It is holiday season and we all know what that entails! Shopping, festivities, family and food. While we are hearing holiday songs piped in the stores, lights and decorations adorning windows of homes and stores, this can be a challenging time for many. The two main areas that seem to be especially challenging are Family and Food. Luckily there is a very simple mind body technique called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) that can, which I call your ‘Secret Weapon.’
Studies has shown that when we stimulate these acupoints EFT raises the serotonin in the brain. Serotonin does 2 things: it soothes us and it also erases fear reactions from a part of the brain that is involved with processing fear.
As we tap on a variety of acupressure points, the serotonin in the brain rises. Serotonin is a brain chemical, a neurotransmitter that calms us. The part of the brain that creates alarm when it perceives threat is then flooded with serotonin. This fear loop is disconnected, and we feel more at peace, grounded and are able to think objectively instead of reacting. As panic recedes, the thinking part of the brain is able to evaluate the problem from a new point of view and make new decisions. This can happen in a matter of minutes. Because many illnesses, physical challenges and habits are emotionally based these conditions clear up.
It also balances out any blocks that are in the meridians, which are the energetic pathways in the body.
Here are some situations that come up during the Holidays where EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) can be applied to diffuse tension, stress and prepare you for enjoying yourself.
Family
Three situations that can be especially tough at holiday gatherings are:
1. Conflict with a particular family member
It can be uncomfortable in any setting, holidays or not, to share a meal or being in a room with someone you don’t care for or have had arguments and past tensions with. There can be feelings of dread and wanting to avoid Here are some set up statements to explore:
2. Feeling pressured by parents/grandparents/siblings:
You have been dating your significant other for some time, and you know subtle and not-so-subtle hints will be made about ‘tying the knot.’ Or maybe you have been married/living together for some time and you are anticipating your Mom or Grandma’s comment, “Oh, I just hope I live long enough around to see my grandchildren.” GULP! EFT to the rescue!
3. First holiday after a loss*
Perhaps you have just separated or divorced this past year, or were laid off from your job. Maybe this is your first holiday after your spouse or a family member has died. These are all forms of loss, which can be a particularly sensitive topic around the holidays especially when the emphasis is on ‘good cheer.’
Food
1. Overeating*
Sweets, meats and treats… the holidays are about eating delicious dishes and favorite foods that are prepared for particular festivities. It can also be a time of dread for those that are desiring to not overindulge and feel guilty after. Try one of these set ups, modifying words to your specific situation and your specific feelings.
Do this “EFT work” well before the events you are attending. But don’t forget you can also so do EFT on the spot at the events! Feeling tension with a family member? Wanting to take a third slice of pumpkin pie? Slip into the bathroom or quiet corner, or even dash into your car and have an EFT quickie!
I also want to suggest scheduling a session with an EFT practitioner before the holiday events. You know how people run to their doctor and have flu shots before winter or the holiday season? Think of getting your own ‘shot in the arm’ with EFT before facing the festivities! (This goes for EFT practitioners as well.)
Remember as you are bustling about this season, to unwrap and use this most wonderful gift you already have, EFT, so that your holiday season can truly be festive and fun.
*Please note: while I have included suggestions for treating yourself with EFT, in the case of loss/grief or in chronic overeating/food issues doing EFT on yourself does not replace professional assistance, but rather works powerfully in conjunction with professional help.
Archive for the ‘flu’ Category
Use EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) To Restore Your Peace During the Holidays
Flu Shot Ingredients
The major flu shot ingredients are dead influenza viruses. There may be any number of different flu viruses circulating at any one time, but pharmaceutical companies only choose three as annual flu shot ingredients. Even if you take an annual flu shot, you could still contract another flu virus and still come down with the flu. So, it is still important to protect your immune system and practice good health habits. Common flu vaccine side effects include body aches, low grade fever and soreness at the point of injection. There are some rare, but serious flu vaccine side effects that concern many people.
In addition to the major flu shot ingredients, pharmaceutical companies add preservatives. Until recently there were no preservative free flu shots. The addition of the preservative thimerosal to flu shot ingredients has caused illness and injury. Thimerosal is mercury based and is believed to have been the cause of flu vaccine side effects in many people. Of major concern is the increase of autism in recent years and many researchers and doctors believe that thimerosal, a known neurotoxin, used as flu shot ingredients and in other childhood vaccines is the cause.
Some researchers and doctors believe that flu shot ingredients, including thimerosal and aluminum, increases the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This, of course, is not one of the common flu vaccine side effects and since Alzheimer’s does not develop immediately after taking the shot, then the link can not be proven. A prominent physician and researcher showed that people who had five consecutive influenza vaccinations between the years 1970 and 1980 were ten times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than were individuals who had none, one or two.
It is believed that some people cannot shed mercury from their systems and it builds up in their brains causing nerve and brain damage. In addition, some people are allergic to mercury and thimerosal and can experience serious allergic reaction as flu vaccine side effects. Some states have banned mercury from flu shot ingredients intended for use in children and pregnant women. But, while health advocates have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to ban thimerosal from flu shot ingredients, nothing has been done at this time. Many manufacturers continue to add thimerosal to their flu shot ingredients.
The dead influenza viruses which are the major flu shot ingredients are grown in chicken eggs. So, people who are allergic to chicken eggs could have serious flu vaccine side effects. Some people blame the onset of chronic fatigue on flu vaccine side effects, but there is no scientific research supporting this belief.
The influenza nasal spray vaccine is chosen by some as an alternative to the flu shot. Ingredients in the nasal spray include weakened live influenza viruses. The common nasal spray flu vaccine side effects include runny nose, headache, sore throat and cough. The nasal spray flu vaccine is preservative free, but is only approved for use in healthy people between the ages of 5 and 49.
Concern over flu shot ingredients and flu vaccine side effects raise questions in the minds of some people as to whether or not healthy people, with a healthy immune system even need an annual influenza vaccine. Alternatives include the use of natural immunity boosting products. Some feel that these products may even reduce the likelihood of contracting the flu, the common cold and other viruses. Most natural immune system boosters have no unwanted side effects and carry none of the risks associated with flu vaccine side effects and flu shot ingredients. To learn more about immune system boosters and for more information about the common cold, influenza and other viruses, visit www.immune-system-booster-guide.com.
Learn About Higher Risks Regarding Pregnancy and the Swine Flu
Given certain circumstances, some individuals have an increased risk for complications and possibly even death. Pregnancy and swine flu is one of the factors that can increase the risk to you or your unborn baby. Those who are pregnant have a higher incidence of serious complications than others.
But that is not all, this serious disease can also cause premature births. This puts the baby you carry at substantial risk too. If you are pregnant, or just thinking about getting pregnant, you should call your doctor and see if if he advises any special precautions regarding this disease.
Also known as H1N1, this virus brings about influenza in humans. The pathogen has gone thru a recent mutation into its present form. Due to this mutation, humans have no protection from the virus. This is the reason that authorities are concerned about the possibility of a pandemic.
Like the seasonal influenza, serious complications and death has occurred as a consequence of illness associated with this virus. In the U.S. alone, about 36,000 people die each year from flu related issues.
If you are worried about pregnancy and swine flu, safeguarding your loved ones, or have a special risk factor, do some preparation now. It is imperative that you take steps today to protect yourself and your loved ones from the swine flu. It is important to be proactive and prepare yourself and your loved ones before an influenza out break occurs. Once a pandemic strikes, it may be too late to do anything.
Exercise with Flu or a Cold, or Stay in Bed?
Most doctors allow their patients to exercise when they have a cold, as long as they don’t have a fever and their muscles don’t hurt when they exercise. However, it’s probably better to stop exercising altogether when you have an infection. You risk injury if you exercise when your muscles hurt at rest or when you start to exercise. When muscles are damaged, they release enzymes from their cells into the bloodstream and they fill with blood from broken blood vessels. One study reported markedly increased muscle damage during relatively minor exercise during an infection, with blood tests demonstrating increases in muscle enzymes and ultrasound tests demonstrating hemorrhage into the muscles.
You also should not exercise when you have a high fever. When you exercise, your heart has to pump blood to your muscles to supply them with oxygen. It also has to pump blood from your muscles to your skin where the heat is dissipated. When you have a fever, your heart has to work extra hard to get rid of extra heat. Furthermore, some viruses that infect your nose and throat can also infect your heart muscle. The combination of the extra work and an infected heart muscle could cause irregular heart beats. You won’t lose much conditioning unless you take off for more than a week.
Do you think you will get better faster by staying in bed for a day or two or by going about your normal daily activities? A huge review of the medical literature from 1966 to 1999, published in the British medical journal Lancet, shows that there is no evidence that bed rest helps you to heal faster from any medical condition. They found only 39 studies testing whether bed rest benefitted any medical condition. Twenty-four studies showed that bed rest was of little or no benefit in preventing side effects of medical procedures such as spinal anaesthesia, spinal fluid withdrawal, and multiple x ray procedures. Fifteen studies showed no benefit in treating medical conditions such as low back pain, spontaneous labor, high blood pressure during pregnancy, uncomplicated heart attacks, rheumatoid arthritis or infectious hepatitis.
During World War II, American soldiers were drafted and sent to do their basic training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center before they were sent to fight in Europe. A major epidemic of flu occurred affecting almost all the troops. Half of the soldiers were kept in bed, while the other half stayed in the vigorous exercise of basic training. Both groups required the same amount of time to recover, although those forced to undergo the rigorous demands of preparing for war complained more.
The next time you feel sick, stay in bed if you like, but it probably won’t help you heal faster.
Causes of Thick Toenails and Ways to Cure
Thick toenails can be less than aesthetically pleasing to the eye and can be quite painful at times. Fortunately remedies and prevention methods exist.
Think toenails are commonly associated with a toenail fungus. Often symptoms besides a thickening of the toenail may occur such as nail discoloration, fogging, chipping, or cracking. In rarer cases thick toenails may be caused by skin diseases. Nail injuries can also result in deformation of the nail and thickening. Toenail thickening can also be caused by wearing tight fitting shoes.
Filing the nail away can help to relieve any pain you may have in the nail or may make the nail look more aesthetically appeasing. Filing can also help in treating toenail fungus because it allows for more direct absorption so the treatment reaches inside the nail effectively eliminating any fungus.
The best treatment for toenail fungus is probably one that does not require prescription drugs. People often think of this as the easy way out but it is quite costly. These prescriptions can cause severe side effects and put toxins into the body which in some cases lead to liver failure.
Fortunately there are better ways to treat toenail fungus and thickness. I started treating my nails by simply filing them down after a warm shower. Be careful not to file your nails too low. Just take of a very thin layer of the nail. After filing, I bathed my feet in regular fermented beer for 30 minutes a treatment. I usually treated my nails like this twice day. After soaking my nails I then applied a natural topical treatment.
I began seeing improvements in the overall color and health of the nails within a few weeks. With a little bit of persistence and dedication to treating your nails you should start to see results.
Mercury and Aluminum Present in Flu Shots?
Many people, including some health care practitioners are concerned about mercury and aluminum present in flu shots. This is not a new concern for those who are against flu shots, but it is relevant as the flu season approaches.
The major concern about mercury and aluminum present in flu shots arises from concerns about Alzheimer’s and autism. Even among those people who are not against flu shots, some are against mercury and aluminum present in flu shots. Recently, New York State passed a law banning the preservative thimerosal from flu shots and other vaccines meant for children and pregnant women. Thimerosal is mercury based and is known to cause allergic reactions in many people. On top of that, mercury is a known neurotoxin, meaning that it damages nerve cells, and has been linked to autism.
New York State is not against flu shots. In recent years, New York City and other areas of New York have had problems obtaining enough flu vaccine for high risk citizens. The ban came after several studies linked an increase in cases of autism (a condition which is first noted in childhood and is characterized by deficits in communication and social interaction as well as language and learning impairments) to vaccines and flu shots containing thimerosal. Some health care professionals still maintain that the risk of complications from the flu are greater than the risks that may be associated with mercury and aluminum present in flu shots.
Some people are against flu shots, in general, because they or someone close to them had a reaction to the flu shot. Sometimes it is a mild reaction, such as a mild case of the flu. Sometimes it is a more serious condition that may be due to mercury and aluminum present in flu shots. Several people blame the onset of their Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on mercury and aluminum present in flu shots.
It is important to note that these cases are rare. While complications arising form the flu, particularly pneumonia, caused over 60,000 deaths in 2003 in the United States, there were only a few reported cases of complications arising from the flu shot and none of those were life threatening. People who are against flu shots in general focus on the rare, but severe reactions to the vaccine and on the mercury and aluminum present in flu shots. People who are not against flu shots focus on the number of deaths each year that are caused by the flu virus.
Living Safely With Carbon Monoxide
A new carbon monoxide law goes into effect in Colorado requiring the installation of Carbon monoxide detectors in all rental properties, homes for sale and new construction homes and apartments.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless and tasteless byproduct of burning materials containing carbon. If it’s present in high concentrations in your home you will not smell it, see it or taste it and that is why CO is called the silent killer.
CO is the leading cause of accidental deaths in the United States. CO is produced in every home that has a gas or carbon-producing appliance of any type.
What are gas or carbon producing appliances?
Natural gas or propane hot water heater Natural gas or propane furnace Kerosene or propane space heaters or cook stoves Gasoline or diesel powered cars, boats, motorcycles, jet skies or other vehicle operating in the garage Charcoal grills or natural gas grills too close to a window or inside an enclosed area Gasoline powered tools
Conventional and Herbal Remedy Treatments to Adrenalin Insufficiency
The fight or flight response is more than a psychological reaction to stress. In fact stress response endeavors a network of bodily systems–particularly the hypothalmus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands, where a glitch in its interaction becomes the precursor to hormonal imbalance and the manifest of disorders.
The article will discuss the conventional treatments prescribed to correct hormonal imbalance that may be compromising efficient stress response, as well as alternative remedies administered by herbalists such as herbal remedies and natural supplements, to sustain the healthy functions of the adrenal glands while tempering its immuno-suppressive action.
One of the anomalies to hit this physiological mechanism is the underproduction of Cortisol or the stress hormone by the adrenal glands. Inadequate amounts of this hormone restricts the body’s response to stress stimuli resulting to fatigue, unexplained weight loss, weakened immunity and adrenal insufficiency (AI) disorders. In case you are suffering from bouts of adrenal insufficiency, below are the more popular treatments and supplements you can take.
Medications. To manage your condition, the physician will most likely prescribe synthetic hormone replacement pills, such as glucortisoid or hydrocortisone, for the management and regulation of said deficiency. AI medication is taken 3 times a day and may be prescribed for life. Hormonal supplementation with DHEA is also purported to relieve AI symptoms.
Injectibles. In case symptoms are severe to the point that pill administration becomes impossible, medications can be temporarily replaced with hormone shots of glucortisoid until such time that the illness or the symptoms taper off.
Herbal Remedy Tonics. There are a number of herbs used in the practice of alternative medicine for the management of AI disorders. The oils of the garden herb Borage contain Gamma Linolenic Acids or GLA that can help revive and stimulate adrenal gland functioning following treatment. The encapsulated oils of Borage is an effective adrenal gland supplement that is safe for use over extended periods of time.
Meanwhile, the herb Siberian Ginseng is not only an energy booster but is also reputed for its support to adrenal gland functions. Furthermore, the herb’s ginsenosides constituents provide remarkable benefits to the circulatory system by subduing the adverse effects of cortisol response to the body. Herbal immune enhancers such as the Echinacea and Huang Qi may also be administered to AI sufferers in order to counteract the hormone’s immuno-suppressive action.
Herbal Supplements. Standardized herbal supplements such as AdrenoBoost are formulated with the medicinal compounds of adrenal supporting herbs Siberian Ginseng and Borage, including the benefits of Huang Qi to the immune system. The herbal supplement formula utilizes the synergistic action of its herbal ingredients to correct cortisol imbalance, enhance circulation and immune system functions, boost stamina and reinforce the body’s response to stressors while all the while supporting the routine functions of the adrenal glands.
Don’t want to be on medication for life, know that you have natural options through herbal remedy tonics and herbal supplements for adrenal insufficiency disorders.
What Organism Causes the Swine Flu?
Swine flu is a derivative and like other derivatives has a genealogy. Often, the crux of finding a successful vaccine hinges on proper understanding of the attributes of the derivative. It follows then that to find out which organism causes swine flu it is necessary to study it’s genealogy.
Of course the flu was at one point restricted to pigs only, but even then had similarities with the common cold virus, gastroenteritis virus and the regular flu virus. Obviously, something happened to the virus, mutation or whatever else because it transgressed. And it is understanding the why and how of this transgression which is the key to understanding what organism causes swine flu in humans.
Physiologically we are similar to pigs and can share some traits. The primary difference however, is the virus would have to modify to transgress as in it’s pig form it wouldn’t be able to get past first base; the human immune system. And out of interest, there have been cases of previously human only diseases to transgress to pigs and other animals – it seems then this can work both ways!
Many of us can remember a few short years ago, there was an outbreak of avian flu which transgressed to humans. After many tests and research projects a reliable vaccine was eventually found. And no doubt a reliable vaccine will be found for swine flu virus [http://thehomebusinessventure.com/swineflu.html] too, since after all, it is not entirely new, it’s merely a new strain of an old virus.
8 Warning Signs That You Have High Stress Levels
Possibly the biggest problem with treating stress is that people don’t know they are under stress or choose to ignore it as a consequence of working hard to get ahead. In other words they are ignorant or apathetic to the issue of stress.
It is important to get informed about stress and take action to reduce or relieve it in some way. Unrelieved stress can lead to all sorts of health complications from catching the common cold to life threatening cardiovascular disease.
Here are some signals that may help you to identify that your stress levels are getting high.
Sudden Anger
You become suddenly angry and lash out at the people around you (generally verbally), such as your family, friends and work colleagues? There may be no apparent explanation for the outburst.
Feeling Overwhelmed
The everyday things in life tend to overwhelm you. You feel that your usual routines are just too much and that you want to get away from it all.
Constant Worry
You tend to be anxious or worried for most of the day about nothing in particular.
Depression
You feel a general sense of depression or lack motivation. Things that you used to enjoy and give you pleasure are hum drum and dull. You find that life just doesn’t excite you like it used to.
Exhaustion
You get very tired without doing much and then have trouble sleeping because you are worrying about things. Do you have trouble staying awake at night after work ?
Constant Colds
You seem to pick up every cold or flu bug that is doing the rounds. Then you find it hard to shift the illness and it takes longer than other people around you. You may start to notice that you are sick more often than your friends or colleagues.
Lack of Concentration
You can’t concentrate on one thing at any time. You find it hard to focus on things and your memory tends to be unreliable. You frequently starting to do something and then drift away and forget what you were doing.
Mood Swings
Your go through the full range of emotions from happy to sad to angry to tears all in a few minutes of each other with no obvious reason.
Often you may think these symptoms are caused by other issues in your life but lurking underneath many problems that we have in life is unmanaged stress.