean diet for a week. Please note that this is a sample menu. One can adjust food in the list according to his preference, as long as they abide by the basic rules of this diet.

Monday

Breakfast: Greek yogurt along with strawberries and oats
Lunch: Whole grain sandwiches with vegetables
Dinner: Tuna salad, which should be dressed in olive oil. One piece of fruit as a dessert

Tuesday

Breakfast: Oatmeal along with raisins
Lunch: The leftover tuna salad from the night before
Dinner: Salad along with tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese

Wednesday

Breakfast: Omelet, along with veggies, tomatoes, and onions. A piece of fruit
Lunch: Whole grain sandwich with cheese and fresh vegetables
Dinner: Mediterranean lasagna

Thursday

Breakfast: Yogurt with nuts and sliced fruits
Lunch: The leftover lasagna from the night before
Dinner: Broiled salmon with brown rice and vegetables

Friday

Breakfast: Eggs and vegetables which should be fried in olive oil
Lunch: Greek yogurt with strawberries, nuts, and oats
Dinner: Grilled lamb with salad and baked potato

Saturday

Breakfast: Oatmeal with nuts, raisins, and one apple
Lunch: Whole grain sandwich with vegetables
Dinner: Mediterranean pizza made from whole wheat, topped with cheese, olives, and vegetables

Sunday

Breakfast: Omelet with olives and veggies
Lunch: The leftover pizza from the night before
Dinner: Grilled chicken with vegetables and a potato. Eat fruit for dessert

Tips for sticking to your weight loss meal plan

Making meal plans and then consistently following them are two completely different things. After following it for a few days, one might feel that he is wasting his time, especially if he cannot see the results. Weight loss is a journey. It cannot happen in just a few days.

You have to commit to the meal plan and make sure you follow it regularly. To help you with sticking to your meal plan, Malia Frey, who is a certified weight management specialist, certified health coach, and certified nutritionist specialist, has a few tips:

• Take out time to plan: Take 30 minutes out of your daily routine to set a plan. This plan will include scheduling your meals and making a shopping list. You should schedule your meal plan just as you schedule other important events in your daily life. You can also schedule your exercise plan during this time.

• Go shopping and start cooking: Once you have scheduled your meals, it is time to go shopping. A lot of people who start dietary journey get their kitchens stacked for a whole week immediately. When you have also done that, you can carefully arrange the healthy foods in your kitchen and your refrigerator, so it is easier for you to finds foods.

• Keep your plan in front of you: If your plan is lying in a drawer somewhere, it is of no use. You will eventually forget that you even had one. Once you have made your plan, you need to post it somewhere you can see every day. Along with serving as a reminder, it will also motivate you not to quit.

• Prepare your food in advance: Another important step in making sure you stick to your meal plan is organizing your meals beforehand. For instance, when you have had dinner, you can lay out your food which you are going to eat for breakfast the next morning. Then you can pack your lunch and snacks for the next day. Whenever you get free time, you should prepare your meal. This way, when you come home from work, tired, you would not have to go through the trouble of preparing it again as you would have prepared it already.

Final Thoughts on Choosing the Best Diet Plans for Your Lifestyle

Always remember that when you sit down and prepare your meal plan the first time, it is going to take you longer. Once you get the gist of it, it will be easier for you to do so in the future. Sticking to a meal plan is indeed an achievement, and you should feel better about yourself if you can do that. Before you start any of the diet plans, make sure to tell your dietitian about it since he will know what food is best for you. And lastly, the steps you take don’t need to be big; they just have to take you in the right direction.

So, what are you waiting for? Take the first step towards a healthy lifestyle today!

Doctors Explain the Dangers of Bed Bugs and How to Identify Bed Bug Bites

September 26, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Human beings have co-excited with bed bugs for a many millennia. The survival of these human parasites entirely relies on humans. They solely feed on blood as their primary source of nutrition. They feed on human blood, primarily.

Although these bloodsuckers have not yet shown any sign of transmitting diseases through their feeding, doctors pose a concern on other health risks associated with bedbug bites. They can cause both mild and severe health effects depending on how much your home is infested.

Most people are familiar with bedbugs’ bites. If you have seen the bite in a photo, you must have been scared or even thought they were like a series of skin rashes. If you have had the experience of sleeping in an infested bed, you can attest to the fact that the bites are itchy and frustrating. However, doctors confirm that the bites only rarely cause medical harm to your body. We share those possible effects, also.

While bed bug bites are often irritating and uncomfortable, they typically do not pose serious health risks. However, the itching and inflammation caused by the bites can lead to secondary infections if scratched excessively. Additionally, some individuals may experience allergic reactions to the bites, resulting in more severe symptoms such as swelling or hives. The psychological impact of dealing with an infestation should not be overlooked, as the constant worry about being bitten can affect sleep quality and overall well-being. For those dealing with an ongoing issue, it’s crucial to address the infestation before it worsens.

If you’re facing a bed bug problem in your home, seeking help from professionals like those at Ensign Pest Control can provide effective solutions. These experts are skilled at identifying the signs of bed bugs and implementing treatment plans that eliminate the pests from your living space. Timely intervention from pest control specialists can help prevent further bites and reduce the long-term risks associated with infestations, ensuring a peaceful, bedbug-free environment for you and your family.

Here are doctors’ explanations on how to identify the bite of this bloodsucking insect.

Doctors Explain the Dangers of Bed Bugs and How to Identify Bed Bug Bites

Bedbug bites are often visible and easy to distinguish from other nocturnal bites. The blood-sucking bugs have elongated beaks to pierce your skin and suck blood. They inject you with an anesthetic, and you will not notice the three to ten minutes they spend sucking up your blood. Doctors recommend that you follow the following steps before you can conclude that pierce on your skin is a bedbug bite.

1 – Noticing A Bite That You Did Not Feel Before You Retired to Bed Could Be A Bed Bug Bite

The likelihood of you feeling a bite from this insect is minimal because once they pierce your skin, they hit you with an anesthetic. If you have no allergic reaction as they feed on your blood, you might be having this insect nibble on you without your knowledge.

They use their ability to go unnoticed to feed on you for as many times as possible.

2 – Presence of New Marks on Your Skin When You Wake Up

These insects mostly feed at night. They can stay in their hiding places and wait for the perfect time to feed. Doctors say that the nocturnal timing is also another sign to tell that a bite came from a bed bug.

3 – Presence of Clear or Dark Center Bites indicate a Bed Bug Bite

Commonly when you get a bug bite its easy to differentiate it a typical bug bite from a bedbug. The best way to do it is by examining the center of the bite. For the normal insect bite, you will see a visible hot red bite. The center for their bites is often red and swollen because of your reaction with the toxins from the bug.

On the other hand, the bite of this little blood sucker is unique. In most cases, it is has a clear center. The center may also be darker with bright red fading at the center. The center is always clear because this particular insect has a long beak for sucking your blood. The long beak prevents any reaction between your blood and that of the insect.

4 – Presence of Dried Blood Spots on Your Pajamas or Sheets Is an Indication of a Bed Bug Bite

Bedbugs often leave a large hole after piercing your skin with their big beaks. You should examine your body for bed bug bites if you wake up and find dried blood on your skin or pajamas. In most cases, you can also inspect your bed sheets for blood and physical presence of bedbugs.

5 – If the Bites Are in Line, it May Indicate the Presence of These Insects

Doctors say that you can identify bed bug bite by examining the pattern of their bites. They say that multiple bites that are in a zigzagged or straight line, then such are bed bug bites.

Multiple bites in a straight line are a clear sign of bed bug bites in most cases.

6 – The Presence of Multiple Bites Lines in Three Indicate an Issue

You should also seek help if you notice multiple bites that are often in threes. They refer this tendency as a bedbug triangle. They often move in groups of three and like leaving behind multiple groups of three swollen bites.

7 – Swollen Bites Indicate the Presence of Bed Bugs

Doctors believe that swollen bite may not be a common infestation sign because most people react differently. However, you will get constant irritations if you have swollen bites on your body. For those whose bodies don’t swell after a bed bug bite, you will notice flat red dots that depict typical bed bug bites.

Other people also check for a mosquito-like bite that is a little bite raise or swollen. Be keen to check how your family members react to bed bug bites to prevent life-threatening reactions. For instance, although rare, some people might experience anaphylactic shock due to bed bug bites.

If You See Bed Bugs, Then the Bites on Your Exposed Skin Are from Bed Bugs

Human beings are the primary source of food for bed bugs. Therefore, if you notice them in your house, you can absolutely be sure they are feasting on you. Be sure to check your body for any bites to be sure that they are not just from elsewhere.

Checking cannot be difficult because bed bugs rarely bite in secluded areas. Unlike other bugs you can see bed bug bites on any exposed part of your body.

Now that you know how to identify bed bug bites, your worry should shift to if your life is in real danger. Fortunately, doctors say that bed bugs cannot transmit diseases to humans. Your concern should be on the different physical and mental health effects associated with bed bugs bite. Having shone light on all that, here are the effects doctors explain about the dangers of bed bugs

The Hidden Dangers of Bed Bugs

1 – Bed Bugs Can Cause Allergic Reactions

Many people get these bites each day, but they don’t even notice. Others who quickly see the bite dismiss them as the normal mosquito’s’ bites because the swelling and readiness of both bites look somewhat alike.

Unless you experience allergic reactions upon being bitten, life will continue as usual. However,that if your body undergoes allergic reactions to insects bite, then you should seek attention right away, just like for any other allergen.

The effects of reactions range from no reaction to anaphylaxis that is also known as severe or whole-body reaction. You can treat mild allergic reactions after noticing small bite mark at home. Use your favorite OTC anti-itch ointments or allergic antihistamines or oral corticosteroids to get the relief you need.

2 – Bed Bug Bites Can Cause Secondary Infection

Although these specific bites don’t cause direct infection, they can result in constant scratching and itchy feelings. If you continue scratching your itchy bites, you might break and open your skin, allowing bacterial infections to form. Doctors recommend creams that can be applied directly on the bites to prevent secondary skin infections such as ecthyma, lymphangitis or even impetigo. You can also contact your doctor for a prescription on over-the-counter creams or even antiseptic drugs and ointments.

3 – Bed Bug Bites Can Cause Respiratory Problems

Bed bug bites can be life-threatening for a person suffering from respiratory problems. The presence of bed bugs in your home can cause anxiety or aggravate asthmatic attacks. If a member of your loved one has respiratory problems you should ensure that they are not exposed to bed bug dirt.

Besides the actual bites themselves, related pollutants such as sheddings, dry outer skins, casting, egg shells, and bug feces can trigger respiratory ailments.

4 – These Insects Can Impact the Mental Health of Some People

Those who sleep in bedbug-infested homes can tell how much discomfort they get from bed bug bites. A report Center for Disease Control and Prevention, tasked with devising new ways of controlling bed bugs, shows that American living in infested homes suffer from anxiety.

Some people often find it challenging to relax and sleep at night. Although sleep is important for a person’s health, those affected by bed bugs rarely sleep. They eventually end up to suffer from insomnia and systemic reactions.

Doctors encourage you to have your bites inspected to determine if they are real bed bug bites. Once ascertained it can be easy to protect yourself and family members from mental problems related to lack of sleep and anxiety.

5 – Bed Bug Bites Can Cause Anaemia in Extreme Cases

If a person lives in a home infested with thousands of these creepy pests, he or she can suffer anemia. However, such cases are only possible if the person has prior symptoms and risk factors of iron-deficiency. The fact is that bed bugs cannot cause anemia unless a person has a history of iron deficiency anemia. They can only worsen the symptoms.

Final Thoughts: Bedbugs Are More Creepy Than Dangerous, But May Still Pose a Threat

The possibility that you have encountered bed bugs in your life and failed to notice their bite is very high. Be aware that bed bug bites can cause you extreme distress in the night. Remember to keep in mind that bedbug bites do not cause direct health problems.

Instead, you will suffer indirect mental and health problems related to a bedbug bite. You should examine your body. You should also read on how to identify their bites and remember this explanation on the dangers of bed bugs.

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

Smoking

Oversleeping

Skipping Breakfast

Dehydration

Pollution

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!