Music and Moods

Did you know that there are ways to prime your brain to accept certain information? There was an interesting tidbit in Parade Magazine from a new book called “Your Playlist Could Change Your Life.”

We all know how the right song can put us in a better mood or help us calm down. But next time try listening to a calming natural sound – like a waterfall before blasting your best mood lifting song.

Priming you brain in such a way can help amplify the effects of the music, according to the authors of Your Playlist Can Change Your Life.

If anxiety is keeping you from sleeping at night see our post Help With Sleep Problems

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SAD Soother safely promotes an easy–going, positive emotional outlook, without harmful side effects. This remedy contains a selection of homeopathic ingredients known to improve energy levels and temperament during the winter season.

Coping with Holiday Depression

Each of us has our own reasons for coming down with the holiday blues. It may be the memories of a past time when we were much happier or it may be the financial stress of the cost of gift giving or the emotional stress of having to interact with family members we have difficulty getting along with. Also, we may have unrealistic expectations of our holiday time and end up feeling disappointed and sad. Some of us might also have Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) where you feel down simply because your body is not getting enough sunlight.

If your depression does stem from SAD, see the banner at the top or bottom of the post, for help with your seasonal affective disorder.

Whatever the reason for the sadness there are some ways to help yourself feel better:

According to Richard Carlson, author of “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” it helps if you recognize that moods are transitory i.e. they change constantly. It may be that you are feeling bad at the moment and all seems lost but in a few hours your mood may shift back up. Dr. Carlson advises simply recognizing you are experiencing a low mood and wait it out. Before you know it a better mood will come along.

If your blues are coming from something that is lacking in your life think about following the old adage “Count your blessings.” It seems so simple but it really does work. Make a list of all that you have to be thankful for. In her book “Simple Abundance” Sarah Ban Breathnach advises writing down 5 things you are thankful for every day in a Gratitude Journal.

Take the focus off of yourself. The Mayo Clinic advises patients to reach out and if they are feeling lonely or isolated to seek out community, religious or other social events. Consider volunteering as helping others is a good way to lift your spirits and broaden your friendships.

Many, many health experts recommend getting some exercise. Even just a quick stroll around the block can help lift your mood.

Make time for yourself. Sometimes we get the blues because we haven’t been very nice to ourselves. Give yourself a break; you deserve it. Take time to do the things YOU love to do and be with the people you enjoy.

Finally, some advice from Oprah via Elizabeth Lesser. Elizabeth Lesser is the author of Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow and A Seeker’s Guide: Making Your Life a Spiritual Adventure. Here is what she says about the holidays, “Once we get with the program that no one skates through December, we can get on with having an imperfectly wonderful holiday season. We can let go of wanting a different family and try to enjoy the wacky one we already have. If we have cherished childhood memories, we can be grateful for those we can duplicate in our adult world and wistful, yet mature about those we can’t. Or, if our memories are meager and mean, we can hitch our wagon to new rituals that we create from scratch.”

So if you feel blue, try not to be overly concerned about it because analyzing it just makes it worse. Most of us have felt that way during the holidays at sometime. Try one of the above suggestions. None of them take much time or money and you might feel a bit better.

SAD Soother safely promotes an easy–going, positive emotional outlook, without harmful side effects. This remedy contains a selection of homeopathic ingredients known to improve energy levels and temperament during the winter season.

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Enlarged Prostate and Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are available all year round but it is great to get them fresh from the pumpkin you carve. Don’t throw them away because in terms of nutrition they are a treasure.

A serving is roughly 1 tablespoon (10 grams). So you really don’t need to eat many of them. Pumpkin seeds are high in calories, so you wouldn’t want to eat a lot of them anyway.

Here are some suggestions for adding to your diet

* Sprinkle on top of roasted vegetables
* Add to salads for extra crunch
* Add them to homemade beef or chicken burgers
* Sprinkle chopped pumpkin seeds in your cereal or oatmeal
* Include in your baking recipes, for example oatmeal cookies

For your one tablespoon of pumpkin seeds a day here is what you will get:

Constipation and mucus formation are prevented because pumpkin seeds have powerful enzymes known to boost the immune system.

Pumpkin seeds contain phytosterols, compounds that that have been shown to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol and protect against many cancers.

Nutritive Values: Per 100 gm.

* Vitamin A: 70 I.U.
* Vitamin B:
* Thiamine: .24 mg
* Riboflavin: .19 mg.
* Niacin: 2.4 mg.
* Calcium: 51 mg.
* Iron: 11.2 mg.
* Phosphorus: 1,144 mg.
* Fat: 46.7 gm.
* Carbohydrates : 15.0 gm.
* Protein : 29.0 gm.
* Calories: 553

Want to know how to roast pumpkin seeds? Watch this video:

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How to Meditate at Your Desk at Work

Here is a great 5 minute guided meditation exercise from a book called “5 Minute Healer” by Jane Alexander. It can be difficult to get the hang of meditation in the beginning. You find your mind wondering and forget to pay attention to your breathing. Sometimes it just seems impossible. If you have a timer, set it for five minutes and try the meditation exercise below. The first couple time it may not feel like much, but keep trying everyday for a few weeks and see if you don’t feel better.

Meditation Exercise

1. Sit in any position that feels comfortable and close your eyes. Keep your head upright, shoulders relaxed.

5. How do you feel now? Do you feel different in any way? Can you feel any tingling of subtle energy, or chi, in your body or head?

Something else you can also do at the office in your chair in five minutes is chair yoga. Chair Yoga is great for beginners and it so easy to do. You don’t need any special equipment and you can do it wherever you can sit down in a chair. Chair Yoga is a great stress reliever and good for keeping your joints lubricated.

Chair Yoga: 5 Minutes to Total Rejuvenation from Sara Stover on Vimeo.

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Unhealthy Habits

In his book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Changing Old Habits for Good, Alan Marlatt, Ph.D., offers insights into creating healthy behaviors and ways to help you make them a part of your life.

Some experts say it takes 21 days to change a bad habit to a good one. Other say it takes longer. Marlatt says “there is not a set time frame.” Each person is different in terms of what triggers bad habits and how quickly they can break them.

Whether you’re looking to quite smoking, lose weight or simply get better health, here are five essentials to consider when devising your plan of attack.

1. Put it in writing. Before you can reach your goal, you must first identify it. Marlatt says you need to set a reasonable goal, and then break it up into small steps. You know yourself best and only you will know how to divide the steps to make it workable for you. Marlatt also recommends creating a “Quit (whatever the bad habit is) Commitment Contract” to hold yourself accountable. Write down details such as what habit you’re giving up and why, how and when you plan to do it, and the friends, family and co-workers you’ve told about your goal.

2. Recognize and neutralize triggers. Just when you”re making progress toward quitting a bad habit, a craving can hit out of nowhere. It can be a smell, a song – you just don’t know. Since don’t know when the triggers might happen, make a plan to deal with them. Marlatt suggests removing temptation if possible. clean out your candy stash or toss your “secret” cigarettes. You can also replace old bad habits with good new ones. For example, if you used to eat your meals on the couch in front of the TV, investing in a dining table and using it can help you change that behavior.

3. Find ways to persevere. TBreaking bad habits is not easy. To help get though the hard times and the daily stress, Marlatt suggests making to-do lists and measuring your progress. Online prompts have also proved effective. A recent study found that receiving e-mail suggestions that include diet and fitness tips can actually promote better habits.

4. Bounce back Nobody’s perfect and don’t be hard on yourself if you slide. In fact, relapse should not be seen as a failure, according to Marlatt. “It’s human, it’s predicable and it’s not the end of the world- it’s part of the process of change,” he says. It’s important to not beat yourself up if fall off the wagon. Consider it a lesson learned and knowing it will help you do better next time.

5. Give yourself a bonus Rewards are a great way to stay motivated and focused. But how often should you reward yourself? “Do it every hour if it helps you stay focused,” Marlatt says. “You can’t spoil yourself.” He recommends choosing healthy rewards that promote your efforts to improve your habits. Massages, meditation, listening to a song you like, are all good ways to reduce tension in your body and improve your general health. Find a healthy reward that works for you.

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Ways to deal with Holiday Stress

Simple Meditation: You don’t need to take a class or read a book on it to perform a simple meditation, you can begin by sitting in a comfortable posture, then close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. You can try to do this for five minutes to start out with. Just the fact you are stopping and taking time out to breathe will do a lot to lower your stress level. If you can’t do five minutes just try starting out with one minute and work up to five minutes.

Exercise: Again you don’t need to walk for miles. A walk around the block or around your building where you work will help you feel better. You can even do Chair Yoga or Exercise at Your Desk if you can’t get outside. Even just basic deep breathing will help bring oxygen to your body and reduce tension.

Spend time with family: Spending good, quality time with friends and family, watching comedy movies with them will really change the way you fight with stress.

Listen to music: With the invention of the IPod listening to music is easier than ever. Try listening to some soothing music for a few minutes. Visualize a place you would like to be while you listen to the music. If you don’t have any relaxing music make sure to add some to your music selection. Some people find the sound of the ocean very soothing. You can find downloads of nature sounds on the internet or on cds. Everyone is different, so experiment with different types of music that you might find relaxing.

Commune with nature: One time after doing marathon Christmas shopping, I stopped at our local arboretum. No one was around and I just sat on a bench and stared at the water in the pond. I felt so peaceful and quiet, it was wonderful.

Be more self aware: Take a moment to think about what you would enjoy doing. Do you have a hobby you enjoy pursuing? Do you like to read? Find something you enjoy doing and then plan your first step toward that activity. For example, if you enjoy painting – buy some supplies, look around for a class or if you like reading, buy a new book. Planning for an activity you enjoy takes your mind off all the things that are stressing you out.

Try stress reducing herbs : Passionflower is a popular herb that has been known to help reduce anxiety. For many, passionflower is as effective as some prescription drugs. St. John’s Wort. St. John’s Wort has been used as a supplement for centuries. It’s a natural herb that can help with both depression and anxiety. It’s best used for mild to moderate cases. Valerian Root. This is another natural anxiety herb. It’s an excellent choice if you also have trouble sleeping. Valerian root can be taken as a tea or a capsule and should be taken approximately two hours before you go to bed. Green tea is a natural herb that you can drink or take in capsule form. It’s loaded with beneficial antioxidants to help you achieve a healthy lifestyle. It’s a natural stress reliever and helps boost metabolism to energize you. It may even help with weight loss.

Try aromatherapy: Many herbs can be used in aromatherapy to calm you in a natural way. Try lavender, rosemary, or peppermint for some popular choices. You can simply open to bottle of essential oil and breathe in the scent or sprinkle a few drops on a handkerchief or you can add one or a combination of these essential oils to your bathwater.

Eat right: Sometimes you may forget about the intense connection between how you feel and what you put into your body. Simply paying attention to getting a natural, well-balanced diet can help you reduce anxiety.
If eating right is difficult for you, be sure to take a multivitamin and avoid chemicals, processed foods, and caffeine when possible.

Use the Worry Time technique: If constant worry is making you crazy, it’s time to pick a worry time. Choose a period of the day – maybe 5 to 6 PM – where you allow yourself to worry as much as you want. Worrying is simply not allowed or tolerated during the rest of the day. Every time you feel worries arise during other times of the day, tell yourself that the worries have to wait for your worry time. You’ll soon find that you won’t really worry all that much during your worry time!

Get a full body massage. A massage is a great way to relax your muscles. It also helps to get blood flowing properly throughout the body, which naturally reduces stress.

Take a warm bath: Taking a warm bath is beneficial to your body and mind. The warmth will help your body relax while the peaceful time to yourself will help you achieve a balanced mindset. Add

Do something funny: The saying “laughter is the best medicine” is no joke! Laughing can definitely help you to relax and therefore reduce stress. Do something you personally find funny, like watching a comedy show, reading a funny book or hanging out with a good friend. In a study published in The Journal of Primary Prevention, scientists taught a group of 33 employees how to “induce their own natural laughter.” Rather than laughing about something funny, the team used deep-breathing techniques and sounds that provoked robust belly laughts. Each morning for three weeks, the participants practiced laughing for 15 minutes. At the end of that period, the researchers found that the group’s “self-regulation, optimism, positive emotions, and social identification” had increased. The effects were there 90 days later.

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Alternative Therapies in Health Medicine

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that as many as 62% of Americans use some form of alternative medicine. With Government funding, medical science is beginning to study the effectiveness of alternative and complementary treatments. Some of the therapies are showing positive results. Of the various categories of treatment “mind-body therapies” seems to have the greatest rate of success. Here are three types of alternative therapies that have documented valid scientific evidence behind them:

Acupuncture - Eastern philosophy says that acupuncture affects the flow of qi (pronounced chee), or energy through the energy meridians in our body. Western medical doctors explain that the needles interact with our nervous system by triggering the release of chemicals that affect our mood, perception of pain and immune response.

Medical research indicates acupuncture has been most successful with reducing pain due to knee arthritis, reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and in vitro fertilization.

Meditation - Meditation in its most standard form usually involves focusing on deep breathing and repeating a mantra. This process activates the relaxation response in our bodies which lowers blood pressure and improves hormone balance.

Studies have found that meditation may have positive effects on blood pressure, insulin levels, blood sugar, and heart health. It can improve concentration, reduce anxiety, and help with post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Biofeedback - Biofeedback uses sensors to show you your “automatic” functions such as blood pressure, pulse rate, stress response, skin temperature and brain waves. You are taught how to control these functions with your brain or thoughts.

The technique is helpful for reducing high blood pressure, chronic back pain, incontinence, tension headaches, and stress.

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How To Look 10 Years Younger

There is huge line of products out there promising to make us look younger. But you know there are so many natural ways to slow the aging process and most of them are very inexpensive. AOL Health did a great post on home remedies for anti-aging. They asked their readers for their own home grown remedies and here are some of their tips:

Stress Less

Stress can cause us to tense our facial muscles which causes wrinkles and can be hard on our entire body. Our bodies are not designed to be in the “fight” mode all the time. Learning how to get rid of those stressful feelings can go along way toward keeping your body young not to mention lower your blood pressure. Many people say meditation is the best way to de-stress but you can also do breathing exercises, take a relaxing bath, listen to soothing music, do yoga, or exercise. Just pick one that works for you and you will feel so much better and look younger too.

Keep Covered

Minimize your exposure to strong sun. You probably know the sun is strongest during 10 am and 2 pm. If you can avoid being out in the sun during those times, it is like taking a magic anti-aging pill. Stay out of tanning booths at all times. You need some sun exposure to get the proper amount of Vitamin D. See our post Safely Avoid Vitamin D deficiencies – Sun Exposure. If you are out in the sun make sure you use sunscreen. You will keep your skin smooth and reduce your chance of getting skin cancer. Also wear a hat. So many people forget to do this. Wearing a wide brimmed hat will keep you cooler and protect the delicate skin on your face. If you color your hair, it will also prevent your color from fading.

Moisturize at Any Price

One AOL Health respondent said “Another friend said this is what works for him: “Slather on moisturizer twice a day. It doesn’t matter how expensive or cheap the moisturizer is, as long as it is slathered on. If you have money for a more expensive one, good, but any will do.” I can speak from personal experience and tell you that does work. My skin is still very soft even though I am older because I have always used moisturizer. I put mine on right after I step out of the shower so the water gets locked in my skin.

Get some more great natural anti-aging advice at AOL Health

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