You Can Do The Hard Things

Former US President Theodore Roosevelt's wise words:

"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty... I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well."

These positive, wise words can, unfortunately explain away negative situations such as "advance aging" because advanced aging is most often the result of backing off from doing the hard things, especially regarding our health.

In life, we are constantly tempted to take "the path of least resistance" because, well, it's the easiest and usually the quickest way. But easy does not translate to better nor does it translate to growth. Easy translates to lazy. And, when it comes to our health, lazy translates to disease and "advanced-aging."

An Exchange of Energy -

Have you ever really gotten anything of lasting value in your life without some form of valuable/energy/ monetary exchange? Certainly nothing that has any lasting value comes free because everything is an energy exchange.

When we put a little energy into accomplishing or achieving something, the "little" value we receive back matches. But when we push the envelope and challenge ourselves to do the harder thing, to reach beyond our current limits, our ROI grows expoentially.

There's no better example of this than lifting weights in the gym - one of the best things we can do to sculpt our bodies and strengthen our muscles. What's hard today, won't be after many repetitions. Enjoying the benefits that stronger muscles provides us demands that we continually challenge ourselves by adding more weight.

There is no gain in life without some sort of stretch/pain. It's called evolutionary growth and all human emotional, mental and physical challenges hold within them the greatest opportunity for growth.

Rather than avoid the "hard stuff," we need to see the "silver lining" hidden within the hard stuff and stop running away from a race we can never win.

Perceptions are Key

Shifting our perceptions is the starting point. Seeing challenges as opportunities for growth is the clear answer to confronting fear and eliminating its paralyzing effects. Challenges boost our adrenalin and energy output and increase our heart rate but not the same way as a "fight or flight" response would.

Different hormones are released when we're faced with challenges; we're more focused and able to access our mental and physical faculties easier.

We've become weak as humans, literally and figuratively because we "take the easy way out" too often. This explains the reasons we are currently experiencing a global health crisis.

We want to be healthier but it's "too hard to lift weights or make time to go to the gym

We want to be healthier but it's too hard to let go of unnecessary easy things eating up time

We want to be healthier but it's "too hard" to give up our destructive diet in lieu of nutrient dense foods

We want to be healthier but we don't want to take time to cook and prep our own meals. It's too hard and so we opt for "fast foods"... (the only thing fast about fast foods is how quickly they destroy our health).

We want to be healthier but want it as a gift, not something we've earned through "hard work" and as a reward for adjusted lifestyles

We want to be healthier without putting forth any "hard effort"

Easy doesn't push the envelope. Life is not set up to operate that way. Life is set up as a reward - give and take system. What you put in, you get out. It's really that simple.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

-Thomas A. Edison

Pushing challenges aside and continuing to opt for the easy way sends very clear messages to our minds and to our body that we are satisfied with our lot in life. Life returns the same to us and rather than pushing the door to new opportunity wide open or healing us from the inside out, it begins the process of sedentary decay.

The raw truth is, we are either moving in a forward direction by tackling the "hard stuff" or we subtly move ourselves in a negative direction by staying in our comfort zone of safety.

Success at anything is directly connected to sacrifice. Sacrifice most often means giving up something in exchange for something else.

The "good" we're all searching for in life is cleverly wrapped up in a willingness to tackle the "hard things" rather than wimp through the easy ones. Our current health status is the perfect example and reason to begin tackling the "hard things."

It's time we traded our "easy path" false delusions about getting healthy for some real growth "hard solutions" because we cannot move forward or heal completely from any health crisis, personal or global until we address the causes. If we have not focused on and addressed the initial causes, it is only a matter of time before another global health catastrophe reappears cleverly disguised in a "different virus or disease."

"It is better to make many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10546502

Exercise, Nutrition, and Health: Keeping it Simple | Jason Kilderry | TE...

How to Practice Self Care

Self care is one of the most important things available for health and well-being Life gets busy and overwhelming, but it is necessary to make time for self care. Self care consists of focusing on what you need when you need it with the intention of health and well-being.

Self care means resting when it is needed, eating natural whole foods, moving the body, meditation, healthy relationships, fun and elimination of toxic behaviors or poor habits. The list includes anything that is focusing on your wellness.

When the body has been abused enough and self care is not a priority innate wisdom takes over. The body sends messages. Sometimes the messages are ignored or suppressed with prescription medications, over the counter drugs or other toxic vices. It is wise to listen in order to bring the body into a state of balance again.

Symptoms are a body's wise way of saying that yourself needs attention. Healing comes by going deeper and asking the sometimes difficult questions. Why is this symptom happening? What is my body saying? What lifestyle changes need to be made? What emotion is attached to this symptom? There are more questions that need to be asked rather than suppressing an issue further. The issue will come back again and again until healing the root cause. Once the root issue is healed balance will be present.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine the body associates particular emotions within certain organs. The liver-gallbladder holds anger, kidneys hold fear, heart is associated with joy, spleen harbours worry and over thinking. The lungs are connected with grief. So the next time a symptom is experienced you may consider a possible emotional connection.

Many women, mothers and care providers often get caught in the trap of over giving and not setting boundaries. The adrenals become fatigued or even worse exhausted and the whole body becomes out of balance. In this case saying no when necessary is self care. Saying no to something or someone else and saying yes to self care as needed is best for everyone involved. Taking the time that you need to rejuvenate, nurture and nourish yourself well in order to be a caregiver adds to the quality of life.

To practice self care it is best to listen to your own body. That can mean facing some unpleasant truths, but ultimately self care practiced correctly leads to health, happiness and well-being. It is not selfish to give yourself care as needed. Without taking time for your well-being and recognizing your worth there is nothing left to share with others.

Lisa R. Marshall is a natural wellness, nutrition and healing arts practitioner. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7559684 

Health, Power And Energy

I would like to cover something slightly different in this article the brain and nutrition please, bear in mind that I am not any kind of expert on the subject of diet as such, but I do believe it is relevant to our subject matter that of self-protection and its main aim is to help you improve your performance both physically and mentally.

But first, a little bit of information that you may find interesting about a little known group of people who some live to be 145 years of age and highlights the importance of having a healthy body and mind with the aid of the correct nutrition and physical exercise.

The first westerner to discover these mysterious people around the 1920s and 30s was a Scottish physician by the name of Doctor, MacCarrison, an adventurer by nature spent seven years living amongst this tiny group of people called the Hunzas. They live in the remote mountain peaks area of the Himalayas at the extreme north point of India, and more or less cut off from the outside world. Their origins are a mystery. However, one of the first things the Doctor observed was that they had exceptional health and as far as he could tell they suffered from no diseases what so ever.

Interestingly, they appeared to be completely immune to all so-called modern diseases for instance: cancer and heart disease. He discovered their diet consisted mainly of fresh grains, barley, millet, buckwheat and some meat, plus, fruits and vegetables. Meat was consumed very rarely and was reserved for special occasions. But chicken was their most common source of animal protein. Nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and beech nuts formed an important part of the Hunza diet too, regular walks of 15-20 kilometers was considered quite normal, relaxation and meditation was also regularly practiced by both young and old.

Food for thought

It is said by those more knowledgeable than me that the brain is the greatest organ in your body. You see it requires a very specific type of nutrition from your diet, so you should not be surprised to know that your diet affects how your brain performs.

As an example, a good start to the day would be to include a hearty breakfast a salad which is full of antioxidants plus, vitamins C and E as well as, Beta- Carotene. All this helps to reduce damage from free-radicals, those harmful critters molecules that move around the body doing damage. By doing this you will give your brain the fuel it needs to keep working optimally throughout the day. Also, a good burst of glucose works wonders if taken throughout the day.

In addition, as you grow older, your brain loses its capability to defend itself against those marauding free-radicals which can cause inflammation and oxidation so as you get older you need more nutrition than when you were young. On top of that, free-radicals can slowly build up if they are not destroyed and can cause short-term memory loss. As a result it can slow you down the essential processes in your brain like thinking. Therefore, anti-oxidants are essential to maintaining good health and a good memory.

Good sources of anti-oxidants are: Spinach, carrots vitamin A and Beta Carotene.

Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, Broccoli, Strawberries and Tomatoes.

Vitamin E: Nuts, seeds, vegetable oil and wheat germ to name just a few.

Fatty foods causes clogging of the arteries and can disrupt the body's natural activities, in order to prevent that cut back on fatty foods and replace them with foods rich in antioxidants. To ensure you have a well-balanced meal and your body doesn't lack any of the essential nutrients it may be advisable to take food supplements which may help. Remember though, they are just supplements and are in no way a replacement for a well- balanced meal.

Fish is also known for improving your memory and scientific research has shown that eating fish which is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acid DHA helps with brain development in children. In schools where kids have sat IQ tests those who regularly eat fish scored significant higher marks than those who did not. Fish contains Omega 3 which helps your brain operate at peak performance, which is important should you find yourself having to deal with any unprovoked violent confrontation in the street successfully.

Finally, if you train your best you can win anywhere in the world against anybody. The real contest however is between what you've done and what you're capable of doing. You measure yourself against yourself and nobody else, you have to give 100 percent, because if you don't, someone else will give 100 percent and will beat you when you meet.

So if you want health, power and energy remember, you are what you eat. Stay safe.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10312852

Fasting Your Way To Gut Health

This article addresses something that's crucial to good health but many people still seem to be unaware of. That is daily fasting. Fasting is simply going without food for a period time.

It's not a complex thing, but if you want to look into it seriously (and by that I mean fasting over an extended period of time), you're diabetic, pregnant or have autoimmune issues it's a good idea to get advice and understand how to do it safely.

We actually fast every day without realizing it, because we fast during the night whilst we're sleeping.

Fasting is said to help boost your immune system, lower blood sugar and control weight among others. You're actually being kind to your gut when you fast because you're allowing the waste that's currently in your system to work its way out before you then start eating again.

Essentially you're giving your whole digestive system a rest, so that the body can go back to what it does naturally, which is to heal and repair.

What we often do, however, is to graze. So we may have a hearty breakfast first thing in the morning when we wake up because it's what we think we should do. We may have a snack at around 11.00. We'll then have lunch probably around 12.00-1.00pm. We may have a snack around 4pm, then we have dinner probably around 6.00-7.00pm. We may even have a little snack before we go to bed.

What that means is that we're constantly eating, which means our digestive system rarely rests. The consequence of this is that our body is constantly using energy to digest our food rather than burning fat which is what it is designed to do when we don't eat.

In addition, when we're snacking we don't always know whether we really are hungry, and over time eating between meals just becomes a habit. Sometimes we eat when we're not even hungry, we're actually dehydrated and thirsty.

If we adopt the following seven simple strategies essentially we'll be not only giving our body the chance to rest the digestive tract, we'll also be boosting our immune system:

1. Have a later rather than an earlier breakfast

2. If you must eat an early breakfast make it fruit based where possible, as your body is still in cleanse mode first thing in the morning

3. Eat when you're hungry

4. Drink water between meals rather than snacking

5. Don't eat after 8pm

6. Eat your last meal no more than 4 hours before bed

7. Fast intermittently each day for 12-16 hours between your last meal and your breakfast

Thinking about how you eat, what you eat and when you eat is the beginning of taking control over your own gut health. Be mindful of what you eat first thing in the morning when our body is still cleansing - in the same way you wouldn't feed a new-born baby solids, your stomach first thing in the morning needs to be nurtured a little.

Finally you can train your body to fast intermittently each day over a period of time until your body gets accustomed to it. Start with going without food overnight for 12 hours and gradually extend it. Intermittent fasting is not only great for your gut, it's one of the easiest and most effective ways to help your body to begin functioning optimally and to boost your overall health.

Carmen Gilfillan is the founder of Stimulus Development & Training. Stimulus specialises in helping people overcome emotional trauma, experience emotional breakthroughs, boost their health naturally and live their best lives. We do this through Life & Wellness Coaching, Emotional Freedom consultations and training in the areas of personal, professional and spiritual growth.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10152924